Baelrog/LogicIsDeath'sDesignStyle

Logic is Death's Design Style

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Updates

Since this is a Martial Arts in the making and not complete, I have yet to place it on the MartialArts page. I plan on placing the basic ideas of what I change and the date I change them here in this section.

• 09/20/05 - Opened page, wrote basic info.
• 09/21/05 - Wrote first draft of Numbers Are The Root Of All Evil Defense</b>.
• 09/22/05 - Edited <b>Numbers Are The Root Of All Evil Defense</b> and added <b>Seek And Ye Shall Find</b>. Added <b>Zero Possiblities For Error Stance</b>.
• 09/23/05 - Added <b>Every Positive Has Its Negative</b>.
• 09/27/05 - Added <b>Nothing Between the Integers Stance</b> and made a few minor changes.
• 09/29/05 - Made a few modifications. Added <b>Sum / Difference of Destinies</b>.
• 09/30/05 - Edited <b>Sum / Difference of Destinies</b>.
• 10/04/05 - Added part of new charm.
• 10/06/05 - Finished <b>Multiply the Seal / Seal the Divide</b>.

Background

Prior to the usurption of the Primordials, the world was structured and logical. Each being had its place, from the highest Primordial to the lowliest elemental. Balancing was not needed, for nothing was out of "balance" - orginization was an inevitable factor of life, as long as the Primordials maintained Creation's boundaries and foundation. However, they were lax in their heavenly duties, creating Gods in their places to perform their chores. Overtime, the Gods, jealous of their creators' Games, decided to rebel. In that one action, the God's forsook the rationality of structure and logic, and choose instead to act passionately.

In the war that followed, balance was lost. The truth of the Void forever hidden from all but a handful of few, whose godly duty it was to maintain the patterns in the weave. However, fear struck at their hearts, for if that lost knowledge was found, it could be used to destroy the world the God's fought so hard to control. So, they hid the Primordials' design within a form they knew few could master and realized that those who could master the form would never be able to use its full power. Thus, the Logic is Death's Design Style was born.

Training and Usage

This style is neither Terrestial, Celestial, or Sidereal Martial Arts. This is a slow building martial art, moving up in power level in structured increments.

Any person who can manipulate essence may learn charms of the Logic is Death's Design Style.

In fact, because the fundamentals of life are hidden within the style's many branches, once a person learns the "activating charm" of Logic is Death's Design Style she may continue to learn charms of the style without the need of source material or a mentor. However, once she learns the "activating charm" she may not teach any other person any charm of the tree except the "activating charm" nor may she write any information about the style anywhere. She may also not hint nor try to subversivly explain the style or else she forgets everything about the style except the "activating charm" until she no longer wishes to explain the style.

If any person reads the character's mind or studies the style she is using, they will only understand the "activating charm" and its implications (aka these main rules) and nothing else. They may learn the "activating charm" vicariouly through her, but the other charms are protected by stealing or coercion by the information that they hide. In fact, if the character is tortured for information, she forgets everything about the Logic is Death's Design Style except for its "activating charm" until such time as she is no longer under duress, even to the point of death.

Weapons and Armor

Although the majority of Martial Arts cannot be used while in armor, Logic is Death's Design Style is in anything but the majority. At first, the martial artist must remain unarmored for the power of the charms to work; however, as she progresses in the style, she will be able to use greater and greater armors until even the Warstriders become mere tools of the style.

One of the flaws of Logic is Death's Design Style is that the martial artist must always be armed with the style's signature weapon - a writing utensil. The weapon may be of any form as long as it can write, this incudes pens, pencils, quills, paintbrushes w/paint, chalk, lipstick, fingernail polish, etc. This item must be able to write when the tree's charms are activated, otherwise the charm is cancelled.

Other Notes

This style is really a set of charm trees, each with its own form charm. Each tree has a common mathematical theme in its name and a common theme in Exalted (such as dodging, attacking, protecting, etc).

