Revision as of 08:07, 5 April 2010

Unity Through Conflict and Harmony Style

• by Telgar
• back to CelestialMartialArts

Background

Created by the Sidereals long before the Usurption, this Style was favored by the Dragon-Blooded of the First Age. Only a few Celestials bothered to learn it, so harmonized was its structure and movements with the natural affinities of the Dragon-Blooded. The Unity Style, as it is known most commonly, centers around the relationship between the Five Elements. Its practitioners may freely wear the armor of the Wood or the Earth, but the complex motions of many of the maneuvers in this Style's teachings can only be made bare-handed.

Charms

Harmony of Fog</b>

 <b>Cost: 2 motes per reduction
 Duration: Instant
 Type: Reflexive
 Min MA: 3
 Min Essence: 3
 Prereqs: None

The fog forces travelers to move carefully, slowly and with great care. It blinds and confuses the senses. As does the essence summoned by a Unity Stylist who has learned to combine the omnipresence of Air with the clinging, stifling strength of Water. For every two motes spent on this Charm, reduce the initiative of one opponent by 1. The initiative of an opponent can not be reduced by more then the user’s Martial Arts.

Harmony of Dust</b>

 <b>Cost: 4 motes per point
 Duration: One scene
 Type: Simple
 Min MA: 3
 Min Essence: 3
 Prereqs: None

Filling the air around him with particles of earth by a simple sweep of his foot along the ground a Unity Stylist can shelter behind a cloud of dust as easily as any other can shelter behind a stone wall. At Essence 2 the cover created is 25%, increasing to 50% at Essence 4 and 75% at Essence 6. For every “dot” or 25% of cover created this Charm costs 4 motes. The character need not create as much cover as he can.

Harmony of Lava</b>

 <b>Cost: 5 motes, 1 willpower
 Duration: Instant
 Type: Supplemental
 Min MA: 3
 Min Essence: 3
 Prereqs: None

Lava, the molten blood of the Earth, burns so hot that even being near it can cause people to burst into flames. Channeling the heat of fire through the Earth of his own bones allows the Unity Stylist to inflict aggravated damage with one hand-to-hand attack. This attack must be used unarmed.

Harmony of Amber</b>

 <b>Cost: 5 motes
 Duration: One scene
 Type: Simple
 Min MA: 3
 Min Essence: 3
 Prereqs: None

Hardening his living body with the strength of Earth the character becomes like amber, once living, now stone. His flexible resilience becomes unyielding strength, allowing him to soak lethal damage with his bashing soak. In addition he may opt to calculate his soak based on his Dexterity instead of his Stamina.

Harmony of Steam</b>

 <b>Cost: 4 motes
 Duration: Instant
 Type: Supplemental
 Min MA: 3
 Min Essence: 3
 Prereqs: None

Disarming an opponent by skill of arms is difficult and easily defeated, but when an opponent is faced with his weapon or grievous injury, it becomes easier. Combining Fire and Water, the martial artist strikes his opponent’s weapon and envelopes it with searing steam. When making a disarm attempt, the target is forced to roll Stamina + Resistance instead of Dexterity + (Ability) to regain hold. The difficulty of this roll is equal to the martial artist’s Essence. If they fail they are disarmed and if they succeed they take the martial artist’s Essence in lethal damage as their weapon superheats from the steam cloud created by this Charm.

Harmony of Lightning</b>

 <b>Cost: 3 motes
 Duration: Instant
 Type: Reflexive
 Min MA: 3
 Min Essence: 3
 Prereqs: None

As quickly as Fire lances through the Air and with as much deadly strength, the martial artist is able to lash out at his opponents. If the character goes first in a combat round, he may take two normal attack actions. If he does not go first, simply add 3 to the rate of his attack. This Charm is incompatible with perfect initiative effects.

Harmony of Clay</b>

 <b>Cost: 4 motes
 Duration: One turn
 Type: Reflexive
 Min MA: 3
 Min Essence: 3
 Prereqs: None

Drawing on the strength of earth and the flexibility of water the Unity Stylist is able to combine and draw upon any of his strengths at will. For the remainder of this Charm, whenever a roll requires a physical attribute the martial artist may roll whichever physical attribute he chooses instead of the one directed. This Charm’s effects can be extended for a number of additional turns equal to the martial artist’s Essence at a cost of 2 motes per turn. This extension does not count as a Charm use.

Harmony of Blood</b>

 <b>Cost: 4 motes, 1 willpower
 Duration: Instant
 Type: Supplemental
 Min MA: 3
 Min Essence: 3
 Prereqs: None

The power of Blood can heal as well as harm. Rejuvenated by water and empowered by fire, a martial artist who draws his opponents blood can restore his own. When making a martial arts attack, every level of damage inflicted on the target allows the character to heal one bashing health level of damage on his own body. Every two levels of damage allows a lethal health level to be healed.

Harmony of Ash</b>

 <b>Cost: 1 mote, 1+ health levels
 Duration: Instant
 Type: Reflexive
 Min MA: 3
 Min Essence: 3
 Prereqs: None

Destroying life only renews it. As ash covers the ground it fertilizes, lending strength to future generations of life. Combining Fire and Wood in his own body the character is able to sacrifice some of his life to gain strength in another way. For every health level expended on this Charm, which is considered an aggravated wound, the character gains ½ his Martial Arts score in motes, rounded down. This Charm can not be used more times in a scene then the character has dots of Stamina. Using it more then once requires a Stamina + Resistance roll with difficulty equal to the number of times the Charm is being used. The second roll is difficulty 2, the third is difficulty 3 and so on.

