Solar Hero Hax: Round 2, Electric Boogaloo

What the hell, I was bored.

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Fist of the Daystar Style

"Solar Hero Style" is the natural unarmed combat magic of the Solar Exalted. There is nothing formal to this fighting style, but there is an unstoppable and unchallengeable grace to it. This is a honest battle art, for champions, gladiators and heroes. It was forged in the dawning of the world so that the Solar Exalted could face the greatest monsters with nothing save their hands and skill and be undaunted by them.

The Charm cascade beginning with Fists of Iron Technique is considered a tree of native Solar Charms for Solar Exalted. It is considered a Celestial Martial Arts Style to non-Solars, named Fist of the Daystar Style by the Five-Score Fellowship during the Primordial War. Its form weapons are punch, kick, clinch and any brawling aids (or their artifact equivalents) that function along similar principles, such as fighting gauntlets, khatars, iron boots and spiked harnesses, as well as improvised weapons. It is compatible with armour, but not compatible with inhuman natural weapons or body patterns, such as the shape of a tyrant lizard or mutation-produced razor-spiked tentacles. All repurchases and expansions are native Solar Charms and are inaccessible to characters learning this style as a Celestial Martial Art. They are not required in order to complete the style.

New Keyword - Hero: Charms marked Hero have a subsection describing their function for the Exalt type for which these Charms are considered native. Learning a Hero Charm as the appropriate Exalt type's Charms using the Eclipse anima power or a similar effect also allows their use. To learn any given Hero Charm as a native Charm, if the Hero Charm has prerequisites that are also Hero Charms, those must also be learned as native Charms.

Usage: This hack is meant to replace the existing Solar Hero Style in its entirety. It is mutually exclusive with all official Solar Hero Style Charms, save those explicitly noted here: Iron Talon Technique, Armour-Shattering Strike, Shadow Foot Trap, Hero's Fatal Resolve, Horizon-Hurling Tactics, Thunder Breaks Clouds.

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Fists of Iron Technique
Cost: 3m; Mins: Martial Arts 2, Essence 1; Type: Reflexive (Step 1 offensive, Step 2 defensive)
Keywords: Combo-OK, Hero
Duration: Scene
Prerequisites: None

The pugilist infuses her body with the glorious might of her Essence, striking with unbridled power. While this Charm is active, the base damage of her unarmed Martial Arts attacks is increased by her Essence rating. Her unarmed Martial Arts attacks may inflict Lethal damage if she so chooses, and she may parry Lethal damage unarmed without penalty. In addition, the pugilist's natural punch, kick and clinch weapons are considered Perfect quality. The points granted by this status are allocated when the Charm is purchased, and may be altered after the fact for 1 XP.

Hero: In addition to Perfect quality, the Solar adds the orichalcum Magical Material bonus (+1 Accuracy, +1 Defense, +1 Rate) to her natural punch, kick and clinch weapons and adds the Piercing tag to punch and kick. At Essence 3, the Charm may be activated as an Innate Ability.


Sledgehammer Fist Punch
Cost: 3m; Mins: Martial Arts 3, Essence 2; Type: Supplemental
Keywords: Combo-OK, Hero
Duration: Instant
Prerequisites: Fists of Iron Technique

The pugilist's killing intent blazes for a moment, fierce and powerful, and she strikes like the judgement of the Unconquered Sun. This Charm supplements an unarmed Martial Arts attack, doubling base damage. Against inanimate objects, it doubles raw damage instead. This alternate use was known in the First Age as the Pillar-Breaking Blow.

Hero: For Solar Exalted, this Charm is Reflexive (Step 1) and costs 1 mote.


Dragon Coil Technique
Cost: 3m; Mins: Martial Arts 3, Essence 2; Type: Reflexive (Step 1 offensive or Step 2 defensive)
Keywords: Combo-OK, Hero
Duration: Action
Prerequisites: Fists of Iron Technique

The grip of the heroes of the dawn is inexorable. The pugilist may, if she chooses, crush the life from the strongest opponent. This Charm adds half the pugilist's Essence in bonus successes to all clinch-related rolls, as well as adding her Essence to the base damage of clinch crush attacks and her Strength + Athletics total for dragging a clinched opponent.

Hero: While this Charm is active, the Solar may act freely while maintaining a clinch that she controls. If she is in control of a clinch, she may defend and fight normally without the usual restrictions placed on grapplers. In addition, she needs only one hand to maintain a clinch, no matter the size of the enemy.


