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Indomitable Spirit Methodology

Background

The Indomitable Spirit Methodology focus on wielding Shields instead of weapons in combat, and infusing your shield with essence to produce wondrous effects. This Form was created late in the first age, by a great master that, according to legend, had mastered every weapon in creation. It was thought this art was lost in time, but its was unearthed in the South when some sand was blown clear and ruins were found. Since then, this methodology has been taught in the South, but has never gained much popularity. The masters of this style have been known to wield two at once. Shields are used for more than just defense, in the hands of the practitioners of this form, shields are wielded as deadly weapons, and still provide protection. Those well versed of this art infuse their shields with their own essence, to help enhance the shields function and deadliness. Nearly all masters form their own shields to provide not only excellent defenses, but also to provide sharpened edges or spikes for attacking. Those that use this art are commonly referred to with the venerated title of Shield Master or Shield Maiden, depending on gender. The users of this combat form prefer heavier armors, but masters tend to wear less having learned to use their shield to defend themselves more effetely than with tougher, more constricting body armors.

Student Level Charms

Shield Warden Technique

Cost: 1 mote
Minimums: Dexterity 2, Martial Arts 1, Essence 1
Type: Reflexive
Keywords: Milestone 1, Combo-OK
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: None

With a little practice and the wherewithal to use it, the most basic tecnique used by a Shield Master is the ability to attack one opponent with his shield, and yet maintain the shield's full defensive capabilities. Learning to wield a shield as a weapon is not an easy skill to master, but impossible to forget.

With this charm active, a character may both Attack and Defend with a shield in their main hand, in a single action. Off-hand shields may be used to either attack or defend, with appropriate off-hand penalties. If the off-hand shield is used to attack, than it gives no bonus to defense.

Battle Ram's Collision

Cost: 3 motes
Minimums: Dexterity 2, Martial Arts 1, Essence 1
Type: Supplemental
Keywords: Obvious, Combo-OK
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: None

It has been said that a good defense, is a good offense - and it has also been said a sword cannot hurt you, if it cannot reach you. Embracing these ideals, a Shield Master uses their shield like a battering ram. The goal of this is to set your opponent further away from you. Clever uses of this charm has the Shield Maiden sending her opponents into walls, or over cliffs.

This charge attack has the student of this form place his or her shield up front and brace against it, effectively becoming a battering ram. The attacker and defender make a Strength vs. Strength roll, each gaining automatic successes equal to their characters Essence. The attacking character also add another number of successes equal to their shield Melee DV bonus. If the attacker wins, then this does not deal normal damage (unless the shield is spiked), but instead sends opponent flying in the direction the attacker was moving for every yard traveled while making the charge. If the opponent hits something hard enough to stop them in flight, they take 1B (rolled) for each yard they would have traveled. If the Defender wins, than the attack is a normal attack with the shield as a weapon. This attack has a speed equal to your shields speed.

Indomitable Spirit Form

Charm Name

Cost: 5 motes
Minimums: Martial Arts 2, Essence 2
Type: Simple
Keywords: Milestone 2, Obvious, Form
Duration: Scene
Prerequisite Charms: Shield Warden Technique and Battle Ram's Collision

The one clear sign of the practitioner of Indomitable Spirit, is the infusing of essence into their shields. This Empowerment makes the shield and the warrior become even more linked, as one improves the other. Empowered shields display the users anima, and are far better at defending their owners. Once the warrior takes this stance, it is clear to all that the woman, is a Shield Maiden.

An exalt can "Empower" their shield with their own essence. This empowerment lets the essence flow into the flat of the shield, permeating its base elements. Empowered shields glow faintly with their owners anima banner. This generally is a faint glow, and some kind of appropriate symbol for the character. Empowered Shields get Accuracy +1 and Damage +1, and an increase to Melee and Ranged DV equal to half of the characters Permanent Essence rating (round down), favoring the off-hand shield. Tower Shields give no Fatigue while Empowered. If Dual-wielding shields, divide the DV bonus among them.

