Alternate Combat System for Exalted 2nd Edition

A while back I decided to make significant changes to Exalted's combat system. The aim of these changes was to make combat more tactical by eliminating mote attrition and setting up a clear hierarchy of attack and defense. This file contains the results of my experiments in their more or less final form. All in all, I would say that the new system plays pretty well while eliminating most of the book-keeping of Exalted's original combat system. Characters have to be a bit more experienced to be "good" at combat, but the divide between mortal skill and exalted skill is still strong.

Summary of Changes

• Mote Pools, both personal and peripheral, are gone, replaced by a per-turn mote budget
• Time in combat is much more carefully tracked. Turns are divided into clearly defined phases.
• Speed is now a resource to be spent.
• Mundane DV penalties are eliminated (wound penalties are optional)
• A new concept, that of stances, is introduced. This forms the core of the combat system, and the interaction between the stances replaces DV penalties as the main source of combat vulnerability.
• Perfect effects are now clearly defined, and language is introduced to make clear just what their limitations are.
• Some actions are changed to reflect the new system.

Unless otherwise stated, the specifics of attack, defense, damage, soak, healing, or movement are the same as they are in the core rulebook.

Turns and Actions

Characters now have a speed gauge. This speed gauge has a maximum of six points (unmodified by charms or other magic). Each tick that passes, every active character in the battle gains one speed point. When the gauge is filled, it is that character's turn to act. Actions have a speed point cost, depending on how quickly they can be performed. On your turn, you can perform as many actions as you can afford, but you do not have to spend your entire gauge (in order to act again sooner).

An action is defined as any activity that has a speed cost. A turn is the space of time between speed gauge recharges. Your turn begins when your speed gauge becomes full and ends when it next becomes full. Turns are divided into two phases. The offensive phase begins at the beginning of your turn and ends when you decide to stop spending speed points. The defensive phase begins when the offensive phase ends and ends when your turn ends. You may be required to spend speed points during your defensive phase, but the expenditure of those points does not change your phase to offensive.

At the begining of combat, all participating characters make a join battle roll. Each success on the join battle roll gains the character a point of speed. If more than one character attains maximum speed, those characters go in order of maximum speed, then in order of the number of successes rolled. If, at this point, one or more characters are still tied, their order of action is determined randomly.

After the join battle roll, every character in the combat chooses a stance. The slowest character chooses first, followed by the other characters in order of increasing speed. A character who rolls zero successes on the join battle roll begins combat in the off-guard stance. They can change to any other stance once they gain at least one point of speed. Any characters who attain maximum speed with the join battle roll are considered to act first on tick 0.

If players act simultaneously, resolve their actions according to the following process:

1. Players declare stance from slowest to fastest
2. Players declare actions from slowest to fastest (speed points are spent at this time)
3. The defensive phase begins
4. Players declare defense from slowest to fastest (you may change stance at this point by spending your remaining speed - but without charms, you must still have at least one point of speed to change stance)
5. Players roll attacks from fastest to slowest. Attacks are considered to take place during the attacker's offensive phase. If the attacker changes stance in step 4, the actions declared in step two still take place and any attacks made are of the same type as the character's original stance.

Stances

There are four types of stance. At the begining of each turn, you decide which stance your character takes. Changing stance at the begining of your turn does not cost speed points. While in a stance, you may only take untyped actions or actions of the same type as your chosen stance. This includes using only charms that have a type compatibe with your current stance.

You must also use the defense associated with your stance type. The four stances are:

Strong: Strong attacks are those that rely on overwhelming power or great speed to hit hard Many large weapons and damage enhancing charms have the strong type. You can only use a strong defense in this stance (usually the character's parry DV).

Quick: Quick attacks are those that rely on light, accurate blows, either to inflict a myriad of small wounds or to deliver some iminical effect. Unarmed strikes, small weapons like knives, and the most insidious charms of the sidereal martial arts have the quick type. You can only use a quick defense in this stance (usually dodge dv or the pdv of a weapon with the quick parry feature).

Resist: Attacks that bend around obstacles, fill an area, or hurt on a near miss are of the resist type. Very few mortal weapons have this type, though many varieties of sorcery do. You can only use your resist defense in this stance (usually your resistance DV).

