DaveFayram/PrismStyle

In accordance with the MartialArts/MACreationGuide here is my step-by-step on it. Feel free to comment as I go.

I'd like to promo my MACharmGuide which is under discussion. It could be of some use, I think. - Clebo

It's just a celestial level MA. All animas give off light, so it shouldn't be a problem. The Sidereal book will have Prismatic Arrangement of Creation, March of the Charcoal Spiders, Citrine Poxes of Contagion (from the high level) and at least Violet Bier of Sorrow (from the celestial MA level we're used to). No prism style, specifically. -- DaveFayram

You make several comments regarding the Style's dependence on ambient light. This is pretty hard to deal with, mechanically; maybe an easier way to deal with it would be to have it dependent on nearby anima banners, which already have a discrete ladder of effects. This would allow you all kinds of neat anima-manipulation stunts, and make it a very attractive style for Dragonbloods in groups, assuming that the refracted animas retained flux. This does require that you change a fairly deep assumption of the Style, though - it becomes an optic Essence-manipulation style that happens to have visual effects, rather than one that manipulates light directly. - FourWillowsWeeping

1. Student Techniques

I want the first one to be one that somehow lets you manipulate light, maybe to blind someone temporarily if there is a present light sourse, or maybe it'll give the practicioner ultra-wide-angle-lens-view so they can see in all directions?
- Blinding with ambient light
- Wide vision (maybe helps prevent ambush? Maybe negates the "attacking from behind" penalty?)
- A charm to add to the users lethal soak, but not their bashing (hard to cut, easy to shatter!

2. Creating the form

So... \\ People tremble at the name of the Prism Style, for its warriors harness light and shadow! They mesmerize their opponents with prismatic light and then crush them!

I think Prism Stance will basically be 2 big effects, instead of one big effect and a few small ones. I think that Prism stance will work like Snake form AND also pull Essence in dice away from enemy defenses. Nothing else. This is unusual enough that it makes the form feel unique, without being crushingly powerful. :) I think the flavor will be that the outline of the user flickers and blurs from position to position in a disturbing and distracting way, constantly shifting and changing colors as the form-user's essence bends light around them. It's a constant feint and defense. This would be a visual effect, an environmental penalty, and could be negated as such.

Maybe I'd add one other small effect (can't be surprised).

I think this is close to the Vagabond Form, which negates MA dice for opponents to attack, and to their defense pools. However, as I understand it, it only applies to one defense pool, not all. I have to check it out. -Clebo

I was wrong. Vagabond Form reduces defense pools, regardless how many they are. This is a very powerful effect. Clebo

Yeah, I dunno if these two things combined make the form charm too strong. I might say that only the first applied defense gets this penalty, making people with multiple defenses less suceptable, but I dunno if I like that. \\ If it's limited to your essence, against serious opponents it's not going to be that bad. -- DaveFayram

Here are a few suggestions on small effect, should you want the lesser version of reducing defense pools.\\ 1. Extra clinching damage. Nobody squeezes a prism-shaped diamond successfully. 2. Extra clinching defense. 3. Extra dice to escape from clinches and holds. 4. Cause opponent's weapons to get stuck in the prism (only applicable when doing damage). Maybe this is too powerful? -Clebo

3. Advanced Techniques

I'll worry about these later. I'd like to do a charm where you can "bend" ranged attacks to other targets (wouldn't work on perfect attacks, contested roll basically), a charm to make a visual copy of oneself, a standard celestial-MA type counter-attack, a charm that makes an explosion of light that would stun the target, and maybe a charm to deprive the area of visible light for everyone but the caster. A mesmerising charm using prismatic light will be one of the better charms of these trees, like Unbreakable Fascination kata but better, probably. Maybe a glass-skin technique, where you take lethal in place of bashing, but bashing in place of lethal (your soaks would swap as well).

