MartialArtsRelay/ConstrictingIvy

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Constricting Ivy Style

This is a Terrestrial Martial Art of the Wood Aspect focusing on grappling and flexibility -- both in body and adaptability. It has 8 Charms. It is incompatible with weapons or armor, though practitioners wielding weapons made with Charms in the Cascade are considered Unarmed.

Charms

1. Reaching Vines Technique</B> (Seiraryu)

<B>Cost: 2 motes
Duration: Instant
Type: Supplemental
Minimum Martial Arts: 2
Minimum Essence: 1
Prerequisite Charms: None

With the grace and flexibility of the extremities of the plants he emulates, the martial artist attacks without even having to move forward. During the turn this Charm is activated, the character adds his Martial Arts (+ relevant Specialty) to his Initiative total for the turn as his limbs become terrible in their nimble deftness and seem to stretch out towards their target.

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3. Bite of the Ivy</B> (Seiraryu)

<B>Cost: 3 motes
Duration: Varies
Type: Supplemental
Minimum Martial Arts: 2
Minimum Essence: 1
Prerequisite Charms: None

By channeling Essence through her own skin, a Martial Artist practicing the Constricting Ivy Style can call upon this Charm to make his clinches into deadly maneuvers. When the character performs a Clinch maneuver she can spend 3 motes to do Lethal instead of Bashing damage for the Clinch's duration. If the Clinch continues for minutes on end, the Charm remains. If the Clinch is broken on the next turn, the Charm ends.

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2. Ivy Stings the Unwary Wanderer (Moxiane)

 Cost: 2 motes
 Duration: 1 scene
 Type: Reflexive
 Minimum Martial Arts: 3
 Minimum Essence: 1
 Prerequisites: Bite of the Ivy

Poison ivy is a scourge of children both in- and outside the Realm, the red stings and welts that contact with it brings often leave a common ailment during the summer in heavily wooded areas (or close to poorly-maintained parks). Upon the use of this Charm the victim's skin begins to raise and welt, almost exactly as if they had been stung by poison ivy, only the Wood Essence that this Charm invokes makes the pain far more intense. These welts cause the victim to suffer from a -1 penalty to all physical actions for remainder of the scene, unless treated with typical remedies such as aloe vera or poison-affecting Charms. Multiple uses of this Charm are cumulative, up to a total penalty equal to the Exalted's permanent Essence. This Charm can only be used when the Dragon-blooded has an opponent in a clinch, after an attempt to deal damage on him (whether successful or not), and only once per turn per opponent.

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9. Surprise Ensnaring Method</B> (Seiraryu)

<B>Cost: 4 motes
Duration: Instant
Type: Reflexive
Minimum Martial Arts: 3
Minimum Essence: 2
Preresquisite Charms: Reaching Vines Technique

The character's movements become fluid and quick as he charges his form with Essence, providing him with the nimble quickness to ensnare an opponent who is attacking him.

Whenever the character is the subject of a martial arts or brawl attack, she can call upon this Charm to flip the coin on her attacker. She makes a contested Dexterity + Martial Arts roll (difficulty 2) as if blocking the attack, but if successful, instead moves with flexible limbs away from the attack and wraps his arms around the attack in a clinch.

(Surprise Ensnaring Method is an alternative Charm to add before the Form Charm. It would replace Reaching Vine Technique as a prerequisite for the Form Charm. Posted by Seiraryu at the behest of Nikink and Issaru. Also, it might be a little powerful...I'm not sure).

It's a little powerful but i think all that could be solved by making it supplemental.Otherwise the charm is awesome! I really like your work. - Issaru

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7. Constricting Ivy Form (Quendalon)

Cost: 5 motes
Duration: One scene
Type: Simple
Minimum Martial Arts: 3
Minimum Essence: 2
Prerequisite Charms: Reaching Vines Technique, Vines Snare the Unwary Wanderer

Upon entering this stance, the martial artist emulates the clinging coils of ivy. Her limbs dip and sway in graceful curves, fluttering like leaves, moving in time with the unseen breezes of the flows of Essence. For the rest of the scene, the character’s grip grows supernaturally sensitive. She adds her Essence rating to all disarm rolls and to all attempts to initiate or maintain a clinch. If she wishes to attempt to escape a clinch, she must first abandon the Form.