Off-guard stance: This is the stance you enter to perform non-combat, non-movement actions in combat including, but not limited to: casting a spell, deciphering ancient text, and using tactical actions. You can use no defense while in off-guard stance. In off-guard stance, your defense is 0 against all attacks. You cannot use defensive charms in off-guard stance unless that charm has the off-guard type.

You can change your stance any time you like at the cost of all your current speed points. You must have at least one speed point to shift stances. Charms can alter the costs of changing stances.

Stance and Defense

Strong defense is full strength against strong attacks, half strength against resist attacks, and useless (i.e. 0) against quick attacks. The default strong defense is Parry DV. 1/2 * [Strength + Melee + Applicable Specialty + Weapon's defense modifier.]

Quick defense is full strength against quick attacks, half strength against strong attacks, and useless against resist attacks. The default quick defense is Dodge DV. 1/2 * [Dexterity + Dodge + Essence+ Applicable Specialty]

Resist defense is full strength against resist attacks, half strength against quick attacks, and useless against strong attacks. The default resist defense is Resistance DV. 1/2 * [Stamina + Resistance + Applicable Specialty + Armor's resistance bonus*]).

*A new armor statistic.

Actions

Universal Actions

• Delay (speed variable): If you take no other action on your turn, you must spend at least one speed point to delay. You may take this action during the defensive phase of your turn.
• Dash (speed variable): Move up to dexterity yards for each point of speed you spent (you can also still move up to dexterity yards each tick at no speed cost). This action may be taken during the defense phase of a character's turn.
• Aim (speed 1): Gain +2 accuracy on your next attack this turn.
• Guard (speed 3): Gain +2 to all defenses until your next turn.
• Rising from Prone (speed 2): This action may be taken during the defensive phase of a character's turn.
• Jumping (speed 5)
• Drawing and Readying a Weapon (speed 2): In addition to its other effects, characters take this action to reload a weapon with the single shot keyword. This action may be taken during the defensive phase of a character's turn.
• Control Mount (Speed 1): Mounts have their own speed gauge. The character may spend points of his mount's speed by making a control mount roll. The roll is [(Strength or Charisma) + Ride], with a base difficulty of 0 if the mount is trained for combat, 3 if the mount is not trained for combat, and 5 if the mount is panicked or resisting. (Outside of combat, these numbers are two less). For every success by which the rider exceeds this difficulty, she may spend one point of the mount's speed. These points are usually spent on dash or charge actions, though some powerful combat mounts might have their own attacks.
• Direct Mount (speed 0): Once per tick, without taking an action, a character may automatically control his mount as if he had scored a number of successes equal to half his ride. He must at least match the base difficulty to control his mount's regular move.

Strong Actions

These actions can only be taken while in the strong stance.

• Strong Attack - a weapon's statistics will state whether it can make a strong attack. Some weapons have more than one set of statistics. You must use the weapon's strong statistics unless you activate a charm that allows you to make a strong attack with a non-strong weapon.
• Attack an inanimate object - you may attack an inanimate object with any weapon, but that attack is considered strong.
• Fierce Blow: You may make a strong attack with any melee weapon. The attack's speed increases by one, its damage increases by 3, and its accuracy decreases by one.
• Charge (speed 3): You may move up to dexterity x 2 yards and make a charge attack. A charge attack's accuracy is the character's Strength + Athletics. If the attack succeeds, the target's stance changes to Off-Guard. If the character's weapon has a low enough speed, he may make an immediate attack against that opponent. Because a charge is a reckless form of movement, the character's DV is penalized by 2 for the rest of his turn.

Quick Actions

These actions can only be performed in the quick stance.

• Quick Attack - a weapon's statistics will state whether it can make a quick attack. Some weapons have more than one set of statistics. You must use the weapon's quick statistics unless you activate a charm that allows you to make a quick attack with a non-quick weapon.
• Disarm(speed 5)
• Reckless attack: Attacking with no thought to defense, the character may make a quick attack with any melee weapon. The attack's speed increases by one and it's accuracy increases by 4, but the character suffers a -2 penalty to her defenses until the beginning of her next turn.
• Feint (speed 3) - the character rolls dexterity + dodge against the target's defense. If the attack succeeds, the opponent's stance changes to off-guard. If the character possesses a fast enough weapon, he may make an immediate attack.

Resist

These actions may only be taken in the resist stance.

