Difference between revisions of "MartialArts/IncomparableEfficiencyStyle"

Latest revision as of 01:17, 6 April 2010

Incomparable Efficiency Style

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Style still under construction.

Background

This is an Autocthhonian style created sometime after Autocthon shut himself away. Efficiency is the watchword in this time of finite resources, and this style was developed around the principles of economy and conservation.

Weapons and Armor

This style is incompatible with weapons and armor of any sort. Incomparable Efficiency practioners view crafting such equipment for their use to be an unnecessary waste of resources.

Charms

Note: Many charms in this style have two activation modes. Costs for the first mode will be listed before a "//" and costs for the second will be listed after a "//".

Measured Response Practice</b>
<b>Cost: 1 mote per 2 points// 2 motes
Duration: Instant
Type: Reflexive
Minimum Martial Arts: 2
Minimum Essence: 2
Prerequisite Charms:: None

Incomparable Efficiency students first learn to take the measure of their opponent and to 'bank' excess responsiveness for later action. If the martial artist has a higher iniative than all of his opponents, he may buy down his iniative at the rate of 1 mote per 2 points. These points are loaded into a Response Pool for later use. The Response Pool may store a number of points equal to the Exalt's Martial Arts rating. Points may be unloaded from this pool by activating Measured Response Practice for 2 motes and are exchanged at 1 point per +1 to initiative. The martial artist may not buy his initiative any lower than the current highest intiative amongst his opponents nor may he continue to buy down his intiative once the Response Pool is full. The Response Pool is emptied at the end of the scene.

Living Weapon Method</b>
<b>Cost: 5 motes
Duration: Indefinate
Type: Reflexive
Minimum Martial Arts: 3
Minimum Essence: 2
Prerequisite Charms:: Measured Response Practice

The bodies of the Exalted are resilient and well crafted tools. Students learn to make the most of the weapons they have already been granted simply by existing. Once this charm is activated, the martial artist gains a number of points equal to his Martial Arts rating with which to improve the traits of his unarmed strikes. He may choose to improve the speed, accuracy, damage, defense, or rate of his attacks by spending his points on a 1 for 1 basis. In addition, the martial artist may choose whether or not his attacks do bashing or lethal damage and may parry lethal attacks without a stunt. These changes remain so long as the Exalt commits essence to this charm. If the martial artist wishes to change his points distribution he must re-actiavte the charm.

Stalwart Skin Method</b>
<b>Cost: 5 motes
Duration: Indefinate
Type: Reflexive
Minimum Martial Arts: 3
Minimum Essence: 2
Prerequisite Charms:: Measured Response Practice

The bodies of the Exalted are resilient and well crafted tools. Students learn to enhance their inhuman fortitude even further. Once this charm is activated the martial artist increases his bashing soak by his Martial Arts rating and his lethal soak by half (rounded up) that value. In addition he gains an aggravated damge soak equal to one half his Martial Arts rating. These effects remain so long as the exalt commits essence to this charm.

Economy of Force Praxis</b>
<b>Cost: 1 mote per 2 successes// 2 motes
Duration: Instant
Type: Reflexive
Minimum Martial Arts: 3
Minimum Essence: 3
Prerequisite Charms:: Stalwart Skin Method, Living Weapon Method

During combat a lot of energy and effort is wasted through extraneous action and movement. Students of the Incomparable Efficiency style are taught how to precisely control their actions. Unneccessary energy is conserved against later need. After a successful martial arts attack or parry, the Exalt may buy down his successes at the rate of 1 mote per 2 successes. These points are loaded into an Action Pool for later use. Points in the Action pool may be expedned to add dice to martial arts attacks or parries. The Action Pool is uloaded at the rate of 1 point per die added. The Exalt may only buy off extra successes with this charm and must stop once the Action Pool is full. The Action Pool is emptied at the end of the scene.

