Latest revision as of 01:17, 6 April 2010

Wolf & Raven Styles

By Mapache

Background

Wolf and Raven styles are two interrelated martial arts recently developed by Abyssal Exalted to aid them in the conquest of Creation. Wolf, the way of the predator, is primarily a brutal, aggressive style that concentrates on stealing life from foes and crippling them. Raven, the way of the scavenger, is a more controlled style that catches opponents off-balance and is specially designed for spellcasters, which are numerous among the Deathknights.

Attacks with knives, daggers, and katars are treated as unarmed attacks for the purposes of the following charms.

Charms

[Identifying the] Scent of Danger

Cost: 3 motes

Duration: Scene

Type: Reflexive

Minimum Martial Arts: 3

Minimum Essence: 1

Prerequisite Charms: Five-Fold Sensory Exercise / Sensory Acuity Prana

Scent of Danger attunes the character to the Essence flows of the beings around him, enabling him to sense their emotions and motivations. He can smell fear and hatred, and know who intends to do him harm. Even enemies who have concealed themselves, such as hidden assassins, can be picked out by the threat they emanate. Nonsentient objects, such as traps, can also be detected by the emotional residue left behind by their builders. This charm will not detect truly coincidental accidents that are about to befall the character, but attacks made to look like coincidences will be noted.

If this charm is already in use when a situation would trigger Ominous Portent Method (or Surprise Anticipation Method, for a Solar), then character receives a number of turns of warning equal to his Perception, instead of just one. Although not strictly a true prerequisite, the training methods developed by the inventor of this charm depend upon the familiarity with increased perception provided by Five-Fold Sensory Exercise. A character wishing to learn this charm may substitute a similar charm, such as Sensory Acuity Prana.

[Remaining the] Unobserved Observer

Cost: 3 motes

Duration: Scene

Type: Simple

Minimum Martial Arts: 3

Minimum Essence: 1

Prerequisite Charms: Five-Fold Sensory Exercise / Sensory Acuity Prana

By knowing how the flows of Essence carry hints of actions in the world to the senses of an observe, one can learn to avoid raising such disturbances. The user of this charm adds his Martial Arts score to all Stealth rolls made for the remainder of the scene.

Similarly to [Identifying the] Scent of Danger, the techniques developed for learning this charm are based upon understanding provided by Five-Fold Sensory Exercise, though substitutes are possible.

Wolf Form

Cost: 5 motes

Duration: Scene

Type: Simple

Minimum Martial Arts: 4

Minimum Essence: 2

Prerequisite Charms: Identifying the Scent of Danger, Flesh-Mending Discipline / Body-Mending Meditation

The wolf is a fierce hunter, and by emulating him, the character can channel his virtues into those of the hunt. Wolves must be strong and hardy to chase down prey and slay it, keen of nose, ear, and eye, to seek out the prey where it hides, and fierce of heart to lead the pack. For the remainder of the scene, the character adds his Conviction to his Strength, his Valor to his Stamina, his Temperance to his Perception, and his Compassion to his Charisma. These bonuses count towards the maximum number of dice the character may add to his various abilities. In addition, his Martial Arts attacks do lethal damage even if he is unarmed. Wolves require mobility, but can work around restrictions. Armor may be worn with this charm, but the armor's mobility penalty is applied to all Martial Arts rolls the character makes, including attacks and parries.

This charm may be used outside of combat as well. It is quite well suited for leading armies and presiding over court. The techniques for learning to channel virtues into the flesh require a thorough knowledge thereof, such as that gained from Flesh-Mending Discipline and similar charms.

Raven Form

Cost: 5 motes

Duration: Scene

Type: Simple

Minimum Martial Arts: 4

Minimum Essence: 2

Prerequisite Charms: Remaining the Unobserved Observer, Raiton's Nimble Perch / Graceful Crane Stance

The raven can hunt when needed, but he is cunning enough not to need to do such work himself. Quick and crafty, he can trick others out of what is theirs without exerting himself. By adopting the wily bird's ways, the character may add his Conviction to his Dexterity, his Valor to his Wits, his Temperance to his Intelligence, and his Compassion to his Manipulation for the rest of the scene. Ravens are also messengers to the land of the dead, thus the character's blows can harm fleshless spirits while using this charm. Lastly, he may emulate the ability to fly in strike with a beak by using his Martial Score in place of his Thrown score when making thrown attacks with knives and daggers. Unfortunately, the raven needs to be light and capable of motion, so no armor may be worn while using this charm.