• Resist Attack - a weapon's statistics will state whether it can make a resist attack. Some weapons have more than one set of statistics. You must use the weapon's resist statistics unless you activate a charm that allows you to make a resist attack with a non-resist weapon.
• Brace for Impact (speed 3) - gain +4 bashing soak until the beginning of your next turn. Exalted and other supernatural creatures gain an additional +2 lethal soak.
• Supressive Fire (speed 5)- using any ranged weapon without the single shot keyword, the character may target a single individual within range and make a standard attack. If the attack hits, it does no damage, but instead forces the target into the off-guard stance. The character must have at least 4 pieces of ammunition to make this attack.
• Sweeping Strike (speed 6) - using any melee weapon, the character makes a single attack roll at half accuracy. This attack targets every enemy within the weapon's reach. (The weapon's normal speed is replaced by the speed of this action). If the weapon used has the resist type, this attack gains an additional +2 accuracy (after being halved).
• Control Grapple (speed 3) - This action may be taken in the defensive phase of the character's turn. The Martial Arts roll targets the opponent's resist defense. If the character succeeds at controlling the grapple, he may immediately crush, break hold, or hold. If this action is taken on the defensive phase of the character's turn, he may not activated offense charms. The grapple automatically ends if the character controlling the grapple does not take this action in the offensive phase of her turn.

Off-Guard Actions

These actions may only be taken while in the off-guard stance.

• Regain Composure (speed 1) - Roll Wits + Awareness against a Difficulty of 3. If the roll is a success, the character can enter any other combat stance. This action may be taken during the defensive phase of the character's turn, but not in the same tick the character enters off-guard stance.
• Non-Combat Action (speed 6) - too broad to cover every possibility, this action covers any of the actions a character might need to perform in combat - picking a lock, administering first aid, deciphering an ancient tome, repairing an airship's engines, or making a social attack are just a few of the possibilities.
• Shape Sorcery (speed 5) - the first shape sorcery action must be performed during the charcter's offensive phase. Subsequent shape sorcery actions (for casting celestial and solar sorcery) may be taken during the defensive phase of a character's turn.
• Cast Sorcery (speed 0) - this action may be taken during the defensive phase of a character's turn.
• Coordinate Attack (speed 5) - This is considered a tactical action. Roll Charisma + War. Each success allows you to grant one ally a +2 accuracy bonus to all attacks until the beginning of your next turn. An ally can benefit from this action only once.
• Coordinate Defense (speed 5) - This is considered a tactical action. Roll Charisma + War. Each success allows you to grant one ally a +1 bonus to all defenses until the beginning of your next turn. An ally can benefit from this action only once.
• Seize the Initiative (speed 5) - This is considered a tactical action. Roll Perception + War. Each success allows you to grant an ally one point of speed. An ally can benefit from this action only once.
• Gain Concealment (speed 6) - You seek cover to coneal yourself from your enemies. Roll Dexterity + Stealth. If you roll at least one success, you are concealed. Enemies must match your successes with a Perception + Awareness roll in order to see you (gaining a +2 success bonus if they saw you hide). If they know roughly where you are, they may attempt to attack, but if they can't see you, they suffer the same penalties as being blind. You remain in off-guard stance for as long as you're concealed, however if you attack someone who can't see you on the same tick you leave concealment, that person is automatically forced into off-guard stance.

Stunts

Stunts work as normal, except the mote reward is changed. A stunt performed in the offensive phase gives one willpower point per stunt level. A stunt performed in the defensive phase gives one speed point per stunt level. Any character capable of performing a stunt gets the stunt reward.

Weapons

The Single Shot tag now requires the character to take a ready weapon action to reload the weapon, and the Lance tag now refers to a weapon's statistics on the tick when either the character or his mount complete a charge.

Abbreviations
d - defense. If a weapon lacks a defense stat, it can't be used for the character's strong defense. If a weapon does have a defense stat, it can be used for the character's strong defense, even if it is not a strong weapon.
s - speed
a - accuracy
r - range

