Air Dragon Style
Air Dragon’s Sight
Cost: 3 motes
Duration: One scene
Type: Simple
Minimum Martial Arts: 2
Minimum Essence: 1
Prerequisite Charms: None
To one fully in tune with the
movements of the mercurial Air, sight is no longer a necessity. Immaculates
learning this discipline attune themselves to the ebb and flow of their patron
element. The awareness of the martial artist invoking this Charm become
supernaturally acute, as the slightest eddy of current in the air speaks
volumes to her. The minutest disturbance in the air warns her easily of any
danger. For the remainder of the scene, the Immaculate cannot be surprised or
ambushed and is considered aware of any attack against her.
Outside of combat, this Charm is
used as a focusing tool and has an additional benefit. In addition to
all-around awareness, the character may add her Essence to any Awareness roll,
as long as she takes a minute to stand perfectly still and feel the Dragon’s
breath.
Wind Dragon Speed
Cost: 2 motes
Duration: Instant
Type: Reflexive
Minimum Martial Arts: 2
Minimum Essence: 2
Prerequisite Charms: Air
Dragon’s Sight
Bolstered by the wings of the
Air Dragon, the Immaculate’s speed increases greatly, and she moves with a
speed that seems like just a blur to the naked eye. For one turn, the
Immaculate may add her Martial Arts rating to her initiative total.
Breath-Seizing Technique
Cost: 4 motes
Duration: Martial Arts in turns
Type: Simple
Minimum Martial Arts: 3
Minimum Essence: 1
Prerequisite Charms: Air
Dragon’s Sight
Not every blow struck by the
Immaculates is intended to kill. The disciples of the Air Dragon have a special
maneuver that rains a series of carefully placed blows down upon an enemy,
actually driving the air from his lungs and potentially knocking him
unconscious.
When this blow is struck, do not
figure damage as normal. Instead, roll the Immaculate’s Strength + Martial Arts
against the target’s Stamina + Endurance in a reflexive opposed test. Each
success the Immaculate’s player rolls gives his opponent a -1 penalty for a
number of turns equal to the Immaculate’s Martial Arts. The impairment
inflicted by this Charm can accumulate over multiple applications. If the
target’s impairment from this Charm ever equals double her Stamina, she is
rendered unconscious for the rest of the scene.
This Charm only works on
creatures that must breathe to survive. Automatons, the undead, spirits and
other beings without the need to breath are totally unaffected by it, as are
beings under the influence of magic that removes the necessity for breathing.
Shrouding The Body And Mind
Cost: 4 motes
Duration: Martial Arts in turns
Type: Simple
Minimum Martial Arts: 3
Minimum Essence: 2
Prerequisite Charms: Air
Dragon’s Sight
The realm of the Air Dragon is
the realm of hidden things, concealed secrets and quiet movement. By gathering
the element of Air about her, an Air Dynast emulates the Air Dragon. The air
itself wraps around the Immaculate, shrouding the Exalt from view. For the character’s
Martial Arts score in turns, she is rendered invisible. It is possible to
invoke this Charm while being watched ― or even while in hand-to-hand
combat! However, those watching may be able to guess where the character has
gone. This Charm is best used while those looking at the character are
distracted, and many Air Dragons carry a supply of flash bombs, blinding
powders, etc. for just that purpose.
Enemies may attempt a reflexive
Perception + Awareness roll each turn to spot the Immaculate. If the observer
saw the Dragon-Blood disappear, spotted the Dragon-Blooded last turn or
witnessed an attack launched by the character, the difficulty for the check is
only 1. However, the difficulty increases by one every turn the character
remains undetected, to a maximum of 5. If the observer has some reason to
believe that someone is around (a knocked over vase, footprints in the sand)
the difficulty for spotting the character starts at 3 and scales up. Just
casually looking for the shrouded Immaculate has a difficulty of 5. Even when
spotted, any actions taken against the Dynast are at a +2 difficulty.
