Latest revision as of 01:17, 6 April 2010

Octopus Style

By DeathBySurfeit

"Oh, the horror of facing a master of the Octopus Style! They dwell silently, concealed twofold in shadow and guile, and their inescapable grasp approaches from eight directions. Their foes, however, are headed in only one - down! Truly, such an opponent is impossible to defeat!"

Major themes: Surprise, mobility, clinches, handling multiple opponents

Background

Developed by a Twilight Caste during his exploration of the Western depths, Octopus Style reflects the wisdom he found in the eponymous creature's behaviour. An octopus possesses brute force and flexibility almost unparalleled in a creature of their size, yet they do not hunt brutishly - instead, they use that adeptness to startle, terrify and bewilder their foes, allowing them to take down more than they could otherwise handle. This Style is an extension of that philosophy, a combination of raw power and devious tactics, and has since been adopted by Solars, Sidereals, Lunars and Abyssals with equal affinity. Even the Alchemicals possess a variant on the style, although they term it 'Articulated Aquasentinel Style' after the hunter drones found lurking in the elemental pole of Oil. Regardless of caste, practitioners fight with brutal strength and low cunning, one moment evading their foes, the next crushing their bones and spirits with horrifying might.

Martial artists using Octopus Style treat attacks made with seven-section staffs and whips, both a reflection of the creature's tentacles, as unarmed attacks for the purposes of these Charms. This Style does not prohibit the use of armour, but adopting the Form with it gives penalties if the armour restricts mobility.

Charms

Striking From Shadow</b>

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

When defending against unseen blows, a person must rely on sound, reflexes and intuition. Knowing this, the octopus strikes its prey swiftly and soundlessly. The martial artist does the same. Any visibility penalty her target is experiencing is doubled for the purposes of defending against this attack. If this Charm is used on an attack from ambush, one success is deducted from the target's surprise roll for the purposes of defending against this strike.

Thousand Barb Embrace</b>

<b>Cost: 3 motes
Duration: Instant
Type: Supplemental
Min. Martial Arts: 4
Min. Essence: 2
Prereqs: Striking From Shadow

Hidden within an octopus's coils are small but vicious talons; their embrace bites deeper than any weapon, rending flesh and bone. The Exalt's grip takes on the same vicious edge as the Charm activates, tearing through joints, snapping tendons and rending flesh with simple abandon. A clinch attack enhanced by this Charm deals lethal damage, and adds the martial artist's permanent Essence to its raw damage before soak.

Its Durant Flesh</b>

<b>Cost: 3 motes
Duration: Instant
Type: Reflexive
Min. Martial Arts: 4
Min. Essence: 2
Prereqs: Striking From Shadow

As its prey struggles in its grip, the octopus's tough flesh is proof against their helpless flailings. The martial artist releases the tension in his muscles as a strike comes; where it lands, his flesh discolours to a mottled grey and absorbs the impact with gelatinous ease. His natural bashing soak is doubled for the purposes of that attack.

Octopus Form</b>

<b>Cost: 6 motes
Duration: One Scene
Type: Simple
Min. Martial Arts: 4
Min. Essence: 3
Prereqs: Thousand Barb Embrace, Its Durant Flesh

The martial artist crouches, poised for swift and sudden attack or retreat. His limbs whirl fluidly and loosely, moving as though without the constraints of bone but with all the strength of muscle. When in a clinch, he suffers no penalties or restrictions on his actions, save that he cannot move out of reach. This explicitly allows him to clinch more than one opponent at once. The difficulty of resisting his wrestling maneouvres (clinches, holds, sweeps, tackles and throws) is increased by his permanent Essence score. He may soak lethal damage with his bashing soak, as his flesh becomes flexible and firm enough to absorb the hardest blows.

Octupus Form is a martial arts Form-type Charm, and is thus incompatible with other Form-type Charms. Whilst armour can be worn, it interferes with the flexibility necessary for its proper execution; add the mobility penalty of any armour worn to all of the character's martial arts actions when this Charm is active.

Countless Pseudopod Assault</b>

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

Though it can strike from any angle, the octopus needs only one to succeed. Adopting this approach, the martial artist launches attacks from many directions at once, ready to put his weight and focus into whichever looks to prevail. When making simultaneous attacks, after parries and dodges are declared but before they are rolled, the character may freely 'switch' any of them supplemented by this Charm. Attacks switched this way retain their original attack successes, type and any other supplemental effect. The defences declared against them and their targets, however, are replaced with the attack they are switched with.

