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Opportunistic Warrior Style

A somewhat humorous MA designed to mimic the outlandish stunts of Jackie Chan and other Uber acrobatic martial artists.

Background

Warriors from all ages have always bickered over which weapon is more powerful, which one weapon leads to the ultimate understanding of mind and body, well the Opportunistic Warrior thinks that is all hogwash. A practical fighter in all respects he carries no weapon because weapons can be found in any setting, steins in a bar, chairs in a restaurant, a rock on the side of the road, even your own boot. So with that ideology in mind a somewhat eccentric night caste came up with this celestial level Martial Art.

Training

Opportunistic Warrior Style is not about lofty sutras, finding perfection in everything, or even about defeating your opponents. It is about survival using your wits, grace, and martial arts ability. Thusly most training in this Martial Art is done spontaneously be the master attacking at random moments with normal strikes (or sometimes even a flower pot!).

Form Weapons and Armor

Due to this Martial Art's dependence on fluid motion and spontaneity, no weapon (save props) can be considered a form weapon. Similarly no armor may be worn with this martial art unless it has a zero mobility or fatigue penalty (thus allowing proper movement).

Student Charms

Mercurial Warrior's Wit</b>

<b>Cost: 3 motes
Duration: 1 turn
Type: reflexive
Min. Essence: 2
Min. MA: 3
Prereqs: none

The Opportunistic Warrior's greatest weapon is his nimble mind. Early on in training the student is taught to harness essence to guide his mind to faster reactions. For the turn this charm is activated add the user's MA to his Initiative. This charm is not stackable with itself or other initiative boosting charms (unless the charm in question is a form charm).

Acquiescent Agility Prana</B>

<b>Cost: 3 motes
Duration: 1 turn
Type: reflexive
Min. Essence: 2
Min. MA: 3
Prereqs: none

The first step on the Opportunistic Warrior's path is to learn grace. With this charm the student learns to open themselves up to the flow of essence to boost their agility. For the turn this charm is activated add the user's MA to athletics. This charm is not stackable with itself or other initiative boosting charms (unless the charm in question is a form charm).

Quicksilver Reaction Method</B>

<b>Cost: 4 motes
Duration: Instant
Type: Reflexive
Min. Essence: 2
Min. MA: 3
Prereqs: Acquiescent Agility Prana and 

Through the somewhat deranged training offered by a Master of Opportunistic Warrior Style, a student must be ready for anything. The Exalt can detect any attack that would be considered a surprise (Ambush, friend physically backstabbing him, a flying shoe). This does not create a pool where none exists.

Surreptitious Assault</B>

<b>Cost: 4 motes
Duration: Instant
Type: Supplemental
Min. Essence: 2
Min. MA: 3
Prereqs: Acquiescent Agility Prana

The Student learns rather quickly to give as well as he gets when it comes to surprise attacks. By utilizing essence flows to guide his attacks in unpredictable ways he gains the upper hand. The attack supplemented by this charm is considered a “Surprise Attack” and unless a charm is used that allows his target to detect ambushes and the like the target cannot defend. This charm may only be used once per independant action.

Disapointment of an Almost Victorious Warrior</B>

<b>Cost: 3 motes
Duration: Instant
Type: Reflexive
Min. Essence: 2
Min. MA: 3
Prereqs: Quicksilver Reaction Method

Sometimes an attack is so powerful no sane man would want to stand in the way of it. If the Student finds himself caught between a Daiklaive and a hard place, this charms use could save his life. The Student uses essence to twist his body in some outlandish fashion to escape the attack. Before the attack roll to hit the Student has been rolled the student may activate this charm to add his MA to a single dodge. This may be used to create a dodge where none would previously exist. This charm counts toward the normal die adder limit of dex + dodge.

Biting the Hand That Strikes You</B>

<b>Cost: 6 motes
Duration: Instant
Type: Reflexive
Min. Essence: 3
Min. MA: 4
Prereqs: Opportunistic Warrior Stance

Sometimes the best way to avoid an attack is to attack the very limb that brings it. This charm allows a reflexive parry that may parry lethal damage unarmed. If successful the opponent loses their attack and, if the target was using a weapon, must make a dex + melee roll with a difficulty of the number of successes the user had on this parry.

