Melee
Charms
Furious Blade
Cost: 1 mote per die
Duration: Instant
Type: Supplemental
Minimum Melee: 1
Minimum Essence: 1
Prerequisite
Charms: None
Enveloped in a corona of roiling darkness, the Abyssal's weapon moves with
predatory zeal to cut down enemies. The character may add one die to a single
attack for every mote spent but cannot more than double his Dexterity + Melee
dice pool.
Savage Shade Style
Cost: 1 mote
Duration: Instant
Type: Supplemental
Minimum Melee: 2
Minimum Essence: 1
Prerequisite Charms: Furious Blade
With this Charm, the Abyssal focuses fury
and Essence through his weapon to strike horrible rending blows. The character
makes his attack as normal, but successes count twice for the purposes of
determining damage. This Charm must be invoked before making the attack roll.
Artful Maiming Onslaught
Cost: 5 motes
Duration: Instant
Type: Supplemental
Minimum Melee: 4
Minimum Essence: 2
Prerequisite Charms: Savage Shade Style
Striking with cruel precision, an Abyssal
with this Charm aims his blow to sever limbs and mutilate his opponent. Add the
Abyssal's Dexterity to the damage of his attack, but this attack has a
difficulty of at least 3. Severing an arm or leg (or tentacle or similarly
sized appendage) is difficulty 3 and requires the Exalt to inflict at least two
health levels of damage after soak.
Severing a hand or putting out an eye
increases the attack difficulty to 4 but only requires a single level of damage.
Regardless of the actual damage rolled, the Abyssal's strike only inflicts the
minimum levels necessary for the maiming. Thus, a character who rolls five
health levels of damage after the target's soak only inflicts two levels on an
attempt to sever an arm. Victims still must contend with bleeding and shock,
however. Consider the amputee's wound penalty to be twice its usual value until
her bleeding is stanched (however, Exalted make their normal difficulty 1
roll).
Additionally, victims' players must make a
successful reflexive Stamina + Resistance roll for their characters to take any
action on the turn they lose a limb. The Storyteller should assign other
penalties or restrict actions as appropriate for maimed victims.
Slashing Ghost Talon
Cost: 1 mote
Duration: Instant
Type: Supplemental
Minimum Melee: 2
Minimum Essence: 2
Prerequisite Charms: Furious Blade
The character's blade shrieks and moans as
it becomes a conduit for her insatiable hunger. The deathknight makes her
attack as normal but regains 1 mote of Essence for every health level of damage
inflicted. If the Abyssal uses a soulsteel weapon to strike a being with an
Essence pool, she also absorbs the motes stolen by her weapon. This latter
bonus only applies if the character is attuned to her weapon.
Crimson Banquet Method
Cost: 5 motes, 1 Willpower
Duration: One scene
Type: Simple
Minimum Melee: 4
Minimum Essence:
2
Prerequisite
Charms: Slashing Ghost Talon
With this Charm, the character harvests
power from every blow that draws blood. Crimson Banquet Method duplicates the
effects of Slashing Ghost Talon, but the bonus applies to every attack made
during the scene. This Charm cannot be stacked with itself to gain multiple
motes per health level inflicted, nor may the Abyssal use Slashing Ghost Talon
while employing this Charm. A character cannot gain more Essence in a single
turn from the use of this Charm than the character's Essence + Lore.
Reaper Of Men
Cost: 10 motes, 1 Willpower
Duration: One scene
Type: Simple
Minimum Melee: 5
Minimum Essence:
2
Prerequisite
Charms: Crimson Banquet
Method
The deathknight suffuses her body and
weapon with necrotic Essence, wreathing herself in a nimbus of cold baleful
energy. Any living being who touches her or strikes her with a hand-to-hand
attack suffers lethal damage equal to the Abyssal's Essence score. The
character's hand-to-hand attacks also inflict lethal damage and add her Essence
to the damage of the attack. Mindless ghosts and walking dead fear characters
using this Charm and will not attack them unless mystically compelled.
Soul-Searing Blow
Cost: 2+ motes
Duration: Instant
Type: Supplemental
Minimum Melee: 3
Minimum Essence:
2
Prerequisite
Charms: Slashing Ghost Talon
Projecting the spiritual cold of Oblivion
through his weapon, the Abyssal can assault the very soul and will of a foe. If
the character's attack hits (it need not inflict damage), the victim loses 1
point of temporary Willpower for every 2 motes spent. Exalted and other beings
with control over their Essence pools may choose to lose 2 motes of Essence for
every Willpower point they would have otherwise lost. If this Charm reduces a character's
temporary Willpower below zero, she suffers lethal damage equal to the
difference. Thus, a victim with 3 Willpower remaining who loses 5 points
suffers 2L damage. This damage is soaked only with the character's permanent
Essence score and nothing else. The Abyssal cannot spend more motes powering
this Charm than twice her Conviction.