Might Rationing Excerise</b>
<b>Cost: 1 mote per 2 successes// 2 motes
Duration: Instant
Type: Reflexive
Minimum Martial Arts: 3
Minimum Essence: 3
Prerequisite Charms:: Economy of Force Practice

Once they learn to control their motions, Students learn to manage their applied force. After damaged is rolled, the Exalt may buy down his successes at the rate of 1 mote per 2 successes. These points are stored in a Damage Pool for later use. The Damage Pool may store a number of points equal to the Exalt's Martial Arts rating. By activating Might Rationing Exercise for 2 motes, the martial artist may uload any number of points in this pool to add dice to any pre-soak damage pool that is the result of a martial arts attack. Points are exchanged at a rate of 1 point per die. The Exalt may not buy his damage lower than 1 success with this charm and must stop once the Damage Pool is full. The Damage Pool is emptied at the end of the scene.

Incomparable Efficiency Form</b>
<b>Cost: 5 motes
Duration: One Scene
Type: Simple
Minimum Martial Arts: 4
Minimum Essence: 3
Prerequisite Charms:: Might Rationing Exercise

Through a series of conservative gestures and a moment of focus, Incomparable Efficiency practioners can re-align their animas to perfectly harmonize with their flesh. Their movements and manners become precise and efficient. They act only when needed, spending the rest of their time in a state of economic stillness. So long as the form is active, the martial artist may pay 2 motes to reflexively unload his Response, Action, and Damage pools without having to activate the corresponding charms to do so. This mote expenditure does not count against the one charm per turn restriction. A martial artist may only have one Form-type charm active at any time.

Re-Application of Hostile Force Technique</b>
<b>Cost: 1 mote per success
Duration: Instant
Type: Reflexive
Minimum Martial Arts: 4
Minimum Essence: 3
Prerequisite Charms:: Incomparable Efficiency Form

Having mastered the basic principles of efficiency within his own body, the advanced student of this art is capable of re-directing his foe's effort to his own benefit. This charm may only be used to augment unarmed martial arts parries. The martial artist may buy down his opponent's successes at rate of 1 mote per success. These successes are converted to points in his Action Pool. The exalt may only buy down successes so long as there is room left in his Action Pool for converted points.

Economy of Motion Pattern</b>
<b>Cost: 6 motes
Duration: Instant
Type: Reflexive
Minimum Martial Arts: 5
Minimum Essence: 3
Prerequisite Charms:: Re-Application of Hostile Force Technique

By studying the common patterns of movement in combat, the martial artist is able to evade attacks by merely standing where his opponents are unlikely to strike. Upon activating this charm the martial artist rolls his Wits + Martial Arts + Essence. All attacks made against the Exalt until his next intiative are contested against the successes on this roll. Dice may be added to this pool by unloading the Action Pool at the usual rate. This action counts as neither a dodge or a parry and may be applied to attacks which are unblockable/undodgeable. The martial artist may not parry or dodge any attacks while under the effects of this charm. This charm must be activated at the start of the turn.

Precept of Harmonious Exchange</b>
<b>Cost: -
Duration: Permanent
Type: Permanent
Minimum Martial Arts: 4
Minimum Essence: 3
Prerequisite Charms:: Incomparable Efficiency Form

All action originates from the same source. This is a lesson ingrained into students seeking to master the way of Incomparable Efficiency. Once the martial artist is capable of internalizing this concept the scope of his potential opens significantly. Upon learning this charm, the martial artist's Response, Action, and Damage Pools are combined to form a single Efficiency Pool. This pool has a capacity equal to (the Exalt's Martial Arts rating x 3) + his permenant essence. Replace all instances of Response, Action, or Damage Pool with Efficiency Pool for all charms of this style.

Way of the Ambulatory Arsenal</b>
<b>Cost: -
Duration: Permanent
Type: Permanent
Minimum Martial Arts: 5
Minimum Essence: 3
Prerequisite Charms:: Precept of Harmonious Exchange

By this point in his studies, the martial artist is able to make optimum use of his natural weaponry. This charm modifies the text of the charm Living Weapon Method. The martial artist now adds his Martial Arts Rating x2 in points to modify the traits of his unarmed attacks.