Constricting Ivy Form is incompatible with the use of armor. A character may not use more than one Martial Arts form-type charm at a time.

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4. Vine Exceeds Trellis (FourWillowsWeeping)

Cost: 4 motes

Duration: Instant

Type: Reflexive

Min. Martial Arts: 4

Min. Essence: 2

Prerequisite Charms: Constricting Ivy Form

Like the kudzu which can overgrow a village in a day if unchecked, the Constricting Ivy adept extends his reach in rapid and unexpected ways. When he controls a clinch, in the place of ending the clinch, or dealing damage, he may instead manipulate one of the other participants in the clinch while maintaining a hold. By jabbing at particular nerve bundles and twisting joints in particular ways, he forces the target to make a clinch attack against some third party. The Exalt's player rolls Martial Arts + the target's Strength or Dexterity for this attack. Once a third party is dragged into the clinch in this manner, the clinch finctions normally for clinches with multiple participants.

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5. Choking Stems Embrace (haren)

Cost: 6 motes

Duration: Varies

Type: Supplemental

Min. Martial Arts: 4

Min. Essence: 3

Prerequisite Charms: Vine Exceeds Trellis

Among some of the more vicious parasitic vines in Creation, some have the strength to warp and twist the trees they are living off of. While they thive, the plants they are attached to find their own resources turned against themselves, leaving them weak against the onslaught. In a similar fashion, the martial artist's limbs flow through any clinch, unhindered by the tangle of forms, but at the same time others in the clinch are caught up unable to move as easily. The strength of many becomes a terrible limit. In effect, all those who are in the clinch with the martial artist suffer a penalty of one die to their clinch rolls for each other person in the clinch, up to the limit of the martial artist's Essence. This charm lasts until the clinch is broken.

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6. The Creeper's Verdant Web (Moxiane)

 Cost: 8 motes, 1 Willpower
 Type: Simple
 Duration: 1 scene
 Min. Martial Arts: 5
 Min. Essence: 3
 Prerequisites: Choking Stems Embrace

A tree in the forest can quickly become swamped by climbing plants, ivy and brambles climbing up and around, choking them in an ever-growing net of fibres and strands. Upon activating this Charm the Exalted can emulate that strength, sprouting long vines equal to his permanent Essence from his spine, which wind out and become capable of snaring anyone that the character can grab and hold in a clinch. After successfully initiating a clinch the character can reflexively choose to have one of these tendrils maintain it thereafter, passing the clinched victim over and rendering his arms free to clinch another. Each vine-maintained clinch operates exactly as if the Exalted were clinching the entangled character - with the exception that if the victim wins control of the clinch he may only choose to push or escape, he cannot damage the Exalted.

8. Thriving Parasite Grasp (nikink)

Cost: 3 motes, 1wp

Duration: Instant

Type: Reflexive

Min. Martial Arts: 5

Min. Essence: 3

Prerequisite Charms: The Creeper's Verdant Web

Emulating the approach of parasitic plant life, that feeds off another plant to sustain itself, the Martial Artist may now drain sustaining life force from those entangled in his limbs. During a turn in which the Exalt deals damage to a foe caught in a clinch, they may spend 3m and a willpower to heal themselves one (and only one) health level. This charm may only be used once per turn against an opponent, but if the Martial Artist is clinching (and damaging) more than one person, this charm may be used against each of them.

