MartialArts/5BCrimsonPanoplyOfVictoryStyle

Crimson Panoply of Victory Style

Back to MartialArts

Back to Five Bureau Styles

Back to Scrollreader

This style is incompatible with armor. It treats attacks made with fighting gauntlets, spears and swords as unarmed attacks, and is explicitly compatible with shields.

Joy in Pain's Embrace
Cost: 1 mote
Type: Reflexive
Duration: Instant
Minimum MA:  2
Minimum Ess: 1
Prereqs: None

Though it seems an unlikely coupling, the maidens of Serenity and Battles are not foreign to each other. Even in the worst situation imaginable, there is joy to be had, and a true warrior embraces pain as the price of glorious battle. When the martial artist activates this charm, he rolls a number of dice equal to the raw damage of an attack that hits him (before soak). Each success (up to a maximum of his martial arts) gives him an amount of essence equal to the attackers permanant essence in motes. After all, the greater the foe, the greater the excitement of surviving battle with him.

Dictate of Mars
Cost: 2 motes +
Type: Reflexive
Duration: One Scene
Minimum MA:  3
Minimum Ess: 2
Prereqs: Joy in Pain's Embrace

Mars determines the time and place for all battles to occur. The Martial Artist speaks with her authority, as he gains a supernatural insight into the secret of the beginning of a battle. For every 2 motes he spends, raise the difficulty of rolls to spot an ambush he sets, or for others to ambush him by 1. This difficulty penalty cannot exceed his essence.

Blade of the Battle Maiden
Cost: 2 motes per die, 2 WP
Type: Reflexive
Duration: One Scene
Minimum MA:  3
Minimum Ess: 2
Prereqs: Joy in Pain's Embrace

As per Exalted: the Sidereals, pg 180

Momentum Strike
Cost: 3 motes, 1 WP
Type: Supplemental
Duration: Instant
Minimum MA:  3
Minimum Ess: 2
Prereqs: Joy in Pain's Embrace

A true warrior knows that the secret to winning is simple. "Get there the Fastest with the Mostest". With this charm, the warrior unifies this philosophy of battle, embracing it, as achieving one goal inevitably brings about the other. The martial artist adds a number of dice to a single unarmed martial arts attack equal to the number of yards he has moved since his last combat action. These dice cannot exceed his martial arts+dexterity, and count against his dice cap.

Crimson Panoply of Victory Form
Cost: 6 motes
Type: Simple
Duration: One Scene
Minimum MA:  4
Minimum Ess: 2
Prereqs: Dictate of Mars, Blade of the Battle Maiden, Momentum Strike

The martial artist assumes the attitude of Mars, she makes her sign of Battle and Glory. All friends and foes within the battle with the martail artist as treated is their valor was 1 point higher, for any effects that would cause them to quit the battle before death or incapicatation. In addition, the martial artist is assured of surviving to see glory in battle. Reduce all damage against the martial artist by a number of dice equal to one half his permanant essence score(rounding up) before it is rolled. This is a specific exception to the rule that an opponents dice pool cannot be reduced below their own permanant essence. This effect cannot reduce damage below 1 damage die per attack, though it is compatible with other effects that may.

Righteous Warrior's Pact
Cost: 2+ motes
Type: Reflexive
Duration: Instant
Minimum MA:  5
Minimum Ess: 2
Prereqs: Crimson Panoply of Victory Form

The martial artist calls upon the ancient pact between the world, and the warriors who defend it. The earth, the air, the weapons he bears, and even his opponent aid his cause. He may reduce the difficulty of any roll to resist a combat manuever (trip, tackle, disarming, etc) by 1 for every two motes of essence he spends. If the difficulty is reduced to zero, he automatically suceeds.

Divine Battle Strategm
Cost: 2+ motes
Type: Reflexive
Duration: Instant
Minimum MA:  5
Minimum Ess: 3
Prereqs: Crimson Panoply of Victory Form

None surpass the Red Maiden, Mars, in matters of tactics. The martial artist, however, has learned to use her insights to aid him. For every 2 motes he spends, he raises the difficulty to resist a combat manuever by 1. He may not add more than his permanant essence in difficulty to any one manuver.

Glorious Crimson Assault
Cost: 3 motes per ally
Type: Extra Action
Duration: Instant
Minimum MA:  5
Minimum Ess: 3
Prereqs: Divine Battle Strategm

The martial artist becomes, for one moment, the very batte he is fghting. His subordinates and allies immediately know his will, and his eyes spots openings that mere gods or exalts would miss. For every three motes the martial artist spends, one ally in his line of sight may make a reflexive unarmed martial arts attack against the same target, if they can reach the target with their attacks (they may move to reach the target as well). The martial artist may be one of these allies. Any charms in a combo with Glorious Crimson Assault apply to the attacks made by his allies, though they do not count as a charm use for any save the martial artist. The allies of the martial artist make their own attack rolls, with their own ability and attribute scores. and may enhance this reflexive attack with their own charms, if they so choose.

Note that the validity of the unarmed martial arts attack is judged by the ally. So an ally who was in Air Dragon form could make his attack enabled by this charm with a chakram. However, if the martial artist who initiated this charm comboed it with Spine Shattering Bite, the attack made by the ally must be unarmed, or with tiger claws, as the charm requires.

Destiny of Heroes Stance
Cost: 1 WP, 10 motes, 1 HL
Type: Simple
Duration: One Scene
Minimum MA:  5
Minimum Ess: 4
Prereqs: Righteous Warrior's Pact, Glorious Crimson Assault

The martial artist clothes himself in the mein of a mighty hero. Heaven and the Maiden of Battles smiles on heroes, and it is the destiny of all true heroes to remain, the last one standing on the field of the slain. When the martial artist activates this charm, he gains a number of temporary -0 health levels equal to his permanant essence. If the martial artist reactivates this charm it takes effect again, replacing the previous effects. A Sidereal, or someone who learns this as a Sidereal Charm, may enhance it with a prayer strip with the Scripture of the Expectant Maiden. If he does so, the prayer strip wraps around the hilt of his heapon or his wrist, and it streams behind him as a ribbon, bright and scarlet with black letters. For as long as the prayer strip persists, the enemies of the martial artist subtract his permanant essence from the number of health levels healed by any charm or effect. This may reduce the amount of healing to 0.

Comments

Archived Comments

Joy in Pain's Embrace is much more powerful than Joy in Adversity Stance. Lower cost, higher return (despite reflexive/instant versus scene-length), and it's easier to get hit than to dodge or parry an attack. Due to the fact that it affects the raw damage, there's nothing stopping you from totally soaking a monster attack and gaining all your Essence back from it. Consider the ramifications is someone uses Sorcery to gain massive Hardness from spells like Invulnerable Skin of Bronze, then uses this charm to get all their Essence back without being hurt. So, since the charm is supposed to be based on the pain the person suffers, why not base it on health levels actually inflicted? Instead of making the charm user roll dice, just give them the attacker's Essence in motes for each health level they actually suffer. - IanPrice

Because it's based on Essence Gathering temper. And though the form does offer /some/ means to reduce damage, it's very hard, especially in power combat, to avoid all chance of damage, expecially without armor. Not to mention various and sundry other effects besides damage that are no fun at all. (Lighting Torment Hatchets, I'm looking at you. - Scrollreader

Hmm. You do appear to be right. Well, I can't complain about anything then. Great style! - IanPrice