Revision as of 08:07, 5 April 2010

Harlot and Virgin Style

By BerserkSeraph

Background

The rudiments of this style, those practiced by those without access to Essence, are surprisingly widespread among the Realm and other cities, for the style itself was designed - according to First Age manuscripts and some hazy memories of Celestial Exalts - to be used as a woman's self-defense program. It is known to most mortals as simply Maiden Style, and split into two branches - called Scarlet and Ivory. Scarlet Maiden is a style focusing on unarmed combat, used by prostitutes and taught by madams to ensure a degree of protection against clients. The Ivory Maiden style is taught to daughters of privilege (often by those same, retired madams-turned-wives) and focuses more on the use of parries and attacks to gain distance between oneself and their attacker.

Those with sufficient knowledge believe the style to have been founded by an Eclipse-caste Solar working in tandem with her warrior Lunar husband, as a method of protecting their house-maids and children from attack from the pair's enemies. A comprehensive defense system, it spread rapidly, and was eventually among the common studies of young women. The style, called Sun-and-Moon, was corrupted over time from lackadaisical preservation, and split into a style practiced primarily by courtesans - Harlot style - and one taught to young ladies for self-protection - Virgin style. With the Usurpation the Essence-enhanced techniques were lost, and the respective styles subsumed into their current shapes, but some Sidereals and a handful of awakening Solars retain a memory of the forms necessary to shape the full style.

Harlot and Virgin Style favors fans and similar weapons, and may substitute a war fan or wind-fire wheel for an unarmed strike in the use of these Charms. Due to the emphasis of the style of meeting force with delicacy, even a mundane 'dress' fan can be used to parry by practitioners (Those with at least one Charm from this style) as if it were a war fan, but remains useless when attacking. The style is incompatible with armor.

Because the Harlot forms are reliant on some degree of deceit, their caps may be limited by the character's skill as an actor rather than that as a combatant. This may be a style corruption - suitably gifted Exalted martial artists may be able to re-shape the Charms into a less restricted form.

http://daikamen.kaitoukage.net/Charmtree.PNG

Charms:

Alluring Courtesan Proposal</b>

<b>Cost: 3 motes
Duration: Instant
Type: Reflexive
Min. Martial Arts: 2
Min. Essence: 1
Prerequisites: None

By creating an apparent opening in their defense, the character can unbalance foes as they nimbly maneuver away. The charms of a courtesan are visible, certainly - but they come with a high price.

The character may activate this Charm upon making a successful dodge or parry against a non-ranged attack. If they do so, the attacker is off-balance until their next turn, suffering a penalty to defense die pools equal to half (Round up) of the charm user's Martial Arts or Performance, whichever is lower.

Coy Maiden Method</b>

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

With an expansive wave of a fan or an Essence-enhanced open hand, the character can push enemies away, rather than damage them, with the force of an attack. This was the foundation of the original style - the use of a small amount of Essence to keep distance from an attacker, stalling until help arrived.

The character activates this charm when attacking. Instead of dealing damage, should the attack succeed, the target is knocked back two yards for each success on the damage roll. They must also roll a successful Strength + Athletics check against a difficulty of the charm user's Essence or be knocked prone. Alternatively, the character can chose to push herself away from her enemy - the distance is the same but there is no chance of the user falling prone.

Perfume-Scented House of Pleasure</b>

<b>Cost: 3 motes
Duration: Instant
Type: Reflexive
Min. Martial Arts: 3
Min. Essence: 2
Prerequisites: Alluring Courtesan Proposal

Further working on the principle of the creation of opportunities, the Charm's user takes a deliberately and deceptively weak position to draw opponents in, then dodges and uses their motion against them, applying limited strength at key points to knock them over.

The character may activate this charm upon successfully dodging or parrying a melee or unarmed strike. The attacker must make a Dexterity + Athletics check against a difficulty of the Charm user's Martial Arts or be knocked prone. The character cannot activate this charm more times in one turn than her Martial Arts or Performance score, whichever is lower.

Unassailable Boudoir of the Chaste</b>

<b>Cost: 5 motes
Duration: Instant
Type: Reflexive
Min. Martial Arts: 3
Min. Essence: 2
Prerequisites: Coy Maiden Method

Assuming a defensive posture, the character gains insight into the attacks directed at her, moving to use the minimum of effort and force to emerge unscathed, tapping blows lightly so they miss by mere fractions of an inch or dancing lithely between strikes. Gleaming flows and eddies of Essence aid these actions, coiling around attacks to slow them and pulling the user gently away from harm, the martial artist's form becoming nearly sacrosanct as she weaves between blows

This Charm may be activated when the character is attacked by an attack (but before successes are calculated) with a tangible physical component - an arrow or punch is suitable, but a blast of flames is not. The Charm decreases attacker's dice pool for the attack by the character's Martial Arts score. This cannot reduce the attack dice pool beneath the attacker's Essence. The character may activate this charm a number of times per turn equal to her Martial Arts score.

