BrigandRansom/ScintillantBladeOldComments

Well. Stuck at the moment, one past the form charm. Gleaming Edge grip is going to be one of the terminations of the style, there will probably be 4 charms that branch from the form, then two of them merge back into the pinnacle. These numbers are just placeholders at the moment, the essence and ability prereqs will be worked back out later along with point costs. Completely fluffless at the moment, a rarity for me. Anyone have anything to say about this? ~ BrigandRansom , once again fishing for commentary

Allright, just 2 charms left, the last branch from the form and the pinnacle. I was also contemplating adding a defensive element, allowing the MAist to choose a non-combatant as his chosen. This would give bonuses to defending this person instead of bonuses to hit them. However I'm having trouble coming up with a good pinnacle that's actually "Celestial Level". I may either make this style terrestrial or upgrade some stuff to bring it up to par. ~ BrigandRansom , kicking more dead horses... I mean ideas around

Switched a few prerequisites around, and brainstormed a bit on the last 2 charms. I know someone out there has a brilliant idea or three. Gimme some comment-based love, bishes =) ~ BrigandRansom , utilizing the "Feedback Summoning Prana"

Well, looks like you're making a style based on traditional Kenjutsu. I think Terrestrial-level would be more appropriate for a "sword-dueling mastery" style. Furthermore, I tend to think there are too many Celestial and Sidereal styles anyway. So... let's see...

• You seem to have a pattern of bonuses based on Presence. I think that's pretty cool. Keep it. Any bonuses you don't have filled in yet, I'd say use Presence somehow.
• Mind Body and Blade unity is awesome.
• Movement Anticipation Practice is supplemental, not reflexive.
• Form and Gleaming Edge are great too.
• Bodyguard's Folly is a little clunky, but I like the idea. Consider changing it to one high cost and making it scene-long. As you have it now, it's an "extra-action" type, not a supplemental type.
• Battlefield Mobility Mastery doesn't make a lot of sense to me. I think you mean that so long as you don't move further away from your opponent than the stated distance, you can move as much as you want? (ie, no speed limit) This is potentially overpowered (Lunars have a charm which adds initiative based on how much you moved, Dust Devil Advance. Then they also have a charm which gives you extra attacks based on initiative.), so I would recommend something else. A "hopping defense" charm, or some other terrain-based defensive charm, would be excellent. Perhaps something that increases cover penalties to attack you, and removes your penalties from cover to attack, when dealing with your "chosen opponent."
  

I don't know what to suggest for a pre-pinnacle. It would be neat if the pinnacle allowed you to create an Essence weapon, though.
- IanPrice

Wellnow. This little bit of a MA style has inspired me beyond what I was originally thinking. This is going to be 2 seperate styles: a Terrestrial version, and a Solar version which the terrestrial version is based on. BrigandRansom/ScintillantBladeChatLog has info about the Solar version, and Ian's suggestions will be used for the terrestrial style. I've got a story to go along with it too, probably something about a Solar-In-Hiding teaching this ancient style to interested DBs in a slightly modified version. I'll have this style (pair of styles?) finished by this weekend ~ BrigandRansom

Another note: Locked Gazes Method renders Precision Timing Method obsolete, pretty much. That's not a very good idea, since it turns the former into a speedbump. This isn't the case with, for instance, Golden Essence Block and Dipping Swallow Defense, since you can use the former to enhance the latter. I recommend, instead, having Locked Gazes Method match the opponent's initiative to yours. That way, you can pump up or shrink your initiative with Precision Timing Method, and use Locked Gazes Method to make your opponent go exactly when you want him to in relation to your allies. - IanPrice

Well to be honest, I was thinking about extra action charm combos for that, allowing you to take your additional actions at different init tics (against either Chosen Opponent or extras) and comboing that with Movement Anticipation Practice. However, creating a charm that's only useful in a combo is a bad idea, charms are supposed to be the manipulation of essence by Divine Scions, and are by their nature should be powerful on their own. I like your suggestion of matching their init to your own.

Battlefield Mobility Mastery is intended to be a "Everywhere at once" kind of a charm, and comboed with Bodyguard's Folly would be an excellent method of crowd control. However as I previously stated, a charm should not be created with a combo in mind.

At the same time, this added another idea for the style. "Declaration of Honorable Combat" can be used to designate a target, and you choose when you use it if you're choosing an offensive target or a defensive target. Offensive target is as written, defensive target modifications will have to be added. This would add another level of depth to the style, making it more than a "One Trick Pony". Of course, I could just come up with a Bodyguard style with different, more appropriate charms as well.

Another random thought, allowing Mind Body and Blade Unity to be purchased multiple times, each purchase allowing another "Bound Weapon" slot. But ehh, that might be too much. ~ BrigandRansom, reading Charm construction discussions and crunching this all up

Well I've got it looking pretty sweet now, but still have yet to lay down the last 2 charms. I'm probably going to tweak the mote costs a bit more and either require a declared opponent for the form charm, or make the cost variable (add the price of Declaration in order to declare your target when you activate the form). ~ BrigandRansom , now with Italicised Post-Sig comments!

Note on Calm Eye Composure: Terrestrial charms that buy dice are usually more effecient, at 1 mote per 2 dice, so I recommend bringing this down to at least 1 for 1.

Note on Mind Body and Blade Unity: I think you should be allowed to attune as many weapons as you want this way, with the same limitation as is placed on the Solar Elsewhere-storage charms, such as Summoning the Loyal Steel or Hauberk-Summoning Gesture.

