MartialArts/WingedSerpentStyle
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Winged Serpent is a complete martial arts style which branches off from Snake Style after starting with the same basis. It shares Hook Swords as form weapons with Snake, but instead of the other weapons which Snake style uses, Winged Serpent allows the use of any weapons intended to be used as a pair. Winged Serpent style is not normally compatible with the use of armor, but one of the charms it teaches allows its use.
This style was created by me, IanPrice, intended so that a character I am playing might invent it after she Exalts, probably as a Solar. However, it is a potential variant branching off of Snake Style which could be invented in any number of ways.
Striking Cobra Technique</b> - Canon Charm
<b>Serpentine Evasion</b> - Canon Charm
<b>First, Second, and Third Martial Arts Excellencies</b> - Canon Charms
<b>Winged Serpent Form</b>
<b>Cost: 6m Minimums: Martial Arts 5, Essence 3 Type: Simple Keywords: Obvious, Form Duration: Scene Prerequisite Charms: Serpentine Evasion, First, Second, and Third Martial Arts Excellencies
The serpent moves sinuously, and when granted wings its flight is the same as its slither. The winged serpent may weave through the air deceptively, strike from unexpected angles, or guard itself with its wings. When imitating these qualities in this form, the Martial Artist may pay 2m per DV point to enhance a flurry, or a defense against a single attack. A flurry so enhanced reduces the DV penalty caused by one for each 1m spent, up to the Martial Artist's Essence (minimum 0). A defense so enhanced adds 1 to either DV per 2m spent, up to the Martial Artist's Essence, and this allows Lethal and ranged attacks to be parried unarmed without a stunt.
Shining Serpent Scales</b>
<b>Cost: - Minimums: Martial Arts 5, Essence 3 Type: Permanent Keywords: None Duration: N/A Prerequisite Charms: Winged Serpent Form
Sometimes a Snake must grow a new skin. After learning this charm, a Martial Artist may use any charms of Winged Serpent Style while wearing armor.
Furious Wingbeats</b>
<b>Cost: - Minimums: Martial Arts 5, Essence 4 Type: Permanent Keywords: None Duration: N/A Prerequisite Charms: Shining Serpent Scales
Sometimes, flight requires rapid flapping of the wings. This charm emulates the way no single beat of the wings is wasted. Whenever the Martial Artist is using Winged Serpent Form, she may pay 1m per die as a reflexive non-charm action to reduce all multiple action penalties to her dice pools from her current Flurry by up to her Essence. This does not count as a dice bonus from charms, since it reduces a penalty instead of adding dice.
Unfolding Fangs</b>
<b>Cost: - Minimums: Martial Arts 5, Essence 4 Type: Permanent Keywords: Obvious Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: Shining Serpent Scales
With its mouth closed, a snake's fangs fold back into its head so it does not pierce its own jaw. They unfold only when ready to strike, and so does this martial artist's Essence unfold. This charm adds an ability to Winged Serpent Form, allowing an attack to be enhanced for 2m. An attack enhanced this way gains a damage bonus of Essence and is considered lethal if it would not otherwise be.
Tail-Devouring Serpent</b>
<b>Cost: - Minimums: Martial Arts 5, Essence 4 Type: Permanent Keywords: None Duration: N/A Prerequisite Charms: Unfolding Fangs, Furious Wingbeats
The snake consuming itself is a symbol of the infinite. The cost of Unfolding Fangs is reduced to 1 mote. The cost of the abilities of the form is reduced to 1m/DV.
Sinuous Winged Grace</b>
<b>Cost: 4m Minimums: Martial Arts 5, Essence 4 Type: Reflexive Keywords: Combo-OK, Obvious Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: Winged Serpent Form
Perfected Essence allows a graceful defense to deny even a perfect attack. This charm causes a Perfect attack (such as Accuracy Without Distance) to lose its perfection; if its attack successes are reduced to 0, it misses normally. However, this charm is meaningless against a normal attack.
Fallen Feather Guard</b>
<b>Cost: 4m, 1wp Minimums: Martial Arts 5, Essence 4 Type: Reflexive Keywords: Combo-OK, Obvious Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: Winged Serpent Form
The winged serpent hides its fragile, slender body behind a wall of meaningless feathers. An attack intended to prevent any possible escape sees it has trapped only these, while attacks which pierce any guard pierce through to empty air. This charm allows the Martial Artist to apply her full Dodge or Parry DV even if the attack normally renders such a defense inapplicable. This applies to both mundane and magical inapplicability, as long as there is an attack roll to defend against.
Deadly Serpent Precision</b>
<b>Cost: 10m, 1wp Minimums: Martial Arts 5, Essence 4 Type: Simple Keywords: Combo-OK, Obvious Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: Fallen Feather Guard, Sinuous Winged Grace
Having learned the secrets necessary to avoid death, the Winged Serpent stylist learns next to inflict such a strike on her enemy. The martial arts attack supplemented by this charm is perfect (hitting even if no successes remain), and renders one form of defense (Parry or Dodge DV) inapplicable, chosen by the user of this charm after the defender has applied any charms to the defense besides re-rolls.
Infinite Deadly Venom</b>
<b>Cost: 20m, 1wp Minimums: Martial Arts 5, Essence 5 Type: Simple Keywords: Obvious Duration: Scene Prerequisite Charms: Deadly Serpent Precision, Tail-Devouring Serpent
The venom of the serpent does not cease to flow until it is dead, and winged serpents die harder than regular snakes. She regains motes equal to her Essence when her DV causes an attack which rolled at least one success (or which had a dice pool less than her DV) to miss. She also regains 1 mote for each Health Level of damage inflicted by any attack she makes.
Comments
I have updated the style based on the results of the TrialBySchmendrick. Undid a couple of the nerfs I put in place before it, but left some of them in place. - IanPrice
