MartialArts/MantisStyle
Mantis Style
By Similarian
Note: This is NOT the canonical Mantis Style.
Charms
Mantis Strike</b>
<b>Cost: 2 Motes Duration: 1 Turn Type: Reflexive Min. Martial Arts: 2 Min. Essence: 1 Prereqs: None
The praying mantis can strike in the blink of a eye, by channeling essence, the Exalt can match this speed. Add the Exalts Martial Arts rating to Initiative for the turn.
Claw Blow</b>
<b>Cost:3 Motes Duration: 1 turn Type: Supplemental Min. Martial Arts: 3 Min. Essence: 2 Prereqs: Mantis Strike
The sharp claws of the praying mantis are able to cut like a sword blade for those who fall into their grip, by channeling essence through their hands, a Exalt can match this danger, any attacks that turn do lethal instead of bashing damage.
Second Claw</b>
<b>Cost:3 Motes Type: Reflexive Min. Martial Arts: 3 Min. Essence: 2 Prereqs: Mantis Strike
The Mantis student can quickly move and parry a attack even if they've acted this turn. This allows a full parry, but must be paid for on every attack made.
Mantis Form</b>
<b>Cost:8 motes Type: Simple Duration: Scene Min. Martial Arts: 4 Min. Essence: 2 Prereqs: Claw Blow, Second Claw
By moving into the mantis form, the Exalt places one hand in a lower claw and the second in a higher claw. This can only be used while unarmed, as long as the mantis form is active they get a parry equal to their martial arts rating to any attack, and a counter attack with their martial arts rating as the dice pool if the attack is in range for a hand to hand return, arrows and 10 foot spears have the advantage of being out of range against this sort of counter attack.
Body Breaking Blow</b>
<b>Cost:6 Motes Type: Supplemental Duration: 1 Turn Min. Martial Arts: 4 Min. Essence: 3
Prerequisite Charms Mantis Form With essence guided precision, a Mantis trained Exalt can bypass the natural defenses of a target, leaving them helpless against their blows. This blow allows a exalt to ignore the natural soak of any target for the duration. Armor is still a issue, charms that enhance the natural soak are affected by this charm
Bodily Weakness Prana</b>
<b>Cost:6 motes Type: Supplemental Duration: Scene Min. Martial Arts: 5 Min. Essence: 3
Prerequisite Charms Body Breaking Blow With greater skill than before, the blows used here can weaken a opponent for a entire fight, as the natural toughness weakens with precise blows . When a successful attack is preformed on a target, you do not do damage. Instead they lose a number of natural soak dice equal to the attacker's martial arts rating. This is cumulative, and has the same restrictions as Body Breaking Blow. This can only be preformed a number of times equal to Essence on a single target
Paralyzation Atemi</b>
<b>Cost:4 Motes Type: Supplemental Min. Martial Arts: 4 Min. Essence: 3
Prerequisite Charms Mantis Form Instead of dealing damage, a attack used with this charm can stun or paralyze the target for a time. Roll Martial Arts+Dexterity against the target's Stamina+Resistance, for every success reduce the dexterity by one. If the target reaches zero they're unable to move. This lasts for a number of turns equal to essence+successes beyond the target's Dexterity.
Alternate system: target is paralyzed for a number of turns equal to the successes beyond the resistance roll.
Joint Breaking Claw</b>
<b>Cost:6 Motes Type: Supplemental Min. Martial Arts: 5 Min. Essence: 3 Prereqs: Paralyzation Atemi
By striking the target's areas of motion in the proper way, a Mantis expert can force almost any enemy into submission, as motion snaps their bones. On a successful attack (to preform this charm there is a base difficulty of 2) ONE joint of the target (neck, shoulder, elbow, wrist, hip, knee) is set into a twisted position. If the target tries to move it they suffer a number of damage dice, equal the attacker's Martial Arts. Only natural soak can soak the damage induced by this charm.
Flurry of Blows</b>
<b>Cost:6 motes Duration: 1 turn Type: Extra Action Min. Martial Arts: 4 Min. Essence: 2 Prereqs: Mantis Form
Effects: When a successful attack is made, the character can make another at the same time. There is no dicepool reduction, but the limit is Essence in attacks total. If the first attack fails, so does the charm.
Crushing the Fly</b>
<b>Cost:6 Motes Type: Reflexive Min. Martial Arts: 5 Min. Essence: 3 Prereqs: Sharpness Claw
In a parry, this charm allows the parry blow to try and harm the attacker, turning the force of the blow into a level pushing the attack into the waiting claws of the Mantis. Roll parry as normal, but the target takes a number of dice of damage equal to a normal attack by the Exalt, with extra parry successes counting as accuracy dice. Even if the parry fails, the attacker still takes the minimum damage.
Flinging Claw Assualt</b>
<b>Cost:5 motes Duration: Instant Type: Supplemental Min. Martial Arts: 4 Min. Essence: 2 Prereqs: Mantis Form
A Mantis stylist can move and fling the attacker away with one motion. Make a normal attack, however when it hits for every successes beyond the first the target is flung back Exalt's Essence in yards/meters. A attack that has no extra successes flings a target back Essence yards/meters. For every 3 meters tossed, the target takes 1 bashing (or more depending on the envioement, being tossed into a pit of lava might increase the damage just a little bit).
Crushing Grasp of the Mantis</b>
<b>Cost:5 motes Duration: 1 Turn Type: Supplemental Min. Martial Arts: 5 Min. Essence: 3
Prerequisite Charms : Flinging Claw Assualt This is used on a clinch or hold attack (which can be done by catching someone between the blades of Kama / Mantis Swords, ugly) either armed or unarmed. For a cliche, the Exalt does Str+4 lethal damage instead of Str+2 bashing. On a hold, the hold does Str Lethal damage in addition to the normal effects.
Essence Breaking Blow</b>
<b>Cost:10 Motes, 1 Willpower Type: Simple Min. Martial Arts: 5 Min. Essence: 4 Prereqs: Crushing the Fly, Joint Breaking Claw, Bodily Weakness Prana, Crushing Grasp of the Mantis
When a target is hit by a strike with this blow, the very essence of the character is disrupted. Any essence fueled defenses already up work as normal, but the character cannot channel more essence than their LOWEST virtue for a number of turns equal to the attacker's martial arts.
