Latest revision as of 19:40, 20 August 2008

Brave Dragon Taunting Style

By Ikselam

Background

This is Dan's style from Street Fighter. Blame Sunjumper.

Cheyne walked along the road to Chiaroscuro, steel-shod boots clicking faintly against the indestructible First Age paving, face shadowed by the brim of her hat. The sun shone like a blast furnace, but her skin bore only the faintest sheen of sweat. The desert heat was as the chill of the uttermost North in comparison to the fires of rage burning in her heart. She was a dagger forged in balefire, she was a sword quenched in blood, she was... apparently seeing things, for out of the heat haze in front of her there emerged a man. Not just any man, but a muscular, tanned man wearing a bright pink sleeveless fighting tunic.

Cheyne shook her head to banish the comical vision. After the unspeakable torments she had endured in the pits of Malfeas, no mere mirage could cause her to hesitate in her infernal mission. She gathered her will like a clenched fist and --

"Halt, devilish harlot!" shouted the man, who despite his ludicrous mode of dress was apparently quite real. "I am here to make you pay for the death of my master, who you cruelly murdered, no doubt through unsportsmanlike and cowardly tricks!"

"Who the hell are you?" Cheyne demanded, stopping in her tracks. Heat rose in a shimmering curtain between the two fighters.

The ridiculous little man did a half-turn and stood with hands on hips, glaring at her over his shoulder. "Fool! Do you not recognize the great Mnemon Dan, master of the Brave Dragon Taunting Style!? My name is legend!" He shot one arm out towards her, index finger extended. "It has taken me months to trace your trail of evil to its source, devil, but now I will crush you like the malformed grub you are!"

Cheyne blinked. Hard. "Brave... Dragon... Taunting... Style?" she mouthed silently.

"Aha!" cried Dan, spinning about to face her head-on once more. "I see you are struck speechless now that I have revealed my true identity!" He threw his head back and laughed heartily. "Prepare to meet your destiny at the Mighty Fists of Dan!"

Cheyne folded her arms and looked at Dan for a long, long moment, searching for the right words with which to respond to his bluster. After brief reflection, she found them.

"I'm going to kill you," she told him conversationally.

"My pure heart is unmoved by your threats, vile demon!" cried Dan, raising a trembling fist as tears poured down his cheeks. "Let the battle begin! YooooooOOOOOOOSHAAAA!!!"

Cheyne stared in disbelief as Dan began rolling around on the ground. "This must be some kind of joke," she muttered.

This rather unorthodox fighting style was invented by Mnemon Hibiki Dan, a devout and charismatic (but somewhat dim) Immaculate monk. Dan was never very good at the normal Immaculate styles, but one thing he was good at was taunting. His heckling was so enthusiastic and inventive that it even got under the skin of his enlightened superiors. Eventually, they became so annoyed with him that they sent him off on an "important mission" to the Threshold. Dan wept with joy upon receiving the assignment, convinced that the Immaculate Order had finally seen the merit of his Brave Dragon Style and wished him to instruct the world in the ways of virtuous taunting. The entire Order breathed a collective sigh of relief when he left the Realm.

Dan spent almost a year roaming the Scavenger Lands, instructing the unenlightened in the ways of the Brave Dragon and besting numerous foes with his unequaled taunting skills. All was happiness for Dan, until the day when he learned that his master, Mnemon Seret, had been slain by the diabolical Anathema Cheyne Lasko. Crying manly tears, Dan raised his fist to Heaven, vowing to hunt down Cheyne and use his ultimate Brave Dragon techniques to avenge his master's death. Since that day, Dan has ceaselessly followed her trail, honing his taunting skills to ever greater heights of perfection in his quest for righteous vengeance.

If you believe that Terrestrial martial arts should be aspected to elements other than Earth, Brave Dragon Style is aligned with Fire, just like the pure heart of Dan!

This style doesn't work with any weapon or effect that does lethal or aggravated damage.

Charms

Puissant Taunting Stance</b>

<b>Cost: 1 mote per target
Type: Reflexive
Duration: One turn
Min. Martial Arts: 2
Min. Essence: 1
Prereqs: None

The martial artist adopts a contemptuous pose, shouting out insults and making rude gestures in an attempt to goad his opponent into attacking blindly. This Charm must be activated prior to the opponent's initiative. The user makes a Charisma + Martial Arts roll, opposed by his opponent's Willpower roll. If he gains any net successes, the opponent must attack him. She may split her action, and use Charms freely, but her first action must be an attack against the Charm's user.

This Charm may be used only once per turn on any given opponent.

