MartialArts/MercifulBearStyle

Merciful Bear Style

The history of this style will be posted soon enough. Be patient!

Theme: Completely non-lethal combat.

Armor: As rare as it is, this style is completely compatible with armor. Just because the martial artist doesn't want to hurt anyone doesn't mean he wants to be hurt himself.

Weapons: This Martial Art treats attacks made with tetsubos, clubs, batons (and their Artifact versions) as unarmed attacks, as long as the martial artist either chooses to deal bashing damage or the special damage of Merciful Bear Form.

Charms

Warning of the Bear Technique

Cost: 1 mote

Duration: Instant

Type: Reflexive

Minimum Martial Arts: 2

Minimum Essence: 1

Prerequisite Charms: None

The character infuses his entire body with Essence to be able to use the strength of the bear and move opponents aside with ease. When activated during a Martial Arts attack, the Exalt adds his Martial Arts rating to the Difficulty of his opponent's roll to resist Knockback/Knockdown. This Charm can be activated after it is determined whether or not the target is elegible for Knockback/Knockdown but before their Stamina + Resistance roll.

Peaceful Aura Pattern

Cost: 2 motes

Duration: One Turn

Type: Reflexive

Minimum Martial Arts: 3

Minimum Essence: 1

Prerequisite Charms: None

By use of this Charm, the Exalt can exude an aura of such peace, tranquility and non-violence with his words and posture that any who would even think of harming him must have a Conviction of steel to perform even the least aggressive acts against him.

At the beginning of a turn, before Initiative is determined, the Exalt can choose to activate this Charm. He must speak a word (or words, if he has time) of peace that are smoked with Essence. All those who hear his words must make a Coviction roll or be stunned into acquiescence for the duration of the turn, awed by the tranquility that the Exalt exudes with each vocalization.

Once this Charm is activated, the Exalt forfits the option to attack anyone affected for the rest of the turn. Those not affected may not be attacked unless they themselves attack him (although it might be wiser to defend in that situation).

Merciful Bear Form

Cost: 4 motes

Duration: One Scene

Type: Simple

Minimum Martial Arts: 4

Minimum Essence: 2

Prerequisite Charms: Warning of the Bear Technique, Peaceful Aura Pattern

The Exalted adopts the attitude of the Merciful Bear, a creature who does not want to harm, yet must interact in a violent manner. By walking with firm footing and a gruff demeanor, the Exalted gains more than one bonus to his peaceful fighting methods.

The Exalt gains her Essence in automatic successes on hold and throw manuevers, and on rolls to resist a held foe's escape. Her throws do no damage, but cause automatic Knockdown.

Furthermore, the character's attacks do no damage. Instead, determine which health levels would be damaged by a successful attack, and apply a wound penalty appropriate to that level of damage, but apply no actual damage. This can reduce a target to Incapacitated (and be knocked out as a result).

These penalties 'heal' one scene after combat concludes. Healing Charms have no effect on these wound penalties; only Charms that specifically state they deny them or make them obsolete are effective.

Intimidating Roar Technique

Cost: 4 motes

Duration: Instant

Type: Simple

Minimum Martial Arts: 4

Minimum Essence: 2

Prerequisite Charms: Merciful Bear Form

If peace and tranquility doesn't deter a foe from attacking, the Exalt can instead call upon the other side of the bear, leaving peace and tranquility aside only in appearance, while having the intent of using the intimidating presence of the bear to subdue the opponent.

The Exalt rears his head back and roars, sending a shout of rage and anger towards those who would attack him. Those subject to the roar who are (or would be) engaging in combat with the Exalt must roll Valor (difficulty 3) or be stunned for a number of turns equal to (6 - Valor). Those that are not actively engaging the Exalt in combat must make a normal Valor roll (difficulty 1) or suffer a -1 dicepool penalty. If either those in combat with the Exalt or not in combat botch the roll, they suffer a fear like no other and immediatly run away.