Fist of the Daystar Form ("Solar Hero Form")
Cost: 4m; Mins: Martial Arts 4, Essence 2; Type: Simple (Speed 3, DV -1)
Keywords: Form-type, Obvious, Hero
Duration: Scene
Prerequisites: Sledgehammer Fist Punch, Dragon Coil Technique

The pugilist suffuses her body with the Essence of the Sun. She becomes a paragon of strength and skill, radiant with the power of a legendary hero returned. She may reflexively spend 1 mote in Step 7 to count bonus successes on her unarmed Martial Arts attack rolls twice for the purposes of damage.

Hero: For a Solar Exalt, this Charm is Combo-OK. It is activated as a Reflexive (Step 1) Charm instead of Simple. In addition, the Solar adds Essence to raw damage when using the Charm's activated power on top of the overflow success doubling. The prerequisite is Fists of Iron Technique. At Essence 5, this Charm no longer counts towards the number of Form-type Charms the Solar may have active at any given time.


Heaven Thunder Hammer
Cost: - (3m); Mins: Martial Arts 4, Essence 2; Type: Permanent
Keywords: Hero, Obvious
Duration: Permanent
Prerequisites: Fist of the Daystar Form

The fury of the Dawn scatters enemies like leaves before a storm. This Charm improves Sledgehammer Fist Punch. Whenever an attack enhanced by Sledgehammer Fist Punch hits, the pugilist may pay 3 motes reflexively in Step 7 to blow her target away, inflicting knockback equal to one yard for each point of raw damage, halved for vertical, to a maximum of (Martial Arts x10) yards. Targets that strike a surface take one die of bashing damage for each yard they would otherwise have traveled. This damage is piercing, and may also be lethal (or worse) if the surface is hard or sharp. Damage incurred by impacting a wall of soulsteel spikes, for example, would be both lethal and piercing. Regardless of distance traveled, the target is also rendered prone.

Hero: A Solar Exalt may choose to hammer her opponents to pulp rather than blow them away. Any vector of travel is considered valid, including straight down into the ground. In addition, the Charm calculates impact damage as if the target had traveled no distance upon landing, regardless of the actual distance traveled, ensuring the target always takes maximum damage. The prerequisite is Sledgehammer Fist Punch.


Crashing Wave Throw
Cost: - (3m); Mins: Martial Arts 4, Essence 2; Type: Permanent
Keywords: Hero, Obvious
Duration: Permanent
Prerequisites: Fist of the Daystar Form

The effective application of strength crushes the life from enemies or hurls them like toys. This Charm improves Dragon Coil Technique. Whenever the pugilist ends a clinch enhanced by Dragon Coil Technique by throwing her opponent, she may reflexively pay 3 motes to hurl her victim an additional (Martial Arts x10) yards horizontally, halved for vertical travel. Damage upon impact is delivered as with Heaven Thunder Hammer.

Hero: As with Heaven Thunder Hammer. The prerequisite is Dragon Coil Technique.


Ox-Stunning Blow
Cost: 5m; Mins: Martial Arts 4, Essence 2; Type: Supplemental
Keywords: Combo-OK, Crippling, Hero
Duration: Instant
Prerequisites: Fist of the Daystar Form

The Essence-driven fists of the Sun's Chosen lay even the mightiest low. This Charm enhances an unarmed Martial Arts attack. The enhanced attack ignores the target's non-magical sources of soak. Every success on the damage roll imposes a -1 internal penalty upon the target until the end of the scene.

Hero: Solar Exalted ignore all natural soak in addition to all non-magical soak. The prerequisite is Sledgehammer Fist Punch.


Hammer on Iron Technique
Cost: 3m 1w; Mins: Martial Arts 4, Essence 2; Type: Extra Action
Keywords: Combo-OK, Hero
Duration: Instant
Prerequisites: Fist of the Daystar Form

As the Unconquered Sun blazes unrelenting in the sky, so do his Chosen crush their foes. This Charm creates a magical flurry of Essence +1 unarmed Martial Arts attacks that must be directed at the same target. Speed and DV penalty are equal to the highest in the flurry and Rate is ignored.

Hero: The Solar may use Essence or Dexterity to calculate the number of attacks she makes, whichever is higher. At Essence 4, she may repurchase this Charm to add an additional 2 attacks to the flurry. The prerequisite is Sledgehammer Fist Punch.


