BurgerSlave/TurtleStyle

Turtle Style

Many practitioners of the martial arts eschew the use of armor in combat. Armor tends to restrict the movement of the limbs, which interferes with the complex postures and katas of martial arts. However, there are those students of more pacifistic fighting styles who prefer to subdue their opponents, while retaining the protection of armor. Thus, Turtle Style martial arts was developed.

This style was created by a mortal soldier in the ranks of the Seventh Legion who had awakened his Essence to previously unknown levels among the unExalted. The name of that enlightened man has been lost, but his art remains. It is popular among those dedicated soldiers of Lookshy who desire the discipline and rigor of martial arts without sacrificing the protection of armor. Because it allows one to fight in armor, Turtle Style has become popular with the Anathema as well. Sidereal Exalted in particular are fond of learning Turtle Style, as they tend to be less durable than Solar or Lunar Exalted, and its techniques mesh well with the natural properties of starmetal armor. Dynastic Dragon-Blooded tend to prefer the less heretical Jade Mountain style, though a few itinerant Immaculate monks have picked up Turtle Style during travels through the River Province.

Turtle Style is a Terrestrial-type martial arts style. It permits the use of all armor. Its signature weapon is the staff. Exalted practitioners of Turtle Style may use a godstaff, an artifact version of the staff. Its statistics are: Speed 5, Accuracy +4, Damage +8B, Defense +4, and Rate 2. A godstaff gains the benefit of its magical material, and has a single hearthstone setting. Only human-sized armor is compatible with Turtle Style. Warstriders and other vehicle-scale armors are not valid for this style. No Charm in Turtle Style may be Comboed with Extra Action-type Charms or Charms that enhance the character's Join Battle action.

Withdrawing Turtle Exercise
Cost: 2m; Mins: Martial Arts 2, Essence 1; Type: Reflexive (Step 2)
Keywords: Combo-OK
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: None

By ducking back and pulling himself into his armor, the character is able to dodge away from incoming blows, like a turtle pulling its head into its shell. Add half the character's Martial Arts to his Dodge DV (round down for mortals, and up for Exalts) against a single attack. This Charm may not be used in a turn more times than the mobility penalty of the character's armor.

Tortoise-Versus-Hare Approach
Cost: 1m; Mins: Martial Arts 3, Essence 1; Type: Simple (Speed 5, DV -2)
Keywords: Combo-Basic
Duration: One scene
Prerequisite Charms: Withdrawing Turtle Exercise

One of the oldest Immaculate fables recounts the story of the tortoise and the hare. While the hare might boast of his speed, the tortoise knows that slow and steady wins the race. Whenever this Charm is activated, the character may add the Speed of his First Action to his armor's bashing and lethal soaks. If he wishes, he may choose to increase his First Action total, to a maximum of 6 or by his Martial Arts, whichever is lower.

Incomparable Shell Technique
Cost: 1m per 2B/1L; Mins: Martial Arts 3, Essence 2; Type: Reflexive (Step 2)
Keywords: Combo-OK
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: Tortoise-Versus-Hare Approach

This Charm allows the character to fortify his armor with Essence, strengthening its protection and making it resistant to attacks. He may improve his armor's bashing soak by 2 per mote, or its lethal soak by 1 per mote. He must pay for each improvement separately, but may improve both with one application of the Charm. Furthermore, the strengthening influence of this Charm makes mundane armor as impervious as the five magical materials for its duration. Armor thus fortified will not be harmed by soaking magical attacks, and is immune to Charms such as Armor-Rending Claw that cause armor damage. A character may not spend more motes on this Charm than his Stamina + Martial Arts.

Turtle Form
Cost: 5m; Mins: Martial Arts 3, Essence 3; Type: Simple (Speed 6, DV -1)
Keywords: Form-type
Duration: One scene
Prerequisite Charms: Incomparable Shell Technique

Activating Turtle Form greatly enhances the effectiveness of the character's armor. While Turtle Form is active, the character's armor adds his Essence to its Hardness. Also, his armor becomes immune to piercing damage. Attacks that bypass armor fully have their raw damage cut in half. However, while this Charm is active, the character may not take a Dash action or otherwise move faster than his Move rate without the use of Charms or anima effects. A character may only have one Form-type Charm active at a time.