Example: Cheyne and Dan roll initiative. Cheyne scores 13, and Dan scores 6. Dan reflexively activates the Puissant Taunting Stance, striking a manly pose and crying manly tears as he vows vengeance upon Cheyne for killing his master and compares her unfavorably to an infant kitten. His Charisma + Martial Arts roll beats Cheyne's Willpower roll. When Cheyne's initiative arrives, she decides to split her action three ways. Her FIRST action MUST be to attack Dan; she may do whatever she feels like with her other two actions. Snarling in fury, she rushes the pink-clad martial artist, who prudently aborts to full dodge.

<b>Cost: 2 motes
Type: Supplemental
Duration: Instant
Min. Martial Arts: 3
Min. Essence: 2
Prereqs: Puissant Taunting Pose

The martial artist utilizes a special technique to roll away from enemy blows, then immediately springs back to her feet and taunts. The frustration of constantly missing somebody who's rolling around like a clown can drive even the most skilled warrior to distraction. The Rolling Taunt supplements a dodge. If the dodge is successful, the opponent suffers a -1 penalty to base initiative and all dice pools for a number of turns equal to the Exalt's Charisma. Multiple uses of this Charm are not cumulative.

Rolling Taunt is allowed to supplement reflexive dodges. Its use must be declared before the dodge is rolled.

<b>Cost: 2 motes
Type: Simple
Duration: 
Min. Martial Arts: 3
Min. Essence: 2
Prereqs: Puissant Taunting Stance

Nothing is more demoralizing than realizing that an attacker has a clear shot, but chooses not to hit. Using this technique, the Exalt strikes with uncanny speed and accuracy. However, he pulls his punch (or other attack) at the last moment, instead doing something humiliating like tweaking the target's nose, lightly slapping her bottom, or tickling her.

A Martial Arts attack made with Contemptuous Taunting Strike receives an attack bonus equal to the Exalt's Martial Arts. However, it does no damage and has none of its other effects (in the case of throws, holds, &c.). Instead, the target receives a dice pool penalty equal to the Exalt's Charisma on all offensive actions she makes against the Exalt during the next turn. Victims of this attack suffer no penalties to defensive actions, or actions taken against anyone besides the Exalt who used Contemptuous Taunting Strike.

<b>Cost: 5 motes
Type: Simple
Duration: Scene
Min. Martial Arts: 4
Min. Essence: 2
Prereqs: Contemptuous Taunting Strike, Rolling Taunt

The martial artist infuses himself with indomitable taunting spirit, leaping and rolling around madly while shouting a continuous stream of taunts. All his attack dice pools suffer a -1 penalty while this form is active, but he receives an automatic success on any Charisma or Valor rolls. He may also add his Charisma to any Martial Arts parries he attempts -- it's difficult for enemies to take him seriously while he's capering like an idiot. If he doesn't have a parry action, he may reflexively block with Charisma alone.

This is a form Charm. It does not work with armor, or other form Charms.

<b>Cost: 3 motes
Type: Simple
Duration: Instant
Min. Martial Arts: 4
Min. Essence: 2
Prereqs: Brave Dragon Form

The Exalt focuses her Essence and hurls it from her hands in the form of a mighty ball of pulsating energy. At least, that's the idea. The reality is a weak puffball that fizzles out after only a short distance. The Exalt makes a Martial Arts attack with her normal dice pool, at a range of up to her permanent Essence in yards. If it hits, it does bashing damage equal to the Exalt's Valor, plus one additional point of raw damage for every two extra successes on the attack roll (round down).

<b>Cost: 5 motes
Type: Simple
Duration: Instant
Min. Martial Arts: 5
Min. Essence: 3
Prereqs: Brave Dragon Form

The martial artist can use carefully-chosen insults and ridiculous posturing to distract and annoy his opponents, sapping their will to fight. It is especially effective against other martial artists, as it may render them unable to maintain a coherent form. When this Charm is used, the target must make a Willpower check at a difficulty equal to the Exalt's Charisma. If she fails the check, she loses a point of temporary Willpower. If she is currently under the effects of a Martial Arts form Charm, she must make an additional Willpower check, at the same difficulty, or else her form Charm immediately ends.

<b>Cost: 1 mote
Type: Supplemental
Duration: Instant
Min. Martial Arts: 5
Min. Essence: 2
Prereqs: Brave Dragon Form

A true warrior does not fear her enemies, gaining strength every time she leaves herself vulnerable to attack by taunting them. This Charm supplements a taunt action. Every time it is activated, the Exalt rolls her Valor and regains one mote for each success.

This Charm can supplement reflexive taunts (e.g., Puissant Taunting Stance). The user cannot regain more motes in a turn than her Charisma + Martial Arts.

