MartialArtsRelay/ParadoxStyle

The ninth theme is Paradoxes

This is a Celestial style, with techniques focused on confusing opponents, and on moving in seemingly impossible ways. This style has 10 charms, with 4 before the Form charm, and 5 after.

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2. Motion-Confusing Stance</b> - szilard

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

The Martial Artist assumes a stance that provides a troubling insight to her opponent into the nature of distance. If her opponent attempts to close the distance between them, he must first close half that distance and then close half of the remaining distance,ad infinitum. The Martial Artist's opponent must succeed in an Intelligence+Lore roll at a difficulty equal to the Martial Artist's Essence, or be unable to successfully close the distance between himself and the Exalt. This Charm may be used once per turn on any given opponent.

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7. Question of Being Strike - FourWillowsWeeping

Cost: 2 motes

Duration: Instant

Type: Supplemental

Min. Martial Arts: 3

Min. Essence: 2

Prereq Charms: Motion-Confusing Stance

This Charm was revised. This is the original text:

The warrior makes an attack that asks his opponent if he wishes to live. The target of this attack may not spend Willpower to gain an automatic success on a defence rolled against it.

The revised text:

The target of this attack suffers nagging self-doubt. This doubles the cost of his next Willpower expenditure, or forces him to choose the mote recovery reward option on a stunt of 2 or more dice. Once he has suffered one of these effects, his confidence is reaffirmed and he does not suffer any longer.

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5. Choice by Indecision Prana</b> - TedPro

<b>Cost: 3 motes
Duration: One Turn
Type: Simple
Min. Martial Arts: 3
Min. Essence: 2
Prereqs: Motion-Confusing Stance

The Martial Artist meditates on the notion of passivity as an active principle, assuming a stance which is aggressively inactive. By internalizing the unification of action and inaction, the Martial Artist can remain passive to build a dynamic force. The Martial Artist cannot take any other actions on the same turn, cannot use any other Combos or Charms on the same turn, and cannot take simultaneous actions. On the character's next turn spent active, the character gains extra raw damage to every unarmed attack equal to her Essence. This Charm be used on multiple consecutive turns to raise the bonus by the same amount, to a maximum of the user's Stamina + Martial Arts, but this must be sustained each turn.

As a side effect of this meditation, anyone within ten yards who is delaying their initiative when this Charm is activated is lost in a similar reverie on the nature of action and inaction, and must make an Intelligence + Lore roll or lose his turn completely. Reflexive Charms can still be used if this happens.

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8. All Things Are Mortal Dilemma - TedPro

Cost: 4 motes

Duration: Instant

Type: Supplemental

Min. Martial Arts: 3

Min. Essence: 3

Prereq Charms: Question of Being Strike, Choice by Indecision Prana

Why defend a thing on its way to inevitable destruction? The Martial Artist's unarmed attack is confident, and his fists glow with the violet fire of destiny - even if this blow does not destroy the foe, something will, eventually, and once it is done, it does not matter how it was done. The target must make a Conviction roll to use any Charm, item, effect or action to prevent this blow or the harm it will produce. Effects already in place, and effects that are beyond conscious control, are not affected by this. The target must make a separate roll for each distinct choice (choosing to parry or dodge, choosing to activate a Charm or Combo or item) and if that roll fails, the same action cannot be attempted again for this attack.

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9. Paradox Form - OhJames

Cost: 5 motes

Duration: One Scene

Type: Simple

Min. Martial Arts: 4

Min. Essence: 3

Prereq Charms: All Things Are Mortal Dilemma

The martial artist assumes the sublime stance of a blissful idiot. Once per turn, the character may make one statement that is patently wrong and obviously not true, but which contains a train of logic so impeccable that opponents must stop their attacks to wrap their minds around it.

This statement requires a reflexive action. The martial artist's player rolls Wits + Lore; the number of successes rolled subtract dice from an incoming attack as if she had dodged or parried. In addition, the attacking character must roll his own Intelligence + Lore. If he fails, his initiative is reduced by the martial artist's Essence for the next turn only as he struggles to comprehend what was said.

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1. Uncertainty Principle</b> - Sparrowhawk

<b>Cost: 5 motes, 1 Willpower
Duration: One Scene
Type: Simple
Min. Martial Arts: 4
Min. Essence: 3
Prereqs: Paradox Form

One can never know the nature of something without observing it. However, the very act of observing something changes its nature. Hence, it is impossible to know something's true nature. This is the Uncertainty Principle, one of the Greater Paradoxes. The martial artists who knows this technique can utilize the Uncertainty Principle to confound attackers.

Upon activating this charm, the character's movements appear to blur, with afterimages (and beforeimages?) trailing his every move. For the rest of the scene, attacks against the character have an increased difficulty equal to the character's Essence. In addition, each attack against the character increases the difficulty to hit him by 1 for all attacks after it for the duration of the turn. This increase is cumulative, but it resets at the start of the next turn.

