MartialArts/WeepingCraneMeleeStyle
Weeping Crane Melee Style
Backgrounds
This ancient Solar Exalted melee style is only compatible with swords, and unless otherwise noted none of the Weeping Crane Charms function with any other weapon. It is based on the principles of the Circle, and is focused on protecting oneself from multiple opponents while retaining the ability to do harm.
Charms
Crane Stalks the Reeds</b>
<b>Cost: 5 motes Duration: Instant Type: Reflexive Min. Melee: 2 Min. Essence: 1 Prereqs: None
Focusing their attention on a single parry rather than attempting to nick and scratch everything near them the Solar Exalted may add their Melee in additional automatic successes to a single parry attempt. This Charm does not create the parry dice pool only allows the character to increases the efficiency of an existing one.
Crane Steps Sideways</b>
<b>Cost:2 motes Duration: Instant Type: Reflexive Min. Melee: 2 Min. Essence: 2 Prereqs: Crane Stalks the Reeds
Going beyond the mere ability to enhance a parry the Solar Exalted learns to parry an attack when they would not normally be able. Invoking this Charm allows them to use their full Dexterity + Melee dice pool to parry a single attack they are aware of. (This is an alternative version of Dipping Swallow Defense and serves as a basis for Charms that have Dipping Swallow Defense as a prerequisite).
Cadence of the Blade Storm</b>
<b>Cost:2 motes Duration: One Turn Type: Simple Min. Melee: 1 Min. Essence: 1 Prereqs: None
This Charm is primarily a teaching exercise and sees little use in actual combat. The Solar Exalted plants their feet and lashes out at a group of stationary targets within reach of their blade. (Normally candles arranged in a circle for the exercise.) The Solar Exalted is considered to have struck every target within reach of their blade with a simple success. (In practice exercises this means extinguishing all the candles.) This Charm cannot strike a living target unless they are totally immobile (Unconscious, even a bound victim can struggle enough to avoid the Charm.) they need not actually dodge or parry, merely the ability to move invalidates the Charm. It can be useful at times in combat for extinguishing all the nearby light sources if the character wishes darkness or freeing multiple cooperative captives from their bonds.
Whirling Crane Defense</b>
<b>Cost:3 motes Duration: One Turn Type: Reflexive Min. Melee: 2 Min. Essence: 1 Prereqs: Cadence of the Blade Storm
This defensive Charm is used to teach the student the principles of true defense that they will latter master in the Style, like its predecessor it seldom sees actual usage in combat, though it has been used in conjunction with other defenses to fend off large groups of weaker attackers. When enacted the Solar Exalted explodes into motion nicking and flicking every incoming attack a glancing blow like they were candles in the Cadence of the Blade Storm. It reduces the successes of all incoming attacks for the rest of the Turn by a single success. This is considered a Parry, and is not effective against attacks that are not allowed to be parried, however the characters motions are trained to work in harmony with other parries and it is fully additive with them. Despite its duration this Charm is explicitly permitted to be part of a combo.
Weeping Crane Stance</b>
<b>Cost:5 motes, 1 willpower Duration: One Scene Type: Simple Min. Melee: 3 Min. Essence: 2 Prereqs: Whirling Crane Defense, Crane Steps Sideways
The Solar Exalted becomes a torrent of movement and parries. Each any every parry the Exalt makes while under the effects of this Charm has a number of automatic successes added to it, equal to the Melee score of the Solar Exalted using the Charm. This Charm requires that the Solar Exalted provide the parries themselves these successes cannot be used reflexively on their own.
The Weeping Crane Stance is an exacting Charm learned by hard discipline, unforgiving in its control of the character’s Essence. Like similar Charms in other highly dedicated styles of melee combat it is not compatible with Charms of its own kind, any Charm that has a similar disclaimer cannot be used in conjunction with the Weeping Crane Stance, unless it is another Weeping Crane Charm.
Whirling Crane Offense</b>
<b>Cost:8 motes, 1 willpower Duration: Instant Type: Extra-Action Min. Melee: 4 Min. Essence: 2 Prereqs: Weeping Crane Stance
The Character may take their normal action when this Charm is enacted, in addition to the attacks that it provides. Given its nature the normal choice is a movement action, though a Full Dodge is also sometimes performed. The Character using the Whirling Crane Offense may attack at their full Dexterity + Melee Dice Pool any and every opponent who is within their reach (This includes anyone who comes into range during their movement action if any) once. This Charm can be devastating in a Combo with Charms that allow additional movement or speed the character up.
