Charm:Fight

The Fight Charms enhance a Princess' ability to fight. Only Champions have affinity for them.

=One-dot Charms=

Fighting Styles
Just because a Princess is firing rainbows from a cheerleading baton doesn’t mean she can’t benefit from a few days training down at the firing range. Nobles can use the Fighting Merits, including the Fighting Styles, with their Regalia weapons, and mix the maneuvers of Empty Hands with Merits that expand unarmed fighting. Weapons must be compatible with a Fighting Style - for example, Light Weapons [CofD 63] requires a weapon with Damage 2 or less, so a Kensai weapon upgraded to Damage 3 can’t be used with that Style.

Empty Hands (•)

 * Regalia
 * Action: Permanent

Many of the Hopeful have weapons in their Regalia, but some prefer to fight barehanded. A pair of fighting gloves, hand wrappings, or bracers becomes part of the Noble’s Regalia. She may apply an Invocation to give an unarmed attack [CofD 89-90] extra successes equal to her dots in that Invocation (instead of adding dice.)

Upgrade: Binding
The Regalia piece takes the form of spools of ribbon, reels of fishing line or stretching cords. When the Noble uses Restrain during a grapple, she may tie up her opponent with Regalia cords, which have the normal Durability of her Regalia, and leave the grapple.

Upgrade: Crushing
The Noble's fists swing like hammers, and her grip crushes like a vise. She may choose to do either lethal or bashing damage with her unarmed strikes and Damage moves in grapples.

Upgrade: Locking (Acqua ••)
The Noble knows how to put opponents out of action quickly. When she applies Acqua to a grappling roll and wins the contest, she may use Hold and Restrain as a single maneuver.

Upgrade: Disarming (Aria ••)
While grappling, the Noble can maneuver objects on her person or her opponent’s with startling speed. When she applies Aria and wins the contest, she may use Control Weapon and either Damage or Disarm as a single maneuver.

Upgrade: Blistering (Fuoco ••)
During a grapple, the Noble’s skin and clothes grow hot to the touch. In each turn that she applies Fuoco, her opponent automatically takes 1 bashing damage, in addition to any results of maneuvers that turn.

Upgrade: Entrancing (Legno ••)
The Noble's opponents, if once they touch her, find it strangely hard to do anything that would really injure her. During a grapple, in any turn the Noble applies Legno, her opponent cannot use the Damage maneuver.

Upgrade: Unbroken (Terra ••)
The Noble stands unmoved, and her hold is almost impossible to escape. During a grapple, in any turn that she applies Terra, her opponent cannot use the Break Free maneuver.

Upgrade: Draining (Lacrima ••)
The Noble's mien unsettles anyone who comes too close. During a grapple, in any turn that she applies Lacrima, her opponent must roll Resolve + Composure. If he fails that roll, he must spend 1 Willpower to use any maneuver except Break Free. The Noble triggers her Sensitivity the first time this happens during a scene.

Upgrade: Shattering (Tempesta ••)
The Noble can casually break bones and dislocate joints. She may forgo extra successes when applying Tempesta to an unarmed attack; instead, if the attack damages her opponent, she inflicts either the Arm Wrack [CofD 280] or Leg Wrack [CofD 285] Tilt on him.

Upgrade: Flirting (Specchio ••)
Touching the Noble’s body inspires sudden, and quite distracting, desire. During a grapple, in any turn the Noble applies Specchio, her opponent must roll the worse of his Resolve + Composure and Strength + Brawl dice pools.

Kensai (•)

 * Regalia
 * Action: Permanent

A melee weapon becomes part of the Noble's Regalia, manifesting her courage and faith. Attacks with the weapon use the normal dice pool for melee combat. For anyone but the Noble, the weapon's Initiative penalty is -1 and its minimum Strength is 1. For the Noble herself, both are 0 - as an extension of her will, the weapon obeys her desires as well as her own hands.

By default the weapon's Damage is 1, but the Noble may apply an Invocation to her attack to increase its Damage by her dots in that Invocation for one turn (instead of adding dice.) In addition, each time she attacks with it, she may choose to inflict either bashing or lethal damage. Infusing her weapon with magic takes a few moments; applying an Invocation to an attack imposes an extra -1 penalty to Initiative.

Upgrade: Durable
The Noble's weapon withstands even the most forceful blows. Its Durability equals 1 + her Inner Light.