Soul-Cleaving Strike
Cost: 10 motes, 1 Willpower, 1 health
level
Duration: Instant
Type: Simple
Minimum Melee: 5
Minimum Essence:
4
Prerequisite
Charms: Reaper of Men,
Soul-Searing Blow
The greatest swordsmen of the deathknights
can slice through souls as easily as others carve flesh. Upon invoking this
Charm, the Abyssal's weapon flares with cold fire and shrieks loud enough to be
heard up to a mile away. The character makes one attack at his full dice pool,
which is fully effective against both material beings and incorporeal spirits
and does normal damage in addition to this Charm's effects. If the blow hits,
the victim's player must immediately roll permanent Essence at standard
difficulty.
If this roll succeeds, the victim suffers
unsoakable dice of lethal damage equal to the Abyssal's own Essence rating. If
the roll fails, the victim loses one dot of permanent Essence. A botch inflicts
permanent Essence loss and damage. If a character's permanent Essence
drops to zero, her life force is instantly snuffed out, and her maimed soul falls
screaming into Oblivion.
Spirits and Fair Folk slain in this manner
are likewise destroyed. Damage inflicted by Spirit-Cleaving Strike is purely
spiritual and cannot be soaked or prevented with magic that solely defends against
physical assault. All effects of this Charm are applied before resolving the strike's
normal damage. This Charm does not work on automata, the walking dead or other
beings without souls.
Five Shadow Feint
Cost: 1 mote per die
Duration: Instant
Type: Supplemental
Minimum Melee: 2
Minimum Essence:
1
Prerequisite
Charms: Furious Blade
The Abyssal's arm and weapon flickers,
blossoming into a confusing spray of shadows and afterimages. The character
makes his attack normally, but the target loses one die from her first
defensive dice pool for every mote spent. The Abyssal may not reduce a
character's dice pool below her Essence rating. If Five Shadow Feint is placed
in a Combo with Furious Blade, the Essence cost of both Charms increases to 2
motes per die.
Ebon Lightning Prana
Cost: 4 motes
Duration: Instant
Type: Reflexive
Minimum Melee: 4
Minimum Essence: 2
Prerequisite
Charms: Five Shadow Feint
Drawing his blade and lunging in a single
fluid motion, an Abyssal with this Charm may strike faster than mortal eyes can
follow. The character suffers no penalty for drawing a sheathed weapon and
strikes whenever he wishes without regard for initiative. Although the character's
first action must be a Melee attack, he can still split his dice pool normally
to take other actions later in the turn. However, the character cannot take any
dice actions after the first attack until his regular initiative. If the
character faces an opponent with similar magic, normal initiative determines
who acts first. A character can only use Ebon Lightning Prana once per turn,
and in order to use it, his weapon must be sheathed. For the purposes of this
Charm, sheathing a sword as part of a split action is a dice action that
requires no roll, but is counted as one of the character's actions for the
turn.
Unfurling Iron Lotus
Cost: 3 motes per attack
Duration: Instant
Type: Extra Action
Minimum Melee: 3
Minimum Essence: 2
Prerequisite
Charms: Five Shadow Feint
The Abyssal spins and thrusts in a rapid
cascade of blows. The Charm takes its name from the wispy contrails left by
each strike, which, taken together, resemble the petals of a blooming flower.
The character may make one additional attack at his full dice pool for every 3 motes
spent, although he may not purchase more extra attacks than his Essence score.
Characters must activate this Charm before taking their first action and may
not split their dice pool on the same turn they employ Unfurling Iron Lotus.
Defenders must dodge or parry each attack separately.
Glorious Carnage
Typhoon
Cost: 8 motes, 1 Willpower
Duration: Instant
Type: Extra Action
Minimum Melee: 5
Minimum Essence:
3
Prerequisite
Charms: Unfurling Iron Lotus
Blade flashing in a spiral of blood and
pain and death, the Abyssal scythes through her opponents like a tornado. So
long as the character hits her intended target and inflicts damage, she may
immediately make another attack at her full dice pool. Each attack must be
leveled at a different victim, and the Exalt cannot move more yards than her
Melee score between each target. This Charm ends when the character misses or
strikes every possible victim within reach of her blade.
