GregLink/TheTwelvePathstoReadinessStyle
The Four Paths to Readiness Style [version 0.1]
Celestial Level Martial Arts Style
The four paths to readiness were first compiled by a young Solar martial artist undergoing training at the Kether Rock facility. Struggling with the styles normally taught at the school, he found himself constantly assailed by the trainers there, as they attempted to force him to learn technique after technique. Over time, these unexpected assaults did have an effect, if not the one intended. The lowly Eclipse had not mastered (or even learned) what they were intending to teach him, but something altogether new - the fundamentals of action and reaction, and the ability to defend onesself in any situation, no matter how unprepared the enemy might think him. These fundamentals were combined into a simple, circular, and flowing art that comes as part of one's being, the Four Paths to Readiness Style.
As this style contains no direct attack charms, the concept of a form weapon is nigh meaningless. Armor up to and including a Buff Jacket is allowed.
"A master of the Four Paths to Readiness is never exhausted, never caught unprepared. His way is passive, but his actions swift, and his vengeance sure. Verily, to attack such a warrior is to invite 10 responses in kind. Truly, a master of this style is invincible!"
Major Themes: Quickness, Reaction, and Essence-Recycling Minor Themes: Assured Defenses, Lack of need for preparation
The eternally ready warrior is vigilant. Those who wish to surprise him find that his mind is prepared for all possible outcomes, and that his response occurs without thought, without delay.
The eternally ready warrior defends himself. By simplifying all possible incoming attacks to a few simple patterns of response, his reactions are certain and effective, preventing harm.
The eternally ready warrior is rested. No matter the situation, the time, or the place, his reserves are strong, his ability to fight unquestioned.
The eternally ready warrior retaliates. Those who would strike him find their attacks anticipated and accounted for, falling before his response.
The charm tree is composed of 10 charms. 4 entry-level charms, a form charm, 4 higher level charms, and the ultimate charm. All charms are reflexive, with the initial four charms all instant, and the advanced charms all scene-long. The entry level charms are Ess2, while the form and second-level charms are essence 3. Finally, the ultimate charm is Essence 4.
Contents
Basic Vigilance
Reactionary Disposition
Cost: 2 mote / Initiative Rank Duration: Instant Type: Reflexive Minimum Martial Arts: 2 Minimum Essence: 2 Prerequisites: None
Those who walk this path find that being quick is not the goal. Simple speed will not allow one to respond in time. No, the true master must realize that it is not swift action that wins the battle, but swifter action. When activating this charm, the martial artist may spend two motes to move his rank in the initiative order one higher. This charm can be activated any time before the martial artist would normally declare, but after effects such as Thunderclap Rush attack have been applied. This charm can only move the artist higher than those who have not already declared, and cumulative uses may not increase his initiative value by more than 2*(Essence + MA).
Basic Defense
Fortified Motion of Clockwork Technique
Cost: 2 motes Duration: Instant Type: Reflexive Minimum Martial Arts: 2 Minimum Essence: 2 Prerequisites: None
By studying the incoming flow of attacks, recognizing that there are a finite number of responses, the martial artist has the ability to parry attacks with a certain degree of certainty. When activating this charm, the Exalt gains a number of automatic successes on a parry equal to his Martial Arts score-1. As this is a reflexive charm, if no parry pool exists, this creates one. This allows the character to parry lethal attacks unarmed.
Basic Rest
Essence Inhalation Prana
Cost: 1 mote Duration: Instant Type: Reflexive Minimum Martial Arts: 3 Minimum Essence: 2 Prerequisites: None
As his enemies may set upon him at any time, the eternally ready warrior must maintain his energy at all times. With every use of Essence, he becomes a bigger target, more vulnerable to attack as his reserves leaves his body. By mastering this charm the Exalt has learned to stem this tide somewhat, allowing him to siphon off Essence from the wasteful exertion of others. As they attack, they restore him. As they dodge, his strength is replenished. This charm must be activated in response to a hand-to-hand dice action involving the character, such as an attack, parry, or dodge on the part of the opponent (explicitly not including damage rolls). For every die rolled in opponent's action that is not a success, the martial artist regains one mote of Essence. The character may regain no more motes than his Essence+MA through the use of this charm per turn.
Basic Retaliation
Offense-In-Defense Strike
Cost: 2 motes Duration: Instant Type: Supplemental/Special
Minimum Martial Arts: 3 Minimum Essence: 2 Prerequisites: None
For every action, there is an equal, and opposite reaction. Through time and study, the Exalt has learned that not only are there a finite number of counters required to block any incoming attack, but also a finite number of counterattacks. As enemies move in to strike the Exalt, his defenses lash out in kind, without thinking. This charm may supplement a parry-type action, and may be activated immediately after the Exalt successfully parries a hand-to-hand attack. The character then automatically counterattacks with a dice pool equal to the number of successes 'left over' from the parry. (The number of successes by which the parry exceeded the amount required to stop the attack.) This automatic counterattack cannot be supplemented by any charm, and counterattack charms cannot be activated in response to it. This charm may only initiate a number of counterattacks equal to the Exalt's Martial Arts in a given turn. If the character has already successfully and completely avoided the attack through the use of a previous dodge, this charm cannot be activated.
