MartialArts/TitanFelling

Titan Felling Style

• back to Panache.
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Creator's Note:

As the name may indicate, this style is directly inspired by Ambisinister's Behemoth Toppling Style, because it's base charms were so focused (for a 1e martial art) in their efficiency and effect. That is to say, the charms were very cheap and very effective, but very much oriented toward their specific purpose.

Titan Felling style yoinks two base charms from TheHoverpope/BehemothTopplingStyle2eMark2, but rapidly diverges from those origins. While Behemoth Toppling style seems oriented towards hunting parties taking down a gargantuan beast together, Titan Felling style is focused on a hero battling against the odds to take down a larger foe.

The other major influence for this style is the Mickey Mouse cartoon The Brave Little Tailor, in which Mickey, a tailor, defeats a giant.

Background

Unlike their Celestial cousins, Terrestrial Exalts often lack the sheer physical might needed to overpower Tyrant Lizards, large elementals, Behemoths, and other huge foes of Creation. This style was developed to defeat these opponents through mobility, harrassment and distraction. These techniques have proven to be nearly as effective against human-sized foes as well.

This Terrestrial Level Martial Art is un-aspected.

Weapons and Armor

Armor? Yes, provided it has a mobility penalty no greater than 1. Weapons: Spears

Alternate Requirements:

This martial art requires a great deal of running, tumbling and other physical activity. Characters must have at least two dots in the Athletics ability to learn the first charms of this style.

Charms

Insect Stings The Dragon</b>
<b>Cost: 1 mote
Duration: Instant
Type: Supplemental
Keywords:MartialArts/TitanFelling/B> Combo-OK
<b>Minimums: Martial Arts 2, Essence 1
Prerequisite Charms:: None

As even the smallest insect can pierce the hide of a creature meany times its size, practioner's of this style can penetrate even the most impregnable of armors. The martial artist's strike automatically penetrates hardness.

Heel Nipping Bite</b>
<b>Cost: 2 motes
Duration: Instant
Type: Supplemental (Step 1)
Keywords:MartialArts/TitanFelling/B> Combo-OK
<b>Minimums: Martial Arts 2, Essence 2
Prerequisite Charms:: Insect Stings the Dragon

Smaller opponents are able to wound their foes in the most inconvenient, distracting areas. Titan Felling students are experts at turning the smallest wounds into useful distractions. Provided the attack augmented by this charm deals at least a single level of damage, the target suffers a wound penalty equal to the practicioner's Essence until the end of their next turn. This stacks with any pre-existing wound penalties. Further strikes with this charm increase the penalty by 1 for each additional strike.

Fly Wing Evasion</b>
<b>Cost: 2 motes
Duration: Instant
Type: Reflexive (Step 9)
Keywords:MartialArts/TitanFelling/B> Combo-OK, Counterattack, Obvious
<b>Minimums: Martial Arts 2, Essence 1
Prerequisite Charms:: None

Creatures of great bulk and mass have a difficult time striking, tiny, fast moving targets. The effort may force them off balance, allowing the martial artist to make a decisive throw. When the martial artist defends against an attack, they may force the person who attacked them to reflexively take a move action, moving a number of yards equal to the target's strength, in a direction of the martial artist's choosing. Unlike most counterattacks, this does not inflict a -1 DV penalty to the martial artist.

Ant Escapes the Dragon's Grasp</b>
<b>Cost: 2 motes
Duration: Instant
Type: Reflexive (Step 1)
Keywords:MartialArts/TitanFelling/B> Combo-OK
<b>Minimums: Martial Arts 2, Essence 2
Prerequisite Charms::Fly Wing Evasion

Students of this style know that they can never allow themselves to be caught or held by the giant beings that they face, so they train constantly to escape from grapples, honing their ability to use a foe's leverage against them. Opponents must be strong and fast to keep hold of a student of this style. During a roll to control or initiate a clinch, the martial artist's opponent must use the lower of their Strength or Dexterity. If the martial artist gains control of the clinch on a turn in which they used this charm, they may only choose to escape the clinch or throw their opponent.

Titan Felling Form</b>
<b>Cost: 6 motes
Duration: One Scene
Type: Simple (DV: -1)
Keywords:MartialArts/TitanFelling/B> Obvious, Form-Type
<b>Minimums: Martial Arts 3, Essence 2
Prerequisite Charms:: Heel Nipping Bite, Ant Escapes the Dragon's Grasp

Getting hit in combat is an inevitability. Even fast, small warriors must be prepared to receive blows from their larger counterparts. Students of this style prepare to be swatted aside like a mouse struck by a cat. Additionally, they learn to make all of their strikes count. They may add their permanent Essence to their Lethal and Bashing soak values, automatically recover from prone, and the minimum damage of each of their attacks is increased by one. Lastly, their unarmed attacks may deal lethal damage and they may parry lethal attacks while unarmed.

