The Art of Swords
From Summoner
Representing aggression, force, ambition, courage and misfortune, the minor arcanum of Swords is favored by the Nobility, not because of the powerful symbol of a sword, but for the adversity that the arcanum represents. By accepting those failings and shortcoming in themselves, they overcome them and find strength. By mastering adversity, struggle, reason, and will, they learn to exploit the weaknesses of their foes. If such a weakness isn't present, they'll just have to create one for their purposes.
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Finding Fault (O)
Through an appropriate focus, the Summoner gains insight into the psyche or Ego of her foe, and specifically to the places where it most concrete or left at the most open. Following the saber's edge or the pistol's sights, the clearest path becomes obvious.
Cost: 1 Id
Dice Pool: Wits + Brawl, Firearms, or Weaponry + Swords - Resolve
Action: Instant
Roll Results
Dramatic Failure: Not only is the sensation indistinct and unclear, but the Summoner may receive incorrect information.
Failure: The character cannot sense the chinks in their target's armor, nor the places where it strongest.
Success:The character gains an understanding into the target's Ego. They may gain insight towards a single Strength or Weakness per success on the roll. To know the extent of a Strength requires an extra dedicated success. For example, to know that a Summoner is Defiant to flames, two successes would have to be rolled and used towards Strengths.
Exceptional Success: The Summoner gains a full inventory of the subject's Strength and Weaknesses, and may negate a single point of the subject's Defense.
Suggested Modifiers
| Modifier | Situation |
|---|---|
| +1 to +5 | The equipment bonus of the Summoner's favored weapon |
| +1 | The Summoner possesses a relevant specialty in the skill for their favored form of combat |
| -2 | The subject is unable to wield their weapon of choice |
| -3 | Determining the Strengths or Weaknesses of creatures other than Summoners, Alter Selves, or demons. |
Retreat (OO)
The Four of Swords represents stillness and retreat, a temporary respite from struggles. This Art has a similar focus, bolstering a Summoner's defenses against a present threat, ideally long enough for them to either prevail or escape to lick their wounds. The power cannot be used if the harm is not clear, present, and known to the Summoner. The Summoner seems to parry or repel the oncoming danger with their weapon.
The Summoner may create a Strength from whole cloth, but it costs 1 point of Id to become Bolstered, 2 to become Adamant, 3 to become Defiant, and 5 to become Exultant. The base costs are assuming a Common type of Strength. To create a Mighty Strength, it costs 2 additional Id. It costs two more Id beyond that to create a Puissant Strength. The Id for this effect need not all be paid at once, but the Id must be spent on consecutive turns before the roll is finally made.
To bolster an existing Strength requires no roll, but follows the same costs as above. If the Summoner has a Weakness to what they are attempting to defend against, the power costs a point of Willpower, but otherwise behaves as above.
Cost: Varies
Dice Pool: Resolve + Brawl, Firearms, or Weaponry + Swords
Action: Reflexive, once the cost is paid
Roll Results
Dramatic Failure: The process fails, leaving the Summoner exposed. They gain or enhance the chosen source as a Weakness instead for the next two turns.
Failure: The baleful source is not resisted, and remains a clear and naked threat.
Success:The Summoner's Ego, channeled through their weapon or fighting style, gives them an added degree of resilience for a number of relevant attacks equal to the successes rolled.
Exceptional Success: As with a normal success, but the power lasts for a scene.
Suggested Modifiers
| Modifier | Situation |
|---|---|
| +1 to +5 | The equipment bonus of the Summoner's favored weapon |
| +1 | The Summoner possesses a relevant specialty in the skill for their favored form of combat |
| -2 | The subject is unable to wield their weapon of choice |
Fear (OOO)
Fear makes us strong, but it can also make us weak. It can hone our senses, or it can dull our reason. By invoking this Art, the Sword Noble takes his own insecurities and casts them into his foe's spiritual foundations. By forcing his own weaknesses into his foe's heart, that source of strength flags and leaves an exposed point, ripe for one of the Vanguard to strike.
This power reduces the effectiveness of a Strength by one degree per success on the activation roll. With three successes, a Noble can reduce an Exultant defense to a mere Bolstered one, and so on. This power cannot create a Weakness on its own.