Shockwave Technique
Cost: 5m; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 3; Type: Simple (Speed 5, DV -1)
Keywords: Combo-OK, Obvious, Hero
Duration: Instant
Prerequisites: Heaven Thunder Hammer, Crashing Wave Throw, Ox-Stunning Blow, Hammer on Iron Technique.

The hero burns with Essence, then strikes a blow so mighty that it sends shockwaves rippling through the fabric of the world. This Charm produces a single unarmed Martial Arts attack that is applied to everything within Essence yards of the chosen target except the pugilist herself. As this is a single blow that strikes multiple targets, Charms and other effects are activated and paid for only once.

Hero: Solar Exalted pay 3m instead of 5m, use the higher of Martial Arts or Essence to determine area of effect, and may selectively exempt any targets they do not wish to hit from the attack. Prerequisite is Heaven Thunder Hammer.

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Solar Hero Expansions


Thunderclap Rush Attack
Cost: -; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 2; Type: Permanent
Keywords: None
Duration: Permanent
Prerequisites: Fists of Iron Technique

When the Chosen of the Sun strike, they are swifter than lightning. This Charm enhances Fists of Iron Technique. While Fists of Iron Technique is active, set the Speed of attacks made with the Solar's punch, kick and clinch weapons to 3.


Orichalcum Fists of Battle
Cost: -; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 3; Type: Permanent
Keywords: Obvious, Holy
Duration: Permanent
Prerequisites: Fists of Iron Technique

The heroes of the dawn are first and foremost matchless weapons, forged to slay the errant makers of the world. This Charm enhances Fists of Iron Technique. While Fists of Iron Technique is active, the Solar may choose to activate this Charm's effects on any given attack during Step 1 of attack resolution or during the resolution of clinch crushing damage as an Innate Ability. As an Obvious effect, add the Solar's highest Virtue to her punch, kick and clinch weapons' Accuracy and Damage. As a Holy, Obvious effect, attacks made by those weapons inflict aggravated damage to creatures of darkness. Blows thus enhanced always produce an Essence display, which is always linked to the Solar's iconic anima banner.


Branding Judgment Attack
Cost: - (2m per attack); Mins: Martial Arts 3, Essence 3; Type: Permanent
Keywords: Crippling, Obvious, Stackable, Merged
Duration: Indefinite
Prerequisites: Fist of the Daystar Form

"You are already dead."

As the Thrown Charm of the same name.


Dancing With Strife
Cost: -; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 3; Type: Permanent
Keywords: Overdrive, Form-Enhancing, Native
Duration: Permanent
Prerequisites: Fist of the Daystar Form

The Solar whirls through battle, laughing, for he is alive, he is fighting, and by his hands, his enemies are broken. This Charm creates a 15 mote Overdrive pool. While Fist of the Daystar Form is active, any offensive, attacking stunt made within the thematics of Solar Hero Style convert stunt dice to automatic successes, and gain the stunt's rating (1-3) in Overdrive motes regardless of success or failure. The Overdrive gain is independent of and unrelated to the standard stunt reward, and may be spent immediately. If this occurs within combat resolution, the motes are gained in Step 1.


Knockout Blow
Cost: - (1w); Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 3; Type: Permanent
Keywords: None
Duration: Permanent
Prerequisites: Ox-Stunning Blow

Solar Exalted with this Charm may topple behemoths with a single punch. This Charm enhances Ox-Stunning Blow. The Solar may pay an additional 1w while activating the Charm in order to use the following effect: if the post-soak damage pool equals or exceeds the target's total remaining number of health levels, the target is knocked unconscious for the scene in addition to the internal penalty, rendering him Inactive and incapable of any actions. Both the knockout and the penalty are considered the same Crippling effect, and are applied or resisted together.


Leaping Tiger Technique
Cost: 3m or 3m 1w; Mins: Martial Arts 4, Essence 2; Type: Reflexive (Step 1)
Keywords: Combo-OK, Obvious, Mirror (Owl Seizes Mouse)
Duration: Instant
Prerequisites: Dragon Coil Technique

As the Mirror Charm.


I Cannot Be Caged
Cost: - (Deactivation); Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 2; Type: Permanent
Keywords: None
Duration: Permanent
Prerequisites: Dragon Coil Technique

Restraining the heroes of the dawn is an exercise in futility. This Charm enhances Dragon Coil Technique. The Solar may reflexively end Dragon Coil Technique to perfectly and automatically escape from any and all clinches she may be involved in at that moment. This effect may also be used in order to automatically escape from any form of physical restraint that resembles a clinch, such as being tied up with rope or bound in shackles. Restraints that are not indestructible are destroyed in the process. For purposes of UFvIO, this effect is always considered a defense.