Strong Weapons, Melee Chopping Sword [O] +1d 5s, +1a, +5L/2 Great Sword [2,O,R] -1d 5s, +1a, +7L/2 Axe [T], +0d 4s, +0a, +5L Great Axe [2,O,R] -2d 5s, +1a, +8L/2 Hammer/Mace [O,P] +1d 5s, +1a, 6B/2 Poleaxe [2,O,R] +2d 5s, +0a, +7L/2 Sledge [2,O,P,R] -2d 5s, -1a, +9B/4 Tetsubo [2,O,P,R] -3d 5s, -1a, +11B/4 Lance [L,R] -2d 5s, 0a, +5L Charge: 4s, +0a, +10L, gains P tag Short Spear [R] +2d 5s, +2a, +4L Spear [2,L,R] +2d 5s, +1a, +5L Charge: 5s, +1a, +7L Iron Boot [M] -3d 5s, +0a, +6B Kick [N] 5s, +0a, +3B	Quick Weapons, Melee Knife [T] 3s, +2a, +2L Short Sword [Q] +1d 4s, +2a, +3L Javelin [T,Q] +1d 5s, +1a, +4L Cestus [M] 4s, +0a, +3B Fighting Guantlet [M,Q] +0d 5s, +1a, +4B Hook Swords [D,Q] +3d 5s, +0a, +3L Khatar [M,P,Q] +1d 5s, +0a, +1L Sai [D,Q] +2d 4s, +0a, +2L Tiger Claws [M] 4s, +2a, +3L Wind-Fire Wheels [M,Q] +2d 4s, +2a, +1L Punch [N,Q] -2d 3s, +2a, +0B	Resist Weapons, Melee Whip [D,R] 5s, +1a, +3B Fighting Chain [R,Q] +0d 5s, +0a, +4B Hybrid Weapons, Melee Slashing Sword [L] +0d Quick: 4s, +1a, +3L Charge: Strong: 4s, +1a, +5L Straight Sword [Q] +2d Strong: 5s, +2a, +4L Quick: 4s, +1a, +3L Club [T] +1d Strong: 5s, +1a, +6B Quick: 4s, +1a, +4B Staff [Q,R,2] +3d Strong: 6s, +1a, +8B Quick: 5s, +2a, +6B Scythe [2,O,R] Strong: 5s, +0a, +7L/2 Resist: 6s, -1a, +7L/2 Clinch [C,N,P] Strong: 5s, +0a, +2B Quick: 5s, +2a, -1B Resist: 4s, -1a, +0B Razor Harness [C,P] Strong: 5s, -1a, +4L Resist: 5s, +1a, +3L
Strong Weapons, Ranged Composite Bow [B,2] 6s, +0a, 250r, Max Str: 5 Long Bow [B,2] 4s, +1a, 200r, Max Str: 4 Self Bow [B,2] 5s, +0a, 150r, Max Str: 3 Resist Weapons, Ranged Firewand [2,F,S] 4s, +1a, 12L, 10r Flame Piece [F,S] 3s, +1a, 8L, 8r	Quick Weapons, Ranged Hatchet 5s, +0a, +3L, 10r Chakram 3s, +0a, +1L, 20r Baton 4s, +0a, +3b, 10r Javelin [P] 5s, +1a, +3L, 30r Knife 4s, +1a, +2L, 15r Needle [P] 3s, -1a, 1L, 10r Sling 5s, -1a, +2L, 100r Boomerang 4s, +0a +3L, 20r

Armor

Use the current armor stats for soak, mobility, and fatigue. Armor now has an additional statistic: resistance. This number factors into the character's resistance DV.

The resistance bonus values for the corebook armors are:
Breastplate: +1
Buff Jacket: +1
Chain Shirt: +0
Chain Hauberk: +2
Lamellar: +1
Reinforced Buff Jacket: +2
Articulated Plate: +3
Plate and Chain: +4
Reinforced Breastplate: +3
Chain Swathing: +4
Superheavy Plate: +4

Charms

Motes

Characters have a number of motes equal to twice their essence. This number of motes is the exalt's charm budget for each phase of her turn. Charms that by their nature need to be limited in a scene will have a willpower or health level cost on top of their slot cost. Charms that by their nature need to be limited on a given turn have a speed cost.

Combos are fixed techniques that allow an exalt to access more motes than usual. They cost 1wp per [essence] motes of total cost, and an exalt must activate a full combo to activate one at all. The different exalt types have different maximum combo sizes. Solar: [essence]x5. Celestial [essence]x4. Terrestrial [essence]x3. Because offense and defense draw from different mote budgets, there is no reason to have both types of charms in a combo. To create a defensive combo, one must decide in advance how many "copies" of each charm to include, though the character does not use those reserved charms if it is not necessary to do so. A combo has a speed cost equal to the sum of the speed costs of all the simple charms contained therein or 6, whichever is greater. An exalt must be able to pay a combo's entire speed cost to activate a combo.