Air Dragon Form
Cost: 5 motes
Duration: One scene
Type: Simple
Minimum Martial Arts: 4
Minimum Essence: 2
Prerequisite Charms: Wind Dragon
Speed, Breath-Seizing Technique, Shrouding the Body and Mind
With a quick series of hand
movements cutting the air in front of him and deep cleansing breath, the
Immaculate Dragon matches his breathing to that of the Air Dragon itself. This
Charm requires a successful Dexterity + Martial Arts roll, representing the
successful execution of the form itself. If the roll fails, the Charm has no
effect, and the motes invested in it are unspent, but the character’s action is
wasted for the turn.
If the invocation of the Air
Dragon Form is successful, the Exalt may add her Martial Arts to her Ability
total for any ranged attack or dodge attempt she makes for the rest of the
scene. This can no more than double the Ability the Immaculate is using to make
the ranged attack or dodge and is applied before any penalties for splitting
her dice pool. If she wishes, the character may reflexively dodge attacks with
her Martial Arts score. The above benefits are specifically cumulative with and
independent of any other Charms or anima powers invoked by the Immaculate.
Tornado Offense Technique
Cost: 4 motes per attack
Duration: Instant
Type: Extra action
Minimum Martial Arts: 4
Minimum Essence: 2
Prerequisite Charms: Air Dragon
Form
The powerful force of tornadoes
can be tapped by an Air Immaculate, turning her into a whirlwind of death
― at least for short periods. For every 4 motes the Immaculate invests in
this Charm, she may make an additional martial arts or ranged attack without
any penalties. The maximum number of attacks a character may make in a turn is
equal to her Martial Arts rating.
Avenging Wind Strike
Cost: 3 motes
Duration: Instant
Type: Supplemental
Minimum Martial Arts: 5
Minimum Essence: 3
Prerequisite Charms: Tornado
Offense Technique
By infusing an attack with a
tiny bit of the gusting breath of the Air Dragon, an Immaculate can send a
target flying backward. An attack boosted by Avenging Wind Strike is rolled as
a normal attack, and damage is figured normally ― with one extra effect.
After being hit, the target’s player must immediately make a reflexive Strength
+ Athletics roll. The target is blown the Exalted’s Martial Arts x 10 yards, -5
yards per success on the Athletics roll. This effect occurs whether or not the
Immaculate’s strike actually does any damage to the target. Obviously
additional damage could occur if the victim is blown off a cliff, into a lava
pit, etc.
This Charm can be used with
hand-to-hand or ranged attacks. Many an opponent has laughed as a
seemingly harmless chakram sped toward her, only to suffer the wrath of the
Avenging Wind Strike.
Wrathful Winds Maneuver
Cost: 5 motes, 1 Willpower
Duration: Instant
Type: Simple
Minimum Martial Arts: 5
Minimum Essence: 3
Prerequisite Charms: Avenging
Wind Strike
With a mighty Essence focusing
shot, a savage blast of wind issues from the character’s mouth, wreaking havoc
on objects and beings caught in the gale. The wrath affects a 90 degree arc
directly in front of the Immaculate, out to a distance of her Essence rating x
10 feet. The player of anyone standing even partially in the area of effect
must make a reflexive Strength + Athletics roll against a difficulty equal to
the Exalt’s Martial Arts. If the roll fails, the character is knocked off his
feet. Any concentration is shattered, and his player must make a Wits +
Resistance roll. A target whose player fails to get at least a single success
is stunned for the next turn, his entire action taken up with clearing his head
and regaining his balance.
By spending a point of Willpower
when activating the Charm, the Aspect of Air can turn it into a much more
precise weapon, focusing the Wrathful Winds to hit a single target. This target
is automatically hit unless he has some sort of impenetrable defense with which
to block the attack. The target takes the Exalt’s Strength + Essence in lethal
damage from the sudden blast of air, which can be soaked only with Stamina and
other non-armor defenses. In addition, his player must make the regular
reflexive Strength + Athletics roll for the character to keep his feet, but the
difficulty is increased to the attacking Exalt’s Strength + Essence. The range
remains the martial artist’s Essence x 10 feet.
Cloud Treading Method
Cost: 3 motes
Duration: Martial Arts in turns
Type: Reflexive
Minimum Martial Arts: 5
Minimum Essence: 3
Prerequisite Charms: Air Dragon
Form
The Air Dragon can lighten the
tread of his disciples, opening paths to them that are closed to their
earth-bound brethren. The Immaculate invoking this Charm can move like the wind
itself, skirting obstacles with ease and grace.
