The Crusading (Bronze) Tiger is an unstoppable force of nature. Those who emulate them (wisely) choose to adopt the focus of unwavering courage in the face of opposition, meeting their enemy's strengths head-on with a ferocious assault capable of battering their attacks back, blow-for-blow, eventually smashing aside their foes' warding swords with overwhelming ferocity and sinking home a true strike.
In addition to Martial Arts, Crusading Tiger Style requires two dots invested in any of Archery, Melee, Thrown, or War to begin learning. Any two-handed melee (or Martial Arts) weapon (or one-handed weapon which may be concievably weilded in two hands) is a Form Weapon for Crusading Tiger Style, but the style may only be practiced in no armor (though this restriction lessens as one achieves mastery.) Crusading Tiger Style treats lances used from horseback (or other mounts) as Form weapons whether wielded in one hand or two. Crusading Tiger Style may not be practiced if the Stylist takes up the role of Sorcerer or Hero in any mass combat unit. He must lead, or else fall upon another Supernatural Martial Arts Style.
Whenever a Charm in Crusading Tiger Style is forced to roll-off against another effect, someone who actually is one of the Solar Exalted gains two more bonus successes on opposed roll-offs than the Charm states. (If the Charm does not state any bonus, the Lawgiver has a bonus of two successes).
Fearless Kitten Kata[]
Cost: 5m, 1wp; Mins: Martial Arts 2, Essence 2; Type: Simple (Speed 5), Combo-OK
Keywords: Emotion
Duration: Instant
Prerequisites: None
Kittens show no fear, whether confronting a praying mantis or a lion. The first thing an aspiring Ascending Sun must learn is that he, too, must show no fear; fear is a weakness which will be capitalized upon instantly by his enemies.
Fearless Kitten Kata is an invigorating shout that frees those who emulate the Lawgiver from fear, natural or unnatural. All fear effects, compulsions to flee, and similar attempts to make those who copy the Chosen of the Sun and up to his (Essence) in allies within earshot run away or cower are broken. This Charm may explicitly be used even if under any form of compulsion not to use any such Charms; should Fearless Kitten Kata and another affect come into contest, Fearless Kitten Kata gains a bonus of one success on opposed essence rolls.
- In Mass Combat, Fearless Kitten Kata affects a unit led by those who emulate the Lawgiver with a Magnitude of his Essence -1.
Pouncing Cub Technique[]
Cost: 3m; Mins: Martial Arts 3, Essence 2; Type: Supplemental
Keywords: Combo-OK
Duration: Instant
Prerequisites: Fearless Kitten Kata
Felines and Bronze Tiger alike perform powerful leaps to close the distance between themselves and their foes. Those who emulate the Chosen of the Dawn learn to do so as well, approaching with the unstoppable ferocity of night breaking into daylight.
The Crusading Tiger Stylist invoking this Charm may move instantaneously up to his (Dexterity + his Martial Arts) yards, even if any other affect restricts his movement, and make a single attack at his full attack score, regardless of any penalties he may be under. (Additional attacks suffer normal penalties, including Flurry penalties.) This Charm is explicitly allowed to supplement attacks made with Melee, Thrown, or Archery.
- Pouncing Cub Technique has no affect in Mass Combat.
Arrogant Feline Assumptions[]
Cost: 5m; Mins: Martial Arts 2, Essence 3; Type: Simple (Speed 3)
Keywords: Combo-OK, Obvious
Duration: Scene-Length
Prerequisites: Fearless Kitten Kata
As the housecat struts, master of all it's domain, and as the Dawn Caste of the Solar Exalted raise their brows high, fearlessly burning their Caste Marks for all to see, so too does the invoker of this Charm gird himself in righteousness and dare those who oppose him to try his hand. If the target has an Anima of some sort, it subtly distorts to reflect the glorious nature of the Dawn Caste of the Solar Exalted: Terrestrials with the audacity to learn and invoke this Charm might gain the Dawn Caste symbol formed of their own element's manifestation upon their brows, whilst the Caste Marks and Anima of other Celestial Exalted might gain a color undertone of gold. Beings without anima banners but capable of channeling essence will be illuminated by a halo of gold, as if they were back-lit by a bright golden light.