Strengths of Logic is Death's Design Style:

• Easy to learn
• Protected from others
• Use of armor
• Multiple forms
• Multiplew ways of doing an action
• Multiple trees, allows for "specialization" of a sort

Weaknesses of Logic is Death's Design Style:

• No direct increases of dice pool or damage
• Must use style weapon when using charms
• Style weapon has no stats (thus no bonuses)
• Deals base bashing damage with Style Weapon
• Multiple trees, specialization leads to weakness
• Limited movement

Dual Charms - These charms represent the two sides of a single coin. The martial artist can only learn one of the halves of the charm but may at any time forget that half to learn the other. Any half of the charm fulfills any necessary prerequisites needing the dual charm. Dual charms will be listed as such.

Charms

Activating Charm

<b>Seek And Ye Shall Find</b>

<b>Cost: N/A
Duration: Permanent
Type: N/A
Min. Martial Arts: 0
Min. Lore: 1
Min. Lore Specialty - Mathematics: 0
Min. Essence: 1
Prereqs: None

Seek And Ye Shall Find</b> is not a charm of the Logic is Death's Design Style. It is mearly a charm needed to understand and unlock the information about the tree which is hidden within every creature of Creation as the gods intended.

Any person who knows this charm is prevented from telling any other person about the charms found within the Logic is Death's Design Style. This includes any form of verbal or written communication. At any time, if they try to do so, they forget everything abput the style except for this charm. This means that the only proof of existence of this style is this charm, which most people do not learn because it holds no power in and of itself.

This charm allows the character to learn any and all charms in Logic is Death's Design Style without the use of mentors or source material.

If person who knows this charm is tortured specifically for information about Logic is Death's Design Style, <b>Seek And Ye Shall Find</b> hides the information from the torturer until such time as the torture ends or the character dies. This applies to mind-reading and mystical coercion as well.

Numbers / Defense Tree

<b>Numbers Are The Root Of All Evil Defense</b>

<b>Cost:
Duration: Instant
Type: Reflexive
Min. Martial Arts: 1
Min. Lore: 1
Min. Lore Specialty - Mathematics: 0
Min. Essence: 1
Prereqs: None

The martial artist watches her assailant’s movements closely and at the apex of her adversary’s attack writes a greenish number or series of numbers upon the air. As the attacker's strike grows closer, the numbers illuminate and morph into a chaotic language illustrating that for every attack their must be a defense.

Whenever your character is the target of an attack that she is aware of, you may activate this charm. After the attacking player rolls for the accuracy of his attack, roll a single die. Remove a number of successes from the attacker's accuracy success pool equal to the number of dice on his accuracy roll which rolled the same number that your single die rolled. This charm may not decrease the attacker's success pool below his essence. This charm may be activated, and affect, a single attack more than once but must be activated prior to the attacker's roll and ingnores any number on your single die which it has rolled before.

For example - Silent Thunder, a Full-Moon lunar, attacks Will Not Be Forgotten, a young Twilight solar, for invading his territory and stealing from his "people". Silent Thunder declares an attack using Brawl, and in response, Will Not Be Forgotten activates Numbers Are The Root Of All Evil Defense. Silent Thunder rolls 10 dice and receives 10, 9, 9, 8, 7, 5, 4, 4, 2, 1, for a total of 5 successes. Then Numbers Are The Root Of All Evil Defense takes affect. Will Not Be Forgotten rolls a single die and rolls a 4. Since Silent Thunder rolled two 4's on his attack roll, 2 successes are removed from his success "pool".

---

Zero Possiblities For Error</b>

<b>Cost:
Duration: 1 turn
Type: Simple
Min. Martial Arts: 1
Min. Lore: 1
Min. Lore Specialty: Mathematics: 0
Min. Essence: 1
Prereqs: None

Realizing that the nothingness of the void, the martial artist draws a hoop of greenish light around her abdomen. As objects fly towards her or she is attacked, she is absorbed into the circle and then reappears moments later.

Until the end of her turn, the martial artist may perform a dodge or full-dodge using her Intelligence + Lore + Lore Specialty: Mathematics (+ Essence if using Power Combat) pool instead of her Dexterity + Dodge (+ Essence if using Power Combat) pool. Activating this charm does not count as an action.

