Thrown Charms

Angle-Tracing Edge

Cost: —; Mins: Thrown 3, Essence 2; Type: Permanent (Reflexive [Step 2]) Keywords: Mirror (Stalking the Striker’s Hand) Duration: Permanent Prerequisite Charms: None

A Solar may learn to master all angles, trajectories, and speeds of attack—even those of his enemy. This Charm takes effect when the Solar is targeted by an attack, telling him the exact range and position of the character that made the attack. This does not allow the Solar to see his opponent; instead, his superior throwing skills allow him to calculate the angle of attack, making a perfect estimation of his assailant’s position. At Essence 3+, the Solar gains a taste for the Essence signature of his attacker; when faced with more than one opponent whom he cannot see, the Exalt may tell the difference between them, even if they are constantly changing positions. This does not confer information about the identity of his attackers; he simply knows them by their attacks, making it possible to hone in on a particular opponent under changing conditions.

 Whale-Marking Attack 

Cost: 1m; Mins: Thrown 4, Essence 3; Type: Supplemental Keywords: Combo-OK, Crippling, Martial-ready Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: Call the Blade

Even should his prey dive below the waves or tunnel underground, the Solar may track its progress. This Charm supplements a Thrown-based attack. If the attack inflicts damage, the projectile sticks in the victim, rendering the weapon inapplicable for any Charms which summon weaponry. So long as the Solar’s weapon remains embedded in his victim, the Lawgiver feels its presence calling out to him, and may track the movements of his opponent up to (Essence x 100) yards. The Solar enjoys three automatic successes on all Awareness rolls to detect marked enemies within this range. The Lawgiver must own the weapon used to make this attack (see Exalted, p. 238), and it may not be an artifact (missile weapons form an exception; for example, a sling of deadly prowess may be used so long as the Solar is hurling mundane bullets) or part of the character’s body. Any attempts to remove the weapon cause it to break off in the wound, destroying the weapon. This does not terminate the Charm’s effects. Removing this fragment requires a (Dexterity + Medicine) roll at difficulty 4.

Martial-ready: Archery, Martial Arts, Melee

Flashing Draw Mastery

Cost: —; Mins: Thrown 3, Essence 2; Type: Permanent Keywords: Martial-ready Duration: Permanent Prerequisite Charms: None

When challenged, the breathtaking speed with which a Lawgiver calls blade to hand is often the last miracle her opponent witnesses. This Charm represents the unhesitating, blinding speed of a Solar’s genius hands, honed by a lifetime of practice. Add one success to the character’s Join Battle rolls. In addition to this benefit, the character may also reflexively draw or ready a Thrown weapon upon rolling Join Battle, without the need for a miscellaneous action. Finally, all Thrown attacks made during the first tick on which the character acts after rolling Join Battle have a Speed of three.

Martial-ready: Archery, Martial Arts, Melee

Swarm-Culling Instinct

Cost: —; Mins: Thrown 4, Essence 3; Type: Permanent Keywords: Martial-ready Duration: Permanent Prerequisite Charms: Flashing Draw Mastery

Sometimes outgunned, rarely outdrawn, a Lawgiver answers the call of battle with a swarm of deadly steel. This Charm permanently enhances the Lawgiver’s ability to manage greater numbers of opponents. Upon rolling Join Battle for the first time in a scene, the character may make a reflexive Thrown attack against any opponent whose Join Battle result is less than her own. Additionally, where others would grow desperate at the sight of enemy reinforcements, the Lawgiver is invigorated. For the duration of combat, the character may make a Thrown attack against all opponents who roll Join Battle after the initial Join Battle roll that began the fight, unless that character is doing so because they have cast a spell (generally representing new characters appearing and entering the fray). This Charm will only allow the Solar to make attacks against opponents whose engagement range she is within.

