MartialArtsRelay/TerrestrialInfancy

Comments on Infancy stage of The Way of Mastery of the Terrestrial Sphere.

Well, I hope I've done this right... somebody edit me if not. - IanPrice

Looks fine, but the wiki has tried really, really big styles before. They usually lose interest half-way through, unfortunately. It's a nice idea, so I hope it doesn't. Good luck!
-- Darloth

Well, hopefully it can be kept going. I just finished 40,000 words of writing for a Vampire: The Requiem book, so I'm feeling ambitious. Glad you like the idea. Go ahead and contribute a charm, there's plenty of space. Heh. - IanPrice

I was doing so, but you posted while I was typing! ^_^
-- Darloth

It looks good. I think two more birth and/or baby-related charms would be appropriate, along with my first one, as prerequisites for yours. I'd put yours at MA 3 Essence 2, where most of the style will be. - IanPrice

TIFW seems very efficient; it's effectively a two dice for one mote MA die adder, albeit one that's heavily restricted. Perhaps 2 motes / level would be more reasonable for a Charm with its prerequisites? ...DeathBySurfeit

Um... no it's not... You pay one mote per health level, but you only get bonus dice equal to (effectively) twice the wound penalty. At best, this means you'd pay 6 motes for 8 dice, if you took 6 health levels at once and had no Ox-body charms (at which point, you're about to die anyway, so you'd better make that one time you get the bonus count). With Ox-body Technique, the rate you get for this charm gets worse and worse. If you have 8 levels of -2, you could end up paying 8 motes for 4 bonus dice. If you go through multiple -1 or -2 health levels, you don't get bonuses for all of them. Just the final total. - IanPrice

Ah! My bad. Yep, that's entirely reasonable...DeathBySurfeit

Random thoughts on the metaphors for the ways this style could branch:

• Reproductive strategy: creatures tend to follow either K-selection (invest energy into raising and nurturing a small number of offspring -- most mammals do this), r-selection (invest energy into producing a huge number of offspring, but very little into raising them -- most fish do this) or asexual fission (invest energy into making clones -- slime molds do this).
• Nature's defesive strategies: camoflage (octopus -- stealth), herding (deer -- sacrifice), evasion (mouse -- dodge), shelter (tortoise, mollusk -- soak), disincentive (urchin, stink bug -- counterattack), display (frilled lizard, dog -- performance), imposition (brontosaurus, moose -- presence), aggression (bears, lion, shark -- attack).
• Nature's consumption strategies: herbivore (passive consumption of surroundings), carnivore (active hunting and consumption of the living), scavenger (opportunistic consumption of the dead), parasite (theft of resources from a host)

There are no doubt others. - Wordman

I like the defensive and consumption strategies, though less so the reproductive ones. I'd like to move on in the life cycle pretty soon, and about half the charms (probably the post-form half) should focus on things that occur in human societies rather than in nature. - IanPrice, who forgot to sign his name before, oops.

If you're keen to come up with a hierarchical structure, people have structured the life of people before...

All the world's a stage, And all the men and women merely players: They have their exits and their entrances; And one man in his time plays many parts, His acts being seven ages. At first the infant, Mewling and puking in the nurse's arms. Then the whining school-boy, with his satchel And shining morning face, creeping like snail Unwillingly to school. And then the lover, Sighing like furnace, with a woeful ballad Made to his mistress' eyebrow. Then a soldier, Full of strange oaths, and bearded like the pard, Jealous in honor, sudden and quick in quarrel, Seeking the bubble reputation Even in the cannon's mouth. And then the justice, In fair round belly with good capon lined, With eyes severe and beard of formal cut, Full of wise saws and modern instances; And so he plays his part. The sixth age shifts Into the lean and slipper'd pantaloon, With spectacles on nose and pouch on side, His youthful hose, well saved, a world too wide For his shrunk shank; and his big manly voice, Turning again toward childish treble, pipes And whistles in his sound. Last scene of all, That ends this strange eventful history, Is second childishness and mere oblivion,Sans teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans every thing. - Shakespeare, As You Like It, as suggested by...DeathBySurfeit

That's exactly what I was thinking of, you cultured mind-reader you. - IanPrice

Hm. I've not done much in the way of charm design, so I'm not certain about Strike Not - I was originally going to make it a "roll conviction or fail your attack" type of deal, but it seems that's a rather higher-level effect. Under that plan, the charm also included a clause preventing the MAist from dodging or parrying.
Anyway, is this balanced at this prereq level/cost? ~ WillCoon

Your original plan would work, or this one would work, but either way the opponent should be able to ignore the effect by spending a temporary Willpower point (which counts as suppressing the virtue, because, well, it is). I like the idea! - IanPrice

Thanks ^ ^ And you're right, of course. I've added that in. ~ WillCoon

I've placed Luck of the Newborn into the tree, as I feel there are now sufficient prerequisites. - IanPrice