Revision as of 23:14, 9 January 2008

Unrelenting Automaton Style

by Argent

This Celestial-level martial art was designed by Victorious Ember, a First Age sorcerer specifically to be taught to his Amalgam hunter-warriors. The Amalgams were taught to emulate the protocols of the Unrelenting Automaton - to be quick, tireless machines that were able to defeat heavily armored opponents in unarmed close combat. The style emphazises speed and a strong offense, allowing its´ user to channel her Essence through her body and transfer the force of her blows through solid objects, as well as honing her body close to the ideal of the Body Machine.

The Martial Art allows the use of armor but has no associated weapons; its users often brandished artificial limbs which they used to devastating effect.

Charm Diagram

http://www.voidstate.com/perm/tree_unrelentingautomaton.jpg

Charms

Iron Sheath Posture
Cost: 3m
Duration: 5 turns
Type: Reflexive
Minimum MA: 2
Minimum Essence: 2
Prerequisites: none
Taking clues from the basic lessons of the Body Machine Protocols, tne Exalt learns to treat his armor not as an external factor, but as part of himself. He may reduce the movement penalties and fatigue of his armor by up to his permanent Essence, to a minimum of 0.

Automated Overdrive Offense
Cost: 4m
Duration: Instant
Type: Reflexive
Minimum MA: 3
Minimum Essence: 2
Prerequisites: Iron Sheath Posture
With a quick, precise kata, the martial artist temporarily supercharges his form with Essence, moving with incredible speed. If he uses this form while having the Unrelenting Automaton Form activated, his body is temporarily covered with Essence lines converging at his reconfigured chakra points. He adds his Dexterity to his Initiative, and Charms such as Thunderclap Rush Attack does not automatically win initiative over him.

Vibrating Hammer Palm
Cost: 2m
Duration: Instant
Type: Supplemental
Minimum MA: 3
Minimum Essence: 2
Prerequisites: Iron Sheathe Posture
The Exalt strikes out with a forceful open-handed punch, using his Essence to allow the force of the blow to bypass the armor of his opponent as if it just wasn´t there. He may reduce his opponent´s armor-based soak for one attack only with up to his permanent Essence (to a minimum of 0).

Unrelenting Automaton Form
Cost: 5m
Duration: 1 scene
Type: Simple
Minimum MA: 4
Minimum Essence: 3
Prerequisites: Vibrating Hammer Palm, Automated Overdrive Offense
Assuming the fluid, yet forceful stance of the Glorious Body Machine Protocol, the martial artist shapes his Essence into a perfect, symmetrical construct; he becomes part of the Machine. He adds his Essence score to his Strength and does Lethal damage with his unarmed HTH attacks. Armor integrates well with the Machine Protocol, thus allowing the martial artist to reduce the movement penalties and fatigue of his armor by up to his permanent Essence, to a minimum of 0.He gains an understanding of armored shells, allowing him to project the force of his blows past them. Reduce enemies´ armor soak by the MA:ists Essence.

Hydraulic Body Configuration
Cost: 3m
Duration: Instant
Type: Reflexive
Minimum MA: 5
Minimum Essence: 3
Prerequisites: Unrelenting Automaton Form
Accessing the Diagrams of the Elevated Body Machine, the martial artist temporarily fuses his muscles into glorious hydraulics, becoming as strong as the tireless automatons. He moves quickly and nimbly, blindsiding his bulkier opponents with ease, strikes hard and then moves out of range again. He adds his Strength to jumping and sprinting distance, as well as to his free movement this turn.

Automated Defensive Configuration
Cost: 3m
Duration: Instant
Type: Reflexive
Minimum MA: 4
Minimum Essence: 3
Prerequisites: Hydraulic Body Configuration
By analyzing the fluctuations of battle patterns in his opponent, the martial artist can become as one with him, allowing his limbs to react with machine-like precision and move to interrupt otherwise unanticipated attacks. He gets a reflexive parry action @ his Dexterity + Martial Arts; using this Charm, he can parry lethal attacks without the use of a stunt.

Hypergear Acceleration Protocol
Cost: 6m, 1 WP
Duration: 1 scene
Type: Simple
Minimum MA: 5
Minimum Essence: 3
Prerequisites: Automated Defensive Configuration
Further refining the techniques from the Automated Overdrive Offense, the martial artist fuses himself to the first aspect of the Body Machine Protocol. Time seems for him to slow down as he becomes a blur to his opponents, striking out with inhuman speed. For the remainder of the scene, all of his multiple action penalties are halved (rounded down).

