Revision as of 21:25, 7 April 2007

Ghost Dragon Style

• by Telgar
• back to TerrestrialMartialArts

Background

The signature weapon for the Ghost Dragon Style is the knife, symbolic of the rending bone-claws of the ghost dragon. Because of the long reach and phantom body of the ghost dragon, his signature weapon can be wielded in melee combat or thrown as a ranged weapon.

Charms

Shadow Body Defense</b>

 <b>Cost: 1 motes per increase
 Duration: Instant
 Type: Reflexive
 Min MA: 3
 Min Essence: 1
 Prereqs: None

Taking on some of the ethereal substance of the ghost dragon an initiate is able to make himself as difficult to hit as vapor, floating away from strikes that would otherwise bring him down. For every mote spent on this Charm the difficulty of one attack made against him is increased by 1. The difficulty of any one attack may not be raised by more than the character’s Essence.

Flickering Shade Technique</b>

 <b>Cost: 2 motes
 Duration: Instant
 Type: Reflexive
 Min MA: 4
 Min Essence: 2
 Prereqs: Shadow Body Defense

Dropping in and out of combat range like a phantom flitting just beyond sight it becomes possible to strike and retreat, easily avoiding the attacks of unskilled opponents. If activated after a successful dodge this Charm places the character outside attack range of his attacker. The character moves a number of yards equal to his Dexterity + Martial Arts.

Without a Body Prana</b>

 <b>Cost: 3 motes, 1 willpower
 Duration: One scene
 Type: Simple
 Min MA: 4
 Min Essence: 2
 Prereqs: Shadow Body Defense

As the martial artist becomes in tune with the ghost dragon, he looses touch with his own body. The tears in flesh and muscle are not his own and he moves his body as a puppeteer moves the marionette. For the remainder of the scene the character ignores all wound penalties less than his Essence rating. When wound penalties exceed the character's Essence rating, the penalties are applied normally.

Scenting Life Technique</b>

 <b>Cost: 2 motes per die
 Duration: Instant
 Type: Supplemental
 Min MA: 3
 Min Essence: 1
 Prereqs: None

Ghost Dragon stylists are trained not only in martial arts and the ways of the dead, but in the ways and weaknesses of the living. Combining this knowledge with the attraction of their dark essence to life itself the martial artist is able to target his strikes so they attack the last bulwarks of vitality within his opponent’s body. Every 2 motes spent on this charm purchase 1 additional die of post-soak damage. No more dice can be purchased in this fashion than the number of health levels of damage the target is currently suffering from.

Ghost Dragon Form</b>

 <b>Cost: 5 motes
 Duration: One scene
 Type: Simple
 Min MA: 4
 Min Essence: 3
 Prereqs: Scenting Life Technique, Without a Body Prana, Flickering Shade Technique

Adopting the floating, misty manner of the ghost dragon his disciples are able to better channel the dark essence of the dead. They become better suited to strike at those who dwell across the boundary of death as well as those in whom life still beats. Their vaporous forms add their Martial Arts to all dodge rolls and allow them strike dematerialized spirits as easily as if they were embodied. The additional dice to dodge rolls may not be used to purchase a reflexive dodge. They may only enhance existing dodges.

Unseen Ghost Claws</b>

 <b>Cost: 2 motes
 Duration: Instant
 Type: Reflexive
 Min MA: 4
 Min Essence: 3
 Prereqs: Ghost Dragon Form

Glowing with a ghostly green radiance the hands of the martial artist blur slightly, fading away from the material world. One unarmed attack made by the character is considered to do piercing damage, halving the soak of armor before soak is applied.

Shredding Ghost Talons</b>

 <b>Cost: 3 motes, 1 willpower
 Duration: Instant
 Type: Supplemental
 Min MA: 5
 Min Essence: 3
 Prereqs: Unseen Ghost Claws

Seeming to fade entirely away, the hands of the Ghost Dragon stylist now seek only life and are concerned with nothing else. When used to enhance an unarmed martial arts attack this Charm allows the attack to ignore all armor-based soak. This attack can not be parried without use of a Charm.

Ghost Dragon’s Bite</b>

 <b>Cost: 8 motes, 1 health level
 Duration: Instant
 Type: Simple
 Min MA: 5
 Min Essence: 4
 Prereqs: Shredding Ghost Talons

Moving in a lightning-fast blur of green light the martial artist can deliver his greatest weapon, an attack with the unstoppable power of the fangs of the Ghost Dragon. The character makes a normal martial arts attack which may not be enhanced with any weapon at all, not even Ghost Dragon’s signature weapon. The attack may not be dodged nor parried. This Charm can not be placed in a Combo.

