Snake Style

Striking Cobra Technique

Cost: 3 motes

Duration: Instant

Type: Reflexive

Minimum Martial Arts: 2

Minimum Essence: 1

Prerequisite Charms: None

The character charges her form with Essence to move with the speed and deftness of the snake she seeks to emulate. During the turn when this Charm is activated, the character adds her Martial Arts score to her initiative total. This Charm may be used only once per turn.

Serpentine Evasion

Cost: 3 motes

Duration: Instant

Type: Reflexive

Minimum Martial Arts: 3

Minimum Essence: 1

Prerequisite Charms: Striking Cobra Technique

The character’s infuses her anima with Essence, and it guides her body to flow with serpentine grace. By invoking this Charm, she may add a number of dice equal to her Martial Arts score to a single dodge attempt.

Snake Form

Cost: 5 motes

Duration: One scene

Type: Simple

Minimum Martial Arts: 4

Minimum Essence: 2

Prerequisite Charms: Serpentine Evasion

The Exalted adopts the attitude and stance of a wary snake — head back, ready to strike or retreat. For the rest of the scene, he adds his Martial Arts score to his initiative totals and his bashing soak. Also, his sinuous, hypnotic movements slow and distract enemies. Enemies attacking him subtract a number of dice from their pool equal to the Exalted’s Essence. This latter effect only works if the target can see the characters movements — a blind opponent would be unfazed by this aspect of Snake Form. This Charm is incompatible with the use of armor. Characters cannot use more than one Martial Arts Form-type Charm at a time. Snake Form is the only Form-type Charm in the Exalted book, but more Martial Arts styles will be introduced in later supplements.

Essence Fangs And Scales Technique

Cost: 6 motes

Duration: One scene

Type: Simple

Minimum Martial Arts: 5

Minimum Essence: 2

Prerequisite Charms: Snake Form

Thought training and the use of Essence, the character learns to harden her fingers into talons, like the fangs of a striking snake. Likewise, she can toughen her skin until it is as strong and supple as snake’s skin. For the rest of the scene, the character’s Martial Arts attacks do lethal damage, and she soaks lethal damage with her bashing soak total. This Charm is incompatible with the use of armor or weapons.

Armor-Penetrating Fang Strike

Cost: 5 motes, 1 Willpower

Duration: Instant

Type: Supplemental

Minimum Martial Arts: 5

Minimum Essence: 2

Prerequisite Charms: Essence Fangs and Scales Technique

The character can harden her fingers to the degree that they can punch through nearly anything and cause trauma merely by the intensity of their Essence. The character’s attack ignores the soak of the target’s armor and can be soaked only by the target’s Stamina.

Snake Strikes The Heel

Cost: 4 motes

Duration: Instant

Type: Reflexive

Minimum Martial Arts: 5

Minimum Essence: 2

Prerequisite Charms: Snake Form

Like the snake, the Exalted defends herself by attacking. Whenever she is successfully attacked, the character may immediately (before damage is determined) make a Martial Arts counterattack with a dice pool equal to her Martial Arts Ability plus the attacker’s extra successes on his attack. The damage from her opponent’s attack and her own counterstrike is applied simultaneously. Snake Strikes the Heel cannot be used to retaliate against Solar Counterattack or any other counterattack Charm.

Crippling Pressure-Point Strike

Cost: 3 motes

Duration: Instant

Type: Simple

Minimum Martial Arts: 5

Minimum Essence: 2

Prerequisite Charms: Snake Strikes the Heel

The character makes a Martial Arts attack as normal, including the roll for damage. However, the attack does no actual damage. Rather, for every health level the character would have inflicted, her target is at a -1 penalty to all rolls for a number of turns equal to the Martial Arts of the Exalted who used the Crippling Pressure-Point Strike.

Uncoiling Serpent Prana

Cost: 3 motes

Duration: Instant

Type: Supplemental

Minimum Martial Arts: 5

Minimum Essence: 3

Prerequisite Charms: Snake Form

The character infuses his anima with Essence and lashes out, his anima flashing forward like a striking snake. The Exalted may invoke this Charm and make a Martial Arts attack a number of yards away equal to his Essence. The character’s anima actually strikes the target, so there must be a clear path to the target, and the character must be able to perceive the target well enough to attack.