<b>Cost: 4 motes
Type: Supplemental
Duration: Instant
Min. Martial Arts: 5
Min. Essence: 3
Prereqs: Dragon-Wind Fist

The martial artist once again focuses her Essence, but instead of trying to project it, she uses it to propel herself upward in a leaping uppercut. She makes a Martial Arts attack as normal, but adds her Valor to its base damage. If the attack lands, it also throws the target as though he had been hit by a successful Martial Arts throw maneuver.

<b>Cost: 4 motes, 1 willpower
Type: Simple
Duration: Charisma in turns
Min. Martial Arts: 5
Min. Essence: 3
Prereqs: Concentration-Disrupting Taunting Technique

The true master of the Brave Dragon Style can unleash taunts of such power that they leave enemies reeling, stunned by the Exalt's charismatic heckling... or possibly just shocked into immobility by how ridiculous he looks. Either way, the effects are pretty much the same. The Exalt rolls Charisma + Martial Arts, versus a difficulty of the target's Temperance. Each extra success inflicts a cumulative -1 penalty to all the target's dice pools for a number of turns equal to the Exalt's Charisma score. On successive turns, the target may attempt to shake off her befuddlement by making a willpower check. This is a dice action, and is subject to the penalty imposed by the Legendary Taunting Technique. Multiple applications of the Legendary Taunt require multiple willpower checks, even if their effects are being applied simultaneously.

At no time may the total dice pool penalty inflicted by the Legendary Taunt be greater than the Exalt's Charisma + Valor. Any successes which would push the penalty above this amount produce no effect.

Example: Dan has Charisma 4, Martial Arts 5, Valor 4. He uses the Legendary Taunting Technique on Soktar the Red, who has Temperance 2. Dan rolls amazingly well and gets 6 extra successes. Soktar is now at -6 to all dice pools for the next 4 turns.

On the following turn, Dan once again unleashes the Legendary Taunt. This time, he scores 3 extra successes. Since Dan's Charisma + Valor is only 8, the third success is wasted. Soktar is at -8 to all dice pools for the next three turns, and -2 on the fourth. However, Soktar uses one of his actions to make a willpower check, and succeeds. He neutralizes the first application of the Legendary Taunt, reducing his penalty to only -2. He will need to make an additional check in order to shake off the second Legendary Taunt's effects.

<b>Cost: 5 motes, 1 willpower, variable number of health levels
Type: Simple
Duration: Instant
Min. Martial Arts: 5
Min. Essence: 3 
Prereqs: Spirit-Strengthening Taunt, Legendary Taunt

A truly courageous fighter is unafraid to sacrifice himself in order to weaken a foe. A skilled practitioner of the Brave Dragon Taunting Style is capable of using his own health to fuel a massive explosion of essence, burning an opponent with the righteous fire of his pure heart. This Charm may only be activated in a clinch or hold (it does not matter whether or not the Exalt initiated the clinch or hold). The Exalt sacrifices a variable number of his own health levels, up to Incapacitated (he can't actually kill himself using this Charm). For every health level he sacrifices, the person grappling him takes one level of unsoakable lethal damage.

<b>Cost: 6 motes, 1 willpower
Type: Extra Action
Duration: Instant
Min. Martial Arts: 5
Min. Essence: 4
Prereqs: Courageous Self-Sacrifice Method, Leaping Dragon Fist 

The martial artist summons up her indomitable warrior spirit, attacking her opponents with every iota of strength she has. On the turn this Charm is activated, she may take a number of actions equal to her Valor score. These actions are limited to attacks, dodges, or taunts. Actions may be used to perform a full dodge as normal, but the Exalt may not dodge the same attack twice. The Exalt may not split any of her actions in the turn she utilizes this Charm. HOWEVER, she may use any and all of her actions to activate Simple-type Charms from the Brave Dragon Style without the need for a Combo. Any other Charms (even non-Simple Brave Dragon Charms) are subject to the normal Combo rules.

Comments

Man, this MA style is HILARIOUS. It is truly a work of art. The only thing that I'm not sure about is Spirit-Strengthening Taunt. While I'm sure one can simply take a mundane taunt action, I'm not sure you can really get any other use out of it unless you combo it with other charms..... err, unless you're a Dragon-Blooded and you can activate reflexive charms as often as you like, I suppose. I'm not even sure that particular rule is a good idea, however. Maybe I'm just going senile --Prions

This actually looks like a really nifty style. I demand the full story of the dramatic confrontation between Dan and Cheyne! It's too funny to go untold! - Han'ya

There should be a Celestial version developed by a Zenith Caste named Kamina. -Galen