Latest revision as of 23:46, 8 June 2010

Zephyr of the West Style

A Terrestrial Martial Art by DeadManSeven.

Introduction

Nicking things from mythology again. Although Zephyrus and the derivative word zephyr are firmly to do with air, they are the wind that comes from the west, and for Exalted, I've figured that's the sailor's wind, mercurial and quick to anger and just as quick to calm, and so is related more to Water. This style is one of the many niche Terrestrial styles; it works better when the user is on a boat (or something else with close quarters on a body of water), and that they are at least capable of holding their breath underwater for longer than average.

There's a couple of experimental ideas in this style, so I'm quite looking forward to what people have to say about it. This is what MA styles are all about for me, really.

Background

Although it may seem at first glance to be within the domain of Air, the Zephyr of the West Style is very much a Water-Aspect creation, emulating the breezes that rise from the waves and are friend to sailors and fishermen. However, like the waters they are born from, the Western winds are fickle and prone to change at a moment’s notice, and only the quickest captains are able to keep pace; those with less skill that call on the Zephyr often find their boats grounded or capsized. Masters of this style are similarly-natured, able to swiftly adapt themselves from following the playful breeze to becoming a raging storm within moments.

Zephyr of the West Winds uses war fans for its techniques to help harness the airborne essence currents; practical career sailors using this style will often carry modified fans in lieu of knives. None of its Charms may be used while wearing armour, as any sailor knows that carrying too heavy a load is madness when riding the Western winds at their peak. This style is Water-aspected.

Charms

 Petition     Clouds on
the Zephyr   the Horizon
       \        /
      Unstoppable     Winds Toss
   Storm Appproaches   the Ship
               \         /
              Zephyr of the
                West Form
                /       \`
          Rain Upon    Waves Over
          the  Deck   the Gunwales
                \       /
              Whirlpool-and-
             Typhoon Barrier

(For a non-ASCII Charm tree, click here.)

Cost: 6 motes

Duration: One Scene

Type: Simple

Minimum Martial Arts: 3

Minimum Essence: 1

Prerequisites: none

The martial artist closes her eyes and asks to be granted speed by the ocean winds, and it is granted to her; a breeze with the scent of the sea ruffles her hair and her clothes as she Petitions the Zephyr, and for as long as this Charm is active, the faint smell of sea salt surrounds her. She adds her Martial Arts rating to her running and sprinting distances.

Alternatively, if the character stands still on the deck of a ship, a stiff breeze will always will its sails, regardless of the weather conditions. Even if she sails through a hurricane, as long as its sails remain whole, her ship will never be dead in the water. Moving from her position will end the Charm when used in this manner.

Cost: 1 mote

Duration: Instant

Type: Reflexive

Minimum Martial Arts: 3

Minimum Essence: 1

Prerequisites: none

Anima flaring with violent clouds, the martial artist stares down her opponents; like the coming storm, they will think twice before they cross her, and falter if they tempt her retribution. She subtracts her Martial Arts rating from the initiative of a single opponent.

Cost: 3 motes, 1 Willpower

Duration: Instant

Type: Supplemental

Minimum Martial Arts: 3

Minimum Essence: 2

Prerequisites: Petition the Zephyr, Clouds on the Horizon

Sometimes, nature cannot be avoided. Sometimes vengeful storms chase a fleet and force them to lose time on their voyage. Sometimes mighty waves will ruin ships safely anchored in port. The martial artist harnesses this inevitability, and uses it to draw closer to her opponent, flowing around and past his fists. She adds her Martial Arts rating to her dice pool to dodge an attack and, should the blow pass her defences, to her lethal and bashing soak. This Charm may be placed in a combo with Charms from other Abilities.

Cost: 3 motes

Duration: One Turn

Type: Reflexive

Minimum Martial Arts: 2

Minimum Essence: 2

Prerequisites: none

It is uncertain among the scholars of the martial arts if this technique represents the captain of the ship that will not be shaken from the deck during a savage storm, or the hungry waves that wait below to claim him. In either case, the martial artist leans to make her grip as steadfast as the captain’s (or as merciless as the ocean’s); she adds her Martial Arts in dice to rolls to maintain a clinch or hold. She must be in control of the hold at the time this Charm is activated.

