Latest revision as of 01:16, 6 April 2010

Air Dragon Style

By Morpheus

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Background

This is a houseruled version of the Immaculate Air Dragon Style presented in Exalted: The Dragon-Blooded. It is an Air-Aspected Celestial martial art.

The Air Dragon Style uses a dazzling combination of attacks launched from multiple directions at incredible speed to best a foe's defenses, while staying out of range of his attacks. It is a bit like ninjitsu and a bit like kung-fu. However, the similarities are superficial.

The strategy behind the Air Dragon style is one of hit-and-run tactics. Practitioners seek to emulate the unparalleled agility and perfect precision of the Air Dragon to outwit and outmaneuver their foe at every turn, until they dash forward or unleash a flurry of chakrams, forcing the enemy to defend against multiple attacks at once until their speed fails. It doesn't usually take long. Practitioners are equally capable of delivering lightning-fast blows with the hands, feet, or chakram, which they are the undisputed masters of. In addition to the chakram, this very offensive style uses acrobatic jumps and kicks, combined with precise open-hand attacks designed to penetrate defenses and quickly and silently incapacitate.

The Air Dragon style teaches dodging as opposed to blocking, especially because many battles with this style are fought at range. Dodges are typically very impressive and elaborate, the better to obtain cover or escape an opponent. Practitioners learn to be as quick and silent as the wind, and this style is very suitable for assassination.

The chakram is very important, and Air Dragon martial artists will never be caught without a set of chakrams in case of emergency. They are used to force multiple opponents behind cover and to incapacitate or kill opponents who never knew the martial artist was in the room, all from a distance. They are carried on the belt and in the off-hand, and a master can accurately deliver 3 chakrams or more before the first one lands.

The Air Dragon Style philosophy espouses the value of strength of mind, motion, and perfection. Trainees learn to use their minds in combat more than the body or heart, and therefore constantly train the mind through meditation and study. The student of the Air Dragon can often be found memorizing large passages of text or counting the number of leaves falling from a tree during an autumn storm. The idea of Perpetual Motion is very important to the style, and the student is taught that to slow down for a moment is to allow the opponent time to defend or think, and should never be done save as a strategy to lure the opponent into a trap. Training often involves stretching, sprinting, jumping, and other acrobatics designed to make sure that one is never surrounded in battle. Most importantly, those who wish to practice the Air Dragon style must strive for perfection. One slip, one flinch, one mistake, and the fight is over before it begins. So, practitioners of this style seek not only to never fail, but to succeed in all things perfectly, and take pride in their accomplishments. If something is worth doing, says the Air Dragon Master, it is worth doing right.

Exalts who wish to learn the true perfection of the air may learn the full power of this style, learning first to harness the properties of the air around them to make fierce attacks with incredible range, all while moving with the speed of lightning and the subtlety of a warm breeze. Adepts begin to internalize the true precision of motion and constant perfection of the wind and eventually learn to harness the principles of wind, thunder, and lightning, making them capable of incredible bursts of deadliness up close or from a distance, while avoiding enemy attacks by moving in lightning-fast and impossible ways. Finally, the master learns to internalize the philosophy of perfection in Perpetual Motion, becoming an avatar of the Air Dragon Itself.

This style is not compatible with Armor. It is compatible with the chakram alone. Air Aspects with at least 3 dots of Martial Arts and who are trained in this style have no trouble throwing many chakrams at high speed. When they split their dice pool to make multiple attacks, throwing a number of chakrams no greater than their Martial Arts is considered a single action for the purpose of determining how many dice to subtract from the first action, but each chakram still counts as an action when it comes to subtracting an additional die for each consecutive action.

Thus, a character with 4 Martial Arts and 10 dice in his attack and dodge pools can split his action to dodge, attack 4 times, and dodge again, and roll 7 dice for the first dodge, then 6, 5, 4, and 3 dice for the 4 attacks, then 2 dice for the final dodge.

