MartialArts/WayoftheLongBladeStyle

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Background

Way of the Long Blade Style
This Style is applicable with light to medium armor. Treat attacks with long slashing swords, specifically the Nodachi as unarmed attacks for the purposes of charms in this style. At any time only one Attitude may be active.

History
This style was developed by a master of the Chaowin Registrophe variant of the Even Blade Style as a refinement and improvement. Its original master was a scion of house Cathak, one Cathak Kojiro. Kojiro was a young man at the time and lauded as a prodigy of the Martial Arts. Many assumed him to be Registrophe’s eventual heir or even his better. Registrophe petitioned Kojiro’s house for a duel, thinking to gain much in besting “The First of Heaven’s Chosen” the house accepted. Registrophe ended the duel by splitting his opponent’s head with a wooden practice sword and declaring the pathetic excuse for a style to have died with its creator.

It was only years afterwards when the style refused to stay dead, at least one member of house Cathak having completed the style before his masters death, that a number of unenlightened flaws began to be noticed by other masters. To this day the occasional student from the Registrophe variant of the Even Blade Style will disgrace his master and take up the Way of the Long Blade. There is also a small following of Stylists that practice the Way of the Long Blade as their primary style. This style, and its practitioners, are disliked by the majority of Even Blade Stylists who consider it corrupt and flawed in both form and philosophy. Those of the Registrophe variant maintain a stronger opinion, most Way of the Long Blade Stylists having betrayed their masters.

Style

Study of the Long Blade Mediation</b>

<b>Cost: 2 motes
Duration: One Scene
Type: Simple
Keywords: Combo-Basic, Obvious
Min. Martial Arts: 2
Min. Essence: 1
Prerequisite Charms: None

When activated the Martial Artist runs their secondary hand along the back of the blade while in front of their eyes, internalizing the perfection therein. This movement harmonizes the twin essences leaving a slight gleam. For the next scene add the Reach tag to the weapon as well as +2 to the base damage and +2 to the defense rating of the Nodachi.

Arch of the Heavens Attitude</b>

<b>Cost: 5 motes
Duration: One Scene
Type: Simple
Keywords: Combo-Ok
Min. Martial Arts: 3
Min. Essence: 2
Prerequisite Charms: Study of the Long Blade Meditation

There are four perfected Attitudes with which to face an opponent. An Attitude is a combination of the stance, the way the blade is held, the look, and the spirit directed at the opponent. It is the overall bearing one takes when faced with another fighting spirit. The Arch of the Heavens Attitude personifies the flow of celestial essence and the perfect strength of the dome of the sky. Holding the blade arched upwards and over one’s opposing shoulder in a mid-depth stance faces the opponent with quiet energy. While this Attitude is active the Martial Artist adds one to the Character’s Essence for purposes of determining damage.

Waiting Serpent Attitude</b>

<b>Cost: 5 motes
Duration: One Scene
Type: Simple
Keywords: Combo-Ok
Min. Martial Arts: 3
Min. Essence: 2
Prerequisite Charms: Study of the Long Blade Meditation

There are four perfected Attitudes with which to face an opponent. An Attitude is a combination of the stance, the way the blade is held, the look, and the spirit directed at the opponent. It is the overall bearing one takes when faced with another fighting spirit. The Waiting Serpent Attitude is one of contradiction and slim border, the tension between. It is potential and kinetic, it is defense and it is offense. The Waiting Serpent Attitude holds the blade in off-hand, blade facing back in a deep stance primary hand to hilt. This draw stance holds the potential for the beginning and the end of combat and so too does the Martial Artist, tensed-straining to act but still restrained. While this Attitude is active the Martial Artist adds Essence success to all counterattack attempts.

