Defensive Charms
Steel Paw Style
Cost: 1 mote
Duration: Instant
Type: Reflexive
Minimum Stamina: 2
Minimum Essence: 1
Prerequisite Charms: None
By means of this Charm, the Lunar
focuses Essence into the skin of his hands and forearms, briefly causing them
to become iron-hard. This allows the Lunar to parry hand-to-hand or ranged
attacks, even if unarmed, though it confers no bonus to the parry and cannot be
used as part of an offensive action.
Ground-Denying Defense
Cost: 2 motes per enemy denied
Duration: One turn
Type: Reflexive
Minimum Dexterity: 2
Minimum Essence: 2
Prerequisite Charms: Steel Paw
Style
In clear terrain, up to five
opponents can attack a single target in a turn. By using the Ground-Denying
Defense to focus his instincts, a Lunar can use the terrain and the opponent’s
own actions to limit the number of attackers he faces in a given turn. For
every 2 motes spent, the Lunar can reduce the maximum number of opponents able
to attack him in a turn by one. Essence spent to activate this Charm must be
spent before initiative is rolled for the turn. The Lunar has no control over
which opponent he avoids ― those with the highest initiative scores are
still able to attack, while those with lower initiative scores are still able
to attack, while those with lower initiative values are
evaded ― nor can he reduce the maximum number of opponents by more
than his Dexterity or below one. The Ground-Denying Defense can be used in any
terrain, even open ground. If the terrain naturally reduces the number of
potential attackers, for example a narrow passage, the Ground-Denying Defense
reduces the modified maximum number of attackers for that terrain but still
cannot reduce the value below one.
For Example: A Lunar with a Dexterity of 3 could reduce the maximum number of
opponents he faces by three at the cost of 6 motes. If he is facing five
enemies, the two with the highest initiative totals could still attack him. If
he was facing only three opponents, two would still be able to attack him ― the Charm reduces the MAXIMUM number of
attackers, not the actual number. In a narrow tunnel that allows a maximum of
two attackers, a Lunar would only need to spend 2 motes to reduce the number of
attackers to one.
Golden Tiger Block
Cost: 1 mote per success
Duration: Instant
Type: Supplemental
Minimum Dexterity: 3
Minimum Essence: 2
Prerequisite Charms: Steel Paw
Style
The preternatural speed of a
Lunar Exalted gives him a substantial advantage when seeking to parry an
opponent’s attacks. Indeed, a sufficiently dexterous Lunar can use the Gold
Tiger Block to render himself almost unassailable. When making a parry, he may
spend 1 mote to covert a die into an automatic success. He may only purchase as
many automatic successes as he has points of Dexterity in that pool. A Lunar
using the Golden Tiger Block may parry lethal damage even if unarmed.
Wary Swallow Method
Cost: 2 motes
Duration: Instant
Type: Reflexive
Minimum Perception: 3
Minimum Essence: 2
Prerequisite Charms: Golden Tiger
Block
Using this Charm, a Lunar can
attempt to parry an attack directed at him, even if he is unaware of it (for
example, an attack from the rear or by an invisible character). The Exalt allow
instinct to guide his actions and, thus, can respond to events that have yet to
register in his conscious mind. The Lunar gains no advantage in the parry
action, but he may use his full dice pool in the attempt if he has not yet
acted during the turn. The Lunar may postpone his action, but once he has taken
it, he may not use Wary Swallow Method to gain a parry.
Feline Guard Technique
Cost: 3 motes
Duration: Instant
Type: Reflexive
Minimum Dexterity: 4
Minimum Essence: 2
Prerequisite Charms: Steel Paw
Style
Like a cat, the Lunar is always
ready to respond to attacks. By means of the Feline Guard Technique, a Lunar
may parry an attack with his full relevant Ability pool total (meaning
Dexterity + Ability + any weapon modifiers). The character cannot activate this
Charm more times in a turn than he has points of permanent Essence. A Lunar cannot
dodge during a turn in which he activates the Feline Guard Technique. A Lunar
may not move more than half his movement allowance. Feline Guard Technique
cannot be used in any Combos that contain extra action Charms. This Charm is
not effective against attacks the character is not aware of.