Hissing Snap Surprise
Cost: 3m; Mins: Martial Arts 4, Essence 3; Type: Supplemental
Keywords: Obvious, Combo-OK
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: Turtle Form

As a child who's played with snapping turtles can tell you, they have a quick and mean bite. This Charm supplements an unarmed Martial Arts attack. Reduce the Speed of this attack by the mobility penalty of the character's armor. If using a staff or godstaff, add the character's Essence to the raw damage. This Charm is incompatible with attacks that deal lethal or aggravated damage.

Vengeful Shell Attack
Cost: 5m, 1wp; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 3; Type: Reflexive (Step 9)
Keywords: Counterattack, Combo-OK
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: Hissing Snap Surprise

The harder you hit an immovable object, the more you are going to hurt yourself. By strengthening his armor with undefeatable Essence, the character is able to turn the force of an attacker's blow against himself. This Charm must be activated after soak is applied, but before damage is rolled. The attack does no damage to the character. Rather, the attacker rolls the remaining damage dice plus his Strength against himself as a bashing effect. These damage dice ignore armor, but may be soaked by the target's Stamina. Furthermore, this Charm renders the character using it immune to knockdown and knockback (but not his target). This Charm may not be used more times per scene than the mobility penalty of the character's armor. This Charm is a counterattack, and may not be used in response to other counterattack effects.

Turtle's Constant Companion
Cost: 6m; Mins: Martial Arts 4, Essence 3; Type: Simple
Keywords: None
Duration: One day
Prerequisite Charms: Turtle Form

This Charm makes the character's armor as light and as comfortable to wear as a turtle wears his own shell. While the Charm is active, the character suffers no mobility or fatigue penalty, although the values remain for the purposes of Turtle Style Charms. Furthermore, even the thickest superheavy plate becomes as light and supple as fine silk cloth. Characters using this Charm are never weighed down by their armor, and can swim as though they were naked. Any mounts the character rides is similarly unburdened. The only limitation to this Charm is this--the character cannot move faster than his Move speed (though mounted characters may ride at their mount's usual speed). As soon as he moves any faster, whether by taking a Dash action or by using Charms or anima effects to increase his movement speed, the Charm's effects end.

Home-On-My-Back Style
Cost: -; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 3; Type: Permenant
Keywords: None
Duration: Permenant Prerequisite Charms: Turtle's Constant Companion

Learning this Charm bonds one suit of armor to the character, making it his signature armor. This imparts a couple of benefits. Firstly, the character may banish his armor Elsewhere by spending 2 motes as a diceless miscellaneous action. He may summon his armor out of Elsewhere in a similar fashion. He may sleep in his armor without any undue effect, and it serves to protect him from temperature extremes. Finally, he gains a bonus to all Martial Arts attacks equal to his armor's mobility penalty while he is wearing his signature armor, as he has become intimately familiar with the way his armor feels while fighting. These dice count as a dice bonus from Charms. If the character wishes to bond another suit of armor, he may do so instantly by paying two experience points. Characters may only have one suit of armor bonded through Home-On-My-Back Style at any time.

Eternal Terrapin Prana
Cost: 6m, 1wp, 1hl; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 4; Type: Simple (Speed 6, DV -2)
Keywords: Combo-Basic, Obvious
Duration: One scene
Prerequisite Charms: Vengeful Shell Attack, Home-On-My-Back Style

The master of Turtle Style martial arts has become one with his shell. By infusing a portion of his life force into the substance of his armor, he can make it almost impervious to damage. The armor's soak values and Hardness are increased by the character's Martial Arts score, and he suffers no mobility or fatigue penalty. Bashing attacks are completely absorbed by the character's armor, while lethal attacks are halved after damage is rolled. Aggravated damage still does its full damage. As with Incomparable Shell Technique, the armor is fortified against magical attacks and cannot be damaged.

Upon mastering this Charm, the character becomes like the tortise he emulates. He is incapable of moving any faster than his Move speed while armored. Not even Charms that grant supernatural modes of movement can circumvent this limitation.