Upgrade: Forceful

 * Stackable 3 times

The Noble's weapon strikes with great force. Each time the Noble takes this upgrade, she may add 1 to her weapon's base Damage. Doing so increases its minimum Strength by 1 and Initiative penalty by -1 for all wielders except the Noble. She may add or remove levels of Damage with a transformation action.

Upgrade: Guarding
The Noble's weapon pushes attackers away or deflects their blows. Using it adds +1 to Defense.

Upgrade: Precise (Acqua ••)
The Noble places her strokes with marvelous accuracy. If she applies Acqua, she may ignore up to her Acqua in penalties from aiming at a specified target [CofD 92] on top of the Invocation bonus.

Upgrade: Sharp (Aria ••)
Like the wind, the Noble's weapon slips through gaps in her target's protections. If she applies Aria to an attack, the weapon gains Armor Piercing at a rating equal to her Aria. Because it isn't a firearm, the weapon's Armor Piercing quality ignores ballistic armor.

Upgrade: Burning (Fuoco ••)
The Princess' weapon grows hot in battle, scalding those it hits. If she applies Fuoco to an attack, it gains the 9-again quality.

Upgrade: Clinging (Legno ••)
The Noble's weapon becomes a vine, whip or chain, and wraps around her opponent's flesh, as tree roots burrow into the earth. She can use the weapon in a grapple, and may apply Legno to her grappling maneuvers as long as she controls the weapon. The weapon's Damage is added as bonus dice to her grappling rolls [CofD 89].

Upgrade: Stunning (Terra ••)
Strikes with the Noble's weapon have the force of avalanches. If the Noble applies Terra to an attack, and the target takes damage from it, he also takes the Knocked Down [CofD 285] Tilt.

Upgrade: Draining (Lacrima ••)
The Noble's weapon draws shadows to itself, unsettling anyone with the bad luck to touch it. If she applies Lacrima to an attack, and the target takes damage from the attack, he must roll Resolve + Composure, and loses 1 point of Willpower if he fails. The Noble triggers her Sensitivity the first time this happens during a scene.

Upgrade: Berserk (Tempesta ••)
The Noble's weapon's blows come so furiously that they catch their targets by surprise. If she makes an all-out attack with the weapon and applies Tempesta to the attack, she doesn't get the normal +2 bonus; instead the target loses his Defense against the attack.

Upgrade: Cinematic (Specchio ••)
The Noble's fighting style lets her beat a foe without a scratch or bruise marring her features. If she applies Specchio to an attack, she also adds her dots to her Defense against any attack her target makes on her that turn. Her Defense against other attackers is not affected.

Levinbolt (•)

 * Regalia
 * Action: Permanent

A ranged weapon becomes part of the Noble’s Regalia, delivering the force of her will from afar. It can appear as nearly anything; wizards’ staffs, futuristic pistols, and daggers that fly back to the hand are all known examples. The Noble chooses either Athletics or Firearms as the Skill for using her weapon when she learns the Charm. The Skill chosen for the weapon determines its range. An Athletics Levinbolt is an aerodynamic missile of Size 1 and must be thrown at its target [CofD 90]. A Firearms Levinbolt has a flat range of 30/60/120 yards. A Levinbolt weapon generates ammunition as the Noble fires it, and never needs reloading. The Noble may spend 1 Wisp when attacking with her weapon to fire a short burst instead of one shot.

For anyone but the Noble, the weapon’s Initiative penalty is -1 and its minimum Strength is 1. For the Noble herself, both are 0 - as an extension of her will, the weapon obeys her desires as well as her own hands. By default the weapon’s Damage is 1, but the Noble may apply an Invocation to her attack to increase its Damage by her dots in that Invocation for one turn (instead of adding dice.) In addition, each time she attacks with it, she may choose to inflict either bashing or lethal damage. Infusing her weapon with magic takes a few moments; applying an Invocation to an attack imposes an extra -1 penalty to Initiative.

Upgrade: Forceful

 * Stackable 3 times

The Noble’s weapon strikes with great force. Each time the Noble takes this upgrade, she may add 1 to her weapon’s base Damage. Doing so increases its minimum Strength by 1 and Initiative penalty by -1 for all wielders except the Noble. She may add or remove levels of Damage with a transformation action.

