MartialArts/GoldenBarqueoftheHeavensStyle - Revision history

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2005-05-04T13:11:54Z

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= Golden Barque of the Heavens Style =

by [[Argyle]]

Version 1.3

The Maiden of Journeys' Chosen are travelers above all else. Attacks
using staves, knives, walking sticks (use club stats), and fighting
cloaks are all treated as unarmed for the purposes of this style.
Artifact versions of the same are likewise acceptable. These weapons
represent not only the traditional wayfarer's trappings, but also the
mast and sails of a voyaging ship. All charms in this cascade are
incompatible with armor.

=== Fighting Cloak ===

A fighting cloak closely resembles a normal cloak and can be worn as
one when not in combat. The main differences are that it is likely to
be made of heavier material and the hem will be weighted with a chain
or metal beads. The heavy material (usually thick wool) improves
durability and adds extra padding for blocking. The weighted hem
ensures that the Martial Artist can whip it around with enough
momentum and speed to be effective and gives the cloak something heavy
with which to strike. Being made out of simple, if durable cloth, a
well-used fighting cloak will need frequent repair or replacement.
Aegis Shrouds, the name given to artifact fighting cloaks, suffer no
such wear and tear. They also frequently have soak-boosting
enchantments, but these are not typically useful while the Aegis
Shroud is being wielded as a weapon. Their attunement cost is 5
motes.

The fighting cloak is primarily a defensive weapon and is most often
encountered as an off-hand weapon by someone also wielding a stick,
dagger, or short sword. It is used as a flourishing destraction and
to bind up an opponent's weapon so he cannot attack effectively. A
fighting cloak reduces the difficulty of disarm attempts by 1 (to
difficulty 2, see Exalted p238-239).

Name Spd Acc Dam Def Rate Dex MA Cost Artifact
Fighting Cloak +1 -1 +1B +3* 2 ●●● ●●● ● -
Aegis Shroud +3 +0 +0L +6* 5 ●●●● ●●●● - ●●
*Reduce the difficulty of all disarming attempts by -1 when using this weapon.

=== Charms ===

Highwayman Spotting Awareness
Cost: 1 mote
Duration: Instant
Type: Reflexive
Minimum Martial Arts: 1
Minimum Essence: 1
Prerequisite Charms: None

An experienced traveler is always on guard for bandits and theives. A
character with this Charm has the advantage of Jupiter's sight and may
reflexively add her Essence in successes to any Awareness rolls for
detecting ambushes or traps which endanger the character or her party.
The attackers need not be targeting the character's party
specifically; they may simply be waiting to attack any tempting
targets that happen by. This Charm grants an Awareness roll even if
the character would usually be denied a roll due to her assailants
using Charms or other magic.

Highwayman Spotting Awareness is an asset to the character and the
Storyteller should not use it as an excuse to drain the Exalted of her
Essence.

Assault's Unreached Destination
Cost: 5 motes
Duration: One turn
Type: Supplemental
Minimum Martial Arts: 3
Minimum Essence: 2
Prerequisite Charms: Highwayman Spotting Awareness

The Maiden of Endings, in her role deciding when things meet their
fate, can choose to finish something before it reaches its expected
conclusion. Exalted using this Charm attempt to end an attacker's
blows before they strike home. For the rest of the turn, the
character may add her Martial Arts rating to any dodge or parry rolls
she makes. If the character chooses to both parry and dodge a single
attack, this bonus may be applied to one defense or the other, but not
both. Lethal attacks may be parried unarmed without the need for a
stunt. This Charm does not create a dice pool, it only supplements
dice pools from other sources.

Unquenchable Wanderlust
Cost: 3 motes
Duration: Instant
Type: Reflexive
Minimum Martial Arts: 2
Minimum Essence: 2
Prerequisite Charms: None

To those who are passionate about their wandering, nothing snuffs joy
more than being pinned down and restrained. A Golden Barque of the
Heavens Stylist can call upon the Maiden of Serenity to ensure his
freedom of movement and bring punishment to those cruel enough to hold
him in place. By using this Charm, the character automatically
escapes from any clinch. In addition to escaping, the character may
attempt to damage his attacker, doing Strength + Essence dice of
Piercing Bashing damage. This Charm fails if it was the Chosen who
initiated the clinch.