Example: Lau Shan is stood before his mortal foe, the Iron Mantled Malefactor. Castigating him for his naievete and irritating skills of evasion, he launches into a flurry of blows, splitting his dice pool for three attacks and supplementing each with Countless Pseudopod Assault. He rolls eight, six and five successes on his attack rolls; the Malefactor uses a perfect parry on the first, and resorts to his scenelong defences for the rest. Lau Shan turns his balance at the last moment, switching his first and last attack. Now, the Malefactor's perfect parry is applied to the five-success attack, and the scenelong to his first instead.

Bolt From The Depths</b>

<b>Cost: 5 motes
Duration: Instant
Type: Reflexive
Min. Martial Arts: 5
Min. Essence: 3
Prereqs: Octopus Form

When moving to strike, every muscle in an octopus moves in synchrony, catapulting it through the depths with nightmarish speed. When activating this Charm, the martial artist is surrounded by thick inky essence, providing a support from which every movement propels him away. The martial artist makes a leap of (Strength+Martial Arts+Athletics) yards in any direction, barring the presence any obstacles too tough to smash through. This Charm can be activated multiple times in a turn to allow for phenomenally long and convoluted leaps, even midair - the smoky essence provides all the surface necessary to jump away from.

If used in response to an attack, the actual jump occurs after that attack is resolved, but may be incorporated into stunts regardless. Furthermore, the inky spatters hav e a tendency to blind those nearby; the initiator of the attack against which Bolt From The Depths is used receives a -1 non-cumulative visibility penalty for the remainder of the scene, else when they take an unrolled dice action to smear it from their eyes.

Illumination Banishing Palm</b>

<b>Cost: 6 motes, 1 Willpower
Duration: Instant
Type: Simple
Min. Martial Arts: 5
Min. Essence: 3
Prereqs: Octopus Form

The octopus, where it has need of darkness, creates it. The martial artist, when activating this Charm, draws back one arm and infuses it with Essence. Bringing it back with a thunderclap, he lands his blow midair, and that point fractures to vision. From the split come creeping strands of purest shadow, rapidly growing to form a cloud of blackness (his permanent Essence x 10) yards across. Inside is total darkness and a bitter chill, to the detriment of the Exalt and his foes alike. It persists for a scene, before slowly receding as the surrounds heal over.

Essence Tentacle Method</b>

<b>Cost: 4 motes, 1 Willpower
Duration: One Scene
Type: Simple
Min. Martial Arts: 5
Min. Essence: 4
Prereqs: Countless Pseudopod Assault, Illumination Banishing Palm

As its tentacles unravel themselves, an octopus reveals an ability to strike from unnerving distance. When active, long snaking tendrils of congealed Essence coalesce about the character's fingertips, responsive to his every thought and motion. Mechanically, this multiples the martial artist's melee reach in yards by his permanent Essence, to a minimum of (Essence) yards.

Tendrilled Vortex Stance</b>

<b>Cost: 6 motes, 1 Willpower
Duration: One Scene
Type: Simple
Min. Martial Arts: 5
Min. Essence: 4
Prereqs: Countless Pseudopod Assault, Bolt From The Depths

Tales pass amongst sailors of octupii dwelling at the hearts of whirlpools, drinking in the ocean and those that swam or sailed its waters. The martial artist adopts this methodology, extending his senses and grasp in every direction, spiralling streamers of smoke exuding from his fingertips and hardening into shadowed tendrils. When making an unarmed attack or wrestling 'grab' attack, the character makes one roll, but may then apply its effects to as many targets in reach as he desires.

Horror Of The Deep Approach</b>

<b>Cost: 5 motes, 1 Willpower
Duration: Instant
Type: Reflexive
Min. Martial Arts: 5
Min. Essence: 4
Prereqs: Bolt From The Depths, Illumination Shattering Palm

As the octopus uncoils its snaking tendrils, its terrifying visage paralyses those that would otherwise escape. Taking on this aspect, the Exalt learns to inspire such fear that even seasoned warriors pause in their tracks, taken aback. This Charm may be used immediately after any action of intimidating brutality or obvious physical might, but no more than once per turn. The martial artist makes a Charisma + Presence (Intimidation) check, with a stunt bonus if the act was particularly horrifying. All witnesses whose Valor is less than the successes rolled are considered to have been ambushed until the beginning of the next round; make Wits+Awareness checks for them to react, as normal.