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3. Enduring Heap Defence - FourWillowsWeeping

Cost: 7 motes

Duration: One Scene

Type: Simple

Min. Martial Arts: 5

Min. Essence: 3

Prereq Charms: Uncertainty Principle

If someone has only one injury, then he is healthy. Giving a healthy man just one additional injury can never make him unhealthy. These are the premises from which this Charm extends; in a turn where he suffers damage from only one attack, he does not suffer the effects of becoming Incapacitated.

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4. Open to the World Defense </b> - Telgar

<b>Cost: 5 motes, 1 Willpower
Duration: Instant
Type: Simple
Min. Martial Arts: 5
Min. Essence: 4
Prereqs: Enduring Heap Defense

By standing perfectly still, arms wide and welcoming, the martial artist is at his most vulnerable and, thus, is perfectly safe from all attacks. Having accepted that he can not defend himself, he has nothing to fear. No defense may be applied against the next attack that targets the martial artist, not even reflexive defenses. The martial artist removes a number of successes from the attack equal to the number gained on its original roll.

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6. Neither Here Nor There Bewilderment</b> - Nikink

<b>Cost: 5 motes, 1 Willpower
Duration: Instant
Type: Reflexive
Min. Martial Arts: 5
Min. Essence: 4
Prereqs: Paradox Form

With a serene smile of enlightenment, the Exalt may not be where the opponent expects. A subtle movement behind an object that disrupts the enemy's sight is enough to cause confusion as the martial artist appears from somewhere no one was looking. The barrier of sight need only be as thick as a thin sapling, but the martial artist must be able to step behind it. The martial artist then appears from a space that no-one was watching within Ess x 10 yards. If there is absolutely no unseen space within that distance, the Charm fails at no cost.

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10. Enlightened Unification Realisation</b> - Nikink

Cost: 1wp + 5m/target

Duration: Instant

Type: Extra Action

Min. Martial Arts: 5

Min. Essence: 4

Prereq Charms: Neither Here Nor There Bewilderment, Open to the World Defense

Upon reaching the pinnacle of paradoxical enlightenment, the martial artist understands the unity of all things, and can use this understanding to defeat her enemies. With a simple gesture and a brief koan the target is forced into an understanding of unity with the martial artist. In this state of unity the martial artist and the target become as one, and act as one.

For each target to be brought into this unity, the Exalt must spend 5 motes and succeed in an Wits + Martial Arts roll at a difficulty of the target's Essence. While unified the Exalt may use the target's body to attack and defend as if it were her own, using the target's attributes, but her own abilities (to a maximum score of her Essence). The unification lasts for one turn, at the end of which the targets must make a Wits + Lore roll at a difficulty of the martial artist's Essence or be stunned for the next turn as their mind struggles to comprehend the experience. A maximum of the martial artists Essence may be unified.

Comments

Ooookay. This style was inspired, strangely enough, by reading about quantum physics and realizing how weird it sounded. Much of quantum theory reminds me of Zen koans, in that it's arcane and counterintuitive-sounding. So, I figured that quantum physics would make a good basis for a "philosophical" martial art. Never mind that the Exalted cosmology doesn't have subatomic particles and superstrings and such! Cool conquers all!

I imagine this style as being Sidereal in origin, or possibly Alchemical. It should have charms that allow for a fine degree of control, like subtracting from initiative to add to damage, and things like that. More importantly, I'd like a teleporting-type charm, charms that confuse opponents, and that turn opponents' efforts back on them Aikido-like. I'll put up a charm to give everyone else an idea of what I'm looking for. Seeing how smoothly the last one went, this should be easy! - Sparrowhawk

For some reason, I see that charm as too powerful. I think it's the fact there are three pretty nice effects in what is essentially a not too difficult and fairly cheap charm. I'd suggest capping the difficulty (perhaps at MA + Essence) or setting the initial difficulty to only 2 or 3. In addition, the perfect defense effect seems a bit weird... If it only works on the difficulty increase, then it'll rarely matter, and if it works on the total difficulty imposed by the charm, it's extremely potent, and is essentially a scene-long auto-defence of really quite large magnitude, that stacks perfectly with any others.
-- Darloth

Note that the difficulty increase resets to Essence eact turn. I don't think it is necessarily overpowered, except for the potential of stacking with something like Snake Form... which makes me shudder. I do think making it a perfect defense is a bit weird, though. - szilard

On average, each die rolled on an attack or defense will equate to .5 successes. So each success removed by this Charm is about equivalent to removing two dice from an attack or adding two dice to a defense. - Quendalon

What if it had a lower cost, but only lasted a single turn? -TedPro

Also, I added a Charm. I don't know if it's too weird, or too powerful. -TedPro

Telgar, very awesome Charm, but maybe you should change your Essence prereq? It seems more like an Essence 3 Charm, and Essence 4 is awfully high for a pre-Form Celestial Martial Arts Charm. -TedPro

Pre-form? Uncertainty Principle was post-form. The form has simply yet to be written. -szilard

How right you are! My mistake, please disregard. -TedPro, abashed

Ok. Pick apart time! B-) I was considering applying a Manipulation + Martial Arts roll for the Charm to be effective (possibly at a difficulty of opponents Essence), but thought that would just add a meaningless complication. Whaddayas reckon? - Nikink

