Emerald Expansion 2 - Axes

Axe
Skill: Medium Melee
Damage: Muscle+1d10
Range: Melee

The axe is a classic melee weapon. Though it's less common than the sword, wielding one certainly won't raise any eyebrows. What I find most interesting about axe combat is the emphasis on controlling your opponent's weapon, so I've tried to capture that spirit with my axe techniques. I'm also a fan of bringing in other aspects of the system, whether that be the subtle nod of hitting Stealth as a Defense or the wordy addition of giving scholar-official ranks a mechanical effect. Please use what you like and skip what you don't at your table!

I've chosen to present the techniques in level order rather than alphabetically so you get a sense for how skill with the weapon progresses. Without further ado:

Overhead Chop

Discipline: Waijia

Skill: Medium Melee against Parry

Type: Normal

Qi: 1

You make an overhead chop with your axe, bringing it into your enemy's shoulder so she has a harder time wielding her weapon.

Roll Medium Melee against Parry. On a Success do normal damage and for 1 round per Rank of Waijia your target takes -1d10 to all rolls made with the weapon she is holding.

Cathartic: Cathartically you do 1 Extra Wound.

The Short Axe of Yin Yuan

Discipline: Waijia

Skill: Medium Melee against Stealth

Type: Normal

Qi: 2

This devious axe technique makes use of an outside cut that targets locations where hidden weapons would be kept.

Roll Medium Melee against Stealth. On a Success do normal damage plus 2 Extra Wounds.

Cathartic: Cathartically if the target is concealing a weapon he may not draw it for 1 round per Rank of Waijia.

Yin Yuan's Axe Trap

Discipline: Waijia

Skill: Medium Melee against Attack Roll

Type: Counter

Qi: 4

You hook your opponent's weapon between the blade and shaft of your axe, locking it in place.

Roll Medium Melee against the Attack Roll of any melee weapon. On a Success you avoid the damage and lock his weapon in place. He may use his turn to roll an attack against your Parry, but instead of doing damage on a success he frees his weapon. This functions similarly to restrain, but he is not restrained as he could choose to let go of his weapon and walk away.

Cathartic: On a Cathartic use at any point before he escapes your trap you may choose to slide your axe along his weapon and into him, making a normal attack roll which on a success deals normal damage plus 2 Extra Wounds. Once you make this attack his weapon is freed. You may make this attack when he is about to roll an escape attempt, but not after he has succeeded.

Chop of Imperial Obedience

Discipline: Waijia

Skill: Medium Melee against Parry

Type: Normal

Qi: 5

You invoke your official orders against your target, putting the might of the entire state behind your swing.

Roll Medium Melee against Parry. On a Success do normal damage. If your foe is a wanted criminal, do 1 Extra Wound per rank of the official who wants them (rank 9 officials confer 1 Extra Wound, rank 1 officials confer 9 Extra Wounds).

Cathartic: Cathartically, if your foe is a wanted criminal, add 1d10 per official rank to your Attack Roll, and your Attack Roll (but not your damage roll) can exceed the soft dice cap. On a Cathartic Total Success instead of taking no Imbalance you take half (round up).

Rage of Infinite Axes

Skill: Medium Melee against Parry

Type: Normal

Qi: 7

Your control over your enemy's weapon becomes so great you make it your own.

Roll Medium Melee against the Parry of one target. On a Success, instead of doing damage, your axe absorbs your enemy's weapon. You may use one ability at a time from any item your axe has ever absorbed. For instance, you may use the disarming ability of a fly-whisk or the +1d10 against falling damage from a parasol. You may change the additional property of your axe as a free action once per turn on your turn.