MartialArts2/VermillionSpiderStyle

Vermillion Spider Style

by FourWillowsWeeping

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No one can stand against a Vermillion Spider master! They are fleet-footed warriors, and not a man can find the strength to oppose them!

About This Style

The Vermillion Spider Style was designed as a stepping-stone to the Charcoal March of Spiders, intended for Solars and other students who would not be learning more than one Sidereal-rank form. As such, it's designed specifically to interlock with that Style.

This is a 2e conversion of MartialArts/VermillionSpiderStyle.

Weapons & Armour

This Style uses the seven-section staff and knife.

The Charms

Student Techniques

Dire Guise

Cost: 2m

Type: Ref (Step 2)

Duration: Instant

Keywords: Combo-OK, Emotion

Min. MA, Ess: 2, 2

Prereq. Charms: None

The martial artist presents a fierce appearance, focusing his martial chi! This doubles his Essence for the purpose of resolving an attack against him. Furthermore, it exerts unnatural mental influence on the attacker. If the martial artist's (current, enhanced) Essence exceeds the assailant's mental dodge, then the attacker is influenced to make his attack miss. This influence is an Emotion and can be countered with the expenditure of 1 Willpower. In the case of responding repeatedly to a flurry, the influence benefits from Onslaught.

Dark Secret Love

Cost: 2m

Type: Ref (Step 8)

Duration: Instant

Keywords: Combo-OK, Emotion

Min. MA, Ess: 3, 2

Prereq. Charms: None

The martial artist learns, with this Charm, to express his love with anger and cruelty. Like that of an abusive lover, his attack has a final, hurtful flourish. He may activate this Charm after rolling the damage of an unarmed attack; he reduces its damage successes by 1 and causes the victim to lose 1 Willpower. This Willpower loss is an Emotion.

The Form

Vermillion Spider Form

Cost: 5m

Type: Simple

Duration: 1 Scene

Keywords: Combo-Simple, Form-type

Min. MA, Ess: 4, 2

Prereq. Charms: Dire Guise, Dark Secret Love

The adept assumes the unobtrusive posture of the hunting spider who dwells in the heart of a rose. He awaits the opportunity to attack! His unarmed attacks scatter motes; whenever a being suffers Health Levels of damage from his attacks, that being loses motes of Essence equal to the martial artist's permanent Essence. In addition, he has a new mobility action (using it replaces the opportunity to use Dash, Jump, or Move on that tick):

Lunge (0/None)

At Step 1 of each attack the character makes this tick, he may sprint up to half the distance he may cover with a Move action.

Mastery Techniques

Damask Heart Lash

Cost: 4m

Type: Ref (Step 5)

Duration: Instant

Keywords: Combo-OK, Obvious

Min. MA, Ess: 4, 3

Prereq. Charms: Vermillion Spider Form

With this attack, the martial artist's fingertips turn deep red; he delivers an unarmed attack with his fingers fanned out, sweeping five lines of streaky redness through the air. This attack cannot be soaked; instead of dealing Health Levels of damage, the victim loses 2 motes of Essence per die of the damage pool. Roll the damage pool anyway; the martial artist gains 2 motes per success.

Ruby-Heart Countenance

Cost: 3m 1w

Type: Simple

Duration: 1 Scene

Keywords: Combo-Simple, Obvious

Min. MA, Ess: 4, 3

Prereq. Charms: Vermillion Spider Form

With this Charm, the martial artist becomes a black silhouette, with a red light thrumming in his chest. As he moves and attacks, a red iridescence moves across his palms and the soles of his feet. While under the effect of this Charm, he adds 1 to the dice bonus of stunts. This also increases their mote reward but not their Willpower reward. Also, the martial artist's presence is so unsettling that it raises the difficulty of Valour rolls for anyone that can see him by 1.

Scattered Spider Dance

Cost: 4m

Type: Ref (Step 2)

Duration: Instant

Keywords: Combo-OK

Min. MA, Ess: 4, 3

Prereq. Charms: Vermillion Spider Form

The martial artist recedes from an attack, ignoring Onslaught and Coordination penalties to his Dodge DV. In addition, he may retreat up to twice his Essence in yards before the attack is rolled; if his assailant cannot follow, then his attack is made at a desperate reach, suffering a dice penalty equal to the adept's Essence for each yard that his pursuit falls short.

Cardinal Directions Crown

Cost: 5m 1w

Type: Simple

Duration: 1 Scene

Keywords: Combo-Simple, Obvious

Min. MA, Ess: 5, 3

Prereq. Charms: Damask Heart Lash, Ruby-Heart Countenance, Scattered Spider Dance

When he uses this Charm, eight orbs of claret Essence swirl into existence above the martial artist's head, forming a slowly tilting circlet. The crown moves to follow the adept, but when he is at rest, the ring rotates so that the paramount eye looks to the East. While these eyes are present, the character suffers no penalties for being attacked from behind.

In addition, the adept is able to perceive and attack both materialised and dematerialised beings.

Await Within Predator's Flower

Cost: 3m

Type: Ref (Step 9)

Duration: Instant

Keywords: Combo-OK, Counterattack

Min. MA, Ess: 5, 3

Prereq. Charms: Cardinal Directions Crown

The martial artist is forever prepared, resting among the stamens of a crimson blossom. He may make a counterattack or flurry of counterattacks against a close-combat attack. All these counterattacks have their base damage increased by the martial artist's Awareness.

Silken Tremor Climate

Type: Permanent

Keywords: None

Min. MA, Ess: 5, 3

Prereq. Charms: Cardinal Directions Crown

The martial artist needs no eyes to see; he can feel the world's Essence web! This sensitivity allows him to respond to circumstances with primordial speed. At the beginning of a scene, he gains tokens equal to the Demesne level of the area. Whenever a character uses a Combo, he gains a token.

He may spend a token to reduce the Speed of his action by 1.

At the end of a scene, the martial artist discards all his tokens.

The Ultimate Technique

Ruination of Blood

Cost: 5m

Type: Supp

Duration: Instant

Keywords: Combo-OK

Min. MA, Ess: 5, 4

Prereq. Charms: Await Within Predator's Flower, Silken Tremor Climate

Just as a spider drinks the vital juices of his prey, the martial artist energises himself with the blood of his opponent. For the purposes of effects that measure his Essence, add the Essence of the last entity the martial artist dealt Health Levels of damage to to his own. This Charm supplements an unarmed attack.

Suggestions

Love the form. For the ultimate: which of these two examples is how this charm works?

1. Zhuko hits Aang.
2. Zhuko attacks again, doesn't matter against who, using Ruination of Blood.
   1. During this attack Zhuko gains the bonus equal to Aang's Essence to his own.
   2. Upon Zhuko's next action the bonus fades.

-OR-

1. Zhuko attacks Aang with Ruination of Blood.
2. Zhuko hits, and thus gains a bonus to his effective Essence equal to Aang's Essence.

And if the second example is the case, how long does the bonus last? - IanPrice

It is an Instant charm. Thanks for the compliment. - willows

So is Elusive Dream Defense, and the effects on that last for an entire story (at least they've started writing the effect duration in brackets on charms like this now though). I am now curious as to which of the possibilities is true as well, though.
-- Darloth

Let me put it this way. One of these readings is pathological because it does not follow the Charm text. - willows