Revision as of 09:04, 3 April 2010

Snow Fox Style

By SilverMeerKat

Background

Luna's left teat, Five Phases Dancer thought as he ducked away from a chopping sword and a spear with one quick hop, these arrogant little pups are tenacious, I'll give 'em that. He made a quick step forward while leaning back under another sword swing, and one of the soldiers backed directly into another. Both tumbled to the ground, and Five Phases Dancer grinned his trickster grin. He dropped to the ground, rolling away from a spear thrust and, standing, began to weave his way toward the last standing soldier. The other two were still trying to extricate themselves from each other. Five Phases Dancer feinted forward, and the soldier jumped back - and right into his own fire pit. As his silken adornments roasted him alive, Five Phases Dancer had most of a moment to wonder at the excesses of the Dynasty. But then, willing his essence to wrap around two Charms purely through instinct, he felt the "pressure" of a Charm being activated, and "saw" a chakram moving toward his neck from behind. Without even turning, he stepped into the spirit world, and the chakram thudded dully into a giant pine. He reappeared an instant later, already turned around, sizing up his Immaculate opponent. The gods only knew what she was doing this far back in the ass-end of nowhere, but Five Phases Dancer intended to learn this one of their secrets for himself.

This is just a style I'm having a character I'm making remember/reinvent for a game I hope to play in soonish. It's completely incompatible with weapons and armor. If the martial artist is wielding a weapon or wearing armor, they may only use The Woods Grow Silent and Intuition of the Hunted from this tree.

Charms

Kit-Scolding Swat</b>

<b>Cost: 2 motes
Duration: Instant
Type: Supplemental
Minimum Martial Arts: 2
Minimum Essence: 1
Prerequisites: None

The martial artist haughtily slaps his enemy's nose, or performs some similar demeaning strike, like a mother nipping her misbehaving kit. If the attack this charm supplements is successful, it does no damage. However, it opens a small, stinging wound on the target, and the pain and distraction of the injury put the target at a -1 die penalty to all rolls for rest of the scene. Automata and other opponents who don't suffer wound penalties are uneffected by this aspect of this Charm, as are magical beings who are using any form of wound penalty-reducing Charm or other effect. In addition to the penalty, any target of this Charm with an essence pool loses one mote of essence each time they are struck with this Charm. This comes from Peripheral essence if possible. The penalties from multiple applications of this Charm do not stack.

The Woods Grow Silent</b>

<b>Cost: 1 mote
Duration: Instant
Type: Reflexive
Minimum Martial Arts: 3
Minimum Awareness: 3
Minimum Essence: 2
Prerequisites: Kit-Scolding Swat

As the fox is constantly hunted for sport, fur, or simple retribution, she must always be watchful for the sudden appearance of danger. The Exalt learns to mimic the constant wariness of the fox, and watches unconsciously for subtle threats. Whenever the character would be subjected to an unexpected attack, the player may choose to activate this Charm and become immediately aware of it. This power never gives more time than is required to dodge, or to parry if one is already holding a weapon. This is a perfect effect within its purview, but it does not grant any warning of danger other than attacks (such as traps or poisoned food). This Charm is not necessarily purely an asset, as anyone who has seen the jumpiness of a feral animal can attest. Rather, the storyteller should feel free to activate this Charm whenever anything that might be interpreted as an "attack" is directed at the character.

Snow Fox Form</b>

<b>Cost: 6 motes
Duration: One Scene
Type: Simple
Minimum Martial Arts: 4
Minimum Dodge: 3
Minimum Essence: 2
Prerequisites: The Woods Grow Silent

The character adopts the stance of the cornered fox, braced against the odds, poised to spring back from an attack or up to nip a hamstring or an expose throat. For the duration of the scene, the character adds his Essence to his Martial Arts score, and his Essence in automatic successes to any Dodge rolls. His unarmed attacks may deal lethal damage at his discretion. He is automatically aware of all attacks made against him; this is a perfect effect, and explicitly trumps Snowblind Strike (see below). Finally, the character learns to nip quickly when an enemy exposes himself, bleeding out prey or attacker with equal finesse. Any time the character successfully dodges an attack, he may make an immediate counterattack with a dice pool equal to the net successes on the Dodge roll, or his permanent Essence, whichever is lower. If a character had no extra successes on his dodge roll, he may not invoke this ability. These counterattacks are normal, Charm-granted counterattacks, and may not be used against another counterattack. They may not be supplemented by Charms, and may not be used against any attack which has already been countered (e.g., with Opportune Moment Advantage).