Blade-Summoning Gesture
Cost: 1 mote
Duration: Instant
Type: Simple
Minimum Melee: 2
Minimum Essence: 1
Prerequisite Charms: None
Extending his will and anima in a grasping
tendril, the Abyssal calls his weapon to his hand. Summoned weapons can
overcome friction and gravity — even pull free from bodies — but cannot defeat
walls, chains or similar obstacles. The character must be able to see his weapon
and have a hand free to receive it. Furthermore, this Charm can only call
weapons the Exalt has previously wielded.
Thieving Raiton Claws
Cost: 3 motes
Duration: Instant
Type: Simple
Minimum Melee: 3
Minimum Essence:
2
Prerequisite
Charms: Blade-Summoning
Gesture
Instead of retrieving her own weapon, an
Abyssal with Thieving Raiton Claws may attempt to steal the weapon of a foe. The
Exalt reaches out an empty hand, and her player rolls Dexterity + Melee at
difficulty 3. This effect cannot be parried or dodged. If this roll is successful,
the effect is resolved as a normal disarming attempt. If the disarming succeeds, the targeted weapon is torn from the
enemy's grasp and flies to the Abyssal's own. This Charm can steal any weapon
in the character's line of sight, although it cannot seize magical weapons
attuned to their wielders or weapons made entirely of Essence. Otherwise, this
Charm duplicates the effects and limitations of Blade-Summoning Gesture.
Void Sheath Technique
Cost: 1 mote
Duration: Indefinite
Type: Simple
Minimum Melee: 3
Minimum Essence:
2
Prerequisite
Charms: Blade-Summoning
Gesture
With a moment's concentration, an Abyssal
who knows this Charm may banish a weapon from his grasp and the world. The
weapon shimmers and vanishes Elsewhere, remaining hidden and inaccessible until
the character reflexively ends the Charm and draws his weapon forth. This Charm
can only banish a single weapon at a time, one the Abyssal is intimately
familiar with — typically his most prized implement of battle.
Resplendent Shadow
Blade
Cost: 6 motes, 1 Willpower
Duration: One Scene
Type: Simple
Minimum Melee: 4
Minimum Essence: 2
Prerequisite
Charms: Void Sheath Technique
Raising her hand imperiously, a character
with this Charm freezes raw Essence into her ideal weapon. This weapon appears
sculpted of black crystal and glitters with power and malice. Although most
deathknights prefer variations of slashing swords, this Charm can create any bladed
weapon from ornate scythes to jagged tiger claws.
When Resplendent Shadow Blade is
purchased, the Abyssal's player must decide the form of the weapon. He then
divides a number of points equal to twice the character's Melee score between
the weapon's Speed, Damage, Accuracy and Defense. As usual, the damage bonus of
the weapon is added to the character's Strength to determine its base lethal damage.
Once selected, this Charm always summons
the same weapon. The blade's statistics remain constant unless the character
raises his Melee score, permitting him to divide two more points to its
characteristics. The Abyssal must purchase this Charm again to conjure a different
form of blade. Weapons created with this Charm have the tensile strength of
soulsteel — and likewise drain motes equal to their owner's permanent Essence
on any hit that inflicts actual damage.
Elegant Flowing Deflection
Cost: 1 mote per 2 dice
Duration: Instant
Type: Reflexive
Minimum Melee: 1
Minimum Essence:
1
Prerequisite
Charms: None
The Exalt moves with preternatural grace,
shifting his weapon without breaking form or stride to parry any hand-to-hand
attack he is aware of. The character's player rolls two dice for every mote
spent but cannot purchase more dice than his normal defensive pool for the
weapon. This total includes applicable specialties and weapon bonuses in
addition to the character's Dexterity + Melee. If the character has an odd
number of dice in his pool, the fractional
mote remaining after buying the last die is lost.
Vengeful Riposte
Cost: 1 mote
Duration: Instant
Type: Reflexive
Minimum Melee: 2
Minimum Essence:
1
Prerequisite
Charms: Elegant Flowing
Deflection
Shifting quickly from defense to offense,
the character parries one incoming strike with a swift blow to the attacker's
weapon hand or limb. If the deathknight's player rolls more successes than the
attacker, any leftover successes are treated as a Melee attack against the aggressor.