Upgrade: Multiple

 * Stackable 2 times

The Noble’s weapon allows automatic fire. With one purchase, spending 1 Wisp allows the Noble to fire three short bursts or one medium burst. A second purchase lets her fire short bursts at no cost, and spending a Wisp lets her fire two medium bursts or one long burst. As with mundane firearms, one turn of covering fire is equivalent to one medium burst.

Upgrade: Long

 * Stackable 3 times

The weapon’s range doubles each time the Noble takes this upgrade.

Upgrade: Freezing (Acqua ••)
The weapon’s shot is a sliver of cold, draining the heat from its target. If the Noble applies Acqua to an attack, and her target takes damage from it, he also suffers from the effects of a cold extreme environment [CofD 97] at level 1 for turns equal to her Acqua. The shot stacks with cold from other sources, but not with itself - a second shot to the same target just replaces the first.

Upgrade: Gusting (Aria ••)
The weapon’s shot arrives with a gust of wind that hurls the target off his feet. If the Noble applies Aria to an attack, and her target takes damage from it, he also suffers the Knocked Down Tilt [CofD 285]; if he hasn’t acted this turn he may roll to remain standing as the rules for ending the Tilt allow.

Upgrade: Burning (Fuoco ••)
If the Noble applies Fuoco to an attack, and her target takes damage from it, she may spend 1 Wisp reflexively to set the target on fire. This inflicts the Burning Tilt at Intensity 1. The fire is mundane, being only supernatural in its origin.

Upgrade: Soothing (Legno ••)
If the Noble applies Legno to an attack, and a target takes damage from it, a dose of an opiate enters his bloodstream, and he must roll his Stamina + Resolve - the Princess’ Legno. If he fails, he gains the Drugged Tilt [CofD 281].

Upgrade: Piercing (Terra ••)
The weapon’s shot is adamant, and breaks lesser material in its path. If the Noble applies Terra to an attack, it becomes Armor Piercing [CofD 94-95] at a level equal to her Terra.

Upgrade: Draining (Lacrima ••)
The weapon’s shot assaults the will of the target if it strikes home. If the Noble applies Lacrima to an attack, and the target takes damage, he also loses 1 point of Willpower. The Noble triggers her Sensitivity the first time this happens during a scene.

Upgrade: Irradiating (Tempesta ••)
The Noble may increase the Damage of the weapon’s shot by inflicting resistant damage on herself. 1 level of bashing damage gives a +1 bonus, and 1 level of lethal damage gives a +3 bonus. The Noble chooses whether to take bashing or lethal damage for each attack.

Upgrade: Trickshot (Specchio ••)
The Noble’s weapon fires a bolt of pure light in an impossible shot. She might aim over her shoulder with a mirror, ricochet the bolt several times to her target or shoot a target 100 yards away from the hip. She ignores up to her Specchio in penalties for long range, specified targets, concealment and similar modifiers.

Palladion (•)

 * Regalia
 * Action: Permanent

The Noble adds a shield to her Regalia, standing steadfast in battle. The shield is Size 2 and, like a mundane shield, protects the Noble from close and ranged attack. In any turn she doesn't use it as a weapon, the Noble adds the shield’s Size to her Defense and applies its Size as a concealment penalty against ranged attacks. When used as a weapon, the shield does Damage 1 and, for anyone but the Noble, requires a Strength of 2 and applies -2 to Initiative. The Noble ignores both; for her the shield is an extension of her arm. The Noble may not use the shield as a weapon if she has used it for Defense or concealment during the current turn.

In addition, the Noble can apply an Invocation to her shield, making it easy to maneuver. If she attacks with the shield, applying an Invocation adds its dots to her dice pool. If she defends with it, she adds her dots to either her passive Defense or her Dodge dice pool for one turn. A bonus from the Quality upgrade is applied the same way.

Upgrade: Durable
The Noble’s shield withstands even the most forceful blows. Its Durability equals 1 + her Inner Light.

Upgrade: Enlarged
The Noble can enlarge her shield with a transformation action. If she does so, the shield becomes Size 3 and does Damage 2 when used to attack. The required Strength rises by 1 and the Initiative penalty increases by -1 for all wielders except the Princess.

Upgrade: Towering

 * Requires Enlarged

The Noble can make her shield large enough to conceal her completely. When she does so, she can move at half Speed to use her shield as opaque cover against ranged attacks [CofD 92]. When not so used the shield is still effectively Size 3.

