MartialArtsRelay/GoldenPsalmOfGlory
The twelfth theme is Songs to the Glory of the Unconquered Sun
This is a Terrestrial-level style practiced by the Dragon Kings. It has nine Charms: three before the form and five after. These Charms are arranged like so: http://szilard.freeshell.org/exalted/DKMAtree.PNG.
1. Hymn of Readiness -- Darloth
Cost: 1 mote Type: Reflexive Duration: Instant Min. Martial Arts: 1 Min. Essence: 1 Prereqs: None
When a dragon-king centers their being and chants the Hymn of Readiness, although they can never ensure that they will be first to act, they -can- ensure they have a chance. Use of this charm simply means that the user cannot be automatically beaten by charms which would usually grant that effect. The user can still lose initiative, but only to people who have a higher initiative score.
2. Exhortation Of Glorious Sun</b> - Issaru
<b>Cost :3 motes
Duration : Instant
Type : Reflexive
Min. Martial Arts :2
Min Essence :1
Prereqs : Hymn of Readiness
Description: The Dragon-king appeals to the Unconquered Sun with a short melody, and is answered by a shaft of light descending from the heavens enveloping him. Motes of light deposit on the Dragon-Kings skin protecting him for a moment. When using this charm the Dragon king adds their Performance to their lethal and bashing soak for one attack.
3. Crystal-Reinforcing Anthem - willows
Cost: 0 motes, 1 Willpower Type: Simple Duration: One Scene Min. Martial Arts: 2 Min. Essence: 2 Prereqs: Hymn of Readiness
As he activates this Charm, the warrior begins to murmur a warlike anthem. When making an attack with a Dragon King crystal weapon, the martial artist can perform a salute to the Sun. Doing so costs him two motes, and adds his Performance to the dice pool of the attack. The weapon flares with solar light, and half the damage it deals is aggravated for creatures of darkness.
4. Golden Psalm of Glory Form - szilard
Cost: 5 motes Type: Simple Duration: One Scene Min. Martial Arts: 4 Min. Essence: 2 Prereqs: Exhortation Of Glorious Sun, Crystal-Reinforcing Anthem
The Dragon King who assumes this form breathes in a steady cadence, strongly reinforcing the flow of Essence through its body, while its footfalls, tail lashings, and, indeed, every movement call out a paean to the Unconquered Sun. The rhythyms of the Dragon King's breath and motion allow it to sustain other Martial Arts Charms. Any Reflexive Martial Art Charm that the Dragon King uses while this form is active can be activated again the next turn at normal cost, without using the Dragon King's Charm slot for that turn as if the Dragon King were Dragonblooded. This can be used with multiple such Charms and may be repeated for more than two turns, provided that the Dragon King use the Charm each turn. In addition, the Dragon King who uses this form is difficult to stand against for creatures of darkness. Such entities suffer a difficulty penalty equal to the Dragon King's Essence on their attacks against the Dragon King. This is a form charm and cannot be used with other form charms.
5. Shining Voice Duet - DigitalSentience
Cost: 6 motes Type: Reflexive Duration: One turn Min. Martial Arts: 4 Min. Essence: 3 Prereqs: Golden Psalm of Glory Form
In the turn the martial artist uses this Charm, her voice produces both the melody and a counterpoint for any songs she is singing at the time. While interesting, this effect is too short in duration to achieve any appreciable bonus to Performance rolls.
However, the true power of the Shining Voice Duet lies not in its musicality. While active, the martial artist's form flickers at the edges, and then a life-size image wrought in flickering golden light leaps forth to battle one of the artist's enemies. The Duet-duplicate can only target a single enemy (other than one targeted by the martial artist), will mimic only the martial artist's attacks (including any relevant penalties), and can perform no more attacks than the martial artist's Performance.
The Duet-duplicate cannot attack anyone more than (Performance) yards away. The Duet-duplicate is a construct of pure light; mundane attacks cannot dispel it. If any magical attacks are capable of blotting out/absorbing/dispersing light, the construct is instantly destroyed, and cannot reform until the next turn.
