Exalted Essence

 

Clash

  When an opponent targets a character with an attack, the character may choose to take a special attack called a clash. This attack is a reflexive response to an incoming attack, allowing the character to strike back immediately, resisting the attack in an active way rather than being on the defensive. This may only be used against a decisive attack. A clash action happens outside the character’s turn but counts as an action. If a character has already acted in the round in which she chooses to make a clash, it uses up her turn in the following round — meaning she cannot take simple actions, flurry, or make other clashes.   The character chooses to respond to an attack during Step 2 of combat as her “defensive action,” but instead of defending she makes an opposed attack. Though this is initiated on Step 2, clashes create a unique situation. Treat both characters as though they were acting on Step 1 for the purposes of declar￾ing Charms or other effects. Once a clash is initiated, only effects that can modify clashes may be activat￾ed on Steps 1 and 3. If the attacker has made an invalid choice, she may change her declaration when the clash is declared. This eliminates Steps 2 and 4, effectively replacing them with repeat instances of Steps 1 and 3. After both characters roll, go immediately to Step 5, fol￾lowing the process for a withering or decisive attack as detailed below   When engaging in a clash, the character rolls an attack against her opponent at the same time as he attacks her. Instead of utilizing Defense, these rolls subtract from each other. This attack must also be a decisive attack, where the only the one with left-over successes may roll to deal damage. She must still spend Power to make this decisive attack.   A character cannot flurry a clash action with other actions, or clash area-of-effect attacks. Additionally, clashes cannot be counterattacked by either participant since their attacks happen simultaneously. A character can only make one clash per round.

Storypath

 

Clash

One

 

Clash

  When an opponent targets a character with an attack, the character may choose to take a special attack called a clash. This attack is a reflexive response to an incoming attack, allowing the character to strike back immediately, resisting the attack in an active way rather than being on the defensive. A clash is a Reaction and a Major Action. If a character has already acted in the round in which she chooses to make a clash, it uses up her turn in the following round — meaning she cannot take Major Actions, flurry, or make other clashes.   The character chooses to respond to an attack, but instead of defending she makes an opposed attack. When engaging in a clash, the character rolls an attack against her opponent at the same time as he attacks her. Instead of utilizing Defense, these rolls subtract from each other, where the only the one with left-over successes may roll to deal damage.   A character cannot flurry a clash action with other actions, or clash area-of-effect attacks. Additionally, clashes cannot be counterattacked by either participant since their attacks happen simultaneously. A character can only make one clash per round.

A grapple may not be Clashed and may not be Clashed during a grapple.