Den Mother Method
Cost: 2 motes
Duration: Instant
Type: Reflexive
Minimum Dexterity: 4
Minimum Essence: 3
Prerequisite Charms: Feline Guard
Technique
Using his superhuman reflexes, a
Lunar Exalted who has yet to act may activate this Charm and abort his action
to parry an attack directed at another character. This Charm is effective so
long as the Lunar is aware of the attack, it is possible to parry it and the
target is within (the Lunar’s permanent Essence) yards. If the Lunar has
already acted, then this Charm has no effect. The Lunar uses his entire dice
pool to parry the attack, and any parry successes he gets are added to those
achieved by the character he is aiding.
Crouching Tiger Stance
Cost: 4 motes
Duration: Instant
Type: Reflexive
Minimum Dexterity: 4
Minimum Essence: 2
Prerequisite Charms: Feline Guard
Technique
A skilled Lunar can turn his
opponent’s attack into a deadly counter, the Lunar extending and twisting his
limbs in a manner that allows him to go on the offensive in hand-to-hand
attacks. He parries at his full dice pool +2 Dexterity bonus dice in the parry
attempt he enhances with the Crouching Tiger Stance, and if he completely
blocks the attack, the Lunar may immediately make a reflexive Melee, Martial
Arts or Brawl counterattack with his full dice pool against his opponent. If he
only partially parries the blow, he cannot counterattack.
The Lunar must activate this
Charm before he acts for the turn ― he may postpone his action, as
normal, but if the Lunar has already acted, then this Charm cannot be used in
the turn. The Crouching Tiger Stance confers no advantages against a ranged
attack, nor can it be used to counter counterattacks or against attacks the
Lunar is not aware of.
Bowing Reed Technique
Cost: 4 motes
Duration: Instant
Type: Reflexive
Minimum Dexterity: 2
Minimum Essence: 1
Prerequisite Charms: None
Mobility and agility are innate
characteristics of the Lunar Exalted, who can use them to considerable effect
when seeking to avoid damage. By activating this Charm when the player declares
a full dodge, the Lunar does not suffer any dice-pool penalties for dodging
multiple attacks for the rest of the turn. She may use her full Dexterity +
Dodge pool against all attacks for the remainder of the turn, providing she is
able to maneuver away from attacks. A Lunar rendered immobile by terrain, magic
or other effect gains no advantage from the Bowing Reed Technique.
Bending Before The Storm
Cost: 1 mote per success
Duration: Instant
Type: Reflexive
Minimum Dexterity: 3
Minimum Essence: 2
Prerequisite Charms: Bowing Reed
Technique
Using this Charm, a Lunar can use
his Essence to enhance his dodging efforts. Upon activating this Charm, he
moves as gracefully as a swan and as sure-footedly as a mountain goat. Before
making a dodge roll, the Lunar’s player may spend Essence to transform some of
his dice on a dodge attempt into automatic successes at a cost of 1 mote per
die converted. The Lunar’s player may purchase as many automatic successes as
the character’s Dexterity Attribute, even if circumstances ― such as
making multiple evasion attempts while using full dodge ― reduce the
total dodge dice pool. If modifiers reduce the number of dice in the dodge pool
below the character’s Dexterity, then the size of the pool is the maximum
number of successes that may be purchased. The successes must be purchased
separately for each dodge attempt, so a Lunar whose player sought to gain five
automatic successes on each of three dodge attempts in the same turn would
spend a total of 15 motes. A Lunar rendered immobile by terrain, magic or other
effects gains no advantage from Bending Before the Storm and must rely on parry
or soak to avoid the attack.
Wind-Dancing Method
Cost: 4 motes
Duration: Instant
Type: Reflexive
Minimum Dexterity: 4
Minimum Essence: 2
Prerequisite Charms: Bending
Before the Storm
Simply dodging an attack may not
be enough to save an Exalt from harm ― his opponent may have multiple
actions and may keep attacking until the character’s defenses fail. Using the
Wind-Dancing Method, a Lunar can use his agility to both avoid an attack and
make it much harder for an opponent to press her advantage. By using this
Charm, when dodging, if he succeeds in dodging an attack, the Lunar can move up
to eight yards from the opponent as a reflexive part of the dodge action, even
if the Lunar has already moved this turn. In hand-to-hand combat, this means
the opponent must herself move or use some reach extending magic if she wishes
to attack again. If the attacker cannot reach the Lunar for her next attack,
she may make no further attacks against the Lunar this turn. A Lunar who is
attack is repeatedly can activate this Charm after each attack and continue
moving away from the attacker, hoping to exhaust her movement. Note that this
Charm does not allow the Lunar to take a dodge action if he could not normally
do so ― Lunars wishing to defend themselves without splitting their dice
pools or going full dodge will have to put this Charm in a Combo.
