by Haren
The greatest strength of soulsteel is that it is made from living beings. By freeing them, the Abyssal can strengthen it beyond it's normal limits. The Abyssal gains a pool of points equal to their Essence, that can be used to raise the soak by 1 bashing and lethal, reduce fatigue or mobility penalties by 1, or for two points grant a single additional cover difficulty penalty. Should both the fatigue and mobility penalties be reduced to 0, treat all soak from the armor as natural soak. This means the wearer can use martial arts normally, even if they normally require the user to be without armor. The armor so effected can not be larger than human sized.
Cost-> 10 motes, 1 willpower Duration-> One scene Type-> Simple Min. Resistance-> 5 Min. Essence-> 4 Prereqs-> Flowing Wound Defense
While posing little threat to the slaves of death, mortals can be an annoyance. But, they are an annoyance that can be surpassed. By infusing their form with death essence, they become immune to the slings and arrows of the merely mundane. In effect, any attack that is without magic is completely soaked. Even against magical effects, it adds their Resistance to bashing and lethal soak as well as hardness. This charm has no effect on attacks with artifacts, charms, sorcery, or necromancy. Unlike lesser Resistance charms, the way this charm works is based on the inner essence of the Abyssal, as the flesh of some becomes iron-like, and mortal weapons pass through others as through mist.
Cost-> 8 motes, 1 willpower, 1 health level Duration-> Essence in Minutes Type-> Reflexive Min. Resistance-> 5 Min. Essence-> 3 Prereqs-> Flowing Wound Defense
Even the wisest of Abyssals knows that there are times to retreat. It was said that the Day caste, Hidden Mouse Moon, created this charm in a twisted imitation of some animals that let a predator take a limb so that they might escape. The effect is somewhat similar to Flowing Wound Defense as the Abyssal's body disintegrates into some gore and flesh, leaving some limb to fly away. As long as the Abyssal does not draw attention to themselves, all those who were in battle are unlikely to notice as blood gushes forth from the limb in the next turn becoming the Abyssal, as they are too caught up in their "victory". All attempts to detect the Abyssal add the Abyssal's Essence to the difficulty.
Cost-> None Duration-> Permanent Type-> Special Min. Resistance-> 5 Min. Essence-> 4 Prereqs-> Scarlet Venom Technique
As an Abyssal grows into the power granted by their dead gods, their form undergrows further changes, such as this one. Where before just the blood was changed, now all the fluids of the body are affected. They become different vermin. Tears fall as mites, poisonous spiders flow from their wounds. These insects automatically burst from any lethal wound attempting to attack those who harmed their host. The vermin may be released purposefully, and given simple commands. Venomous creatures have coral snake venom for their bites, and smaller vermin often carry some sort of disease (ST choice). Based off an idea from Four Willows Weeping?
Cost-> 3 motes Duration-> One scene Type-> Reflexive Min. Resistance-> 4 Min. Essence-> 2 Prereqs-> Ivory Blossom Carapace
When dealing with an armed opponent, the best way of reducing their danger is to disarm them. On any attack dealing at least one lethal health level of damage to the Abyssal, they can close their wound around the weapon trapping it in bone and sinew. To remove it without the Abyssal releasing the Charm, a Strength + Athletics roll (difficulty of Abyssal's Permanent Essence) must be made. The blade coming free causes an unsoakable lethal to the Abyssal if they did not release it first.
Cost-> 5 motes, 1 willpower Duration-> One scene Type-> Reflexive Min. Resistance-> 4 Min. Essence-> 3 Prereqs-> Ivory Weapon Entrapment
As the static essence of death can infuse the flesh making it difficult to damage, the essence of degradation can weaken every future blow. Even weapons of pure essence are affected, as their mystical structure becomes unstable. Blades become dull, and others become weighted down and slow as they become loose. For every blow that strikes and rolls or causes damage, the weapon looses -2 of it's base damage but never goes below +0. This penalty is halved for magical weapons, and persists until some minor repairs or resharpening is performed (which can in most cases be done quickly after the battle is over.)
