General Exalted Discussion V: Our Armies are Pants

[Tavar]

EFaST doesn't really need an upgrade, and this one is pretty much worthless. Snake Form is good because you can throw it up extremely fast and it provides good baseline benefits. If you have the time to activate a Speed 6 Form, you have the time to put up the Form and then do EFaST normally.

Except, EFaST is speed 5. So, putting them both up is more risky than putting up a normal Form charm, only made worse because EFaST isn't combo-ok or combo-basic. That's very risky. This way, there is a way to get them both up, but it is somewhat disadvantageous.

You seem to be underestimating how good ignoring armor is. The 3m function is almost useless, because why would you use it when you have EFaST? Also, remember, this is a CMA charm. Halving natural soak in addition to ignoring armor is too good.

Because EFaST is a speed 5, dv -1 charm that's no combo keyword? Unlike the Form charm. So, putting it up gives you the same problems that putting up a form charm normally does.

You're right about the charm then being too good, but as it stands the charm is pretty bad. It's too expensive, and because it's supplemental using it in a combo is very risky.

Again, too good for a CMA. SStH is good as it is.

What? How are you supposed to hit with a pool of (Martial Arts+Threshold Successes) Let's say your Martial Arts 5 and they rolled 3 successes. That's a pool of 8 dice. That's not going to hit, period. So, why should I use this charm, instead of, say, a perfect defense?

Plus, remember, the attack has to hit, which is a huge limitation, given that being hit is generally the last thing you want to have happen to a character.

EVS is fine as it is. It provides a fast, powerful attack, and you can build some nasty Combos with it.

The speed's okay, yes. But it's extremely expensive (7m, 1wp). Yes, it ignores natural soak, which is a nice boon, and it even adds a tiny bit of damage. But with the cost, that's not enough. At least, given the ease of defense against such abilities it's not.

Again, you asked me to remember the ToS battle, which was a good point. Now you should do the same. Remember that death combo? Essence Venom Strike and Amor-Penetrating Fang Strike suffer from the same problem. If they're in a combo, each and every action you take in the combo must be augmented by both. For some charms, that's okay, but these charms cost 1 wp each, and the former is pretty expensive on it's own. Even not combo'd together, the charms are horrendously expensive, given that they cost willpower to use.

Yes, they're powerful, but they're also attacks, and in exalted defenses are easier to boost. Thus, if they're going to be attacks and expensive, then they need either a boost that makes them worthwhile to use, or a reduction in cost(possibly with a similar reduction in power). As it stands, they're pretty much a flashy way to kill a opponent in a bod position, or a good way to kill yourself.