Charms

                                      Wind Dragon
                                         Speed
                                           |
                ------------------------------------------------------
                |                          |                         |
        Infinite Distance            Stolen Breath               Eye of the
            Technique                  Technique                   Storm
                |                          |                         |
                ------------------------------------------------------
                                           |
                                       Air Dragon
                                          Form
                                           |
                ------------------------------------------------------
                |                          |                         |
         Essence of Air               Raging Gale            Lightning Strike     
              Attack                     Style                    Attack 
                |                          |                         |
          Ghost-Thunder               Cloud-Riding             Thunderstorm
              Clap                  Wind-Dancer Kata              Stance
                |                          |                         |
                ------------------------------------------------------
                                           |
                                   Mind of Lightning

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

The character momentarily attunes herself to the speed of the wind. This Charm adds the character's Martial Arts to her Speed for one round. This charm may be used after Initiative is rolled, but must be used before the order of actions is announced.

<b>Cost: 3
Duration: Instant
Type: Supplemental
Min. Martial Arts: 3
Min Essence: 2
Prereqs: Wind-Dragon Speed

Summoning up a gust of Essence when making a ranged attack, the character is able to momentarily multiply her weapon's range by one-half her Martial Arts.

<b>Cost: 3 motes
Duration: Instant
Type: Supplemental
Min. Martial Arts: 3
Min Essence: 2
Prereqs: Wind-Dragon Speed

A target who is struck by an attack supplemented by this Charm feels the air in his body silently leave him. He cannot speak for a number of turns equal to the character's Martial Arts, and must roll Stamina + Resistance with a difficulty of the character's Martial Arts or suffer a -1 penalty to all actions for the same number of turns. Penalties from repeated use of this Charm stack, and any character who suffers a greater penalty than their Stamina + Endurance from this charm is rendered unconscious for the remainder of the scene.

<b>Cost: 3 motes
Duration: Martial Arts Turns
Type: Reflexive
Min. Martial Arts: 3
Min Essence: 2
Prereqs: Wind-Dragon Speed

A character using this Charm takes a bit of Air Essence into herself, heightening her capacities greatly. For a number of turns equal to her Martial Arts, the character may add her Martial Arts in yards to her movement. She may also add her Martial Arts in dice to Stealth rolls. Finally, she will remember everything that happens during this time perfectly, and will be able to recall every detail of the experience. Characters who experience a strong stimulus during this time will be deeply affected by it, and will not be able to forget the experience. Caution is recommended. Storytellers should feel free to require Willpower or Temperance rolls to work through the aftermath.

<b>Cost: 5 motes
Duration: 1 Scene
Type: Simple
Min. Martial Arts: 4
Min Essence: 2
Prereqs: Eye of the Storm, Stolen Breath Technique, Infinite Distance Technique

The character begins moving and does not stop. She begins to shuffle her feet, and when they stop moving, something else picks up the rhythm. Her stance becomes a constantly shifting excercise in perfection, and her gaze narrows and focuses like a hawk's. This Form awakens the character's potential and unites her with the flowing universe. For the remainder of the scene, the character may add half her Martial Arts to her Dexterity. In addition, the character takes no penalties for making ranged attacks on moving targets, no penalties because she is moving quickly, and may aim while moving and for a moving target without penalty. This has no effect on dodging opponents. Dexterity gained by this Charm is normal for consideration of movement or other effects, but still counts as a Charm enhancement for determining dice-pool maximums.

This is a Celestial level "Form"-type charm.

<b>Cost: 4 motes
Duration: Instant
Type: Supplemental
Min. Martial Arts: 5
Min Essence: 3
Prereqs: Air Dragon Form

The character supplements an attack with charged Essence of air, which causes the attack to flash and crackle with blades of blue essence. On a successful attack, the target is thrown back a number of yards equal to the attacker's Essence x 10. If the target lands after flying the entire distance, he takes the attacker's Essence x 5 in dice of bashing damage from falling, which he may attempt to improve or soak as normal. This is often modified by situations such as a soft surface to land on, cliffs, a nearby wall, etc. This Charm does not amplify the blow's force, and so the target does not take one die of bashing damage for each yard he would have flown upon hitting a solid object (as per the knockback rules).