Thus, a parry that rolls five successes to deflect an attack with three
successes becomes a two-success attack. This counterstrike cannot be blocked or
dodged without magic. A character may not use Vengeful Riposte in response to
other counterattack Charms. Note that this Charm does not grant the character a
free parry or extra parry dice.
Corrosive Parry
Cost: Weapon damage + 1 motes
Duration: Instant
Type: Reflexive
Minimum Melee: 3
Minimum Essence: 2
Prerequisite Charms: Vengeful Riposte
Filling his blade with necrotic Essence as
he parries, the Abyssal rots or rusts his opponent's weapon to dust as it
strikes his block. The Abyssal character's player rolls Dexterity + Melee in
response to any close-range attack. If even one success is achieved, the
attacker's weapon shatters to mildewed splinters and rust without injuring the
defender. The deathknight must spend motes equal to the weapon's base damage modifier
plus one, so it costs 3 motes to disintegrate a short sword, 8 for a great axe,
etc. The character can only disintegrate actual weapons—so no rotting off an
aggressor's fist or claws. Also, this Charm cannot damage weapons made of
Essence or the Five Magical Materials.
Attunement-Shattering
Block
Cost: 3 motes, 1 Willpower
Duration: Instant
Type: Reflexive
Minimum Melee: 4
Minimum Essence: 3
Prerequisite Charms: Corrosive Parry
With this Charm, an Abyssal can dissipate
the Essence empowering a magical weapon, rendering it temporarily useless.
Attunement-Shattering Block may be activated whenever the deathknight parries a
magical weapon. Her parry need not deflect the attack entirely, but the Abyssal
character's player must roll at least one success on the block attempt. This
Charm costs 3 motes and 1 temporary Willpower.
The defending character's player then
makes a reflexive Essence + Melee roll, with a difficulty equal to the target's
permanent Essence. If it succeeds, the weapon becomes an inert hunk of steel
and Magical Materials, although it may be reattuned normally by its owner. Of course,
this reattunement takes between 15 and 30 minutes. The victim can avert
deattunement by immediately spending a number of motes equal to the attunement
cost of the weapon.
Fluttering Moth Defense
Cost: 2 motes
Duration: Instant
Type: Reflexive
Minimum Melee: 3
Minimum Essence: 2
Prerequisite Charms: Elegant Flowing
Deflection
With growing mastery, the Abyssal's weapon
dances to intercept attacks as a moth spiraling a torch. The deathknights
player may roll her character's full Dexterity + Melee dice pool to parry any
one close-range attack the Abyssal is aware of.
Cost: 5 motes
Duration: One turn
Type: Reflexive
Minimum Melee: 4
Minimum Essence: 2
Prerequisite Charms: Fluttering Moth
Defense
Sometimes, the best defense is a good
offense. Building on this principle, the Abyssal stands motionless and traces a
lightning-fast pattern of strikes and slices around him. Anyone entering this
warded circle risks terrible injury. The Exalt cannot actively attack, dodge or
move faster than one yard per turn without breaking the Charm, but his player automatically
rolls a full Dexterity + Melee attack against everyone who is currently within
or who subsequently approaches within three yards of the character.
The character may also reflexively attack
incoming projectiles of which he is aware. This is a difficulty 4 Dexterity +
Melee roll and adds the weapon's Parry modifier as well. Success destroys or
swats aside the offending missile. Note that this Charm does not distinguish
between friend and foe — the Exalt must attack everyone in range.
Incomparable Sentinel
Stance
Cost: 3 motes, 1 Willpower
Duration: Instant
Type: Reflexive
Minimum Melee: 3
Minimum Essence: 2
Prerequisite Charms:
The Abyssal may effortlessly deflect any
attack she is aware of without her player making a roll. This Charm can turn
aside assaults normally impossible to parry, such as gouts of caustic slime or
the falling boulders of a landslide. The character can even parry the attacks
of greater spirits and demon lords, although such onslaughts invariably shatter
any non-magical weapon in the process. This is a perfect defense.
Eye Of The Tempest
Cost: 5 motes, 1 Willpower
Duration: One scene
Type: Reflexive
Minimum Melee: 5
Minimum Essence: 3
Prerequisite Charms:
With this Charm, the Abyssal becomes a
point of serene calm in a vortex of steel and howling shadows. The deathknight's
player may use his character's full Dexterity + Melee dice pool to parry all
physical attacks of which the Abyssal is aware.