Editing Exalted Combat 101 (section)

==Lesson Four: Advanced Charms==

You've stumbled through basic combat. You've figured out Extras, and you know how Charms work. However, most discusion you will see around here is NOT how to kill Mooks. It's how to kill another Exalted. Exalted on Exalted action can be the most exciting thing to watch, simply to see how the Charms interact. This can also be the most complex topic in these lessons, and so, I will take it slow. Enjoy :)

'''Blood dripped from Steel Ribbon Warrior's mouth, one eye swollen shut, his arms aching from the restraints. He opened his good eye at the sound of bare feet on stone. Immaculate Toren stepped into view, his long black robes matching his cruel dark eyes. His skin was pale blue with white highlights, like the water of a rushing river.'''

'''"She won't come. The last time I saw her, I tried to kill her. You're wasting your time." The words croaked out of Steel's blood crusted lips, but they did not phase Toren. '''

'''The Immaculate smiled, and carressed the face of the imprisoned warrior with black jade claws that glistened wetly like the carapace of a scorpion.'''

'''"I would not under estimate the love a student holds for her master, heretic. She will come, and I will put her down like the animal she is. For your aid, I will assure you are given a quick death." '''

Let us examine our enemy. Immaculate Toren is a skilled warrior. He has a Strength of 3, Dexterity of 3, Stamina of 4, and a Wits of 4. He has Martial Arts of 5 with a specialty in Water Dragon Style (+3). He has a Personal Essence pool of 14, a peripheral pool of 31 and 2 motes committed.

He has Jade Razor Claws that, with his style, give him the following combat stats: Speed 14 Accuracy 13 Damage 7L and Defense 13.

He has all Charms up to Water Dragon Form, and Theft of Essence Method, all from Water Dragon Style, and their effects will be described for those that do not have the book as they come up in play.

He has 1 level of Dragon Blooded Ox-Body Technique.

This makes him a very experienced Immaculate, considering most starting Immaculates only have 2 immaculate Charms if they have Ox-Body.

'''The sounds of sword clashing against sword announced the presence of Jaida. Slash marks appeared in the door, and then it burst open to admit the woman.'''

'''She stepped over the body of a guard and the debris of the door, her weapon leveled at the Immaculate. It was Steel's sword...they had sent it to her as proof that they had captured him. Her form was trembling with rage.'''

'''"Release him, you bastard. I'm the one you want, not him."'''

Jaida has grown more experienced since the last time we saw her, to be on par with most starting Solars. She now has Strength 3, Dexterity 3, Stamina 3, Wits of 3, Melee of 5, and the following charms: Ox Body (-1, -2, -2) Excellent Strike, Hungry Tiger Technique, Retrieve the Fallen Weapon, Golden Essence Block, Dipping Swallow Defense, Bulwark Stance, Five-fold Bulwark Stance, Heavenly Guardian Defense, and Solar Counter Attack. 

With Steel's Ancestral Sword, She is at Speed 9 Accuracy 10 Damage 6L Defense 10

She is now at Essence 3.

All of this can be done at character creation. She is rather typical of an excellent Solar swords(wo)man.

'''Toren turns, his expression serene as he executes a few quick motions, and then adopts a very fluid, graceful stance. His claws glisten like the rocks in the rapids of a river. '''

'''"He suffers because of his involvement with you, Forsaken. His screams have been like hymns to me." His grin is wicked.'''

'''Faint lines of golden essence glitter around her as she lifts her blade.'''

'''"You bastard..."'''

Toren has activated Water Dragon Form. This gives him a Lethal Soak of 9, and adds 3 to his accuracy (making it 16). He has 9 personal Essence remaining.

Jaida has activated Five Fold Bulwark Stance, giving her a reflexive 10 die parry against all attacks that are made against her for the remainder of the scene.

Jaida has 10 personal essence remaining, and 5 willpower left.

'''Infuriated, Jaida streaks towards Toren, blade shining with essence as it lashes out at him. Toren's motions become even more graceful, slipping away slightly from her attack, but she still strikes home.'''

'''He does not lose his serene expression as the essence of her attack splashes against his form, leaving him unharmed.'''

'''Instead, he reached for her, and she lept back, sword arm moving instinctively along a tracing of golden essence to parry his attack, but he simply slides through her defenses as though she were not there. Her body rippled faintly as his claws tore away wisps of essence from her soul.'''

Jaida, angry, decides to go full bore the first turn and pull out Excellent Strike. She can buy 8 dice for 8 essence, making her attack 18. Toren reflexively activates Flowing Water Defense (it subtracts 1 die from his attack pool, and subtracts 3 from Jaida's) to lower her attack to 15, and then doesn't bother to parry.

