Revision as of 19:41, 18 April 2007

Ebon Shadow Style

Ebon Shadow is an ancient style developed during the First Age and focused upon honing its practitioner’s evasive abilities and exploiting an opponent’s weaknesses. Today the style is practiced almost exclusively by the Chosen of Endings and a few Lunar Exalted who have kept its secrets since the First Age. However, with the re-emergence of the Solar Exalted, members of the Night Caste are recalling the ancient art that they first developed and within the Shadowlands, so are their Day Caste counterparts.

Practitioners of Ebon Shadow style treat knives as form weapons. For the purpose of Ebon Shadow Charms the martial artist is considered to be unarmed when wielding such a weapon. In addition, any charm that does not specify being unarmed as a requirement may be used in conjunction with thrown weapons as long as the Ebon Shadow Stylist uses the lower of his Thrown or Martial Arts abilities when making the attack roll.

Prax's Note - This version of the Style completely replaces the version found in Scroll of the Monk.

Shadow Step Technique:

 

Cost: 2m; Mins: Martial Arts 4, Essence 2; Type: Supplemental

 

Keywords: Combo-Ok

 

Duration: Instant

 

Prerequisite Charm: None

 

Ebon Shadow Stylists specialize in catching opponents off guard, thus the first thing a Shadow Stylist learns is to quickly get out of sight. By invoking this Charm, an Exalt may add his Martial Arts ability as a dice bonus to a single Stealth roll either for the purpose of making an unexpected attack or re-establishing surprise.

Left-Handed Treachery Attitude:

 

Cost: 2m; Mins: Martial Arts 4, Essence 2; Type: Supplemental

 

Keywords: Combo-Ok

 

Duration: Instant

 

Prerequisite Charm: Shadow Step Technique

 

Further refining the techniques of distraction and subterfuge, this Charm enables the Ebon Shadow Stylist to enhance his attacks, drawing his opponent’s attention in one way, only to strike from a completely different angle. This Charm can enhance any attack executed with the off-hand reducing the target’s Defense Values by the Shadow Stylist’s Essence for the purpose of defending against the attack. For the purpose of Ebon Shadow Charms, an attack enhanced with Left-Handed Treachery Attitude counts as an unexpected attack.

Ebon Shadow Form:

 

Cost: 6m; Mins: Martial Arts 4, Essence 2; Type: Simple (Speed 5, DV -1)

 

Keywords: Form-type, Obvious

 

Duration: One scene

 

Prerequisite Charm: Left-Handed Treachery Attitude

 

Once invoked, this charm causes the Shadow Stylist’s body to flicker and appear partially insubstantial making it difficult for opponent’s to focus upon him for any great length of time. In addition the Shadow Stylist’s movements become quicker and more fluid, the overall effect causing the Shadow Stylist to become much more difficult to strike. While using Ebon Shadow Form the Shadow Stylist may add his Stealth ability as a bonus to his Martial Arts and Dodge abilities for the purpose of determining his Defense Values. In addition he may add his permanent Essence as a dice bonus to his Stealth rolls and the Accuracy of any Unexpected Attacks. This Charm is incompatible with the use of armor.

Seven Points of Weakness Strike:

 

Cost: 3m; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 2; Type: Supplemental

 

Keywords: Combo-Ok

 

Duration: Instant

 

Prerequisite Charm: Ebon Shadow Form

 

Shadow Stylist’s learn to identify and then focus upon the weak points in their opponent’s defenses be that the target’s combat prowess, armor or body. A martial arts attack enhanced with this Charm ignores a number of points of Bashing or Lethal Soak equal to the Shadow Stylist’s Martial Arts ability. Seven-Points-of-Weakness Strike has no effect on a victim’s Hardness, thus a weak attack can still be completely ignored even if this Charm is invoked.

Sevenfold Shadow Assault:

 

Cost: 1m; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 3; Type: Supplemental

 

Keywords: Combo-Ok

 

Duration: Instant

 

Prerequisite Charm: Seven Points of Weakness Strike

 

Practitioners of the Ebon Shadow Style learn to take full advantage of their victim’s inattention. Most opponents that fail to take notice of a Shadow assailant never get the chance to make up for that error. This Charm can only enhance an unexpected martial arts attack. Count each success on the damage roll twice.

Vengeful Shadow Approach:

 

Cost: 3m; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 2; Type: Reflexive (Step 9)

 

Keywords: Combo-Ok, Counterattack, Obvious

 

Duration: Instant

 

Prerequisite Charm: Ebon Shadow Form

 

This Charm can only be activated when an opponent within a number of yards of the Shadow Stylist equal to his Dexterity fails an attack roll against the Shadow Stylist either because of his Defense Values or the use of a Charm so long as the Shadow Stylist completely avoids the attack. Once activated Vengeful Shadow Approach causes the Shadow Stylist to vanish from sight upon being attacked and then suddenly appear behind the victim where he may execute an immediate unexpected martial arts counterattack against that opponent. This Charm is incompatible with the use of armor.