Opportune Moment Advantage</b>

<b>Cost: 2 or 4 motes
Duration: Instant
Type: Reflexive
Minimum Martial Arts: 5
Minimum Essence: 2
Prerequisites: Snow Fox Form

Seeing an opening, the Exalt does away with nips and lunges for a vein. This Charm has two uses. First, it may be activated in response to an attack, after the attack roll but before damage, as a normal counterattack. This costs 4 motes. Alternatively, for 2 motes, it may replace the limited Snow Fox Form counterattack with a full counterattack, gaining a dice bonus equal to the original dice pool.

For Example - Robin's Egg is dueling Brightfang. She has Snow Fox Form active, and declares a full dodge against a sweep attempt by Brightfang. She garners 8 successes to Brightfang's 5, which would allow her a counterattack at 2 dice (her permanent Essence). But she wants to show Brightfang up, so she pays 2 motes and activates Opportune Moment Advantage. Now, her counterattack is at 13 dice (4 Dexterity + 5 Martial Arts + 2 (her original dice pool for the counterattack) + 2 permanent Essence).

Intuition of the Hunted</b>

<b>Cost: 1 mote
Duration: Instant
Type: Reflexive
Minimum Martial Arts: 4
Minimum Occult: 3
Minimum Essence: 3
Prerequisites: Snow Fox Form

Building on his innate wariness and keen senses, the character becomes able to detect the sudden surges of power that accompany the expense of essence. Whenever anything within 10 yards of the Exalt expends essence in any manner, the player may choose to activate this Charm. The character immediately becomes aware of the (rough) direction, distance and amount of the essence expenditure. If one action (e.g., an unexpected attack which is modified by Charms) would trigger both The Woods Grow Silent and this Charm, then only this Charm activates - but it has the effects of both Charms. This Charm is an asset, not a liability, and should not be used to drain the motes of the character.

Five Unfolding Petals Meditation</b>

<b>Cost: 10 motes, 1 willpower
Duration: One Scene
Type: Simple
Minimum Martial Arts: 5
Minimum Occult: 4
Minimum Essence: 3
Prerequisites: Intuition of the Hunted

Opening all five of his senses outward from the physical realm, and attuning them to the ambient essence, the Exalt extends them into the spirit realm. For the remainder of the scene, all five of the character's senses perceive both the physical and spirit worlds, his attacks can strike beings in either, and he gains one automatic success on all rolls dealing with sensing essence. Further, whenever anything that the Exalt can see expends essence in any way, the Exalt perceives a brief, faint glow surrounding it/him/her/etc. This Charms does not let the character reach into the underworld, and does not function if he is already in the underworld.

Snowblind Strike</b>

<b>Cost: 4 motes
Duration: Instant
Type: Supplemental
Minimum Martial Arts: 4
Minimum Essence: 2
Prerequisites: Snow Fox Form

The character makes an essence-laden gesture that draws the attention of his opponent for a moment, allowing his strike to land when it isn't expected. The target is considered unaware of the attack supplemented by this Charm, and may not be made aware of it by any purely sensory means. To the senses of the target, this attack does not exist. Any defenses that function against attacks the character is unaware of still function, and means of becoming aware of the attack which do not use sight, smell, taste, touch or sound are unaffected (for example, Perfection of the Visionary Warrior would still grant its parries, as the Sidereal senses essence rather than seeing). Further, this is considered an environmental penalty, and may be negated as such.

Hunter's Folly Prana</b>

<b>Cost: 6 motes, 1 willpower
Duration: One Scene
Type: Simple
Minimum Martial Arts: 4
Minimum Dodge: 4
Minimum Occult: 3
Minimum Essence: 3
Prerequisites: Snowblind Strike