Tiger Style

Crimson Leaping Cat Technique

Cost: 3 motes

Duration: One turn

Type: Supplemental

Minimum Martial Arts: 2

Minimum Essence: 2

Prerequisite Charms: None

The character charges her form with Essence, moving with the speed and agility of a leaping tiger. During the turn with this Charm is activated, the character adds her Martial Arts score to her Dexterity for purposes of determining how fast she can sprint, run or jump in a single turn.

Striking Fury Claws Attack

Cost: 2 motes

Duration: Instant

Type: Supplemental

Minimum Martial Arts: 3

Minimum Essence: 2

Prerequisite Charms: Crimson Leaping Cat Technique

The character charges her anima with Essence, which in turn infuses her hands with the power of a tiger’s deadly claws. Her blows do lethal damage even if she is not wearing tiger claws. If she is using tiger claws, she may add a number of damage dice equal to her Permanent Essence score to her raw damage for the attack.

Tiger Form

Cost: 6 motes

Duration: One scene

Type: Simple

Minimum Martial Arts: 4

Minimum Essence: 2

Prerequisite Charms: Striking Fury Claws Attack

The character adopts the attitude and stance of a raging tiger ― crouching, ready to spring on its prey. While using the Tiger Form, he adds his Martial Arts score to his damage when making martial Arts attacks and adds his Permanent Essence to his bashing and lethal soak totals. The damage bonus applies only if the character is attacking barehanded or wearing tiger claws. Also, the character’s Martial Arts attacks automatically do lethal damage even if he is not wearing tiger claws, and the character suffers no penalties for fighting while prone. This Charm is incompatible with armor. Characters cannot use more than one martial arts form-type Charm at a time.

Raging Tiger Pounce

Cost: 2 motes

Duration: One turn

Type: Supplemental

Minimum Martial Arts: 4

Minimum Essence: 2

Prerequisite Charms: Tiger Form

The character can use her Essence to guide her attacks in imitation of a tiger leaping on its prey. If her attack strikes her opponent, she automatically knocks that opponent down. Only Charms like Immaculate Balance or other similar magical effects that maintain the target character’s balance can prevent the victim from falling.

Spine Shattering Bite

Cost: 3 mote + 1 mote per die

Duration: Instant

Type: Simple

Minimum Martial Arts: 4

Minimum Essence: 3

Prerequisite Charms: Raging Tiger Pounce

The character can infuse his hands with Essence, hardening them to the degree that they cause massive and deadly wounds. The character’s hands do base damage of 4L if he attacks unarmed, or add 4 to his base damage if he is attacking with tiger claws. For each additional mote of Essence spent on this Charm, the character may add one die to a single attack, up to a limit of double the character’s regular Dexterity + Melee dice pool. The attacker’s hands leave deep furrows in the target; they can even claw through wooden or iron-bound doors and deeply score stone in a single blow.

Stalking Cat Movement Meditation

Cost: 3 motes + 1 mote per die

Duration: One scene

Type: Simple

Minimum Martial Arts: 5

Minimum Essence: 2

Prerequisite Charms: Tiger Form

Like the tiger, the Exalted can stealthily stalk her prey. Whenever she snakes up on an opponent, the character may add one die to all Stealth and Awareness rolls involved in the ambush for every two motes of Essence spent activating this Charm. The effects persist until the character ambushes her target or she is detected. The character cannot spend more motes to increase her dice pool than she has points of Permanent Essence. This Charm only works when a character is actually sneaking up on an opponent; no bonuses are gained if the character is attempting to sneak away from danger or for any other purpose (for example, stealing something or scouting enemy positions).

