MartialArts/HorseStyle
Horse Style
By DariusSolluman
Background
A martial art style invented because horses are neat, basically. That, to help keep my hand in, and because one of the characters in my campaign needed a rival about the same time as I brought in Aylott the Horse-Lord. :)
The Horse Style relies heavily on punches and kicks, and focuses on singularly powerful blows and great physical endurance- practicioners will run marathons and punch and kick steel blocks to improve power. In imitation and homage to their kindred horse patrons, Horse Stylists may 'shoe' themselves by wearing heavy steel gloves and steel souled boots. These are treated as fighting gauntlets, but also add 1 to a kick's damage and make it lethal, as well as allowing them to parry lethal attacks without a stunt. If a Charm allows a Horse Stylist to deal lethal damage barehanded, they instead deal 2 additional damage. Horse Stylists may also use Smashfists for the same purpose and with the same benefits (except the bonus damage to kicks).
Charms
Charging Stallion Strike</b>
<b>Cost: 3 motes Duration: Instant Type: Supplemental Min. Martial Arts: 2 Min. Essence: 1 Prereqs: None
Many other martial artists look down upon those who study the Horse, feeling that their emphasis of power over grace is more suited to a rough brawler than a student on a path. They typically cease doing so when struck by the Charging Stallion Strike, however- those force of the blow will throw a quite a little ways back and knock the wind out of him a bit.
The target is knocked back a number of yards equal to the pre-damage soak times the number of successes rolled on the attack that were not dodged. A parry may reduce the attack to 0 successes, but the target will still be thrown backwards by the force of the Charging Stallion Strike.
Example: Aylott, with a strength of 5 and a Martial Arts dicepool of 10, is engaged in combat with a Solar, and decides to use the Charging Stallion Strike. He rolls seven successes on the attack; the Solar dodges for 3 successes and parries for 4. This is enough so that the attack deals no damage- however, the Solar is still thrown backwards (3 x 5) 15 yards, and will have to spend an action next turn to stand.
Chest Breaking Kick</b>
<b>Cost:3 motes Duration: Instant Type: Supplemental Min. Martial Arts: 2 Min. Essence: 1 Prereqs: None
Horse Stylists do not simply run for their health- it's to strengthen their leg muscles to the power of a kicking horse. A full grown warhorse's kick is easily capable of caving in a man's chest; through the Chest Breaking Kick, a Horse Stylists seeks to imitate the ferocious power of this attack.
The Chest Breaking Kick may only be used with a Kick attack, deals Lethal damage, and doubles the Martial Artist's Strength for the pre-soak damage.
Example: Aylott (Strength 5), bored of fighting the Solar, decides to end the fight with the Chest Breaking Kick. With a swift, smooth motion he plants his foot almost through the hero; his base damage is 12L instead of 7B. If he had been wearing the steel boots of the Horse Style, it would have been 14L.
Ever Pumping Heart</b>
<b>Cost:6 motes Duration: One Scene Type: Simple Min. Martial Arts: 3 Min. Essence: 1 Prereqs: None
Horse Stylists always seek to push themselves to their limits and beyond, straining their bodies to and past their breaking points. They run great distances over rough terrain, their feet striking the earth as relentlessly as a horse's gallop.
By using the Ever Pumping Heart, a Horse Stylist can run at full speed for one scene without strain. If they use the Ever Pumping Heart in the next scene, they take a -1 penelty to all their dice rolls until they have rested for a full day; each additional Scene of running increases this penelty by 1. If the penelty is equal to their Stamina, then they will fall unconcious for a full day, and the normal ill effects of failing to find proper cover and starving. A scene's run is approximately equal to 3 miles, although effects that increase the character's speed may increase this distance.
Unstoppable Charge</b>
<b>Cost:3 motes, plus 1 per yard charged. Duration: Instant Type: Supplemental Min. Martial Arts: 3 Min. Essence: 1 Prereqs: Charging Stallion Strike, Chest Breaking Kick, Ever Pumping Heart
It has long been known that one of the great powers of cavalry in a war is that they can simply trample infantry- the horse's vastly greater mass and speed plow through those on foot as if they weren't there. Likewise, the Horse Stylists seeks to simply overbear those they fight, rushing through them as if they weren't there.
To use the Unstoppable Charge, the Horse Stylist needs to be at least 3 yards away from their target, and can use the Unstoppable Charge in conjunctin with a full turn's run (normally Dexterity + 12 yards), although this is their only action for the turn if they do so. Each yard run in the Unstoppable Charge adds 1 die to the Martial Artist's attack, up to their Dexterity+Martial Arts. Additionally, if they have charged less than half a full turn's run, any further attacks they make against the opponent for this turn are considered to strike them from behind.
Horse Form</b>
<b>Cost:5 motes Duration: One Scene Type: Simple Min. Martial Arts: 3 Min. Essence: 2 Prereqs: Unstoppable Charge
Reaching a first step of true unity with the Horse, the Martial assumes a near posture of their iconic style. Fists are bent down at the wrist and held high, while the martial artist half bends at the waist, snorting angrily as they await the attack.
While using the Horse Style, all the Martist's attacks are considered to deal Lethal damage, and they may parry Lethal attacks without a stunt. Additionally, their running and jumping distances are doubled for the duration of the scene, and they may soak Lethal damage with their full Stamina. Finally, they do not suffer the normal penelty to Speed, Accuracy and Defense when using kick attacks. The character may not use Horse Form if wearing any armor. Only one Form charm may be active at once.
More to come later :) Feel free to comment on what is- I haven't done much new Charm Creation in a while, and my internal cost balancing feels wonky.
Comments
I wouldn't normally ask for comments, but my blinking radar feels off. I just wrote up Aylott as an antagonist in my game- a Horse Totem Full Moon who uses the Horse Style, up to the Form. In his Warform, he has a Strength of 9- meaning the Chest Breaking Kick deals a base of 20L damage. And that's just one example.
Am I just being nervous and coddling my PCs from the big bad antagonist? Or is this style thus far broken? DS
You are coddling. - willows
Umm...you totally are being fair. Yup. Please don't justify his killing nature, willows. -Dim
Actually, it seems fairly week for a Celestial Style to me... I would pump up the power of the form a bit, personally. -Fifth
It's actually the combo of Unstoppable Charge + Chest Breaking Kick that had me nervous. But then I realized how frigging expensive that would be, and felt better :) Thanks for the assurances tho.
As to the Form, it may be a little weak, but it feels thematically right. Maybe it should also remove the accuracy and speed penelty of using kicks, or improve his clinch (trample imagery)... DS
Improving his kicks sound very good and thematic, and would bring it up to power more. -Fifth
Aylott sorta squished the PCs last night. I'm not entirely sure if it was the Style itself, or his monsterous Lunar stats, and the Circle fighters being honorable sorts. He had a pair of combos (Unstoppable Charge + Chest Breaking Kick, Unstoppable Charge + Charging Stallion Strike), and with a Strength of 9, tended to end fights in 1 hit. Then again, the Circle fighters didn't have any of the spiffy defenses, persistant or perfect, which is an assumption of Exalted-level combat...