Cost-> Varies Duration-> One scene Type-> Simple Min. Resistance-> 5 Min. Essence-> 4 Prereqs-> Bone Arsenal Method, Crimson Petal Armor
This Charm builds on the lessons taught by the required charms, that armor is nothing without some sort of weapon and that blood brings a flexability that bone will never have. This Charm closely mimics the bone arsenal in both cost and effect, but brings new abilities to the weapons. Growing spines costs 8 motes, 2 Willpower, and one lethal health level. The difference is small but significant for the spines. Rather than exuding spines through their body, they exude blood that coats their body in a thin layer that the Exalt can repress from certain areas (for example the face) until it is needed. When struck the blood instinctively lashes out and helps soften the blow by a small amount, providing two bashing and two lethal additional soak. This also means that anyone grappling or striking the character must immediately soak a number of lethal equal to their own Strength. Also the character can at will sprout blades and spikes, causing lethal damage with unarmed attacks and wrestling maneuvers, if they so wish.
Growing a melee weapon costs one health level and 1 Willpower with 1 mote for every +1 put into Speed, Acuuracy, Defense, or lethal damage. None of the traits can go above the Abyssal's Permanent Essence. The difference here is that the weapon is not set into one shape. With a reflexive thought, the weapon can shift and and change how the statistic traits of the weapon are distributed. Even more importantly, the Exalt can dismiss the weapon back into a liquid blood form, to reside hidden under clothing on their body and just as easily summon it back to their hand, as a flood of blood bursts from their clothing's seams, leaping into the character's hand forming a scarlet weapon.
As a bonus, characters with Crimson Petal Armor do not need to spend the health level to release the blood, as the armor will provide them with the necessary blood. As with that Charm, at the end of the scene, the released blood rushes back into their body through their mouth.
Honestly, I don't see the point of this Charm-> it undermines Ivory Blossom Carapace and Bone Arsenal Method by providing an obviously superior technique, turning them both into speedbumps. The existing Resistance tree makes you choose between spectacular armor and built-in weaponry, which I like... I'd suggest making this an upgrade for Bone Arsenal, allowing weaponry with 'special effects', say, rather than making it a capstone Charm that makes two of its prerequisites obsolete. - Four Willows Weeping?
I agree that it is superior, but I don't think it makes Bone Arsenal Method useless. The increased Willpower cost and higher Essence requirement make it useful, but more as a method of preperation. The superior parts are nothing that is that much better. Most Abyssals will know the style of fighting they prefer and will make a weapon for it. The best part of it is the ability to hide the use of the Charm in preperation, but that's of limited use. Summoning and banishing a weapon... Something that can be done with Void Sheath Technique, a far easier technique to learn, to use, and without as high a cost. In the middle of combat, I can see an Abyssal relying upon Bone Arsenal because it is at a much lower cost of valuable Willpower. - Haren
Funky! Is there any mechanism by which one can spot the effects of Buried Within the Severed Limb? - Quendalon?
Well, I'd say that essence detecting Charms could, of course there's nothing saying they won't mistake what you did. Maybe you tried a defense that failed. ^_^ But, sure, I think it's more up to the ST on what they'll allow. But I forgot one thing, that I added.- Haren
I'm not sure if Immunity of the Iron Figure should have a higher cost, considering what it does. But I want it to, I think. - willows?
I'll admit that I thought the same thing myself willows, except... Pretty much everyone agrees that mooks (extras) are like so much chaff to the Exalted, especially once you get higher in Essence. So, I may raise it, but I'll think hard. And I know nothing about DB Resistance. I barely even pick that book up, so it may seem similar, but Abyssals have a few charm moods. They're all about power, inhumanity, control, and the weakness of others/the living. - Haren
Maybe it is similar, but that's because extras don't really matter much. Exalted blow them out of the water, but that can take time. This is the "I have better things to worry about than you, mortal." charm. - Haren
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