Opportunistic Warrior Stance</B>

<b>Cost: 6 motes, 1 willpower
Duration: Scene
Type: Simple
Min. Essence: 3
Min. MA: 4
Prereqs: Disapointment of an Almost Victorious Warrior and Spontaneous Weapon Technique

The Student steps into a stance which offers him maximum reaction time and flexibility. He begins to hop up and down and his movements are more acrobatics than honest walking. Once activated this charm adds the user’s MA to all dodges, adds his MA to athletics, adds MA to wits + awarness to detect ambushes or surprise attacks, and when wielding props can decide if the damage is lethal or bashing. This is a form charm, characters may only have one form charm active at any time.

Master Charms

Deranged Warrior Defense</B>

<b>Cost: 4 motes
Duration: Instant
Type: Reflexive
Min. Essence: 3
Min. MA: 4
Prereqs: Opportunistic Warrior Stance

Once the fundamental lessons have been learned the Martial Artist now learns new ways to confound his opponents. He twists, jumps, and flips away from every attack making it look like child’s play. This charm allows the artist to dodge with preternatural grace, double all successes on one dodge roll. This charm must be activated before the incoming attacks rolled.

Spontaneous Weapon Technique</B>

<b>Cost: 4 motes
Duration: Committed
Type: Simple
Min. Essence: 3
Min. MA: 3
Prereqs: Surrepitious Assault

Sometimes the Students hands and feet are just not enough to beat in super heavy plate. In these instances he merely picks up the closest object and finds a creative way to use it. When using a prop in combat the Student infuses the prop with his essence to strengthen the object. If the object is an improvised weapon it is now strengthened to the normal levels of the weapon it is copying (Ex., a broken table leg is a club or fighting stick), but if the object is incomparable to anything one might consider a weapon (Ex., a flower pot) the prop can do lethal or bashing damage and it's rate equals the user's Permanent Essence.

Thickened Skin Method</B>

<b>Cost: 4 motes, 1 willpower
Duration: Instant
Type: Reflexive
Min. Essence: 3
Min. MA: 4
Prereqs: Deranged Warrior Defense

Sometimes it is inevitable, however unfortunate, that you will be struck in battle. The artist utilizing this charm sends essence racing to the point of impact as the impending strike slips past his defenses. Upon activation add athletics to bashing and lethal soak and the user leaps away a number of yards equal to his MA + Essence (This effect counts as a hopping defense. Also the Martial Artist adds his MA to knock-back, knock-down, and stun thresholds.

Recusant Warrior Technique</B>

<b>Cost: 6 motes, 2 willpower
Duration: Instant
Type: Reflexive
Min. Essence: 4
Min. MA: 4
Prereqs: Biting the Hand

Sometimes the only way to get through an opponent’s defenses is to go through them. Using his godlike agility, the Exalt using this charm slips through the guard of one opponent to strike him in a fashion completely outlandish (be descriptive). This charm can (and is encouraged to be) used with stunts. An attack enhanced with this charm not only counts as a surprise attack; it adds the Artist’s athletics and martial arts scores to the attack pool. If the player utilizes a stunt with this charm double the stunt effect (2 dice becomes 4 dice and 4 motes, etc).

Iconoclastic Warrior Method</B>

<b>Cost: 8 motes, 1 willpower
Duration: Scene
Type: Simple
Min. Essence: 5
Min. MA: 5
Prereqs: Recusant Warrior Technique and Thickened Skin Method

The pinnacle of the Opportunistic Warrior Style is that EVERYTHING is his tool for emerging victorious from combat. The Master moves with the boneless grace of a water spirit and the quickness of a lightning elemental. His attacks seem to come from nowhere and when his opponent tries to strike him he just plain isn’t there. To a true master of Opportunists Warrior Style everything is a weapon, from a set of keys, a rock, to even the clothes off his back. Once activated the Master gains several benefits. Every action concerning the martial arts ability has a number of dice equal to his permanent essence converted into automatic successes. His attacks can be considered bashing or lethal and add his essence to the base damage. And a final benefit due to his incredibly agile body and mind he gains one independent action every turn.