Upgrade: Soaring
The Noble can fling her shield, spinning it toward an enemy. The throw follows the normal rules for throwing objects [CofD 90] except that the Noble can throw the shield regardless of her Strength and may apply an Invocation to her dice pool. The shield is aerodynamic when the Noble throws it, though not for anyone else. Throwing the shield counts as using it as a weapon.

Upgrade: Slick (Acqua •)
The shield is coated with ice or a film of oil, making it nearly frictionless, and the Noble can use it to pull her enemies out of position. When she applies Acqua to improve her Dodge pool, any close attacker who hits her (gets at least one success before dodging is considered) has his blow slide off the shield, exposing him to counterattack; if the Noble uses her next action to attack him, she reduces his Defense by her Acqua.

Upgrade: Thunderous (Aria •)
The shield reverberates when struck, with a crash of thunder. When the Noble applies Aria to improve her Dodge pool, any close attacker who hits her must succeed on a Stamina + Athletics roll, penalized by her Aria, or take the Deafened Tilt [CofD 281] in both ears from the noise blasting through his skull. If she applies Aria to an attack with the shield and does damage, her target must make the same roll to avoid deafness.

Upgrade: Tangling (Legno •)
The shield becomes a burr that can trap whatever strikes it. When the Noble applies Legno to improve her Dodge pool, any weapon that hits her gets tangled in the shield and wrenched out of the attacker’s hand. Unarmed attackers have their striking limb trapped, giving them either the Arm Wrack [CofD 280] or Leg Wrack [CofD 285] Tilt until they spend an action extracting the limb.

Upgrade: Acrid (Tempesta •)
The shield corrodes anything that strikes it. When the Noble applies Tempesta to increase her Defense or Dodge, any weapon used against her that does no damage loses one point of Structure, bypassing its Durability. Unarmed attackers take one lethal damage as the corrosive eats into their striking limb. Applying Tempesta to an attack with the shield adds 1 to its Damage.

Damage is Damage
Regalia weapons, and the weaponless combat of Empty Hands, are the Noble’s willingness to hurt another, or to defend another, made manifest. They are, thus, as magical as she is, and count as supernatural damage - powers that downgrade or ignore mundane weapons don't apply to them. The form the weapons take isn’t otherwise significant; a Princess may have a sword of the purest silver in her Regalia, but it will not be of any extra help when fighting a werewolf (except possibly for the ability to bluff that you have real silver); contrariwise it will not be stopped by that anti-silver forcefield the werewolf bought off a mad scientist.

Invoked upgrades can change this rule - after applying the Fuoco upgrade Burning a Noble's Kensai weapon both cuts and burns. It acts as a bane to a vampire, but a defense against fire will block it, as will a ward against blades.

Lightning Charge (•, Aria •)

 * Action: Reflexive
 * Cost: 1 Wisp
 * Duration: 1 turn

The Noble runs as swiftly as lightning to meet an enemy. When she makes a charge [CofD 92] the Noble may activate the Charm to keep her Defense.

Willow's Wisdom (Fight •, Legno •)

 * Action: Reflexive
 * Dice pool: Unrolled
 * Cost: 1 Wisp
 * Duration: 1 attack

The Noble turns her foes’ momentum against them. When she Dodges [CofD 88-89], if the Noble reduces a close combat attacker’s successes to 0, she may activate the Charm to inflict the Knocked Down Tilt [CofD 285] on that attacker.

Courteous Parry (•, Terra •)

 * Action: Permanent

A smile and pleasant voice disarms a Princess’s attackers, or a calculated remark at the right moment throws them off-balance. When the Noble transforms, she may choose for her Dodge to subtract successes equal to her Manipulation from the attack instead of rolling her Dodge dice pool, if the attacker has a roughly human mindset. Unfortunately, social acumen doesn’t do anything to inhuman foes; against an animal, a spirit and similar beings the Noble’s Dodge dice pool is twice her Athletics, not adding an Attribute. She may switch back to normal Dodging with a transformation action.

Upgrade: Instinctive
Using social talent to evade injury becomes almost a reflex. When the Noble transforms, she may choose to set her Defense to Manipulation + Athletics against attackers with a basically human mind. The drawback, as before, is that against inhuman attackers her Defense is Athletics alone. She may return to normal Defense with a transformation action.