Inviting Wing Attitude</b>

<b>Cost: 5 motes
Duration: One Scene
Type: Simple
Keywords: Combo-Ok
Min. Martial Arts: 3
Min. Essence: 2
Prerequisite Charms: Study of the Long Blade Meditation

There are four perfected Attitudes with which to face an opponent. An Attitude is a combination of the stance, the way the blade is held, the look, and the spirit directed at the opponent. It is the overall bearing one takes when faced with another fighting spirit. The Inviting Wing Attitude is one of arrogant confidence, antagonizing, defensive and at its essential core ultimately offensive. Holding the blade forward in one hand, arm out. The Martial Artist leaves himself as open as a wounded bird with a broken wing, or so it would seem. It is by presenting no defense that the Martial Artist is defended. While this Attitude is active attacking the character is a –3 DV action.

Lone Mountain Attitude</b>

<b>Cost: 5 motes
Duration: One Scene
Type: Simple
Keywords: Combo-Ok
Min. Martial Arts: 3
Min. Essence: 2
Prerequisite Charms: Study of the Long Blade Meditation

There are four perfected Attitudes with which to face an opponent. An Attitude is a combination of the stance, the way the blade is held, the look, and the spirit directed at the opponent. It is the overall bearing one takes when faced with another fighting spirit. Lone Mountain Attitude is one of perfect self-sufficiency. It is a position of strength and balance rooted in the earth and in harmony with the surroundings. The Martial Artist holds the blade with both hands forward and rooted drawing from the center of balance. From this position defense and offense are both possible. Advance or withdraw, left or right the Martial Artist is balanced. While this Attitude is active attacking causes no DV penalty and the practitioner may ignore –1 wound penalties.

Sliding Glacier Technique</b>

<b>Cost: 2 motes
Duration: Instant
Type: Reflexive
Keywords: Combo-Ok
Min. Martial Arts: 4
Min. Essence: 2
Prerequisite Charms: A combination of two of the Attitudes

To maintain one’s footing is sometimes the difference between victory and defeat, further when faced with an opponent who relies on strength it is important to be able to retreat well and to recover from otherwise crippling or stunning blows. Having to fight from a prone position while blows rain down is doomed to failure. It is sometimes strategically sound to give ground and the Martial Artist with this technique can do so rather dramatically. When the Martial Artist applies his Parry DV and fails they may add the attackers strength in yards to the knockback. If he successfully applies PDV they may slide backwards the attackers strength in yards. Either way from the blow this charm is activated against the Martial Artist remains on their feet.

Treading Foot Prana</b>

<b>Cost: 4 motes
Duration: Until Next Action
Type: Reflexive
Keywords: Combo-Ok
Min. Martial Arts: 4
Min. Essence: 2
Prerequisite Charms: A combination of two of the Attitudes

The Martial Artist maintains footwork in the treading foot style, quick and light, easy to start and to switch up. While this charm is active the Martial Artist jumps into a confusing series of footwork which allows quick movement and easy switching of direction. For the moment this taxing style can be maintained the Martial Artist has +2 accuracy on all counterattacks, +2 defense and no onslaught penalty.

Way of the Long Blade Form</b>

<b>Cost: 6 motes
Duration: One Scene
Type: Simple
Keywords: Form-Type, Obvious
Min. Martial Arts: 5
Min. Essence: 2
Prerequisite Charms: Sliding Glacier Technique, Treading Foot Prana

The Way of the Long Blade Form is one of mastering a specific weapon and all the techniques and forms associated with it. Such is the skill and knowledge of the Martial Artist that the blade gains a +1 to Accuracy and a +1 to Defense in his hands. With only a little more effort the Attitudes can be fully internalized leading the Martial Artist that much closer to understanding of his weapon. With a Miscellaneous action the Martial Artist may switch between any Attitudes they have internalized without paying the cost or having it count as a charm use. Each Attitude the Martial Artist knows may be internalized for 1xp each.

