Difference between revisions of "Mockery/Golden Tyrant"

Revision as of 03:53, 14 May 2005

NOTE THAT THIS IS A WORK IN PROGRESS. I'm nowhere near done with this, even in formatting. The backstory needs work, and I want more post-form charms. But this is a start, and I want it somewhere that I won't delete on accident off my computer.

Golden Tyrant Style martial arts is a creation of an as of yet unidentified deathlord. Willing to employ any advantage he (or she?) can muster, he created this style of fighting that draws upon the inherent lordly nature of the Solar Exalted, even twisted as it is in the Abyssals that serve him. Golden Tyrants draw from the Great Curse, and the murderous fiends they became even when "pure," and this gives them the power to appear terrifying to their foes, deadly opponents who might obliterate the soul of an offender with a glance. Of course, the reality is a little less impressive, but only just barely. There are no style weapons per se, although the pinnacle charm allows for a limited amount of attunement of orichalcum weapons, somewhat like Celestial Monkey style.

Steel Wrapped in Velvet

Cost: 3 motes
Type: Supplemental
Duration: Instant
Minimum Martial Arts: 2
Minimum Essence: 2

Even the lightest touches of a Tyrant can rend flesh. This charm allows the deathknight to make even the tips of his fingers strike like goremauls. The abyssal makes an attack at his regular pool. Fortunately, this charm cannot be employed in an all-out strike, usually rendering it ineffective in combat. Unfortunately, Moonshadow Abyssals have been known to strike men's limbs from their bodies as they reached out for what they thought to be a sanctified oath. This attack also often gains the advantages of a suprise attack.

King's Haughty Stride

Cost: 6 motes
Type: Simple
Duration: One Scene
Minimum Martial Arts: 2
Minimum Essence: 2
Prerequisite Charms: Steel Wrapped in Velvet

For the rest of the scene, all Extras not engaged in combat refuse to acknowledge the Exalt or what he does. This is not a matter of insult: The Chosen's bearing terrifies everyone, leaving only a cold dread and the desire not to irritate him. The Exalt could walk into a marketplace, randomly select a civilian, and brutally slaughter him in plain sight. Others would be quiet, refusing to give aid to the victim, perhaps in fact going about their business and doing their best to ignore the poor soul, and only after the Exalt was gone clean away the body.
Mechanically, all virtue rolls that would allow or force a character to oppose such an Exalt are made at +1 difficulty. Extras automatically fail this roll, unless supernaturally fortified, and rarely defend (i.e. only if it works for the story). Attacking an extra allows the onlookers to make another roll every turn the abyssal attacks to oppose him. Each turn a character dies, another roll may be made by all his allies present to break free. If the Martial Artist is a Dusk Caste, his anima may affect all creatures capable of feeling fear.

Branding the Soul

Cost: 8 motes
Type: Supplemental
Duration: Instant
Minimum Martial Arts: 3
Minimum Essence: 3
Prerequisite Charms: King's Haughty Stride

With a single, sharp strike, the Abyssal's bare hands burn a mark in the ancient and deathless words of the Malfeans upon the spirit of the target, claiming their existence for the void. While this is invisible, the target feels it on some instinctive level, and cannot help but fear the deathknight who has marked them so.
The Abyssal may activate this charm with an unarmed strike, and if the target takes even a single level of damage, she must roll Willpower, difficulty 2. If she fails, her soul is Branded. Until this is removed (a simple Int+Occult roll, requiring several minutes of purification but otherwise little effort), the target loses one die from all pools to hit, dodge, or otherwise oppose the Abyssal. Multiple brands may be placed upon the same person, although an Abyssal may place a total of his Essence in Brands at any given time, and only one may be placed per attack. If the martial artist is a Moonshadow caste Abyssal, then each Brand counts as an extra point of permanent essence for purposes of the consequences of a broken oath sworn by the branded party.