Leap From Cloaking Shadows Attack

Cost: 5 motes

Duration: Instant

Type: Supplemental

Minimum Martial Arts: 5

Minimum Essence: 3

Prerequisite Charms: Stalking Cat Movement Meditation

The Exalted can spring from cover with the deadly force of a tiger leaping onto the back of an unsuspecting gazelle. When attacking a target unaware of the Exalted character’s presence, the target’s lethal or bashing soak score is halved before the raw damage of the attack is applied. If the target knows the attacker’s location, or is aware of an impending attack, this Charm does not function. A target’s successful use of the Surprise Anticipation Method completely negates the effects of this Charm.

Celestial Tiger Hide

Cost: 5 motes, 1 Willpower

Duration: One scene

Type: Simple

Minimum Martial Arts: 5

Minimum Essence: 2

Prerequisite Charms: Tiger Form

Infusing her skin with the toughness of a tiger’s hide, the character strengthens it against all forms of damage. The character may add her Martial Arts score to all bashing and lethal soak rolls for the duration of the scene. This Charm incompatible with armor and has no effect on aggravated damage.

Angry Predator Frenzy Style

Cost: 7 motes, 1 Willpower

Duration: One scene

Type: Extra action

Minimum Martial Arts: 5

Minimum Essence: 4

Prerequisite Charms: Spine Shattering Bite, Leap From Cloaking Shadows Attack, Celestial Tiger Hide

Burning with the passion of an enraged tiger, the character can lash out in a rain of deadly blows. A character using this Charm may make two attacks every turn, so long as she uses her Martial Arts ability. In addition, whenever she is successfully attacked, the character may immediately (before damage is determined) make a Martial Arts counterattack with a dice pool equal to her Martial Arts ability plus the attacker’s extra successes from his attack. The damage from the opponent’s attack and his own counterstrike are applied simultaneously. This Charm cannot be used to retaliate against any other counterattack Charm. Each blow does lethal damage even if the attacking character is not wearing tiger claws. If desired, a full parry or full dodge can be substituted for one or both of the character’s two normal actions. However, the character cannot split any of these dice pools to obtain further multiple actions. This Charm is incompatible with armor. A character using Angry Predator Frenzy Style cannot use any other Extra Action-type Charms while this Charm is active.

Ebon Shadow Style

Image Of Death Technique

Cost: 2 motes

Duration: Up to 24 hours

Type: Simple

Minimum Martial Arts: 2

Minimum Essence: 2

Prerequisite Charms: None

The character can use her Essence to temporarily appear to be dead. The instant she performs this Charm, she falls to the ground, seemingly deceased. A careful examination and a successful Perception + Medicine roll of difficulty 3 is necessary to determine that the character is actually still alive. While this Charm is in effect, the character can hold her breath 10 times as long as normal, and she does not need to eat or drink. Although the character can use her senses of hearing, touch and smell normally, she cannot see or move while this Charm is in effect. However, she can act normally the turn after she chooses to end this Charm.

Wall Climbing Technique

Cost: 1 mote

Duration: One turn

Type: Reflexive

Minimum Martial Arts: 3

Minimum Essence: 2

Prerequisite Charms: Image of Death Technique

The character using this Charm can climb walls, ropes, chains and other vertical surfaces as easily as he can walk along a floor. Using Wall Climbing Technique, the character can climb up to his normal movement rate per turn. In his next turn, the character must either activate the Charm again, remain where he is (if such is possible) or attempt to leap or climb down normally.

Distracting Finger-Gesture Attack

Cost: 2 motes

Duration: Instant

Type: Reflexive

Minimum Martial Arts: 3

Minimum Essence: 2

Prerequisite Charms: Wall Climbing Technique

The character can make a complex sign with her fingers and charge it with Essence. This sign distracts a single opponent. It takes only an instant to make and is performed at the beginning of the turn. The character’s Martial Arts score is subtracted from a single opponent’s initiative roll, and the Charm prevents this opponent from splitting her dice pool that turn (although the opponent may use Combos and reflexive and extra action Charms normally and may abort to dodge or parry as usual). If, for any reason, the opponent’s initiative roll is reduced below 1, the opponent may not act that turn.

