A Clutch of Dragons: DB Overview and Archery Charms

[Crumplepunch]

I like Dragon-Bloods so I'm making a Dragon-Blood thing. Specifically a full Terrestrial Charm set.

I should establish a few things by way of helpful bullet points.

• This is not a direct 3e conversion of material from previous editions. Much has been altered, added, switched, moved or removed.
• Dragon-Bloods are assumed to not have a Supernal Ability or similar power.
• Each Ability set contains multiple Aspects.
• Charms are not evenly distributed between Aspects in each Ability. Generally, the Aspect traditionally associated with an ability have more than half of the Charms, and one or two Aspects have few or no Charms of a set.
• As yet there are no Charms that are split evenly between several elements with minor variations for each.

I want to talk about elemental surcharges. I don't like elemental surcharges. I don't think anyone does, but they are a solution to a pressing problem; how do you stop Dragon-Bloods from being the Avatar? Dragon-Bloods are not the Avatar. They are meant to heavily focus on their Aspect ability, not wield all four (five) in unison. And yet, you can chart a course from early 1e to 2.5 in which it is made steadily easier for Dragon-Bloods to harness multiple Aspects. A good example is the Dragon-Blooded Melee fighter of 2.5. An optimal strategy is to buy five purchases of Dragon-Graced Weapon and Dragon-Blade Beneficence and enhance your entire party with all five elemental attacks for the scene. This isn't really how things are meant to be going.

So, how to fix it? Well, I can definitively say there are no more elemental surcharges in my version, simply because Dragon-Bloods can't use the powers of other aspects. Except they can. Except they can't.

Okay.

A Dragon-Blood can buy Charms of another Aspect, but they will be altered to conform with his own Aspect. For example, an Earth Aspect Archer purchases Harvest of the Hunter. Instead of growing arrows from plants, he pulls fully formed rock arrows out of the ground. A Fire Aspect general purchases Ramparts of Obedient Earth. The ground melts and reshapes as lava instead of just flowing into shape. There are commonalities within all five elements, and through these Dragon-Bloods can assert their powers in any area they choose to specialize in. These differences may produce minor variances in function (Harvest of the Hunter will work in different areas), but these are generally insignificant and can be entrusted to players and storytellers to determine.

So how are the Aspects actually different? Surely that will make them all ultimately identical. Well, not so, because I have a secret weapon, dreaded by all who have beheld it and lived... favoured Charm costs.

As I have said, each Ability contains Charms of multiple Aspects, and most Abilities contain at least some Charms of each Aspect. Aspects in their Aspect-favoured Abilities have the most Charms.

The idea is that Dragon-Bloods will automatically be able to purchase all Aspect Charms at favoured cost regardless of Ability. Conversely, they do not automatically purchase all Charms of their Aspect abilities at favoured costs, only those that are Aspect Charms (which, again, is more than half of them.) You select four of your five Aspect Abilities. However, you also get five Favoured Abilities, two of which must also be Aspect Abilities, which count all Charms of the set as favoured-

Alright, let me try this again.

Favoured Ability Costs: Four of Five Aspect Abilities, Three Non-Aspect Favoured Abilities.

Favoured Charm Costs: Five Favoured Abilities (Two Aspect, Three Non-Aspect), All Aspect-appropriate Charms of other Abilities.

This might seem like an good deal, and it is. If my rough drafts come up close to the final product, Dragon-Bloods in this system will have only a slightly lower proportion of total favoured Charms than Solars. I may yet juggle around the Abilities, either by reducing the total to four or mandating three Aspect abilities to be favoured. If I have done my job right, Dragon-Bloods will be strongly characterized by their elemental aspects, but still able to specialize in any area they choose, distinct both from other Aspects and other members of their own.

Anyway, you're here for the Charms. I really hope the forum software doesn't eat this.

EDIT: It did.

Wood

Spring Follows Winter
Cost: -; Mins:Archery 2, Essence 1
Type:Reflexive
Keywords:None
Duration:Instant
Prerequisite Charms:None

Just as new leaves bloom after the snow, the Exalted archer will always find her mark. If an Archery attack rolls at least three 1s, the Dragon-Blood may activate the rerolls of the Archery Excellency without spending Willpower.


Hunter’s Unerring Eye
Cost: 2m; Mins:Archery 2, Essence 1
Type:Supplemental
Keywords:None
Duration:Instant
Prerequisite Charms:Spring Follows Winter

This Charm supplements an Aim action, allowing it to be placed in a flurry. An Aim action still can’t be put in a flurry with an attack, and moving still breaks the Aim as normal. The Aim action is wasted if it is not followed with an Archery based attack.