Limb Numbing Paw Swipe

Cost: 3 motes

Duration: Instant

Type: Supplemental

Minimum Martial Arts: 4

Minimum Essence: 2

Prerequisite Charms: Merciful Bear Form

By controlling the flow of Essence through his strikes, the Merciful Bear is able to cause a limb to become completely numb. The character makes a Dexterity + Martial Arts attack as normal, however, the attack is directed towards one of the opponent's limbs (and will always hit a limb if the attack is successful). The attack does no damage, however. Instead, for every Health Level the target would have suffered, the limb that was struck becomes numb and useless for a turn. Thus, if an attack infused with this Charm would do three Health Levels of damage, the target instead loses use of the limb for 3 turns.

Frustrated Bear Method

Cost: 3 motes

Duration: Instant

Type: Reflexive

Minimum Martial Arts: 5

Minimum Essence: 2

Prerequisite Charms: Merciful Bear Form

If a warning isn't enough, even the Merciful Bear is liable to become irritated with a persistant annoyance. With the use of this Charm, an Exalt can shove back an opponent with what seems to be casual, even disinterested ease. The maneuver requires a Dexterity + Martial Arts attack. If successful, the target is automatically subjected to Knockdown or Knockback (most likely the second), and no damage is rolled at all.

Illusory Pain Technique

Cost: 6 motes

Duration: Instant

Type: Supplemental

Minimum Martial Arts: 5

Minimum Essence: 2

Prerequisite Charms: Limb Numbing Paw Swipe

As with Limb Numbing Paw Swipe, the Exalted controls the flow of Essence so that every blow is peppered with pain. To begin to use of this Charm, the Exalt must strike his opponent. From that moment on, the target will suffer the Exalt's Essence in additional wound penalties for the remainder of the scene. Should the character regenerate or otherwise heal during the battle, they will still suffer the Exalt's Essence in wound penalties until the battle is over. These wound penalties do not count towards the opponent become Incapacitated. The effects of using this Charm multiple times on one opponent do not stack.

Surprise Reflex Meditation

Cost: 4 motes

Duration: One Turn

Type: Extra Action

Minimum Martial Arts: 5

Minimum Essence: 3

Prerequisite Charms: Frustrated Bear Method

When one is confronted with more than one opponent that are not to be harmed, one needs to react quickly and with precision. With the use of this Charm, the Exalt gains the ability to defend himself against more than one opponent by using non-lethal counterattacks.

The Exalt must be faced with two or more opponents who are attacking him. By activating this Charm, he gains the option of forfitting all offensive actions and movement. His feet become embedded in the earth and his eyes sharp as a hunting bear. Everytime an attack is made against him, he may counterattack at the same instant. The Exalt rolls Dexterity + Martial Arts against the opponent. If he wins, he may throw, knockback or otherwise parry the attack in a calm, flluid manner. Knockback done while this Charm is active is determined as with Frustrated Bear Method.

Numbing the Core Technique

Cost: 6 motes

Duration: Instant

Type: Simple

Minimum Martial Arts: 5

Minimum Essence: 3

Prerequisite Charms: Intimidating Roar Technique, Surprise Reflex Prana, Illusory Pain Technique

With a mighty, all-or-nothing blow (Dexterity + Martial Arts), the Exalt is capable of creating the same effect he does with Limb Numbing Paw Swipe, but throughout the entire body of his target. If successful, for every die of damage that the character would have after soak, the victim of this Charm is paralyzed for a turn. Additionally, after the paralyzation is over, the target suffers a dice penalty as if Stunned, save that the penalty is doubled and the duration is (12 - Stamina) turns as he tries to shake off the total numbness. This attack is severely debilitating, but can be avoided with a simple dodge. The blow does no damage, as usual.

Deprivation of Wakeful Anger

Cost: 7 motes, 1 Willpower

Duration: Instant

Type: Simple

Minimum Martial Arts: 5

Minimum Essence: 3

Prerequisite Charms: Numbing the Core Technique

In the search for the ultimate mastery of peace, the practitioner of the Merciful Bear Style learns this Charm which allows him to put an opponent to sleep with a touch.

The martial artist makes a Dexterity + Martial Arts attack as normal. This attack ignores Armor soak values and halves all natural soak values. This attack does no damage. Instead, if the amount of dice left after soak has been applied is higher than the target's permanent Essence, the target falls asleep for the scene. This charm is usually used after Numbing the Core Technique, so as to have an easy way of disableing the target without hurting them further.

Characters should be prepared to have very pissed off adversaries if they use this Charm successfully.

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