Silence of the Final Night:

 

Cost: 3m per turn; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 3; Type: Supplemental

 

Keywords: Combo-Ok, Crippling

 

Duration: Varies

 

Prerequisite Charm: Vengeful Shadow Approach

 

This Charm has the same effects as the Thrown Charm: Mist on Water Attack (pg. 195, Exalted Core) except that it applies to the Shadow Stylist’s Martial Arts attacks rather then to his Thrown Attacks.

Final Sunset Prana:

 

Cost: 3m; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 3; Type: Supplemental

 

Keywords: Combo-Ok

 

Duration: Instant

 

Prerequisite Charm: Sevenfold Shadow Assault, Silence of the Final Night

 

This Charm may only supplement an unexpected martial arts attack. All attempts to detect an unexpected attack enhanced by this Charm automatically fail including the use of Charms such as Surprise-Anticipation Method as long as the Shadow Stylist's Essence exceeds his target's Essence. In addition a number of automatic successes are added to the attack roll equal to the Shadow Stylist’s Essence.

Foe-Crippling Disability Technique:

 

Cost: 3m, 1w; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 4; Type: Simple (Speed 5)

 

Keywords: Combo-Ok, Crippling, Obvious

 

Duration: Instant

 

Prerequisite Charm: Final Sunset Prana

 

With the merest touch a Shadow Stylist learns to incapacitate a foe, robbing him of control over his own body. When this Charm is invoked the Shadow Stylist executes an unarmed martial arts attack against his opponent at a –1 External Penalty and chooses to target one of five chakra points on his opponent’s body. Upon striking one of these five points the Shadow Stylist attacks with an infusion of tainted essence disrupting the bodies functions. If the attack is successful it inflicts no damage, but the target is forced to make a Stamina + Resistance roll at a difficulty equal to the Shadow Stylist’s Essence. If the roll succeeds, the target suffers a –1 Internal Penalty to all actions for the rest of the scene. If the roll fails, one of five effects occurs depending upon where the Shadow Stylist struck. The effects of this Charm are cumulative with multiple uses, but each Chakra point can only successfully be attacked once and the total Internal Penalty inflicted by failed applications of this Charm cannot exceed the Shadow Stylist’s Essence.

 

The forehead is the center for the mind chakra which is the filter through which the world is seen, striking here robs an opponent of his senses. Failure to resist subjects the victim to blindness causing a –4 external penalty to all attacks and other actions involving vision for the rest of the scene. Blindness also reduces the victim’s Dodge and Parry DVs by 2.

 

The throat is the center for the wind chakra, striking here temporarily robs a victim of his voice and more seriously his breath. Failure to resist causes the target to lose his voice for the rest of the scene and makes it difficult to breathe. For the rest of the scene a fatigue roll (difficulty 3 plus the Fatigue value of any armor being worn) must be made by the victim every time she takes an action or every 6 ticks if she takes no action. Increase the difficulty of the Fatigue roll by 2 every time the victim performs a flurry. If the penalties for Fatigue ever exceed the victim’s Stamina she passes out from lack of oxygen for the rest of the scene.

 

The heart is the center for the heart chakra, which controls the flow of passions and essence throughout the body. Striking here can cause a victim to experience spiritual imbalance and disorientation. Failure to resist increases the activation cost of all Charms by 1 mote due to spiritual discord and makes it impossible to focus properly, preventing the expenditure of Willpower for any reason. The spiritual discord also causes a disconnect from the body imposing a –2 internal penalty on all actions for the rest of the scene.

 

The abdomen is the center for the earth chakra, which controls the balance of the physical form. Striking here can cause a victim to experience loss of motor control. Failure to resist reduces the victim’s Dexterity by 2 for the rest of the scene as it causes the limbs to feel leaden and clumsy. Recalculate DVs appropriately and remember that a reduction in Dexterity affects the maximum number of dice that can be added through Charms for many Exalted. Characters who are reduced to 0 Dexterity by this effect are effectively paralyzed and become inactive for the rest of the scene.

 

The top of the head is the center for the crown chakra, which controls reason. Striking here robs a victim of reason and purpose. Failure to resist causes the victim to lose a point of temporary willpower and suffer intense disorientation. Mechanically the victim automatically assumes the inactive status as soon as he is struck and for the following three ticks. In addition she suffers a –2 internal penalty to all actions for the rest of the scene due to confusion and warped perceptions.

 

Opponents with a permanent essence in excess of the Shadow Stylist’s are immune to the effects of this Charm as are automata and zombies. However, spirits, ghosts and those insensible to pain are still vulnerable to this Charm’s effects as it essentially attacks a victim’s essence not the physical form.

Comments

First, this Style is brilliant and better in pretty much every way than the Scroll of the Monk incarnation of Ebon Shadow. I have only two comments:
Sevenfold Shadow Approach should probably be 2 motes; it's a very powerful effect, even if it's only for unexpected attacks.
I would suggest increasing the Essence costs on Final Sunset and Foe-Crippling and removing the "no higher-Essence opponent" restriction from them. It really hurts the Charms in combat against most people you would want to use them against. - FrivYeti