Ebon Shadow Form

Cost: 5 motes

Duration: One scene

Type: Simple

Minimum Martial Arts: 4

Minimum Essence: 2

Prerequisite Charms: Distracting Finger-Gesture Attack

The Exalt moves with the speed and ease of a flickering shadow while using the Ebon Shadow Form, she adds her Martial Arts score to her initiative total. In addition, she adds a number of dice equal to her permanent Essence to her Stealth score, and the difficulty of all attacks against the character’s permanent Essence. The character can also decide whether any of her attacks made with hands, feet, sai or fighting chains will do bashing or lethal damage. This decision must be made before a given attack is rolled. This Charm is incompatible with armor. Characters cannot use more than one Martial Arts Form-type Charm at a time. If a character is killed while under the effects of Ebon Shadow Form, her body dissipates into acrid black smoke. She leaves no ghost, and her physical remains provide no evidence of her identity (though her gear may).

Seven Points Of Weakness Strike

Cost: 3 motes

Duration: Instant

Type: Supplemental

Minimum Martial Arts: 4

Minimum Essence: 3

Prerequisite Charms: Ebon Shadow Form

The character uses her Essence to guide her hand, foot or weapon so that it strikes the weakest point in her target’s armor. As a result, a number of points equal to the character’s Martial Arts score are subtracted from the target’s lethal or bashing soak before damage from this attack is applied.

Limb-Immobilizing Method

Cost: 3 motes

Duration: One scene

Type: Simple

Minimum Martial Arts: 4

Minimum Essence: 3

Prerequisite Charms: Seven Points of Weakness Strike

A character trained in the Ebon Shadow Style learns all of the weak points found in living bodies. With a slight touch, the martial artist can immobilize one of her target’s limbs. The character need merely tap an unsuspecting target, a normal unarmed attack at +1 difficulty. The attack can be blocked or dodged as normal and does no damage. The attacker can choose which limb is paralyzed, and the target limb is immobilized for the remainder of the scene. Immobilizing a human’s leg halves his movement speed, and the target’s player must make a reflexive Dexterity + Athletics roll every time his character is struck to keep from falling. Characters with both legs immobilized can only crawl and must generally perform stunts to attack, dodge or parry. Immobilizing the leg of a horse or other animal with four or more legs merely halves the distance it can move every turn. Immobilizing an arm keeps the target from using that arm to attack. This attack does no actual damage to the target, but it may cause off-hand penalties, and paralyzing both the target’s arms makes it very difficult to fight effectively. This attack has no effect against the undead, automata and other beings that have no vital functions to obstruct.

Paralyzing Touch Attack

Cost: 6 motes, 1 Willpower

Duration: One scene

Type: Simple

Minimum Martial Arts: 5

Minimum Essence: 3

Prerequisite Charms: Limb-Immobilizing Method

This Charm allows the character to stun or incapacitate a target with a mere touch to one of the five vital centers. To perform this attack, the character must lightly tap the target on one of several possible nerve points, making a normal unarmed attack. This attack does no damage. However, the Exalt’s player may roll a number of dice equal to her character’s Martial Arts + the number of extra successes she made on the attack, against a difficulty equal to the target’s Essence. Each extra success on this roll reduces the target’s Dexterity by one dot. If the target’s Dexterity is reduced to zero, he is paralyzed. Lost Dexterity returns at the end of the scene. The effect is also dispersed if the player of a character with Medicine and Martial Arts at 3 or higher makes a successful Wits + Martial Arts roll at difficulty 3 to remove the paralysis. Removing paralysis is a normal dice action, and the target may move normally in the next turn. With a successful Wits + Stealth roll of difficulty 1, this touch can be made to seem like a simple pat on a shoulder or an unintentional push. This attack cannot be used against the undead or other beings that lack vital centers.

Elusive Flicker Evasion

Cost: 4 motes

Duration: One turn

Type: Reflexive

Minimum Martial Arts: 4

Minimum Essence: 2

Prerequisite Charms: Ebon Shadow Form

The character becomes as difficult to hit as a dimly lit shadow. Until her next action, add a number of dice equal to her permanent Essence score to all dodge attempts, including Dodge attemtps involving reflexive Charms such as Shadow Over Water. If, for some reason, she has no Dodge pool, she may reflexively dodge attacks with her Essence.

