Revision as of 08:07, 5 April 2010

Golden Barque of the Heavens Style

by Argyle

Version 1.3

The Maiden of Journeys' Chosen are travelers above all else. Attacks using staves, knives, walking sticks (use club stats), and fighting cloaks are all treated as unarmed for the purposes of this style. Artifact versions of the same are likewise acceptable. These weapons represent not only the traditional wayfarer's trappings, but also the mast and sails of a voyaging ship. All charms in this cascade are incompatible with armor.

Fighting Cloak

A fighting cloak closely resembles a normal cloak and can be worn as one when not in combat. The main differences are that it is likely to be made of heavier material and the hem will be weighted with a chain or metal beads. The heavy material (usually thick wool) improves durability and adds extra padding for blocking. The weighted hem ensures that the Martial Artist can whip it around with enough momentum and speed to be effective and gives the cloak something heavy with which to strike. Being made out of simple, if durable cloth, a well-used fighting cloak will need frequent repair or replacement. Aegis Shrouds, the name given to artifact fighting cloaks, suffer no such wear and tear. They also frequently have soak-boosting enchantments, but these are not typically useful while the Aegis Shroud is being wielded as a weapon. Their attunement cost is 5 motes.

The fighting cloak is primarily a defensive weapon and is most often encountered as an off-hand weapon by someone also wielding a stick, dagger, or short sword. It is used as a flourishing destraction and to bind up an opponent's weapon so he cannot attack effectively. A fighting cloak reduces the difficulty of disarm attempts by 1 (to difficulty 2, see Exalted p238-239).

Name              Spd  Acc  Dam  Def  Rate   Dex    MA  Cost  Artifact
Fighting Cloak     +1   -1  +1B  +3*     2   ●●●   ●●●     ●         -
Aegis Shroud       +3   +0  +0L  +6*     5  ●●●●  ●●●●     -        ●●
*Reduce the difficulty of all disarming attempts by -1 when using this weapon.

Charms

Highwayman Spotting Awareness

Cost: 1 mote
Duration: Instant
Type: Reflexive
Minimum Martial Arts: 1
Minimum Essence: 1
Prerequisite Charms: None

An experienced traveler is always on guard for bandits and theives. A character with this Charm has the advantage of Jupiter's sight and may reflexively add her Essence in successes to any Awareness rolls for detecting ambushes or traps which endanger the character or her party. The attackers need not be targeting the character's party specifically; they may simply be waiting to attack any tempting targets that happen by. This Charm grants an Awareness roll even if the character would usually be denied a roll due to her assailants using Charms or other magic.

Highwayman Spotting Awareness is an asset to the character and the Storyteller should not use it as an excuse to drain the Exalted of her Essence.

Assault's Unreached Destination

Cost: 5 motes
Duration: One turn
Type: Supplemental
Minimum Martial Arts: 3
Minimum Essence: 2
Prerequisite Charms: Highwayman Spotting Awareness

The Maiden of Endings, in her role deciding when things meet their fate, can choose to finish something before it reaches its expected conclusion. Exalted using this Charm attempt to end an attacker's blows before they strike home. For the rest of the turn, the character may add her Martial Arts rating to any dodge or parry rolls she makes. If the character chooses to both parry and dodge a single attack, this bonus may be applied to one defense or the other, but not both. Lethal attacks may be parried unarmed without the need for a stunt. This Charm does not create a dice pool, it only supplements dice pools from other sources.

Unquenchable Wanderlust

Cost: 3 motes
Duration: Instant
Type: Reflexive
Minimum Martial Arts: 2
Minimum Essence: 2
Prerequisite Charms: None

To those who are passionate about their wandering, nothing snuffs joy more than being pinned down and restrained. A Golden Barque of the Heavens Stylist can call upon the Maiden of Serenity to ensure his freedom of movement and bring punishment to those cruel enough to hold him in place. By using this Charm, the character automatically escapes from any clinch. In addition to escaping, the character may attempt to damage his attacker, doing Strength + Essence dice of Piercing Bashing damage. This Charm fails if it was the Chosen who initiated the clinch.

This Charm may also be used to add the character's Martial Arts score to any rolls to escape bonds, manacles, or other restraints.

Fleet Cavalry Maneuver

Cost: 4 motes
Duration: Instant
Type: Simple
Minimum Martial Arts: 3
Minimum Essence: 2
Prerequisite Charms: Unquenchable Wanderlust

Mercury's Chosen use horses to make their pilgimages across Creation, but Mars prefers to use the powerful beasts for mighty hit-and-run strikes on the fields of war. Emulating this practice, the character dashes past his enemy, moving twice his normal movement and making a single unarmed strike before retreating to a safe distance. The target may defend herself normally, but will be unable to attack in return unless she has held actions, ranged attacks, Charms which grant an attack out of initiative order, or some method of matching the character's speed and gives pursuit. Though the character does not leave the ground, treat this as a fly-by attack as described on page 201 of the Exalted Players Guide. The Exalted adds his Essence score to the attack's damage, reflecting the strength of the charge.

