JesseLowe/HumbleSoldierStyle

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Humble Soldier Style

(In progress)

People fear the students of Humble Soldier Style because they fight as one! Their valor is unconquerable!

In the First Age, a certain martial artist found himself bereft of Exalted students. Vexed, he meditated. From his meditation seat, he could see the training ground of a local village's mortal militia. While he meditated, he watched the young men and women of the village prepare for battles in which they would surely perish, for no mortal can stand against the Chosen without cost. By their courage, he was enlightened.

This style was designed by an Exalt to train mortals. As a result, it is a low-powered Terrestrial style with an emphasis on teamwork and the use of weapons -- two edges that mortals can rely on. Stylists in the mold of the Humble Soldier learn teamwork, courage in cameraderie, and obedience to their superiors. Training in this style is rare in the Age of Sorrows, though it might well be taught in the academies of Lookshy. Early training techniques almost always include some teaching in thaumaturgy, since the student must gain the Essence Awareness or Awakened Essence Merits.

Mailed Heart Understanding

Cost: None
Duration: Permanent
Type: Special
Minimum Martial Arts: 2
Minimum Essence: 1
Prerequisite Charms: None

The martial artist gains a permanent bonus to his Lethal Soak equal to his permanent Essence.

This may well be overpowered for a starting Charm. The intent is to give mortals a bit of damage resistance that increases as they become more powerful in the style and doesn't require activation, since that's good from a mechanical point of view. From the fluff point of view, it represents the gruelling training any mortal has to endure to learn Terrestrial Martial Arts. It kinda breaks for an Exalt, though, since it's an extremely cheap way to effectively double your Lethal Soak.

Shield Technique

Cost: 1 mote per die
Duration: Instant
Type: Reflexive
Minimum Martial Arts: 3
Minimum Essence: 1
Prerequisite Charms: Mailed Heart Understanding

The martial artist may add up to (Martial Arts) dice to a single parry. He may parry a lethal attack barehanded.

Humble Soldier Form

Cost: 1 Willpower
Duration: One scene
Type: Simple
Minimum Martial Arts: 3
Minimum Essence: 2
Prerequisite Charms: Shield Technique

• • Character does lethal unarmed, or +(Essence)L damage if using a weapon.
  • He may parry lethal attacks barehanded
  • If fighting alongside other Humble Soldier stylists who have the Form active, all stylists:
    • Add Permanent Essence to Initiative
    • Add Permanent Essence to Valor
    • Add 1 die to all Martial Arts rolls.

(Sword Charm)

Cost: ?
Duration: ?
Type: ?
Minimum Martial Arts: 4
Minimum Essence: 1
Prerequisite Charms: Humble Soldier Form

Damage adder?

Arrow's Swiftness Strike

Cost: 1 mote
Duration: One Turn
Type: Reflexive
Minimum Martial Arts:4
Minimum Essence: 2
Prerequisite Charms: Humble Soldier Form

The character activates this Charm at the beginning of a turn. He doubles the speed bonus of his weapon or, if using a weapon or attack with a speed bonus of less than +1, adds 4 to his Initiative. This stacks with the bonus from Humble Soldier Form, if active.

(Spear Charm)

Cost: ?
Duration: ?
Type: ?
Minimum Martial Arts: 4
Minimum Essence: 2
Prerequisite Charms: Humble Soldier Form

Skill and discipline in armed conflict. Attack adder?

Panoply of War Stance

Cost: ?
Duration: ?
Type: ?
Minimum Martial Arts: 4
Minimum Essence: 3
Prerequisite Charms: (Sword Charm), Arrow's Swiftness Strike, (Spear Charm)

No idea, though I'm leaning toward some kind of permanent charm.

Comments

Why not have Mailed Heart Understanding allow you to soak lethal as an Exalt? This way you wouldn't have to worry about Exalted breaking the charm.
--DarkWolff

That was my first thought; however, that would make the Charm useless for an Exalt, which offends my sense of aesthetics. -- JesseLowe

Perhaps you could have that charm in an initiation branch that Exalts don't need for the style, or maybe have it work slightly different for an Exalt...like only add 1 or 2 to their natural soak.
--DarkWolff

I've got an idea, just in case this still gets edited every now and then, Mailed Heart Understanding can grant the bonus as normal but clarify by making it Soak as Armor, and thus be effected by the Piercing tag. That would weaken it enough that it wouldn't be anywhere near overpowered, even as a Permanent charm the amount of things that bypass armor is so great that an Exalt wouldn't rely on the Charm but many mortals don't fight anything with those abilites so it would be a great thing for them. -- Raven Xanthus

On the subject of the unfinished charms I can see some decent outlets. Sword could be the ability to add an Overwhelming tag, perhaps at a 3m per up to Martial Arts and/or Essence, fluffed as a more perfect strike. Spear could possibly be a Counter attack, maybe allowing it to proc off from someone else using Shield Technique successfully would be neat. Finally, the Panoply of War Stance could be an 'always ready' Permanent charm that allows you to enhance your entire style, perhaps even getting a mote discount on the charms, Overdrive Charms are popular, if a bit overpowering at times, so that is something to consider. -- Raven Xanthus