If the Aim is flurried with reloading a Slow weapon, the cost of this Charm is reduced to 1m.


Venom Dragon Fang
Cost: 2m, 1a; Mins:Archery 3, Essence 1
Type:Supplemental
Keywords: Decisive-Only
Duration:Instant
Prerequisite Charms:None

The Dragon-Blood binds a sliver of her venomous anima into her shot, enhancing a decisive attack with a poison using the following traits:
Damage: 3i/Round, (B in Crash), Duration: (Essence +3) Rounds, Penalty: -2.


Hornet Calls The Swarm
Cost: 2m; Mins:Archery 3, Essence 1
Type:Supplemental
Keywords:Uniform
Duration:Instant
Prerequisite Charms:Hunter’s Unerring Eye

If the Terrestrial is targeting an opponent at Medium or Long range currently suffering from Onslaught penalty caused by her own attacks or poisoned by Venom Dragon Fang, she may activate this Charm to attack without the normally required Aim action.


Second Swallow Takes the Cricket
Cost: 3m, 2i; Mins:Archery 3, Essence 1
Type:Supplemental
Keywords:Withering-Only, Perilous
Duration:Instant
Prerequisite Charms:Hunter’s Unerring Eye

With a keen awareness of the battlefield, the Dragon-Blood uses her fire to cunningly draw her opponents into a position of weakness or give respite to beleaguered allies. This Charm supplements a withering attack. All initiative gained by the attack is added to the initiative track of an ally within visual range rather than gained by the archer herself. This Charm cannot benefit a crashed ally.


Harvest of the Hunter
Cost: 3m or 1m (+1a); Mins:Archery 3, Essence 1
Type:Simple or Reflexive
Keywords:None
Duration:Instant
Prerequisite Charms:Venom Dragon Fang

The Dragon-Blood spends some time foraging in any area with plant life, spending 3m and collecting an ample number naturally-grown arrows for her personal use. The arrows are rather strange looking and entirely made of wood or or other plant matter, but are perfectly functional.

Should she be caught without arrows on the battlefield, she may activate this Charm Reflexively for 1m during an Aim action to draw a single arrow from a nearby plant. The Dragon-Blood can use this Reflexive variant in areas with no plant life by spending an anima level, forcing life to take root and aid her.


Falling Raptor Strike
Cost: 3m, 1wp; Mins:Archery 4, Essence 2
Type:Supplemental
Keywords: Decisive-Only
Duration:Instant
Prerequisite Charms:Venom Dragon Fang, Hornet Calls the Swarm

Taking advantage of a fleeting moment of weakness, the Dragon-Blood fires a shot at her target with lethal accuracy. This Charm supplements a decisive attack enhanced by a full excellency. The damage roll doubles 10s and adds the target’s current onslaught penalty in dice to the damage roll.

If it is used to enhance a Gambit rather than a damaging attack, gain the same benefits to the activation roll and waive the willpower cost of the Charm.


Unobstructed Hunter’s Aim
Cost: 2m; Mins:Archery 4, Essence 2
Type:Supplemental
Keywords: Uniform
Duration:Instant
Prerequisite Charms:Falling Raptor Strike

The Terrestrial’s arrow weaves through the air like a bird through the forest, slipping through cover and around defences to land with uncanny accuracy. The Dragon-Blood may use this Charm to supplement a withering or decisive attack made after an Aim action. Each Aim action taken prior to the attack reduces the benefits of Light and Heavy cover by one. Any dice rerolled with the Dragon-Blooded Archery Excellency enjoy double 8s.


Flower-Within-Flower Maneuver
Cost: 1m; Mins:Archery 4, Essence 2
Type:Supplemental
Keywords:Uniform
Duration:Instant
Prerequisite Charms:Spring Follows Winter, Hornet Calls the Swarm

This Charm supplements a withering or decisive attack. Onslaught penalty caused by the attack will persist until the end of the next turn, rather than refreshing on the of the target's action.


Seven Year Swarm Volley
Cost: 2m per extra shot, 1wp; Mins:Archery 5, Essence 2
Type:Supplemental
Keywords: Decisive-Only
Duration:Instant
Prerequisite Charms:Flower-Within-Flower Maneuver

In a supernal feat of archery, the Terrestrial sets several arrows on her bow and fires them all in a single shot. The Dragon-Blood may fire a total of (Dexterity) arrows, paying 2m for each one after the first, in a decisive attack against a single target. If the attack hits, she may divide and assign her initiative as she wishes between a number of gambits up to the number of arrows used. If there are arrows and points of initiative left unaccounted for, they conclude the attack with a decisive damage roll, gaining a bonus die for each successful gambit that preceded it.