Faith in the Blade Prana</b>

<b>Cost: 2+ motes, 0 or 1 willpower
Duration: Instant
Type: Supplemental
Keywords: Combo-Ok, Obvious
Min. Martial Arts: 5
Min. Essence: 3
Prerequisite Charms: Way of the Long Blade Form

The Martial Artist is mastering the form of one weapon; this decision is not out of whim or fancy but due to the intrinsic qualities and superiority of the long slashing sword, the Nodachi. The Martial Artist makes and attack and supplements it with this charm relying on the strength and long cutting edge of his blade to devastate his opponent. For each additional mote spent on activating the charm add 2L to the weapon up to the users Martial Arts rating. This attack is considered piercing. For an additional willpower the attack can be made at Essence yards. This charm adds 1 to the speed of the attack.

Disquieting Timbre Movement</b>

<b>Cost: 4 motes, 1 willpower
Duration: Instant
Type: Supplemental
Keywords: Combo-Ok
Min. Martial Arts: 5
Min. Essence: 3
Prerequisite Charms: Way of the Long Blade Form

By breaking timing and changing up movement the Martial Artist is able to throw off his opponent. Adopting for a moment harmonious movements and then jerking into disharmony the opponent is thrown off, unused to a Martial Artist purposely breaking stride or changing their timing mid-swing the opponent is left open. By sacrificing 2 accuracy the Martial Artist lowers the opponents DV by their Martial Arts score and may roll to establish surprise on this attack. Add one to the speed of the Martial Artists next action.

Appreciation of the Long Blade Understanding</b>

<b>Cost: 5 motes, 1 willpower
Duration: Instant
Type: Reflexive
Keywords: Combo-OK, Obvious, Counterattack
Min. Martial Arts: 5
Min. Essence: 4
Prerequisite Charms: Faith in the Blade Prana, Disquieting Timbre Movement

With mastery of Way of the Long Blade Style and in particular this charm the Martial Artist truly internalizes his early lessons establishing a oneness of his understanding for his art. This charm permanently modifies Study of the Long Blade Meditation making it a permanent charm that requires a 0 cost Miscellaneous Action to activate. Further, when this charm is activated the Martial Artist may make a counterattack, which if successful causes the attack to fail. If the opponent applies PDV against this counterattack any non-artifact weapon is destroyed. Fine, exceptional, and perfect weapons may resist breaking using 1, 2, and 3 dice respectively at dif 1. When this counterattack is used add one to the speed of the Martial Artist’s next action.

Comments

This style needs significant clean-up. But anyway, here is my opinion, in no particular order.

• Attitudes need to be balanced to each other. Arch of Heaven Attitude (singular, by the way, in Creation there is only one heaven) is weak. The other three are good, and their inherent limitations make them balanced for a beginner charm in a Terrestrial MA.
• Pinnacle charm..., can you change it to some other effect? The effects you're trying to achieve isn't broken or anything, but the mechanics you use are off. Usually permanent charms modify previous charm. Here you have a Reflexive charm modifying a prerequisite charm by making it permanent. Also, by default attack and counter-attack are resolved separately and the results are applied simultaneously. The pinnacle charm pretty much forces the attacker to wait for the counter-attack results. Last, the name is too wordy and at the same time too mundane. How about using Satori or Enlightement?
• Form charm is, IMHO, too high on the tree. It's the 4th tier in a 6 tier tree. There are 7 charms under it, and 3 charms above it. Aesthetically, you want it to be the other way around.
• By the way, do you realize that you only need to learn 2 out 4 Attitude Charms?
• Sliding Glacier Technique is weak. It's also poorly worded, so maybe I read it wrong. But a 3rd tier MA charm whose only purpose is perfectly exchanging yourself possibly being knocked down into yourself surely being knocked back is very much a speedbump. Heck, does it even deserve being a charm by itself?
• Faith in the Blade Prana. Motes for damage, good. WP for range in Essence, not so much. A fifth tier charm should be more awesome. Besides, Essence in yard is nothing that an Exalted martial artist can't cover by simply making a reflexive movement and then attacking. I suggest Essence x 2 in yards.
• Might want to note that the artifact form weapon of this style is the Reaver Daiklave.
• Might also want to note that this style is (presumably) elementally neutral.

I'm looking forward to your next revision. - TonyC