Comments

I don't know if the Style is already open for submission...but...you know. *Shrugs.* Here's what I came up with. Typical "more Initiative" Charm for a martial art's style, with a little twist. I'm not sure how well that twist will work, though (the whole relevant specialty thing), but hey. - Seiraryu

Beaten to the first punch, I see. ^_^ I do note that Reaching Vines Technique is both cheaper and potentially stronger than Striking Cobra Technique, although it's Supplemental nature does mitigate that somewhat. - Moxiane

I was just about to post my reasoning for that as I noticed you had posted a second Charm. I based it off Striking Cobra Technique, but I considered the fact that that Terrestrail Charms are supposed to be cheaper in Essence for what they do. If more than a few people think the cost is too low, I'll be happy to raise it. This is the first Terrestrial Charm I've ever made. As for your Charm...I think it should have a prerequisite. It's pretty powerful for a beginning Charm, especially since the effects are cumulative and the duration is so long. You might also want to consider changing the name..."Unwary Wanderer" implies that it's a secretive attack, but in reality it's a clinch. Maybe something like "Wrapt by the Stinging Ivy." - Seiraryu

I agree IMO one scene is a long enough duration for Ivy Stings the Unwary Wanderer, but otherwise it's fine.I like it's name too because nobody expects to get poison oak from a headlock.lol ;0). -Issaru

Yes, but "Unwary Wanderer" doesn't work, in my opinion. But that's not up to me. Heh. In any case, I also think it should be Supplemental. I can see why Moxiane chose Reflexive...but for it's power, Supplemental seems better. Obviously it'd be used with a Clinch action. I would suggest a Clinch Enhancer as a prerequisite. If you don't feel like making one, Moxiane, I can give it a go. I just don't want to undermine your efforts by putting a Charm before yours without consulting. - Seiraryu

My reasoning on the name was based upon an assumption that normal ivy and the poison variety are very similar in appearance, and thus an unwary person brushing against it could be stung. Similarly, when used in a clinch the poor bugger getting squeezed suddenly breaks out in a rash - which I would assume would be surprising to the target of the Charm. Also, I liked the names that many of the Wood-aspected Charms had - which didn't use words like "Technique" or "Prana", which was something I was aiming for also. ^_^

As to the power-level, yeah - it was probably a tad strong for its prerequisites & position (I kinda forgot it was TerrestrialMartialArts), and so have moved it up to a second-tier Charm and increased the prerequisites. I also knocked the duration down to 1 scene and reduced the cost to 2m - at Instant the motes were not commited, but now they are so the cost should be reduced to reflect the teeny-tiny Essence pools that Dragon-bloods get.

Finally, regarding the structure of the Style - might I suggest 4 pre-Form and three post-Form Charms? - Moxiane

There, I added the prerequisite Charm for Moxiane's Ivy Stings the Unwary Wanderer. I think it's the perfect prerequisite (in my opinion). Also, I think that Moxiane's idea for the structure is good. I would suggest a follow-up Charm for my Reaching Vines Technique (unless maybe Reaching Vine Technique should be a prerequisite of Bite of the Ivy, which is definately a possibility, depending on you guys' opinions), and then Ivy Stings the Unwary Wanderer and that follow-up Charm could lead to the Form Charm. - Seiraryu

Nice prerequisite for IStUV. A minor note, though - the numbers are to show the order in which the Charms were written, and not their position in the trees. Thus BotI should be 3 instead of 2 - which I fixed. - Moxiane

Sorry. I'm still new to this. Anyway, I have another Charm (the eighth), but I don't know if it's appropriate to monopolize so much...heh. I want to give other people a chance. In any case, I'm not going to post it until I have something to propose for the next Style. Also, whoever wrote Constricting Ivy Form should put their name on it... - Seiraryu

Unsure about the cost and limitations on this Charm. Advice welcomed as always. - Nikink

Dude, your Charm has different costs listed in its header and text. - w

Heh, I saw that immediately after saving, and jumped straight back in and fixed it... you must've caught the page in just that 30seconds! B-) -Nikink

Comments for New Theme

I propose that the next theme be "Alchemical Martial Arts", but people may be worn out from the last relay's craziness. -Ben-San

