Revision as of 08:07, 5 April 2010

Effulgent Lubrication of Sinews Style

Effulgent Lubrication of Sinews Style is an languid, almost decadent martial arts style. It centers on pleasure, distraction, sex, and birth. It is in the process of being created by an NPC in my Sidereals game , Summer Rain of the Cerulean Lute of Harmony.

The style was originally inspired by a comment FourWillowsWeeping made on RPG.net about martial artists being like oiled underwear models, and being superficially impressive. The concept of the style began as "Pretension," was changed to "Allure," and found itself comfortably settling into "Carnality."

I think, contrary to my original plans, I'm going to write the sutras first (done), THEN the Charms, then give them names. Therefore, the names that are there are very much subject to change. This style is written with Exalted Power Combat in mind, especially the alterations to clinches and holds. It should function in Classic Combat, however.

• By WaiyaddoNoDan
• Back to MartialArts

The Student's Sutra of Carnality: Once there was a man, and he was loved by many maidens...

Beauty and Grace Are One

Cost: 
Duration: Five turns
Type: Reflexive
Min. Ability: 5
Min Essence: 4
Prereqs: 

...for his glorious countenance and supple body were unmatched in Heaven or Creation.

The martial artist's elegant movements and natural attractiveness blend together, enhancing each other and hypnotizing onlookers. Anyone wishing to directly harm or oppose the martial artist must succeed at a Willpower roll with a difficulty of the martial artist's Dexterity or Appearance, whichever is lower. If the roll succeeds, the opponent suffers a one-die penalty. If the roll fails, he suffers a penalty of the character's Dexterity or Appearance, whichever is higher. If the opponent is trying to attack the martial artist and fails to gain even a single success on the Willpower roll, his dice pool is reduced to 0 before the effect of Charms.

Meeting Shy Eyes

Cost: 
Duration:Instant
Type: Simple
Min. Ability: 5
Min Essence: 4
Prereqs: 

The light in his eyes made them gasp and swoon.

The martial artist's eyes burn inwardly with Essence, and he attempts to capture the gaze of a single living character. He makes an unarmed Martial Arts attack with a range increment of the user's Essence x 5 in yards against a single living target, at a difficulty of the target's Conviction. The attack is invisible, and the defender by not dodge or parry the initial attack unless they can perceive the flows of Essence (as with All-Encompassing Sorcerer's Sight) or have Charms that warn or defend against surprise attacks such as Reflex Sidestep Technique or Surprise Anticipation Method, and even then may only parry with Charms that can deflect attacks without physical components.
If the initial attack succeeds, it is much like any other clinch. It may be turned on the attacker, may do bashing damage or no damage, and consumes the dice actions of both participants. The victim may contest the clinch normally without the aid of Charms. The base damage inflicted in the clinch is the sum of the attacker's Appearance and the defender's Compassion, and ignores armor.
The Charm only begins the clinch, and the attacker cannot end it without taking control. Both the martial artist and his victim remain paralyzed, even if one of them is incapacitated, until one controls and releases the clinch, one is dying, both are incapacitated, or their eyes are unable to meet for a full turn (if an object was interposed between them, or a participant was physically turned around or knocked down by a third party). If the clinch is released as a throw, the loser blacks out briefly and suffers knockdown (see Exalted p. 235) but not knockback, unless caused by effects from other Charms. As neither character is being physically restrained, merely thoroughly distracted, effects such as the Freedom Stone do not provide any resistance to the clinch.
Unless other Charms cause lethal damage, characters neither bleed nor suffer any external damage due to the clinch. If a character is dying because of the clinch, his heart has stopped and -- as usual -- he will die without magical intervention.