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Every Positive Has Its Negative</b>

<b>Cost:
Duration: Variable
Type: Simple
Min. Martial Arts: 1
Min. Lore: 1
Min. Lore Specialty: Mathematics: 0
Min. Essence: 1
Prereqs: None

The martial artist draws a series of glyphs upon the ground, each representing the relative direction of the elemental poles, understanding that every material element has a sprititual side. As she finishes, the glyphs glow with green light and begin to rotate around her. Then, with a burst of green light, she disappears.

For a number of turns equal to the martial artist's lore, she and all of her gear dematerializes. She may not move from the location where she used Every Positive Has Its Negative</b> or else the charm's effect ends. This charm's dematerialization has the same positive and negative effects that all dematerialization offers.

---

<b>Nothing Between the Integers Stance</b>

<b>Cost:
Duration: Scene
Type: Simple
Min. Martial Arts: 1
Min. Lore: 2
Min. Lore Specialty: Mathematics: 0
Min. Essence: 1
Prereqs: None

Things cannot be hidden where there is no where to hide them; this the martial artist knows. She slowly balances on one of her feet and begins to count, over and over again. Green essence begins to trail around her lips and for every number she speaks, a drop of it falls onto the ground until a pool surrounds her and she slams her foot into its murky depths. The pool dissappears and the martial artist turns a bright shade of green.

Roll a die. Until the end of the scene, the martial artist may only be the target of a number of attacks equal to the number rolled on the die per a number of turns equal to her lore. This does not effect anything that does not specifically target her. If she moves more than her (Essence + Martial Arts) x 2 yards away from the location where she activated this charm, its effect ends.

Arithmetic and Algebra / Offense Tree

Sum / Difference of Destinies</b> (Dual Charm)

<b>Cost:
Duration: Instant / Instant
Type: Supplemental / Supplemental
Min. Martial Arts: 1
Min. Lore: 1
Min. Lore Specialty: Mathematics: 0
Min. Essence: 1
Prereqs: None

A slow hum fills the air as the martial artist closes her eyes and looks into her very soul. She sees the life with-in her pulsing with the energy of bound essence. She slowly notices that she is bound by laws of both passion - essence - and logic.

Sum - Drawing a "+" of bluish light into the air, the martial artist pushes her hands together and quickly attacks. Roll a single die and subtract a number of dice from the accuracy of her attack equal to the number rolled on the die. This dice pool cannot be lowered below the martial artist's essence. If the attack hits, it deals no damage. Instead, roll a number of dice equal to the character's martial arts plus the number rolled on the single die. For each success, the attacked character loses a mote of essence and the martial artist gains that many motes. If the attacked character has no motes left, they lose a willpower point instead.

Difference - Drawing a "-" of bluish light into the air, the martial artist pulls her hands apart and attacks. Roll a single die and add a number of dice to the accuracy of a single martial arts attack equal to the number rolled on the die. If the attack hits, it deals no damage. Instead, roll a number of dice equal to the character's martial arts minus the number rolled on the single die. This dice pool cannot be lowered below the martial artist's essence. For each success, the attacked character gains a -1 penalty to his actions until the end of his next turn. The effects of this charm are not cumulative.

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Multiply the Seal / Seal the Divide</b> (Dual Charm)

<b>Cost:
Duration: Instant / Scene
Type: Supplemental / Simple
Min. Martial Arts: 1
Min. Lore: 1
Min. Lore Specialty: Mathematics: 0
Min. Essence: 1
Prereqs: None

A sound like cracking glass escapes from the air, a symphony of impending sorrow and dread. The martial artist flicks her wrists toward the sky and mutters "This world is ours!".

Multiply - A stiff wind blows east to west across the battlefield and with it the logic of the Primordials. The martial artist attacks. Roll a single die. If this attack hits a spirit, elemental or god, all damage die which land on the single die's number are rolled again. Any successes on the extra roll are added to the total number of pre-soak damage that the attack deals. This attack affects dematerialized beings.

