MartialArts/TheShield

This is not a complete martial art. Rather, it is but one branch of the Fivefold Way of Battles Style.

Courage & Pain - The Shield

The Shield always carries a shield or a leather strap for biting. He is always armed and always eager for battle. He carries trophies of his kills.

Barbarians and the barbarian code, fearlessness, protection, bragging, pain, heroism, heroic suicide, wrath

Probably an overt style focused on the offensive spectrum of defensive effects; i.e., counterattacks, though preferably the more peculiar sorts of counterattack effects. Charms that enhance the character's attacks or counterattacks based on how hard the character was just hit.

Charm Ideas:
An MA 5, Ess 3 instant supplemental that adds the raw damage of the last attack that struck the character to the raw damage of his next attack, probably 5m1w
Roll willpower with a difficulty equal to the amount of damage taken over incap to return to just below incap? Though that is probably too powerful, what about valour roll

The substyle of the Shield does not have a true signature weapon, but is explicitly compatible with shields. When the Shield stylist uses a shield, she may increase the cover bonus from the shield by one.

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Burning Shield Counterstrike

Cost: 1 mote per 2 dice
Duration: Instant
Type: Reflexive
Minimum Martial Arts: 3
Minimum Essence: 2
Prerequisite Charms:  Fivefold-Way Sight

The first lesson on the path of the Shield is the lesson of pain, and making war against an adept of the Shield is often a tutorial in discomfort. For every point of initiative that the Exalt holds her action, she may spend one mote to gain two dice (up to her normal dice-adder cap - if this is an odd number, the extra die bought through the Charm is lost) to be used in a reflexive counterattack that takes place on or after her initiative. This Charm can only be used in response to close-combat attacks, but the counterattack from this Charm is affected normally by Accuracy and Damage modifier's from the character's weapon.

Lesser Stance of the Shield

Cost: 4 motes
Duration: One Scene
Type: Reflexive
Minimum Martial Arts: 4
Minimum Essence: 2
Prerequisite Charms: Burning Shield Counterstrike

The martial artist takes up a strong, ready stance, welcoming destruction and ready to return like for like. While the character wears the Lesser Stance of the Shield, her courage is unshakeable - add her Essence rating to her Valor score. This does not increase the character's Essence pools. Additionally, the character gains bashing and lethal soak equal to her temporary Willpower. Finally, the Exalt demonstrates a perfect mastery of the arts of shield-fighting, and as long as she is able to touch her shield, she is able to interpose it between herself and her foes (though this does not negate magical effects that circumvent cover). This Charm is incompatible with armor. This is a Martial Arts Stance-type Charm.

(Unnamed Shield Charm 1)

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Prerequisite Charms:  Fivefold Way of Battles Form

(Essence recovery through suffering, maybe even mote-theft. Alternately, a defensive effect)

(Unnamed Shield Charm 2)

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Prerequisite Charms: Unnamed Shield Charm 1

(counterattack with chocolate sauce)

(Unnamed Shield Charm 3)

Cost: 5 motes, 1 Willpower
Duration: Instant
Type: Supplemental
Minimum Martial Arts: 5
Minimum Essence: 3
Prerequisite Charms: Unnamed Shield Charm 1

(Instant Supplemental, adds the raw damage of the last attack that damaged you to an attack)

Greater Stance of the Shield

Cost: 6 motes
Duration: One Scene
Type: Reflexive
Minimum Martial Arts: 5
Minimum Essence: 3
Prerequisite Charms: Unnamed Shield Charm 2, Unnamed Shield Charm 3

The martial artist dons a heroic, invincible mein, proud and unbreakable. While this Charm is active, the Exalt is immune to wound penalties, up to the Incapacitated level. Furthermore, when the character is struck by an attack, she may reflexively roll Stamina + Resistance. For every success on this roll, she may spend one mote to remove one success on the damage roll. Note that this can make the character impervious to feeble attacks, but resisting powerful attacks can become quite costly. This Charm is incompatible with armor. This is a Martial Arts Stance-type Charm.

Comments

So. Tell me what you think of the Lesser Stance. I'm thinking it may be a bit much, but I'm not sure where to trim. I really like the idea of the character having complete control of her shield - kicking it up with her toe to deflect an attack, grabbing the rim and slinging it around, etc. The soak seems like it might be important, but on the other hand, putting it in a Stance means it's not normally stackable with the Greater Stance, where it's most beneficial. I'm thinking of deviating from my pattern here and adding another scenelong to this substyle, though that trims down the Comboability. - David.