Like its companion the wolf, this charm also has value off the battlefield. Negotiation and larceny can benefit from its power. Controlling one's virtues in such a manner first requires controlling one's body. The training techniques rely upon the balance granted by Raiton's Nimble Perch or other such charms.

Quickening the Shaped Essence

Cost: 5 motes

Duration: Scene

Type: Simple

OR

Cost: 2 motes

Duration: Instant

Type: Supplemental

Minimum Martial Arts: 4

Minimum Essence: 3

Prerequisite Charms: Raven Form

Careful study and precise manipulation of Essence allow powerful magics to be performed astoundingly quickly. When under the effects of this charm, the Exalt reduces by one the number of turns needed to cast any spell. (For instance, a Terrestrial Circle Sorcery would complete on the turn it is cast.) This charm may be used in two different ways. For a cost of five motes, it may be activated as a simple action, and its effect will last the scene. Alternately, it can be used supplementally for only two motes with an instantaneous effect that may explicitly be placed in a combo with any Sorcery or Necromancy charm. (This second form is only useful in a combo with such a charm. By itself, it has no effect.)

Catching the Thrown Focus

Cost: 4 motes

Duration: Instant

Type: Reflexive

Minimum Martial Arts: 5

Minimum Essence: 3

Prerequisite Charms: Quickening the Shaped Essence

An opponent who attacks is extending himself, and with proper baiting can overextend himself into a waiting trap. The Exalt adds his Martial Arts score to a single dodge attempt. For each success of his opponent's that he cancels, he steals one mote of essence from that opponent.

Inflicting the Horrendous Wound

Cost: 7 motes, 1 willpower

Duration: Instant

Type: Supplemental

Minimum Martial Arts: 5

Minimum Essence: 2

Prerequisite Charms: Wolf Form

A sudden outpouring of savage brutality can leave an opponent stunned and disoriented, tending to nothing but the pain his new scars are bringing him. The Exalt springs forward, adding his Martial Arts score to his initiative for the round. For each HL of damage he successfully inflicts on an opponent this turn, that opponent will be at -1 on all his die pools for the rest of the scene. This cannot reduce the opponent's die pool below his permanent Essence.

Tearing Out the Flesh

Cost: 10 motes, 1 willpower

Duration: Instant

Type: Supplemental

Minimum Martial Arts: 5

Minimum Essence: 3

Prerequisite Charms: Inflicting the Horrendous Wound

The jaws of the wolf bite and snap, tearing hunks of flesh from his prey, and filling his empty belly with the blood of his enemies. The Exalt makes a single Martial Arts attack, adding his permanent Essence in dice to his Dexterity+Martial Arts. For each health level the attack successfully inflicts, he regains one health level himself. (This cannot heal aggravated damage.)

Rending the Heart and Soul

Cost: 8 motes, 2 willpower

Duration: Instant

Type: Supplemental

Minimum Martial Arts: 5

Minimum Essence: 3

Prerequisite Charms: Wolf Form, Raven Form

Cunning and strength combine to cruelly pierce the heart of an opponent, letting his very soul spill forth upon the ground to be lapped up by beast and bird alike. The Exalt makes a single Martial Arts attack. After soak, do not roll any remaining damage dice—they are all automatically successes. After the opponent takes the damage, the character steals Willpower equal to absolute value of target's new wound penalty (0, 1, 2, or 4). If the target is incapacitated or killed, the attacker steals all the target's remaining Willpower. If an effect is modifying the actual wound penalty a character is experiencing, use the base unmodified wound penalty to determine how much Willpower is stolen.

