BurgerSlave/TurtleStyle

Turtle Style

Many practitioners of the martial arts eschew the use of armor in combat. Armor tends to restrict the movement of the limbs, which interferes with the complex postures and katas of martial arts. However, there are those students of more pacifistic fighting styles who prefer to subdue their opponents, while retaining the protection of armor. Thus, Turtle Style martial arts was developed.

This style was created by a mortal Immaculate emulator of Pasiap who had managed to awaken his Essence to levels previously unheard-of among the unExalted. The name of that enlightened man has been lost, but his art remains. It is popular among those Dynasts who desire the discipline and rigor of martial arts without sacrificing the protection of armor. It is also studied by those monks who adhere closely to the Immaculate Order's strcture of non-violence. Because it allows one to fight in armor, Turtle Style has become popular with the Anathema as well. Sidereal Exalted in particular are fond of learning Turtle Style, as they tend to be less durable than Solar or Lunar Exalted, and its techniques mesh well with the natural properties of starmetal armor.

Turtle Style is a Terrestrial-type martial arts style. It permits the use of all armor. Its signature weapon is the bo stick (use the stats for staff in the Exalted Player's Guide). Exalted practitioners of Turtle Style may use a godstaff, an artifact version of the bo stick. Its statistics are: Speed +10, Accuracy +4, Damage +8B, Defense +4, and Rate 2. Only human-sized armor is compatible with Turtle Style. Warstriders and other vehicle-scale armors are not valid for this style. No Charm in Turtle Style may be Comboed with Extra Action-type Charms or Charms that enhance the character's initiative.

Withdrawing Turtle Exercise
Cost: 1 mote
Duration: Instant
Type: Reflexive
Minimum Martial Arts: 2
Minimum Essence: 1
Prerequisite Charms: None

By ducking back and pulling himself into his armor, the character is able to dodge away from incoming blows, like a turtle pulling its head into its shell. Add the character's Martial Arts to one dodge attempt. Alternatively, the character may buy a reflexive dodge using his Martial Arts dice. This Charm may not be used in a turn more times than the mobility penalty of the character's armor.

Tortoise-Versus-Hare Approach
Cost: 1 mote per +1 soak
Duration: Three turns
Type: Simple
Minimum Martial Arts: 3
Minimum Essence: 1
Prerequisite Charms: Withdrawing Turtle Exercise

One of the oldest Immaculate fables recounts the story of the tortoise and the hare. While the hare might boast of his speed, the tortoise knows that slow and steady wins the race. Whenever this Charm is activated, the character may add the difference between his initiative and the highest initiative to his armor's bashing and lethal soaks. If he wishes, the may reduce his own initiative total by up to his Martial Arts score to increase the effectiveness of this Charm. If this reduces his initiative to 0 or below, the character loses his action for the Charm's duration, but still enjoys the boosted soak.

Incomparable Shell Technique
Cost: 1 mote per 2B or 1L
Duration: Three turns
Type: Reflexive
Minimum Martial Arts: 3
Minimum Essence: 2
Prerequisite Charms: Tortoise-Versus-Hare Approach

This Charm allows the character to fortify his armor with Essence, strengthening its protection and making it resistant to attacks. He may improve his armor's bashing soak by 2 per mote, or its lethal soak by 1 per mote. He must pay for each improvement separately, but may improve both with one application of the Charm. These bonuses cannot exceed the character's Stamina + Martial Arts. Furthermore, the strengthening influence of this Charm makes mundane armor as impervious as the Five Magical Materials for its duration. Armor thus fortified will not be harmed by soaking magical attacks, and is immune to Charms such as Armor-Rending Claw that cause armor damage. Artifact armor only gains the soak bonus from this Charm.

Turtle Form
Cost: 5 motes
Duration: One scene
Type: Simple
Minimum Martial Arts: 4
Minimum Essence: 3
Prerequisite Charms: Incomparable Shell Technique

Activating Turtle Form greatly enhances the effectiveness of the character's armor. While Turtle Form is active, the character's armor gains Hardness equal to his Essence + Martial Arts (for Lunar practitioners, this is cumulative with oversoak). Also, his armor becomes immune to piercing damage. Attacks that bypass armor fully have their raw damage cut in half. However, while this Charm is active, the character cannot move faster than his walking speed. Moving faster ends the Charm's effects. A character may only have one Form-type Charm active at a time.