Harlot and Virgin Form</b>

<b>Cost: 8 motes
Duration: One Scene
Type: Simple
Min. Martial Arts: 4
Min. Essence: 3
Prerequisites: Perfume-Scented House of Pleasure, Unassailable Boudoir of the Chaste, 

Performing a small dance-like flourish, the character unites the two branches of this style into a single comprehensive style, combining an unstoppable defense with the ability to take advantage of others' mistakes. Motions become poetry and any apparent hole in the character's defense is a cruel joke, a ruse designed to pull foes to their dooms.

While in this Form, the character adds her Essence to her initiative total, may add her Martial Arts score to all dodge and parry attempts, may use her full dice pool on all dodges or parries when using a full dodge or full parry action, and may make retributive strikes.

Any attacker (using a non-ranged attack) that targets the character and has his attack dodged or parried can be subjected to such a strike. Retributive strikes are attacks using only the character's Martial Arts score as a dice pool, dealing normal base damage for the weapon plus any additional successes. Characters may dodge or parry retributive strikes as normal. The character cannot launch more than one retributive strike for a single attack, and cannot make more retributive strikes each round than their Martial Arts or Performance score, whichever is lower.

This is a Form-type charm, subject to all the restrictions on such charms.

Unwary Customer Loses his Coinpurse</b>

<b>Cost: 6 motes
Duration: Instant
Type: Supplemental
Min. Martial Arts: 4
Min. Essence: 3
Prerequisites: Harlot and Virgin Form

Possessing a near-transcendent understanding of the flaws in others' motions, thanks in no small part to the skill of her own, the user of this Charm can capitalize on every slight imperfection in an opponent's defense and condition to make a particularly devastating attack.

The attack supplemented by this Charm, if successful, ignores a number of soak equal to the character's Essence score. In addition, it gains additional damage dice - one for each point of wound or situational penalties that the target is suffering. The additional dice are added post-soak and cannot exceed the charm user's Martial Arts score.

Example: Iris has cornered the chieftain of the barbarian tribe in a swamp and, with a cunning application of her Charms, both wounded him and knocked him prone. She follows up with this attack against his prone form, dealing 8 damage, pre-soak. Her use of this charm reduces his Lethal Soak (from his reinforced buff jacket and Stamina) from 6 to 3 (Her Essence is 3), so she rolls 5 dice for damage. In addition, however, he is suffering a -1 wound penalty and a -2 penalty for being prone , so she adds 3 further dice, for a final total of 8 dice to damage.

Haughty Rejection of All Suitors Technique</b>

<b>Cost: 7 motes, 1 Willpower
Duration: Instant
Type: Simple
Min. Martial Arts: 4
Min. Essence: 3
Prerequisites: Harlot and Virgin Form

With an immense flourish of her arms or fans, the martial artist sends a number of opponents sprawling in all directions. This advanced technique was key in later struggles against the Dragon-Blooded, breaking their unit cohesion and with it their teamwork.

The character rolls an attack using Dexterity + Martial Arts, and applies that attack against a number of foes within 3 meters equal to her Martial Arts score. In addition to the normal effects of this attack, however, the targets (if damaged) are flung back 10 yards for each point of Essence the charm's user possesses. Those knocked back in this fashion must roll Dexterity + Athletics against a difficulty of the charm user's Essence or also be knocked prone.

Example: Iris finds that slaying the barbarian chieftain has done less to quell the spirit of his followers than she thought, and is assaulted by a half-dozen of them. She activates this Charm, sweeping her fans down, and rolls her attack - 7 successes. She applies this attack to the 4 (Her Martial arts score) closest barbarians, each of which suffers damage and is knocked back 30 yards. In the rare event that they survive the attack and crashing into the trees, they must also roll Dexterity + Athletics against difficulty 3 or be knocked down.

Virtue-Vice Duality Meditation</b>

<b>Cost: 7 Motes
Duration: One Scene
Type: Simple
Min. Martial Arts: 5
Min. Essence: 3
Prerequisites: Harlot and Virgin Form

The character takes a moment to consider the nature of excess weighed against the concept of sanctity, and through understanding grows more capable. The realization of one's need for both the pristine and the profane comes with a brief insight into compromise, an intrinsic comprehension of how to accomplish the most with the least motion.

For the duration of this charm, the character may take two normal actions per turn without any penalties and may divide her dice pools normally to gain additional actions. This 'additional action' remains on the same turn, and thusly does not allow the character to use more than the normal number of Charms per turn. It is incompatible with Extra Action Charms - the character must cancel this Charm to use Extra Action charms.