Once per scene, unless reset by crashing an opponent with an Archery attack.


Nine Blossoms Summer
Cost: 5m, 1a; Mins:Archery 4, Essence 3
Type:Supplemental
Keywords: Withering Only
Duration:Instant
Prerequisite Charms:Venom Dragon Fang

The archer’s arrow buds with new life, and sprouts into brilliant blossoms in flight. On impact, the arrow explodes into a cloud of multicoloured petals and choking pollen. For every three points of initiative lost to the withering attack, the target suffers an additional -1 onslaught penalty.

Once per scene, unless a crashed opponent takes poison damage from the Dragon-Blood’s Venom Dragon Fang.


Boughs of Fleeting Springtime
Cost: 3m; Mins:Archery 4, Essence 3
Type:Simple
Keywords: None
Duration:Instant
Prerequisite Charms: Harvest of the Hunter

The archer fires a single arrow into the ground, and it sprouts into a ring of leafy underbrush. The target gains the benefits of light cover, and is not in any way impeded by the magical thicket while she is within it. The Dragon-Blood may fire the arrow into the ground next to herself or grant the advantage to anyone within her normal archery attack range, using Aim actions as normal for Medium or Long ranged shots. Regardless of the target, only one individual can benefit from each piece of magically created cover.

A second use of Boughs of Fleeting Springtime on the same location will produce a denser bush that upgrades the cover to Heavy.


Warden’s Merciful Arrow
Cost: 4m; Mins:Archery 5, Essence 3
Type:Supplemental
Keywords: Decisive-Only
Duration:Instant
Prerequisite Charms: Boughs of Fleeting Springtime

The archer’s arrow grows and warps in flight, sprouting into a tangled mass of roots and vines that snare and disable her target. Warden’s Merciful Arrow allows the Terrestrial archer to use the following gambits.

• Tangling Vine Shot (Difficulty 3):The mass of vines ensnares the target’s arms and torso. The victim suffers a -2 penalty on any actions that would normally require the use of his arms and cannot make actions that require both hands, such as using two handed weapons.
• Arrowroot Snare Attack (Difficulty 4): The roots and vines engulf the target’s legs and pull him to the ground. The character is knocked prone and cannot rise while the effect persists.
• Choking Ivy Assassination (Difficulty 6): The snaring vines wrap around the victim’s neck and choke him. The target takes a -1 penalty to all actions. He cannot breath and is in danger of suffocating as per the Deprivation rules on page 232 of the Core book.

Any of these penalties persist until the target spends an action to break free and succeeds in a Difficulty 5 (Dexterity + Larceny) or (Strength + Athletics) roll. An ally within Close range can spend an action attempting to free them, making an identical roll.


Splintering Bramble Shot
Cost: 5m, 1wp; Mins:Archery 5, Essence 4
Type:Supplemental
Keywords: Withering-Only
Duration:Instant
Prerequisite Charms: Seven-Year Swarm Volley, Hunter’s Unobstructed Aim

The Dragon-Blood’s arrow explodes into a wave of razor-sharp splinters immediately after being released, peppering a wide area with shrapnel. Splintering Bramble Shot supplements a withering attack that attacks all opponents within Short range of the target. The target of the shot cannot be further away than Medium range, even if the Exalt uses other magic to extend the range of her shot. The attack gains no accuracy bonus (or penalty) from the Dragon-Blood’s weapon and gains no weapon damage bonus or minimum damage. The archer gains initiative only from the target that suffered the most damage. If a battlegroup is targeted, the attack gains its normal weapon damage bonus and the damage roll enjoys Double 9s.


Life-Swelling Sap Strike
Cost: 4m; Mins:Archery 5, Essence 4
Type:Supplemental
Keywords: Dual
Duration:Instant
Prerequisite Charms: Venom Dragon Fang, Hunter’s Unobstructed Aim

The way of wood is the way of eternal rebirth, and the dead stand in the way. Life-Swelling Sap Strike infuses the arrow with raw Wood Essence, brimming with new life that brings terrible pain and swift dissolution to the dead. This Charm supplements an attack against one of the dead. A withering attack ignores up to (Essence) points of natural soak and doubles 8s on its damage roll. A decisive attack ignores (Essence) points of Hardness and inflicts Aggravated damage. If the attack is also enhanced by Venom Dragon Fang, that Charm’s poison is infused with a spiritual component that can affect dead beings normally immune to poison and inflicts Aggravated damage in a crash. This Charm can affect any kind of dead being, including ghosts, animated corpses and the nameless and undefined shades of the Underworld. The arrow can strike dematerialized undead as though they were solid.