Solar Counterattack
Cost: 3m; Mins: Martial Arts 4, Essence 2; Type: Reflexive (Step 9)
Keywords: Combo-OK, Counterattack, Merged
Duration: Instant
Prerequisites: Fists of Iron Technique

As the Melee Charm of the same name.


Eye-for-an-Eye Response
Cost: -; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 3; Type: Permanent
Keywords: None
Duration: Permanent
Prerequisites: Solar Counterattack

This is the lesson of retaliation: when struck, strike back with greater force. Against the retribution of the Solar Exalted, the fiercest assaults break and falter. This Charm enhances Solar Counterattack. Set the cost of Solar Counterattack to 0 after the first invocation against attacks within the same flurry.


Immortal Blade-Deflecting Palm
Cost: 4m; Mins: Martial Arts 4, Essence 2; Type: Reflexive (Step 2)
Keywords: Combo-OK, Obvious
Duration: Instant
Prerequisites: Solar Counterattack

This is immutable law: when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object, the object is not moved. The Solar Exalt internalizes this principle, and laughs into the teeth of the greatest assaults. The Solar may declare the use of Immortal Blade-Deflecting Palm in Step 2, automatically parrying any attack, including attacks that cannot be parried. This Charm costs an additional mote when used in conjunction with Defend Other, as the Solar's surety in her own invincibility does not necessarily apply to the defense of others. This Charm suffers from one of the Four Flaws of Invulnerability. A repurchase at Essence 4 sets the cost of all invocations past the first against attacks in the same flurry to 0.


Shatterer of Worlds
Cost: - (+1m 1w); Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 3; Type: Permanent
Keywords: Obvious
Duration: Permanent
Prerequisites: Shockwave Technique

With this blow are legends made. This Charm enhances Shockwave Technique. The Solar Exalt may pay an additional 1m 1w when activating the Charm. The attack it produces may not be dodged or parried. At Essence 5, the area-effect radius is multiplied by her Essence. At Essence 7, the area-effect radius is multiplied by her Essence^2.


Lightning Strikes Twice
Cost: - (1m); Mins: Martial Arts 4, Essence 4; Type: Permanent
Keywords: Martial (Melee), Obvious
Duration: Permanent
Prerequisites: Heaven Thunder Hammer

Upon a successful knockback involving Heaven Thunder Hammer or throw involving Crashing Wave Throw, the Solar may reflexively activate Lightning Strikes Twice as an Innate Ability for 1m. This allows him to make an immediate reflexive Martial Arts attack at his full dice pool in place of a single instance of impact damage caused by either Charm, intercepting his opponent just before impact. If he is not within range to perform this attack, he immediately crosses the distance to make his attack in a flash of blurring motion. This Charm is mutually exclusive with other Charms that replace the impact damage of Heaven Thunder Hammer or Crashing Wave Throw, may not be activated if there is no impact damage to replace, and may not be chained: a Lightning Strikes Twice attack cannot produce another Lightning Strikes Twice attack. If a Heaven Thunder Hammer strike hits multiple targets, such as through the use of Shockwave Technique, only one use of Lightning Strikes Twice is allowed.


Split the Chase
Cost: - ; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 5; Type: Permanent
Keywords: Obvious
Duration: Permanent
Prerequisites: Lightning Strikes Twice

This Charm permanently enhances Lightning Strikes Twice. Any Charms activated to enhance the attack produced by Lightning Strikes Twice do not count as Charm activations. In addition, the chain limit on sequential Lightning Strikes Twice attacks is increased by one.


Flicker-Fade Recursion
Cost: - (+1w); Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 5; Type: Permanent
Keywords: Obvious
Duration: Permanent
Prerequisites: Split the Chase

This Charm permanently enhances Lightning Strikes Twice, allowing the Solar to make the attack produced by Lightning Strikes Twice automatically Unexpected for the additional cost of 1 Willpower. If the Solar makes an Unexpected Attack with Lightning Strikes Twice and successfully hits, any subsequent activations of Lightning Strikes Twice in the same chain are automatically Unexpected for no Willpower cost. In addition, the chain limit on sequential Lightning Strikes Twice attacks is increased by one.