Note on Movement Anticipation Practice: Again, should probably be more effecient. Should also probably have a cap. Presence, perhaps? Or Presence + Essence?

Note on pre-pinnacle charm: Except for the form, you have no defensive charms in this style. Pre-pinnacle should probably be defensive. Due to the distaste in most formal Kenjutsu schools for parrying, particularly those that practice Iaijutsu, it should probably allow a dodge (possibly using the Martial Arts ability). A scene-long reflexive defense at your Presence rating might be pretty cool, actually. Literally, as in, "I'm too cool for you to hit me." Something like 5m 1w, roll Presence + Essence and add it to the difficulty to hit you for the scene.

Note on pinnacle charm: I recommend an unblockable, undodgeable attack. Must be against declared honorable opponent, must be on same initiative tick. Also, if they beat your Presence as the difficulty on a Willpower roll, they can defend normally. Controlling them with your warrior's spirit, you evade their defenses and strike an unprotected spot.

Note on the author: These comments by IanPrice.

Hmm, I just myself noticed that the effects of Battlefield Mobility Mastery are already built-in to the form charm. I guess THAT charm need another rewrite =). Possibly go back to the original thought, a charm that lets the MAist move freely within a certain range, but include something that makes it ineffective with Dust Devil Advance and other Lunar Charm that would take too much advantage of this.

I was thinking about multiple weapons being bound with MBaBU, but should I lift the Reaver / Katana limitation for that charm? To be honest, I could see this as being perfectly appropriate. In my mind this style is taught to Mortals as well as Exalts, though the mortals don't learn the essence portion of the style. WTF would mortals be in a martial arts school in the first place? Well, even Porkchop Carjack was human once. The point of learning this style is to learn Honor, Dignity and Respect at an early age, not to learn charms. In this respect, the lessons taught should stay with the Exalt (or mortal) though their whole life, the lessons guiding them through existance. And the Weapon-Bond would be one of those reminders of honor. So... yeah, we'll do that =)

As for the efficiency I was pricing these based on some of the comments in the Charm Creation discussions, most notably the comment that MAs should be a bit overpriced pre-form, then a little underpriced post-form. Making Calm Eye Composure a one mote per die charm puts it at the same level as Fire and Stones strike. Hmm... Possibly 3 motes for 2 dice? ~ BrigandRansom ~ Who only just recently found that there is a Zatoichi vs Yojimbo movie

Remember that this is the Terrestrial version. Fire and Stones Strike is too expensive for a Terrestrial Exalt. This is a martial art for people with puny Essence pools of 25 total as average starting characters (meaning, no bonus point expenditures on Essence, Virtues, or Willpower, let alone Breeding or other Essence-pool additions). Compare this to the Solar average starting pool of 39 total between personal and peripheral, and you see what I mean. Even an average starting Solar can afford to pay a 1:1 rate much more than any starting Dragon Blooded. - IanPrice

Quite true, and I had also forgotten about the Init Tic limitation built into it. Charm cost changed to 1:1. As for a Celestial Version of this style, I'm probably going to make the only difference be the Pinnacle Charm itself. In my mind this is a "Bridge" style, halfway in between Terrestrial and Celestial. I like the idea of an essence weapon as a pinnacle which would be fantastic for terrestrials but redundant for Solars. This is where the style will diverge: Terrestrial Pinnacle will be Essence Weapon, Celestial Pinnacle will be... hmm.

I'm thinking that the Pre-Pinnacle will let you carry additional successes from one strike over to another strike in the same turn instead of counting them as additional damage. Slaughter half a dozen Bodyguard extras, then finish out with a nasty hugenumberofsucesses strike against your chosen =) ~ BrigandRansom , working on this and some more fiction

Aack, forgot about the defense comment. Quite true, this needs more defense. Still cooking up ideas for the specifics of the charm ~ BrigandRansom

I forgot about my suggestion of an Essence Weapon pinnacle too, so no worries. Though, I've realized now that such a charm would be kind of redundant with Gleaming Edge Grip, which is very much like an Essence Weapon charm. After all, you can pick up a stick, essentially, and turn it into a really good sword.

As for the carrying over successes, that actually sounds like a great idea for a defense charm. Maybe one that works like this: extra successes on attack, you can convert to dodge dice instead of extra damage (can be used reflexively; must all be used on one dodge). Extra successes on defense (which would normally be wasted) convert to attack dice on the character's next attack. You like maybe? - IanPrice

Yes I do like, I'll figure out the specifics shortly here. Added some fluff to the very top... do you think that's too many abilities for this to be Combo-compatible with? ~ BrigandRansom , having an attack of ADD and working on fiction instead of this

So some major brainstorming took place, and I've got a few ideas. They may not go anywhere, or may later be absorbed into an additional charm(s) for other styles.

• The first 2 charms are in fact Celestial Initiation. The "Pinnacle" as Gleaming Edge teaches it is not the true pinnacle, he's saving that for his "Successor"

• Compare Essence + Artifact rating of duelist's weapons. If the SBT practitioner has the higher number he can break the opponent's weapon

• Staring down an opponent, lowering the level of their anima banner and possibly cutting them off from their essence temporarily.

• I may go so far as to make a mechanicsless pinnacle charm, something that could... revert an abyssal. That would relegate this style to the realm of Plot, and would NEVER be appropriate unless it was a central point of a larger story. It would have to cost both permanent essence and willpower, or maybe even a huge payment required like Rune of Singular Hate (which is Sorcery, not a Charm).

~ BrigandRansom ,  who forgot to sign his comment