Anima Flare

Charm Types

A charm's type determines when and how it may be used. The type may have up to three words, each giving a different piece of information.

First Type: Stance

This type determines which stance the character must adopt in order to use the charm.

Strong: the charm may only be used if the character is in a strong stance.
Quick: the charm may only be used if the character is in a quick stance.
Resist: the charm may only be used if the character is in a resist stance.
Off-Guard: the character must be in off-guard stance to use the charm (all untyped charms that enhance actions that can only be taken in off-guard stance are considered to have this type).
If the charm does not have a stance type, it may be used in any stance, unless it is a defense charm, in which case it may be used in any stance but the off-guard stance.

Second Type: Phase

This type determines what phase of the character's turn it must be to allow the use of the charm.

Offense: the charm may only be used in the offense phase of the character's turn. If an offense charm has a stance type, it may only be used with weapons that have an attack of the same type. Some charms explicitly bypass this restriction.
Defense: the charm may only be used in the defense phase of the character's turn.
If the charm does not have an offensive or defensive type, it may be used in either phase.

Third Type: Frequency Type

This type determines how often a charm may be used.

Simple: The character can only use one simpe charm per phase, unless the character has a combo. If he has more than one simple charm in a combo, he uses them in a fixed order chosen when the combo is purchased.
Supplemental: The character can use as many supplemental charms each phase as she can afford. If supplemental charms are in a combo with more than one simple charm, the character must decide when the charm is purchased which action the charm enhances.
Permanent: these charms have permanent effect.

Perfect Effects

If a charm says it is a perfect attack, then the charm replaces an action's normal roll with a threshold 0 success, regardless of the action's normal difficulty. A perfect attack always affects the character's own actions.

A perfect defense affects another person's actions. It causes the action to roll 0 total successes, or to fail, if it would succeed without a roll. A perfect defense explicitly defeats a perfect attack. For effects that rely on a character's DV, a perfect defense does not count as DV.

Despite the names, perfect attacks and defenses are not limited to combat actions (for example: a perfect awareness defense might defeat a perfect stealth attack or a perfect stealth defense might defeat a perfect awareness attack). A charm with a perfect effect will say whether it is an attack or a defense. If a charm does not say, and it is not apparent from the description which it is (perfect attacks affect your own rolls, perfect defenses affect another character's rolls), the charm is considered an attack.

Natural vs Unnatural Defense

Natural defense is the protection offered by the character's 3 DVs. Some particularly powerful effects bypass natural defenses. If the target of one of these effects does not activate a charm that explicitly provides an unnatural defense, the target's DV is considered 0 against that attack. Alternately, if the effect only bypasses one type of defense, the target can switch to another stance to defend against the attack (for example, if a resist attack bypasses natural resist defenses, the target can still apply 1/2 his strong defense against the attack).

An unnatural attack or defense is not the same as a perfect attack or defense. An attack that bypasses all natural defenses must still garner at least one success on an attack roll. A perfect defense will not protect against an attack that bypasses natural defenses unless the perfect defense is also an unnatural defense. If an attack that bypasses natural defenses is met with an unnatural defense, the defense takes precedence, allowing the target of the attack access to her full DV.

Most unnatural attacks will bypass a stance (strong, quick, or resist). These attacks bypass that stance regardless of whether the defense is derived from a dodge, parry, or resistance DV. Some unnatural attacks will bypass a type of DV (parry, dodge, or resistance). These attacks bypass that type of DV, regardless of which defense it is used for (this is most common with parry DV and weapons with the quick parry property, though certain unusual weapons, magical items, or charms might allow the use of a DV with a different than normal defense). If targeted by one of these attacks, the character may use any alternate means of defense available, if that defense would protect against the attack's type (for example: if a character who wields a quick parry weapon is targeted by a quick attack that bypasses natural dodge, he may still use his weapon's parry for his quick defense).

General Charms

1st, 2nd, and 3rd Excellencies
Cost: 1m/2d, 1m/success, and 2m
Type: Supplemental
Same Effect

Infinite [Ability] Mastery
Type: Simple (speed 5)
Same Effect. The cost reduction provided by this charm does not benefit combos until the exalt attains essence 4. The character can then spend 0m worth of excellencies to benefit every applicable action in the combo. At essence 5, this charm's speed is reduced to 3.