Okay, that is enough defences. Attacks, folks! - willows

Can the opponent still spend Willpower on a Virtue for Question of Being Strike? - TedPro

Yes, and he can still spend Willpower for Charm costs or to negate wound penalties; only the single, specific application is disallowed. - willows

Because this tree is messy - we currently need: 1 pre-form charm, the form charm, the pinnacle charm. -szilard

All that's left now is the Form Charm and the pinnacle. - TedPro

I suggest making Choice by Indecision Stance a tidier part of the tree by giving it the same tree position as Question of Being Strike, in between Motion-Confusing Stance and All Things Are Mortal Dilemma. - willows

Done. -TedPro

I am enjoying looking at the prerequisite tree as a logical flow of reasoning from one Paradox to the next. I hope the Form and the Pinnacle continue that. -TedPro

Wow, that WAS fast. Now, I have a few questions and comments.

First, I removed the perfect defense effect of Uncertainty Principle. It really was hideously overpowered.

Second, what happens if the martial artist uses Enduring Heap Defense, is knocked down to Incap by a single atttack? How long can she keep going? I assume that it's only until the next turn, but the charm is written somewhat confusingly. (What did I expect, given the theme I set. :^D )

Also, I note that Open to the World Defense only removes rolled successes. Automatic successes and perfect attacks can defeat it. It's still a pretty cool charm, though.

Finally, is Enlightened Unification Reasoning a Simple or Extra Action charm? That typo makes this more confusing than it needs to be! :^)

I really like how this came out. Good work, everyone. - Sparrowhawk

D'oh! Extra Action. - Nikink

If it's a Sidereal-inspired Style, maybe it would be better to rename it something in the standard Sidereal naming style? (Color) (Group Name) of (Noun) I mean. I guess it'd be green, since it's Secrets like. Maybe "Verdant Garden of Contradictions" or "Verdigris Unification of Opposites" or something? Just a thought. -TedPro

That naming style seems to be limited to the sidreal level styles, and, unless I am mistaken, this is a celestial level style. However those are some cool names.
--BrilliantRain

Violet Bier of Sorrows (or Purple Beer Style, as someone around here calls it) is a celestial level style that follows the naming convention. The sidereals made that one too, so this one might get away with it... especially since those ARE incredibly cool names!
-- Darloth votes for the Verdent Garden of Contradictions

Oh, while I'm here... Should Open to the World Defense be reflexive, or do you have to use it as a simple charm, and then it lasts until the next attack against you? (Since it's instant, I don't know if it's allowed to do that... especially since that might mean you could have an interestingly quasi-automatic defence hanging. I think that's very cool, but it might not have been the original intent of the charm.) Also, it says 'removes a number equal to the amount gained', and quite a few auto-successes are simply counted with the roll to see how many you gained. It would negate some of those as well... depends on the charm wording, and clarification (against the principle of the style, I know, but useful) would be most appreciated. Great style, and I second the comment about the amazing speed of it's birth.
-- Darloth

EHD: Yes, you can just keep going indefinitely! That's the point of the Charm; it makes you well-nigh unkillable by attackers who make very few, large attacks, but you will drop to a multiattacker every time. - willows

I know the Relay's over, but I'd really like to change the name of this style to Verdant Garden of Contradictions. Any objections? -TedPro

Speaking as the person who submitted the original idea, I object. I have several reasons for this: 1) I don't believe that Martial Arts styles particularly HAVE to follow any convention, though they frequently do. Just look at the Beloved Blossom Style, a Sidereal-created MA if ever there was one. 2) I don't think this style is Sidereal in nature any more than, say, Dreaming Pearl Cortesan. It's the kind of style Sidereals would love, but it doesn't have any of the trademarks of Sidereal charms (interesting virtue usage, prayer strip enhancement for the capstone, etc.) Of course, in your game, you could name it Fuschia Cellphone of Buttsex Style, and I couldn't do anything about it. :^D I won't really stop you from changing it's name here, either, if that's what you really want. I just don't think it fits any better than the current name. - Sparrowhawk

Okay, cool. I'll leave it as-is. But now I want the Fuschia Cellphone of Buttsex Style. -TedPro

Can I just say that this Style makes my head hurt, and that being the case, it probably does what it set out to do? Good job. -- JesseLowe

Er... I know this relay is done, but Question of Being Strike seems so... superfluous. It can only negate a single autosux that most defenders wouldn't even purchase in the first place. Maybe NPCs use Willpower more often in other peoples' games, but, I dunno... can we give it another effect, too? - DigitalSentience

Yes! But only if you post a Charm in CharmRelay or the current MartialArtsRelay first. - willows

Heh. Willows is a very cunning man. I bet he posted the Charm like that knowing specifically that it would give him an edge later on. ~ BerserkSeraph

You win this round, willows. But next time... (I put up my Charm under MartialArtsRelay, by the way.) - DigitalSentience

I am not as cunning as that...but I still won. Cheers! - w

Yay! I am happy. - DigitalSentience