The fox is tricky, and any hunter must be wary of where he follows her. The martial artists darts around his opponent, sometimes partially dematerializing to pass through foliage or to visit optical illusions on his foe. The character uses these subtle tricks among the dance of battle to capture his opponent's attention and direct her as he wishes. While the character fully concentrates on only one opponent during combat (he may defend against other combatants, but may not act against them, including counterattacks), he determines her movement actions. This does not force the opponent to do anything to increase the amount of ground she can cover (such as declaring full movement actions, or invoking Charms), but within her normal range of movement she belongs to the martial artist. If the Exalt maneuvers his victim into a directly dangerous position (say, over the side of a cliff, into a bonfire, etc.), she may make a reflexive Wits + Essence roll, at a difficulty equal to the Exalt's Essence. If she succeeds, the effects of this charm end for her, she does not move into the dangerous position, and she may not be retargeted with this Charm for a number of turns equal to her Wits. If she fails, she blindly follows the choreography of the Exalt. At the end of every turn during which a character has taken damage because of this charm (e.g., by standing in a pit of snakes), she gets another reflexive Wits + Essence roll to break the Charm. This Charm only affects one target at a time, but a character may "switch off," directing one target one turn and a different target the next. Characters whose permanent Essence is less than the martial artist's are unaware of its use, even if they successfully escape its effects (though they can deduce it). Those whose permanent Essence is greater than or equal to the martial artist's are immune to this Charm's effects.

Secret Den Technique</b>

<b>Cost: 5 motes
Duration: Instant
Type: Reflexive
Minimum Martial Arts: 5
Minimum Dodge: 5
Minimum Essence: 3
Prerequisites: Hunter's Folly Prana

A wise fox will have redundant dens, so that she can dart into one and emerge from another, to strike at an enemy from behind. Using this Charm, the Exalt uses a "secret den" - the spirit world. The character gets a regular reflexive Dodge (à la Shadow over Water), with automatic successes equal to his Martial Arts. Regardless of the outcome of the dodge, the Exalt immediately dematerializes, rematerializing a moment later - after stepping behind his opponent. If the character dodged a ranged attack, he may reappear anywhere within about two yards of where he disappeared. This Charm specifically allows the Snow Fox Form counterattack power to activate if the character succeeded on the dodge (against a hand-to-hand attack, of course). In this case, the counterattack may be used once the character is safely behind his opponent. Other applications for this Charm are possible, as its essential effect is to allow the character to dematerialize for about one second.

Fox Slips into the Snow</b>

<b>Cost: 20 motes, 1 willpower
Duration: Indefinite
Type: Simple
Minimum Martial Arts: 5
Minimum Occult: 5
Minimum Essence: 4
Prerequisites: Opportune Moment Advantage, Five Unfolding Petals Meditation, Secret Den Technique

The Exalt learns to enter the spirit realm on a more permanent basis. While the essence powering this Charm remains committed, the character remains dematerialized, exactly as if he'd used the spirit Charm Dematerialize. He does not regain any essence through respiration while dematerialized, and may not take any other living thing with him except a familiar, if he has one. He may bring anything with him that he is wearing and/or carrying, within reason, but may not bring any item which is individually too massive for him to carry or which is physically larger than him. The items the character brings with him (and only those items) will rematerialize with him, if he is holding/carrying/wearing them when he rematerializes. That is, if he brings something in, leaves it, and then comes back, since he didn't bring it with him this time, he can't bring it back using this Charm. Activating or releasing this Charm requires a full turn of complete immobility and concentration, and this Charm may never be a part of a combo. This Charm DOES allow a character to enter spirits' sancta and Yu-Shan. In the latter case, the essence is simply spent, not committed, and the character behaves as all other Exalts in Yu-Shan.

Comments

Shouldn't the cost of the final charm be a bit higher? Spirits pay half their motes to dematerialize, correct? So letting a Martial Artist pay only 10 seems a bit unfair. -Fifth

This is true. I'd been thinking that the "no regaining essence" clause was a bit nastier than a higher short-term expense, but that doesn't really affect the short-term... would you suggest upping it to 20 motes? Or maybe making it a variable cost? - SMK

Mmmm... I'm not sure. Making it variable has its merits, but then it's basically a clone of Dematerialize, and that's no good; it's MA, it should be different. I'd up the cost to 20 motes, I think. They can always get motes back from hearthstones, right? -Fifth

Yeah, that's very true. They can regain essence any number of ways, just not through normal respiration. Changed. =) - SMK

Ooh though! New question! Does Hunter's Folly Prana make sense? I know it's long, but if you can force yourself to read the whole thing... - SMK

It makes sense, but this line: "Characters whose permanent Essence is not greater than that of the character" should be simplified to, "Characters whose permanent Essence is less than or equal to that of the character". Your line contains a negative and is confusing, at least IMO. -Fifth

Y'see, this is what I pay you people for. Just kidding. I fixed that bit of semantic silliness. Thanks - SMK

With Hunter's Folly Prana, am I right in assuming the martial artist actually makes the victim's movement for them? If so, do they do so in their turn, or the victim's? - Trithne