BrigandRansom/ScintillantBladeTechnique
Scintillant Blade Technique is an ancient artform that was practiced during the first age by Celestial and Terrestrial Exalted alike. In this age, it is only taught at a single school, the (School Name) in (Place). Unlike other schools like it, only Unexalted mortal Dynasts are accepted for teaching at this school and only if they are under 12 years old. Oftentimes Dragon Blooded will send their mortal children here in the hopes that under the Tutelage of "Gleaming Edge", a mortal Savant, their children will Exalt quickly and with great power. The number of students within the school is never greater than twenty, as it's existence is a well-kept secret within the higher levels of Dynastic house politics.
Gleaming Edge takes the students in for no less than four years, with the understanding that not even Exaltation will break your studies. If you Exalt under his tutelage, you must finish out your training and in addition learn at least up to the form charm of this style. As a Mortal Savant, Gleaming Edge treats his Mortal and Exalted students the same, judging them not upon their essence but how well they learn his teaching of Honor, Respect and Duty. There have been times in the past where students who Exalt feel no need to take orders from a Mortal, but this doesn't last long. Gleaming Edge is skilled enough that no student has ever managed to best him, Exalted or not. Even if they were to beat him, they would be in serious trouble with their parents. Gleaming Edge is the only person left alive who knows this style to it's full level of mastery.
Unbeknownst to anyone save a handful up people, Gleaming Edge is in fact a First-Age Solar with powerful Sidereal magics worked on him to keep his true nature a secret. He is waiting for a specific student, to whom he will reveal the culmination of this powerful Martial Arts Style.
Scintillant Blade Technique is a very adaptable style, and may be comboed with charms from Melee, Dodge, Athletics, Brawl and Presence abilities. It treats Curved, Single edged weapons as unarmed for the purposes of the style, making Reaver Daiklaives or mortal Katana the weapon of choice.
Declaration of Honorable Combat
Cost: 5 Motes Duration: Scenelong Type: Simple Min. Martial Arts: 1 Min Essence: 2 Prereqs: None
Honor is the primary lesson of Scintillant Blade, for Honor itself is the blade that seperates the Riteous from the weak and base. The Exalt announces his name and intent to engage in an honorable combat with the target. This charm negates environmental penalties up to the User's presence rating, be they from unsure footing or poor visibility. This does not effect wound penalties, nor will it allow the Exalt to see in total darkness. If at any point the user breaks away from the fight the effects of this charm end.
Calm Eye Composure
Cost: 1 Mote Per Die Duration: Instant Type: Reflexive Min. Martial Arts: 2 Min Essence: 2 Prereqs: None
The Purity of Heart that is instilled by Honor shines in the eyes of the Martial Artist and the weight of their gaze stikes at the spirit of their opponent before the blade does. This charm allows the Exalt to purchase additional dice for their attack roll up to their Presence rating.
Mind Body and Blade Unity
Cost: Special Duration: Permanent Type: Special Min. Martial Arts: 2 Min Essence: 2 Prereqs: None
A student of Scinitllant Blade learn that their Spirit is a force upon creation and their blade is an extension of this. But such an incredible power must always be kept in check, lest it come to own you. Upon learning this charm, the Exalt may commit a number of motes equal to (6 - Essence) to a weapon they are attuned to (in addition to the normal attenuation cost)Even if the Exalt gains an essence score above five they musta always at least pay one additional mote. This allows the Exalt to draw and sheathe the weapon instantly, and makes it more difficult to remove it from his hand (add Presence dice to the MA + Wits roll to resist a successful disarm). This charm may be purchased multiple times, limited by the Essence Rating of the Exalt. Each purchase of this charm allows another weapon to be so bound.
Prescision Timing Method
Cost: 2 Per Initiative Tic Duration: 1 Turn Type: Reflexive Min. Martial Arts: 2 Min Essence: 2 Prereqs: None
When there is Honor in the Heart, the actions of those around you become apparent. This insight allows the Exalt great flexibility in combat, choosing the perfect moment to make his move. Once activated, the charm allows the Exalt to purchase their initative tic up or down as they see fit.
Locked Gazes Method
Cost: 4 Motes Duration: Instant Type: Reflexive Min. Martial Arts: 3 Min Essence: 2 Prereqs: Calm Eye Composure, Declaration of Honorable Combat
The Eyes that carry Honor have the ability to shame those who look into them, as all pretense at kindness fall away beneath their weight. The student of Scintillant Blade locks eyes with his chosen target, giving them pause as they think of the consequences of their actions. This charm is activated at the beginning of a turn, before initiative is rolled. The Target of Declaration of Honorable Combat and the Scintillant Blade Student lock eyes, and the Student rolls initiative for both of them. Both the Target and the Student use this initiative score. Any charms that change the initiative score of one affects both of them.
Movement Anticipation Practice
Cost: 1 Mote per Health Level Duration: Instant Type: Supplemental Min. Martial Arts: 3 Min Essence: 3 Prereqs: Prescision Timing Method, Mind Body and Blade Unity
The Student of Scintillant Blade learns how to make the most of a stike timed with another's, taking advantage of the enemy as they divide their attention between the student and their action. If the student makes a successful attack roll against a target who acts on the same initiative tic they may purchase additional damage at the rate of one mote per point of damage. This is limited by the Martial Artist's Presence + Essence.