All foes beholding the one who emulates the glory of the Dawn cannot bear the direct sight of him. He adds four dice for the remainder of the Scene to the dice pools from which he derives his Defense Values. These dice are subject to the usual caps on dice added, with the exception that if those four dice alone would exceed the cap, the cap may be exceeded (though no further dice added, obviously.) This bonus fails utterly (the Charm ending without recourse) if the invoker is not an actual Solar Exalt and finds himself on the wrong side of an actual Dawn Caste anima banner, whether or not he succeeds on his Valor roll; it also fails if the invoker opposes the Most High. Attempting to blind the Sun with the Sun's radiance is foolhardy at best, calling down the thunder at worst.
In addition, as a permanent benefit, the Crusading Tiger Stylist who masters this Charm can forever use Crusading Tiger Style whilst wearing Light armor.
Roaring Lion Ourburst[]
Cost: 8m, 2wp; Mins: Martial Arts 3, Essence 3; Type: Simple (Speed 5)
Keywords: Emotion (Fear), Compulsion (Flee)
Duration: Instant
Prerequisites: Pouncing Cub Technique, Arrogant Feline Assumptions
As the mortal scatters before the enraged lion; as the hero flees craven as any coward before the enraged Bronze Tiger, so too shall this Charm's enemies flee before his terrible roar. Drawing in a tremendous breath, he emits a terrifying Kiai, affecting all foes within his (Essence) in yards. Those targets must succeed on a Valor roll, with their applicable Valor dice capped by their Essence score, or be stricken with utter terror and flee the scene of battle immediately. Non-heroic mortals are not entitled to even this roll, and simply flee unless rallied by a leader's strong magic. Roaring Tiger Outburst requires two willpower to resist, or the difference between the target's Valor score and the invoker's Valor (if higher), whichever is larger.
This Charm has no affect on a target with an Essence and Valor score which are equal to or greater than the invoker's own Essence and Valor scores, respectively, and it may never affect one of the Ascending Suns nor Ignis Divine. If a competing magic attempts to contest this power (when it is invoked,) Roaring Lion Outburst gains a bonus of one die on the opposing check.
- Roaring Lion Outburst can affect a Mass Combat unit with a magnitude less than the invoker's Essence.
Crusading Tiger Form[]
Cost: 10m; Mins: Martial Arts 4, Essence 3; Type: Simple (Speed 5)
Keywords: Form-type, Obvious
Duration: Scene-Length
Prerequisites: Roaring Lion Outburst
The Crusading Tigers never falter or fail. Clad in armor or nude, armed with a Grand Daiklaive or a stick or her bare hands, the Crusading Tiger prevails, wadeing fearlessly into any legion of foes. Those who emulate the Bronze Tigers are immune to Onslaught penalties and Unexpected attacks resulting from more than four attackers, and they are immune to fatigue and Crippling effects.
Crusading Tiger's Charge[]
Cost: 5m; Mins: Martial Arts 4, Essence 3; Type: Supplemental
Keywords: Combo-OK
Duration: Instantaneous
Prerequisites: Crusading Tiger Form
A tiger's take-down of it's dinner is as assured as the Ascending Sun's victory over their enemies, and the Crusading Tiger Stylist's assault is as inevitable as either of those events. Closing the gap to their foes, they unerringly strike home, this Charm's power making a single attack Unblockable.
Crusading Tiger Leadership[]
Cost: 3m; Mins: Martial Arts 3, War 3, Essence 3; Type: Supplemental
Keywords: Combo-Basic
Duration: Instantaneous
Prerequisites: Crusading Tiger Form
The Terrestrial Exalted are best known for their cooperation, but the Solar Exalted are known for leadership and inspiration. With a cry of "Charge!" or "Follow me!", the Crusading Tiger Stylist leads his allies or followers in an all-or-nothing charge against their foes. This Charm compresses a Coordinate Attacks action into an extension of any movement and attack the Crusading Tiger personally leads, and reduces the Difficulty by his Essence. When using this Charm, he may only coordinate additional allies equal to his Essence (excluding himself.) Like a tsunami upon a village, the Crusading Tiger and his fellows will crash upon their foes; all allies benefitting from this Charm gain the movement speed of the Crusading Tiger if it is higher than their own (though faster allies must check their speed to match.) Allies whose DVs have not refreshed may still participate, but they add any DV penalties they were already suffering to the DV penalty from the attack, and they add any remaining ticks to the Speed of their actions whilst under the affect of the Crusading Tiger's leadership.