Golden Barque of the Heavens Form

Cost: 5 motes
Duration: One scene
Type: Simple
Minimum Martial Arts: 4
Minimum Essence: 2
Prerequisite Charms: Assault's Unreached Destination, Fleet Cavalry Maneuver

Adopting the wary yet aloof stance of one who has been everywhere and seen everything, Exalted using this Form gain the ability to defend themselves using a cascading parry and may block lethal damage without the need for a stunt while unarmed. A character who either declares (as a full dice action) or aborts to a cascading parry may defend himself against all attacks in a turn with her full Dexterity + Martial Arts pool and ignore considerations of weapon rate. Reflecting Mercury's willingness to be in motion, the character adds his Martial Arts score to his base initiative. As long as he is wielding Golden Barque of the Heavens Style's signature weapons, the character does not suffer off-hand weapon or dual wielding penalties. Exalted using this form may reflexively spend a mote of Essence to turn any of his Dodge attempts into a hopping defense, leaping his Martial Arts + Essence yards away from his assailant after the attack is resolved. Finally, the Maiden of Journeys' connection to objects in motion allows her Chosen to keep firm footing and balance on such things without the need for an Athletics roll. For example, the Martial Artist could effortlessly fight in the rigging of a storm-tossed ship, in a wagon racing down a treacherous road, or even on the backs of stampeding cattle. Characters cannot normally use more than one Martial Arts Form-type Charm at a time.

Wayfaring Target Principle

Cost: 4 motes
Duration: One scene
Type: Reflexive
Minimum Martial Arts: 5
Minimum Essence: 3
Prerequisite Charms: Golden Barque of the Heavens Form

Everyone knows that a moving target is harder to hit than one that is standing still, and a person on the move can elude hunters more easily then one who has settled down. Taking this principle to heart, the Chosen of Journeys simply never stop moving. A character using this Charm adds her Martial Arts to any Dodge rolls she makes. If the Exalted does not have a dodge action allocated for an incoming attack, she may reflexively dodge using her Martial Arts score.

Vagabond Pilgrim's Endurance

Cost: 4 motes, 1 willpower
Duration: One scene
Type: Simple
Minimum Martial Arts: 5
Minimum Essence: 3
Prerequisite Charms: Wayfaring Target Principle

A pilgrim will often suffer much while seeking his sacred destination; Fate's strange slings and arrows can be quite cruel. Still, the faithful endure. Exalted with this Charm have learned to apply that endurance to their Martial Arts. Add the character's Endurance + Conviction to his bashing and lethal soak.

Saffron Meteor Strike

Cost: 4 motes + 1 mote/die
Duration: Instant
Type: Supplemental
Minimum Martial Arts: 5
Minimum Essence: 3
Prerequisite Charms: Golden Barque of the Heavens Form

Like a falling star streaking across the heavens, the Chosen using this Charm delivers a devastating flying kick. Leaving a shining aurulent streak in her wake, the character jumps up to her sprinting distance plus her Essence yards before delivering the attack as Mercury bears her to the target. The character makes an unarmed attack against her foe and may buy up to her Essence extra dice for it at the rate of one mote per die. The damage from this attack is lethal. Finally, the target suffers knockback equal to the character's Martial Arts x 10 yards. The knockback distance can be reduced by five yards per success on a reflexive Strength + Athletics roll. This knockback does no additional damage unless the target lands on particularly hazardous terrain and occurs even if the attack does no damage.

By spending a point of Willpower, the Chosen calls upon the meteor's associations with the authority of Heaven, allowing her to strike dematerialized spirits with this attack.

Three Sheets to an Ill Wind

Cost: 4 motes
Duration: Instant
Type: Supplemental
Minimum Martial Arts: 5
Minimum Essence: 3
Prerequisite Charms: Golden Barque of the Heavens Form

Just as a skilled sailor can capture the force of a dangerous gale and turn it to his advantage, so can Mercury's Chosen harness the winds of misfortune and turn them against her enemies. The Exalted using this charm gets three automatic successes on an attempt to disarm a foe. If she is wielding a fighting cloak, she may use the cloak's defensive value in lieu of its accuracy value for this attempt.

True Course Meditation

Cost: 4 motes, 1 Willpower 
Duration: Scene
Type: Simple
Minimum Martial Arts: 5
Minimum Essence: 3
Prerequisite Charms: Three Sheets to an Ill Wind

The navigator knows how to plot a course through obstacles that bar his ship from his destination. The Chosen of Mercury have learned much from the navigator and may invoke this Charm to ensure that a strike's course is true. Increase the difficulty of defending against the character's unarmed attacks by the character's Essence score.