Cost: 5 motes

Duration: One Scene

Type: Simple

Minimum Martial Arts: 4

Minimum Essence: 3

Prerequisites: Unstoppable Storm Approaches, Winds Toss the Ship

A mighty squall brews in the character’s anima as she activates the Zephyr of the West Form; the harsh winds of a ferocious storm radiate from her, and during moments where her anima flares at its most intense, drops of rain will fall on the ground around her. She becomes as powerful and chaotic as the Western winds, adding her Essence to both her Strength and Wits for the scene.

Additionally, this Form has two stances the character may adopt; each stance determines what aspect of the Zephyr she follows, and what benefits she receives. She choses one of the stances when she activates the Form, and may switch stance reflexively once each turn before initiative is rolled. Switching stance more than once per turn is possible, but requires a cost of one mote per change; this cost does not have an out-of-element surcharge. The effects of the stances are as follows:

• The Way of the Relentless Waves: While in this stance, the character’s strikes are as powerful as the waves, washing her opponents aside. For each successful attack she makes (that need not cause damage), she may force her opponent back up to her Essence in yards. She may also reflexively move this distance to follow her enemy without the ground covered counting towards her maximum movement for the turn.
• The Way of the Shapeless Storm: While in this stance, attacking the character is pointless as raising a fist to the storm, for her opponents cannot damage the wind and the rain. She removes one level of damage she takes from attacks and other sources that would cause her harm. This cannot prevent damage from health levels paid as activation costs for effects.

This is a martial arts Form Charm, and cannot be active with other Form Charms.

Cost: 5 motes, 1 Willpower/3 motes, 1 Willpower

Duration: Instant/One Turn

Type: Extra Action/Reflexive

Minimum Martial Arts: 5

Minimum Essence: 3

Prerequisites: Zephyr of the West Form

When the rain falls, the martial artist channels it to do her bidding; depending on her temperament, she may form her strikes to be as numerous and unstoppable as the raindrops, or she may instead drink the rain and use it to fuel her personal tempest.

The character must be either using the Zephyr of the West Form or be standing in rainfall to use this Charm. If she is following the Way of the Relentless Waves, her blows spread and diffuse, striking her opponent like the sudden rain: she makes a number of attacks equal to her [Dexterity + Martial Arts + specialties] against a single opponent, all only rolling a single die. The damage and minimum damage of these attacks are both 1. If she is emulating the Way of the Shapeless Storm, she twists her body to catch the raindrops, trusting the storm to guide her away from harm: every attack she successfully dodges for the turn will return [Essence] motes to her peripheral pool. While it rains, she may choose which effect to use, regardless of her stance.

Cost: 5 motes/4 motes, 1 Willpower

Duration: Instant

Type: Simple/Reflexive

Minimum Martial Arts: 5

Minimum Essence: 3

Prerequisites: Zephyr of the West Form

A ship caught in high waves is a terribly dangerous environment, as at any moment a wall of water can engulf the crew, disrupting attempts to get the ship to safety or even dragging them back into the ocean to drown. The martial artist becomes an equally strong and cruel force, snaring her enemies with essence-driven waves and choosing who will be swept away and who will huddle in the howling winds.

The character must be either using the Zephyr of the West Form or be on a body of water to use this Charm. While she enacts the Relentless Waves Stance, a wave bursts from her tumultuous anima to carry off an opponent. She makes a clinch attack up to [Martial Arts x Essence] yards away; if she is successful in grabbing her enemy, the wave does no damage, but may immediately throw her opponent up to [Martial Arts + Essence] yards. When she employs the Shapeless Storm Stance, she may instead direct the wave to stop her enemies from harming her; she can prevent an enemy within [Martial Arts x Essence] yards from taking his regular movement action or making attacks against her, though he is still capable of defending himself and attacking others. He may also use Charms to gain movement or extra attacks.