Erstwhile allies who have questioned the Crusading Tiger's leadership within the past month (and neither convinced the Crusading Tiger that they were correct nor accepted the Crusading Tiger's correctness in the matter) cannot benefit from this leadership, nor may anyone who does not accept the Crusading Tiger as their leader in battle.
Undeniable Golden Challenge[]
Cost: 10m, 1wp; Mins: Martial Arts 4, Essence 4; Type: Simple (Speed 5)
Keywords: Compulsion, Combo-Basic
Duration: Scene-Length
Prerequisites: Crusading Tiger's Charge, Crusading Tiger's Leadership
Only the suicidal would ignore the Bronze Tigers in battle, and only an idiot would ignore the invoker of Undeniable Golden Challenge. Issuing an unmistakble challenge to any target which is not mindless, the Crusading Tiger Stylist commands them to face them, or face their wrath.
The target affected by this Charm is under a compulsion to attack only the Crusading Tiger Stylist who issues forth the challenge. They may not act against the Crusading Tiger's allies, either directly (such as by aiming an attack at them) or indirectly (such as by launching an artillery barrage at the Crusading Tiger in the hopes of squishing his friends in the process.) To ignore this challenge is suicidal folly; whilst ignoring it costs only one willpower, the Crusading Tiger Stylist's next attack upon the person who ignores the challenge is Unblockable, Undodgable, and Unexpected.
Only one Undeniable Golden Challenge may be issued at a time; the Charm simply may not be invoked again if there is an outstanding challenge issued. Any attack whatsoever by the allies of the Crusading Tiger Stylist upon the challenged party breaks the compulsion immediately and prevents further Undeniable Golden Challenges from being issued in that scene.
- In Mass Combat, Undeniable Golden Challenge forces the leader of an opposing unit into a duel. If he resists the challenge with willpower, his unit immediately checks for hesitation at +2 difficulty.
In addition, as a permanent upgrade to Crusading Tiger Style, the Crusading Tiger Stylist who learns this Charm may wear Medium armor and practice the Style.
Bloodsoaked Tiger Skirmish Technique[]
Cost: 8m 1wp; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 4; Type: Simple (Speed 6, DV -0)
Keywords: Combo-OK, Obvious, Counterattack, Extra Action
Duration: Action-Length
Prerequisites: Undeniable Golden Challenge
Forgoing his own offensive actions, the Crusading Tiger spreads his influence to all allies around himself, understanding that sometimes, the best offense is a good defense! Until his Defense Values refresh, the Crusading Tiger Stylist recieves a free counterattack in response to any attack upon himself or his allies within his (Dexterity) in yards. He moves in a golden blur, striking down with great vengeance upon any and all who dare to strike him and his compatriots. He suffers no penalty on these counterattacks, and DV penalty equal only to the highest penalty for any one attack he makes.
- In Mass Combat, Bloodsoaked Tiger Skirmish Technique can be devastating, allowing the Commander of the unit to make a free counterattack as if a Solo Unit against any unit, sorcerer, or hero attacking the unit he leads. However, his unit cannot attack.
Grand Crusading Tiger Form[]
Cost: 4m, 1wp; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essene 5; Type: Simple (Speed 4)
Keywords: Obvious
Duration: Scene-Length
Prerequisites: Bloodsoaked Tiger Skirmish Technique
Emulating the true glory of the heroes of the Dawn, the Pinnacle of Grand Crusading Tiger Form is a self-actualization of power and purpose. The Grand Crusading Tiger's Form may only be invoked after the Stylist has already invoked Crusading Tiger Form, and the Grand Crusading Tiger thenceforth adds his Melee as a bonus to Martial Arts rolls (including Martial Arts-derived Defense Values,) and adds his Martial Arts as a bonus on Melee, Thrown, Archery and War rolls. These bonuses count towards the normal caps on dice added through Charms.
Charm Template[]
Cost: ##; Mins: ##, ##; Type: Words
Keywords: Words
Duration: Words
Prerequisites: Words
Words