This Charm may also be used to add the character's Martial Arts score
to any rolls to escape bonds, manacles, or other restraints.

Fleet Cavalry Maneuver
Cost: 4 motes
Duration: Instant
Type: Simple
Minimum Martial Arts: 3
Minimum Essence: 2
Prerequisite Charms: Unquenchable Wanderlust

Mercury's Chosen use horses to make their pilgimages across Creation,
but Mars prefers to use the powerful beasts for mighty hit-and-run
strikes on the fields of war. Emulating this practice, the character
dashes past his enemy, moving twice his normal movement and making a
single unarmed strike before retreating to a safe distance. The
target may defend herself normally, but will be unable to attack in
return unless she has held actions, ranged attacks, Charms which grant
an attack out of initiative order, or some method of matching the
character's speed and gives pursuit. Though the character does not
leave the ground, treat this as a fly-by attack as described on page
201 of the Exalted Players Guide. The Exalted adds his Essence
score to the attack's damage, reflecting the strength of the charge.

Golden Barque of the Heavens Form
Cost: 5 motes
Duration: One scene
Type: Simple
Minimum Martial Arts: 4
Minimum Essence: 2
Prerequisite Charms: Assault's Unreached Destination, Fleet Cavalry Maneuver

Adopting the wary yet aloof stance of one who has been everywhere and
seen everything, Exalted using this Form gain the ability to defend
themselves using a cascading parry and may block lethal damage without
the need for a stunt while unarmed. A character who either declares
(as a full dice action) or aborts to a cascading parry may defend
himself against all attacks in a turn with her full Dexterity +
Martial Arts pool and ignore considerations of weapon rate.
Reflecting Mercury's willingness to be in motion, the character adds
his Martial Arts score to his base initiative. As long as he is
wielding Golden Barque of the Heavens Style's signature weapons, the
character does not suffer off-hand weapon or dual wielding penalties.
Exalted using this form may reflexively spend a mote of Essence to
turn any of his Dodge attempts into a hopping defense, leaping his
Martial Arts + Essence yards away from his assailant after the attack
is resolved. Finally, the Maiden of Journeys' connection to objects
in motion allows her Chosen to keep firm footing and balance on such
things without the need for an Athletics roll. For example, the
Martial Artist could effortlessly fight in the rigging of a
storm-tossed ship, in a wagon racing down a treacherous road, or even
on the backs of stampeding cattle. Characters cannot normally use more
than one Martial Arts Form-type Charm at a time.

Wayfaring Target Principle
Cost: 4 motes
Duration: One scene
Type: Reflexive
Minimum Martial Arts: 5
Minimum Essence: 3
Prerequisite Charms: Golden Barque of the Heavens Form

Everyone knows that a moving target is harder to hit than one that is
standing still, and a person on the move can elude hunters more easily
then one who has settled down. Taking this principle to heart, the
Chosen of Journeys simply never stop moving. A character using this
Charm adds her Martial Arts to any Dodge rolls she makes. If the
Exalted does not have a dodge action allocated for an incoming attack,
she may reflexively dodge using her Martial Arts score.

Vagabond Pilgrim's Endurance
Cost: 4 motes, 1 willpower
Duration: One scene
Type: Simple
Minimum Martial Arts: 5
Minimum Essence: 3
Prerequisite Charms: Wayfaring Target Principle

A pilgrim will often suffer much while seeking his sacred destination;
Fate's strange slings and arrows can be quite cruel. Still, the
faithful endure. Exalted with this Charm have learned to apply that
endurance to their Martial Arts. Add the character's Endurance +
Conviction to his bashing and lethal soak.