Martial-ready: Archery, Martial Arts, Melee

Shrike Saving Discretion

Cost: —; Mins: Thrown 5, Essence 4; Type: Permanent Keywords: Martial-ready, Native Duration: Permanent Prerequisite Charms: Swarm-Culling Instinct

A Lawgiver may grow to become an old hand at killing. When greatly outnumbered, it may not do to break his cover at the first opportunity. This Charm permanently enhances its prerequisite. The Solar may opt to withhold free reflexive attacks accrued against opponents as outlined by the rules of Swarm-Culling Instinct, choosing instead to stock these attacks until a tactical opportunity presents itself. Free reflexive attacks stocked in this fashion vanish at the end of the scene. Until then, the Solar may unleash as many attacks as he has stocked on targets of his choice. For example, a character with five stocked attacks may choose to unleash five attacks on one target, or he may launch a single attack against five different targets, or he may attack one target three times and withdraw, retaining two free reflexive attacks until the scene ends. A Solar may stock up to (Dexterity + 3) attacks in this fashion.

Martial-ready: Archery, Martial Arts, Melee

Steel Fang Rebuke

Cost: 4m, 1wp; Mins: Thrown 5, Essence 4; Type: Reflexive Keywords: Combo-OK, Martial Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: Swarm-Culling Instinct

The enemies of the Solar Exalted soon learn to kiss the ground. Prudence suggests that they stay there. When an opponent attempts to rise from a prone position, the Solar may activate this Charm to reflexively make a standard Thrown attack against the target. This attack is automatically unexpected.

Martial: Archery, Martial Arts, Melee

 Wind Full of Knives 

Cost: 2m per attack; Mins: Thrown 5, Essence 2; Type: Extra Action; Keywords: Combo-OK, Obvious; Duration: Instant; Prerequisite Charms: Triple-Distance Attack Technique

The radiance of the sun glows around the Lawgiver's weapon as she prepares to throw it. The shining weapon whirls from target to target, cutting them down with Solar fury.

Once released, the Solar's weapon scythes from target to target in a path of destruction. This Charm is a magical flurry of up to (Thrown) attacks with no multiple-action penalty, all of which must be aimed at targets within the weapon's range. Because the attacks all use a single Thrown weapon, the flurry ignores the weapon's Rate and has a DV penalty of the highest penalty for any attack. This Charm is particularly spectacular in conjunction with Spirit Weapons.

Branding Judgment Attack

Cost: — (2m per attack); Mins: Thrown 3, Essence 3; Type: Permanent; Keywords: Crippling, Mirror, Obvious, Stackable; Duration: Indefinite; Prerequisite Charms: Any Thrown Excellency, Returning Weapon Concentration

The momentary pleasure of violent retribution is nothing compared to a lifetime of savoring a criminal's terror. A Solar who knows this Charm can reflexively enhance any Thrown attack that inflicted at least one level of damage by committing two motes to the attack. Doing so dissolves the Essence of the Lawgiver’s weapon into the point of impact so it appears to physically crawl through the skin—the process does not wake sleeping victims, though. The dissolved attack does not inflict any damage or other effects during Step Ten of attack resolution. Instead, the doom waits in abeyance for the Lawgiver to terminate the commitment from anywhere in existence with a diceless miscellaneous action In so doing, he can either harmlessly give pardon or apply the delayed effects in full. Wounds inflicted this way manifest in whatever gruesome manner the Solar finds instructive and/or poetically appropriate, using the damage the player rolled at the time of attack. Even the Solar’s death does not end the curse, leaving it to the bureaucrats of Heaven to decide when they wish to inflict the damage. Multiple uses of this Charm on the same victim track separately, and only the last attack in a flurry may be deferred. Mundane medicine cannot cure the Crippling curse of a Branding Judgment Attack.