Adept Level Charms

Impulse Blocking

Cost: 3 motes
Minimums: Dexterity 3, Martial Arts 3, Essence 3
Type: Simple
Keywords: Obvious (with Empowered clause), Combo-OK
Duration: Scene
Prerequisite Charms: Indomitable Spirit Form

Taking the concept that one can both attack and defend with the same shield, this Charm takes it a step further - allowing the Shield Master to attack immediately after a strong defense. This attack, however, is used to disarm ones opponant and make them no longer a threat.

While this charm is active, any time you successfully use your Parry DV while holding two shields, you may counterattack. This counterattack must be used to attempt to Disarm your attacker. If the shields are Empowered, if the opponent is successfully Disarmed, for each success rolled in the Disarm attempt the opponent also takes a rolled bashing damage.

Guardian Slam

Cost: 3 motes
Minimums: Strength 3, Martial Arts 3, Essence 3
Type: Supplemental
Keywords: Obvious (with Empowered clause), Combo-OK
Duration: one attack
Prerequisite Charms: Indomitable Spirit Form

It did not take long for shield-wielding warriors to realize the benefit of having a large flat blunt object, and its offensive uses. While not a terribly elegant attack, it is powerful.

Use this charm when making an attack with a shield. You may apply that shield's Defense bonus to this attacks Accuracy. If the shield is Empowered, you may also add the bonus to the Damage rating. If the shield is spiked, 10's rolled for damage count as double.

Master Level Charms

Essence Shield Forming Style

Cost: 4 motes or 2 motes and 1 temporary Willpower
Minimums: Martial Arts 4, Craft 3, Essence 4
Type: Simple
Keywords: Style, Obvious (with Empowered clause)
Duration: Instant
Speed: 6
Prerequisite Charms: Impulse Blocking and Guardian Slam

Master shield-warriors have learned to use their essence on Empowered shields, to permanently change the structure of the shield, making them more deadly in combat. Often, one of the first thing a Master shield-warrior does is to use their essence and tear asunder a single Tower Shield, and form it into two, custom-made Combat Shields. Thanks to the essence use and powers, combat shields are wholly unique to the user.

This character can use their Essence on Empowered shield to permanently sharpen the sides of the shield to a blades edge. This adds +1 to the damage, and it is now Lethal. Furthermore they could form spikes on the surface of the shield, this reduces their DV values by 1, this adds +4 to damage, and is now Lethal. If the character is using an Empowered Tower Shield, they can spend 1 temporary Willpower and permanently 'break' the tower shield into two, personal Combat Shields. Combat shields are look unique to each wielder, displaying their owners Anima Banner quite well. Treat these shields as improvised weapons for everyone except their creator, even other users of Indomitable Spirit treat these as improvised. See the stats of combat shields in the charts below.

Note: If the tower shield is an artifact, it cannot be broken unless it is attuned to the Shield Master/Maiden. Magical Material bonus's apply to both Combat Shields after the Tower Shield has been sundered. For example, a Red Jade tower shield split by this charm becomes two Red Jade combat shields. Each one having the Jade bonus.

Note: Combat Shields have a number of Hearth Slots equal to the average of the users Virtues, at the time of creation.

Screening Wall Defensive Stance

Cost: 3 motes
Minimums: Martial Arts 4, Essence 4
Type: Reflexive
Keywords: Obvious (with Empowered clause), Combo-OK
Duration: until your next action
Prerequisite Charms: Essence Shield Forming Style

Shield warriors, when they master this charm, have learned to use an enemies attacks against them. When blocking they can cause their shields to ring like a bell, and hurt the ears of their enemies. If the shield is empowered, they can actually bounce a weapon off the surface, and cause it to strike their attacker. When Empowered the shield starts to crackle with power along the edges, and sometimes creates harmless arks of lightning between it and metal objects.<i>

If you successfully use your shield's Melee Defense to block an attack, the shield clangs loudly, disorienting your opponent, delaying their next action by a number of ticks equal to the shields Melee Defense bonus. If the shield is Empowered, the exalt may instead counterattack a blocked attack, for 1 mote of essence. For this attack use your own attack pool, but with the opponents weapon's stats. When used against a Ranged Attack, the Empowered shield shatters arrows, and deflects shots from fire-wands.

