Revision as of 08:07, 5 April 2010

Spirit-Fox Style

By Madu

Background

Spirit-Fox Style martial arts are all about stealth, trickery, and surprising the enemy. Spirit-Fox Style relies less on ass-beating weapons and more on items with multiple uses: iron fans, samurai pipes, and staves. The shaku-jo, or “five rings staff” is a favored weapon of the Spirit-Fox Style master – innocent in appearance, it can pierce, entangle, or bludgeon with ease.

Spirit-Fox Style is a soft style, with many of its manuevers and Charms used as defense. However, those who take the time to learn the secrets of Spirit-Fox Style discover that it has a deeply mystical aspect – indeed, Spirit-Fox Style lore contains a number of Terrestrial-circle sorceries that can be used in combat and travel.

Spirit-Fox Style masters scorn the use of hot, heavy, uncomfortable armor – they prefer light, breezy robes or baggy pants and sashes. All Spirit-Fox Style charms are incompatible with the use of armor except where noted.

Charms

One Tail Sidestep</b>

<b>Cost: 3 motes
Duration: Instant
Type: Reflexive
Min. Martial Arts: 2
Min. Essence: 1
Prereqs: None

The One Tail Sidestep allows a character to dodge an incoming attack by the minimum amount necessary to avoid damage, often causing an opponent to assume that the target did not move. Adds a number of Dodge successes equal to character’s Essence score. May be used by an armored character.

Two Tails Defense</b>

<b>Cost: 5 motes
Duration: 1 turn
Type: Simple
Min. Martial Arts: 3
Min. Essence: 2
Prereqs: One Tail Sidestep 

The Two Tails Defense requires the character to wield two weapons—the form’s preferred ones being two ‘iron fans’. The fans (or other 1-handed weapons) are whirled about in a complex pattern. With Two Tails Defense, the character may parry a number of attacks equal to her Essence rating with full dice pools. If she takes any other actions, the penalty for additional actions is increased by 1 die.

Characters who use another charm that allows them to parry Lethal attacks barehanded (such as Steel Paw Style)may explicitly stack or combo with this charm. This charm may be used while wearing armor.

Fox Yip (The Kiai of Unendurable Imprecation)</b>

<b>Cost: 4 motes
Duration: Instant
Type: Simple
Min. Martial Arts: 3
Min. Essence: 1
Prereqs: None

A shouted slur sure to elicit unthinking rage in an enemy. The target of a Fox Yip must make a Temperance roll with a difficulty equal to the character’s Essence; failure means humiliation and distraction, +1 to strike and damage, -2 to parry, -3 to dodge. Additionally, the target will only attack the kitsuke who delivered the insult, and may be brained or backshot by alert opponents. A botch will send the target reeling with rage and shame, forcing her to flee the SFS practitioner’s presence. May be used while wearing armor.

Fox Greets the Fieldmouse</b>

<b>Cost: 4 motes
Duration: Instant
Type: Simple
Min. Martial Arts: 3
Min. Essence: 2
Prereqs: One Tail Sidestep

With a leap, the Spirit-Fox practitioner moves from concealment to attack. The charm allows the Exalt to leap (Dexterity) yards vertically and (Dexterity + Martial Arts) yards horizontally, ending with a weapon, foot, or fist strike. The target’s Initiative total is reduced by the attacker’s Willpower + Essence: should the Spirit-Fox initiate (or kitsuke) land the first blow, her damage dice are doubled after soak.

Three Tails Throw</b>

<b>Cost: 4 motes
Duration: Instant
Type: Reflexive
Min. Martial Arts: 3
Min. Essence: 2
Prereqs: Two Tails Defense

A judoesque counterattacking throw maneuver that sends enemies sprawling, doing Bashing dice equal to the attacker’s Strength + the kitsuke’s Martial Arts score. Only the attacker's natural Bashing soak may be used - this charm bypasses any soak bonuses afforded by armor. A Three Tails Throw may take the place of a dodge, and is only effective against an attack.