Serpent Eye Defense
Cost: 4 motes
Duration: Instant
Type: Reflexive
Minimum Manipulation: 3
Minimum Essence: 1
Prerequisite Charms: Bowing Reed
Technique
By locking his eyes with his
attacker and activating this Charm, the Lunar may distract his opponent and
cause the attack to go wide. The attacker must be within a number of yards equal
to (5 x the target’s Perception) for the Charm to be effective ― the
opponent needs to be able to see the Lunar’s eyes for them to distract him. If
the attacker does not use her visual senses ― for example, if she is
blind or blindfolded ― then the Charm is wasted. If the victim is
deliberately avoiding the Lunar’s gaze, this increases the difficulty of all
actions involving the Lunar (including attack and defense rolls) by 2, and the
avoidance must be declared before the Charm is activated. Once stung, the
opponent may begin avoiding the Lunar’s gaze, but the target cannot suddenly
decide to begin when the Lunar activates this Charm.
If the Charm takes effect, the
attacker is momentarily confused as to the Lunar’s position, and the Lunar may
add a number of dice to his dodge pool equal to his Charisma. These are not
Dexterity bonus dice, they are Charisma dice, and thus, they circumvent the
normal ceiling on dodge bonus dice.
Unmoving Bear Defense
Cost: 2 motes
Duration: Instant
Type: Reflexive
Minimum Dexterity: 3
Minimum Essence: 1
Prerequisite Charms: Bowing Reed
Technique
Dodges usually require the
defender to maneuver and are thus impossible if the character cannot give
ground. Using the Unmoving Bear Defense, a Lunar Exalted can dodge attacks
without moving, instead using his protean abilities to twist and deform his
body to avoid the attacks. The Lunar must be conscious and able to maneuver to
use this Charm, though he does not need to actually move his feet. When
dodging, he may add his Essence to his dodge pool. If the character has no
dodge action, he may use his Essence as his dice pool in a dodge attempt. This
Charm is not compatible with other Charms that add dice to the character’s dodge attempts but does not preclude Charms that
allow dodge attempts at the character’s full dice pool.
Foot Trapping Counter
Cost: 2 motes
Duration: Instant
Type: Reflexive
Minimum Dexterity: 3
Minimum Essence: 2
Prerequisite Charms: Unmoving
Bear Defense
If, during hand-to-hand combat,
an opponent seeks to move away from the Lunar, he may activate this Charm to
hinder the move. The opponent’s player makes a reflexive Dexterity + Athletics
roll against a difficulty equal to the Lunar’s Dexterity. If the opponent
succeeds, she may move as intended; otherwise, she must remain in the same
position. This can stop Charm-powered escapes such as the Lunar Charm
Wind-Dancing Method and the Terrestrial Hopping Firecracker Evasion and even a
high-speed fly by attack such as the Solar Eagle-Wing Style.
Flowing Body Evasion
Cost: 6 motes, 1
Willpower
Duration: Instant
Type: Simple
Minimum Charisma: 4
Minimum Essence: 3
Prerequisite Charms: Unmoving
Bear Defense
For a dodge to be effective, the
character must be able to move away form the source of possible injury. Most
attacks ― a fist, a sword, an arrow ― are concentrated on a single
point and are, thus, avoidable, but not all attacks are. Some attacks are so
magically enhanced they are unavoidable, while others affect an area, perhaps,
encompassing sufficient space that a character doesn’t have the speed to get
clear before the blow lands. In such cases, the character would ordinarily be
unable to avoid the attack. However, a Lunar who knows Flowing Body Evasion may
attempt to cheat fate, using speed, agility and his shapeshifting nature to
avoid harm. The exact method will vary ― perhaps the Lunar puts on a
burst of speed, dodges with godlike agility or squeezes into a tiny hole
― but the end result is the same; a nearly perfect dodge. Properly used,
this technique provides a nearly impenetrable defense.