Way of the Impregnable God Body</b>
<b>Cost: -
Duration: Permanent
Type: Permanent
Minimum Martial Arts: 5
Minimum Essence: 3
Prerequisite Charms:: Precept of Harmonious Exchange

The martial artist is now fully able to take advantage of his natural resilience. This charm modifies the test of the charm Stalwart Skin Method. The martial artist now adds Martial Arts rating x2 to his Bashing soak and his full Martial Arts rating to his Lethal Soak. His aggravated damage soak is now equal to his full Martial Arts rating as well.

Perpetual Dynamo Recycling Technique</b>
<b>Cost: 1 willpower
Duration: Special
Type: Special
Minimum Martial Arts: 5
Minimum Essence: 4
Prerequisite Charms:: Incomparable Efficiency Form

When gods and Exalts do battle, they expend essence to empower themeselves and this essence just bleeds away dissiapates. At this stage of his studies, the Incomparable Efficiency student is capable of regulating his anima to form special patterns which can capture these fragments of spent essence. The martial is capable of tapping into this captured essence to replenish his own pools. Once this charm is purchased it creates a Recycling Pool. This pool has a capacity equal to the Exalt's permanent essence x his Martial Arts rating. For every 2 motes spent powering effects of this style the Recycling Pool accumulates 1 point. For every 3 motes spent for other uses the the Recycling Pool accumulates 1 point.

I am still undecided on how this charm will be executed. My current Options:
1) spend 1 wp as a comboable, instant, reflexive charm action to load the whole Recycling Pool into your essence pool.
2) spend 1 wp as a scene long, reflexive action that automatically shunts your martial arts rating worth of Recycling Points into your essence pools every turn.
3) make it into a permenant charm that has the same effect as option 2 but without the wp cost.

Transcendant Harmonious Amalgamation of Being</b>
<b>Cost: -
Duration: Permanent
Type: Permanent
Minimum Martial Arts: 5
Minimum Essence: 4
Prerequisite Charms:: Perpetual Dynamo Recycling Technique, Way of the Impregnable God Body, Way of the Ambulatory Arsenal, Economy of Motion Pattern

Those who master the Incomparable Efficiency style have fully realized the goal of harmonization of anima, body, and mind. This new state completes their study of economic and effecient action. This provides a number of benefits: Reduce the cost of all charms of this style by 1 mote, this cannot reduce the cost of any charm below 1. The exalt may reflexively unload points from his Efficiency pool (as defined in Precept of Harmonious Exchange) without using a charm or paying a mote cost. When spending points from the Effeciency Pool to enhance an attack, parry, or use of Economy of Motion Pattern the points are converted into automatic successes instead of dice. In addition, the character now has the option of spending points from his Effeciency Pool to convert post-soak damage dice into automatic successes, on a one-for-one basis. The character may still convert efficiency points to pre-soak damage if desired. The martial artist only receives the benefits of this charm while Incomparable Efficiency Form his active.

Metadata

Name: Incomperable Efficiency

Author: Ambisinister

Type: celestial

Subtype: metaphoric

Rules: PC

Form Weapons: none

Armor Allowed: none

Shield Allowed: no

Essence Range: 2-4

MA Range: 2-5

Total Charms: 13

Forms: 1

Comboable Charms: 8

Reflexive Charms: 8

Persistent Charms: 8

Comments

Holy Crap, Dude. I thought -=I=- had a strategic mind. This is great stuff, I like the style quite a bit. Have you playtested this in combat yet? I'd like to see how the additional pools mechanic works in action. I was thinking something similar for my Telekinesis-based MA style. ~ BrigandRansom , who wouldn't mind a duel once it's done =)

First off, let me say that as an efficiency freak in real life, I knew that I was going to like any style that has "Incomparable Efficiency" in the title. (My character's name is actually "Most Efficient Implementor of Objectives"). I really like the flavor of what you've done with the style, but there's one thing I'd like to clear up, and two things that I figure I can comment effectively on.