Four Tails Confound the Archer</b>

<b>Cost: 6 motes, plus 2 motes per missile
Duration: Essence in turns
Type: Simple
Min. Martial Arts: 3
Min. Essence: 2
Prereqs: Three Tails Throw

Four Tails involves a spinning, leaping kata that can frustrate an archer to no end. The difficulty to hit the character with any kind of flung missile (arrows, slingstones, hurlbats, etc.) increases by the martial artist’s Essence. Additionally, the character may nab a missile out of the air as a dice action for 2 motes of essence. This can be kept, tossed aside, or returned point-first to the attacker, as the martial artist desires.

Den-Defending Stance</b>

<b>Cost: 4 motes
Duration: One scene
Type: Simple
Min. Martial Arts: 3
Min. Essence: 2
Prereqs: Two Tails Defense

The fox’s den is his home, and the site of his last stand. As long as the kitsuke does not move or dodge, he cannot suffer a knockback effect and may add his Martial Arts score to both Bashing and Lethal soaks. Two Tails Defense may stack with this charm. May be used while armored.

Spirit-Fox Form</b>

<b>Cost: 5 motes
Duration: One scene
Type: Simple
Min. Martial Arts: 4
Min. Essence: 2
Prereqs: Den-Defending Stance, Four Tails Confound the Archer

The initiate takes the stance of the Spirit-Fox: feet shoulder-width apart, hips and torso turned 90° from the opponent, hands loosely cupped in the Fox Paw Fist and held just below chin height (sort of a fencing stance with the head turned to the side, presenting the attacker with a narrow profile). The Exalt may parry or dodge any attack he can perceive with no penalty a number of times equal to his Essence rating. This charm explicitly stacks with Den-Defending Stance, and the defense bonuses may be used with Three Tails Throw.

Five Tails, Five Directions</b>

<b>Cost: 5 motes
Duration: Instant
Type: Reflexive
Min. Martial Arts: 4
Min. Essence: 2
Prereqs: Fox Greets the Fieldmouse

With a prodigious leap, the kitsuke may remove herself from an opponent’s proximity while dodging. Five Tails, Five Directions allows the Exalt to leap (Dexterity + Martial Arts + Essence) yards in any of the five directions, adding 5 bonus dice to the attempt. This charm may be used to carry one out of attack range of weapon, fist, or spell.

Six Wise Tails Mantra</b>

<b>Cost: 10 motes
Duration: 1 scene
Type: Simple
Min. Martial Arts: 4
Min. Essence: 2
Prereqs: Fox Yip

The Six Wise Tails Mantra gives the character intuitive awareness of an enemy’s weak points, whether physical (such as old injuries, a quirk of combat style, or ill-fitting armor) or mental (low Virtues, Nature, manifestation of the Great Curse). When the Six Wise Tails Mantra is pronounced, the character may roll Perception + Martial Arts, with a difficulty of her opponent’s Essence. Each success reveals a weakness that may be exploited by the character. The Storyteller is encouraged to be creative and flexible when dealing with off-the-cuff frailties in NPCs.

Seven Lucky Tails Kata</b>

<b>Cost: 3 motes
Duration: Instant
Type: Supplemental
Min. Martial Arts: 4
Min. Essence: 3
Prereqs: Spirit-Fox Style

A form that teaches one to strike from the Seven Surprising Directions at the Seven Vital Points (at the crown from above, at the forehead from behind, at the throat from behind, at the heart from the right, at the plexus from the left, at the navel from behind, and at the groin from below). Blows to these areas have differing effects.