Saplings Break the Mountain
Cost: 8m, 1wp; Mins:Archery 5, Essence 4
Type:Simple
Keywords: None
Duration:Instant
Prerequisite Charms: Warden’s Merciful Arrow, Nine Blossoms Summer

The archer’s arrow embeds itself in an object before sprouting into an ever-growing mass of twisting, burrowing roots. Metal is rent apart, stone splinters and crumbles. Only the greatest fortifications can withstand this attack; Saplings Break the Mountain can tear down buildings, rend open crevices in the rocky ground or rip holes through mighty fortress walls. The Dragon-Blood makes a feat of strength attempt to destroy any inanimate object within her archery range, rolling a pool of (Archery+Perception) instead of (Strength+Athletics), Doubling 8s and adding (Essence) non-Charm automatic successes. The Dragon-Blood is considered to have a Strength of 10 for determining which feats can be attempted. On a success, the object is torn apart by the sprouting mass of roots over the next minute. Once per scene.


Thousand Leaves Falling
Cost: 6m, 1wp (+3m); Mins:Archery 5, Essence 5
Type:Simple
Keywords: None
Duration:Instant
Prerequisite Charms: Splintering Bramble Shot

The archer fires a single arrow into the sky. A moment later, the sky darkens, and a hundreds of identical arrows rain from above. The Dragon-Blood selects a point within archery range and applies a single withering attack to all targets (enemy or ally) within Short range of it. The archer gains initiative only from the target that suffered the most damage. The archer may pay an additional 3m to immediately follow up with a single decisive attack against an opponent who was crashed by the torrent of arrows, as a final perfect shot descends from the sky. Once per scene.


Air

Carried on the Wind
Cost: 2m; Mins:Archery 2, Essence 1
Type:Supplemental
Keywords: Dual
Duration:Instant
Prerequisite Charms:None

The Dragon-Blood gathers a favourable wind around his arrow before loosing it. The attack can be made at Extreme range and ignores weather based environmental penalties such as high winds or driving snow.


Zephyr-Strung Bow
Cost: 1a; Mins:Archery 2, Essence 1
Type:Simple
Keywords:None
Duration:Instant
Prerequisite Charms:None

The archer sets an arrow shaped from concentrated wind on his bowstring. This unorthodox ammunition explodes on impact into a concentrated burst of air. The archer makes a withering attack using the Light Thrown accuracy and damage profiles, and uses the Smashing and Bashing tags in place of his normal weapon tags.


Dragonfly Finds Mate
Cost: 1m or 1i; Mins:Archery 3, Essence 1
Type:Reflexive
Keywords:Perilous
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: None

The peerless archery of the Dragon-Blood is such that he can shoot projectiles out of the air or deflect attacks in mid-swing. The archer can use this Charm to apply an Archery based Parry defence against incoming attacks. The archer’s weapon is considered to have a Defence bonus of +1 against ranged attacks only, or +0 otherwise. If the archer is currently Aiming at his attacker, he counts as being in Full Defence for the purposes of resolving the attack.


Swallows Defend the Nest
Cost: 2m or 2i (+1wp); Mins:Archery 4, Essence 2
Type:Reflexive
Keywords:Perilous
Duration:One Turn
Prerequisite Charms: Dragonfly Finds Mate

The Exalt fills the skies with a barrage of arrows, turning aside any threat to his allies. This Charm allows a reflexive Defend Other action on any ally within Short range. The Dragon-Blood can apply only the defence exactly as described under Dragonfly Finds Mate, though he need not actually activate that Charm to do so. This Charm can be activated a number of times up to the Dragon-Blood’s Archery to defend multiple allies.
At Essence 3+, this Charm can be activated for an extra cost of +1wp as an Instant effect to defend against a single attack made against an ally at up to Long range by an enemy against whom the Dragon-Blood was aiming.


Sparrow Dives at Hawk
Cost: 7m, 1wp; Mins:Archery 5, Essence 2
Type:Reflexive
Keywords: Clash, Decisive-Only
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: Dragonfly Finds Mate

In an effortless display of superiority, the Dragon-Blood’s arrow slices his rival’s in two before continuing on to strike at his heart. Swallow Dives at Hawk allows the archer to make a reflexive clash attack. If it is made in response to a ranged attack, the successful attack steals a number of points of Initiative from his opponent equal to his extra successes, up to a maximum of his Archery. This Initiative is added before calculating the raw damage of the attack. The clash attack granted by this Charm counts as the Dragon-Blood’s attack action for the round, and he cannot make another. If he has already attacked this round, then it counts as his attack for his next turn.


