Spell:Blood Lash
Source: Book of the Emerald Circle by Brian Hon/Limited Reagent
Cost: 12m, 1wp
Circle: Emerald
Type: Reflexive (Step 1 for attacker, Step 2 for defender, Step 10 if damage is taken)
Keywords: Component, Counter-Resist, Obvious
Duration: One scene
Most sorcerers consider the Blood Lash a weapon of last resort, for it requires their fresh blood to cast. Blood from the sorcerer's wounds surges outward, forming a lash of blood. The lethal wound required for this spell cannot be healed while it is in effect. This whip of blood is a Melee weapon with the following statistics:
| Attack | Spd | Acc | Dmg | Def | Rt | Tags |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blood Lash | 4 | +3 | +(Essence + [health levels crossed out])L | +0 | 2 | R |
It is automatically drawn, cannot be disarmed, and if destroyed, it immediately regenerates. The sorcerer does not even need to hold the lash to use it, leaving both hands free for other tasks. The Blood Lash has the following additional traits:
● The whip can parry lethal attacks without a Stunt.
● It is incredibly easy to use and maneuver, as it is a semi-living extension of the sorcerer's body; the DV penalty to attack with the whip is -0.
● Its reach is incredibly long at (Willpower x 2) yards. However, it doesn't work well in in confined spaces; it suffers a -1 Accuracy when the sorcerer only has two yards on either side of him to swing the weapon, or a -2 Accuracy with only one yard.
● It ignores partial cover.
● If used to disarm an opponent, the sorcerer gains (Essence) automatic successes on the attack roll.
● The lash can be used to clinch as part of Grappling, with modified statistics as follows.
| Attack | Spd | Acc | Dmg | Def | Rt | Tags |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blood Lash Clinch | 5 | +0 | - | +0 | 1 | R, C, P |
The sorcerer can perform tasks after clinching an opponent or gaining control of a clinch. The sorcerer CANNOT Crush or Hold. If the sorcerer chooses to Break Hold (throw away) or Break Hold (throw to ground), his effective Strength is (Willpower x 2). The sorcerer may also perform a special Leech task, leeching life from his opponent. This does not impede the sorcerer's foe or cause her to be inactive, but it does automatically deal one level of lethal damage per action, which cannot be soaked. The sorcerer does not need to actively renew this clinch—the whip does it on its own, reflexively, on each of the sorcerer's action, with a pool equal to (Willpower + Essence).
● When the lash deals damage to a living creature, it absorbs the life dripping and spurting from the wound. These stolen health levels can be used immediately or stored. The sorcerer can reflexively feed the lash his own health levels, if he wishes. These can be used for a variety of purposes:
○ One can be used to reflexively heal one of the sorcerer's bashing health levels, or two can be used to heal a lethal health level. This can only be used on the sorcerer's action tick, and only one health level can be healed at a time.
○ They can be used to reflexively lengthen the whip, each health level used increasing the lash's reach by another (Willpower) yards for the rest of the scene, to a maximum total length of (Willpower x Essence).
○ They can be used to reflexively add strength and flexibility to the lash, each health level used increasing the distance it can throw a target by another (Willpower) for the rest of the scene, up to a maximum effective Strength of (Willpower x Essence).
○ They can be used reflexively to engorge the whip, each three health levels used increasing the lash's Damage by +1 for the rest of the scene, up to a maximum increase of +(Essence).
○ The stored health levels can be used to momentarily sprout extra whips which flail harshly and strike before melting into blood. This acts as an Extra Action Charm, although it is not a Charm and does not count as Charm use. It produces a magical flurry of one Melee-based attack per two health levels used, up to a maximum of [Essence] Melee-based attacks, all with the Blood Lash, without regard for the whip's Rate and without multiple action penalties. The DV penalty is the highest penalty for any one attack.
Component: The sorcerer's blood from a open, bleeding wound—at least one unbound, unhealed level of lethal damage. The character may wound himself if he must, although that makes this spell Simple (one action, Speed 5, DV -1).