If the target rolls Dexterity + Athletics while falling and scores more successes than the attacker's Essence x 2, then he lands on his feet. If used against an opponent attuned to Earth, the attacker treats his Essence as if it were 1 higher for the purpose of determining this Charm's effects. Targets using Unmoving Mountain Stance subtract their Martial Arts from the attacker's Essence for the purpose of determining this Charm's effects.

<b>Cost: 6 motes
Duration: Instant
Type: Simple
Min. Martial Arts: 5
Min Essence: 3
Prereqs: Essence of Air Attack

The character spreads his hands wide and claps them together, causing a loud boom and a great rush of Air Essence. She rolls Strength + Essence. Characters within ten yards must contend with the full force of this power. Everyone further away subtracts 1 success for every ten yards distant that they are from the character. All who are within the radius of any successes are deafened for one hour per success. Magical beings roll Stamina + Resistance as an opposed roll to resist this deafness. Covering the ears is a useful action, which can be aborted to as per a full parry or a full dodge, and prevents the deafness.

In addition to the deafness, everyone within range must succeed on a reflexive Wits + Resistance roll or, stunned and frightened, lose their action for a turn.

Finally, this Essence has a powerful effect on spirits. All spirits within range must roll Wits + Essence with a difficulty of the character's successes or dematerialize.

<b>Cost: 6 motes
Duration: 1 Scene
Type: Simple
Min. Martial Arts: 5
Min Essence: 2
Prereqs: Air Dragon Form

The character summons forth the fury of the winds to guide her fists and feet. The Essence of wind responds, and for the remainder of the scene, the character's mind and movements are lightning fast. This has the effect of doubling her movement rate, and adds half her Martial Arts to her Initiative.

<b>Cost: 5 motes
Duration: Martial Arts Turns
Type: Reflexive
Min. Martial Arts: 5
Min Essence: 3
Prereqs: Raging Gale Style

Upon using this charm, the character gains near-perfect union with the wind. She is fast, agile, and superhumanly acrobatic, defying the laws of the earth in the name of the wind. The character receives automatic successes equal to one-half her Martial Arts to land on her feet and avoid knockdown. She also triples her jumping distances. Finally, the character may attempt to perform impossible acrobatic feats. More specifically, the character may easily run along or jump off the outside of any solid, liquid, or gaseous surface, run along (not up) walls, flip in improbable ways, hover momentarily, stop the ascent of a jump, or stall a fall from a jump to control angle (allowing jumping that looks and acts in some ways like flight). These feats are second nature to the Exalt, and usually constitute part of movement. However, particularly difficult or impossible feats may require a Dexterity + Athletics roll, though the difficulty rarely rises above 3; powerful jumps and dodges still require an action.

Taken as a whole, these abilities allow the character to move in highly unpredictable ways. She gains, in addition to the above benefits, a diffulty penalty equal to one-half her Martial Arts to be hit by attacks made against her from range. This penalty only applies as long as she keeps moving. Furthermore, the character's dodges can move her a number of yards away equal to her Martial Arts, typically in any direction.

For example, Stealth is facing 10 archers in a light deciduous forest by twilight one beautiful fall day. He reflexively activates Cloud-Riding Wind-Dancer Kata as the archers begin to draw their bows. He doesn't take cover behind a tree to throw his chakrams, oh no. He moves. He kicks off a tree unexpectedly, and an arrow flies past. He catches a limb with his ankle and swings upward, and another flies past. The third arrow flies past as he begins to climb the falling leaves, and 6 more archers miss as he bounds from arrow to arrow and leaf to leaf on his hands (requiring a DC 3 Dexterity + Athletics roll). However, a Dragon-Blood hits (it's always the Dragon-Blood). But though hit, Stealth inevitably lands on his feet.

<b>Cost: 3 motes per attack
Duration: Instant
Type: Extra Action
Min. Martial Arts: 4
Min Essence: 3
Prereqs: Air Dragon Form

The character becomes one single flash, imbuing her movements with the speed of lightning. Using this charm, the character may make multiple attacks at her full dice pool up to a maximun number of attacks equal to her Martial Arts + 1. All of the character's actions, including her original one, must be devoted to attacking, though she may attack multiple opponents within range.