 Deft Hands Deflection 

Cost: 4m; Mins: Thrown 4, Essence 2; Type: Reflexive (Step 2); Keywords: Combo-OK, Counterattack, Mirror; Duration: Instant; Prerequisite Charms: Call the Blade

With this Charm, a Solar can swat incoming projectiles out of the air like harmless insects. Deft Hands Deflection perfectly parries any ranged attack regardless of whether it is blockable, provided the Solar has a hand free to catch the projectile. Parrying an area attack thus stops the attack from hitting the Solar, but not any other targets caught in the path of destruction. If the projectile has physical substance (such as an arrow or thrown weapon), the Solar catches it and may reflexively toss it aside or wield it for her own attacks. Energy-based attacks or those lacking actual substance (such as a firewand blast) dissolve as the Solar closes her fist to smother them on impact.Whenever an Solar with Essence 4+ uses this Charm to catch and hold a Thrown weapon, she also gains a normal Thrown counterattack with the stolen weapon in Step Nine of attack resolution.

 Fiery Solar Chakram 

Cost: —; Mins: Thrown 5, Essence 3; Type: Permanent; Keywords: Mirror, Obvious; Duration: Permanent; Prerequisite Charms: Spirit Weapons

This Charm taps into the limitless brilliant Essence of the Unconquered Sun's righteousness, adding the Solar’s primary Virtue rating to the Accuracy and Damage of blasts from her Spirit Weapons. These attacks also inflict aggravated damage to any creature of darkness. As a final benefit, the Lawgiver can substitute Charisma for Dexterity when attacking with Spirit Weapons.

 Torrent of Inner Light 

Cost: —; Mins: Thrown 5, Essence 4; Type: Permanent; Keywords: Obvious; Duration: Permanent; Prerequisite Charms: Falling Icicle Strike, Spirit Weapons, Triple-Distance Attack Technique

The Solar is a living weapon, every mote of his Essence a microcosm of the perfect assassin. The character gains the following permanent benefits:

Triple Distance Attack Technique: The Charm extends the range of thrown weapons by a factor of ten rather than three. At Thrown 6+, Essence 6+ this Charm changes a weapon’s range value from yards to miles.

Spirit Weapons: This Charm’s Cost becomes zero motes. Additionally, all unexpected Thrown attacks ignore the target’s Hardness.

Acuity of the Far-flung Hand

Cost: — (3m); Mins: Thrown 5, Essence 5; Type: Permanent; Keyword: Obvious; Duration: Permanent; Prerequisite Charms: Call the Blade

This Charm costs three motes every time its benefits are invoked. It allows the character to hurl implements in order to take normal actions out to a range of (Essence x 10) yards; for example, the character could throw her lock picks at a lock to make a normal Larceny roll, or hurl her daiklave at an opponent to make a standard Melee attack. Acuity of the Far-Flung Hand does not help the character retrieve tossed items. Penalties that would apply to a Thrown roll (such as as those due to wind or poor visibility) apply to the roll for the action taken.

Maelstrom of Celestial Dominance

Cost: 10m, 1wp. Mins: Thrown 6, Essence 6; Type: Simple; Keywords: Combo-OK, Mirror, Obvious; Duration: Instant; Prerequisite Charms: Cascade of Cutting Terror

The Solar focuses the apocalyptic might of his Essence into a weapon and hurls it out into the world, where it becomes a vortex annihilation formed of ten thousand glittering blades. The character makes a single Thrown attack with a readied weapon. This attack is unblockable and undodgeable, and applies to every character within a line (Essence x 3) yards wide, (Essence x 2) yards high, and (Thrown) miles long. At Thrown 8+, Essence 8+ the Charm’s distance extends to (Thrown x 3) miles.

A second purchase of this Charm at Thrown 7+, Essence 7+ upgrades its destructive power to the point that the attack lacerates the very fabric of the cosmos. A million white-hot cuts sizzle in the air, leaving behind a ragged white scar of sunfire. This acts as an environmental attack within the area covered by the Charm’s initial attack with Damage 3L/action (Damage 3A/action as a Holy effect against creatures of darkness), Trauma 3. This scar lingers for (Solar’s Essence) hours. The Lawgiver is advised to be wary of this barrier, as he is not immune to its power.