The thing to clean up is that I'm not 100% certain whether one buys down successes or dice on the 'pool loader' charms. Some of them seem like they buy down unrolled dice, others seem like they buy down rolled successes. Once loaded into the pool, and released, do they come out again as auto-successes, or dice again? I ask this, because while I love the idea of loading in successes and bringing out successes, there's a minor issue of smacking an unarmored extra for umpteen levels, buying it down to 3L to barely kill him, then turning to the heavily armored "Omnipresent Combat Facilitator", hitting him for ping, then unloading all those damage successes into him. I like the idea of doing so, but in practice, it seems a little off. So can you clarify whether or not you buy down successes, or dice, and what they get unloaded as?

As for the first comment, I'm of the belief that the load/unload charms shouldn't require double-use. For a style emphasizing efficiency, I see a lot of required combo-ing those together, and a lot of motes being thrown around (3m total to go down 2 sux in one attack, and then unload them as 2 bonus dice? In pure mathematical terms, that's actually losing 2 dice, for 3 motes - you're just moving them around, which is good, but you're actually losing total oomph in the conversion). Other attack-enhancers do much more for 3m, giving things like +MA to attack automatically. Even worse, you can easily spend 5m on the thing to lose 5 sux, and gain 5 dice, which for many, is their MA rating. So now we're burning 5m to gain 5 dice, and it requires two charm activations. I feel like the charms (while cool) are a bit inefficient, which is my real beef. In a style called "Harmonious Combat Redirection Style", it's not a big deal if the mote->dice conversion isn't so efficient. In a style about efficiency, I'd expect to see highly efficient charms, not ones requiring more motes and more charm activations to acheive a relatively common and-or simple effect.

By accident, I stumbled into my last comment as well, which was overall cost. I think many of the charms are over-priced for their effect, or require too many charm activations. My gut reaction is to make the loading charms stay the same cost, and unloading them a free reflexive non-charm action at any point. That makes them more cost efficient, and requires less hassle. Then your form can allow you to use any of them at any time, without any motes or charm activation, allowing you to move dice as you see fit, like a crazy-man. The issue there is that the form would supercede the three lesser charms, and you'd never really need them again, unless you were using a different form-charm. I'm not sure if it fits into the style to supercede three charms, obliviating their use by replacing them with a single superior charm, or not. I mean, on one hand, it could seem "efficient" to reduce what was once three charms into a single charm, or it could seem inefficient, in that you've now bothered to learn three charms that you'll almost never use again. That's up to you. Anyway, hope my comments are helpful, and not seen as too overbearing. - GregLink

Your comments are not overbearing by a longshot. I've always preferred constructive criticism over just simple praise when it comes to my creative endeavors. Now then, to address your concerns and observations. As envisioned, one buys down successes and then, to use your termonology, re-loads them as dice.

As for efficiency, the way I conceptualized the tree was that the early charms would provide the basic groundwork techniques and the later charms would be some advanced techniques followed by some permenant charms which enhanced all charms within the style. To use a slightly different metaphor: One is first introduced to the tools and taught their basic functions. Next one learns more advanced applications of those tools. Finally, with experience one has internalized the implementation of those tools to such an extent that he is more effecient in their use.

To give you an idea of what some of these later charms will be: A charm to combine the Damage, Action, and Response pools into one giant pool that can be tapped for any use. A charm which pools all essence spent on IE charms for later reclaimation. A charm which reduces the mote cost of IE charms. I wanted enhanced efficiency to come with increased mastery in the style. The basic charms are somewhat ineffecient. This is both intentional and a factor of my belief that pre-form martial arts charms should be slightly underpowered. This has the added benefit of making the style less useful to dabblers. Dabbling is ineffecient after all ^-^.

Once I get the rest of the charms finalized (I will most likely post the rest sometime this evening) I'll take a gander at the style as a whole and then re-apply your critique to the whole thing and see where it turns out. Admittedly, I do really like your suggested tweaks for the pool charms and the form though....-Ambisinister

Short question. It's a litle ambigous about the Form charm allowing you to access the Pools without use of a Charm. Does it mean that you can pay the cost of the appropriate charm(s) to move points out of your pool or you can move points out of your pool without any cost at all? -- Somori

Somori As it currently stands the form allows you to access your pools by paying the 2 motes but without it counting as your charm use.