Jaida gets 7 successes for 13 damage. In response, Toren activates a special ability of Water Dragon Form, spending 2 motes to add 4 to his soak, making his soak 13. She rolls one die of damage, and gets no successes (you always get at least one die of damage except in very special circumstances).

He responds with Theft-of-Essence. It should be noted at this point that, although he already activated a Charm, it was reflexive, and Dragon Blooded may activate reflexives in the same turn they activate another Charm. 

He must hit her to use this Charm, and his attack is currently at 15 (he's at -1 due to (Flowing Water Defense), which averages 7 successes, which will beat Jaida's defenses (10 averages 5 successes). At that point, he doesn't do damage, instead he uses the rules for his Charm: He rolls Strength + Martial arts: 10 dice(5 successes) vs her Stamina + Resistance: 5 dice (2 successes). He has three successes on her, and so this allows him to steal 9 essence (3x successes) to replenish his stores.

Jaida is at 0 personal Essence, 30 peripheral
Toren is at 6 personal Essence, 7 willpower.

I would like to make a note at this point: In general, just whipping out a big attack at the begining is a BAD idea. Inevitably, your opponent will have some kind of defense that will nullify most of your attack. Jaida wasted 8 essence, and Toren only had to burn 3 to nullify it. 

Additionally, using an attack charm keeps her from using another charm to defend herself, thus a major attack leaves you vulnerable.

Defense is better than offense. Wait for your opponent to make a mistake, or wear him down.

'''Jaida lept back from the insidious attack, but Toren pressed the attack towards her, claws lashing out over and over again like waves slamming against a cliff. She dodged and slipped away from the attacks, her sword always in the way, and then flickering out at each momentary opening to strike home.'''

'''Her small attacks were begining to have an effect. Blood slipped from a few small cuts.'''

'''Her body is gleaming with sunlight, her caste mark igniting on her forehead.'''

Toren has a major speed advantage, and takes initiative. He uses it, splits his dice pool to attack 3 times, giving him 12, 11, 10. The player describes the action well, and so the ST gives him a 1 die stunt bonus on all of his attacks, making it 13, 12, 11 (note, Flowing Water Defense is still active). 

This is enough to beat Jaida's defenses, so she opts to abort to a dodge. Again, she is at 4 dodge (5, -1 for buff jacket), so she gets 4+10, 3+10, and 2+10. This is barely enough to fend off his attacks. 

Additionally, she uses Solar Counterattack on each attack, spending 9 essence. This is a reflexive charm, so she may use it before her initiative. 

Each counter-attack is at 7 dice(Flowing Water), and he cannot parry or dodge, so she gets 3 successes on each, for 9 damage. 1 die gets through each time, for a grand total of 3 damage. We give her 2 successes (I round up this time, because I round down last time), meaning his wounds have brought him to -1.

This begins to show basic Solar superiority. While Toren may activate multiple charms in a turn, Jaida can parry, dodge AND attack at full dice pool THREE times in one round, if she's willing to spend the essence.

It also shows a good way to get past a soak monster. Lots of small attacks will work better than one big one, unless you are VERY strong.

'''Toren's eyes darkened, and, determined to kill her, he sprang forward, his fervor pushing him forward with impossible speed, like a tsunami trying to crush her. His hand reached for a vital essence-point on her body, one that would kill her with a blow.'''

'''There was the sound of a thunder crack and the flare of essence, and Jade clashed with steel. Her anima explodes outward, the billowing sunlight the color of blood, with Jaida at the center, grinning maliciously, held her sword before his attack, foiling his attempt.'''

'''Then she stepped forward, her blade slicing a pattern she had learned from her master.'''

Toren again has initiative, and decides to go all out. He uses Drowning in Blood Technique, a very deadly Charm, and channels Conviction (5) for a total of 19 (!) dice. (13 accuracy, +3 for Water Dragon form, -1 for Flowing Water Defense, -1 for wounds, +5 for conviction. 13+3+5-1-1=19.) This is the last turn Flowing Water Defense is still active.

Jaida cannot defend against such an attack (her best defense pool is 14 dice), so she activates Heavenly Guardian Defense, automatically parrying the attack.

Then, having learned from last turn, she splits her dice pool three ways, for 4, 3, and 2 dice. This is barely enough to connect to the unprotected Toren, and will not penetrate soak, but each time, she gets at least one die of damage, for 3 more dice. That's 1 HL this time.

'''Toren leaps back, taking a defensive posture as Steel Ribbon Warrior chuckles at his back. '''

'''Toren snarled, his teeth bared. "I have underestimated you, Forsaken. But I will not make that mistake again..." '''

'''Jaida, still grinning, raised her sword defensively, ready for whatever he could throw at her. '''

This ends the basic lessons.

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Written by Mailanka.<br>
Edited by Arbane the Terrible (Nitpicker).<br>
Copy and use freely, but give credit where credit is due. <br>



[[Category:Exalted]]