Blow-Concealing Gesture Technique

Cost: 2 motes, 1 Willpower

Duration: Instant

Type: Supplemental

Minimum Martial Arts: 5

Minimum Essence: 3

Prerequisite Charms: Elusive Flicker Evasion

The character can make an Essence-enhanced gesture that renders his opponent unable to notice or react to an attack the character makes. The opponent cannot dodge or parry the character’s blow without the use of Charms. The target’s player may make a reflexive Wits + Awareness roll for the attack, with a difficulty equal to the attacking character’s Essence. If the roll succeeds, the opponent may use any reflexive Charms or abilities she possesses to counter the attack but may not avoid it non-magically. If the roll fails, the opponent may use only Charms that specifically state they work on attacks the character is not aware of. This Charm may explicitly be used in a Combo with Charms of other Abilities.

Shadow-Body Style

Cost: 3 motes, 1 Willpower

Duration: One scene

Type: Reflexive

Minimum Martial Arts: 5

Minimum Essence: 4

Prerequisite Charms: Blow-Concealing Gesture Technique

This Charm allows the character to flatten her body in order to pass through narrow spaces as easily as a shadow slides under a door. The character can fit her entire body through any space wide enough for her to fit her fingers through. The character is shadowy and indistinct, composed of tangible darkness and not flesh. It is impossible to identify the character while this Charm is in effect, though her gear may betray her. Even if her anima banner activates, only her Caste Mark will shine forth, and her anima banner, while bright as usual, will be muted and generic.

The Exalt cannot wear any armor when using this Charm, but she adds a number of dice equal to her permanent Essence to both her lethal and bashing soaks while the Charm is in effect. This Charm is incompatible with any other Charms that increase the character’s natural soak and have durations longer than Instant. A character using this Charm sees as easily in total darkness as in light, though she must actually use her eyes to see, and so, this magic lends no aid if she must fight blindfolded or in thick fog.

Shadow-Stepping Motion

Cost: 7 motes, 1 Willpower

Duration: Instant

Type: Simple

Minimum Martial Arts: 5

Minimum Essence: 5

Prerequisite Charms: Paralyzing Touch Attack, Shadow-Body Style

In ancient times, Exalted assassins circumvented the protections of their enemies by stepping directly through them. By using this Charm, the Exalt steps into a shadow and steps out of another shadow far away, near his destination. The Exalt must have a shadow to step into, and he must have seen his destination before, though seeing it through a familiar, sorcerous scrying or what have you also counts. The Exalt then steps into the shadow as a simple action. He reappears at the beginning of the next turn in the nearest unobserved shadow near his intended destination. That destination cannot be more than a number of miles away equal to the Exalt’s permanent Essence, and if there are no unobserved shadows within 100 yards of that location, the Charm fails (though the Essence and Willpower are still spent).

There are certain sorcerous wards (the same as those that will block teleportation, which is what this Charm is) that prevent the use of this Charm. Generally, it cannot penetrate the Manse of a sorcerer, a god’s sanctum or any other such forbidden place.

Mantis Style

Leaping Mantis Technique

Cost: 3 motes

Duration: Instant

Type: Reflexive

Minimum Martial Arts: 2

Minimum Essence: 1

Prerequisite Charms: None

The character springs into action with the speed of a mantis leaping at its prey. Add the Exalted’s Martial Arts score in yards to the maximum distance the character can leap and to the character’s Initiative score, provided that he leaps up or toward his opponent (making this Charm of limited use in an enclosed space).  This Charm can only be used once per turn and must be activated before initiative is rolled.

Iron-Arm Block

Cost: 3 motes

Duration: Instant

Type: Reflexive

Minimum Martial Arts: 3

Minimum Essence: 1

Prerequisite Charms: Leaping Mantis Technique

The character imitates the defensive stance of the mantis. The Exalt can add his Martial Arts score to a single parry attempt, either unarmed or with a martial arts weapon, and the character can parry attacks that do lethal damage while unarmed.

