Revision as of 04:00, 15 May 2005

Hopping Dragon Style

• by Telgar
• back to TerrestrialMartialArts

Background

Semi-compatable with Armor
Signature Weapons: Spear, Javelin

Charms

Spark-Striking Claw Scrabble</b>

 <b>Cost: 1 mote per yard
 Duration: Instant
 Type: Reflexive
 Min MA: 2
 Min Essence: 1
 Prereqs: None

Moving in a blinding flash of limbs the Hopping Dragon closes with his opponent in moments, or retreats just as quickly. Whenever attempting to move this Charm can be activated to add 1 yard to the distance travelled per mote expended.

Furious Fall</b>

 <b>Cost: 3 motes
 Duration: Instant
 Type: Supplemental
 Min MA: 3
 Min Essence: 2
 Prereqs: Spark-Striking Claw Scrabble

In any fall, controlled or uncontrolled, the instinct has been so ingrained that a Hopping Dragon always falls claws first. Weight and momentum behind his body, the charges and leaps of the character are deadly. An attack supplemented by this Charm adds to its raw damage half the number of yards moved by the character during the turn this Charm is used.

Ungainly Flight</b>

 <b>Cost: 4 motes
 Duration: Instant
 Type: Reflexive
 Min MA: 3
 Min Essence: 3
 Prereqs: Furious Fall

The Hopping Dragon can not fly, he is bound to the Earth. But he can move through the air for short distances. During the turn this Charm is activated the character can move as many yards as he gains (or gained) net successes on the last attack made before this Charm was activated. If used before acting in a given turn, the last attack made is used to calculate distance.

Hopping Dragon Form</b>

 <b>Cost: 5 motes
 Duration: One scene
 Type: Simple
 Min MA: 4
 Min Essence: 3
 Prereqs: Ungainly Flight

The anger and quick energy of the Hopping Dragon becomes apparent in one who seeks to emulate him. The base initative of the character is doubled and he gains a bonus equal to his Martial Arts on all attacks if he goes first of all combatants in a given round. The martial artist may reflexivly move up to double his Martial Arts score in yards during his turns.
This Charm is not compatable with armor.

Fiery Spittle</b>

 <b>Cost: 1 mote per yard
 Duration: Instant
 Type: Supplemental
 Min MA: 4
 Min Essence: 3
 Prereqs: Hopping Dragon Form

The Hopping Dragon does not limit himself to his claws and teeth; even his fiery spittle is a deadly weapon. By sacrificing some of his mobility the character can attack at incredible range. For every mote spent, the character's maximum distance for any movement this turn is reduced by 1 yard and the range or raw damage of a single ranged attack is increased by 1. No more motes then twice the character's Martial Arts can be spent on this Charm. The motes may be divided any way between range and damage.

Ravenous Frenzy</b>

 <b>Cost: 4 motes per attack, 1 willpower
 Duration: Instant
 Type: Extra Action
 Min MA: 4
 Min Essence: 3
 Prereqs: Hopping Dragon Form

Moving swiftly from one foe to the next the Hopping Dragon feasts on those that would attack him. For 2 motes the Terrestrial can make an attack against a hostile character within his unmodified sprinting range. No more attacks can be purchased with this Charm then the martial artist has dots of Dexterity or Martial Arts, whichever is higher. This Charm does not provide any movement needed to reach targets. They must be brought within range by other means.

Exhaustive Hopping Rage</b>

 <b>Cost: 5 motes
 Duration: One scene
 Type: Simple
 Min MA: 4
 Min Essence: 4
 Prereqs: Firey Spittle, Ravenous Frenzy

In his fury, the Hopping Dragon devotes himself entirley to attack and often leaves himself too weary to defend properly. While this Charm is active the character gains his Martial Arts score in automatic successes on all attacks he makes. All defensive actions taken by the character are reduced by 1 die on the first turn, with the penalty increasing by 1 die every successive turn. There is no limit to the penalty this Charm can inflict.

Comments

Pretty neat. Terrestrial martial arts are hard. I like the theme:
Ravenous Frenzy is nasty, better than the Solar version even (Peony Blossem), 2 motes/attack + movement seems a bit much.
Actually, the charm doesn't provide movement. I have cleared this up. And, yes, it's cheaper then Peony Blossom, but Peony is unlimited in number of uses, lower in a tree and I was balancing against Swallows Defend the Nest, not Peony. - Telgar
Peony Blossom Attack caps at (Essence) attacks, Tel. I believe it does so under both core and PC. Swallow Defends also caps at Essence. Or were you referring to 'unlimited uses' as in, 'fewer restrictions on application'? Given that the only restriction on Ravenous Frenzy is 'you have to be able to reach them', I wouldn't call it a significant balancing factor. ~ BerserkSeraph Actually, I believe Swallows is limited to Rate, not Essence. Which is for some weird reason WAY LOW on bows. Regardless, I did forget that Peony had an Ess cap. I've bumped up the price on Ravenous Frenzy. - Telgar

Peony wasn't limited in the core. Of course it had exponential cost scaling, so that didn't do you much good. Even without movement, this still beats Peony and the EA charms of Celestial styles. I'd give it a cost of 4 and cap at MA, same as things like Tornado Attack and whatever the snake style one it. -FlowsLikeBits

Exhaustive Hopping Rage would be evil with Lunars, or anything that had good soak based defences. I suppose you could make the penalties affect soak also, but all that would really mean is you have to re-invoke it every once in a while. -FlowsLikeBits
Yes, but if you do your ST is advised to kick your ass. - Telgar

If you re-invoke the charm or use a Lunar? The last two charms would be nasty with Lunars. Ravenous Frenzy would be nasty with anything that can have a high dex. This would be pretty evil with a soak based defence. At MA 5 it's as good as scene length solar die adder. I'd make the penalty affect soak also, but let people re-invoke the simple charm as often as they wanted. -FlowsLikeBits

If you just keep reinvoking when the penalty becomes annoying. And, while this Charm is pretty nice combined with an ubersoak, remember how much ubersoak strategies SUCK in PC. And how unreliable soak is in and of itself. Anyone based totally on soak deserves their bloody death. The exhaustion that creates the penalty shouldn't really affect something artifical like Soak anyway. - Telgar