Saffron Meteor Strike
Cost: 4 motes + 1 mote/die
Duration: Instant
Type: Supplemental
Minimum Martial Arts: 5
Minimum Essence: 3
Prerequisite Charms: Golden Barque of the Heavens Form

Like a falling star streaking across the heavens, the Chosen using
this Charm delivers a devastating flying kick. Leaving a shining
aurulent streak in her wake, the character jumps up to her sprinting
distance plus her Essence yards before delivering the attack as
Mercury bears her to the target. The character makes an unarmed
attack against her foe and may buy up to her Essence extra dice for it
at the rate of one mote per die. The damage from this attack is
lethal. Finally, the target suffers knockback equal to the
character's Martial Arts x 10 yards. The knockback distance can be
reduced by five yards per success on a reflexive Strength + Athletics
roll. This knockback does no additional damage unless the target
lands on particularly hazardous terrain and occurs even if the attack
does no damage.

By spending a point of Willpower, the Chosen calls upon the meteor's
associations with the authority of Heaven, allowing her to strike
dematerialized spirits with this attack.

Three Sheets to an Ill Wind
Cost: 4 motes
Duration: Instant
Type: Supplemental
Minimum Martial Arts: 5
Minimum Essence: 3
Prerequisite Charms: Golden Barque of the Heavens Form

Just as a skilled sailor can capture the force of a dangerous gale and
turn it to his advantage, so can Mercury's Chosen harness the winds of
misfortune and turn them against her enemies. The Exalted using this
charm gets three automatic successes on an attempt to disarm a foe.
If she is wielding a fighting cloak, she may use the cloak's defensive
value in lieu of its accuracy value for this attempt.

True Course Meditation
Cost: 4 motes, 1 Willpower
Duration: Scene
Type: Simple
Minimum Martial Arts: 5
Minimum Essence: 3
Prerequisite Charms: Three Sheets to an Ill Wind

The navigator knows how to plot a course through obstacles that bar his ship from his destination. The Chosen of Mercury have learned much from the navigator and may invoke this Charm to ensure that a strike's course is true. Increase the difficulty of defending against the character's unarmed attacks by the character's Essence score.

Earth and Sky Traversing Celerity
Cost: 12 motes, 1 willpower, 1 health level
Duration: Martial Arts turns
Type: Simple
Minimum Martial Arts: 5
Minimum Essence: 4
Prerequisite Charms: Vagabond Pilgrim's Endurance, Saffron Meteor Strike, True Course Meditation

Exalted who have mastered Golden Barque of the Heavens Style can
invoke the blinding speed of Mercury, flashing all over the
battlefield, striking foe after foe faster than the eye can follow.
First, add the Chosen's Martial Arts to her base initiative. This
bonus is cumulative with the bonus from Golden Barque of the Heavens
Form. Second, double all the character's movement rates and jumping
distances (including jumps arising from other Charms). If the
character is under the influence of the Lesser Sign of Mercury, the
total movement is quadrupled, not sextupled. Next, while this Charm
is in effect, double the character's Martial Arts score and increase
the difficulty of defending against her strikes by one due to their
unnatural speed. Lastly, each turn, the Chosen of Journeys may dash
from enemy to enemy making an unarmed attack against each until there
are no more valid targets or one of the attacks misses. The character
may choose the order in which the attacks are made, but each
successive target must be within her enhanced sprinting distance and
no target may be visited more than once on the same turn. An attack
which hits but causes no damage is considered successful for the
purpose of sustaining the Charm's magic. The character retains her
normal dice action and may split it as usual for defense or for
additional attacks against her enemies as she visits them in turn. As
these are considered fly-by attacks, the Exalted's enemies may defend
themselves normally, but will have a hard time retaliating against the
Chosen while she traces new constellations on the battlefield as if
her foes were stars in the night sky.

Siderials who enhance this charm with a prayer strip double the
distance between valid targets and apply knockback as described under
Saffron Meteor Strike to each attack made while Earth and Sky
Traversing Celerity is active.