[Ability] Essence Flow
The duration of excellencies for this ability is extended to one phase. An excellency activated in the offensive phase of a turn will benefit all applicable actions in the offensive phase. An excellency activated in the defensive phase of the turn will benefit the character's DV until the begining of his next turn. Outside of combat, excellencies used by a character with this charm will benefit the character's next [essence] rolls, provided those rolls all take place in the same scene.

Archery

There is No Wind
Cost: 1m or 3m
Type: Strong Supplemental Offense
Same Effect

Accuracy Without Distance
Cost: 3m, 1w
Type: Strong Supplemental Offense
This charm provides a perfect strong attack.

Forceful Arrow
Cost: 1m
Type: Strong Supplemental Offense
Same Effect

Trance of Unhesitating Speed
Cost: 1m/dv
Type: Quick Supplemental Offense
The character fires a flurry of arrows at the target, making a strike all but inevitable. Reduce the target's DV by one per mote spent on this charm. This charm may be used with any archery weapon.

Flashing Vengeance Draw
Cost: 1w or 1m
Type: Supplemental
Spending 1w allows the exalt to add her essence in successes to a join battle roll. Spening 1m allows the character to perform a ready weapon action with an archery weapon as a speed 0 action. The character can activate both funtions at once.

Essence Arrow Attack
Type: Strong Supplemental Offense
Same Effect. This charm may be used with any archery weapon.

Phantom Arrow Technique
Same

Summoning the Loyal Bow
Same

Immaculate Golden Bow
Same Effect. The bow's speed is 4

Inexhaustible Bolts of Solar Fire
Same

Solar Flare Methodology
Same Effect. The firewand provided by this charm has a speed of 3.

Rain of Feathered Death
Cost: 5m
Type: Resist Simple Offense (speed 5)
Multiply the base damage of the Solar's attack by his permanent essence. The attack bypasses the target's natural defenses.

Martial Arts

Thunderclap Rush Attack
Cost: 4m
Type: Quick Simple Offense (speed 2)
The character makes a fierce punch attack at speed 2. The normal penalties for making a fierce attack do not apply.

Knockout Blow
Type: Strong Supplemental Offense
Same Effect

Melee

Hungry Tiger Technique
Type: Strong Supplemental Offense
Same Effect

Fire and Stones Strike
Cost: 4m
Min Essence: 2
Type: Strong Supplemental Offense Add [Strength] Dice to this attack's post-soak damage. This attack bypasses natural strong defenses.

One Weapon, Two Blows
Cost: 2m
Type: Quick Supplemental Offense
Duration: Instant
Make a quick attack with any melee weapon. The attack's speed is 3.

Peony Blossom Attack
Cost: 1m/DV
Type: Quick Supplemental Offense
Penalize the target's DV by one per mote spent activating this charm.

Iron Whirlwind Attack
Cost: 3m, 1w
Type: Quick Simple Offense
The character's attack bypasses the target's natural quick defense. This attack may have any speed 3 or greater. Multiply the attack's base damage by its speed.

Invincible Fury of the Dawn
The character may use any melee weapon with any melee charm.

Call the Blade
Type: Supplemental

Summoning the Loyal Steel
Speed 2

Iron Raptor Technique
Cost: 1m or 3m
Type: Resist Simple Offense
Same effect. At essence 3, spending 3 motes causes this attack to bypass the opponent's natural strong defense. This charm may be used with any melee weapon.

Blazing Solar Bolt
Cost: 5m, 1w
Type: Resist Simple Offense
Same Effect, except replace "cannot be blocked or dodged . . ." with "bypasses all natural defenses."

Dipping Swallow Defense
Cost: 1m
Type: Supplemental Defense
The character my use his full, unpenalized, melee DV against any single attack. The defense is considered to be the same type as the attack, regardless of the character's current stance.

Bulwark Stance
Cost: 3m
Type: Strong Simple Defense (speed 3) Double the character's melee parry DV (after applying excellencies) until the start of her next turn.

Fivefold Bulwark Stance
Cost: 4m, 1w
Type: Simple Defense
For the rest of the scene, whenever the character uses his melee parry DV for defense, that defense is considered unnatural.