Divide - A stiff wind blows north to south across the battlefiedla and with it the rationality of the Primordials. The martial artist bows her head. For a distance of the martial artist's (Essence + Lore) x 3 yards, a ward against spirits, elementals and gods forms. Any spirit, elemental or god with an essence less than the character's Essence within the warded area dematerialize immediatly and wish to leave as soon as possible - they do not take damage. Any spirit, elemental or god who does not leave must succeed at a contested Willpower roll with the martial artist - if they do not, they take a single level of bashing damage per turn until they do. Any spirit, elemental or god outside of the warded area may not enter the warded area unless they succeed at a contested Willpower roll or have a higher essence than the martial artist.

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Comments

Numbers Are The Root of All Evil Defense is cute, but seems like it would be rather clumsy. I'm also not sure of the significance of the phrase "explicitly applies against ranged attacks" - all parries do that, save in the case of Charms that specify that they only defend against hand-to-hand attacks. If this Charm counts as a parry, then the character using it couldn't "parry as normal" (you can only parry an attack once), unless you're specifically intending this to be a peculiar third-layer defense. What sort of characters is this really intended for? - David.

First, thanks for commenting. Secondly, there are certain rules in games that one begins to internalize and then use without realizing it, such as the single parry rule - so thanks for mentioning it. And to answer your last question, this style is intended for any character you can imagine. The whole point of the style is to slowly grow in power while eliminating the need for trancendence through the various levels of Martial Arts. A dragon-blooded scholar, a tribal shaman, a sidereal ronin, all of these characters can learn this style, but they must first find the "activating charm" within themselves or a text. Put it this way, only those characters who would not fit into the "mainstream" Martial Arts would use this style. It is meant to be found by those who would not abuse it. ~Baelrog

Just so you don't get discouraged, I'm gonna say I like it, but there's some mechanical issues to watch for. What about Sidereals, who get autosuccesses based on their low (sub-4) TN? Theoretically, they don't need to roll to get successes, but are still 'rolling' in some sense. For that matter, what about any auto-success system? Similarly, the example notes that if he rolls '6', the success-pool drops by 2, as the guy rolled two 6's. Thing is, those 6's didn't actually add to the success count. As such, statistically, it's possible to reduce a pool to below 0 successes, which might have odd effects. - GregLink, chiming in

Thanks, didn't think about autosuccesses. But I guess pointing that stuff out is the whole point of the Wiki, isn't it? The charm's strange nature affects the success "pool", not the dice pool. This means that autosuccesses, while not "rolled" for in most charms, are affected by the charm because they are part of the success "pool". ~Baelrog

I would suggest that if this charm reduces a person's attack pool below 0 successes, the martial artist may decide to spend a point of willpower and... Hmm, well, here there are two options, depending on cost. If cost is small, apply those negative successes as a counterattack against the target, or, if the cost is a little more reasonable, apply the base damage of the original attack to the target, + the negative successes rolled on the attack roll. I much prefer the 2nd, it's more appropriate to the style... and still not overpowered since getting that effect is going to be fluke and combo rather than any normal happening. How about that?
-- Darloth

Hmm, interesting idea. Let me put that on the back burner for now. Thanks for your suggestion. ~Baelrog

The healing effects of Difference seem really overpowered for an essence 1, ability 1 charm. Direct healing is a rare effect in Exalted. Even Lunars, who probably have the best healing effects in the game, can't do it that cheaply. Also, do you have to purchase the charm once for Sum, and once for Difference, or do you get both with the first purchase?-Ambisinister

I agree. To be honest, the Difference mode is way, way better than the Sum. Perhaps if you made it so that every 3 successes caused 1 unsoakable HL to transfer, that might be better? Even so, the healing effect is indeed rare, and looks a bit out of place as a pre-form 1/1 charm. Finally... Is this a Dual Charm? It sure looks like one, but you don't seem to have explicitly stated, and you said you would at the start.
-- Darloth

The charm is a dual charm, thanks Darloth, and as such, a character cannot learn both parts. When they first purchase the charm they chose one half or the other, but may at any time, as a reflexive action, forget one half and pay full cost to learn the other. I have edited Sum / Difference of Destinies</b> (thanks for your suggestions) and I am reading to see if the charm's new form is appropriate. ~Baelrog

Multiply the Seal - Do you mean any [i]accuracy[/i] dice? Damage dice havn't been rolled at the pre-soak stage...