Wind-Cutting Blade Style

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Edition: Second Type: Celestial Martial Arts Style: Wind-Cutting Blade Source: HLS

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Preparedness defines the excellent warrior. The way of the swordsman is to regard all of Creation as a battlefield. The first lesson of the Wind-Cutting school is to keep one's sword to hand at all times; the second is that even a sheathed blade is a weapon. Characters who learn this Charm need not fear being caught without their weapon at the ready. They may fight with their sheathed slashing swords without using a Draw/Ready Weapon Miscellaneous action, or taking any penalty for doing so. Sheathed style weapons function as normal, save that they inflict bashing rather than lethal damage. Charms of the Wind-Cutting Blade Style cannot cause a sheathed weapon to inflict non-bashing damage.

Adaptations:

• Characters who know Summoning the Loyal Steel (Exalted, p.192) enjoy two bonus successes on all Join Battle rolls while carrying a slashing blade or storing one Elsewhere through the auspices of that Charm.
• Characters who know Terrestrial Melee Reinforcement (MoEP: Dragon-Blooded, pp.128-129) enjoy a +1 bonus to their Parry DV while fighting with a sheathed weapon, and in the presence of other members of this sword school.
• Characters who know Impressions of Strength (MoEP: Lunars, p.144) add an additional 1B to the damage rating of their sheathed weapon.
• A character who knows the Fateful Melee Excellency (MoEP: Sidereals, p.127) finds wisdom in restraint; he can bank up to five additional dice with an Aim action undertaken with a sheathed weapon, instead of the normal three. The weapon does not have to remain sheathed when the Aimed attack is eventually unleashed.
• Characters who know Void Sheath Technique (MoEP: Abyssals, p.129) impose a -1 external penalty on the Join Battle rolls of all opponents while carrying a slashing blade or storing one Elsewhere through the auspices of that Charm.

Edition: Second Type: Celestial Martial Arts Style: Wind-Cutting Blade Source: HLS

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A Wind-Cutter will not be drawn out before he is ready. The attacks of his opponents are distractions, attempts to mar the perfection of the coming strike. The student learns to discourage such attempts. This Charm is an Essence-enhanced parry, made with the character's sheathed slashing blade. By moving into the coming blow and striking it with his sheathed weapon, the character sends a jarring jolt of Essence into his opponent, leaving that enemy open for a strike. The character raises his DV by his Martial Arts or Melee, whichever is lowest. If this successfully stops an opponent's attack, that aggressor suffers an additional -1 DV penalty to the blocked attack. This Charm cannot be used against ranged attacks.

Adaptations:

• Characters who know Bulwark Stance (Exalted, p.193) may pay an extra 3 motes upon activation of this Charm to treat its Duration as "Until Next Action."
• Characters who know Blinding Spark Distraction (MoEP: Dragon-Blooded, pp.155-156) infuse their parry with elemental Essence, causing the attacker's weapon to become difficult to wield (uncomfortably warm, wet and slick, icy-cold to the touch, etc). Their next action suffers a -1 external penalty. This only applies to attacks made with non-natural weapons.
• Characters who know Tearing Claw Atemi (MoEP: Lunars, p.145) force opponents to roll Stamina + Resistance to avoid knockdown upon a successful parry.
• Characters who have learned Impeding the Flow (MoEP: Sidereals, p.155) reduce the Rate of the offending weapon by 1 upon a successful parry, potentially cutting intended flurries short.
• Characters who know Broken Toys Riposte (MoEP: Abyssals, p.130) raise the DV penalty imposed by this Charm to -2.

Edition: Second Type: Celestial Martial Arts Style: Wind-Cutting Blade Source: HLS

Click Charms:Wind-Cutting Blade Form to go this Charm page

The swordsman crouches down, one hand holding his sheathed blade at his hip, the other ready to draw. His entire body is tensed, ready for the single, perfect strike that is this style's hallmark. While this Form is active, the character may draw or sheathe his blade as a reflexive action, once per action. Any further drawing or sheathing of the blade requires a Miscellaneous action as normal. The character's constant state of hair-trigger readiness permits him to be lightning-fast on reaction; all of his attack actions with proper in-style weapons enjoy a Speed bonus of -1. This cannot reduce the Speed of an attack below 3.

Edition: Second Type: Celestial Martial Arts Style: Wind-Cutting Blade Source: HLS

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The swordsman fortifies his blade with his spirit. Together, they may act to destroy an enemy's means of victory as a prelude to destroying the enemy himself. Faced with an attack, the character responds with a strike of his own-- against the incoming weapon. This Charm may only be invoked if the character's weapon is sheathed. He draws it and makes a standard attack roll in Step 5. Apply successes on the roll as an external penalty against his opponent's attack roll. If the opponent's attack is reduced to 0 successes, it is stopped. If the character's roll exceeds his opponent's by 1 or more successes, the opponent's weapon breaks if it is mundane. If the character's roll exceeds his opponent's by 5 or more successes, and the character is using an Artifact weapon, then the opponent's weapon can be broken even if it is an Artifact. This counterattack imposes a -2 DV penalty on the user, reduced to -1 if the character can draw his weapon reflexively. Invoking this Charm leaves the weapon unsheathed. This Charm may only be invoked against attacks made with hand-to-hand weapons.