Torment of Needs Unmet

Cost: 
Duration: 
Type: 
Min. Ability: 5
Min Essence: 4
Prereqs: 

The fire of his passion passed into their loins,

The practitioners of the Effulgent Lubrication of Sinews Style can twist and tug at the Essence of others, especially that focusing on the Virtue of Compassion. With this Charm, the martial artist creates a sympathetic connection between her opponent's Essence and her own, bending it to her passion, if not her will. The martial artist need only touch his target's flesh or hair to activate this Charm, making a Dexterity + Martial Arts attack which need do no damage. The difficulty of the attack is at +1 if the opponent is wearing medium armor and +2 if he is wearing heavy or superheavy armor. The attack cannot be parried unarmed. The Charm may be applied as well with a caress or a pat as a punch or kick, and need not appear to be an attack at all. If the target is not resisting, the difficulty of the attack roll is 1 regardless of the defender's armor. If for some reason the target is physically impossible to touch, whether encased completely in armor or some other substance or magically warded, the attack must do damage for the Charm to take effect.
If the attack succeeds (or no attack is required), the victim must make a Willpower roll at a difficulty of his own Compassion to take any action; if the roll fails, the action is wasted. If the action would directly harm, oppose, or resist the martial artist, the difficulty of the Willpower roll is the victim's Compassion or the attcker's Appearance, whichever is higher, and even on a success the attacker subtracts the higher of the two from any roll involved in the action he does not channel Valor, Temperance, or Conviction on.

Intolerable Anticipation

Cost: 
Duration: 
Type: 
Min. Ability: 5
Min Essence: 4
Prereqs: 

And they sweated and panted, desperate for his touch.

A laugh, a word, a shake of the hip -- the martial artist that knows this Charm can lead an army to distraction -- or destruction.
While the Charm is active, every character capable of perceiving the martial artist (by touch, smell, sight, hearing, taste, or any supernatural sensory effect) must roll the her Temperance each turn, friend or foe. Willpower may be spent to ignore the roll. If the roll fails, the character suffers the following effects for the turn:

• He must move at least a number of yards towards the martial artist equal to the Sidereal's Appearance as soon as possible each turn. This consumes the characters tactical movement, although any remaining yards of movement may be used to move in any direction (including away from the martial artist)
• The victim cannot tear his eyes or attention from the martial artist; he suffers a penalty equal to the martial artist's Essence to all actions that do not involve the martial artist, and any actions that would harm or remove the martial artist. If made unable to perceive the martial artist while the Charm remains active, he must use any movement, Abilities, or Charms available to once again admire and approach the martial artist. The Essence difficulty modifier remains.
• If the victim strikes, is struck by, or grapples with the martial artist, she may make a Compassion roll. Success indicates that the victim regains a Willpower point.
• Any Performance or Presence rolls made by the martial artist are considered to receive automatic successes equal to his Martial Arts when applied to characters under the sway of this Charm.

Liberation of Body

Cost:  
Duration: Instant
Type: Supplemental
Min. Ability: 5 
Min Essence: 4
Prereqs: 

Before the maidens knew it, they were pressed against his bare chest,

The martial artist tantalizingly slips out of one or more items of clothing, equipment, armor, or other encumbrances, and in her opponent's one moment of surprise or temptation, strikes. This is treated as an ambush, save for two differences: the attacker rolls Charisma + Presence instead of Dexterity + Stealth, and the defender's Wits + Awareness roll is made at a difficulty of (attacker's Appearance) - (defender's Conviction or Temperance, whichever is lower), minimum 1.
This Charm may be used to remove armor, but does not gain the benefits of an ambush unless she removes all the armor she is wearing. This Charm may supplement either unarmed Martial Arts attacks or non-combat actions such as seduction, pickpocketing, or dancing, but may not be in a Combo with Charms of other Abilities.

Cold Fingers on Hot Skin

Cost: X+ motes
Duration: Instant
Type: Supplemental
Min. Ability: 5
Min Essence: 4
Prereqs: 