Scintillant Blade Form
Cost: 6 Motes, 1 Willpower Duration: Scenelong Type: Simple Min. Martial Arts: 4 Min Essence: 3 Prereqs: Movement Anticipation Method, Locked Gazes Method
The Student crouches low, legs spread and knees bent to provide a smaller target and low center of gravity as their anima ripples with power. They place their hand just above the handle of their sword, ready to draw, strike and sheathe the blade in a single fluid motion. Activation of Scintillant Blade form raises the Banner Level of the Exalt by one, along with these effects:
- Add Presence to all parry attempts made versus the target of "Declaration of Honorable Combat"
- 1 Free defensive action per round against the target of "Declaration of Honorable Combat"
- Actions taken are considered to be one initiative tic higher than they really are. This does not affect any actions on higher initiative tics and is not effecting time, this merely allows the Artist to act before those whose actions are on the same initiative tic
- Add Martial Arts rating to movement
- Add Martial Arts rating to resist Knockback, Knockdown and Stun
- Anyone attacking the Scintillant Blade Artist who is NOT the target of "Declaration of Honorable Combat" has their Dice Pools reduced by the Martial Artist's Presence Rating. This penalty is treated as an Environmental Penalty.
Gleaming Edge Grip
Cost: Special Duration: Scenelong Type: Simple Min. Martial Arts: 4 Min Essence: 3 Prereqs: Scintillant Blade Form
The Student, now well on his way to mastery of Scintillant Blade learns to focus their honor into their hands, making even a simple carved stick into an incredible weapon for a time. The Martial Artist holds a Wooden sword in their hands, which transforms in a flash of essence into the Magical Material appropriate for the Exalt using the charm. The cost of this charm is equal to the attunement cost of a similar weapon. At the end of the scene the wooden weapon is destroyed, turned into ash by the strength of the Exalt's Will and Essence.
I'm also wondering if there would be a possibility of making this permanent, possibly with the expenditure of xp and requiring a Masterwork wooden weapon made of special wood. This does go against "Cant Create any of the 5MMs", but this would be very limited and the Jade (or Orichalc, or Moonsilver, ect) would be limited to the weapon only. Attempting to reforge a 5MM weapon such as this would destroy the magic and dissapate the effect)
Battlefield Mobility Mastery
Cost: Duration: Type: Min. Martial Arts: 4 Min Essence: 3 Prereqs: Scintillant Blade Form
still have to work out something appropriate for this.
Bodyguard's Folly
Cost: 10 motes, 1 Willpower Duration: Scenelong Type: Simple Min. Martial Arts: 4 Min Essence: 3 Prereqs: Scintillant Blade Form
Those who feel that they can avoid an honorable combat with the Scintillant Blade user soon learn that not even large amounts of bodyguards can protect them. The Exalt activates this charm, and for the rest of the scene may make one free attack at full dice pools to anyone who's essence is lower than their own and within a range in yards away from the target of "Declaration of Honorable Combat"'s essence. This does NOT work against the target of "Declaraction of Honorable Combat", merely those around him. (need to re-word this better)
Pre-Pinnacle Defensive Charm gee, I think this could use a better name
Cost: 5 motes, 1 Willpower Duration: Scenelong Type: Simple Min. Martial Arts: 4 Min Essence: 3 Prereqs: Scintillant Blade Form
The Scintillant Blade artist is capable of bringing the force of his own honor down upon his opponent. This makes them doubt their own actions and weighs down their ability to stike at the Just and Honorable. Upon activating this charm, the Scintillant Blade artist rolls Presence + Essence, and these successes are added to the difficulty to stike him for the remainder of the scene.
Pinnacle Charm
Cost: 10 motes, 1 Willpower Duration: Scenelong Type: Simple Min. Martial Arts: 4 Min Essence: 3 Prereqs: Scintillant Blade Form
A Blade Wielded by Honor is a Blade that Strikes True, and this is represented by the pinnacle of the Scintillant Blade Form. This strike is leveled against the target of "Declaration of Honorable Combat", and may only be made if the target moves on the same initiative tic. After paying the activation cost, the target rolls willpower, difficulty equal to the presence rating the the user of the charm. If the target succeeds on this roll then the strike is resolved as normal, otherwise this is a perfect strike that may not be blocked or dodged.
peanut gallery
BrigandRansom/ScintillantBladeOldComments BrigandRansom/ScintillantBladeChatLog
Wellnow, got that squared away with many thanx for IanPrice 's input. Still need to work out something good for BMM.
What I was thinking is that this charm is in fact Celestial, and the first 2 charms are in fact the celestial initiations for the style. These initiations only allow learning this specific style, however once the form charm is reached the Terrestrial may freely learn Celestial Styles (though no one ever tells them this...). I might be misconstruing how the initiations work, though.
However, this would lead to an interesting possibility: a hidden pinnacle. You mentioning Iaijutsu not having much in the way of parrying led me to an idea (with the help of a fiend of mine), a Weapon-breaking charm. Something along the lines of the pinnacle, but if a block or parry is attempted the combatants roll Essence + Artifact Rating of the weapon, and if the SBT MAist wins they break their opponent's weapon.
I also like the idea of a charm that lets the SBT MAist use his presence to force his opponent's Anima Banner to a lower level. ~ BrigandRansom , now with 30% more raisins!