Hissing Snap Surprise
Cost: 3 motes
Duration: Instant
Type: Reflexive
Minimum Martial Arts: 4
Minimum Essence: 3
Prerequisite Charms: Turtle Form

As a child who's played with snapping turtles can tell you, they have a quick and mean bite. When this Charm is activated, the character gains an initiative bonus equal to his armor's mobility penalty + 1. Furthermore, his next Martial Arts attack is painful, but causes no real damage. Halve the raw damage of an attack enhanced with this Charm, but double the wound penalty. If using a bo stick or godstaff, add the character's Essence to the raw damage. This Charm is incompatible with attacks that deal lethal or aggravated damage.

Vengeful Shell Attack
Cost: 5 motes, 1 Willpower
Duration: Instant
Type: Reflexive
Minimum Martial Arts: 5
Minimum Essence: 3
Prerequisite Charms: Hissing Snap Surprise

The harder you hit an immovable object, the more you are going to hurt yourself. By strengthening his armor with undefeatable Essence, the character is able to turn the force of an attacker's blow against himself. This Charm must be activated after soak is applied, but before damage is rolled. The attack does no damage to the character. Rather, the attacker rolls the remaining damage dice plus his Strength against himself as a bashing effect. These damage dice ignore armor, but may be soaked by the target's Stamina. Furthermore, this Charm renders the character immune to knockdown and knockback (but not his target). This Charm may not be used more times per scene than the mobility penalty of the character's armor.

Turtle's Constant Companion
Cost: 6 motes
Duration: One hour
Type: Simple
Minimum Martial Arts: 4
Minimum Essence: 3
Prerequisite Charms: Turtle Form

This Charm makes the character's armor as light and as comfortable to wear as a turtle wears his own shell. While the Charm is active, the character suffers no mobility or fatigue penalty, although the values remain for the purposes of Turtle Style Charms. Furthermore, even the thickest superheavy plate becomes as light and supple as fine silk cloth. Characters using this Charm are never weighed down by their armor, and can swim as though they were naked. Any mounts the character rides is similarly unburdened. The only limitation to this Charm is this--the character can never move faster than his walking speed. As soon as he moves any faster, the Charm's effects end.

Home-On-My-Back Style
Cost: None
Duration: Permenant
Type: Special
Minimum Martial Arts: 5
Minimum Essence: 3
Prerequisite Charms: Turtle's Constant Companion

Learning this Charm bonds one suit of armor to the character, making it his signature armor. This imparts a couple of benefits. Firstly, the character may banish his armor Elsewhere by spending 2 motes as a dice action. He may summon his armor out of Elsewhere in a similar fashion. At his option, the armor may either appear on the character ready for use, or it may appear anywhere within his Martial Arts x 5 yards, including on another character. He may sleep in his armor without any undue effect, and it serves to protect him from temperature extremes. Finally, he gains a bonus to all Martial Arts attacks equal to his armor's mobility penalty while he is wearing his signature armor, as he has become intimately familiar with the way his armor feels while fighting. If the character ever loses his armor, or if it is destroyed, then he must pay the XP cost of this Charm to re-bond a new suit of armor.

Eternal Terrapin Prana
Cost: 6 motes, 1 Willpower, 1 health level
Duration: One scene
Type: Simple
Minimum Martial Arts: 5
Minimum Essence: 4
Prerequisite Charms: Vengeful Shell Attack, Home-On-My-Back Style

The master of Turtle Style martial arts has become one with his shell. By infusing a portion of his life force into the substance of his armor, he can make it almost impervious to damage. The armor's soak values are increased by the character's Martial Arts score, and he suffers no mobility or fatigue penalty. Bashing attacks are completely absorbed by the character's armor, while lethal attacks are halved after damage is rolled. Aggravated damage still does its full damage, but is dealt as lethal. As with Incomparable Shell Technique, the armor is fortified against magical attacks and cannot be damaged.

Upon learning this Charm, the character's lifespan is increased, like the tortoise he emulates. Heroic mortals automatically gain the Longevity Merit free of charge. Terrestrial Exalts will extend their lifespan by their Martial Arts x 50 years. Solar and Lunar Exalts extend their lifespan by their Martial Arts x 100 years. Sidereal Exalted extend their lifespan by their Martial Arts x 200 years. However, the character cannot ever move faster than his walking speed without expending a Willpower point.