Masterful Edict of Condemnation

Cost: 5 motes, 1 willpower
Type: Simple
Duration: Special
Minimum Martial Arts:3
Minimum Essence:2
Prerequisite Charms: King's Haughty Stride

With his rightful rulership over the masses, the Golden Tyrant may bring his entropic resonance to the fore to punish those who stand against his majesty, executing them. His every blow cracks bone and rends flesh until he has slain his opposition, or forced his self-righteous anger to cool. The Abyssal names his target, and as long as he continues to focus upon her, he adds his permanent Essence to all his damage rolls using the Martial Arts ability against said target, and his unarmed attacks are lethal. He is at -2 to all pools that do not directly oppose the target (and only that target) until this charm ends.
This charm lasts until the Abyssal either spends a second willpower point to end it, or he personally slays his target; If he does not get the chance to personally indulge his desire for retribution, he must force himself to get over it.
Midnight Caste abyssals may also add their Essence to their anima ability, doubling their damage pool as long as it focuses on a single viable target.

Shield of Might's Authority

Cost: 4 motes
Type: Reflexive
Duration: Instant
Minimum Martial Arts: 4
Minimum Essence: 2
Prerequisite Charms: King's Haughty Stride

The Abyssal stands straight, and scowls as whatever attack comes at them approaches. Their anima crackles brightly, with stained and tarnished golden lightning, and an incoming arrow shatters rather than meet their face, a blade turns aside rather than touch them.
The abyssal may rally her courage against a single attack. She must turn to face it, and may parry or block, but is unable to dodge. After damage is rolled, she may roll her valor, and each success removes one level of damage dealt, as though she were under the protection of the Daybreak anima ability.
This protection may be invoked only once per attack, although it may be stacked with the daybreak anima ability.

Golden Tyrant Form

Cost: 10 motes, 1 wp
Type: Simple
Duration: One Scene
Minimum Martial Arts: 4
Minimum Essence: 3
Prerequisite Charms: Branding the Soul, Masterful Edict of Condemnation, Shield of Might's Authority

The Exalt stands tall, seeming to double in size. Her anima, such as it is manifested, billows and howls, and deflects blows from him, seeming to utterly disregard lesser strikes. Every step and blow makes those around him cringe, and if he restrains himself in his attacks, it is only that the pain he inflicts bite deeper into the soul.
The Exalt gains a lethal and bashing soak equal to his Martial Arts, and Hardness equal to his essence. He may remove up to his manipulation in dice from his post-soak damage pools on opponents, and instead roll these dice after damage has been determined. Each success on this roll costs the target a point of temporary willpower. If the target no longer has temporary willpower, the Golden Tyrant may instead strip away permanent willpower for three successes on this roll, provided that it comes in a single roll. Targets may not be reduced below their Permanent Essence in permanent willpower in this way.
If the bearer is a day caste with her sensory-muting anima power activated, even if spotted, she cannot be identified: Witnesses see the aura of power, and while their ability to harm the Exalt is not in any way impeded, details blur, and only in highly obvious cases will even the gender of the Tyrant stick out in memory.

Simulation of Invincible Loyalty

Cost: None / Special
Type: Special
Duration: Permanent
Minimum Martial Arts:4
Minimum Essence:3
Prerequisite Charms:

A truly loyal servant will happily proceed into certain death, bouyed up by the strength of their belief in their lord. Whether by a similar faith in their lords or an unshakable self-assuredness, a Golden Tyrant duplicates this loyalty reflected into himself.
This charm, much like Ox-Body technique, can be purchased multiple times--up to the Deathknight's Conviction--and each purchase grants three "Incapacitated" levels. The deathknight may continue to fight, and fight without wound penalty, while sustaining himself solely on these levels, but must either fail a conviction roll and pass out, or pay a number of motes each turn equal to the number of Incapacitated levels currently damaged.

Master Rebukes the Slave

Cost: 6 motes
Type: Simple
Duration: Instant
Minimum Martial Arts: 5
Minimum Essence: 3
Prerequisite Charms: Golden Tyrant Form

The Tyrant's word is law--if he wishes to strike his lessers, it is his place to do so. He shall strike as hard as she wishes, and harm as she will--no more, no less. It is not the servant's place to dodge, and he shall only suffer more for his impudence.
Any one Martial Arts attack made by the abyssal is counted as a perfect success, as though all his attack and damage dice came up as successes. He may control the number of successes he inflicts, and with it, the damage. This charm only works against mortals, or any being that the Abyssal has, previously, imposed some level of dominance upon (such as through Branding the Soul, though use of this charm allows the target a second willpower roll). This attack may be parried or dodged, but failure to completely evade the attack adds the defense successes as additional dice to the attack. Any damage dice gained from additional successes are not rolled, but translate directly to damage.