=Two-dot Charms=

Danmaku Dance (••)

 * Action: Reflexive
 * Cost: 1 Wisp
 * Duration: 1 turn

The Noble can bend her perception of time to anticipate attacks aimed at herself, even from afar. From the moment she activates the Charm until her next action, the Noble applies her Defense against Firearms attacks, unless she is currently prone, in cover, or in concealment. Moreover, she can’t be surprised [CofD 88] - she automatically wins the contested roll. Danmaku Dance may be activated when someone shoots at or ambushes the Noble.

Upgrade: Dodging (Aria ••)
If the Noble concentrates, she can elude even continuous streams of bullets. While the Charm is active, she may use Dodging to reduce damage from covering fire [CofD 90] as if it were an attack.

You Might Hurt Yourself (••)

 * Action: Reactive and contested
 * Dice pool: Dexterity + Larceny vs. Defense
 * Cost: 1 Wisp
 * Duration: lasting

People ought to know better than to swing heavy or sharp objects around. When a foe close enough to attack has a tool or weapon in hand, and is about to use it (on herself or anyone else) the Noble activates this Charm. She must have both hands free.
 * Dramatic Failure: The Noble leaves herself wide open to her target. If he attacks her in the next turn, she cannot apply Defense.
 * Failure: The Noble misses her catch.
 * Success: The Noble takes hold of the target’s instrument and pulls it away, just before he does whatever he meant to do. The object moves to her possession.
 * Exceptional Success: The Noble’s theft is so well timed that the target actually tries to carry out his intention without the necessary tool. He gets the Stunned Tilt [CofD 286].

Upgrade: Replacing (Aria •••)
The Noble places new equipment into her target’s hand as deftly as she removes the old. If the new equipment is similar (such as replacing a gun with another gun loaded with blanks) the target will attempt their original action using the new equipment. Otherwise the target notices the switch in time to change his action, unless the Noble rolls an exceptional success.

Your Guardian Angel (••, Fuoco •)

 * Action: Instant
 * Dice pool: Presence + Intimidation
 * Cost: 1 Wisp
 * Duration: successes in turns or 1 scene
 * I will never let you fall, I’ll stand up with you forever

A true Heroine gladly risks her life to save another from harm. The Noble uses this Charm on someone she can see; she cannot use it on herself. She also cannot use it on anyone who is currently using it.
 * Dramatic Failure: The Noble is struck by dizziness and loses strength, as if suffering a high fever. She takes the moderate form of the Sick Tilt [CofD 286]. The fever fades if the Noble rests long enough to reduce the penalty to 0.
 * Failure: People wishing to attack the target are not influenced.
 * Success: Everyone who can see both the Noble and the target realizes that she has put him under her protection; those who wish to harm him must first defeat her. For turns equal to the activation successes, any character who attacks the target cannot apply Defense against an attack from the Noble until their next action.
 * Exceptional Success: The Noble’s protection lasts for the rest of the scene.

Upgrade: Everyone’s Angel (Fuoco ••)

 * Modified by Commonality
 * Cost: +1 Wisp

The Noble offers her protection to members of a group that she can see, applying the Commonalty modifier for that group; while the Charm lasts, anyone who attacks a member of that group loses his Defense against the Noble until his next action.

Safety in Stillness (••, Legno •)

 * Action: Instant
 * Dice pool: Composure + Brawl
 * Cost: 1 Wisp
 * Duration: 1 scene

The Noble stands unperturbed by the assaults of many foes. After activating the Charm, her Defense is not reduced until she has taken (1 + her successes) attacks in a turn.

Shield Wall (••, Terra •)

 * Action: Reflexive
 * Dice pool: Presence + Weaponry
 * Cost: 1 Wisp
 * Duration: 1 attack

The Noble stands firm as a rock and holds the line together. When one of her companions is attacked she may shout a warning, direct a fighter to their ally’s aid or parry the blow herself. The Noble may activate the Charm when someone makes a close combat attack on a target within her Inner Light in yards. She may not use it against attacks on herself.
 * Dramatic Failure: The Noble’s clumsy move exposes her to attack without helping her ally. Her Defense takes a -2 penalty during the current turn.
 * Failure: The Noble’s parry is not effective.
 * Success: Each activation success reduces the damage from the attack on its target by 1, to a minimum of 0.
 * Exceptional Success: The Noble’s parry confounds the attack so much that its target doesn’t notice it. The ally’s Defense is not reduced by the countered attack.