Adaptations:

• Characters who know Dipping Swallow Defense (Exalted, pp.192-193) reduce the DV penalty imposed by invocation of the Charm by 1.
• Characters who know Ringing Anvil Onslaught (MoEP: Dragon-Blooded, p.156) may opt to pay only 3m upon invocation of this Charm. This variant will disarm rather than breaking the target weapon, sending it flying (Martial Arts x 2) yards away.
• Characters who know Wasp Sting Blur (MoEP: Lunars, p.154) may reflexively sheath their weapon after invocation of this Charm.
• A character who knows Perfection of the Visionary Warrior (MoEP: Sidereals, p.127) does not simply break weapons—they explode under the fateful stroke of his blade. The resultant shower of sharp-edged fragments inflicts (Essence) dice of lethal damage on the attacker, which may be soaked normally.
• Characters who know Elegant Flowing Deflection (MoEP: Abyssals, p.130) may add their current wound penalties in extra dice to the Charm's attack roll.

Edition: Second Type: Celestial Martial Arts Style: Wind-Cutting Blade Source: HLS

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The character's blade flies from its sheath faster than the eye can see, there and gone almost before it can register any impediments to its flight. The character launches a standard attack at full dice pool with an in-style weapon. This attack enjoys the Piercing tag and ignores hardness. The character's weapon must be sheathed to invoke this Charm, and invoking it leaves the weapon unsheathed.

Adaptations:

• If the raw damage of a character who knows Hungry Tiger Technique (Exalted, p.190) exceeds the full soak of his target, then he may pay one additional mote to ignore soak altogether with this Charm.
• Characters who know Threshing Floor Technique (MoEP: Dragon-Blooded, p.156) knock the target's armor askew on a successful use of this Charm, lowering its soak and hardness values by 2 until the target uses a Miscellaneous action to readjust his armor. This benefit only applies if the target is wearing armor.
• Characters who know Shell-Crushing Atemi (MoEP: Lunars, p.145) tear ragged rents into their opponent's armor with their strike, pushing shredded bits of metal or cured leather into the wound. They add half their Martial arts or Melee, whichever is lower, to their attack's raw damage. This benefit only applies if the target is wearing armor.
• A character who knows Harmony of Blows (MoEP: Sidereals, p.155) adds his (Essence + Martial Arts or Melee, whichever is lower) to his raw, pre-soak damage against targets who are not wearing any armor at all.
• A swordsman who knows Savage Shade Style (MoEP: Abyssals, p.127) may pay 2 extra motes to lower a target's DVs by the swordsman's Essence when he strikes.

Edition: Second Type: Celestial Martial Arts Style: Wind-Cutting Blade Source: HLS

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The character's weapon flashes out, screaming through the air to strike before any response is possible. Such is the speed of the blade that it produces a sonic keening. This Charm has a lower Speed and DV penalty than normal. It can only be invoked if the character's weapon is sheathed, and it is left unsheathed at the end of the Charm.

Adaptations:

• Characters who know Iron Raptor Technique (Exalted, p.192) can focus the sword's sonic wail into a cutting blade, blurring out to strike targets up to (the lower of Melee or Martial Arts x 3) yards away. This attack is unblockable.
• Characters who know Dragon-Graced Weapon (MoEP: Dragon-Blooded, p.155) convert their sword's sonic wail into an element appropriate to their Exaltation, creating an explosive burst of wind, flame, toxic pollen, etc. This inflicts (Essence) dice of additional lethal damage on a successful hit, which must be soaked separately.
• Characters who know Lightning Stroke Attack (MoEP: Lunars, p.154) strike so quickly, and from such an unexpected angle that the target is forced to make a reflexive Perception + Awareness roll against a difficulty of half the attacking character's Essence. If they fail this roll, the attack is considered unexpected.
• Characters who know Meditation on War (MoEP: Sidereals, p.156) strike with unerring accuracy, not at where their target is, but where he will be. While this attack may be stopped, it cannot be avoided; it becomes undodgeable.
• Characters who know Ravening Mouth of Melee (MoEP: Abyssals, p.122) produce a terrible, ghostly wail when they strike. Compare the attack roll to both physical DVs and Dodge MDV. If the attack exceeds the target's Dodge MDV, it strikes terrible fear into him, imposing a -1 external penalty to all actions for the rest of the scene and rendering the attack unblockable. This effect has the Emotion keyword, and is a form of unnatural mental influence that takes 1 Willpower to resist.

Edition: Second Type: Celestial Martial Arts Style: Wind-Cutting Blade Source: HLS

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The swordsman moves into an attack, deflecting it along his sheath at the same moment he makes a killing draw. This is a counterattack Charm that can only be invoked if the character has his weapon sheathed, and it leaves the weapon unsheathed. It imposes a -2 DV penalty, or a -1 DV penalty if the character can draw his weapon reflexively. This Charm may be invoked if the character uses his sheath to parry an attack, regardless of the attempt's success. It launches an attack at the character's full dice pool, plus the attacking dice pool leveraged against him. This does not permit the character to exceed normal dice-adding limits. This Charm may only be invoked against attacks made with hand-to-hand weapons.

