Revision as of 19:15, 25 November 2005

Dance of the Thrashing Dragon Style

This is my first attempt at a style since Merciful Bear. I'm pretty sure it's not as balanced as it should be... so be gentle (like that's ever going to happen).

The Dance of the Thrashing Dragon is a martial arts usually learned by those that have trouble sitting still. Its wild, thrashing maneuvers synchronize with their Essence and allow them to fully encompass the anger and passion of the dance. It's a style built for speed and sudden strikes, catching opponents unawares and allowing for maximum efficiency during combat. Due to its thematics, many Dragon-Blooded in the First Age would spend years learning it, even though it's not the most efficient for their level of understanding, as it wasn't built specifically for them, like the Five Glorious Dragon Paths. This style considers attacks made with fighting chains, whips, and quarterstaffs as unarmed.

Sudden Advancement Method

Cost: 3 motes

Duration: Instant

Type: Reflexive

Minimum Martial Arts: 2

Minimum Essence: 1

Prerequisite Charms: None

The character becomes like the thrashing dragon: unpredictable. A quick, sudden motion can come out of no where to assault an opponent and catch him off-guard. On the turn this Charm is activated, add the character's Martial Arts score to her initiative total. This Charm may be used only once per turn.

Fickle Swiping Claws Attack

Cost: 4 motes

Duration: Instant

Type: Supplemental

Minimum Martial Arts: 3

Minimum Essence: 2

Prerequisite Charms: Sudden Advancement Method

Advancing along the route of the thrashing dragon's unpredictability, the character infuses her body with a wanton need for satisfaction and a sudden burst of dancing fever. The Exalt's movement is so quick, that her opponent must take into account ever motion of her startlingly sinuous body to be able to defend against it. On the turn this Charm is activated, add the character's Athletics to a single Dexterity + Martial Arts attack roll.

Abrupt Dancing Evasion

Cost: 3 motes

Duration: Instant

Type: Reflexive

Minimum Martial Arts: 2

Minimum Essence: 1

Prerequisite Charms: None

It is extremely hard to hit something that thrashes are speeds that are hard to see. By activating this Charm, the character emulates the sudden evasive movements of the thrashing dragon, curling, uncurling and bending herself out of harm's way. On the turn this Charm is used, add the character's Martial Arts score to a single dodge attempt.

Subitaneous Uncoiling Technique

Cost: 4 motes

Duration: Instant

Type: Supplemental

Minimum Martial Arts: 3

Minimum Essence: 2

Prerequisite Charms: Abrupt Dancing Evasion

Holding on to a thrashing dragon is often incredibly difficulty (and always incredibly stupid), for their movements are sudden and wild, thrashing about with vicious talons and cutting teeth. The character may activate this Charm once per turn while she is being held in a Clinch, adding her Martial Arts score to any attempt at escaping.

Even if the attempt fails, a number of dice equal to the successes rolled may be added to the character's next attempt at escape. The successes are added to the next pool regardless of whether or not the Charm is activated on the next turn; but only successes acquired while this Charm was activated can be added to the next roll.

Dance of the Thrashing Dragon Form

Cost: 5 motes

Duration: One Scene

Type: Simple

Minimum Martial Arts: 4

Minimum Essence: 2

Prerequisite Charms: Subitaneous Uncoiling Technique, Fickle Swiping Claws Attack

The character assumes the pose of the thrashing dragon. Every movement she makes is a sudden, wild thrash of her body, unpredictable and sudden. She is constantly on the move, and is almost impossible to catch as her body flies and twirls in the eddies of the air, each limb a tail with which to dance.

For the remainder of the scene, the character adds her Essence rating to the difficulty of any attempt get into or hold her in a clinch or hold. She may also attempt a reflexive dodge against any attack made against her using just her Martial Arts Ability. In addition, all attempts to dodge her attacks are made at +1 difficulty, due to her sudden and unexpected movements.

Intense Scales Technique

Cost: 6 motes

Duration: One scene

Type: Simple

Minimum Martial Arts: 4

Minimum Essence: 2

Prerequisite Charms: Dance of the Thrashing Dragon Form

The character twirls with a sudden movement, bringing the eddies of the air around her and suffusing it with her skin. For the remainder of the scene, the character adds her Martial Arts score to both her Lethal and Bashing score. Additionally, the character can now parry Lethal attacks with her bare hands without need for a Charm or stunt.

Penetrating Talons Method

Cost: 4 motes

Duration: One scene

Type: Simple

Minimum Martial Arts: 4

Minimum Essence: 2

Prerequisite Charms: Intense Scales Technique

The character suffuses her limbs with the unbridled power of a dragon's talons. For the remainder of the scene, not only do the character's attacks do Lethal damage, as her fingers become deadly instruments of the thrashing dance, but these attacks are so powerful that they are considered piercing as well, ignoring half the rating of any armor a target may be wearing.