Any single attack can be parried by at most one activation of Shield Wall, even if (especially if) multiple Nobles are trying to direct the defensive line.

Spite Strike (••, Tempesta •)

 * Action: Reflexive
 * Dice pool: Dexterity + Intimidation
 * Cost: 1 Wisp
 * Duration: 1 attack

None may strike a Fury without reprisal. When the Noble is attacked, she may forgo her Defense and activate Spite Strike. If she takes damage from the attack, the attacker takes damage of the same type equal to her activation successes, or what he inflicts on her, whichever is greater. The Noble must actually take damage - if she mitigates any of it by spending Wisps, or if the attacker fails to inflict any damage, the Charm fails.

Seraphic Fury (••, Tempesta ••)

 * Action: Reflexive
 * Cost: 1 resistant lethal damage
 * Duration: 1 attack

The Noble channels fire and fury through her veins into the flesh of an enemy of the Light. Her weapon seeks the heart and severs arteries. She may activate the Charm when she attacks a creature of the Darkness, before making the roll. If the attack hits the creature, it does aggravated damage. The Charm stacks with permanent Charms, but not other activated Charms.

Upgrade: Discretionary (Tempesta ••••)
The Noble judges for herself who the Light’s enemies are. She may use the Charm when attacking anyone - her enemy need not be a creature of the Darkness.

Befriending (••, Specchio ••)

 * Action: Permanent

The Queen of Mirrors wants everyone to get along, in service to the True Queen. Isn’t that nice? Sadly, violence is sometimes necessary, but violence should always serve a higher cause, and bind people together. If the Noble inflicts the Beaten Down Tilt [CofD 280] on an opponent or forces him to unconsciousness, then in the next social maneuver she attempts with that opponent her impression level improves by one step.

Upgrade: Slap Slap Kiss (Specchio •••)
Prove yourself superior, the Heirs say, and those you defeat must admire you. The Noble may spend 1 Wisp when she bests a foe to give him the Swooning Condition [CofD 291] aimed at herself. This overrides and deepens the Charm’s normal effect.

One Woman Warband (••, Specchio •••)

 * Action: Reactive
 * Cost: 1 Wisp
 * Duration: 1 turn

What’s more impressive than flamboyantly taking down an opponent without a scratch? Flamboyantly taking down ten opponents. When this Charm is activated the Noble’s Defense is reduced to twice her Specchio (if her Defense is already less than this, it’s unchanged.) However, when facing multiple attackers, every attack after the first increases her Defense by 1 rather than decreasing it. She may improve Defense with Willpower as normal.

Upgrade: Countered
At the end of the turn the Noble may make one counter attack with a dicepool equal to the number of people who attacked her this turn.

=Three-dot Charms=

Certain Shot (Fight •••)

 * Requires Levinbolt
 * Action: Reflexive
 * Dice pool: Unrolled
 * Cost: 1 Willpower
 * Duration: 1 attack

The Noble enchants her Levinbolt to make its shot curve in flight and hit her target, even if her aim was off. She may activate the Charm when she attacks with her Levinbolt weapon. If she does, a normal failure on the attack roll does damage to the target equal to the weapon’s Damage rating. The target must be within her weapon’s long range for the shot to damage it.

If the target can apply Defense against firearms, he can dodge the enchanted shot, and an attack that gained no successes can be dodged automatically - but the target must spend his action dodging to avoid the shot entirely.

Load Cartridge (Fight •••)

 * Requires Empty Hands, Kensai, Levinbolt or Palladion
 * Action: Instant
 * Dice pool: Unrolled
 * Cost: 2 Wisps
 * Duration: until transformation

Sometimes the Darkness isn’t the only enemy a Princess faces. Happily most supernatural threats are vulnerable to certain objects; and when a Princess must oppose such a threat, she can transfer those objects’ special properties to her own weapon. The Noble holds a small amount of her opponent’s bane in her dominant hand - enough to fill her palm - and activates the Charm; doing so materializes her Regalia weapon from one of the prerequisite Charms, and combines the bane with that weapon. Until the Noble next transforms it, or returns to mundane form, the weapon and attacks made with it affect supernatural beings just as the bane does. The bane itself transmutes to inert dust with no useful properties.