The Swallow Returns
Cost: 5m, 1wp; Mins:Archery 5, Essence 3
Type:Reflexive
Keywords:Counterattack, Withering-Only
Duration:Instant
Prerequisite Charms:Swallows Defend the Nest

The Exalt may use this Charm in response to any attack he attempts to parry, creating an Archery counterattack that occurs after successfully defending against the attack. Normally, this is a conventional Withering counterattack as the archer rapidly fires an arrow in response. However, if the Charm was used in response to a ranged attack with a weapon that could conceivably be launched by a bow (arrows, crossbow bolts, thrown spears, swords or axes, sorcerous obsidian butterflies and launched spikes of hulking porcupine behemoths), the archer catches it, sets it on his bow and looses it in return. The archer immediately steals one initiative from his opponent and adds the attacker’s weapon damage bonus to his own for the purposes of the counterattack, doubling his own if there is no available information.


Mela’s Answer
Cost: 6m, 3a; Mins:Archery 5, Essence 3
Type:Supplemental
Keywords:Uniform
Duration:One turn
Prerequisite Charms:Carried on the Wind, Swallows Defend the Nest

Gathering a great wind and tethering it to his arrow, the archer can knock an army flat with a single shot. The archer can aim at an open space or attach this Charm to a withering or decisive attack, it activates regardless of whether the attack is defended or not. Immediately after the shot is resolved, the wind in the surrounding area picks up to a supernatural gale. Everyone within Medium range around the target must roll ([Dexterity or Strength] + Athletics) at Difficulty 5 or be blown one range band away from the archer and knocked prone. Rising costs two initiative. Whether they succeed or not, all actions in the high wind take a -2 penalty to rolls over the next turn before the high winds dissipate.


Fire

Dragonfire Crucible Shot
Cost: 1m, 1a; Mins:Archery 2, Essence 1
Type:Reflexive
Keywords:None
Duration:Instant
Prerequisite Charms:None

The Dragon-Blood draws the intense power of their anima into the mouth of his weapon and readies it for firing. This Charm reflexively reloads a firedust based weapon. If his anima was at Bonfire level, anyone targeted with an attack on the same tick the weapon was reloaded suffers the effects of the Dragon-Blood’s Anima Flux, even if the shot misses.

Alternatively, this Charm can be used with a non-firedust Archery weapon to set an existing missile alight, adding the Flame tag. In addition to the Anima Flux benefit of the Charm and the possibility of setting distant targets aflame, the attack becomes compatible with all other Fire Archery Charms that would otherwise only work with firedust weapons.


Stoking Furnace Trigger
Cost: 2m; Mins:Archery 3, Essence 1
Type:Supplemental
Keywords:None
Duration:Instant
Prerequisite Charms:None

Roaring flame builds deep in the barrel of the Dragon-Blood’s weapon, belching smoke and embers in presage of the attack about to be unleashed. This Charm supplements an Aim action with a Flame weapon. In addition to the normal dice boost of an Aim, the attack can be made up to Medium range.


Smiling Salamander Blast
Cost: 1m; Mins:Archery 2, Essence 1
Type:Supplemental
Keywords:Withering-Only
Duration:Instant
Prerequisite Charms: Dragonfire Crucible Shot

Only a fool attacks a Dragon head on. This Charm supplements a Close range shot with a Flame weapon, giving it the accuracy bonus of a Short range shot. If used to enhance a successful Withering Clash, the attack doubles 9s on the damage roll.


Songbird Keens in the Summer
Cost: 2m; Mins:Archery 4, Essence 2
Type:Reflexive
Keywords:None
Duration:Instant
Prerequisite Charms:Smiling Salamander Blast

All is still before the combatants reach for their weapons. A quiet tension runs through the scene as eyes meet and narrow. Then, a cloud passes over the sun, a leaf drops from a tree, a songbird cries out, and all is violence. The Dragon-Blood may Join Battle with (Archery+Dexterity) and can activate the Archery Excellency’s reroll without spending Willpower. If he acts before his targets, he can make a reflexive Aim action before his first attack.