Form Charm
Fourfold Readiness Form
Cost: 5 motes Duration: Scene Type: Reflexive Minimum Martial Arts: 4 Minimum Essence: 3 Prerequisites: All four Essence 2 charms in this style
As the student of this style walks the four paths to eternal readiness, his responses become quicker than thought, his reactions occurring even before the action that spawned them. When practicing this form, the martial artist spins, jumps, slides, and strikes in response to nearly any threatening stimulus, in a carefully practiced yet improvised dance. The character's initiative is increased by their martial arts rating, and they can choose to do bashing or lethal damage with their strikes. The difficulty to hit the character is increased by one-half of their martial arts rating (rounded up) as their body arches and contorts. The character may reflexively initiatate a bare-handed (bare-handed only, not form weapons regardless of PAoC, etc) counterattack in response to any attack directed at him from within his Essence in yards. These counterattacks have a attack pool equal to the character's martial arts rating, and occur before the attacker's attack is rolled, but after the attacker declares any charms that must be declared before the attack dice are rolled. Note that Dragon Blooded characters may not activate this charm using their ability to activate multiple reflexive charms per turn. This is a form-type charm, and only one such charm may be active at a time. The counterattacks generated by this charm are considered generated by a counterattack-type charm, and as such, may not be initiated in response to a counterattack, nor may counterattacks be generated in response to them.
Advanced Vigilance
Sleeping man bats fly method
Cost: 4 motes Duration: Instant Type: Reflexive Minimum Martial Arts: 4 Minimum Essence: 3 Prerequisites: Form Charm
Having walked the road of vigilance, the martial artist's perceptions are heightened - not to the surroundings, not to passers-by, but instead to the flows of Essence that define danger. By relying on this sense, the character has a distinct advantage on those who would act against him, not just observing the signs of an impending attack, but even the developing clouds indicating his own counterattack. This charm may be activated in response to any attack or effect that would be considered harmful to the character or his possessions, even those the character would normally be unaware of. The activation of this charm allows the character to act fully in this turn, even if he would normally have been surprised, and makes the character considered 'aware' of the incoming attack. In addition, the character automatically wins initiative for the turn. If a contest between other automatic-initiative charms should occur (such as Thunderclap Rush Attack), compare the character's initiative values - the characters act according to the order dictated by their initiative values, but before all characters not using an automatic-initiative charm.
Advanced Defense
Hearing the Rhythm of the Fearful Dance
Cost: 5 motes, 1 WP Duration: Scene Type: Reflexive Minimum Martial Arts: 5 Minimum Essence: 3 Prerequisites: Form Charm
Always ready, regardless of the method or location of attack, the character can now reflexively defend against nearly anything. Whenever attacked, the character may react with both a reflexive dodge and a reflexive parry, with dice pools equal to his martial arts rating. These dice add to any existing pool, and create a pool if none would otherwise exist. This charm allows the character to parry lethal attacks bare-handed.
Advanced Rest
Cyclic Essence Breathing Technique
Cost: 1m, 1W Duration: Scene Type: Reflexive Minimum Martial Arts: 5 Minimum Essence: 3 Prerequisites: Form Charm
Always mindful of his reserves, the readied warrior never exerts himself without ensuring that he will remain a viable combatant. Every move he makes is a calculated expenditure of Essence, every breath a rhythmic intake of energy. With a perfected recycling of motion, every action is met with an equal reaction, every block leads into the next attack, the characters thoughts focused only on the next move. While other characters must commit their reserves to simply maintaining existing charms, the martial artist can use this pent-up energy as fuel in a bellows, exerting, then pulling back, in a continual cycle. While this charm is active, the commitment required for all charms is reduced by one-half (rounded down). The total number of motes and willpower committed to charms must still not exceed half of the character's normal pools, however.
Advanced Retaliation
Fury of the Righteous Defender
Cost: 4 motes, 1 WP Duration: Scene Type: Reflexive Minimum Martial Arts: 5 Minimum Essence: 3 Prerequisites: Form Charm
As the character approaches mastery of this style, he ensures that those who would strike him are unfailingly aware of their error, and understand their fault immediately. Whenever an opponent attempts to strike the character in hand-to-hand combat, the character may immediately (and before the initiating attack is rolled, but after charms declarations are made) make an unarmed counterattack against the offender. This attack may utilize any in-form weapon. This attack is made using only the character's full Dex+martial arts pool, and it is resolved before the originating attack is rolled. Note that the counterattacks generated by this charm are considered counterattacks, and as such, may not be generated in response to another counterattack. Note also that the counterattacks generated are cumulative with those generated by the form charm in this style, making attacking a master of this style a dangerous proposition at best.
Ultimate Charm
The Way of Instananeous Preparation
Cost: N/A Duration: Permanent Type: Special Minimum Martial Arts: 5 Minimum Essence: 4 Prerequisites: All other 9 charms in this style
Finally, the student of this style has reached the end of the paths, and has found the key to eternal readyness. Upon mastering this style he realizes that all of its teachings were not about four paths, but instead one path, and one reaction - the correct one. At all times is the master of this style ready, and at all times can he act. Activating the prerequisite charms in this style no longer counts against the character's charm usage for the turn, allowing them to spring to full readiness in a single instant.
Peanut Gallery
Any and all comments are welcomed.