Wit of the Raven

Cost: 1 motes + 1 willpower / Charm

Duration: Instant

Type: Reflexive

Minimum Martial Arts: 5

Minimum Essence: 3

Prerequisite Charms: Quickening the Shaped Essence, Rending the Heart and Soul

Preparedness is hard to beat, but improvisation is better than no plan at all. The cunning warrior can quickly assemble the ideal plan for any situation. On the turn in which this charm is invoked, the Exalt can use a number of other charms up to his permanent Essence without the use of a combo. It costs one Willpower for each charm other than Wit of the Raven.

Stamina of the Wolf

Cost: 5 motes

Duration: Scene

Type: Simple

Minimum Martial Arts: 5

Minimum Essence: 3

Prerequisite Charms: Inflicting the Horrendous Wound, Rending the Heart and Soul

The wolf does not surrender. He does not give up. He does not die. He steels himself and charges his foes, focussing his anger into their destruction. When the Exalt uses this charm, he gains a number of additional -4 health levels equal to his permanent Essence, and all his wound penalties become bonuses instead (so that the new health levels are actually +4). At the end of the scene, these extra health levels disappear, but this does not heal any damage sustained, and may even kill the character if he is still bearing more damage than his normally available health levels.

If a character with this charm takes sufficient damage in combat to reduce him to incapacitated or lower, this charm will trigger reflexively at an additional cost of 1 Willpower in addition to the normal activation cost.

Three-Fold Partition of the Soul

Cost: 10 motes, 1 willpower, 1 health level

Duration: Permanent Essence in Turns

Type: Extra Action

Minimum Martial Arts: 5

Minimum Essence: 4

Prerequisite Charms: Catching the Thrown Focus, Tearing out the Flesh, Rending the Heart and Soul

The body is home to both the higher and lower souls, as well as the shard of Celestial Essence that empowers the Exaltation. With great practice, masters of the art can loose their souls separately to fight alongside their body. When this charm is activated, the Hun and the Po fly forth, taking the form of ghostly versions of the character's body, which is controlled entirely by the Celestial Essence. (As such, this charm cannot be used by Terrestrials, for they have no Celestial Essence, only the Exaltation of the blood.)

The Hun's traits match those of the unarmed, unarmored character while under the influence of Raven Form. Likewise, the Po's traits are those of the bare character under Wolf Form. The body retains whatever armament it had prior to invoking the charm. Being freed of the mortal aspects of the soul provides unparalleled clarity, providing automatic successes equal to the character's permanent Essence on all Martial Arts rolls. These effects last a number of turns equal to the Exalt's permanent Essence before the multiple fragments of the soul need to recombine. While the Exalt is so partitioned, each of the three parts acts with its own fully independent action. All three share common essence and willpower stores, and take damage on the same track.

Seems to me that lunars could muster the prereqs for this style as well, especially since they are so well-served by the forms. Sense-Sharpening Change (in place of Senory Acuity), Halting the Scarlet Flow (in place of Body Mending), Preditor Grace Method (in place of Crane) would seem to fit the bill. - Wordman

Second edition conversion by TonyC

Everything that isn't explicitly changed stays the same. I chose to make this style's Form charms faster than usual because both wolves and ravens are pretty darn quick. Wolf probably not as nimble as a raven though. At any rate, there's precedent in the Snake style.

[Identifying the] Scent of Danger

Keywords: Combo-OK

Prerequisite Charms: Any Awareness Excellency

If charm is already active, Exalt receives warning (Perception+Awareness+Essence) ticks in advance.

Recommendation: Tracking how far ahead the advance warning should be is probably not worth it, as this requires actual prescience, which no GMs have when it comes to PCs. Instead, just make sure that the Exalt in question have one or two actions to react to the warning. In a straight combat with no unusual circumstances, you can probably just ignore this effect and say "Your spider-sense is tingling all the time".