Each use of this Charm combines a bane with one piece of Regalia. Regalia pieces already under its effects cannot be combined with another bane.

Refutation in Arms (•••, Acqua ••)

 * Requires Empty Hands, Kensai or Palladion
 * Action: Instant and resisted
 * Dice pool: Wits + (Brawl or Weaponry) - target’s Defense
 * Cost: 1 Wisp
 * Duration: 1 scene

The attacks of a fighter fall into patterns, and the Noble can read those patterns. When she wields her Regalia weapon and faces another in close combat, she may activate this Charm.
 * Dramatic Failure: The Noble misreads her foe. For the rest of the scene, she takes a -1 penalty to all attacks against him, and she cannot use Refutation in Arms again.
 * Failure: The Noble learns nothing from her foe’s movements.
 * Success: The Noble understands her foe’s style of combat. She gains the Studied Fighting Tilt against him.
 * Exceptional Success: The Noble understands her foe completely. Her bonus from the Studied Fighting Tilt begins at +2.

The Noble can gain a bonus from this Charm against only one target at a time; if she uses it again before the scene ends, the first use of the Charm ends immediately.

Flash Step (•••, Aria •••)

 * Action: Reactive
 * Dice pool: Wits + Athletics
 * Cost: 1 Wisp
 * Duration: lasting

The Noble dodges her foe’s attack so swiftly that, by the time it lands, she’s somewhere else. She may activate Flash Step whenever she can Dodge an attack.
 * 'Dramatic Failure: The Noble trips over her own feet. She loses Defense against the attack she was avoiding.
 * Failure: The Noble stays put, and defends against the incoming attack normally.
 * Success: The Noble moves up to her Speed times (1 + activation successes) in yards; if this takes her out of the attacker’s reach, the attack misses. On her next action, anyone she attacks is surprised and must equal or exceed her activation successes on a Wits + Composure roll to apply Defense against her.
 * Exceptional Success: The Noble moves in the blink of an eye. On her next action, Defense does not apply against her attack.

Tangling Vine (•••, Legno ••)

 * Requires Empty Hands
 * Action: Instant and resisted
 * Dice pool: Strength + Brawl - target’s Defense
 * Cost: 1 Wisp
 * Duration: Concentration

A net of brambles grows in the Noble’s hands, and she throws it at a target [CofD 90]; the net is not aerodynamic. If she succeeds, she entangles the target in the net, and the brambles grapple him [CofD 89-90]. The Noble may spend her action in the next and subsequent rounds maintaining the grapple, and may use any move except Take Cover. If the target Breaks Free, or the Noble takes any action other than maintaining the grapple, the Charm ends. If she uses Restrain, the brambles remain after the Charm ends; the target must break them to end the Immobilized Tilt, and they have Durability equal to her Legno.

Upgrade: Thorny
If the Noble applies this upgrade, the net grows sharp thorns; the Damage move in the grapple inflicts lethal damage.

Upgrade: Wide

 * Stackable 3 times
 * Cost: +0-2 Wisps

The net is broad enough to ensnare more than one person. Use the autofire rules [CofD 90]. The first purchase gives the net the bonus of a short burst. The second purchase adds 1 Wisp to the cost, and allows the equivalent of a medium burst. The third purchase adds 2 Wisps to the cost, and allows the equivalent of a long burst. The Noble must use the same move on everyone caught in the net; if a move doesn’t apply to a target, it’s wasted.

Salted Wounds (•••, Lacrima •••)

 * Requires Kensai
 * Action: Instant and resisted
 * Dice pool: Strength + Medicine - target’s Stamina
 * Cost: 2 Wisps, Sensitivity check
 * Duration: until damage heals

When the Raven has wounded an enemy with her Kensai weapon, she increases the pain from all his injuries. The target must have damage inflicted by the Noble’s attack with her Kensai weapon. Salted Wounds does not work on anyone already under its effect.
 * Dramatic Failure: The Noble relieves the target’s pain; he immediately heals one point of bashing damage.
 * Failure: The target feels a moment’s sharp pain from the wound the Noble gave him.
 * Success: The target has been wounded in a fashion that’s exquisitely painful. He acquires the Salted Wound Tilt, linked to the leftmost Health box filled by damage from the Noble’s Kensai weapon.
 * Exceptional Success: Pain from the wound stops the target dead. He also takes the Stunned Tilt [CofD 286].