This power is potentially applicable against other supernatural defenses, at Storyteller discretion. Regardless, this unique application will cost a point of Willpower. A successful use of this power may negate a vampire's ability to take only bashing damage from bullets, may erode natural or mystical armors by one point per success, or inflict a -1 penalty to resistances that include the creature's supernatural power trait per success directed in that manner.
Cost: 1 Id
Dice Pool: Presence + Brawl, Firearms, or Weaponry + Swords - Composure
Action: Reflexive
Roll Results
Dramatic Failure: Your own insecurities rebound upon you, reducing one of your Strengths by one degree.
Failure: The weapon fails to appropriately channel insecurity, or the Summoner is unable to embrace them.
Success: The Summoner infuses his own weakness into the foe, reducing strengths with their successes.
Exceptional Success: Not only are the target's Strengths further eroded, he gains a Weakness to the Summoner's weapon, or the Summoner's bare attacks. Only the Summoner may gain the benefit of this scene-long Weakness.
Frailty (OOOO)
A true warrior knows his own shortcomings. An effective warrior learns those of his enemies. A truly effective warrior creates weakness where there is none. This Art draws on the Summoner's Ego, and his own defining flaws, and casts them directly into the core of an enemy. Channeled through the mastery of the combat arts, this weakness coalesces into a Weakness of the Summoner's choice, ripe for exploitation.
The Summoner only needs to succeed to achieve a Common Weakness, turn a Common Weakness to Flagging, or one specific to the weapon or bare hands he used to channel the effect. For more general weaknesses, additional Id must be spent, to a limit of their total successes. One additional point buys a Mighty Weakness. It costs 3 additional points to inflict a Puissant failing. One additional point of Id, after all other costs, allows for a Flagging Weakness to be created from nothing. This power can be used upon mortals or other supernatural creatures as well.
Cost: 1+ Id
Dice Pool: Manipulation + Brawl, Firearms, or Weaponry + Swords; resisted by the subject's Composure + Ego.
Action: Contested
Roll Results
Dramatic Failure: Summoner: The power fails utterly, inflicting an additional Weakness to the specific blows and powers of his subject for the scene. Subject: The power strikes, and is treated as a Flagging Weakness at no cost.
Failure: The Summoner fails to gather enough successes, and nothing occurs.
Success: The Vanguard manages to overcome his foe, inflicting a Weakness of his choice.
Exceptional Success: The Summoner succeeds, and rolls five or more successes. The Weakness is treated as Flagging at no additional cost, refunding Id if necessary.
Death of Reason (OOOOO)
The Ten of Swords represents a broken being, overwhelmed by fears, insecurities, weaknesses, and stress. This is exactly the sort of enemy that a Noble would prefer to face. With this final Art, they can turn the World against their enemy in a dramatic, terrifying way. Phantom blows lance towards the Noble's opponent, cutting into their Ego and leaving bleeding spiritual wounds. The target is left exposed, open to harm. After that, it's just a matter of cleaning up.
This power effectively drops the target's resistance to all things by one degree. A Strength may erode, a normal threat becomes a Weakness, and a Weakness becomes Flagging. While the target is subject to this effect, it needs to roll Stamina + Ego at the end of each scene or hour. Failure causes a level of bashing damage that will not heal until the effect has passed, as even their air and food fouls on their lips, failing to sustain them. Healing times double.
Other supernatural creatures may be affected by this power. Their natural banes may become flagging, and their natural resiliences may erode. A vampire only needs to roll their Stamina + Blood Potency when feeding or spending blood. They still require twice the normal amount of blood to heal, however.
Cost: 2 Id, 1 Willpower
Dice Pool: Intelligence + Brawl, Firearms, or Weaponry + Swords; resisted by Resolve + Ego.
Action: Contested
Roll Results
Dramatic Failure: The Summoner not only fails to pierce his foe's Ego, he suffers a wound of his own. Any of the Summoner's Weaknesses become Flagging, and he suffers a point of Lethal damage.
Failure: The Noble is unable to overcome his opponent's will, and there is no effect.
Success: The Summoner overcomes his enemy, breaking his Ego significantly. The effect lasts for a number of days equal to the successes rolled.
Exceptional Success: As a normal success, but the foe is weakened by an additional degree.
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