Air Aspects may throw a number of chakrams no greater than their Martial Arts as a single action for the purposes of this Charm, though all chakrams thrown for an action must have the same target, may be dodged as a single attack, and receive an accuracy penalty equal to the number of chakrams thrown that action.

<b>Cost: 3 motes + 1 mote per charge, 1 Willpower 
Duration: Variable
Type: Simple
Min. Martial Arts: 5
Min Essence: 3
Prereqs: Lightning Strike Method

The character charges her own anima and body with the concentrated Essence of lightning, causing blue sparks to gather in her eyes and cascade down her body, leaping outward with every movement. When this Charm is activated, the character invest a number of motes no greater than her Martial Arts x 2. Thereafter, the character is considered "charged" with the number of motes spent. This charge decreases by one at the beginning of every round until it reaches 0, at which point the Charm's effects end. The character may be "recharged" at any point by taking a simple action to spend one further mote per further charge, but the total charge can never exceed the character's Martial Arts x 2. If the charge is allowed to reach 0, the entire Charm must be reused to recharge, requiring the full Essence and Willpower cost.

This charge gives the character certain benefits. For one, the character's soak versus lightning-based attacks is increased by her charge rating. Secondly, the character may expend 1 charge to make a lightning-based attack. This is a supplemental action, but does not count as a Charm use, and so acts reflexively in regard to combos. This attack has a range of the character's Martial Arts in yards if no weapon is used, and normal range if supplementing an unarmed ranged attack. Metal armor provides only one half its normal soak value against this attack. Finally, lightning-based attacks are dangerous to parry, and even a successful hand-to-hand (not ranged) parry or block deals lethal damage equal to one-half the character's Martial Arts.

<b>Cost: 10 motes, 1 Willpower
Duration: 1 Scene
Type: Simple
Min. Martial Arts: 5
Min Essence: 4
Prereqs: Ghost-Thunder Clap, Cloud-Riding Wind-Dancer Kata, Thunderstorm Stance

There is an aspect of the freedom of perpetual motion which shall always elude those tied to a physical form. The master with this Charm may reach a transcendent state of communion with that freedom, and in this state, the mind is set free, and body and Essence follow suit. As long as the character is in a place with at least minimal access to the world's air, she may activate this Charm, and its effects are suppressed if she leaves such a place. Suitable places include any place with an open window or connected by an open door to an open window, a deep cavern which eventually reaches the surface, any outdoor setting, etc. Non-suitable places would be a cavern in which the surface is entirely closed off, a room with no windows and only 1 closed door, underwater, inside a huge fire, etc.

• The character adds her Essence in automatic successes to rolls to resist mental control, influence, probing, or any other unwanted mental intrusion (but not emotional effects or effects on virtues)
• The character gains one additional fully independent Action every turn, starting the turn after this Charm is invoked.
• The character adds her Essence to her Wits.
• The character triples her leaping distance.
• The character takes no damage from falling.
• A characters who has the Air Aspect anima power active while receiving benefits from this Charm does not triple her leaping distance again. Instead, she is no longer tied to the earth. She may move in any direction as a movement action, requiring no special concentration. Her speed, however, cannot exceed her sprinting speed while flying, and she must move at at least her normal movement speed, lest she lose control and fall. When the character first takes to the air, she exerts her power over the earth, and must make a leap to begin flight. The character's maximum altitude is her altitude at the apex of that jump. Characters may choose to touch down and jump again (as an action) any time when near a horizontal surface, and may refigure a new maximum altitude for every jump. No external forces may be used to increase the character's jumping ability, or the character will need to land and jump again to take flight.

Comments

Hey you.
Lightning Strike Method -- "may be dodged together" -- as in all the chakrams may be dodged as a single attack?
The last Charm -- the fully independent action seems like a bit much.
That's all.
~ Shataina

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