7. Chorus of Heavenly Voices - DigitalSentience
Cost: 5 motes Type: Reflexive Duration: One Turn Min. Martial Arts: 5 Min. Essence: 3 Prereqs: Shining Voice Duet
The Chorus of Heavenly Voices expands on the techniques of the Shining Voice Duet, multiplying the martial artist's voice into a 8-, 10-, or 12-voice chorus. This chorus incorporates whatever rhythms, melodies, and harmonies the user is currently sustaining, uniting them into a single glorious musical tribute to the power and majesty of the Sun, and bolstering the martial artist's body and soul.
Mechanically, the Chorus creates a pool of bonus dice equal to Performance + Essence. These dice may be distributed to any attacks made in the turn, including attacks made by a Duet-duplicate. Bonus dice unused at the end of the turn disappear with no benefit to the user.
6. Timbre of Earth Stance - Wohksworth
Cost: 3 motes Type: Reflexive Duration: One turn Min. Martial Arts: 4 Min. Essence: 3 Prereqs: Golden Psalm of Glory Form
The martial artist plants her feet and proffers a hymn that resonates deep in the earth, shaking its hidden crevices and mastering the Least Gods who associate with the Element. While the Charm is activated, the character wills metal and earth to do her no harm. Mundane metal and stone weapons will not strike her, abating their masters' insistences and swinging at air. Jade weapons suffer a +3 difficulty when attacking. Attacks made with weapons of the other Magical Materials, wood, Essence, or more arcane materials are not affected, nor are bare-handed or Charm-enhanced attacks.
The character must be touching the earth to use this Charm, and may not move once this Charm is activated--she may parry attacks but not dodge them. She may attack as normal, assuming an enemy is within strike range. Attackers may defend as normal--weapons are charged only to not harm the martial artist, not to obey her. Being knocked back immediately ends the effects of this Charm.
8. Melisma Redoubling Harmony - Wohksworth
Cost: 2 motes, 1 Willpower Type: Simple Duration: One scene Min. Martial Arts: 5 Min. Essence: 3 Prereqs: Timbre of Earth Stance
With practice and pertinence to the Unconquered Sun, a martial artist use his voice to give form to the flows of Essence that surround him. Each currently active Charm in the Style also increases the character's natural soak by 2B/2L while it is active. The martial artist has gained mastery of his hymns to a degree where he may make them arbitrarily complex; he may reflexively spend 1 mote to increase his soak by 2B/2L for an Instant, spending up to a maximum of his Performance in motes.
9. Paean of Impossible Glory - DigitalSentience
Cost: 5 motes, 1 Willpower, 2 Health Levels Type: Reflexive Duration: Instant Min. Martial Arts: 5 Min. Essence: 4 Prereqs: Melisma Redoubling Harmony, Chorus of Heavenly Voices
Upon beginning the Paean of Impossible Glory, the martial artist's musical efforts coalesce into a single heartbreakingly beautiful melody. The melody is infinitely sublime in its simplicity, but its power is such that it rages through the performer's flesh-and-blood body. For as long as the artist can sustain the paean, the world pauses as though all of Creation - and the sun-god Himself - listens to her song.
During a turn in which the Paean is being sung, the artist may not be harmed by any direct attack which would create noise; Creation will not brook any interruption to the Paean. Any magical effect which renders an attack silent may be used to bypass this defense, with the exception of demons and other creatures of darkness. Such creatures using silencing-effects may still do damage, but the martial artist always rolls his full Charisma + Performance as a defense, in addition to any other defenses the artist chooses to use.
Comments
- Wow, seems kinda niche. Do Terrestrial styles have to have an elemental analogue? In any case, good luck! I know next to nil about the Dragon Kings (save that they're anthropomorphic dinosaurs, which in and of itself hurts their case) so I'll sit this one out. Name's certainly evocative, though ~ BerserkSeraph
- I don't see any reason why Terrestrial styles would need to be elemental any more than Celestial styles need to be animal-based. From what is written of Dragon Kings, we know that they have their own (Terrestrial level) MA styles, and we know that they worship the Unconquered Sun. Unfortunately, we don't know about any of their specific styles... so I figured this would be a good place to make them up. If no one else likes the theme, I do have a couple other ideas... -szilard
by the way szilard, in Jester's Guild Style, What type is the charm Stance of the Fool?