One Stands Tall

Cost: 10 motes, 1 wp
Type: Reflexive
Duration: One Scene
Minimum Martial Arts: 5
Minimum Essence: 4
Prerequisite Charms: Pain-Eating Focus, Master Rebukes the Slave, Simulation of Invincible Loyalty

Showing himself to be mighty, the Tyrant does not just stand strong against adversity--he thrives. Deadening himself to the pain of others, he revels in battle, and each blow against him simply revitalizes him: each separate attacker (NOT attack) gives him an extra die to every parry and attack he makes that turn. As long as the attackers in question do not fall or break away, they continue to give this bonus
There is no upper limit to this, save the number of opponents that can make an attack in a given turn: short of charms such as Threshing Floor Technique or a swarm of panic monkeys, the most open and indefensible terrain only allows five attackers per turn.

Crush the Wayward Child

Cost: 6 motes, 1 willpower
Type: Supplemental
Duration: Instant
Minimum Martial Arts: 5
Minimum Essence: 4
Prerequisite Charms: Golden Tyrant Form

With a gesture, the Abyssal's hands lash out, and grab hold of a weapon swung at him. The blow does him no harm, and with a simple gesture, he tears the offending arms asunder. Swords snap like twigs, and should a limb be caught in his grasp, then the fool will likely never be able to use it again.
The Abyssal may block any blockable attack barehanded, without the need for a stunt, and gains his Essence in successes to do so. If he blocks a hand-to-hand or melee attack with an excess of successes, he may then employ these as successes in an attack against the weapon itself, with a base damage of his strength. If he exceeds the weapon's damage, defence, or accuracy in his damage roll, the weapon is destroyed. If the attacker is coming at him barehanded, then the limb is permanently mangled beyond use if the number of extra successes on his parry exceeds his the lower of his strength or stamina. If the number exceeds both combined, the limb is severed, and the would-be attacker must deal with the consequences of such an event normally. Exalts who are targeted by this charm may add their Endurance to their effective strength and/or stamina for this purpose, and heal as per regular. Artifact weapons are immune to being broken, although the parry bonus still applies.

Gentle Reassertion of Dominion

Cost: 5 motes
Type: Reflexive
Duration: Instant
Minimum Martial Arts:5
Minimum Essence: 4
Prerequisite Charms: Agony Savoring Spirit, Crush the Wayward Child

This charm must be invoked to supplement an attack already made, but without success. If the Martial Artist is legally able to invoke this charm this turn (whether on its own or in a combo), he may do so to roll his Essence in dice to do so (once), using any excess successes on an already-invoked defense (block or dodge) as a difficulty modifier (the target cannot employ defenses he has already used against the earlier roll, as this is merely an extension of the same attack.)
Either way, the results are impressive: the damage of this attack is lethal, doubled before soak, and doubled again (quadrupled) for the purposes of knockback.

Donning the Radiant Crown

Cost: None
Type: Special
Duration: Permanent
Minimum Martial Arts: 5
Minimum Essence: 5
Prerequisite Charms: Gentle Reassertion of Dominion, One Stands Tall

This technique completes the emulation of the Solar Exalted. The Abyssal may attune to both Orichalcum or Soulsteel as though he were the appropriate Exalt type. The final step in this martial arts tree leaves a tiny part of the spark of Exaltation scoured clean of Malfean corruption; this does not have any effect on the Abyssal's charms, virtues, or bond to his Deathlord and Monstrance.
The Malfeans' displeasure at this manifests in a scourge that the master of this martial arts tree will never be able to escape: Each item attuned immediately grants a permanent point and temporary point of resonance once it is attuned (the permanent fading only after the release of both attunement and a black miracle), and once per month, on the first sunrise thereof, the Abyssal accquires one further temporary point of Resonance per attuned item.
The Abyssal may attune orichalcum armor and/or close combat weapons with a commitment cost up to double his Essence score, and use these as though he were unarmed and unarmored for the purposes of this Martial Arts tree (though he still accumulates Resonance from this attunement, as per the earlier rules of this charm).
Only Abyssal Exalted can learn this charm.