[Remaining the] Unobserved Observer

Keywords: Combo-OK

Prerequisite Charms: Any Awareness Excellency

Wolf Form

Type: Simple (Speed 4)

Keywords: Form-type, Obvious

Prerequisite Charms: Identifying the Scent of Danger, Body Mending Meditation

Fluff text says "The techniques for learning to channel virtues into the flesh require a thorough knowledge thereof". This sounds like a Medicine Excellency. However, one could say that what it requires is familiarity with one's own body, not actual knowledge of the human anatomy in general, in which case, one could argue that the 2nd ed Resistance Charm Body Mending Meditation qualifies. After thinking about it some more, I've decided that less meddling is best after all. I recommend using Body Mending Meditation as the pre-req. My main argument is that wolves and Medicine doesn't mesh thematically. Wolves are about savagery, willpower, intuition, and innate nobility, not Grey's Anatomy.

Raven Form

Type: Simple (Speed 3)

Keywords: Form-type, Obvious

Quickening the Shaped Essence

Cost: -

Type: Permanent

Duration: -

When the Exalt masters this charm, she selects a spell. From now on, by spending 5 motes, she can reduce the number shape sorcery actions she needs to cast that spell by one. (If you buy this charm before you acquire sorcery, assume the very first spell you learn that isn't a Countermagic is it. You may buy this charm multiple times to quicken different spells.) Alternatively, with a miscellaneous action (DV-2) that can't be incorporated into a flurry (remember that extra action charms are flurries) and 5 motes, the Exalt can reduce the number shape sorcery actions she needs to cast any spell by one for the scene. This charm can't speed up rituals (read: anything that uses dramatic actions instead of ticks). This means that a Solar Circle spell takes two shaping actions instead of three, and Terrestrial spells shaping action becomes a reflexive 0 tick action. You still have to do your Cast Sorcery action normally though. Rituals take the same amount of time because they're rituals, so First Circle Demon Summoning still takes from sunset to midnight. However, extending Stormwind Rider to a unit (which usually takes 5 long ticks) becomes near instantenous.

This is probably my most radical conversion. Comments requested.

Catching the Thrown Focus

Type: Reflexive (Step 2)

Keywords: Combo-OK

Add MA to dodge pool. Apply Dodge DV to attack. If dodge is successful, steal motes equal to the number of successes canceled.

Conversion note: Previously this always steal motes regardless of success/failure. This means that you're guaranteed to steal motes up to your Dodge DV. Combined with a good soak (or better yet, perfect soak) or perfect dodge (text seems to allow this), then this behaved like a perfect counter-attack against your opponent's Essence pool with no known defense. Thus I'm depowering it.

Inflicting the Horrendous Wound

Cost: 5 motes

Keywords: Combo-OK, Crippling

This charm supplements an MA attack. For each HL damage inflicted, the target gets a -1 internal penalty to all his dice pools. Recalculate static values as necessary.

Conversion Note: Ignore the init manipulation, as this is impossible to achieve in either 1e or 2e without some sort of house rule allowing you to invoke this charm before your action. Ignore the disguised Turn duration. By literal reading, if you take 10 multiple action, you only need to invoke this charm once and all 10 multiple actions gain its benefit. With those benefits gone, I feel it's fair to lower the charm cost down to 5 motes.

Tearing Out the Flesh

Keywords: Combo-OK

Rending the Heart and Soul

Keywords: Combo-OK

Wit of the Raven

Keywords: Combo-OK

Clarification: You still must follow the normal combo rules.

Stamina of the Wolf

Cost: -

Type: Permanent

Duration: -

Activating its effect takes 5 motes and a miscellaneous action that can't be flurried. Alternatively, when the Exalt takes sufficient damage (not necessarily in combat) to reduce him to incapacitated or lower, he can reflexively spend 5m and 1wp to gain its benefits.

Three-Fold Partition of the Soul

Cost: 10 motes, 1 willpower, 1 aggravated health level

Type: Simple

Duration: Permanent Essence * 6 ticks

Keywords: Combo-Basic, Obvious

Clarifications: So this charm is Speed 6, right? You split right away, but all three of you don't get to act until 6 ticks later. But when you do, each of you have one independent action. Just pretend that you control 3 characters. However, you're still one being, so any effect that affects one of you affects all of you. For example: All your non-instant charms that were active when you split are active on all of you. If the Po soul invokes Raven Form, then all three parts of you have Raven Form active (your souls has traits equal to your body+form, but they do not actually have those form active). If somebody mind-control your Body, both your souls get mind-controlled too. If the Hun soul invokes a combo, all three have access to the charms in the combo. Track the duration of the combo by the body/soul part that invokes it. However, you're in three places, so anything that hits those places, hits you multiple times. If two of you were in the target area of a Death of Obsidian Butterflies spell, the two must defend separately. If both fail, you take damage twice.