When the martial artist uses this Charm over a body of water, not only may she choose which effect to use in the same manner as Rain Upon the Deck, the waters grow violent and waves leap at the character’s command. While this will not disrupt even a simple raft being carried down a river, the effects may be slightly jarring to anyone unfamiliar with this technique.

Cost: 7 motes

Duration: One Turn

Type: Reflexive

Minimum Martial Arts: 5

Minimum Essence: 4

Prerequisites: Rain Upon the Deck, Waves Over the Gunwales

The ultimate technique available to the masters of the Zephyr of the West surrounds the martial artist with a gale so violent she can hardly be seen. Around her the wind and water swirls, and those caught in the storm with her are as doomed as sailors parted from their ships during a storm. She is the eye of the storm and the heart of the vortex, and embodies everything feared about the winds of the West.

The character must be either using the Zephyr of the West Form or be amid a storm to use this Charm. The whirlwind that surrounds her is impenetrable from the outside, acting like 100% cover from ranged attacks. It will keep enemies within [Martial Arts] yards from being unable to travel further than this distance from the martial artist when using the Way of the Relentless Waves, and will prevent any opponents from being able to get within [Martial Arts] yards when following the Way of the Shapeless Storm. Using this Charm during a storm lets the character access both effects during the same turn with no relation to which stance she uses, choosing which opponents are sucked into the vortex and which are driven from the storm.

Comments

Impressively rendered mechanics, and the fluff theme is strong throughout. I am especially fond of the suitably strong elemental basis throughout, something even the Immaculate styles fell down on. Good work! Mechanically, my only qualm is with WATB - it says the character must be using the Form or amid a storm to use either ability, and later states that being in a storm allows her to use both effects simultaneously. I think I know what you mean to say there, but you could make it clearer - perhaps state that being in form allows you use of one or the other, but being in an actual storm allows you to use both? RUTB is hax if converted to second edition (onslaught penalties, anyone?), but I understand this is a first edition style. My only minor complaint is that whilst internally consistent, the fluff and crunch combo doesn't make me go "Oh! Oh! I want to make a character based on this!", being quite disparate in its effects. However, it's not a Celestial Style (and thus the sin is perfectly pardonable), and remains damned handy for any seafaring character...DeathBySurfeit

I'm glad the flavour of the style turned out okay, I kept trying to reinforce that the style is about the storm at sea. It's hard to find synonyms for 'storm' that don't sound out of place, by the way. Getting comments that the style flows together and makes thematic sense is what I'm all about, really, so thankyou.

Whirlpool-and-Typhoon Barrier does work like you say, it just doesn't have as strong a distinction between the two modes like its prerequisites do. Offensively, you keep people next to you; defensively, you keep them away. Both ways prevent being shot at. I've changed the wording a little.

While I'm not completely solid on the new rules, the purpose of Rain Upon the Deck isn't really to get damage across, but to force an opponent to go completely defensive, and then to get your friends to dogpile on them once their full dodge runs out. Doesn't work that great against opponents (ie. Solars) with good persistant defences, but that's a feature, not a bug. It also helps to swat your enemy around the deck so you can get them closer to being into the water and (usually) out of the fight. So any sort of updates you probably go with this spirit of the Charm rather than trying to translate the actual mechanic, I guess.

I don't think the style's terribly useful outside of a seafaring game where most of the time is spend on the ocean, but Jade Mountain would be similarly useless in a game set on the Western Ocean or among the Haslanti League, for example. I'm not sure I could see anyone other than a Water Aspect getting a lot of use of of this style, mainly due to how the reflexive Charms interact, and even then they'd want to be backed up but at least some Brawl Charms. But this is the beauty of Terrestrial styles - if this one doesn't quiet suit, one character goes on to make the Hungry Clutch of the Ocean Style where they grab their enemies and drown them, another goes to make the Furious Typhoon Style that hammers enemies with big powerful unstoppable attacks, and a third makes the Salty Way of the Sea-Dog Style devoted to swashbuckling and uses hooks and peg-legs as unarmed weapons. :) - DeadManSeven, avast!