Charm Use and Artifact Tweaks
From Exaltedcursejar
Contents |
[edit] Charm Usage
Ignore entirely the rule that only one charm may be activated per DV refresh (hereafter referred to as actions). Any character with charms may activate any charm they are capable of activating. The main limitation for charm use is now Type.
To specify:
- Reflexive charms may still be activated as a non-dice action, and in the steps of attack resolution specified. Any number of Reflexive charms may be activated simultaneously.
- Supplemental charms must modify an action as specified in their text. Characters unable to perform such an action may not activate associated Supplemental charms. You’re never required to activate a Supplemental on every action taken. Any number of Supplemental charms may be activated simultaneously.
- Only one Simple charm may be activated at a time, as this constitutes the character’s action. Charms or effects that grant independent actions may be used to activate multiple Simple charms, but only one Simple charm may be activated per independent action.
- Only one Extra Action charm may be activated at a time. Only one Simple charm may be activated along with an Extra Action charm, and that Simple charm must constitute every action granted by that Extra Action charm. Extra Action charms are incompatible with independent actions.
Any charms that allow or reference charms being used without counting as charm activation are now obsolete. Ex: [Ability] Essence Flow no longer exists.
[edit] Perfect Defenses
Since free usage of charms makes Perfect Defenses even easier to use, they must be dealt with as well. All Perfect Defenses that are activated at Step 2 are now activated at Step 6. In addition, every current Perfect Defenses increases its cost by +1 WP.
[edit] Combos
Every rule for combos, from how they’re constructed to who can make them, still applies. The cost to activate a combo is a variable amount of Willpower, which must be spent upon activating the combo. Characters must spend a minimum of 1 Willpower to activate a combo, and can spend as much as their permanent Essence per combo.
Once activated, a combo lets the character regain 3 motes spent on activating charms in the combo per Willpower point spent, up to the motes spent to activate combo charms that action. These motes are regained at the start of the character’s next action. Other charms may still be activated, but the combo cannot restore these motes. Ex: Harmonious Jade activates a combo of 1st Archery Excellency + Essence Arrow Technique + Shadow Over Water. She spends 3 Willpower to activate it. At the start of her next turn (when the combo fades) she may regain up to 9 motes spent on the combo. If she activated Reflex Sidestep Technique, which is not part of the combo, she can’t regain the mote spent on that charm, even if she spent 8 or less motes on the combo.
[edit] Dragon-Blooded Free Reflexives Tweak
Note: Thanks to Legendary Contradiction for this idea!
As a consequence of free Charm usage, Dragon-Blooded are no longer unique in their ability to use Reflexive charms without combos. As such, they now enjoy an extension of the new Combo rules. Anytime a Dragon-Blooded character uses a Reflexive charm, she may spend 1 or more (up to permanent Essence) Willpower prior to activating it to gain the benefits of a Combo for all Reflexive charms used until her next action. The number of motes recovered is still dependent on the amount of temporary Willpower spent. If the character has already activated a combo this action, she may enjoy its benefits with any Reflexive charms used, meaning Dragon-Blooded never have to put Reflexives in combos.
[edit] Weapons, Armor, and Damage
These rules are intended to somewhat normalize weapon damage, to make armor useful even against Grand-sized weapons, and to make instant death the purview of damage boosting charms.
- Rather than halving armor soak, weapons with the Piercing tag reduce the soak granted by armor by the same amount as its Overwhelming rate. If the weapon lacks the Overwhelming tag, Piercing simply removes 1 point of armor soak.
- Reduce the cost of Grand-sized weapons by 1 dot (thus all standard weapons are 2-dot Artifacts) Additional cost represents sorcerous extras.
- Increase the Speed of Grand-sized weapons to 6, if applicable.
- Change the cost of Artifact Armor like so: Lamellar (1-dot), Reinforced Buff Jacket (1-dot, 2-dot version conceals plates), Reinforced Breastplate (2-dot), Articulated Plate (2-dot), Super-heavy Plate (3-dot). Reinforced and Articulated Plate have 1 hearthstone slot each, while Super-heavy Plate has 2.
- Remove Essence Ping. Minimum damage is always 1 die or the Overwhelming rating of a weapon.