I'd like to see a more convential Terrestrial Martial Art, but that might just be me. _Wohksworth

Is it considered bad form to submit a new style without submitting the starter charm or the capstone of the last one? If not, then taking Wohksworth's suggestion in mind, I suggest "Constricting Ivy Style", a Terrestrial grappling martial art that favors but is not restricted to Wood-aspected DBs. -Ben-San

no more weird arts for a while please!I think terrestrial is a great way to go, but i'd prefer a non-elemental one.How about a terrestrial sword art; Yes i know that 5Dragon MA can be used with swords but it doesnt scream "hey i'm a swordsman". So i suppose thats my suggestion, but since it's Wohksworth's call (he officially ended the last relay)he's gotta be the one who gives the final word. - Issaru

I'd like to see the grappling one, personally. - Nikink

Ah, it is my responsibility. Shoot! Decisions! Both suggestions are interesting! Let's go with Ben-San's suggestion, so I don't need to think of a name. _Wohksworth

Does "not restricted to Wood-Aspected DBs" meant to mean "not Wood-aligned"? Kinda like Jade Mountain is Earth-aligned (and thus incurs an elemental surcharge), while Five-Dragon was retconned to not be? - Moxiane

Hmmm... Terrestrial MA are supposed to be Earth-aligned. I'd say that this is as well, but that Wood Aspects need pay no elemental surcharge. -szilard

As of the PG, this is no longer universally the case; TMA are aligned or not aligned as a function of their design, not their innate nature. Which is to say, I think a pure Wood-aligned TMA is a cool idea. - willows

Okay. I've never paid too much attention to TMA. It kind'a screws over the Earth-aspects, though, doesn't it? - szilard

Not the way I see it: There are six options for elemental alignment (which appear to be available at both the Terrestrial and Celestial level (see the Immaculate styles, Five-Dragon (unaligned), Crimson Pentacle Blade (unaligned), and Jade Mountain(Earth-aligned), and remaining, unaligned Celestial styles), so by extension I suspect they are available at the Sidereal level too), and they are the five elements, and "unaligned." Earth Aspects may get screwed by elemental surcharges on a large quantity of those, but they are guaranteed that the Charms are at favored XP cost, which is significant. - willows

Ah. Okay. That makes sense. -szilard

What I meant by it is that it favors the Wood aspect but is not dependent on any protected-niche abilities they possess (presumably their elemental anima in DBs' case). Non-Wood Terrestrials would presumably pay a surcharge but Celestials would be able to get good mileage out of it without being penalized. Szilard's double-alignment idea sounds feasible as well, although I'd still prefer to see it somehow favorable to Wood's talents and abilities. -Ben-San

The Immaculate Styles establish Martial Arts which that accrue surcharges for Earth Aspects, but the Five Dragon Paths are often the exception rather than the rule. It somewhat devalues Earth's combat ability to say that it has Charms which are out-of-Aspect, while that's not thus far the case for other combat Abilities. But it may not be thematically appropriate for Earth Aspected to go tossing around whatever Style develops here, especially if it steps on the stereotypes of Wood Aspected Charms; if that's the case, then Martial Arts over-capability is countered by leaving those Charms surcharge-free only to those of the Wood Aspect niche. It may limit the Earth Aspect combat ability in doing so, but said ability already serves a wide range of purpose. These are, of course, all variants of previously held discussions. My suggestion, though hardly adamant, is to write Charms with the intent that they're only in-Aspect for Wood Aspected, admitting that a majority of Terrestrial Martial Arts should be neutral or Earth-Aspected. _Wohksworth

Given willows' observations on extant MA elemental alignments, I don't think it's unreasonable to make this a Wood-Aspected tree. It's not going to be more powerful than Wood Dragon Style, nor Five-Dragon Style for that matter, so I don't think there'll be balance issues. And as noted, the five Immaculate Dragon Styles do provide a precedent for styles aligned to elements other than Earth. - Quendalon