An Extra Action Charm that splits your attack into several? A Charm that creates short-lived duplicates of you? Maybe something that does low-level, constant damage like a DB anima? - Telgar

I think an extra action charm, a charm that lets you do lethal, piercing damage for a scene (halving armor) and a charm that lets you redirect thrown attacks around would be good for the physical subtree. The mystical and the illusion trees will do the duplicate thing and the mesmerising thing. I think there will be 7 or 8 advanced student techniques. -- DaveFayram

4. Final Technique

I need to work the mechanics on this, but I think the final technique will either be a superior version of the Prism stance (or something that could work on top of the prism stance) or a way to focus the player's anima into one huge blast of light. The nature of the blast wouldn't vary from Exalted to Exalted, but the damage would changed based on ambient light. I dunno if I like this idea, because it's mechanically more complex, but it would also look cooler. :) Maybe that's a bit too much KameHameHa.

I know! Laser eyes!

This is a tough one. Yep. Um. Hmm. Maybe the Ultimate Prism Style Charm O Doom And Flashy Lightness should be a hugely bad-ass defense? Shield of Shattered Light, subtract Dexterity + Martial Arts + Essence + Specialites + Defense from all attack dice pools made against you for a scene? Give bonuses assosciated with how much light is avalible? - Telgar

I dunno. I just worry this form will be low on attack abilities. That's why I said this would be a hard decision. -- DaveFayram

Strong defenses are almost as good as strong attacks, particularly when you can assume that serious martial artists (distinct from 'serious practicioners of X style') are versed at least briefly in one or more additional Styles. For Persimmon Ocean of Joy, I didn't include any attack dice-adders, but it has a lot of damage-enhancing Supplementals that would benefit from increased attack pools, and a strategy that lets you use it in conjunction with another Style without resorting to Prismatic Arrangement of Creation Form. It's an incomplete style if used by itself, however; you will never get high-end Exalted dice pools. It's best for dealing with mooks unless used in combination with something more offensive. Just because you don't have a SHE ATE THEM Charm, though, doesn't mean that your Style is necessarily weak. Imbalance is among the things that make styles interesting. - FourWillowsWeeping

5. Favored Weapons and Armor

I may not allow any hand weapons, what weapons capture the style of a prism? The only thing that I can think of is a short sword, or a hook sword? But I might allow armor so long as light can pass through it. This would mean cloth armor, glass armor, or a charm to make armor invisible. Maybe some really light armor too. I need to think about this, part of the prism motif is hard to cut, easy to break. I dunno how I should go here.

Glass armor and weapons might offer special bonuses. I can see this Form originating in the South and specifically from a Solar in Chiaroscuro. Specifically, I'd say Prism Stylists would be interested in using short swords, as you said. If you dislike armor, perhaps mirrored shields? - Telgar

Maybe a Charm that allows armors of a maximum Fatigue and Mobility Penalty to be compatible with MA Charms that aren't. The armor grows light and transparent, also losing Fatigue and/or Mob. Pen. Bears the 'light but sharp' theme of light. And if no weapon leaps out as a signature, I'd just let the style use any of the normal ones like Snake. Domino

I think something like this would be in my sidereal-level version of this form Divine Light of Creation Style. -- DaveFayram

Interesting. I have to agree with the lack of a signature weapon. But since the idea of a MA style using glass armor or mirror-shields appeals to me, maybe institude 'signature armor'? Dunno. Stuff to ponder. - Telgar

Actually, I was thinking that maybe a special form of tiger claws could do the job. The right hand one would have 5 claws, and the left hand one would have only 2. This represents the 5 low-energy colors and the 2 high-energy colors of the rainbow. The right hand would be used for defense, the left hand for attack. Normal claws would suffice of course, a signature weapon style doesn't limit it. :) -- DaveFayram

6. Stuff

Moo

Snark? - Telgar

7. Essence costs

Later.

Snarf! - Gonad the Barbarian

DaveFayram/PrismStyle

Contents

Prism Style Fundamental Concepts

1. Student Techniques

2. Creating the form

3. Advanced Techniques

4. Final Technique

5. Favored Weapons and Armor

6. Stuff

7. Essence costs

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