The actions cannot be the same, however - they must be opposed. Attacking with one action means the other one must be assigned as a defense. The only exception is assigning actions to movement - the character may freely assign both (But not only one) actions to movement, travelling at double speed. The character may chose to not take the additional action, acting as normal for that turn but gaining none of the benefits of this Charm.

Gory Duels for the Courtesan's Affections</b>

<b>Cost: 7 Motes, 1 Willpower
Duration: One Scene
Type: Reflexive
Min. Martial Arts: 5
Min. Essence: 3
Prerequisites: Unwary Customer Loses his Coinpurse

The character reads the weaknesses in the attacks of others, manipulating them into horrific mistakes that turn their attacks on their friends, their allies, themselves - anyone but the character herself, who floats like forbidden fruit, a gentle tap here and a dodge there driving her enemies into slaughtering themselves.

For the scene in which this Charm is active, upon a successful dodge or parry the character may re-direct any attack with a physical component (a punch, sword blow, arrow, etc) into a new target (which may be the attacker him or herself!) of her choosing. All other factors of the attack (successes, etc.) are maintained - no successes are removed for the character's dodge or parry - but the target is changed. The new target can dodge or parry as normal. The character cannot redirect more attacks in a single turn than her Martial Arts or Performance score - whichever is lower.

Unbreakable Vow of Chastity Stance</b>

<b>Cost: 6 Motes and 1 Willpower, + 5 motes and 1 Willpower per additional turn
Duration: Variable
Type: Reflexive
Min. Martial Arts: 5
Min. Essence: 4
Prerequisites: Haughty Rejection of All Suitors Technique

The character coils her will and her Essence into an unassailable fortress, blocking and weaving away from attacks with a grace and ease that seems almost mocking. The Exalt that uses this Charm can wade through melees and emerge unscathed, parrying a fusillade of arrows or dodging blows from mobs of opponents.

This Charm, once activated, allows the character to completely dodge or parry any attack directed at her as long as she scores at least one success on the dodge or parry check. It does not empower the character to make extra defenses, or add bonuses to the defenses themselves, but nearly assures success. It does not allow the character to parry or dodge attacks that cannot normally be parried or dodged. The character selects the duration when she activates this Charm and pays for the entire duration then, regardless of whether she decides to keep the Charm active for the full duration that she bought.

Madam and Maiden's Chastisement</b>

<b>Cost: 9 Motes and 1 Willpower
Duration: Instant
Type: Reflexive
Min. Martial Arts: 5
Min. Essence: 4
Prerequisites: Gory Duels for the Courtesan's Affections, Unbreakable Vow of Chastity Stance. 

The martial artist's understanding of the synergy between defense of herself and the use of openings becomes incredibly manifest with this masterful strike, lunging into an opponent's attack to take advantage of their opening while remaining protected. The character may make a counterattack of extreme power, repelling and disorienting the foe, while evading an opponent's attack.

The character must activate this charm in response to an attack that she is aware of. The attacker must be attacking from a close enough range that the character could reasonably (with her movement rate) bridge the distance - generally this restricts the Charm to melee. Upon expending the motes and willpower for this charm, the martial artist automatically dodges or parries the attack (her choice) and launches a counterattack with her Dexterity + Martial Arts pool against the attacker. The defense isn't perfect - the character cannot dodge or parry attacks that prevent such defenses.

The character's attack can be dodged or parried as normal but with a penalty equal to the character's Essence. Should the attack deal damage, it knocks the target back 5 yards for every point of the martial artist's Essence, and the victim suffers a -1 penalty to all actions for the rest of the scene.

Comments

God, this took longer to write than I thought it would. This is a work heavily in progress, and I'd appreciate any insight for charm costs, easier-to-discern Charm effects, and so on. ~ BerserkSeraph

Hey! I dig the style, I'm always a fan of er, heh, fan based and other cool "girly" martial arts styles. Now, I'm noting that Gory Duels for the Courtesan's Affections (btw, the names RAWK) is kinda like that DB Dodge charm Safety Amongst Enemies, which makes me think it may be a bit overcosted as it stands now. Also, the form charm is a little pricey, maybe if they could use Dex or Performance + MA for the retributive strike? Aaaaand, oh, yeah, that really sweet Unbreakable Vow of Chastity Stance, its 6m, 1w for the first attack, could the subsequent attacks just cost 3 motes? Keep in mind I am in no way an expert on Exalted MA, these are just the opinions of a wayward soul who's really trying to get into crunch. -Dreaming Nymph