And now some more for GregLink: To address some of your other points. Regarding combos, you could activate Might Rationing Excercise on your first attack to add points to the damage pool, and then re-activate Might Rationing Excercise in its other mode to add dice to a subsequent attacks damage in the same turn. You're simply activating the same reflexive charm twice, no need for combos. Also regarding Might Rationing Exercise, you buy down damage sucesses, but add dice to a post soak damage pool. I should clarify that in the charm's description. As for your example of doing just enough damage to a mook to end him and then unloading on the big bad guy, that's exactly what the charm is for.-Ambisinister

And the trial version is done. Let's see how it holds up to critique.- Ambisinister

What's that? Did someone summon a comment-monster of the second circle? I could swear someone did, because the last thing I remember is walking back home through this really big desert, right? And... anyway, here goes: I like the style a lot, and would gladly pick it up for my character, but there are three things that stand out to me that I'd like to see rebuttal|changes on.

• • Economy of Motion Pattern - This supplemental dodge forces a dodge to apply to all attacks later in the turn, and prevents you from additionally dodging. A great idea for a charm, and really fits the theme. Plus points. The clarification I'd like is what happens if you combo this with other dodge charms, ensuring that the one dodge you do is, in fact, the one true dodge. Something like a seven-shadow's evasion+Reed in the Wind+Leaping Dodge. Are all your dodges for the remainder of the turn perfect? Are they enhanced by the extra successes gained from RitW? Do you hop every time? What if you don't want to hop this time? Similarly, what if you only used RitW and Leaping Dodge, and then some guy comes at you with an unparryable perfect? Can you still SSE? I mean, the way the charm is written, you couldn't, but that's a big limitation for higher essence combat where inapplicability is a big deal.
  • Perpetual Dynamo Recycling Technique - Another great charm, but I'm none too impressed with it's effects. As an Essence 4 effect, I want bling. I want things strictly superior to JiAS, EGT, and other low-Essence mote-gainers. For the moment, ignore the fact that one has to 'fill' the pool in the first place. What you're left with is a 1WP charm that gives you MA+Ess motes. When you first pick this up, that's 9 dice, or roughly 4-5 motes per use. By the end of time, you're getting 20 dice, for about 10 motes. I'm really not sure I see converting 1WP for 4-5 motes as a good trade, especially when it counts as a charm usage for the turn, and due to the way it's worded, since the charm itself is the instant, but flushing the recycled juice back into your own pool is a "charm action" I don't think it's really combo-able either. Remembering, then, that we have to fill the pool in the first place, we really can't expect to get that much juice out of the charm all the time anyway, because it's totally not worth activating it unless we've spent quite a bit on charms in this style. How much? Well, we'd need to activate at least 5 charms. Let's say that's the form, Stalwart, and living weapon for three. What else do we need to activate? Well, in theory, a full-on practitioner of the style will be using those load|unload charms all the time, so it's no big deal, right? Thing is, a true master of the style doesn't need to use those charms that much. His ultimate technique prevents him from needing to spend the 2m to 'unload', so really, he's only paying to load them in the first place (which he can do as a non-charm action reflexive, as per the form). So while you might think he's loading this all the time, he might not be, and that's another limitation. I'd really like to see this charm either get rid of the dice roll entirely, flushing the entire recyling pool back into you, or I'd like to see a less prohibitive cost, as WP is a big deal, and non-recyclable easily. On a side note, and unrelated to my argument of 'very underpowered for it's cost', the way the charm is written, you only fill the pool on a charm activation. Since it no longer counts as a charm activation to access the various pools, one can argue that the 'basic' charms in the tree don't actually fill the recycling pool. More mystifying, then, is the form charm's lack of clarity on the fact that when it says "...access his pools..." it doesn't specify adding to them or removing from them. This leads to some ambiguity, as I'm not sure if I have to use a charm to load, but it's free to unload, or if I can do both without charm usage, but must still pay motes, et cetera. I'm a big fan of clarity, as you might imagine.
  • Transcendant Harmonious Amalgamation of Being - A fun charm, and it really caps off the style. Again, I'm looking for clarity. The charm notes that "Finally, when spending points from the Efficiency Pool to enhance an attack or parry, the point are converted into automatic successes instead of dice." Alright. I understand that. Now, when I load the pool by sacrificing successes, I can unload with 100% efficiency, getting my successes back. That's just peachy - take a fundamental aspect of the style, and carry it through. Good theme, good idea. Next sentence: "When spending points to enhance damage, the martial artist now has the option of spending them to convert post-soak damage dice into automatic successes." Why is this specified additionally? Didn't you load the pool with successes in the first place, and are now unloading it directly into successes, just as in the previous sentence? Or is this sentence implying something else - that the user must spend motes ("...spending them...") to do the auto-damage conversion, but not the attack success version? Oh wait, I get it! Took me a few reads, but what you're really saying is "In addition, the character now has the option of spending points from his efficiency pool to convert post-soak damage dice into automatic successes, on a one-for-one basis. The character may still convert efficiency points to pre-soak damage if desired." If this is the case, the "Finally" that begins the sentence describing attacks is unnecessary, and incorrect.