Harmony of Pollen</b>

 <b>Cost: 6 motes +1 per turn
 Duration: Variable
 Type: Simple
 Min MA: 3
 Min Essence: 3
 Prereqs: None

Life is not always friendly. By creating a form of hallucinogenic spore from parts of his own living body and expelling them in his breath a Unity Stylist can poison his opponent’s minds with distraction. Each turn this Charm is kept active, at a cost of 1 mote per turn after the first, all opponents within the character’s Essence x5 in yards suffers a dice-pool penalty equal to the Unity Stylist’s Martial Arts score.

Opposing Breath</b>

 <b>Cost: 6 motes, 1 willpower
 Duration: Instant
 Type: Supplemental
 Min MA: 4
 Min Essence: 4
 Prereqs: Harmony of Fog and Harmony of Dust

With his knowledge of the interaction between Earth, Water and Air it becomes possible for a Unity Stylist to taint an opponent with the stifling power of Earth and Water, preventing their ‘breathing’ of the world’s essence from functioning normally. Once tainted by a successful attack dealing 1 health level of damage the target of this Charm is unable to regain Essence from stunts or Charms for the remainder of the scene. If the attack does more health levels of damage then the target’s Essence then the target is able to spend only personal essence as their ability to manipulate essence outside their own bodies is severely limited.

Opposing Order </b>

 <b>Cost: 4 motes
 Duration: Instant
 Type: Reflexive
 Min MA: 4
 Min Essence: 4
 Prereqs: Harmony of Lava and Amber

The stolid, reliable nature of Earth is essential to any combatant. When countered with the active and chaotic elements of Fire and Wood, the stable nature of an attack is destroyed. The number of successes rolled on a single attack can be cut in half by the application of this Charm, which does not count as a dodge or a parry.

Opposing Passion </b>

 <b>Cost: 4 motes, 1 willpower
 Duration: Instant
 Type: Supplemental
 Min MA: 4
 Min Essence: 4
 Prereqs: Harmony of Steam and Harmony of Lightning

Air and Water are cold and distant, neither holding nor supporting the passion and life of Fire. Bringing the cold and darkness of Air and Water to an opponent makes them unable to muster the passion to fight. After being struck by an attack enhanced with this Charm or having an attack successfully parried by an enhanced defense the opponent is unable to channel virtues or spend Willpower points for any reason for a number of turns equal to (6- their lowest virtue).

Opposing Motion </b>

 <b>Cost: 5 motes
 Duration: Instant
 Type: Supplemental
 Min MA: 4
 Min Essence: 4
 Prereqs: Harmony of Clay and Harmony of Blood

Earth and Fire oppose Water with equal strength, though in different ways. The flows of water must mold themselves around Earth, unable to pass through its stalwart strength, but when they encounter Fire they are destroyed and transformed. Combining these disruptive influences the natural courses of motion in a Unity Stylist’s actions are disrupted, a normal martial arts attack delivers this disruption. This Charm doubles the penalty for taking multiple actions and adds 3 motes to the cost of Extra Action Charms for one turn.

Opposing Life</b>

 <b>Cost: 7 motes, 1 willpower, 1 health level
 Duration: Instant
 Type: Simple
 Min MA: 4
 Min Essence: 4
 Prereqs: Harmony of Ash and Harmony of Pollen

Though Air provides essential breath for all living things and Fire burns within everyone, no two elements are more opposed to life in their pure forms. Wood, being of life, fears both Air and Fire. Together these free-spirited and destructive elements bring Wood to its knees when used to strike at the living. Making a normal Martial Arts attack the character brings Air and Fire to bear against his opponent, burning with cold and heat. The attacks made by this Charm result in shattering destruction of the victim’s living form. Double the number of damage successes rolled and add 1 additional success for every 10 rolled. Though the damage is extensive, it is both cauterized and frozen, numbing the victim and preventing further damage. Wounds inflicted by this Charm never bleed and never cause wound penalties. They can, however, easily remove limbs. Without a successful Stamina + Endurance roll with difficulty equal to the number of health levels of damage inflicted, the victim of this attack has lost a part of his body to the attack such as an eye, arm or leg.

Unity Form</b>

 <b>Cost: 5 motes
 Duration: One Scene
 Type: Simple
 Min MA: 5
 Min Essence: 5
 Prereqs: Opposing Breath, Opposing Order, Opposing Passion, Opposing Motion, Opposing Life

By activating this Charm the Unity Stylist has achieved the ultimate goal of his practice and gained unity with all five of the elements, understanding how they interact in both peace and conflict. Empowered by his understanding, the martial artist gains a number of benefits. For the duration of this Charm his soak is increased by 10 against all attacks based on Air, Earth, Fire, Water or Wood and by 5 against all other attacks. Anyone approaching within (Essence x2) yards of the character takes the character’s Essence in dice of lethal damage which can not be soaked. Because of his elemental attunement, all out-of-aspect surcharges for Terrestrial Charms or the Immaculate Dragon Styles are ignored while under the effects of this Form. Lastly, any Terrestrial Exalted who learns this Charm adds 1 to his Breeding background, permanently.

Comments

I think it'd be ideal if Opposing Passion and Motion had similar duration mechanics. Otherwise, I think this is a really fun set of Charms. - willows loves the consistency.

The Charm ideas and the overall theme is really, really good. That said, the capstone is off-putting. Unity Form only strikes me as Form-worthy for Terrestrial practitioners, and learning a sixteen-Charm Celestial style as a Terrestrial is really, really hard. Celestials can learn the style easily enough, but then they get to the Form and find that it's not that great for them unless they're an Eclipse and really into DB Charms. -- Will is probably using the style for a character regardless.