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Charm Tree Structure

Solar Brawl

Fists of Iron Technique (2/1)
|
|> Sledgehammer Fist Punch (3/2)
|  |> Heaven Thunder Hammer (4/2)
|  |  |> Shockwave Technique (5/3)
|  |  |  |> Shatterer of Worlds (5/3)
|  |  |
|  |  |> Lightning Strikes Twice (5/4)
|  |     |> Split the Chase (5/5)
|  |        |> Flicker-Fade Recursion (5/5)
|  |
|  |> Ox-Stunning Blow (4/2)
|  |  |> Knockout Blow (5/3)
|  |
|  |> Hammer on Iron Technique (4/2)
|
|> Dragon Coil Technique (3/2)
|  |> Crashing Wave Throw (4/2)
|  |> Leaping Tiger Technique (4/2)
|  |> I Cannot Be Caged (5/2)
|
|> Fist of the Daystar Form (4/2)
|  |> Branding Judgment Attack (3/3)
|  |> Dancing With Strife (5/3)
|
|> Solar Counterattack (4/2)
|  |> Immortal Blade-Deflecting Palm (4/2)
|  |> Eye-for-an-Eye Response (5/3)
|
|> Thunderclap Rush Attack (5/2)
|> Orichalcum Fists of Battle (5/3)

Well, well, well... Look what I stumbled upon at three in the morning...

I gotta say, I really like your version of Solar Hero. Not sure how it compares to the new Dawn stuff we got, but that's an ordeal for a saner time of day.

I'd love to use Shatterer of Worlds and Hammer on Iron Technique to utterly destroy something... Just not sure what I'd ever need to use it on...

Fair Folk I guess?

Jon Chung:

While Fist of the Daystar Form is active, stunts made within the thematics of Solar Hero Style upgrade their stunt value by 1 point.

Idiot-proofing clarification: to a maximum of …?

I think I speak for everyone when I say,

"Chung! Chung! Chung! Chung! Chung!"



Or maybe not. Still, I think I'll be adopting the Solar Hero Hax Mod.2 for my game. :)

Lula:

Idiot-proofing clarification: to a maximum of …?

Good catch. 3.

Beowulf90:

I'd love to use Shatterer of Worlds and Hammer on Iron Technique to utterly destroy something... Just not sure what I'd ever need to use it on...

Fair Folk I guess?

Sledgehammer Fist Punch [Heaven Thunder Hammer] + Ox-Stunning Blow [Knockout Blow] + Shockwave Technique [Shatterer of Worlds] + Thunderbolt Attack Prana.

For extra pain, as a Solar, toss in Fist of the Daystar Form, Fists of Iron, and, to just be an ass, HTT the bitch with the Form.

Nocte_ex_Mortis:

For extra pain, as a Solar, toss in Fist of the Daystar Form, Fists of Iron, and, to just be an ass, HTT the bitch with the Form.

The theme of this style is terrible, terrible damage.

ShadowDragon8685:

I think I speak for everyone when I say,

No in fact, you don't.

Huh, I thought it was petting fuzzy bunnies.




And then using them as fatal projectiles.

Jon Chung:

Hammer on Iron Technique
Hero: A Solar Exalt produces Dexterity +1 attacks instead of Essence +1 and need not direct all attacks against the same target.

After Essence 5, Essence +1 is more interesting than Dexterity+1 since you have to rise the former to rise the latter, and more generally can be useful to someone that doesn't max out Dexterity and have Essence>Dexterity (why punish even harder a non-combatant character that still want to be useful against mid-level opponent for example). Maybe the Hero effect could be "the higher of (Dexterity + 1) and (Essence + 1)" ?

Xelloss33:

After Essence 5, Essence +1 is more interesting than Dexterity+1 since you have to rise the former to rise the latter, and more generally can be useful to someone that doesn't max out Dexterity and have Essence>Dexterity (why punish even harder a non-combatant character that still want to be useful against mid-level opponent for example). Maybe the Hero effect could be "the higher of (Dexterity + 1) and (Essence + 1)" ?

IWA.

Jon Chung:

IWA.

IWA can now be stopped anytime during a flurry, which can be pretty useful.

An other question : if Solar Charms have the same name they are de facto merged. Is that intented for Solar Counterattack ? Seeing the description of the following Charm, you probably should use an other name to avoid unwanted interactions, and just say in the description the effects are the same as Solar Counter-Attack.

Xelloss33:

IWA can now be stopped anytime during a flurry, which can be pretty useful.

Not particularly.

Jon Chung:

Xelloss33:

IWA can now be stopped anytime during a flurry, which can be pretty useful.

Not particularly.

I meant, as useful and situational as "My Essence is higher than my Dexterity"