When the duration of this charm expires, the souls immediately rejoin the body. If the souls were doing something that didn't get completed when the duration expires (e.g., Sorcery), consider the action disrupted the instant before the souls rejoin the body (resolve the effect of the disruption first though). Mechanically, just stop tracking the two souls and continue the Body where you left off. Ignore the remaining Speed ticks and DV modifiers of the souls. They aren't there anymore. Like all non-instant charms, you can end this charm early by uncommitting the motes. This could be useful for avoiding an attack at one or both of the souls.

What happens if one or both of the souls is somehow prevented from rejoining the body is up to the GM, but I'm sure you'll get many sessions out of it.

Comments

Suggestion on Three-fold: since it is an Extra Action charm, I would say that the flow of battle doesn't notice the activation. Each soul then declares an action. I'd treat each combination of actions the souls are doing as a Magical Flurry, and then recombine them after (Essence) actions. That fits with the charm type best, I'd say, and solves the problem of uneven Action Speeds. After all, they are all you, and none of them is a full person on its own. - IanPrice

Problem: Despite the Extra Action tag, this is actually an Independent Action charm, similar to CMoS Form. Let me give an example to illustrate the problem. Silverlock invokes Three-Fold Partition of The Soul. His Po soul springs forth to face his archenemy. At the same time, his Body wrests the Mantle of Brigid from the altar and begins running away as fast as he could. His Hun soul, in the meanwhile, begins casting Travel Without Distance. This isn't something that a normal Extra Action mechanic can handle, because when you are running away with the Mantle of Brigid, you definitely want the Body to get 2 Dashes while the Po attempts a Speed 6 Clinch. If we do a normal Extra Action magical flurry, then the Body is suddenly in limbo during tick 4-6. Anyway, thanks. Answering you made it clear to me that I have to use ticks as Duration. - TonyC

• Scent of Danger: This could be handled similar to the Alchemical prediction charm that lets you reset combat or other scenes, allowing you to retcon your actions for a certain number of ticks in the past once per activation.
• Quickening the Shaped Essence: Bravo! I think your version is better than the original overall. Question, though. Can I buy it three times, and cast Gaea's Rebuke without shaping actions?

All in all, good stuff. - IanPrice

Resetting the scene or retconning is certainly one way of doing it, and if the scene is such that doing this is trivial, go for it. However, if it gets to be a headache, just stop it. I mean, if resetting combat means the other four Exalts in the Circle have to redo their turn all over again, well, I'll let it fly the first time, or if it's a life-or-death situation, but not otherwise. As for multiple purchase of Quickening applied to the same spell or multiple invocations of the scene-long version, no. To do so you need the Stackable keyword, which I deliberately did not put. GMs who thinks otherwise can of course overrule me, but I caution against it. Essence 3 charm should not let you cast Solar Sorcery instantenously, even if you have to buy it three times to do so. And thanks for the complement. - TonyC

Threefold Partition Question: Persistent charms on either soul will remain in effect on the body when the souls rejoin, correct? I'm referring to things such as Form charms, Fivefold Bulwark Stance, etc. - IanPrice

Yes. For guideline on how that charm works, refer to CMoS Form. - TonyC

Some testing suggests that Three-Fold Partition is too nifty for its 1e cost. I'm changing my 2e conversion so that the health level cost is aggravated. Tell your players that separating your souls is really bad to your health and definitely qualifies as supernatural damage. Cheers. - TonyC

TonyC, your version of Quickening the Shaped Essence is so much better than the original that it should be back ported. The power of the original Quickening the Shaped Essence is (was) the only thing preventing me from using this style in my 1e game. - Wordman