===== Commentary =====

This is my first Martial Arts style. I ran it past the cats on
White-Wolf's Exalted forum and have incorporated some of their
suggestions and a good layer of polish onto the final version you see
here. Of course, more feedback is always welcome! -- [[Argyle]]

Now that I've got the Players Guide, I figure I should add some notes
about how this style changes with Power Combat in play. A fighting
cloak has a rate of 2. The attacks granted by Fleet Cavalry Maneuver
and Earth and Sky Traversing Celerity should be treated as fly-by
attacks (Exalted Players Guide page 201) despite the Chosen
keeping her feet on the ground. This isn't really a change, but now

I've got some official rules to point at for the effect I was going for.
The cascading parry granted by Golden Barque of the Heavens Form should
be modified as for Mantis Form (changes in Exalted Players Guide,
page 208). The change implies (to me) but does not directly state that
weapons used for defense have an unlimited rate while the cascading
parry is being used. -- [[Argyle]]

:One thing I'm iffy on, but don't have the Eclipse book handy. Does the Mantis Form provide benefits apart from the Cascading Parry? Cause presently the Golden Barque of Heaven Form looks like the Mantis Form and then bennies.

:Maybe, instead and in keeping with the theme of motion, allow the character to always reflexively dodge with their Martial Arts? [[DS]]

::Mantis Form also has some other benefit that this doesn't...I believe it adds Essence to your parries and lets you parry barehanded. -[[willows]]

::Mantis Form adds your MA to your initiative and B/L soaks and allows for a cascading parry, lets you deal lethal unarmed and parry lethal without a stunt. Really, this form seems a little weak, but that's just my opinion. - [[SMK]]

DS: Wayfaring Target Principle allows reflexive dodges with the character's Martial Arts score, so that particular schtick is already taken in this style. I have a vague feeling that the form is a little underpowered myself, but I wasn't sure what to add. Maybe now that rate is a big deal, it could double or even remove the rate limits of the signature weapons? -- [[Argyle]]

New revision! Besides reducing some Essence score prerequisites, I made the following changes:
* Fighting cloaks: I statted up their artifact counterpart, the Aegis Shroud.
* Unquenchable Wanderlust: Revised to Power Combat clinch rules, added the escape-artist effect. The free damage is probably a little less, too.
* Fleet Cavalry Maneuver: Reduced cost by a mote. Clarified rules a little.
* Golden Barque of the Heavens Form: Clarified what a cascading parry means in the post-Power Combat world. Added the ability to buy hopping dodges.
* Vagabond Pilgrim's Endurance: Reduced mote cost.
* Saffron Meteor Strike: Removed Willpower cost, removed free +Essence damage, capped die adding. Added optional Willpower cost to affect dematerialized spirits.
* Reef Evading Navigation: Added optional duration increases.
I am interested in hearing what people thing of these revisions. Most of them have increased the power of the style some since most folks thought it was a bit on the weak side, though the boosts are relatively minor. I'm pondering making Fleet Cavalry Maneuver into a Supplemental rather than Simple Charm. Any thoughts? -- [[Argyle]]

One more tweak: Reef Evading Navigation is old and busted. True Course Meditation is the new Hotness. I also made Wayfaring Target Principle a little cheaper. -- [[Argyle]]

Argyle: *

2005-03-28T19:44:28Z

Show changes

Argyle: comments on the form

2004-04-13T00:36:22Z

comments on the form

Show changes

@@ Line 305: / Line 305: @@
 ::Mantis Form also has some other benefit that this doesn't...I believe it adds Essence to your parries and lets you parry barehanded. -[[willows]]
-::Mantis Form adds your MA to your initiative and [[BMartialArts/GoldenBarqueoftheHeavensStyle/L]] soaks and allows for a cascading parry, lets you deal lethal unarmed and parry lethal without a stunt. Really, this form seems a little weak, but that's just my opinion. - [[SMK]]
+::Mantis Form adds your MA to your initiative and [[BMartialArts/L]] soaks and allows for a cascading parry, lets you deal lethal unarmed and parry lethal without a stunt. Really, this form seems a little weak, but that's just my opinion. - [[SMK]]
 DS:  Wayfaring Target Principle allows reflexive dodges with the character's Martial Arts score, so that particular schtick is already taken in this style.  I have a vague feeling that the form is a little underpowered myself, but I wasn't sure what to add.  Maybe now that rate is a big deal, it could double or even remove the rate limits of the signature weapons?  -- [[Argyle]]