For the character’s Martial Arts
rating in turns his movement rate is doubled, as is the distance that he can
leap. Also, the character need not actually set foot on solid ground to
continue moving. A cloud-treading Dragon-Blooded could easily scamper up a
trail of smoke, across the surface of a lake or leap across treetops, his feet
touching only the flimsiest branches.
The character must keep moving
while crossing such delicate surface; if the Exalt pauses for even a moment,
gravity takes over. This does not mean that a character must and each turn on a
solid surface. As long as he continues moving into the next turn, a character
may also immediately invoke Cloud Treading Method again without penalty,
assuming he has enough motes to use the Charm again.
Cloud-treading heroes can take
offensive and other actions during their movement as long as the normal
penalties for attacking while moving are applied. The Storyteller may increase
the difficulty of any action at her discretion, depending on circumstance.
Thunderclap Kata
Cost: 5 motes
Duration: Instant
Type: Simple
Minimum Martial Arts: 5
Minimum Essence: 3
Prerequisite Charms: Cloud
Treading Method
The realm of the Air Dragon is
the realm of the storm, and its disciples can tap into the force of this to
belabor their opponents. After a moment of centering and a few deep breaths,
the Immaculate brings her hands together. The resultant clap of thunder can
stun and deafen those who hear it.
Players of those within the
Exalt’s Essence x 10 yards of the Thunderclap Kata must make a reflexive
Stamina + Resistance roll with a difficulty equal to the character’s Essence.
Characters whose players get even a single success manage to cover their ears
in time ― but they lose any further action for the rest of the turn as a
consequence. Those whose players failed take a bashing damage equal to the
Immaculate’s Strength + Martial Arts, which can be soaked only with Stamina and
other non-armor protection. In addition, they are also deafened for a number of
turns equal to the Immaculate’s Essence and, during that time, suffer a penalty
to all actions equal to the attacking character’s Essence from disorientation.
Obviously, this Charm does not
affect those without the need to hear ― with one very important exception.
While normal beings are susceptible to the Thunderclap Kata, it has an even
greater effect on spirit beings. All this Charm’s effects are doubled against
spirits, whether materialized or not. The Immaculate does not need to be Spirit
Walking to gain this benefit and, in fact, does not even have to know that a
spirit is present.
The Dragon-Blooded is also
immune to her own Thunderclap Kata and may invest 1 extra mote per being to
insulate her compatriots from its effects. Spirits can’t be insulated in this
manner.
Lighting Strike Style
Cost: 4 motes, 1 health level
Duration: Martial Arts in turns
Type: Simple
Minimum Martial Arts: 5
Minimum Essence: 3
Prerequisite Charms: Thunderclap
Kata
When this Charm is invoked, blue
and white flickers of electricity arc across the character’s body, lighting his
face in an eerie glow. When the character punches or kicks, brilliant strokes
of lightning lance from his feet or fingertips, striking distant opponents as
if the Immaculate was standing toe to toe with them.
For the Charm’s duration, the
character can make martial arts attacks to a distance of his Essence x 10 feet,
and the attacks do lethal damage equal to the character’s Strength + Essence.
Martial arts weapons add to the accuracy and damage of these attacks, as
normal.
Hurricane Combat Method
Cost: 10 motes, 1 Willpower, 1
health level per turn
Duration: Martial Arts in turns
Type: Reflexive
Minimum Martial Arts: 5
Minimum Essence: 4
Prerequisite Charms: Wrathful
Winds Maneuver, Lightning Strike Style
The Exalt becomes a whirlwind of
speed and mayhem for the duration of the Charm. While using the Hurricane
Combat Method, the Immaculate adds her Martial Arts total to her initiative and
all dodge rolls (use her Martial Arts alone if she has no other dodge pool),
triples her movement and doubles her possible jumping height. It also allows
her to make a number of extra martial arts or ranged attacks equal to her
permanent Essence rating every turn.
The health level cost of this
Charm is not paid until the Charm has expired. The Willpower point and motes
must be paid up front as normal. The character can end this Charm prematurely
at the end of any turn. Obviously, care should be taken when invoking this
Charm. Used by a weakened Exalt, the consequences can be deadly.