--BrilliantRain
- Simple. -szilard
added a possible first charm. As seems to be traditional, it's init-based, and one that I -hope- fits well both with the theme and the slightly different feel of Dragon-King effects and style. I'm not sure if this is overpowered... but init-grabbers seem to be both fairly common and not especially expensive. This charm isn't actually all that useful though, since you still can lose quite easily. Good for combos I suppose.
After a little thought, I also found myself considering an alternate mechanic. Thus, I open the 'song' mechanic for discussion. Songs would be scene-long charms, and you cannot have more Songs active than your Performance at any one time. Using a new one means you have to end another. If we were doing that, Hymn of Readiness would be a simple, scene-long charm, which would allow the user to spend 1m of essence to reflexively not lose the initiative against an init-grabber charm. Maybe Hymn or Chant would be better, since they'd seem to be something you weave togeather rather than a full song... what do you think?
-- Darloth
- I personally like the Idea!! Unfortunately I'm way too sick to think of any new mechanics so I tried to make my charm easily compatible with the "song" Idea. Also IMO it would be neat if you could combine the different songs for different effects. Like song A does blank, song B does blank, but together they do blank which is different but thematically linked to both songs A and B. Also as an unconnected note I put your name on your charm hope you don't mind. - Issaru Dying from the Flu
- I like the idea too. I think that maybe the Form could account for some of this. It reminds me of one of those weirdly complicated but darn cool trees that willows writes. My only concern is that we don't forget this is a Martial Art. While things can have cool song-like effects, they should probably still be recognizable as Martial Arts charms. -szilard
Okay... I was thinking about this for the Form Charm, but perhaps it is more appropriate as the pinnacle... as it seems very powerful. What if there was a Charm that sustained other Charms in the tree? Instant duration Charms would be sustained for a number of actions (within the same turn) up to the user's Essence. Turn-duration Charms would be sustained for a number of turns equal to the user's Essence. No more than the user's Martial Arts (or Performance?) score in Charms can be sustained at once. Thoughts? -szilard
How about:
- Cost: 5 motes
- Type: Simple
- Duration: One Scene
- Min. Martial Arts: 4
- Min. Essence: 2
- Prereqs: Patina Of Glorious Sun, Crystal-Reinforcing Anthem
- The Dragon King who assumes this form breathes in a steady cadence, strongly reinforcing the flow of Essence through its body, while its footfalls, tail lashings, and, indeed, every movement call out a paean to the Unconquered Sun. The rhythyms of the Dragon King's breath and motion allow it to sustain other Martial Arts Charms. Any Reflexive Martial Art Charm that the Dragon King uses while this form is active can be activated again the next turn at normal cost, without using the Dragon King's Charm slot for that turn as if the Dragon King were Dragonblooded. This can be used with multiple such Charms and may be repeated for more than two turns, provided that the Dragon King use the Charm each turn. In addition, the Dragon King who uses this form is difficult to stand against for creatures of darkness. Such entities suffer a difficulty penalty equal to the Dragon King's Essence on their attacks against the Dragon King. This is a form charm and cannot be used with other form charms.