Merciless Iron Offense
Cost: 3m + 2m/ converted success
Duration: Instant
Type: Supplemental
Minimum MA: 5
Minimum Essence: 3
Prerequisites: Unrelenting Automaton Form
For one moment, the Exalt´s body becomes as metal, his mucles and joints hardening to wires and pistons, granting his blows tremendous machine-like force. His unarmed blows deal out (L) damage, and he may convert damage dice into automatic successes for an additional 2 motes per success, to a maximum of his Martial Arts score.

Steel-puncturing Piston Offense
Cost: 3m
Duration: Instant
Type: Supplemental
Minimum MA: 5
Minimum Essence: 3
Prerequisites: Merciless Iron Offense
With this Charm, the martial artist allows his body to vibrate in tune with the heart-pistons of the sleeping Machine God. Each of his strikes leaves glowing handprints and dents on his opponent´s armor - not that it bothers most of them, since the released Essence makes them erupt in fountains of gore inside their metal shells. The martial artist does piercing damage with one strike. If he uses this Charm to strike against unanimated objects, he may add his Martial Arts score to his base damage.

Merciless Metal Hunter Configuration Protocol
Cost: 8m, 2wp
Duration: 1 scene
Type: Simple
Minimum MA: 5
Minimum Essence: 3
Prerequisites: Steel-Puncturing Piston Offense
The martial artist becomes a living embodiment of the Unmaking Machine protocol, and if he has the Unrelenting Automaton Stance activated along with this Charm his fingers seem to end in pinpoints of light, like brightly burning embers. His punches and kicks slam through armor as if it were not there. He completely ignores any armor soak of his opponent´s, allowing them to soak only with their Stamina and certain Charms.

Armor-Plated Behemoth Defensive Stance
Cost: 3m
Duration: Instant
Type: Reflex
Minimum MA: 4
Minimum Essence: 3
Prerequisites: Unrelenting Automaton Form
The martial artist´s body becomes, for a moment, as unyielding and tough as a warstrider. He halves all pre-soak damage from one attack; this Charm must be used before damage is rolled.

Iron-sheathed Demon Activation Procedure
Cost: 4m
Duration: Instant
Type: Reflex
Minimum MA: 5
Minimum Essence: 3
Prerequisites: Armor-plated Behemoth Defensive Stance
The martial artist supercharges his structure with Essence, preserving its´ integiity and forcing weaker attacks to harmlessly slide off his armored form. For the rest of the turn, he adds his Stamina to his armor´s Hardness rating - or gain a basic Hardness equal to his Stamina, if unarmored.

Invincible Panzer Seraph Configuration Protocol
Cost: 4m
Duration: 1 scene
Type: Simple
Minimum MA: 5
Minimum Essence: 3
Prerequisites: Iron-Sheathed Demon Activation Procedure
The martial artist´s Essence configures and re-configures as it emulates the Protocol of the Immortal Body Machine and hardens into a invincible shell. If he has the Unrelenting Automaton form activated along with this Protocol, his eyes, hair and nails becomes smooth, matte metal, and his joints seem to grow armor plates. He reduces all ping damage done to him by 1 - this can reduce it to 0.

Omega Machine Emulation Hyperprotocol
Cost: 10m, 2 wp
Duration: 1 scene
Type: Simple
Minimum MA: 5
Minimum Essence: 4
Prerequisites: Hypergear Acceleration Protocol, Merciless Metal Hunter Configuration Protocol, Invincible Panzer Seraph Configuration Protocol
Achieving the ultimate configuration of the Body Machine, the martial artist becomes like a living automaton; strong, quick, precise in its´ movements - an ideal form shaped out of his Essence and focused through the hyperprotocol. The hyperprotocol gives all of the benefits from the three lesser Protocols. The martial artist also fully becomes one with his armor; his anima integrates it with it and an iconic banner might take on cosmetical aspects of it.

The HP user becomes a living weapon; his unarmed attacks becomes weapons with Spd. +0 and Acc,Dmg, Def equal to the character+s Essence. If the armor worn is made out of one of the 5MM, add the associated material bonuses to the weapon stats. When the Hyperprotocol ends, the MAist suffers one (1) unsoakable level of aggravated damage as the connection between armor and anima short circuits..

