MartialArts/InvulnerableKinshipStyle

Back to Martial Arts
Back to Celestial Martial Arts
Back to Hapushet

Invulnerable Kinship Style

It is believed that this Celestial style was originally developed in the First Age for use by married pairs of Lunars and Solars fighting together. In the current era, its most frequent practitioners are two-person teams of Sidereals, though some Dragon-Blooded members of the Cult of the Illuminated have begun to learn its mysteries as well.

Invulnerable Kinship Style draws on the links between two individuals and the ways in which they might come to fight alongside one another for its inspiration. Practitioners often begin to develop extremely similar personalities and body language, frequently completing one another's sentences or even sometimes knowing instinctively when the other is harmed or in danger somehow.

Weapons and Armor

This style uses fighting chains and cesti as Form weapons. It does not permit the use of any armor.

Charms

Victorious Friendship Direction
Cost: 2m; Mins: Martial Arts 3, Essence 2; Type: Simple (Speed 3, DV -1)
Keywords: Combo-OK, Obvious
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: None

The power of friendship strengthens any endeavor. By activating this Charm, the martial artist may automatically coordinate the attack of herself and exactly one ally, who must be within (Essence x5) yards. The victim of their coordinated attack suffers a coordinated attack penalty to his DV equal to (the martial artist’s Essence) against both attackers.

Begrudging Partnership Accord
Cost: 2m, 1wp; Mins: Martial Arts 4, Essence 2; Type: Simple
Keywords: Combo-Basic
Duration: (Martial Arts) actions
Prerequisite Charms: None

Events can sometimes force even blood enemies to work side-by-side. In such situations, the differences in outlook and ability can serve the partnership well, allowing for weakness to be countered with strength. When using this Charm, the martial artist targets an ally within (Essence x5) yards and selects an Attribute in which she is weak and her ally is strong – while the Charm remains in effect, her Attribute is raised to the level of her ally’s rating. She also selects an Attribute in which she is strong and her ally is weak, raising her ally’s rating to equal her own. (This Charm will not lower an Attribute, even if the martial artist is incorrect in her beliefs about the relative strengths of any two chosen Attributes.) Bonuses to an Attribute are dice from a Charm for the purposes of dice caps.

The martial artist may not activate this Charm again while it remains in effect on her; her ally may do so, however, if she knows the Charm as well.

Invulnerable Kinship Form</b>
<b>Cost: 5m; Mins: Martial Arts 4, Essence 2; Type: Simple (Speed 4, DV -1)
Keywords: Form-type, Obvious
Duration: Scene
Prerequisite Charms: Begrudging Partnership Accord, Harmonious Friendship Direction

The strength of kinship is togetherness. While drawing upon the Essence of her sister, the martial artist cannot be defeated. This Charm may only be activated on the same tick as it is activated by an ally within (Essence x5) yards, who must also target the martial artist. For the remainder of the scene, she adds (the ally’s Essence) to all Martial Arts rolls and to her Martial Arts pool for calculating Parry DV. She also adds (her ally’s Essence) to her lethal and bashing soaks as well. Finally, if she takes an action on the same tick as her ally, she may reflexively spend 1m to reduce the Speed of any action she takes on that tick to the lowest Speed of any action taken by her ally.

Bloody Companions Onslaught</b>
<b>Cost: 4m, 1wp; Mins: Martial Arts 4, Essence 3; Type: Simple (Speed 5, DV -1)
Keywords: Crippling, Combo-Basic, Obvious, Touch
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: Invulnerable Kinship Form

The savagery of threatened lovers knows no bounds. In order to use this Charm, two martial artists much each activate it on the same tick. Both attackers attempt a grappling attack on the same target. If the attacks are both successful, the attackers automatically deal crushing damage, which is lethal. To the rolled damage of the attack, each attacker adds (her ally’s Essence) in automatic successes. If the victim would be killed by either attacker, the attacker(s) must choose an Amputation effect (see pg. 152 of the Exalted core) instead of killing him.

