2nd edition Resistance defenses

[JeenLeen]

I'm making a character that uses the Resistance chain of defensive charms and has the Bronze Body spell (hardness + bonus soak) active.

If Hardness stops an attack, based on the attack's raw damage, does that nullify effects like post-soak damage and bonus successes to damage rolls?

Since the Resistance Charms come into play during Step 7 of combat resolution, and Hardness is applied during Step 8: does that mean that if I use Spirit Strengthens the Skin to lower the raw damage to the level of my Hardness, my Hardness negates the rest?

Also, do you know if there is a RAW about if I should know the raw damage in Step 7, to make this decision, or not?

If I use Iron Skin Concentration and succeed on my roll, is the result as good as the Resistance prefect defense since all damage is nullified?
Would effects to add post-soak damage or automatic damage successes still work? I would still have Hardness > 0, so hardness might negate any post-soak that would otherwise have been added.

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Spirit Strengthens the Skin - spend motes to lower pre-soak damage, down to 0

Iron Skin Concentration - roll Stamina + Resistance. If succeed, negate all damage. If fail, get extra soak.

[The_Snark]

If Hardness stops an attack, based on the attack's raw damage, does that nullify effects like post-soak damage and bonus successes to damage rolls?

Yes, it does.


Since the Resistance Charms come into play during Step 7 of combat resolution, and Hardness is applied during Step 8: does that mean that if I use Spirit Strengthens the Skin to lower the raw damage to the level of my Hardness, my Hardness negates the rest?

As originally written, yes, that's how it would work. However, Spirit Strengthens the Skin was altered by errata so that it reduces post-soak damage, rather than raw damage.


Also, do you know if there is a RAW about if I should know the raw damage in Step 7, to make this decision, or not?

I'm afraid I don't know that; the STs I've played with have all had slightly differing ideas about combat transparency and how much you know about the Charms and numbers the other side is using.


If I use Iron Skin Concentration and succeed on my roll, is the result as good as the Resistance perfect defense since all damage is nullified? Would effects to add post-soak damage or automatic damage successes still work? I would still have Hardness > 0, so hardness might negate any post-soak that would otherwise have been added.

Yes, it's effectively a perfect defense if you succeed on the roll. Post-soak damage or automatic successes on the damage roll would not matter, it just says "prevent all damage". (Note that this Charm also received errata; the new version is a completely different effect.)

[JeenLeen]

I found the errata and, wow, that does make my build a lot worse. For the most part, I'm glad we're pre-errata in the game.
Basically I'm hoping that, between Bronze Body, Resistance charms, and the Twilight damage-ignore anima, to be a really awesome tank for the party (currently just me and an archery-based Solar). Damage-dealing will be pretty minimal, though Wood Dragon Claw lets me get a flurry without terrible penalties, at least unless we get really high xp.

[Friv]

It's worth noting that the big difference between Iron Skin Concentration and Adamant Skin is that the former only stops damage. It won't stop contact poisons, or magic that makes your soul fall off if it hits. Adamant Skin will stop both of those things.

It's also worth noting that combining the Twilight anima as written with Body of Bronze and Resistance Charms is a great way to drive your ST just literally up the wall by making damage totally meaningless whenever you can act obviously. Just completely BS useless. Not to say that you shouldn't do it, but be aware of what it represents.

[JeenLeen]

I did make sure my DM knows that my intention is to be an utter tank, negating damage most of the time, so I don't think it won't annoy him.

It's actually worse than normal Exalted, since we're doing a modern supers game where Exalts suddenly show up amongst other supers. So we can generally be obvious anytime we don't care about stealth. I intend to go 24/7 (as long as I can afford the willpower cost) bronze body'd and use Resistance charms as needed.

[lightningcat]

I have never read the Iron Skin Concentration errata before, and I played a total tank of a Dawn. Using the errata rules, or so I thought.
That character took 3 Flying Guillotines during the same action, and survived because of Iron Skin Concentration.