When the Lunar activates this
Charm, his player must make a reflexive Dexterity + Dodge roll. If the player
gets at least one success, the Exalt avoids the attack totally. If the roll
fails, the attack affects the Lunar normally. This is a dodge action, so a
Lunar who fails to dodge with this Charm cannot attempt to make an “actual”
dodge roll for the turn. This Charm cannot be placed in a Combo with any Charm
that would cause the Lunar’s player to automatically succeed on the Dexterity +
Dodge roll. A Lunar can only use this Charm before he takes his action for the
turn ― he may postpone his action, but once he acts, he is unable to
invoke Flowing Body Evasion.
Pack-Saving Method
Cost: 2 or 3 motes
Duration: Instant
Type: Reflexive
Minimum Dexterity: 4
Minimum Essence: 3
Prerequisite Charms: Unmoving
Bear Defense
Using this Charm, a Lunar can use
his preternatural abilities to help defend his associates. If an ally is
attacked, the Lunar may abort his action and seek to wrest the friend out of
harm’s way. The associate must be within a number of yards equal to the Lunar’s
Dexterity for him to be able to use the Charm, and the Lunar must pay the
Essence cost as soon as his player declares the action. The Essence cost is
usually 3 motes per attempt, but if the ally is bound to the Lunar by the Charm
Brotherhood of Lake and River, the cost is only 2 motes. The Lunar’s player
makes a Dexterity + Dodge roll, and if the player rolls but a single success,
the original target avoids taking damage from the attack. The Lunar takes the
attack instead, with the dodge roll applied as a normal defense. If the roll
botches, both the Lunar and the target take the attack, and neither can make
any further defense against it. Lunars may use this Charm more than once in a
turn, but it must be used before they take their action for the turn. The Lunar
can postpone his action, but once he has made his dice action, he can no longer
use this Charm. The shielded character cannot decline the effects of this
Charm.
Running Through The Herd
Cost: 4 motes, 1
Willpower
Duration: Instant
Type: Reflexive
Minimum Manipulation: 5
Minimum Essence: 3
Prerequisite Charms: Flowing Body
Evasion, Pack-Saving Method
Using a mix of Dexterity,
shapeshifting and illusion to confuse his opponent, a Lunar can employ this
Charm to mislead an opponent into attacking the wrong person. To use this
Charm, the Lunar must be in close proximity to his intended target (who must be
less than the Lunar’s Dexterity in yard away). The Lunar spends the Essence to
activate the Charm, then his player reflexively rolls
the Exalt’s Dexterity + Dodge. For the Charm to take effect, the Lunar’s player
must get as many successes as the attacker’s Perception. If the Lunar succeeds,
the Lunar avoids damage, and the new target is subject to the attack. The new
target may attempt to parry or dodge as normal if she has actions available. If
the redirection attempt fails, the Lunar takes damage normally ― he
sacrificed his dodge attempt in the redirection effort. This Charm cannot be
used to avoid counterattacks, nor is it compatible with Charms that cause the
Lunar to gain automatic dodge successes.
Hide-Toughening Essence
Cost: 1 per 2 points
Duration: One scene
Type: Simple
Minimum Stamina: 2
Minimum Essence: 1
Prerequisite Charms: None
Using this Charm, a Lunar’s skin
thickens and strengthens, providing the Lunar with additional soak against
bashing damage. When this Charm is invoked, or as a simple action at any time
later in the scene, the Lunar’s player may purchase bonus points of bashing
soak for his character. A player cannot purchase more points of bashing soak
than his character has dots of Stamina. The player must purchase at least one
point when the Charm is activated. The Lunar’s outward appearance is largely
unchanged, though closer examination will show the modifications to his hide.
The character can wear armor as normal while under the effects of this Charm.
The Lunar’s bashing soak cannot be raised above 12 by the combined effects of
this Charm and Deadly Beastman Transformation’s gifts and effects on the
character’s Stamina. Instead, the character may ignore bashing attacks that do
less raw damage than less the difference between 12 and what the character’s
soak would be without the limit. A character may never ignore attacks doing
more than 12 points of raw damage, regardless of what his soak should be.