Yielding Oathbond Distraction
Cost: 3m, 1wp; Mins: MA 4, Ess 3; Type: Simple (Speed 4, DV -0)
Keywords: Combo-Basic
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: Bloody Companions Onslaught

The bond of a sworn Circle or Brotherhood is such that all the members will work together for the glory of just one of their members. This Charm must be activated when the martial artist and her ally (as chosen by Invulnerable Kinship Form) are about to make a coordinated attack. This Charm constitutes that attack for the martial artist. Instead of making an attack, the martial artist distracts the target, automatically rendering her ally's attack unexpected. This Charm automatically negates any effect that would allow the victim to detect the unexpected attack unless the victim spends a number of motes equal to (the martial artist's Essence + the coordinated attack penalty). If the attack remains unexpected, her ally may choose to apply the coordinated attack penalty as bonus successes on her attack instead.

Eternal Amity Blessing</b>
<b>Cost: 2m/hl or 3m/hl, 1wp; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 3; Type: Simple
Keywords: Combo-OK, Obvious, Touch
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: Invulnerable Kinship Form

A fallen ally is no ally at all. Using this Charm prevents the martial artist from knowing that betrayal. By laying her hands upon the ally she has chosen for her active Invulnerable Kinship Form, she may heal the ally’s wounds. The cost is 2m per Bashing level, or 3m per Lethal level. Healing Lethal wounds also requires the expenditure of 1 Willpower point. This Charm cannot heal aggravated damage.

Harmonious Affiliation Prana</b>
<b>Cost: 5m, 1wp; Mins: Martial Arts 4, Essence 4; Type: Simple (Speed 4, DV -1)
Keywords: Combo-Basic, Obvious
Duration: Scene
Prerequisite Charms: Eternal Amity Blessing

When facing enemies, wise allies speak with a single voice, forbidding any opponent from trying to come between them. By invoking this Charm, which must be done on the same tick as it is invoked by the ally with whom she shares an active Invulnerable Kinship Form benefit, the martial artist gains the ability to “borrow” any Charm known by her partner that she has the prerequisites for. Effects of the Charm are calculated as if it were used by her ally, including dice caps as well as using the ally’s Traits, but costs are paid for by the martial artist, and all other effects of the action are those of the martial artist herself.

World-Ending Unity Strike</b>
<b>Cost: 6m, 1wp, 1hl; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 4; Type: Simple (Speed 7, DV -2)
Keywords: Combo-OK, Obvious, Touch
Duration: Scene
Prerequisite Charms: Harmonious Affiliation Prana, Yielding Oathbond Distraction

The shared shedding of blood is the most powerful bond any two people can know. In order to activate this Charm, the martial artist must slit her palm and target the ally she has targeted by her Invulnerable Kinship Form, who must also invoke this Charm on the same tick. Both allies must be about to take part in the same coordinated attack. By touching the two bleeding palms together, this Charm allows the two allies to combine their two Martial Arts attacks into a single devastating blow. Each ally makes a separate attack roll, modified with any other effects or Charms to which she has access (usually via a Combo). These attacks are combined into a single attack. The attack gains the total of the rolled successes from the two attackers, as well as bonus successes equal to (their combined Essence), before being compared to the target’s DV. The attack shares the properties of any and all effects applied to the individual attacks by the allies – though each effect is applied separately, so (for example) two uses of Hungry Tiger Technique will triple, rather than quadruple, the successes for the purposes of damage.

Defensive effects that apply simultaneously to a group of attackers apply individually to each attack or attack roll, but effects that apply to one attack at a time apply to the combined attack only. For example, Snake Form would deduct the defender’s Essence from each ally’s attack roll, but Seven Shadow Evasion would only apply once, to the combined attack.

Comments

Is this celestial? If celestial, seems quite good. I might have some NPCs using this style sometime soon. ~Overshee

It is indeed. Edited to make that clear. Let me know what comes out of it, if you do decide to use it, will ya? - Hapushet