Rumours persist of a pinnacle Charm to this style, weaving together every aspect of the octopus's nature and capabilities, but it has yet to be discovered; should the notes of the style's creator be found, it should be straightforward to decipher.

Feedback

On Bolt From The Depths, "Furthermore, the inky spatters have". Have what? Also, Countless Pseudopod Assault strikes me as a bit cheaty and awkward. - David.

True, but at a minimum of 6 motes to use (gotta enhance two attacks with it, no?), it costs as much as SSE, and is in the cost-range of things like those nasty nasty things from snake style, which do things like ignore armor, or do Agg damage, so I don't think it's that horrible. Yeah, it'll unbalance combat slightly, but at the same time, that's only because people haven't really milked stealth and other abilities for such effects either. I can easily imagine a stealth charm that does something similar, shrouding your attacks, or even a melee extra-action charm that makes you glow like a christmas tree, lets you declare a few attacks, have them declare defences, and then lets you apply supplementals to those attacks. I dunno. I'm tending to say leave it, as it's a fun mechanic, and just because it hasn't been done doesn't mean it's that bad, right? -- GregLink

I would tend to agree except that it milks HGD far too easily. At higher levels, say I split for 5 or six attacks one of which is a real humdinger. HGD should be able to be HGD. Without making me have to use it a half a dozen times. HGD is perfect, and applicable. And this starts exactly the kinds of arms race I want to avoid. Because in a world where this charm exists, there exists a charm which lets me reassing defenses reflexively to counter this. To which there is a counter charm. To which melee has another counter, ad infinitum. - Scrollreader

Which is only a problem if you don't like an arms race. Considering that none of these theoretical charms are canon, it can be as difficult as you like for characters to actually get their hands on them. I think it's an innovative and fun mechanic. It's no more cheating to get around HGD with this than it is to do so by attacking from Stealth (which would nerf it entirely; HGD, like other perfects, isn't applicable to a surprise attack). This effectively allows you to surprise your opponent with the order of your attacks. It is, if anything, less powerful than simply attacking from the cover of Mental Invisibility Technique! - IanPrice

HGD isn't very far up the tree, is I believe 4/2? or something pretty low, and generally isn't hard to obtain. I don't think it wrecks high-essence combat strategies, but the reason I don't think it wrecks them is that there are clearly big gaping holes in it. Sure, it's perfect and applicable, but as long as you're not brute-forcing it, it shouldn't be too hard to avoid. I support this charm also. It's no worse than Blow Concealing Gesture from Ebon Shadow, which is canon, even if Ebon Shadow does always seem a bit twinky ^_^ At least you have to use Countless Pseudopod in (nearly) melee range, wheras BCJ can be comboed with anything. I'd really hate to see some of the thrown charms comboed with it. That'd be nasty. Really, really nasty.
-- Darloth

It's always nice to see a comment be misunderstood, leading to a conversation that spirals away from the original meaning. :) That said, I've glanced over the Combo rules, and have decided that it's not cheaty, just awkward. I agree that reassigning attacks post-defense is kinda charming, but I think that in play, it would prove clumsy. I assume, though, that the attack reassignment takes place after the use of active defenses, and doesn't deprive the target of things like Iron Skin Concentration? - David.

(Note - There is already a page for discussing HGD... We shouldn't start doing it again here.)

Alright, a little justification. Bolt From The Depths has had its secondary effect re-added; thanks for pointing out the copying error, David.. Countless Pseudopod Method does provide a means to make perfect defences awkward, but consider the consequences of this: as any supplemental Charms its comboed with will have to be applied to each of the attacks, sp the actual difference in attack strength isn't too excessive - the defender will generally want to use all perfects or else none at all. The reassignment takes place after active defences are declared (I've clarified this in the text to 'parries and dodges'), but before they're rolled. Soak defences, as you rightfully assumed, are unaffected. Overall, though, I'm glad the Charm is well-received; I'm proud of how it turned out...DeathBySurfeit

It is a neat mechanic, I do have to give you that. ;) And, really, the clumsiness of it may not prove to be an issue, and even if it is, there's no rule against clumsy-in-use Charms. After all, some of the most interesting MA trees are enormously impractical for play, but are interesting explorations of mechanical options. - David.