Armor-Forming Technique
Cost: 1 mote per point
Duration: One scene
Type: Simple
Minimum Stamina: 3
Minimum Essence: 2
Prerequisite Charms: Hide-Toughening
Essence
The Armor-Forming Technique
creates bony plates in the Exalt’s body and limbs and hides vital organs behind
multiple sheets of moonsilver-laced bone. These defenses allow the character to
bolster his resistance to even lethal damage. The bone grows up and around the
character’s armor, sealing his weak points and reinforcing his armor’s
strength. Thus, this Charm is compatible with the use of armor. When this Charm
is invoked or at any time thereafter during the scene, the player may spend motes
of Essence to purchase extra soak against lethal damage for his character. The
player must purchase at least one point when the Charm is activated. The
maximum number of points of soak the player can purchase is equal to half
(round down, minimum of 1) his character’s Stamina Attribute.
Unlike the Hide-Toughening
Essence, the changes wrought by the Armor-Forming Technique are profound and
immediately obvious to any observers. Furthermore, each point purchased with
the Charm reduces the Lunar’s Appearance by 1 (to a minimum of 0, at which
point the character is hideous to behold). The Lunar’s lethal soak cannot be
raised above 12 by the combined effects of this Charm and Deadly Beastman
Transformation’s gifts and effects on the character’s Stamina. Instead, the
character may ignore bashing attacks that do less raw damage less than the difference
between 12 and what the character’s soak would be without the limit. A
character may never ignore attacks doing more than 12 points of raw damage,
regardless of what his soak should be.
Limb-Shielding Growth
Cost: 3 motes
Duration: One scene
Type: Simple
Minimum Stamina: 3
Minimum Essence: 2
Prerequisite Charms:
Hide-Toughening Essence
Using this Charm, the Lunar
causes a large bony growth to appear on one of his arms (usually the off hand).
He can use this “shield” to protect his body from hand-to-hand and ranged
attacks alike, gaining the benefits of a target shield, automatically reducing
attackers’ success dice by one. The Lunar does not suffer a mobility penalty
for using Limb-Shielding Growth, nor does it add to his fatigue value, but any
attacks made using the hand upon which the shield has grown are at -1 dice.
Scales Of The Dragon
Cost: 6 motes, 1
Willpower
Duration: One scene
Type: Simple
Minimum Stamina: 4
Minimum Essence: 3
Prerequisite Charms:
Armor-Forming Technique
Using this Charm, a Lunar can
transform his skin to resemble the hide of a ferocious Celestial dragon. His
body is covered with a series of overlapping moonsilver-reinforced scales that
glisten coldly in the light and provide formidable protection against all forms
of attack. It is as if the character is swathed in articulated plate armor, and
the Lunar gains a +9L/+9B soak bonus, while incurring only a -1 mobility
penalty. The armor has no fatigue value, and it is not counted as armor for the
purposes of attacks that ignore armor, but it does count as armor for the
purposes of stopping aggravated attacks.
Unlike the other armor-enhancing
Charms known to the Lunar Exalted, Scales of the Dragon is not compatible with
the use of armor. However, the Lunar’s player continues to add his character’s
Stamina (or one half Stamina against lethal damage) to
the character’s soak. The Lunar still gains the benefits of a shield (if
carried) and can reinforce his defense with Hide-Toughening Technique and
Armor-Forming Style. No combination of this Charm, those two Charms or the
effects of Deadly Beastman Transformation can increase either of the
character’s natural soaks above 12. If the character’s soak would rise above
12, then the character will ignore attacks that have a raw damage less than the
difference between 12 and what the Lunar’s soak should be, to a maximum of 12.
Invulnerable Moonsilver Carapace
Cost: 8 motes per turn, 1 Willpower
Duration: One turn
Type: Reflexive
Minimum Stamina: 5
Minimum Essence: 4
Prerequisite Charms:
Limb-Shielding Growth, Scales of the Dragon
By activating this Charm, the
Lunar shields herself in a carapace of moonsilver, which appears to flow out of
her pores to completely cover her body in shimmering plates. There are no gaps
or weak points in this armor, which glistens fluidly as the Lunar moves. Though
appearing to be liquid, the Invulnerable Moonsilver Carapace is nigh
invulnerable to any form of attack. It adds 15B/15L to the Lunar’s soak until
the end of the turn. This soak stacks with armor and cannot be circumvented by
any stratagem, Charm or sorcery (this is a perfect effect) and is not armor for
the purposes of Charms that do not stack with armor. Its Essence cost is,
however, crippling. During turns when the Invulnerable Moonsilver Carapace is
activated, the Lunar suffers a -3 penalty to her Dexterity and Perception,
though this cannot reduce the Attributes below 1.