And he against theirs,

The martial artist brushes her fingers lightly across another's body, freeing the other character from the bonds of their clothes and armor. Buttons undo themselves, and buckles and clasps slip apart, doing no damage to the equipment but depriving their wearer of them. She makes an unarmed Martial Arts attack against another character that need not do damage, and if the attack succeeds a single item worn by the defender is deftly removed.
If the item is an attuned artifact, such as magical bracers or armor, the difficulty of the attack is the attunement cost of the artifact and the martial artist must immediately spend motes of Essence equal to the attunement cost of the artifact. This does not break the other character's attunement, but merely dulls it long enough for the artifact to be removed. While most armor, even superheavy plate, is held on by straps and buckles, fully enclosing armor such as a warstrider is impossible to remove by this method (unless the wearer was exposed enough to be slipped out of the harnesses holding him in). Bracers and similar items are removed separately, although in the case of artifacts such as hearthstone bracers only the attunement cost of the single item applies, and both may cease functioning.
This Charm reduces the difficulty of a mundane disarm attempt by 1, as it is (ironically) easier to remove a warrior's clothes with it than to take his blade from him. Against magical weapons, the difficulty remains the attunement cost of the weapon.
The more humor-minded students of the style enjoy using this Charm for practical jokes, and it is commonly used to embarrass an opponent who has foolishly challenged a skilled practitioner to a duel.
For the purposes of this Charm, footwear, clothing below the waist, clothing above the waist, and a suit of armor are each considered "one item." This does not apply to artifacts, each of which must be removed separately.

Farewell to the Wedded Lover

Cost: 
Duration: One turn
Type: Simple
Min. Ability: 5
Min Essence: 4
Prereqs: 

And then he was fled with the night,

Briefly, the martial artist receives a number of benefits. She adds her Martial Arts rating to her initiative, suffers no wound penalties, may take a full movement action and double her movement speed, and may pick up and carry any item within her Essence in yards that she wishes, up to her normal carry weight. She also receives additional dice equal to her Compassion to dodges and unarmed Martial Arts parries in the turn, or a reflexive dodge with Compassion in dice against all attacks if she has no defenses to augment. If she wishes she may wear any clothes she picks up, though she may not don armor. If the character's hands are full (i.e., she is carrying her daiklave, 10 year-old child, and a full suit of superheavy plate), she cannot parry without a stunt, only dodge.
When used to rescue a companion from imminent death, the Charm is often called Lullaby to the Slumbering Child.

Effulgent Lubrication of Sinews Form

Cost: 
Duration: One Scene
Type: Simple
Min. Ability: 5
Min Essence: 5
Prereqs: 

And they were maidens no more.

The character peforms a preparatory kata and strikes precise blows to pressure points in his arms and chest. The most obvious effect of this is that his skin takes on an oily sheen. Blunt weapons slip and glide off of him, raising his bashing soak and the difficulty to clinch him by his permanent Essence, although he suffers no penalties to clinch others.

Charm Name

Cost: 
Duration: 
Type: 
Min. Ability: 
Min Essence: 
Prereqs: 

The Elder Sutra of Carnality: One day, there were no maidens at all,

Charm Name

Cost: 
Duration: 
Type: 
Min. Ability: 
Min Essence: 
Prereqs: 

For every maiden had been visited by the man.

Charm Name

Cost: 
Duration: 
Type: 
Min. Ability: 
Min Essence: 
Prereqs: 

However, among them was one swollen with potential,

Perfect Inheritance Prana

Cost: 10+ motes, 1 Willpower, + 1 Willpower and 1 health level per child
Duration: One scene
Type: Simple
Min. Ability: 7
Min Essence: 7
Prereqs: 

And through blood and pain she brought forth new maidens.

On the turn the martial artist activates the Perfect Inheritance Prana, he must spend 10 motes and 1 Willpower, and sufers -4 dice from all actions due to wound penalties in addition to any existing penalties as the primal forces of birth course through his body. Performing any physical action requires a Stamina + Endurance roll at difficulty 5, or the character's dice action is wasted and he can only wail or moan in his agony. Effects that do not require physical movement, such as Flow Like Blood, only require a roll at difficulty 3. At the end of the turn, just before initiative is determined for the next turn, the martial artist's flesh twists and bulges, and one or more perfect replicas of him are spewed forth. Each replica requires a Willpower point to create, and causes a single automatic unsoakable health level of damage (which cannot be healed by any means while Essence remains committed to this Charm) as it draws from the martial artist's flesh to create its own. At the time the clones are created, the character birthing the replicas may spend additional Essence on the Charm (see Essence pools, below). Note that it is still the turn the Charm is activated (so the sutra discount only applies to the Charm once).
The clone-children may move and act independently, and need never retain contact with each other or the martial artist. They may benefit from effects that grant extra or fully independent actions, including Extra Action Charms, persistent defenses, Perfection of the Visionary Warrior, the Gem of Perfect Mobility, and Charcoal March of Spiders Form (though any incompatibility between them is unchanged, such as Charcoal March of Spiders Form's limit on Extra Action Charms), but may not use the Perfect Inheritance Prana. They share all the originating character's Attributes, Abilities, Charms, and other Traits, including mundane equipment and attuned artifacts, with the following exceptions:

• The replicas begin with the number of health levels the martial would have if fully healed
• The replicas begin with temporary Willpower equal to the martial artist's after the use of the Charm
• All replicas created have the martial artist's permanent Essence, -1 for every replica created. Replicas cannot have Essence higher than 5, and the martial artist may not create more than (Essence - 1) replicas. The clones' Essence affects their ability to access Charms and minimum dice pools under Exalted Power Combat, but does not limit their Trait maxima and does not grant them additiona motes of Essence
• The replicas have an Essence pool equal to the martial artist's unspent personal Essence, in addition to any additional motes spent when the replicas are created; this is their maximum pool, unless some effect (such as the Abyssal Charm Essence Engorgement Technique), in which case the maximum is higher, but no additional motes are granted when the replica is created
• The replication process can mimic the Essence of lesser attuned artifacts ( level * or ** artifacts), but none higher. They are considered attuned and the appropriate motes committed when the Charm takes effect. Artifacts that are not attuned lack the mystical bond required for the mimicry. If the martial artist has a greater artifact she shares an especially close connection with, the Storyteller may rule that its Essence is tied closely enough to be reproduced as well. For example, the single weapon a Solar may bond with using Summoning the Loyal Steel would be a good candidate.
• A replica's artifacts cannot be attuned or used by another, even if removed from it. If a replica is killed, any Magical Materials created with it turn to inert stone (if jade) or metal (if any other Magical Material), and replicated hearthstones become dead rocks. It suffer a similar transformation if either the copy or the original is damaged beyond use or unattuned.
• If a replica expends or loses its entire Essence pool, its existence is rent asunder and it dies. Likewise, if it spends or loses its last point of temporary Willpower, it no longer has the strength to hold together its conglomeration of Essence and stolen flesh, and dies.
• If a replica is killed, dies due to lack of Essence or Willpower, or the martial artist stops committing Essence to the Charm, it melts into a small mound of blood and flesh about 1/10 its size. As noted above, any Magical Materials spawned with it turn to inert metal or stone. Other materials generally dissolve with the replica.
  

At the end of the scene, each surviving replica will attempt to rejoin the original martial artist. Each replica that fuses back into the character before he stops committing Essence to the Charm immediately heals the health level of damage caused when he was created. If the martial artist is dying or killed, the replicas will attempt to immediately rejoin him and renew his living Essence before his spirit can depart. At the moment the mortal blow is struck, every replica able to will immediately attempt to touch the martial artist. Effects that extend the range of a hand-to-hand attack, such as Flickering Moonsilver Approach, the Long Arm mutation, or movement effects such as Dance of the Hungry Spider all aid its attempt. Each replica capable of touching the martial artist on the initiative tick in which he is killed may attempt to make a single Essence roll as a contested roll against the dying character's Essence. If no replicas touch him and succeeds on the Essence roll in that instant, the Charm ceases and they dissolve as though killed. If any succeed, the martial artist is revived, healing the health levels spent for each successful clone (first to Incapacitated, then -4, and so on), and with a number of motes of personal Essence equal to the total permanent Essence Traits of the successful replicas. In the moment of death, all committed Essence to Charms and artifacts ceases - a martial artist revived in this manner may find himself easy prey for a second finishing blow, especially if he is covered in (now unattuned) artifacts and unable to move.

Comments

There's something I'm forgetting in Perfet Inheritance Prana, but damned if I can remember what it is at the moment.