Wildfire Symphony Salvo
Cost: 6m, 1a; Mins:Archery 3, Essence 2
Type:Supplemental
Keywords:Uniform, Perilous
Duration:Consecutive Attacks
Prerequisite Charms:Stoking Furnace Trigger, Dragonfire Crucible Shot

As the blast of flame leaves the Exalt’s weapon, its dance is only beginning. This Charm supplements an attack with a Flame weapon. On the turn after the attack is resolved, the Dragon-Blood may make a special attack action to redirect it. The dispersed blast coalesces into a new attack and strikes again, resolving a withering or decisive attack as though the Dragon-Blood were attacking from within Close Range of last turns’ target. The Exalt can attack the original target or jump to a new target that he can see within range. The next turn, the cycle repeats. He can continue making new attacks and having his blast leapfrog across the battlefield between opponents until he fails to make an attack during his turn or goes into initiative crash, at which point his shot finally dissipates.


Walls Like Burning Cobwebs
Cost: 4m, 1a, 1wp; Mins:Archery 4, Essence 3
Type:Supplemental
Keywords:Withering-Only
Duration:Instant
Prerequisite Charms:Wildfire Symphony Salvo

Few things can get in the way of an archer and his quarry. This Charm supplements a withering attack against an opponent in light or heavy cover. If the attack is successful, the cover is destroyed. Smoke dissolves under flaring light, foliage is burned away and light walls are shattered by a fiery explosion. The target must relocate to find more cover.

This Charm can be used to target and destroy cover and suitably small obstacles directly for the same cost, in which case no attack roll is required. As a rule of thumb, anything that can be destroyed by a Strength 5 feat of strength can be cleared by this Charm.


Earth-Scouring Conflagration Shot
Cost: 8m, 3a; Mins:Archery 5, Essence 3
Type:Supplemental
Keywords: Decisive-Only
Duration:Instant
Prerequisite Charms:Walls Like Burning Cobwebs

The Exalt binds his burning anima into the substance of his attack, only for it to be released in a blazing inferno where it lands. This Charm supplements a decisive attack, adding (Essence) dice to its raw damage and doubling 10s on the damage roll. Whether the attack hits or not, the area around the target is engulfed in flames. Everything within Short range of the attack is engulfed in flames of bonfire intensity (Exalted Core p230). The flames continue to blaze for the remainder of the scene.


Earth

Earth Touches Sky
Cost: 1m+; Mins:Archery 2, Essence 1
Type:Supplemental
Keywords: Dual
Duration:Instant
Prerequisite Charms:None

The Exalt draws back her creaking bow with Essence-fueled might, loosing a shot that can bring down the greatest beast. For each consecutive Aim action that the Exalt has taken prior to her shot, she may enhance the damage of a withering attack, adding one die of post-soak damage per mote. She may also enhance the damage roll of a decisive attack at the increased rate of one mote per die. The Dragon-Blood cannot purchase more damage dice than she has dots of Archery.

Dragon Artillery Fusillade
Cost: 3m; Mins:Archery 3, Essence 1
Type:Reflexive
Keywords:None
Duration:Instant
Prerequisite Charms:None

The Earth Dragon is a master of siege warfare. When directing the shot of a ballista, catapult or other siege weapon, the Dragon-Blood gains a full free excellency and can double a number of 9s on the attack roll equal to his Essence plus the Drill rating of his artillery crew (+1 for Average, +2 for Elite).

I'm working alphabetically, so next will be Athletics, possibly with others.

[Fenrir666]

Very cool stuff!

[Arteliex]

This is pretty awesome! Good deal!

[Lanaya]

I love this. Second Swallow Takes the Cricket in particular is really nifty design and very DBish.

[Sunder the Gold]

how do you stop Dragon-Bloods from being the Avatar?

Why would you WANT to?

Terrestrial Exalted have always had the ability to learn multiple Immaculate Styles, or even start with a Style that didn't match their Aspect. The Immaculate Styles are far more about outright "bending" the elements than many native Dragon-Blooded Charms, and there is more than one grandmaster Terrestrial monk who has completed at least two different Immaculate Styles, as well as at least one who has explicitly mastered all five.

If someone in Exalted wants to play "The Avatar" in the role of "reincarnating, uniquely-powerful hero who guides the world", they're better off picking a Celestial Exalt.

If someone just wants to play a bender without that particular baggage, the Dragon-Blooded should allow them to play a single-element specialist or a multiple-elemental generalist as they please.


If Solars "grow higher" with Supernal Abilities, I think the Dragon-Blooded should "grow wider" through their Aspects; which also helps to keep Dragon-Blooded specialized in their element despite having ties to all of the other four.

Favoring an Ability means that a Terrestrial pays favored costs for all Charms of that Ability, regardless of elemental aspect, as well as paying favored costs to purchase dots in that Ability.

