MACharmGuide

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Martial Arts Charm Developing Guidelines

Below is a set of principles for developing new Martial Arts charms. As readers notice, these are only suggestions and Lex Susenki is very important. Also, there is a danger that a too strict idea of Martial Arts will make the charm cascades limited, which I like. I like the idea of one style for each different aspect of combat. Finally, these guidelines have been somewhat, however in a limited degree, debated in the EC forum.

I will function as moderator and initial contributor, but fire away with your own rules and thoughts -Clebo

The Rule of Exalt

Each MA tree should, at development, defined in terms of which types of Exalts can learn it.

I have problems with the distinctions of the level of the respective charm trees, and so I assume that all of them are at "celestial" level, which means that only celestials and immaculate DBs can learn them. So far, Five-dragon Style is "terrestrial" and all the others are "celestial". However, is it clear and obvious that Sun Style is for Solars only?

The Rule of Ability Domain

No MA roll should ever replace another skill roll.

I have issues with charms that allow a MAist to perform actions clearly related to other already existing skills by using MA only. I have no problems with a MA charm that IMPROVES another skill, but I feel they shouldn't REPLACE them. Example: Trickster's Escape, in Vagabond Style (which, by the way, is a really cool concept and I truly like the tree). However, there is nothing wrong in having a charm being dependent on a successful dodge, athletics, or another skill roll.

The Rule of Maximum Addition

No single-charm bonus, supplemental or scene-long shall exceed MA.

I feel that MA-based free or supplemental actions should be limited to ability or essence, not attribute + ability. There are many "violators" of this principle of mine. Of course, two charms can boost a single activity. Also, this is dependent on the Rule of Exalt.

The Rule of No Omnimpotence

All MA trees should have a serious weakness.

No tree should be all-powerful by giving large bonuses to soak, damage, dice to dodge, hit, jump, auto-defense, or any other combat-related activity. Vagabond style has the weakness of inflicting damage.

The Generalist Rule

No MA charm shall be more or equally efficient in a single purpose than a Solar charm designed for that particular purpose.

This is most critical in beginning MA charms. Purpose has to be declared in detail. I'd hate that it would be more efficient ways of increasing soak than the available solar resistance charms. This means that I may have to upgrade them even more than the first Errata did, or simply reduce the power of the intended charm.

The Rule of Forms

All Form charms should have two bonuses with MA, and one with Essence.

Form charms are very powerful, and critical to the entire tree. Therefore, I'd like a firm system on it, so some trees do not get shafted, or booster-packed in the form charm.

The Rule of Creativity Preservation (Lex Susenki)

Any charm tree can defy these principles in one or two charms, if and only if, it suits thematically. In hindsight, this principle may actually be the hardest to apply. Don't let your imagination be hampered by stupid guidelines. Look at the canon styles, do they follow these guidelines, hell no! I think that's on purpose.

The Rule of Maximum Cost

No charm shall cost more than 10 motes, 1 WP, 1 Health level.

If the cost is more than this to power a charm, then it might be better off as a spell instead.

The Rule of No Superiority

No MA charm tree shall not make another tree completely redundant.

Every style should have at least something that is mechanically unique, or something that is useful. This is very important for the Form charms. A brilliant tree can easily be scoffed because the Form is to weak.

The Rule of Signature Bonus

A signature weapon should have one "cool thing", or flat +2 total bonus.

A cool thing could be an extra attack or parry (Fire Dragon, Vagabond), or practical things like the auto-retracting of a Kyotetsu-Shogi.

The Rule of No Signature Weapon

If no signature weapon is defined, all martial arts weapons can be used with MA skill by a practitioner of the style.

This is a specialist/generalist trade-off. I assume that in order to create such mastery of one weapon to recieve the bonuses, there is simply no time to develop the general martial training that other stylists do.

The rule of Signature Weapon

If a signature weapon is defined for a style, then a stylist may not use any other weapon as a MA weapon.

If an Air Dragon Stylist wishes to be able to handle those beautiful blue jade hook swords, she can easily accomplish this by buying the first charm of a tree without any signature weapon, such as Five-Dragon or Snake Style.

The Rule of Rebecca Borgstorm

Martial Arts should have a strong theme that strikes terror into the hearts of men. Each style should be describile as 'Truly, the users of the ___________ Style are invincible! They ______________!' For example, 'Truly, the users of the Snake Style are invincible! They strike with the speed and power of a cobra, and move with the sinous grace of a viper!' Or 'Trully, the users of the Hungry Ghost Style are invincible! They have the unyielding power of the dead, and feed off their opponent's own strength!'

The Rule of Breaking Rules

Combat in Exalted is defined as doing X, then Y, then Z. More than any other type of Charm, Martial Arts should chose one of those things and break it. An attack may bypass armor, a clinch may inflict unilateral damage, blows may come from behind the defender (I'm working on a Mongoose Style that uses that), etc. A default assumption of the game should be turned on it's ear.

The Corolary of Breaking Rules

Choose one rule (or stylistically highly similiar rules) to break. Akin to the Rules of No Superiority and No Omnimpotence. - DariusSolluman

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Comments

Signature Weapons: Where do your rules put the Solar splatbook styles, which treat a weapon from off the MA list as MA weapons? This seems to be an ability intermediate between the absolute of simply not having a defined weapon, or the other pole of having a signature weapon that does something special, like the Five Immaculate Dragon Styles. Also, as a project, I'm suggesting that you take two or three styles and do detailed reviews of them with reference to this. (I might go and try the same; more later) - FourWillowsWeeping

I've never thought of the intermediate sig. weapons as these guidelines were written before the splatbooks. However, I have lately ignored any use of sigs because they cause all these troublesome rulings (e.g., Air and Fire Dragon Style). Furthermore, I haven't allowed any now style with a sig too give the Five-Fold Dragon Styles at advantage. At times, I'm thinking of simply removing the notion of sigs too, but that would be too hampering to the 5F Dragon styles. - Clebo

I don't really understand the difference between Lex Susenki and The Corolary of Breaking Rules. -Clebo

Also, I suggest that the name of The Rule of Breaking Rules should be changed. May I propose "The Wrecking of Standard Combat"? As I understand it, you want to disrupt the security of one defense out of three. One particular style can be specialized in breaking down soak. That would mean that the style would not reduce opponents' dodge pools. This is a good rule, but the name is too close to others. - Clebo

Can The Rule of Rebecca Borgstrom be changed too? How about "Rebecca Borgstrom's Rule of Fluffy Fear"? -Clebo

Finally, I took the liberty of changing "trully" to "truly" in the Rule of RB. Perhaps, I'm missing something dialectic? -Clebo