Striking Crane Attack</b>
<b>Cost:3 motes, 1 willpower Duration: Instant Type: Supplemental Min. Melee: 5 Min. Essence: 2 Prereqs: Whirling Crane Offense
The Character focuses their discipline and mastery, into a single powerful strike whirling their blade in a complete circle and imitating the Cranes single legged stance before laying an unavoidable blow upon their opponent. The Solar Exalted makes their Dexterity + Melee attack roll normally adding a number of automatic successes equal to their Essence score. However even if the attack would otherwise miss for any reason (Including the opponents defenses) it hits anyway with a simple success (This is a Perfect Effect).
Defensive Crane Circle</b>
<b>Cost:5 motes, 1 willpower Duration: One Scene Type: Reflexive Min. Melee: 4 Min. Essence: 3 Prereqs: Weeping Crane Stance
The Solar Exalted may parry any incoming attack they are aware of with their full Dexterity + Melee dice pool while this Charm is active. It is considered an Alternate version of Five Fold Bulwark Stance and serves as a basis for any Charms that that require that Charm.
Tears of the Crane Defense</b>
<b>Cost:7 motes Duration: One Turn Type: Reflexive Min. Melee: 5 Min. Essence: 3 Prereqs: Defensive Crane Circle
The Solar Exalted enters a defensive spin, their reflexes controlled by their Essence, turning a complete circle they may parry without rolling each and every attack made against them for the entire Turn that this Charm is active. These blocks are a perfect defense against attacks that may be parried, but are ineffective against attacks that can only be dodged. This Charm is permitted to be part of Combo despite its Turn long duration. A Character may not take a movement action after this Charm is activated until the end of the turn, as their defense requires them to plant their feet. They can dodge using a Charm, but not a normal dodge action. Movement and dodge actions taken before the Charm is activated do not invalidate it, however it instantly terminates any dodges remaining to a Character who took a Full Dodge action beforehand.
Circling Crane Stance</b>
<b>Cost:5 motes, 1 willpower Duration: Instant Type: Simple Min. Melee: 5 Min. Essence: 4 Prereqs: Defensive Crane Circle, Striking Crane Attack
Adopting the lightning quick motions of an enraged Crane the Solar Exalted becomes a torrent of spinning attacks, deftly pushing multiple opponents back with a series of deadly strikes. For the rest of the scene the Solar Exalted may add a number of automatic successes to any Melee attack equal to her Melee score.
The Circling Crane Stance is an exactly Charm learned by hard discipline, unforgiving in its control of the character’s Essence. Like similar Charms in other highly dedicated styles of melee combat it is not compatible with Charms of its own kind, any Charm that has a similar disclaimer cannot be used in conjunction with the Circling Crane Stance, unless it is another Weeping Crane Charm.
Falling Crane Tears Circle</b>
<b>Cost:10 motes, 1 willpower Duration: One Scene Type: Extra-Actions Min. Melee: 5 Min. Essence: 4 Prereqs: Tears of the Crane Defense, Whirling Crane Offense
The Solar Exalted focuses their Essence through the circle that their blades reach circumscribes, and becomes a spinning cloud of attacks, deadly to anything within their reach. For the rest of the scene the Solar Exalted may make a number of additional Dexterity + Melee attacks equal to her Essence score each Turn. These are normal attacks in every way and may be supplemented by other Charms appropriately.
Crane Weeps for the Fallen</b>
<b>Cost:8 motes, 1 willpower Duration: Instant Type: Extra-Actions Min. Melee: 5 Min. Essence: 5 Prereqs: Falling Crane Tears Circle, Circling Crane Stance
Much like Whirling Crane Offense, the Solar Exalted attacks everyone within reach of their blade. There are two key differences between this Charm and its weaker cousin however. This Charm does not permit the Character to take their normal action, nor does it permit them to move from the place they are standing when the Charm is activated, it cannot be placed in a combo with any Charm that allows or enhances movement, except Thunderbolt Attack Prana (Since the movement cannot be lateral this is a specific Exception). Also every attack created by this Charm is a perfect attack, automatically striking any opponent for a simple success if the normal Dexterity + Melee attack roll is a failure.