@@ Line 3: / Line 3: @@
 <i>by [[Argyle]]</i>
-Version 1.2
+Version 1.3
 The Maiden of Journeys' Chosen are travelers above all else.  Attacks
@@ Line 158: / Line 158: @@
 <i><b>Wayfaring Target Principle</b></i>
-  <b>Cost:</b> 6 motes
+  <b>Cost:</b> 4 motes
   <b>Duration:</b> One scene
   <b>Type:</b> Reflexive
@@ Line 212: / Line 212: @@
 associations with the authority of Heaven, allowing her to strike
 dematerialized spirits with this attack.
 <i><b>Three Sheets to an Ill Wind</b></i>
@@ Line 237: / Line 219: @@
   <b>Minimum Martial Arts:</b> 5
   <b>Minimum Essence:</b> 3
-  <b>Prerequisite Charms:</b> Reef Evading Navigation
+  <b>Prerequisite Charms:</b> Golden Barque of the Heavens Form
 Just as a skilled sailor can capture the force of a dangerous gale and
@@ Line 245: / Line 227: @@
 If she is wielding a fighting cloak, she may use the cloak's defensive
 value in lieu of its accuracy value for this attempt.
 <i><b>Earth and Sky Traversing Celerity</b></i>
@@ Line 252: / Line 244: @@
   <b>Minimum Martial Arts:</b> 5
   <b>Minimum Essence:</b> 4
-  <b>Prerequisite Charms:</b> Vagabond Pilgrim's Endurance, Saffron Meteor Strike, Three Sheets to an Ill Wind
+  <b>Prerequisite Charms:</b> Vagabond Pilgrim's Endurance, Saffron Meteor Strike, True Course Meditation
 Exalted who have mastered Golden Barque of the Heavens Style can
@@ Line 270: / Line 262: @@
 may choose the order in which the attacks are made, but each
 successive target must be within her enhanced sprinting distance and
 no target may be visited more than once on the same turn.  An attack
 which hits but causes no damage is considered successful for the
@@ Line 299: / Line 290: @@
 attacks (<b>Exalted Players Guide</b> page 201) despite the Chosen
 keeping her feet on the ground.  This isn't really a change, but now
 I've got some official rules to point at for the effect I was going for.
 The cascading parry granted by Golden Barque of the Heavens Form should
@@ Line 312: / Line 305: @@
 ::Mantis Form also has some other benefit that this doesn't...I believe it adds Essence to your parries and lets you parry barehanded. -[[willows]]
-::Mantis Form adds your MA to your initiative and B/L soaks and allows for a cascading parry, lets you deal lethal unarmed and parry lethal without a stunt. Really, this form seems a little weak, but that's just my opinion. - [[SMK]]
+::Mantis Form adds your MA to your initiative and [[BMartialArts/GoldenBarqueoftheHeavensStyle/L]] soaks and allows for a cascading parry, lets you deal lethal unarmed and parry lethal without a stunt. Really, this form seems a little weak, but that's just my opinion. - [[SMK]]
 DS:  Wayfaring Target Principle allows reflexive dodges with the character's Martial Arts score, so that particular schtick is already taken in this style.  I have a vague feeling that the form is a little underpowered myself, but I wasn't sure what to add.  Maybe now that rate is a big deal, it could double or even remove the rate limits of the signature weapons?  -- [[Argyle]]
@@ Line 325: / Line 318: @@
 * <b>Reef Evading Navigation:</b> Added optional duration increases.
 I am interested in hearing what people thing of these revisions.  Most of them have increased the power of the style some since most folks thought it was a bit on the weak side, though the boosts are relatively minor.  I'm pondering making <b>Fleet Cavalry Maneuver</b> into a Supplemental rather than Simple Charm.  Any thoughts?  -- [[Argyle]]