Shark-Trapping Minnow Method</b>
<b>Cost: 3 motes
Duration: One Scene
Type: Reflexive
Keywords:MartialArts/TitanFelling/B> Combo-OK
<b>Minimums: Martial Arts 3, Essence 3
Prerequisite Charms:: Titan Felling Form

Titan Felling style requires a martial artist to learn to use foot work to the utmost advantage, not only to keep themselves balanced and ready but to surprise and disturb their opponents. While on unstable terrain, the Exalt's Martial Arts is not capped by their Athletics. Additionally, on their action, the user may target an opponent and increase the instability rating for that character by 1.

Infuriating Mouse Defense</b>
<b>Cost: 4 motes
Duration: Instant
Type: Reflexive (Step 9)
Keywords:MartialArts/TitanFelling/B> Combo-OK, Counterattack, Obvious
<b>Minimums: Martial Arts 4, Essence 3
Prerequisite Charms:: Shark Trapping Minnow Method

A martial artist using this charm takes the use of the environment one step further, turning it into a weapon against their opponents. She arranges herself near hazards and obstacles and allows her foe's momentum to carry them into dangerous objects. After the character successfully dodges an attack, the attacker suffers a number of levels of piercing Bashing damage equal to their own Strength.

Underfoot Style</b>
<b>Cost: 5 motes
Duration: One Scene
Type: Simple (Speed: 4, DV: -1)
Keywords:MartialArts/TitanFelling/B> Combo-Basic, Obvious
<b>Minimums: Martial Arts 4, Essence 3
Prerequisite Charms:: Shark Trapping Minnow Method

Masters of Titan Fellling style transform themselves into hazards to catch up their opponents. They constantly attack the feet, legs, and ankles of their huge opponents, hoping to send them toppling to the ground. The Exalt creates a level of unstable terrain equal to their Martial Arts ability for a number of opponents equal to their permanent Essence. This charm is intended for use against opponents that are larger than the character, and may not function as well against foes the character's own size or smaller (Storyteller fiat).

The Mighty Are Fallen Stratagem</b>
<b>Cost: 4 motes, (1 willpower)
Duration: Instant
Type: Reflexive
Keywords:MartialArts/TitanFelling/B> Combo-OK, Obvious
<b>Minimums: Martial Arts 5, Essence 3
Prerequisite Charms::Infuriating Mouse Defense, Underfoot Style

Finally, Titan Felling masters learn to take advantage of their enemies' mistakes. Whenever the opponent falls prone, the martial artist may activate this charm to make an immediate Martial Arts attack against them with their full Dexterity + Martial Arts pool. If the Martial Artist chooses to spend a point of temporary willpower when he activates this charm, the attack is considered unexpected.

Comments

So, here are the things I'm worried about:

• Is this Terrestrial in scope? I'm especially worried that the form does too much for a TMA.
• Is everything clear? This is my first charm write-up; it seems clear to me, but I wrote it.
• Charm names... are these too image-oriented for a Terrestrial style? Are they more Celestial appropriate? Also, does anyone have a better name for the last charm? --Panache

Alright, lesse... overall, this looks okay. Here would be my comments:

• Heel-Nipping Bite should probably be Step 1, for balance purposes.
• Fly-Wing Evasion probably needs to be slightly costlier. Given that you can move big creature 10 or 12 yards in any direction, through objects and off cliffs, without a counter-roll... not good. I would suggest either a Dex + Athletics roll to control movement direction on the part of the opponent or a notably increased cost.
• I think you're right about the form Charm. That minimum damage is very good as a primary effect. I'd stick with soak, rise from prone, and parry.
• Underfoot Style needs actual penalties for smaller people, instead of a Storyteller fiat rule. I would suggest halving the unstable terrain against equal-sized opponents, and removing it against opponents half your size or smaller.

Overall, though, very neat. I like it. :)

Oh, and a very minor quibble - the Brave Little Tailor is an actual fable. It was not invented by Walt Disney. ;) - FrivYeti

I'll note that Fly-Wing Evasion isn't my charm, Insect Stings the Dragon and Fly-Wing Evasion are both borrowed from Behemoth Toppling style. I think the intent of Fly-Wing Evasion is such that it would function a lot like knockdown--it can move an individual, but it shouldn't produce damaging effects, just fluff.

I was aware it was a fable, but the way Mickey takes the giant down is very different than the way the Grimm's tailor did it. Heel Nipping Bite is changed. What about limiting Underfoot Style to a single target if they're the same size or smaller? - Panache