I like all the Preform Charms, they're at a good level of power and there's some really nice imagery here. But the Form needs work. It's an Essence 2 Charm with four pre-reqs. But it removes all penalties from full dodge/parry, adds MA to all dodge/parry actions, gives a bonus to init and allows for limited counterattacks that can be combined with REAL counterattacks. That's pretty damn badass. Just the first three make this Form worth 6 motes. And 2 motes more isn't enough for the retributive strikes. You don't want a Form to cost too much. If you want to keep it that strong, I'd boost it to Ess 3. I like Unwary Customer, but it's a bit complicated. However, since I can't think of a simplier way to write that, I'll just say it's a really nice Charm. It may be too strong, but I'd want to see playtesting first.
Haughty Rejection of All Suitors is overpowered, that's simple. It applies against 4-5 targets a single attack that suffers no penalty and throws them entirly out of combat range. Most opponents can't move 30 yards in a single round, taking them out of melee combat for at least a turn each. That's pretty damn badass. I'd add a WP cost, or reduce the knockback range.
The IDEA behind Virtue-Vice meditation is really cool. I'm gunna borrow it myself for some Solar Charms. But altering one-charm-per-turn is terribly strong for an Essence 3 Charm. Either give it VERY strict limits on when the extra Charm can be applied, or increase it to Ess 4-5. I'm left confused as to if this simply lets you use two charms in a turn, or if its an Independent Action, like Charcoal March of Spiders Form. Using two Charms shouldn't net you another movement. Also, shouldn't this lead into the Pinnacle Charm as well as the other two of this tier?
I'd reduce the cost of Gory Duels to 5-6 motes and no WP. It should cost more the SAE, but not that much more.
Does Chastity Vow act as a turn-long Portentious Comet Deflecting Mode? That is, the defense is perfect if it succeeds at all? If so, I'm warry of this Charm. If not, right on target for power level.
Just clarify if the defense of the pinnacle Charm is Perfect or not. I generally discourage Perfects in MA, it's something that MA just doesn't offer in my opinion. But, I can't say it'd really be over-powered if it was Perfect. A good charm.

As a whole, the style is well-written, just needs some minor power tweaks here and there. - Telgar

I like the idea for the Form - and anyway, 3 Essence is pretty standard at that far into a charm tree (Although it grants about the same effect as Mantis Form plus the Ret. Strikes, which struck me as pretty limited). HRoASuitors had a Willpower cost when I wrote it the first time, I think I'll slide that back in. Nobody said using fans to knock people across football fields was easy.

V-V meditation doesn't allow you to use more charms, merely gives a second independent action pool, like that one Hearthstone (in Dawn, I think). I'll try and edit that to make it more clear - I think it's alright for what it does, could be wrong. I decided to leave it separate from the rest of the Tree because of what I invisioned as the style philosophy progression - most of the Tree is moving towards a unity of the two concepts, whereas V-V explicitly considers the differences. It might be a style offshoot that floundered, or maybe the Solar that knows the rest of the Charms hasn't re-exalted yet.

Gory Duels has a longer duration than SAE, and while it doesn't allow the reflexive dodge or the 4-successes-to-win dodge, it does affect many more attacks - factor in being Celestial (Costlier than DB) and it seems reasonable in cost.

It empowers every defense to function similarly to PCDM, but unlike that it does not grant you a free/reflexive defense. That's why I tried to make it preposterously costly. You can't really maintain it for more than about 3 turns, but for that stretch of time you aren't going to get swatted by anything that you could dodge or parry. No help against when the Yozi floods the room with lava, of course.

M+M's (Ha!) is an automatic success for Defense but can't block a boulder or blast of elemental fire like HGD does.

Thanks for all the suggestions! ~BerserkSeraph

Initial thoughts - Coy Maiden Method - I'd also allow the user to push herself back with this... or split the successes and push her and her attacker apart. Perfume Scented House of Pleasure - why not reduce the cost to 2 or 3 motes and make it Instant duration? You already have a lot of non Instant and non Scene charms in this tree... and could use some more Charms that are cheap to use. Unassailable Boudoir of the Chaste is useless if you have the form Charm up. This is less than ideal. The form Charm strikes me as priced about right for what it does, but I think it does a bit too much for a form Charm. My suggestion would be to remove or downplay the bit that makes UBotC useless and reduce the cost correspondingly. Unbreakable Vow of Chastity Stance is strange. I think I like it. It might be better if you had to determine the duration when you activated the Charm, rather than (as I read it) each round, though. -szilard

God! I completely forgot to make this thing reverse-compatible. I know ACourtProp works with UCustomer, but UBotC needs to be fixed, I'm open for suggestions. The style's pretty expensive, mote-wise, but it does have a lot of absolute effects. I agree that HoP could be an instant with less cost, although that slightly reduces its 'full parry and all twelve of the bandits end up prone' capabilities. - BerserkSeraph

Whee! A bit of an update, some Charms modified to work a little better, but now I'm slightly concerned in regards to balance and so forth. Telgar and his ilk, all of you lot who're slick with the mechanics, I'd love if you could help me straighten this out into something workable. ~ BerserkSeraph