Adaptations:

• Characters who know Solar Counterattack (Exalted, p.194) may, if the initial counterattack succeeds, pay 2 motes and incur an additional -1 DV penalty to make an immediate second counterattack with their sheath. This counterattack does not enjoy any special dice-pool boosts; it does, however, inflict onslaught penalty.
• Characters who know Portentous Comet Deflecting Mode (MoEP: Dragon-Blooded, p.129) learn to trap their opponent's weapon with their sheath, lowering their DVs by 1 against the resultant counterattack.
• Characters who know Frenzied Bear Fortification (MoEP: Lunars, p.160) reduce any damage taken from an attack this Charm is invoked in response to by 1L or 2B.
• Characters who know Orchestration of Mirrored Fates (MoEP: Sidereals, p.155) are able to transcend space with their reprisals. The character may invoke Tempered Victory Proposition even against ranged attacks, the sympathetic Essence of his attack splitting open opponents though the steel of his blade touches them not. Using the Charm in such a manner renders its effects Obvious.
• Characters who know Vengeful Riposte (MoEP: Abyssals, p.130) target the opponent's striking limb with their counterattack. If the counterattack inflicts any damage, the target suffers a Crippling effect that imposes a -1 external penalty to all attacks made with that limb for the rest of the scene.

Edition: Second Type: Celestial Martial Arts Style: Wind-Cutting Blade Source: HLS

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The swordsman focuses his will upon his blade, then draws and unleashes a potent strike. Such is the power concentrated into his weapon that the blade sublimates into Essence at the moment of the strike. This attack is capable of striking dematerialized targets; against material targets, it destroys motes of Essence rather than health levels. Material targets with no Essence pool (or which run out of motes and take damage from this charm) take scene-long internal penalties in lieu of damage. The character's weapon must be sheathed to invoke this Charm, and is unsheathed after its use.

Adaptations:

• Characters who know Fire and Stones Strike (Exalted, p.190) ignore armor when invoking this Charm.
• Characters who know Ghost-Fire Blade (MoEP: Dragon-Blooded, p.156) may inflict damage or take Essence from elementally-aspected, dematerialized opponents, as the character desires.
• Characters who know Might-Bolstering Blow (MoEP: Lunars, p.158) may dissolve an immaterial target slain with this Charm into a number of motes of Essence equal to the target's total health levels, which are then added to the character's pool.
• Characters who know Serenity in Blood (MoEP: Sidereals, p.155) may drain Essence in addition to doing damage when attacking immaterial targets.
• Characters who know Artful Maiming Onslaught (MoEP: Abyssals, p.129) cripple their target's soul when they strike. The target gains no Essence or Willpower back from the next (attacker's Essence) stunts he successfully performs.

Edition: Second Type: Celestial Martial Arts Style: Wind-Cutting Blade Source: HLS

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As the swordsman nears mastery, he learns to use the blade to express his soul. The character draws and strikes, his blade burning with a corona in a color appropriate to his Exaltation. This attack's damage is aggravated. The character's weapon must be sheathed to invoke this Charm, and his weapon is left unsheathed afterward.

Adaptations:

• Characters who know Blazing Solar Bolt (Exalted, p.192) add the Holy keyword to this Charm when facing creatures of darkness. They may reflexively spend additional motes to convert post-soak damage dice into automatic successes, at a rate of 2 motes per die against such creatures. The character may only convert a maximum of his Essence in dice in this manner.
• Characters who know Refining the Inner Blade (MoEP: Dragon-Blooded, pp.128-129) enjoy the Elemental Keyword, with a manifestation appropriate to the character's Aspect. Air produces a potent gust that induces automatic knockback, sending the target flying (damage inflicted x 2) yards. Earth sends a shock of elemental Essence through the target, rooting his feet into the ground until his DV has refreshed twice. Fire injects the target with searing Essence, imposing an internal penalty equal to the damage inflicted on the target's next action. Water finds weaknesses in the target's armor, lowering the armor's effective Soak by 3. Wood finds revitalization in destruction, and regains one mote of Essence for every level of damage inflicted.
• Characters who know Ferocious Biting Tooth (MoEP: Lunars, p.142) enjoy a free reroll on this Charm's damage when employing it against the Fair Folk; they may use the better of two results.
• A character who knows Smiling at the Damned (MoEP: Sidereals, p.156) who attacks a creature outside Fate and inflicts more damage in one strike than his target's Stamina may opt not to inflict damage at all, instead banishing his target back to a random point in Malfeas, the Underworld, the Wyld, or whatever other native domain is appropriate. If the target meets the above criteria but is actually native to Creation and simply using some artificial means to appear outside of Fate (such as Charms or artifacts), the Charm simply inflicts damage as normal.
• Characters who know Ebon Lightning Prana (MoEP: Abyssals, p.129) tear away bits of a target's soul with their strike. If their attack inflicts a number of levels of damage greater than the target's Essence, the target loses one dot of permanent Essence. Targets reduced to 0 Essence die instantly.