Comments

June 30, 2005:
Just curious, but what are the Amalgams? Some sort of house ruled critter or something else?
Pilgrim

Amalgams are magical construct creatures imbued with power through the Celestial-level spell Imbue Amalgam - a fusion of living creature and artifical thing. The spell was heavily retrofitted in SaS ac compared to Bo3C, so the definition for this MA is closer to the older version. In Victorious Ember´s case, his amalgam HK:s were usually fused with their armored suits - hence the focus on armor. -Argent

I just edited the final paragraph to better match the new aesthetics of the Hyperprotocol. Formerly, the user went through a partial shapeshift and actually fused physically with his armor - I changed this to his anima interacting with it instead, since I didn´t want a Celestial MA butt in on the Lunar schtick. - Argent

050620:

• I changed places for MIO and AOO due to comments from YerMum. It looks better.
  
• Vibrating Hammer Palm cost lowered from 3m to 2m.
  
• The Form now adds Essence instead of MA to Strength and also lowers opponent´s armor-derived soak.
  
• HGAP cost lowered from 9m1WP to 6m1WP
  
• HBC is now Instant, making it comboable.
  
• I-SDAP is now Instant, making it comboable.
  
• IPSCP cost lowered from 7m1Wp (crazy!) to 4m.
  
• OMEGA Charm cost lowered from 12m3WP to 10m2WP.
  

-Argent

The Lunar schtick is not shapeshifting. It is furry buttsex. - willows, Lunar hater

I think there's broken fan in my computer. I hear this whining sound all the time. :P Resplendence

In that case, I really don´t want to impose on their schtick with this MA. ;) Argent

Vibrating Hammer Palm - this has got to be taken from Battle Angel Alita's "Hertza Haeon" move, right? Incindentally, HertzaHaeon is my general online nick, because I think Alita is among the greatest pieces of literature ever created by man. Resplendence

Resplendence speaketh the truth. The whole of this MA was at first based upon my ambition to do something in the vein of the Panzer Kunst, but the idea mutated. - Argent

Nice style. I like the idea of an Amalgam style. Cool.

• Merciless Metal Hunter Configuration Protocol: This seems like a bit much, considering Armor Penetrating Fang strike cost 5+1. I mean, scene length? I'd cost it as 8 motes and 1 willpower and say you can reflexivly spend 4 motes and 1 willpower to make an attack ignore armor. And even that is pretty good for an Essence 3 charm. Also, is this a Protocol-type charm?

Yes, this is a Protocol, but the idea that you could activate only one P Charm at a time was scrapped due to playtesting - it only led to lack of flexibility. Letting you use any number of them at the same time is more fun - especially since you´re free to commit every ounce of essence you´ve got, and we all know where that takes you. Back to the Charm: considering that you´ve just committed 8m and spent 2wp, I think it´s just about right - if you´re fighting the types of enemies that make you pull out the big Charms, there´s still plenty of stuff to hinder your advance - most soak Charms, frex. Argent

Well, the really nasty thing about this is that with this charm, all you need is something that does agg damage and it becomes unsoakable, which will kill most things if you manage to hit. Normally, you need a combo to do this. It something to worry about at least. -FlowsLikeBits

If you want something that does aggravated damage, chances are you´ll already need a Combo - or a high-level artifact, and they break down the rules already. But yeah, the theme about this Charm is that you´d better avoid or block it, or you´ll hurt. I see nothing wrong there. -Argent

• Invincible Panzer Seraph Configuration Protocol: This reduces damage dice, not rolled damage, correct? (It would be nasty with Starmetal armor otherwise)
• FlowsLikeBits

This MA was not written for use with PC, so the question is not really relevant. If I used Essence ping as-is, I´d probably make a change or two. Would it be a better (and more PC-flexible) option to reduce rolled damage by 1? It´d work both pre- and post-PC and make for a more flexible, if not more powerful Charm. I´ll think about this. - Argent

Gah. Please note, I was not trying to be snarky with the relevance comment. - Argent

• No problem. I asked the question badly actually, I was wondering if it reduced damage dice or damage levels. I'd recomend leaving it as dice
• Anyway, my bad for not being clear on this. Seems good. -FlowsLikeBits

• 050621: Changed places in the tree between Hydraulic Body Config and Merciless Iron Offense; this straightens out the themes of the three Protocol Master trees, IMO. It got a bit funky as soon as I switched MIO for AOO.
• Also made an (ugly) Charm tree. This got me thinking; could the Protocol Charms unlock some sort of higher secrets - a parallel to the Secrets in willows Argent Scorpion Of Opposition tree or Alchemical submodules? - Argent

I love the idea of this style, but as written it didn't fit into my campaign. I cloned and mutated it into a shorter version targeted more at alchemicals. Thanks for the original! - Wordman