But a Fire Aspect who doesn't favor Brawl would pay favored costs for any Fire-aspected brawl Charms for which he meets the trait minimums. Or for Fire-aspected Charms of ANY Ability, regardless of whether he favors the Ability.

This is restricted by the fact that the Dragon-Blooded likely has fewer dots in any unfavored Ability, and he has to pay full price to raise those Abilities. Also, the fact that Dragon-Blooded Charms will likely still cost more XP than Solar Charms.

A Dragon-Blood can buy Charms of another Aspect, but they will be altered to conform with his own Aspect. For example, an Earth Aspect Archer purchases Harvest of the Hunter. Instead of growing arrows from plants, he pulls fully formed rock arrows out of the ground.

I heartily dislike this idea. Not just for the sentiments I've already shared, but for additional, practical reasons.

Look at your own Charms. The Fire-aspected Archery Charms are written from the ground up around the concept that the Dragon-Blood is controlling or conjuring FIRE. Those Charms just will not conceptually work at all for a Water Aspect if the Charms now have to work with water and ice!


Those disagreements out of the way, I LOVE what you did with the Charms.

It's lovely to finally get to see Fire Aspect Archery magic with firewands.

[Crumplepunch]

Why would you WANT to?

Terrestrial Exalted have always had the ability to learn multiple Immaculate Styles, or even start with a Style that didn't match their Aspect. The Immaculate Styles are far more about outright "bending" the elements than many native Dragon-Blooded Charms, and there is more than one grandmaster Terrestrial monk who has completed at least two different Immaculate Styles, as well as at least one who has explicitly mastered all five.

Yep, you can definitely master all five elements by learning every Immaculate style. So can a Celestial Exalt if they really want to.

Immaculate styles are not native Dragon-Blood Charms, so I'm not sure what you're getting at there.

If someone in Exalted wants to play "The Avatar" in the role of "reincarnating, uniquely-powerful hero who guides the world", they're better off picking a Celestial Exalt.

There are definitely parallels between the Avatar and the Celestial Exalted, but I hope it was clear that I was talking about the Avatar as a master of all elements with aptitude in each. The Avatar is strongest when he uses all elements together. Dragon-Bloods, in my opinion, should not be like that. They should be able to achieve mastery in their own aspects.

However, there is an important lesson from the Avatar universe to be learned. Remember when Iroh teaches Zuko his lightning redirection technique, and explains why all elements are part of a common whole? This is also true of Creation. That is why, like Iroh, a Fire Aspect can learn Water based Brawl Charms and apply them as Fire Charms, by applying his intuition of his own element to that part of the whole.

If someone just wants to play a bender without that particular baggage, the Dragon-Blooded should allow them to play a single-element specialist or a multiple-elemental generalist as they please.

If Solars "grow higher" with Supernal Abilities, I think the Dragon-Blooded should "grow wider" through their Aspects; which also helps to keep Dragon-Blooded specialized in their element despite having ties to all of the other four.

This is our essential disagreement. I strongly feel that Dragon-Bloods should be restricted (or mostly restricted) to their own element, even if it is only a matter of aesthetics. Having a Wood Aspect swordsman with a blade enhanced with the powers of all five elements or a Water Aspect brawler with fists wreathed in flame just feels tacky. Giving every Dragon-Blood access to all elements cheapens the whole idea of having Aspects in the first place. The growth of a Terrestrial hero can be encapsulated in his own element.

Favoring an Ability means that a Terrestrial pays favored costs for all Charms of that Ability, regardless of elemental aspect, as well as paying favored costs to purchase dots in that Ability.

Correct. I can't be certain until the sets are completed, but I feel that the character creation system I have outlined above strikes a good balance between preserving the boundaries between Aspects and allowing for suitably diverse options for different characters within Aspects.

But a Fire Aspect who doesn't favor Brawl would pay favored costs for any Fire-aspected brawl Charms for which he meets the trait minimums. Or for Fire-aspected Charms of ANY Ability, regardless of whether he favors the Ability.

This is restricted by the fact that the Dragon-Blooded likely has fewer dots in any unfavored Ability, and he has to pay full price to raise those Abilities. Also, the fact that Dragon-Blooded Charms will likely still cost more XP than Solar Charms.

The difference between raising an un-favoured Ability from 1-5 plus speciality and doing the same with a favoured ability is 5xp. Not particularly significant compared to 2xp on every Charm. You'll also notice that the Charms I have written have quite low Ability prerequisites, even at higher Essence levels instead of quickly capping out to 5 as Solar Charms do.