Heavenly Guardian Defense
Cost: 3m
Type: Strong Supplemental Defense
This charm provides a perfect unnatural defense against strong attacks and a perfect defense against resist attacks.

Solar Counterattack
Cost: 6m
Mins: Melee 4, Essence 3
Type: Strong Simple Defense (step 9)(speed 2)
The character may make an immediate counterattack against the foe that just attacked him. Because this is the defensive phase of the character's turn, the character may not use offense charms to enhance this attack. Because this is the offensive phase of the foe's turn, he may not use defense charms against this attack.

Ready in Eight Directions Stance
Cost: -
Mins: Melee 5, Essence 5
Type: Permanent
This charm permanently enhances solar counterattack. That charm is now a Supplemental Defense with no speed cost. Furthermore, if solar counterattack is used in response to a perfect attack, it too becomes a perfect attack.

Protection of Celestial Bliss
When activating Melee Defense charms, the character may substitute speed for motes of essence on a 1-for-1 basis. At essence six, he may substitute speed for motes on a 1-for-2 basis. At essence 8, he may substitue speed for motes on a 1-for-3 basis. Motes gained in excess of a charm's cost are lost.

Thrown

Joint-Wounding Attack
Cost: 2m
Type: Quick Supplemental Offense
Same Effect

Observer Deceiving Attack
Cost: 1m
Supplemental Offense
Same Effect

Mist on Water Attack
Cost:2m per turn
Same, but with no maximum duration. The character may spend motes for this charm in either the offensive phase or defensive phase, but must decide whether to spend them at the beginning of his turn (and cannot later change his mind).

Falling Icicle Strike
Type: Quick Supplemental Offense (step 7)
Same effect, but the exalt may use it on any enemy in Off-Guard stance.

Triple Distance Attack Technique
Cost: 2m
Type: Supplemental Offense

Cascade of Cutting Terror
Cost: 5m
Type: Resist Supplemental Offense This charm bypasses all natural defenses. Double the number of successes on the attack roll before comparing it to defense. The character may use any thrown weapon with this charm.

Resistance

Durability of Oak Meditation
Cost:1m
Type: Resist Supplemental Defense (step 7)
When you suffer an attack that would bypass or penalize (including all strong attacks) your resist defense, you may activate this charm. You gain hardness equal to your soak against this attack.

Spirit Strengthens the Skin
Cost: 2m
Type: Resist Supplemental Defense (step 3)
Add double your permanent essence to your resistance DV. If you are defending against an attack that would bypass your resist defense, your DV is considered to be twice your essence.

Iron Skin Concentration
Cost: 3m
Type: Resist Supplemental Defense (step 7)
Same Effect

Iron Kettle Body
Type: Resist Simple Defense (speed 3)
Same Effect

Adamant Skin Technique
Cost: 4m, 1 aggravated HL
Type: Supplemental Defense
Same Effect, but the soak provided by this charm is considered unnatural.

Unbreakable Warrior's Mastery
Cost: 3m
Type: Resist Supplemental Defense
This charm provides a perfect unnatural defense against resist attacks and a perfect defense against quick attacks.

Essence Gathering Temper
Type: Supplemental Defense (step 8)
The character regains a number of spent motes equal to his permanent essence.

Willpower-Enhancing Spirit
Cost: 2m
Type: Supplemental Defense (step 10)
Same Effect

Battle Fury Focus
Cost: 2m
Type: Supplemental Defense
Duration: Until the end of your next turn.
This charm must be used at the begining of the character's defensive phase. On the character's next offensive phase, she gains a +3 accuracy bonus to all attacks. These bonus dice are not considered charm dice. If the character used this charm last turn, she must spend a point of willpower to not use it this turn.

Bloodthirsty Sword-Dancer Spirit
Cost: +1m
Type: Permanent
This charm permanentyl enhances Battle Fury Focus. It increases that charm's cost to 3m. While that charm is active, the character cannot be forced into off-guard stance. If an effect would force her into off-guard stance, she chooses another stance to enter instead. The amount of willpower the character must spend to avoid re-activating Battle-Fury Focus increases to 3.

Body Mending Meditation
Cost: 2 willpower
Same Effect

Athletics

Unless otherwise stated, if a charm's type is listed as reflexive, it should be changed to supplemental.