Earth and Sky Traversing Celerity

Cost: 12 motes, 1 willpower, 1 health level
Duration: Martial Arts turns
Type: Simple
Minimum Martial Arts: 5
Minimum Essence: 4
Prerequisite Charms: Vagabond Pilgrim's Endurance, Saffron Meteor Strike, True Course Meditation

Exalted who have mastered Golden Barque of the Heavens Style can invoke the blinding speed of Mercury, flashing all over the battlefield, striking foe after foe faster than the eye can follow. First, add the Chosen's Martial Arts to her base initiative. This bonus is cumulative with the bonus from Golden Barque of the Heavens Form. Second, double all the character's movement rates and jumping distances (including jumps arising from other Charms). If the character is under the influence of the Lesser Sign of Mercury, the total movement is quadrupled, not sextupled. Next, while this Charm is in effect, double the character's Martial Arts score and increase the difficulty of defending against her strikes by one due to their unnatural speed. Lastly, each turn, the Chosen of Journeys may dash from enemy to enemy making an unarmed attack against each until there are no more valid targets or one of the attacks misses. The character may choose the order in which the attacks are made, but each successive target must be within her enhanced sprinting distance and no target may be visited more than once on the same turn. An attack which hits but causes no damage is considered successful for the purpose of sustaining the Charm's magic. The character retains her normal dice action and may split it as usual for defense or for additional attacks against her enemies as she visits them in turn. As these are considered fly-by attacks, the Exalted's enemies may defend themselves normally, but will have a hard time retaliating against the Chosen while she traces new constellations on the battlefield as if her foes were stars in the night sky.

Siderials who enhance this charm with a prayer strip double the distance between valid targets and apply knockback as described under Saffron Meteor Strike to each attack made while Earth and Sky Traversing Celerity is active.

Commentary

This is my first Martial Arts style. I ran it past the cats on White-Wolf's Exalted forum and have incorporated some of their suggestions and a good layer of polish onto the final version you see here. Of course, more feedback is always welcome! -- Argyle

Now that I've got the Players Guide, I figure I should add some notes about how this style changes with Power Combat in play. A fighting cloak has a rate of 2. The attacks granted by Fleet Cavalry Maneuver and Earth and Sky Traversing Celerity should be treated as fly-by attacks (Exalted Players Guide page 201) despite the Chosen keeping her feet on the ground. This isn't really a change, but now

I've got some official rules to point at for the effect I was going for. The cascading parry granted by Golden Barque of the Heavens Form should be modified as for Mantis Form (changes in Exalted Players Guide, page 208). The change implies (to me) but does not directly state that weapons used for defense have an unlimited rate while the cascading parry is being used. -- Argyle

One thing I'm iffy on, but don't have the Eclipse book handy. Does the Mantis Form provide benefits apart from the Cascading Parry? Cause presently the Golden Barque of Heaven Form looks like the Mantis Form and then bennies.

Maybe, instead and in keeping with the theme of motion, allow the character to always reflexively dodge with their Martial Arts? DS

Mantis Form also has some other benefit that this doesn't...I believe it adds Essence to your parries and lets you parry barehanded. -willows

Mantis Form adds your MA to your initiative and BMartialArts/GoldenBarqueoftheHeavensStyle/L soaks and allows for a cascading parry, lets you deal lethal unarmed and parry lethal without a stunt. Really, this form seems a little weak, but that's just my opinion. - SMK

DS: Wayfaring Target Principle allows reflexive dodges with the character's Martial Arts score, so that particular schtick is already taken in this style. I have a vague feeling that the form is a little underpowered myself, but I wasn't sure what to add. Maybe now that rate is a big deal, it could double or even remove the rate limits of the signature weapons? -- Argyle

New revision! Besides reducing some Essence score prerequisites, I made the following changes:

• Fighting cloaks: I statted up their artifact counterpart, the Aegis Shroud.
• Unquenchable Wanderlust: Revised to Power Combat clinch rules, added the escape-artist effect. The free damage is probably a little less, too.
• Fleet Cavalry Maneuver: Reduced cost by a mote. Clarified rules a little.
• Golden Barque of the Heavens Form: Clarified what a cascading parry means in the post-Power Combat world. Added the ability to buy hopping dodges.
• Vagabond Pilgrim's Endurance: Reduced mote cost.
• Saffron Meteor Strike: Removed Willpower cost, removed free +Essence damage, capped die adding. Added optional Willpower cost to affect dematerialized spirits.
• Reef Evading Navigation: Added optional duration increases.

I am interested in hearing what people thing of these revisions. Most of them have increased the power of the style some since most folks thought it was a bit on the weak side, though the boosts are relatively minor. I'm pondering making Fleet Cavalry Maneuver into a Supplemental rather than Simple Charm. Any thoughts? -- Argyle

One more tweak: Reef Evading Navigation is old and busted. True Course Meditation is the new Hotness. I also made Wayfaring Target Principle a little cheaper. -- Argyle