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Dragon-Blooded Melee

Thematics: The Elemental Dragon of Fire is not the fiercest of his kind, but is no less deadly. Indeed, it is his discipline and control that render his fury - so often held in abeyance - impossible to turn aside when he finally unleashes it. Those of his Blood, thus, have a natural talent for Armed Combat - which requires discipline and coordination to Master, but is to all appearances as wild and full of fury as any city-consuming conflagration or erupting volcano.

Charm Concept: Forged
A number of Terrestrial Melee Charms only work with "Forged" weapons, which means any metallic weapon which was forged through flame. Wooden weapons, or weapons with a long wooden haft, cannot benefit from such charms unless they are Artifact weapons made of Jade, in which case the Dragon-Blooded's association with the Jade in the weapon makes up for the weapon's weak association with the Element of Fire.

The Dragon and the Blade

  Cost: 3m (1m); Mins: Melee 1, Essence 1; Type: Reflexive
  Keywords: Combo-OK, Channel, Root
  Duration: Instant
  Prerequisite Charms: None

The first lesson taught by the Elemental Dragon of Fire is to always be ready. For anything. An Exalt who has learned this lesson is always prepared for any attempt to separate him from his weapon, and by activating this charm may respond to such a manuever in such a way as to avoid being disarmed. The Dragon-Blood achieves a perfect success on the Wits+Melee roll to retain his weapon after a successful disarm attempt. This is considered a defensive effect, and is thus inviolable even in the face of other charms that might contradict this statement. An even deeper meaning of The Dragon and the Blade, however, allows the Exalt who knows this Charm to never be caught without a weapon in his hand should a battle break out. As an instant Channel costing only a single mote, the Dragon-Blooded may instantly draw (or sheathe) his weapon. Unlike many charms within this tree, both effects of this Charm work with any weapon.

(Terrestrial Defend Other Charm)

  Cost: 4m; Mins: Melee 1, Essence 2; Type: Supplemental
  Keywords: Combo-OK, Draconic(All), Cooperative
  Duration: One action
  Prerequisite Charms: The Dragon and the Blade

Just as the Five Elemental Dragons are aspects of a larger whole, so is the Dragon-Blooded Host. This charm supplements a Defend Other action, eliminating that actions DV penalty and, if the Terrestrial's defense fails, subjecting the attacker to the defender's anima banner for one tick if he chooses to bypass the defender and go after his original target instead. If more than one Terrestrial uses this charm, this charms Cooperative nature comes into play, with each additional defender adding +2 to the DV of the primary defender rather than merely +1. No more than five defenders can gain this bonus, even with the use of Threshing Floor Technique, and no bonus is applied if the attacker targets one of the bodyguards rather than the person being guarded.

Portentous Comet Deflecting Mode

  Cost: 3m (1wp); Mins: Melee 3, Essence 3; Type: Reflexive (Step 2)
  Keywords: Combo-OK, Channel, Obvious, Purity(1)
  Duration: Instant
  Prerequisite Charms: (Terrestrial Defend Other Charm)

The Terrestrial invokes this charm in response to an attack, which cannot be unexpected, unblockable or enhanced by a charm, sorcery or other magic. The Dragon-Blooded must pay a 1wp surcharge the first time he uses this charm in an action, and 3m per each charm invocation. After invoking this charm, continue attack resolution as normal. If the attack receives more accuracy successes in Step 5 than the character's (Parry DV x 3) then the attack hits anyway. In any other case where it was legal to invoke this charm, the attack misses. As a 4m reflexive Channel activated along with the main charm, the Dragon-Blooded can parry even an attack that has been enhanced by a charm. This channel only costs costs 2m if the attack is enhanced with Sorcery or a Spirit-charm.

Threshing Floor Technique

  Cost: 2m + 1m per targeted ally; Mins: Melee 2, Essence 3; Type: Supplemental
  Keywords: Combo-OK, Cooperative
  Duration: Two actions
  Prerequisite Charms: (Terrestrial Defend Other Charm)

(Charm Idea: This charm supplements a Coordinated Attack or Defend Other action, allowing additional attackers and/or defenders to participate. Multiple Dragon-Blooded using this charm together also enhance the attack or defense in various ways.)