• Crown of the head from above(1): Interferes with Essence flow: Essence cannot be recovered by victim for rest of scene (including via Hearthstone, cult, or charm).
• "3rd Eye" from behind(1): Interferes with enlightenment: halves victim’s Essence rating for rest of scene (!)
• Throat from below(1): Interferes with communication: victim cannot speak intelligibly for rest of scene (stutters, gurgles, mumbles, etc.)
• Heart from the right(1): Interferes with life force, victim may not use natural Bashing or Lethal soak for rest of scene
• Plexus from the left(1): Interferes with coordination, breathing: +1 difficulty to all Physical-based rolls for rest of scene.
• Navel from behind(1): Interferes with Essence control: victim may not spend more motes of Essence at one time than own Essence rating.
• Groin from below: Unsoakable Bashing damage, and health level penalties are doubled.

(1)Does not inflict damage, but calculate as if damage were being rolled and if Str + Successes > Bashing soak, the charm effect takes place.

Eight Subtle Tails Path</b>

<b>Cost: 8 motes, + 1 mote per attack thwarted
Duration: One scene
Type: Simple
Min. Martial Arts: 5
Min. Essence: 4
Prereqs: Spirit-Fox Form, Six Wise Tails Mantra

The Spirit-Fox practitioner that has mastered the Eight Subtle Tails Path has the ability to walk through a pitched battle unscathed. For 1 mote, the character can absolutely thwart any attack made with either a to-hit pool of less than the character’s Essence + Martial Arts, or with a damage rating (before soak) of less than the character’s Willpower. Arcs and lines of Essence either direct blows away or absorb their force harmlessly.

Nine Tails Strike</b>

<b>Cost: 8 motes, 1 willpower, +2 motes per duplicate
Duration: Instant
Type: Simple
Min. Martial Arts: 5
Min. Essence: 5
Prereqs: Seven Lucky Tails Kata, Eight Subtle Tails Path

The Nine Tails Strike creates up to 8 Essence duplicates of the martial artist, who simultaneously strike with her (only one roll is made). If the character fights barehanded, the duplicates carry no weapon. If the character is armed, the duplicates carry Essence-fueled copies that seem identical but lack all magical properties. Each duplicate adds the character’s Essence rating to the raw damage, whether Bashing or Lethal. The duplicates appear only for the duration of the strike and are indistinguishable from the the character. Only one attack roll is made—if it misses, the duplicates disappear and the Essence is wasted. However, the difficulties of non-magical attempts to dodge or parry are increased by 1 per duplicate created.

Comments

This was [originally] posted as a draft and never wholly completed. As such, some Charms are short mechanics. It's still quite presentable, so, like, here it is. ~Jabberwocky

Thanks for the props, Jabberwock. It sure is a shock to go cruising randomly around the 'net and see my own words staring me in the face! Wow. So anyway, here are some updates to SFS. I junked the WoD-based difficulty system of varying target numbers after it became painfully obvious that it wouldn't work, and amplified/fixed some charms. Enjoy! ~Madu

I'm aware that some of this is a little weak. Hop on in and add a comment! ~Madu

9 tails strike - is this a damage multiplier (ie, do you get several separate attacks, which are only rolled and defended once) or just a damage adder? It's little unclear right now, at least to me. Also, shouldn't Seven Lucky Tails Kata be supplemental, as it adds to an attack, rather than reflexive? Other than those bits, I like the style, nice names too.
-- Darloth

Thanks, Darloth. As envisioned, 9 Tails is a damage adder, though it may be that I wrote this before I understood the power of defensive charms to shrug off damage -- I mean, so what if it adds 40 lethal to a swordstrike? An Exalt of equal power, I suppose, is going to divert or neutralize that down to the Essence ping (er, I also wrote it before the PG came out. Probably should revise it again... someday...). Perhaps to increase its lethality it could be considered a multiplier, with each Essence duplicate counting as a seperate simultaneous attack. Hm. I invite anyone interested to experiment and tell me how broken the whole tree is. ~Madu

Two Tails Defense cannot be comboed because of the 1 turn duration, yet the text says so. Otherwise, I like this style. - Shallows