Mantis Form

Cost: 6 motes

Duration: One scene

Type: Simple

Minimum Martial Arts: 4

Minimum Essence: 2

Prerequisite Charms: Iron-Arm Block

The character adopts the stance of a mantis, ready to strike or block in an instant. The character adds his Martial Arts score to his Initiative and to his bashing and lethal soak. He may parry lethal attacks without a stunt. So long as he wields a martial arts weapon using his Martial Arts score or fights barehanded, he may abort to a cascading parry, which may be used to block multiple attacks. The dice pool of a cascading parry is reduced by 1 per successive parry attempt, as per a full dodge. The character’s unarmed Martial Arts attacks also do lethal damage. Characters cannot use more than one Martial Arts Form-type Charm at a time. Activating another Form Charm immediately negates the effects of the first. This Charm is incompatible with the use of armor.

Grasping Claw Method

Cost: 3 motes

Duration: Instant

Type: Simple

Minimum Martial Arts: 4

Minimum Essence: 5

Prerequisite Charms: Mantis Form

The character can snatch weapons away from opponents in combat. The character using this Charm adds his Martial Arts score to an attempt to disarm an opponent in hand-to-hand combat.

Grasping Mantis Defense

Cost: 5 motes

Duration: Instant

Type: Reflexive

Minimum Martial Arts: 5

Minimum Essence: 3

Prerequisite Charms: Grasping Claw Method

When the character is successfully attacked, he may activate this Charm and immediately attempt to parry the attack with his Dexterity + Martial Arts pool. If the parry is successful, the character’s opponent is placed in a hold using the character’s net successes as the extra successes on the hold attempt.

Joint-Locking Technique

Cost: 3 motes

Duration: One turn or one hold

Type: Reflexive

Minimum Martial Arts: 4

Minimum Essence: 3

Prerequisite Charms: Mantis Form

The character can place an opponent in a hold that is difficult to break. If the character places someone in a hold and activates this Charm, the difficulty to break the hold is increased by the character’s permanent Essence (so the player has a number of automatic successes on the Dexterity + Martial Arts roll to maintain the hold equal to his character’s Essence).

Joint-Breaking Attack

Cost: 4 motes

Duration: Instant

Type: Simple

Minimum Martial Arts: 5

Minimum Essence: 2

Prerequisite Charms: Joint-Locking Technique

Make a martial arts attack roll as normal, including rolling damage. However, the attack does no actual damage. Rather, for every health level the attack would have inflicted, the target’s player is at a -1 penalty to all rolls for the remainder of the scene.

Flying Mantis Kick

Cost: 2 motes

Duration: Instant

Type: Supplemental

Minimum Martial Arts: 5

Minimum Essence: 3

Prerequisite Charms: Mantis Form

The Exalt leaps into the air and strikes out with a devastating kick. The character’s extra attack successes are doubled for the purposes of determining the damage of an unarmed kick attack.

Crushing Claw Technique

Cost: 3 motes per turn

Duration: Varies

Type: Simple

Minimum Martial Arts: 5

Minimum Essence: 3

Prerequisite Charms: Mantis Form

When the character executes a clinch attack, the attack does Strength + Martial Arts + 2 lethal damage rather than the usual Strength + 2 bashing damage.

Unfolding Retribution Stance

Cost: 6 motes, 1 Willpower

Duration: Instant

Type: Reflexive

Minimum Martial Arts: 5

Minimum Essence: 3

Prerequisite Charms: Grasping Mantis Defense, Joint-Breaking Attack, Flying Mantis Kick, Crushing Claw Technique

During the turn this Charm is active, the character can launch an immediate Martial Arts counterattack against anyone who attacks him using his full Dexterity + Martial Arts dice pool. The counterattack comes after the opponent’s attack roll but before the damage effects are applied. The Unfolding Retribution Stance in no way mitigates the attack’s effects. A character cannot use the Unfolding Retribution Stance in response to Solar Counterattack or any other counterattack Charm.