Five Stones Style

Five Stones Style

by Jimcrimson

Five Stones Style is a Mortal Martial Art based on Goju Ryu Karate, who's motto is "Take 10 punches to deliver 1". In real life, Goju train by being hit with sticks while they practice katas.

This style allows the use of "martial arts" weapons if you have a minimum melee equal to the charms martial arts minimum. I have allowed the use of 1 non-martial arts weapon for the cost of a charm (). Any armor is allowed, but shields are not. To use this MMA, you may choose to also use a house rule, which follows -

forceful blow : may not flurry or use multiple action charms with this attack modifier. Make a single attack, look at the rate of the attack used, each attack from the rate adds 1 damage (not normally combinable with fierce blow). This still effects your Dodge DV as if you had made each attack, but does not effect your parry DV. A punch normally has a rate of 3, if you choose to make it a forceful blow, you only make a single punch attack then the base damage becomes 3B but you loose 3 dodge DV and 1 parry DV

Note: This is meant to simulate planting your body, lining up and placing one solid shot... so that's why the Dodge DV is effected.

Charms

all attacks in this style are considered forceful, no charm in this tree will work on an attack that is not forceful.

Take 10 Punches to deliver 1

Cost: special
Minimums: Martial Arts 2
Type: action modifier
Keywords: permanent
Duration: 1 attack
Prerequisite Charms: none

You have learned that throwing the correct punch or kick at the precise moment of opening allows you to do more damage than throwing lots of punches and kicks that don't find an opening.

forceful blow also has +1 die to the attack dice pool

Slow Defense

Cost: supplemental
Minimums: Martial Arts 2, Resistance 2
Type: action modifier
Keywords: 
Duration: 1 aiming action
Prerequisite Charms: Take 10 punches to deliver 1 

The Martial Artist stands in a narrow stance with knees together, and in doing to he gains the physical endurance to withstand punishment, this gives him the time he needs to strike when the moment is right.

This charm modifies an aim action. While aiming, Gain +1B/+1L soak. While in this stance you may not use your dodge DV and may not move more than essence yards per tick. Like any Aim action, this may be ended at any time, or renewed for the bonuses gained for additional Aim actions.

Immovable Object Stance

Cost: none
Minimums: Martial Arts 2, Resistance 3 
Type: action modifier
Keywords: 
Duration: 1 Aim action
Prerequisite Charms: Slow Defense

The Slow Defense stance has one major flaw, it is relatively easy to knock a practitioner down. Through further refinement of the physical and spiritual techniques the Martial Artist begins to root in place, removing the earlier weakness

While using slow defense also gain +2 vs knockdown and knockback.

Irresistible Force

Cost: none
Minimums: Martial Arts 3
Type: supplemental
Keywords: special
Duration: 1 stunt for an attack
Prerequisite Charms: Immovable Object Stance

If the character uses a stunt that is "powerful" or "rooted" then +2 damage and +1 to the target number of knockdowns he might make.

Smother the Fire

Cost: 1 willpower
Minimums: Martial Arts 3, Awareness 2
Type: reflexive
Keywords: 
Duration: Awareness turns
Prerequisite Charms: Irresistible force

A fire is smothers on the ground, not in the flames. In the same way, it is easier to block the shoulder than the arm, or the hip than the leg. With proper awareness it is possible to block weapons by blocking the body BEFORE the swing is really started.

May block lethal attacks without need of a weapon or stunt.

Felling Blow

Cost: 1 willpower
Minimums: Martial Arts 4, Athletics 2
Type: simple
Keywords: 
Duration: 1 attack
Prerequisite Charms: Smother the Fire

As part of a forceful attack, a non lethal blow becomes lethal or a lethal attack gains +2L damage

Enlightened Strike

Cost: none
Minimums: Martial Arts 4, Athletics 3
Type: action modifier
Keywords: 
Duration: 1 attack
Prerequisite Charms: Felling Blow

This allows you to combine the attributes of a fierce blow with a forceful blow.

BoneBreaking Understanding

Cost: 1 willpower
Minimums: Martial Arts 5, Endurance 4
Type: reflexive
Keywords: counterattack
Duration: Athletics turns
Prerequisite Charms: enlightened strike

Early in their careers many martial artists realize that a block made with the elbow or knee can damage the attackers arm or leg. Practicing breaking boards, cinderblocks and iron allows the same blocks to potentially damage weapons as well.

Once per action, when you successfully block an attack, you may make an immediate counterattack against the limb or weapon which attacked. This counterattack does not effect your rate, does not break an aim action and is not considered a forceful blow. While any losses to parry DV caused by the attack still apply, there is no additional loss to DV from the counter attack.

Essence of 5 stones

Cost: none
Minimums: Martial Arts 5, Endurance 5, Integrity 2
Type: permanent
Keywords: enlightening, limited access to the root of the lotus
Duration: 1 attack
Prerequisite Charms: Bonebreaking Understanding

Your long years of training have changed the way essence flows in your body, your body has begun to become harder to hurt as essence has hardened it in most situation. This also has allowed you to reach for the root of the Lotus.

+1 to all soaks if you do not use your dodge DV, this stacks with power stance. This charm is considered essence enlightening and it allows access to one ST approved terrestrial martial art that matches the philosophy of this MMA from your game world.