Overall, great style, I'm only here as the representative of the local gamer's grammar police, fighting ambiguity and misinterpretation everywhere. - GregLink

First off, I'm glad I could create something that someone other than me can make use of. If you do end up using the style in a game let me know how it holds up to actual use. On to the meat:

• • Economy of Motion Pattern - What you've done here is neatly summarized all of my issues in trying to balance this charm. One fix is to simply have the charm provide a 'dodge' using the character's wits + martial arts. By making it solely based on martial arts I could remove any compatibility it would have with dodge charms. In such a case I would allow the pool to be modified with expended points from the Action or Effeciency Pools. This is perhaps the neatest solution. As far as it getting trumped by non-dodgeables and perfects goes, I think I'm ok with that. This charm is easily in the same ballpark as SSE and FLB, both of which can get trumped. This is the way I'm inclined to go. Keeping the style as self-sufficient as possible seems to be appropriate.
  • Perpetual Dynamo Recycling Technique - Let's put the Form and the basic charms aside for the moment and focus on PDRT. I definately erred on the side of under-powered here and your observations only reinforce doubts I was already having about the effectiveness of the charm. Regarding what fills the Recycling Pool and what doesn't, your interpretation is totally feasible considering my text. What I'm actually going for is that whenever you would spend motes on anything that has to do with this style, it fills the pool. Although I am considering having this apply to all mote expenditures. For balance purposes, have it be 2 motes per point for Style expenditures and 3 motes per point for all other expeditures. hat do you think? As for cost and the mechanics of mote respiration, I'm considering a few options: 1) spend 1 wp as a comboable, instant, reflexive charm action to load the whole Recycling Pool into your essence pool. 2) spend 1 wp as a scene long, reflexive action that automatically shunts your martial arts rating worth of Recycling Points into your essence pools every turn. 3) make it into a permenant charm that has the same effect as option 2 but without the wp cost.
  • Form and Loader charms - To clarify: You must always pay motes and use a charm activation to load Pools. Without the form you must pay motes and use a charm action to unload Pools. With the form you only need to pay motes to unload Pools. With the form and the pinnacle you may freely unload Pools as a reflexive action. I have not yet modified the charm text to clarify this.
  • Transcendant Harmonious Amalgamation of Being - You are correct, the charm text is suffering from un-polished and clumsy wording. I took your clarification on the modified Damage Pool unloading mechanic and pasted it right into the charm text. I have a problem with editing my crunch for clarity because I'm in the position of completely understanding my intentions. Incidentally, I don't have a problem with you or anyone else editing my stuff spelling, grammar, or clarity, so long as a little note explaining the changes is left.

Much thanks for all of the helpful feedback, demon slave, I mean ally. Thanks to your assisstance, this style is going from the planning shop to the show room much faster than it would have otherwise. You have a wonderful mind for mechanics. If you have the time and the desire, could you take a look at my charms over in Dragon Blooded Investigation and Abyssal Lore. They're the batch of mechanically questionable charms that preceded this project. - Ambisinister

I don't mean to "Me Too" or suck up, but you're right about GregLink. His comments are responsible for a rather large chunk of the crunchiness of Dawn Fist. I still think it could use some rewording and clarifications, because I have the same problem that you do with intent behind a charm. Hopefully Kurulham will stop back in with his Air Immaculate so we can playtest Dawn Fist. If not, wanna spar?