=Four-dot Charms=

Seven at a Blow (Fight ••••)

 * Action: Instant
 * Dice pool: Unrolled
 * Cost: 3 Wisps, 1 Willpower
 * Duration: 1 combat

Once the Noble has fixed her purpose, lesser opponents cannot impede her. The Noble may activate this Charm at the start of a combat, provided that all those opposing her are mundane humans, natural animals or Darkspawn, and her intent is not to kill anyone. When she does so, the fight must be resolved with the Down and Dirty Combat rules [CofD 87], no matter how many foes there are, or how well they are equipped. The Charm fails, and combat is resolved normally, if any opponent is a supernatural being other than Darkspawn.

Nova Strike (••••, Fuoco ••••)

 * Requires Levinbolt
 * Action: Reflexive
 * Dice pool: Strength + Science - blast radius in yards
 * Cost: 2 Wisps
 * Duration: 1 attack

The Noble conjures a ball that explodes in a gout of consuming fire. She may activate the Charm when she attacks with her Levinbolt weapon, and sets the explosion’s size at that point, taking a penalty to her dice pool equal to its radius in yards.
 * Dramatic Failure: The ball explodes in the Noble’s hands. The Charm has its normal effect, centered on her.
 * Failure: The Noble fires Levinbolt normally.
 * Success: The Noble loads her Levinbolt with an incendiary bomb. When she throws or fires the bomb, her attack doesn’t resolve normally; the Noble rolls just to see if the bomb goes where she wants it to. Instead, an explosion goes off centered where the bomb lands; its Blast Area is what she chose for it, and its Damage and Force are both equal to her Fuoco. The incendiary effect starts fires of Intensity 2.
 * Exceptional Success: The incendiary is hot enough to melt metal. It starts fires of Intensity 3.

=Five-dot Charms=

Strength of Ten (•••••, Terra •••)

 * Action: Instant
 * Dice pool: Presence + Expression
 * Cost: 2 Wisps, 1 Willpower
 * Duration: 1 turn

Blows delivered by the Noble’s friends become steps in a great dance, and her strike against a foe is its culmination. The Charm may be activated only during combat. For each activation success, add the successes rolled for a mundane action by one character on the Noble’s side of the fight as a bonus to her dice pool in the next turn, provided that her action that turn is a mundane attack. If the Noble does anything other than attack a foe as her next action, she gains no benefit from the Charm. She must choose whether an eligible action is part of the attack before the player for that character rolls. If a character rolls a dramatic failure on an action that’s part of the attack, the Noble takes a -4 penalty to her dice pool.

The Finest Hour, the Last Hour (•••••, Tempesta ••••)

 * Avatar (Storms)
 * Action: Instant
 * Dice pool: Resolve + Composure
 * Cost: 3 Wisps, 1 Willpower, 1 resistant aggravated damage
 * Duration: 1 scene

The Noble draws upon the dedication and resolve the Seraphic General displayed during the fall, and recreates her own lesser version of that courage.
 * Dramatic Failure: The Noble is overcome with a feeling of utter futility and defeatism. She takes the Beaten Down Tilt [CofD 280] and is considered to have broken Tempesta’s ban.
 * Failure: The Noble cannot focus.
 * Success: The Noble enters a combat trance, a tranquil fury or even a screaming hysteria. In this state she is one of the most powerful and terrible combatants known to the Radiant. She gains the following benefits:


 * Any damage caused by the Noble is aggravated, even if she doesn’t want it to be.
 * She gains temporary Health boxes equal to her Resolve + Inner Light.
 * Every time the Noble kills someone she believes is a follower of the Dark, she regains all her Willpower. Followers of the dark include: Darkened, Darkspawn and all related creatures, Princesses and Sworn of Tears, Alhambran citizens, and anyone the Noble has a good reason to believe to be any of the above.
 * Exceptional Success: The Noble develops such a strong aura of violence and power that mortals (including Darkened and Darkspawn, but not stronger creatures of the Darkness) whose Willpower is lower than her Inner Light must succeed on a Resolve + Composure roll or flee in terror, gaining the Terrified Condition.

Drawback: Once this Charm is active the Noble loses all her mental faculties unrelated to combat - she simply cannot conceive of not fighting. Until the Charm ends she cannot stop fighting as long as one foe remains standing.