Comments

My newest style in response to the multiple requests form a Jackie Chanesque MA style. Try not to take it too seriously but if there are any comments for improvement I'd like to hear them. Also if anyone can help me with costs, prereqs, or ideas for naming these charms I'd welcome any help ~ Insanewizard

Ok! Here goes...something. I like the premise behind this MA. I believe that the overall style is Mote inefficient, and some of the charms are in the wrong spots as far as pre, and post form go. I will try to now do a breakdown of the specific Charms

• Acquiescent Agility Prana - This Charm is nice, but I think it's a little overpowered for the first charm on a MA tree. It's SSS with an Athletics boost for the same mote cost. My suggestions for this Charm is to make the Initiative, and Athletics boost to be mutually exclusive. This still results in a very good charm without it stepping on too many toes. Also as question, does this charm stack with itself,and may it be activated more than once in a turn?
• Quicksilver Reaction Method - I believe that this Charm also needs to be altered to only take one of the advantages per activation. Seeing as how this Charm is reflexive it should not be much of a problem getting off both effects if they are needed.
• Surreptitious Assault - As is this is a post form Charm. It is better than Foe-Vaulting Style, as it can be used more than once per encounter, and the benefit is much better as it inflicts ambush instead of back attack penalties which means the MAist cannot be attacked by an foe upon whom this Charm has been used.
• Disapointment of an Almost Victorious Warrior - This is way too efficient for a MA Pre-Form Charm. It's a Solar die adder for christmas' sake. This Charm actually needs to be nixed as it infringes on the Solar Dodge tree. Adding MA or Essence to a dodge attempt and costing 3 Motes to activate seems about right. Alternatly if the purchse cost of the dodge die were on a one per one basis it would work a little better.
• Spontaneous Weapon Technique - This is another Charm that I consider to be more appropriate Post-Form. I also consider this Charm to be somewhat out of theme as MAist's who you mentioned were never very serious damage dealers. I would suggest that this Charm enhances rate by PE and reduce multiple action penalties by a like amount.
• Spontaneous Weapon Technique - This Charm is costed too high, and the ability to not be surprised is a biggie for a 3/3 Charm that grants other benefits. I would suggest replacing it with the ability to add MA in dice to the Wits + Awareness roll to avoid surprise attacks.
• Deranged Warrior Defense - Nice! I would suggest lowering the cost to 4 Motes. I would also make this defense have to be declared before the opponents attack roll.
• Biting the Hand That Strikes You - This Charm has an insane cost, even Solars at the given essence level for gaining this Charm will have problems using it a viable battle tactic. First off this isn't a counter-attack at all. Secondly if this attack does damage it should be supplenmental or it's a little broken (and I can understand the costing if this is the case). Now if the "attack" doesn't do damage it's an effect ability much like DFGA with opposed rolls. It's much neater as an effect ability, and doesn't go into Siderealesque weirdness by making an attack that doesn't count as an attack that isn't a counter-attack, may be called upon reflexivly, and grants a disarm attempt. I suggest making it an effect ability, and moving this charm up Pre-Form.
• Thickened Skin Method - This charm also breaks theme somewhat, but not quite that much (Jackie often get the paint beat off of him in his movies, anmd comes back for more). I would suggest some sort of Hopping Defense that gives Athletics in soak before moving the MAist a number of yards egual to his Martial Arts + Essence. I would also allow this Charm to increase the knock-back, knock-down and stun thresholds of the MAist by their Martial arts.
• Recusant Warrior Technique - This is a nasty Charm. I like it a lot. The costing should be around 6 motes and 2 willpower though as it can easily roll over anything that relies on non-reflexive defenses, and it's a mote regenerator.
• Iconoclastic Warrior Method - This Charm is fine as is. Nice!!

I hope these comments are not taken as flames. I really like this concept, and would not have commented otherwise. I hope this helps in some way, and as said previously these are just my opinions. - Issaru

Thank you Issaru, this is one of the few positive posts I have received from my fellow wikizens. I have implemented your suggestions and clarified a copuple of things. See how you like it now. ~ Insanewizard

You are very welcome!I like!! One lil nitpick tho SWT is a little overcosted, but other than that it's friggin awesome. I'd love to give this to a DB who has mastered Tiger and Bear Initiation to beat a troupe of Solars with the senery - Issaru P.S. I know how hard it is to get positive C & C on the Wiki but don't let it get you down

On a side note could you look at a few of my MA's and do the same? - I