This is an intentional design to allow characters to dip into secondary Abilities for extra Charms without feeling obliged to max out. A lot of people feel obliged to optimize in combat Abilities anyway, but I think players will really feel the benefit when they can pick up some useful social and utility Charms at favoured costs.

I heartily dislike this idea. Not just for the sentiments I've already shared, but for additional, practical reasons.

Look at your own Charms. The Fire-aspected Archery Charms are written from the ground up around the concept that the Dragon-Blood is controlling or conjuring FIRE. Those Charms just will not conceptually work at all for a Water Aspect if the Charms now have to work with water and ice!

Jets of superheated steam. There, that wasn't hard.

Those disagreements out of the way, I LOVE what you did with the Charms.

It's lovely to finally get to see Fire Aspect Archery magic with firewands.

Thank you, I appreciate it.

[DrLoveMonkey]

Most of these are actually really good! Some are a touch powerful, but in general they're not bad. Flower within Flower is in a weeping desperate need to be capped at 1 though, if that wasn't the intent already. Adding what amounts to a non-charm success on attack rolls for a single mote and the condition that you attacked them the prior turn, that's already damn damn powerful. Making it hold up their whole penalty, especially when many of the other charms make multiple attacks or specifically increase onslaught penalties, that makes it solar or better.

[Crumplepunch]

Flower within Flower is in a weeping desperate need to be capped at 1 though, if that wasn't the intent already. Adding what amounts to a non-charm success on attack rolls for a single mote and the condition that you attacked them the prior turn, that's already damn damn powerful. Making it hold up their whole penalty, especially when many of the other charms make multiple attacks or specifically increase onslaught penalties, that makes it solar or better.

Hm, there's a few things there. First, a non-Charm success on attack rolls for a single mote is definitely within the permissible bounds of power. Check Wise Arrow, the very first E1 Solar Archery Charm, which does this and more without condition or the possiblity of negation. More to the point, this specific effect occurs in Solar Brawl under Falling Hammer Strike, an E1 Charm.

However, you're right that it might be too strong an effect for archery; being a ranged attack it is more difficult to evade the growing penalty. The idea was that opponents without defences adequate to stop the arrows from reliably hitting them would be obliged to seek full cover, which (barring large scale destruction and area attacks) this Archery set can't defeat.

I'll take your suggestion and cap it t one turn. Even then it's pretty useful, especially for maintaining conditions to rapidly aim at medium and long range with its prerequisite.

[DrLoveMonkey]

Hm, there's a few things there. First, a non-Charm success on attack rolls for a single mote is definitely within the permissible bounds of power. Check Wise Arrow, the very first E1 Solar Archery Charm, which does this and more without condition or the possiblity of negation. More to the point, this specific effect occurs in Solar Brawl under Falling Hammer Strike, an E1 Charm.

However, you're right that it might be too strong an effect for archery; being a ranged attack it is more difficult to evade the growing penalty. The idea was that opponents without defences adequate to stop the arrows from reliably hitting them would be obliged to seek full cover, which this Archery set can't defeat.

I'll take your suggestion and cap it t one. Even then it's pretty useful, especially for maintaining conditions to rapidly aim at medium and long range with its prerequisite.

Yeah, if it wasn't for seven ears swarm and nine blossom summer and stuff it wouldn't be so bad, but with them it turns a mounting danger into a an instant one mote near perfect attack.

[SpruceStripedGoose]

These charms are lovely. I really hope you are being prophetic and we will see this sort of spread of all elements in every tree in the official book...if not I might just end up using your charms...

[DrLoveMonkey]

These charms are lovely. I really hope you are being prophetic and we will see this sort of spread of all elements in every tree in the official book...if not I might just end up using your charms...

Agreed, I might end up using these right now for some of my antagonists.

[Crumplepunch]

Thank you for the compliments. I will be busy with finals for a while and so I shouldn't really be working on this for the next month at least, but it's hard to predict what procrastination will do.

Whenever the next update arrives, I will be posting several abilities together as a batch, specifically Athletics, Awareness, Brawl and Bureaucracy.

[ManusDomine]

Thank you for the compliments. I will be busy with finals for a while and so I shouldn't really be working on this for the next month at least, but it's hard to predict what procrastination will do.

Whenever the next update arrives, I will be posting several abilities together as a batch, specifically Athletics, Awareness, Brawl and Bureaucracy.

Wonderful! That sounds great!

[Wednesday]

I'm seriously looking forward to more of this project. Thanks for doing the work!