Refining the Inner Blade

  Cost: 3m, 1wp; Mins: Melee 2, Essence 2; Type: Simple (Speed 3, DV -2)
  Keywords: Combo-Basic, Draconic(Own), Obvious
  Duration: Indefinite
  Prerequisite Charms: The Dragon and the Blade

A Crimson Dragon with this charm is never truly unarmed, though he might appear such. The Dragon-Blooded must spend three motes and one Willpower, and three ticks of perfect concentration, to fashion a sword or other melee weapon out of his patron element. The character picks the size of this weapon when he creates it, making either a two handed weapon or a smaller one-handed weapon. If he chooses a massive two handed weapon, the weapon has a Speed of 6, a Damage rating of (1+Melee+Essence)L, an Accuracy of +(Essence), a Rate of 2 and a Defense of -1. If the Dragon-Blooded chooses a smaller one-handed weapon, he receives a weapon with a Speed of 5, a Damage of +4L, an Accuracy of +(Essence), a Rate of 3 and a Defense of +(Essence).

If the Dragon-Blooded anima has reached the totemic level he may pull his weapon from his very essence, but this adds +3m to the charms cost and lowers the charm's duration to One Scene. At Essence 3, the Dragon-Blooded may pay an elemental surcharge when using this charm and create a weapon of an element other than that of his patron element. I.e., a Fire Aspect can create a Sword of Ice as a Water-aspect. No matter the nature of his weapon, a Dragon-Blooded can always use Melee charms with a blade created using Refining the Inner Blade.

Ghost-Fire Blade

  Cost: 2m or 4m; Mins: Melee 2, Essence 3; Type: Reflexive
  Keywords: Combo-OK, Channel, Holy, Obvious, Purity(1)
  Duration: Instant
  Prerequisite Charms: Refining the Inner Blade

The flames of Hesiesh singe all those who wound stand against the Dragon-Blooded, whether they be demons from Malfaes or wayward spirits in defiance of the Immaculate Order, and a Dragon-Blooded with this charm can wreath his weapon in those selfsame flames. An attack with a Forged weapon enhanced with this Charm inflicts damage normally to immaterial spirits, and if the Dragon-Blooded spends 4m instead of merely two, it also does aggravated damage to Creatures of Darkness. Only the Anathema are immune to this second effect, such is their puissance.

Channel (Cost: 0m): The Dragon-Blooded activates this channel when he activates Refining the Inner Blade. For the duration of Ghost-Fire Blade, the Dragon-Blooded's weapon enjoys both benefits of this charm: it can damage immaterial spirits, and does Aggravated damage to Creatures of Darkness as a Holy effect. If the Dragon-Blooded has one of the Five Elemental Grace charms, he may also attach that charm to his Inner Blade through this channel. Ending this channel also ends Refining the Inner Blade, and vice versa.

Grace of the Fire Dragon

  Cost: 1m; Mins: Melee 0, Essence 2; Type: Supplemental
  Keywords: Combo-OK, Environmental, Purity(1)
  Duration: Instant
  Prerequisite Charms: None

One of five Charms known to the Dragon-Blooded as the "Five Elemental Graces", this charm allows the Dragon-Blood to focus the wrath of Hesiesh through his weapon and enhance the potency of his attack with the raw power of Elemental Fire. An attack enhanced with this Charm engulfs the target in a momentary bonfire of burning fire essence as a secondary source of damage. This is an instant Environmental Effect that inflicts 4L damage and has a Trauma equal to the Dragon-Blooded's permanent Essence. If this secondary damage inflicts any levels of damage, the characters clothes or miscellaneous equipment catches on fire as an additional Environmental Effect which inflicts a further 1L damage per action (Trauma 1 per application, to a maximum of [Essence]). A successful defense negates any secondary damage and a Miscellaneous action (with a successful Wits + Athletics roll, Difficulty equal to the effects Trauma) can put out any lingering fires. This charm is explicitly permitted to be put into Combo's with charms from other abilities.