Heart-Ripping Claw

Cost: 10m, 1wp; Mins: Martial Arts, 5 Essence
Type: Simple
Keywords: Aggravated, Template:Decisive-only,
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: Outrage-Kindling Cry

Eight wisdoms lie at the heart of the Black Claw style: Love is a lie, innocence is a lie, blame is a lie—lies are inescapable; children betray their parents, gods betray their makers, students betray their teachers—betrayal, too, is inescapable. Those who are truly wise are always first to strike, and strike to kill. The Heart-Ripping Claw wreathes the martial artist's hand in screaming black shadows, lashing and razor-edged. She adds half her current temporary Willpower to the raw damage of the attack (round up). If the victim has a positive Tie for the martial artist, double the damage, or triple it if the Tie is Defining. Incapacitating a character with this Charm is a gruesome spectacle, as the Black Claw master tears the victim's heart from his chest, clutching it in her fist as it crumbles to ash.

Special activation rules: Once the martial artist has revealed her Heart-Ripping Claw, she cannot use it again against any character who witnessed the attack for the rest of the fight, unless she successfully uses social influence to strengthen a victim-to-be's positive Tie towards her, or to cause him to form or strengthen a preexisting negative Tie towards the enemy she attacked with the earlier use of this Charm.

Terrestrial: A Dragon-Blood uses the lower of her Essence or temporary Willpower when calculating the damage added by this Charm.

Mastery: Holding the still-beating heart of a slain enemy in her hand, the martial artist draws vitality and beauty from it. Incapacitating an enemy with this Charm allows the martial artist to heal one level of damage, and adds +1 to heAppearance for the rest of the fight.

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