As for the style itself, absolutely fantastic. Very much in-theme with the HitMARKS... I mean Autochthons =) ~ BrigandRansom, who still plays second ed M:tA every once in a while

OK. So I've re-written the effects of Economy of Motion Pattern and Perpetual Dynamo Recycling Technique. PDRT is still in need of an execution mechanic, my options are posted in the charm's description. I've also, hopefully, clarified the text of the other charms in the style. Very close to a finished product now.- Ambisinister

The charms are quite balanced, but if they're Alchemical charms, why don't they have an Installation Cost? For PDRT, I favor option three. For the final charm, I added a reference to the charm that changes the pools to avoid confusion, because I missed that the first time. - IanPrice

Because Alchies install charms. Martial Arts styles, however, are submodules of the Perfected Lotus Matrix, and don't actually get 'installed' per se. More to the point, since anyone can use them, just because Alchies tend to have installation costs for their normal charms, it makes little sense to force a Solar to have an install cost. After all, could they uninstall? Reinstall? -- GregLink

Ah, oops. I don't have Autocthonians on hand, so I wasn't entirely clear on that. - IanPrice

I'm going to chime in here and say that I'm not of the majority opinion - I think that, while the idea is brilliant, almost every Charm in this tree is overpowered or undercosted. I will explain:

• Living Weapon Method: I'd probably put some sort of limit on how much you can boost one category. Otherwise, you've essentially got a permanent accuracy enhancer that doesn't count towards die maximums (or damage enhancer, or defense enhancer, or, god forbid, rate enhancer. +5 rate? That's a flurry-to-death approach.) Maybe half the total?
• Stalwart Skin Method: This is superior to many existing effects, and is Indefinate to boost. Most scene-length effects that boost soak like this either cost more or only provide an Essence boost (look at Celestial Tiger Hide, for example, for 5 motes and a Willpower).
• Economy of Force Praxis: What's the limit on this pool? Also Martial Arts?
• Might Rationing Effect: Is there anything in place to prevent you smacking yourself in the face before the fight starts?
• Re-application of Hostile Force: Far underpriced. You're taking successes away one-for-one, AND giving yourself an advantage, AND it can be comboed. I'd double the cost if this were suggested to me.
• Precept of Harmonious Exchange: Um. Good concept, but you're trading excess initiative one-for-one with excess everything else. This is a bigger deal than you might think, especially with Living Weapon earlier in the tree. I'd suggest fixing that somehow.
  

(As an amusing aside, here's a scary thought. This tree plus the first Charm in Violet Bier Of Sorrows. Double your base initiative on your first turn, dump it all into your pool, and destroy everything. Or stack in the Moonsilver/Starmetal anima powers for +8 initiative and THEN do that. Violet Bier is a listed style found in Autochthon.)

• Way of the Ambulatory Arsenal: This pretty much enhances the problems with Living Weapon, but it's not inherently broken or anything. ;)
• Way of the Impregnable God Body: See above.
• Perpetual Dynamo Recycling: This is a bit much - I'd probably go 1 in 3 and 1 in 5, rather than 1 in 2 and 1 in 3.
• Transcendant Harmonious Amalgamation of Being: I don't know where to begin. The first effect is worthy of a Charm this level all by itself, for one thing. The second seems mainly designed to let you not use the Form Charm, and the third is flatly insane. Convert spare initiative points into accuracy SUCCESSES or post-soak damage? One for one? Holy crap!

To summarize, I feel that this style is way too good. I love the concept, though - just tone it down. - FrivYeti

Transcendant Harmonious etc. has a sentence at the end saying "The martial artist only receives the benefits of this charm while Incomparable Efficiency Form his active." So that 1/3 of your comment is incorrect. - IanPrice

Whoops, my bad. You're right, one third of my Transcendant HAB comment is wrong. Didn't notice that line. - FrivYeti