I think that looks okay power-level wise, but I'm not sure. Thoughts? Any ideas on what this style should be named? The theme is a bit wordy. -szilard
- Digging the Idea! Unfortunately I do feel it's a lil underpowered. I think it (the Form) should be limited to the charms of this tree, but allow all reflexives found within to be used without using their charm slot for the round. Also maybe some way to enhance the effects of some of the non-reflexive charms. Hmmmm! Maybe reducing the mote cost. Or even better an effect that sustains the non-reflexive charms at the expense of having to use a die action for each effect sustained. As always these are just my opinion. BTW love the Flavor Text the most. It rocks! - Issaru Can't think of anything so can only offer suggestions <Sigh>
- Hmmm... I'd rather limit it to Reflexive Charms but not limit it to the tree - it keeps it more in line game-mechanically with Dragonblooded (note that, unless I am mistaken, the only Reflexive Charms that a Dragon King will have are Martial Arts Charms) and makes it potentially pretty flexible. Is it underpowered? I always have trouble gauging the ideal power-level of Terrestrial Charms... Let me think of a minor boost for it. -szilard
Looks good to me. As a side note, I think it slows down Relays a lot (and we don't get to see new Charms!) when we pre-post them in comments for critique...just play the game! - willows
- Okay. I posted and named it. It was the name that was holding me up, really. -szilard
Psst.. don't you normally lose initiative to people with higher scores Darloth? :) FluffySquirrel
Ahem... *cough cough shuffle shuffle* -- Darloth
Re: Shining Voice Duet - ehhh... I don't think it's my best work. Let me know (as I'm sure you all will) how I can improve it. I wanted to make the two Charms that branch of the Form really useful, you know, the utility Charms for the style, but in an attempt to make an Extra Action Charm useful I think it wound up too clunky. And it still might be too powerful. I'm thinking of saying that the duplicate can't benefit from Charms as part of a Combo, only from scene-long effects created by the style (like Crystal-Reinforcing Anthem). - DigitalSentience
- Cool idea. Mechanically, though, it is tricky. As an Extra-Action Charm, you ought not to be able to split your actions while using it and it would interact oddly with combos. One thought: make it Reflexive (usable once per turn) with a duration of a turn. The duplicate wouldn't benefit from any Charms the character was using, but the Charm would be sustainable if the Form Charm was active. The other question/concern: can the duplicate be banished or destroyed? - szilard
- Shining Voice Duet - Changed to Reflexive, Duration of one turn. Thanks, szilard, that already feels better (is it just me, or do most Extra Action Charms kinda suck?). As to the duet-duplicate, I was picturing it as being insubstantial; its attacks can be parried or dodged as usual, but the duplicate itself is invincible. Think that's too powerful? - DigitalSentience
- Dammit, somebody post something. All I can come up with are names like "Flawless Rhythm-Keeping Method" and "Chorus of Heavenly Voices." I figure the former something that enhances the Reflexives the MAist is keeping up via the Form (maybe the pinnacle Charm), and the latter is an Extra Action effect. Maybe something that hits Performance opponents with a single attack.
- Anyways, as long as I'm griping, can we change Crystal-Reinforcing Anthem so it's useful even if you're unarmed, or else make crystal weapons specifically in-style weapons? - DigitalSentience
- Dammit, somebody post something. All I can come up with are names like "Flawless Rhythm-Keeping Method" and "Chorus of Heavenly Voices." I figure the former something that enhances the Reflexives the MAist is keeping up via the Form (maybe the pinnacle Charm), and the latter is an Extra Action effect. Maybe something that hits Performance opponents with a single attack.
Hmm... I think I had forgotten that this was supposed to be Terrestrial in power-level. If anyone has suggestions for tuning down (or completely overhauling) Shining Voice Duet and Chorus of Heavenly Voices, I'm game. - DigitalSentience
Incidentally, I don't think the first Charm is... completely clear. How does it interact with other characters competing for Initiative? That is, if the character with an Initiative-besting Charm looses Initiative to the martial artist, does he still go before other characters, or is his effect just invalidated, meaning anyone who beats him goes before him? If that's not the case, then this is pretty much an Initiative-besting Charm when one uses it against other such Charms and wins Initiative. I don't think either option is advisable, so I think I must be missing a third interpretation. It's difficult for me to make the mechanical flaw particularly cognizant. At any rate, an example would certainly make the intention of the Charm clearer. _Wohksworth
Nice work, Wohks - I like how the 4 post-Form Charms turned out. *high five* They're definitely pretty powerful, though. I'm just gonna put up the pinnacle and start a new style, though, because things seem to be moving slowly here. I honestly don't know what to think of the way Paean of Impossible Glory turned out. On the one hand, it's obviously crazy-powerful. On the other, it obviously isn't sustainable for long, and on top of that it has a gaping hole in its defensive-benefit, and one that any number of Exalts should be in a position to exploit. - DigitalSentience