Jaws of the Wild Dragon

Cost: 6 motes, 1 Willpower

Duration: Instant

Type: Supplemental

Minimim Martial Arts: 5

Minimum Essence: 3

Prerequisite Charms: Penetrating Talons Method

The Martial Artists hardens her now talon-like limbs even further, sundering and ripping through steel as easily as they once did through flesh. The character makes an attack with both hands. This attack not only completely ignores armor due to the penetrating power of the thrashing dragon's talons, but adds the character's Essence to the attacker's damage pool. Additionally, every 10 acquired on the damage roll counts as two successes.

Talon and Tail Storm Assault

Cost: 5 motes, 1 Willpower

Duration: Instant

Type: Extra Action

Minimum Martial Arts: 5

Minimum Essence: 4

Prerequisite Charms: Dragon Tail Sweep Attack

With a fierce, sudden attack, the practitioner of the dance of the thrashing dragon launches herself at an opponent, delivering a series of bloody blows that rip through defenses and surprise the martial artist's foes with their speed. Upon activating this Charm, the character gains a number of extra attacks during the turn equal to her permanent Essence.

Dance of Graceful Elusion

Cost: 2 + Performance

Duration: Instant

Type: Reflexive

Minimum Martial Arts: 5

Minimum Essence: 3

Prerequisite Charms: Dance of the Thrashing Dragon Form

By extending her limbs and beginning to twirl in beautiful, graceful movements, the thrashing dragon can concentrate into fluidly avoiding blows that would otherwise sunder her body. When under attack, the character may spend 2 + her Performance rating in motes to gain the ability to dodge a number of blows equal to her Performance ability. These dodges are made at the character's full Dexterity + Dodge pool.

Twirling Evasion Strike

Cost: 4 motes

Duration: Instant

Type: Reflexive

Minimum Martial Arts: 5

Minimum Essence: 3

Prerequisite Charms: Dance of Graceful Elusion

The thrashing dragon can move and strike without warning, watching her opponent's confused form even as she delivers a vicious blow. Whenever the character makes a dodge attempt, she can activate this Charm. If the dodge is successful, she leaps, twirls, or spins around her opponent, placing herself in a position for an attack and is able to exploit such, making a single attack at full Dexterity + Martial Arts, which counts as an attack from behind.

Dragon Tail Sweep Attack

Cost: 6 motes

Duration: Instant

Type: Special

Minimum Martial Arts: 5

Minimum Essence: 3

Prerequisite Charms: Twirling Evasion Strike

It doesn't take a genius to know one must watch for a dragon's tail. It's sweeps and thrashes like the dragon itself, making most people who fight them wary of strikes that are sometimes too low to block. The character who activates this Charm makes a Martial Arts attack aimed as low as possible, which cannot be parried save by weapons of three or more feet in length. If it's at all successful, the target of the attack is automatically knocked prone. If the character has any successes left from the attack, she may make an additional attack with a dice pool equal to her Martial Arts + remaining successes. This charm is not allowed in any combo, but it can be used by a character benefitting from Independant Actions.

Whirling Dragon Technique

Cost: 6 motes, 1 Willpower

Duration: One turn

Type: Reflexive

Minimum Martial Arts: 5

Minimum Essence: 4

Prerequisite Charms: Dragon Tail Sweep Attack

The character coils within himself, preparing for all attacks coming from any direction. In addition to becoming aware of every single attack, the character can, for the duration of a turn, apply a counterattack to any attack she is subject to. The counterattack is made before the original attack's damage is rolled, but after the attack itself. The character also ignores all wound penalties during the turn that the Charm is active, specifically for the purposes of dodging, parrying, and making counterattacks. This Charm is allowed to be placed in a combo, despite it's non-instant duration; however the character cannot counterattack a counterattack.

Dance Brings Inner Pain

Cost: 7 motes, 1 Willpower

Duration: Instant

Type: Simple

Minimum Martial Arts: 5

Minimum Essence: 4

Prerequisite Charms: Talon and Tail Storm Assault, Whirling Dragon Technique

The character suffuses herself with Essence, letting it course through her veins and power the strike that she dances to prepare. The attack the character launches using this Charm is a vicious, tearing strike that sunders anything it touches. The Exalted can lower her initiative score by up to her Martial Arts score. Every level lowered adds a die to her Dexterity + Martial Arts roll. The strike adds the character's Essence score to the damage of the attack. This attack does aggravated damage.

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