Comments

A few questions, comments & issues:

• Shadow Body Defence seems a tad expensive for an Instant duration Charm.
• How does Flickering Shade Technique interact with ranged attacks or Charms such as Flickering Moonsilver Approach that allow one to attack at range?
• What happens when someone with Without-a-Body Prana suffers greater wound penalties than their Essence? Do they get the whole amount, or is their Essence worth negated? Also, what about Charms like Crippling Pressure Point Strike?
• Is Scenting Life Technique 2m or 3m per die? The Charm text and header disagree.
• Does the Form allow you to dodge reflexively with your Martial Arts?
• Why is Unseen Ghost Claws a Reflexive Charm?
• I like the effect of Ghost Dragon's Bite, but it seems a tad high for a single attack - maybe that's just me.

All done - Moxiane

Is this Terrestrial or Celestial? I treated it as Terrestrial while reading it, and that seemed to work out alright. It also indicates that the Reflexive Charms are such so as to take advantage of the Dragon-Blooded free Reflexives schtick, which gives the style a couple nice tricks. What's the signature weapon(s)? _Jabberwocky

I fixed most of Moxiane's concerns.
Shadow Body was priced too high because I wasn't sure if it was too high or too low, so I went with the high.
Flickering Shade has notations about ranged attacks now.
WABP subtracts your Essence from your wound penalties.
SLT is 3 motes / die, I increased the cost and forgot to change the text.
Ghost Dragon Form doesn't allow you to use MA as a reflexive dodge pool, it simply enhances existing dodges.
Jabberwocky nailed the reflexiveness of UGC, its for DBs that may learn this Style.
And, as a Terrestrial Style, I feel ok about the high cost of an unblockable attack, which are very rare.

Jabberwocky, this is a Terrestrial MA I designed for use by Shade Walkers and Ghost-Blooded, with the occasional Demon-Blood or DB learning it. The reflexiveness of some charms also allows them to be comboed with non-MA charms. I haven't decided on a signature weapon for Ghost Dragon. Maybe daggers or slashing swords. - Telgar

I like it, I think, but did have a couple of notes: In regards to Without a Body Prana, it seems a little overpowered. Since most folks only have 2 HLs past their -2s, and will die if they go that far, the Charm practically might as well say "ignore all wound penalties for a scene." Since you don't specify if Charms like Joint-Wounding Attack or Crimson Waterfall's "wound modifiers" are counted, it seems redundant to state that they subtract their Essence from other wound penalties. You can clean this up by just stating the Charm allows you to reduce wound penalties (and whether or not things like JWA or CWM count in that category) by your Essence. I still think that's a little too buff; had I written it, it'd be "ignore wound penalties up to your Essence; if wound penalties exceed that number, the full amount is applied." But could be just me - Ashande

I agree, Kaine. I changed it to follow your suggestion. I'd originally written it that way and changed, but I like it this way better. - Telgar

Oh, yes, I forgot. For sig weapon, maybe a whip? Symbolizing the ever-grasping tail of the Ghost Dragon, ensnaring the world and dragging it down to the Underworld? Just a thought. - Ashande

Eh. I dont really like using whips as sig weapons..but maybe. I'm still pondering. - Telgar

A fighting chain might work just as well...especially since it goes well with Flickering Shade Technique. - Seiraryu

Was it intentional to have the pinnacle Charm kill you? Ghost-bloods can only hit Ess 4 through a process that involves dying... - Hapushet

It will kill a Ghost-Blood whos learning it, but ghosts can also learn this. So can demons. DBs. Lots of things. Yes, that was intentional. - Telgar

Let me begin by saying, I love the idea of this Form. I've got a taste for the maccobre myself, so this is very cool. So, here's my opinions and the like: The knife is cool, except it becomes useless later on. Perhaps you should say its favored weapons is Bare Hands (which makes sence, since they fade themselves out of existance, not the rest of the world around themselves) SBD, this is a great starter charm. Leads well into FST, and W/oBP. Solid. Now, about W/oBP: The way its worded now its like "okay, I have essence 3 (for example)...I'll ignore -1, -2, and -3 in wound penalties... at -4, I suffer the full -4." Its the 'applied normally' part (really, just take out the last part of the last line.)
If I was you, I'd list SLT first (since it is independant, until the Form) Seems less like it came out of left field. From the form and back, I am in full approval of. With one small exception, that the Health lost from the pinnacle charm should not be able to healed by any means except magical (medical charms, etc). I get that you're sacrificing the flesh for the spirit. -Zodiak

The knife becomes useless only for the pinnacle Charm, so for everything else it's fine. Without a Body Prana DOES work the way you explained. If you have Ess 3, you suffer no -1 or -2 penalties and then, if taken to -4, suffer the full penalty. The wounds have overwhelmed the magic entirely at that point.
I could move the Charms around, but I don't really care. Doesn't really matter. That's just the order I wrote them in. I don't think the HL cost should be Aggravated, that's a bit much for the effect provided. I think it's fine as Lethal. - Telgar