Cost: 5 motes
Minimums: Martial Arts 4, Throw 3, Essence 4
Type: Simple
Keywords: Obvious, Combo-OK
Duration: Scene
Prerequisite Charms: <i>Essence Shield Forming Style

The greatest weakness of the Shield Warden is that it can do little against distant attackers. The new Masters of the art had set forth to fix this flaw, and had developed this charm. A Master can infuse their essence even further into their Empowered shield, causing it to lighten. The shield floats on a cushion of essence, crackling with power along the edges. Then, it is thrown and the shield seeks out the Masters enemies - but will return after its task, to it can continue to defend its owner.

This charm charges your Empowered shield in your main hand, so it can be Thrown as an attack. This attack has a speed of the shields speed, a range equal to ten times the characters Essence + Martial Arts, and causes the Rate of the weapon to be replaced by the characters permanent Essence. This rate can only be used to make multiple attacks as a 'ricochet,' before the shield returns. When thrown, the accuracy of the shield is increased by half of the characters Personal Essence (round down), because the character is willing its flight with their Essence. The shield returns after each attack, unless otherwise impossible. The damage of this attack is Bashing, unless the shield is bladed.

Pinnacle Charm

Flawless Shield Mastery

Cost: 4 motes + 1 temporary Willpower
Minimums: Martial Arts 5, Essence 5
Type: Simple
Keywords: Milestone 3, Obvious (with Empowered clause)
Duration: Scene
Prerequisite Charms: Screening Wall Defensive Stance, and Grand Defenders Essence Discharge

When a shield-warrior learns this charm, they have truly learned to become one with their shield. This shield is nearly-solid Anima Banner, and it is obvious. It has been said that those who know Flawless Shield Mastery do not even need shields anymore and can form their essence into a physical manifestation, but this is false.

While active this character suffers no Mobility penalties from shields. Empowered shields becomes raw Essence, making shields speed -1 to a minimum of 2, and increase to Melee and Ranged DV by the characters Permanent Essence rating (this bonus does not stack with the DV bonus from the Form). If Dual-wielding shields, divide the DV bonus among them. Empowered shields now can be bladed and spiked for no mote cost, and suffer no DV penalty from gaining spikes.

Milestones

Milestone 1: The character is permanently able to use shields as weapons, using the Shields as Weapons stats below, instead of an improvised weapon. Shields held in main hand may be used to attack or defend, off hand are defense only unless otherwise stated.

Milestone 2: The character permanently gains the ability to dual wield shields, and do so without penalty (from things like a lack of ambidexterity). This also increases the Rate of shields they wield by 1, or to 1 for Tower Shields.

Milestone 3: This character permanently has a bonus +1 to damage, and +1 Accuracy with shields as weapons.

Shields As Weapons Table

||||||||||||||||Starting Numbers|| || ||Speed||Accuracy||Damage||Melee DV||Ranged DV||Rate||Standard|| ||Buckler||4||1||2b||0||1||2||yes|| ||Target||5||2||4b||1||2||1||yes|| ||Tower||6||3||8b||2||4||1/2 (.5)||yes|| ||Combat||4||3||6b||2||3||2||no||

||||||||||||||||Charm Mastery (+ all charms active)|| || ||Speed||Accuracy||Damage||Melee DV||Ranged DV||Rate||Standard|| ||Buckler||3||3||9L||0*||1*||3||yes|| ||Target||4||4||11L||1*||2*||2||yes|| ||Tower||5||5||15L||2*||4*||1||yes|| ||Combat||3||5||13L||2*||3*||3||no|| |||||||||||||||| * = + Characters permanant Essence||

Comments & Questions & Constructive Criticizing

Your format hurts my brain. Just saying. - Han'ya