Foe-Vaulting Method
Cost:3m
Type: Quick Supplemental Offense
Duration: Instant
Add your athletics in dice to a single feint attack. Reduce the feint attack's speed to two.

Thunderbolt Attack Prana
Type: Strong Simple Offense (speed 3)
Use this charm after you have made a successful charge attack. You may make a strong attack with any weapon. Double the post-soak damage of the attack.

Strength-Increasing Exercise
Cost: 2m per die
Same Effect

Awareness

Surprise Anticipation Method
Cost: 2m
Type: Off-Guard Supplemental Defense
Immediately shift to any other stance. The mote cost of this charm replaces the ordinary speed cost of this action.

Dodge

Shadow Over Water
Cost: 1m
Type: Supplemental Defense
You may use your full Dodge DV as a quick defense in any stance. This defense is considered unnatural.

Reflex Sidestep Technique
Cost:2m
Type: Supplemental Defense
You may immediately enter quick stance without spending speed.

Seven Shadow Evasion
Cost: 3m
Type: Quick Supplemental Defense.
This charm provides a perfect unnatural defense against quick attacks and a perfect defense against strong attacks.

Flow Like Blood
Cost: 2m, 1w
Type: Quick Simple Defense (speed 2)
This charm provides a perfect defense against any attack. This defense is considered a quick defense.

Leaping Dodge Method
Cost: 2m
Type: Quick Supplemental Defense
You may use this charm in response to any attack. Your character leaps (Strength + Dodge) x 3 yards. If the character can escape the range and/or area of the attack, he can use his full dodge DV against that attack, regardless of that attack's type. This defense is considered an unnatural quick defense.

Solar Hero Style

Fists of Iron Technique
Cost: 2m
Type: Strong Supplemental
Duration: Scene
Same Effect, but for the charm's duration, the character can make both strong and quick attacks with his punches. Additionally, the defense value of the character's punch is increased by two.

Sledgehammer Fist Punch
Type: Strong Supplemental Offense
Same Effect

Dragon Coil Technique
Type: Resist Supplemental
Same Effect

Solar Hero Form
Cost: 4m
Type: Strong Simple Offense (speed 3) Same Effect

Heaven Thunder Hammer
Cost: 2m
Type: Strong Supplemental Offense
Same Effect

Crashing Wave Throw
Cost: 3m
Type: Resist Supplemental
Same Effect, but upon ending the grapple, the solar may, if he wishes, enter strong stance immediately without spending speed.

Ox-Stunning Blow
Cost: 1m per 2 dice
The effect is the same, but there is no limit to how many motes may be spent on this charm.

Hammer On Iron Technique
Cost: 4m, 1w
Type: Strong Simple Offense (speed 5)
This attack ignores natural strong defense. Multiply the attack's raw damage by the character's permanent essence.

Shockwave Technique
Cost: 3m
Type: Strong Supplemental Offense
Same effect, except there is no counter-attack penalty to DV, the second attack does not have an accuracy penalty, and both attacks bypass all natural defenses.

Snake Style

Striking Cobra Technique
Cost: 1w
Same Effect

Serpentine Evasion
Cost: 1m
Type: Quick Supplemental Defense
Add your martial arts rating to your quick defense.

Snake Form
Cost: 4m
Type: Quick Simple Defense (speed 2)
Same Effect

Essence Fangs And Scales Technique
Cost: 4m
Type: Resist Simple Defense (Speed 4)

Armor Penetrating Fang Strike
Type: Quick Simple Offense
Same Effect, but this charm also bypasses natural resist defense.

Snake Strikes the Heel
Cost: 6m
Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 3
Type: Quick Simple Defense (speed 2)
Same effect, but because this charm is activated in the defensive phase of a character's turn, it may not be supplemented with offensive charms. Because the attacker is currently in the offensive phase of his turn, he may not use defensive charms to protect against this attack.

Uncoiling Serpent Prana
Type: Resist Supplemental Offense
Same Effect, but the character may make a resist attack with any form weapon, including unarmed.

Striking Serpent Speed
Mins: Martial Arts 5 Essence 3
Type: Quick Simple Attack (speed 4)
Double the rolled successes and base damage of this attack, as the character strikes twice in rapid succession.

Essence Venom Strike
Cost: 6m, 1w
Type: Quick Simple Offense (speed 4)
Same Effect, this charm bypasses natural resist defense.