MartialArts/AshandeWaspStyle
Insolent Wasp Style Marial Arts
The Insolent Wasp Style is not a Martial Art dedicated to subtlety; neither are it's practitioners known for their patience. Like the insect they name themselves for, Wasps tend to be quick to anger and strike quickly and with deadly force, rarely pausing to ask questions or play with their prey.
Many of the charms in this tree rely on Conviction for their effects; the Wasp - and others of their ilk - are, after all, quite full of Conviction, and their followers strive to emulate that practice.
Wasp Stylists tend to be well versed in using weapons to enhance their abilities; they seem to prefer short spears and knives, finding both represent the Wasp; the Short Spear for it's symbolism, the knife for it's concealability and precision. Wasp Stylists using either of these weapons may substitute their Martial Arts score for Melee or Thrown when using these weapons, and attacks made with them are considered barehanded for Charm usage.
The Charms!
Swift Wing Technique
Cost: 2 motes Duration: Instant Type: Reflexive Minimum Martial Arts: 3 Minimum Essence: 1 Prerequisite Charms: None
Wasps are often known for their tendency to appear from nowhere, zipping towards a potential victim at a rate of speed best described as "fast;" in emulation of that, a Wasp Style Martial Artist can flood Essence through his body, ensuring that his stern nature grants him the tenacity to reach his target first. When using this charm, add the character's Conviction rating to their initiative.
Swollen Body Technique
Cost: 2 motes Duration: Instant Type: Supplemental Minimum Martial Arts: 3 Minimum Essence: 1 Prerequisite Charms: Swift Wing Technique
With this charm, a practictioner of Wasp Style is able to push Essence through his body in strange ways, causing him to appear larger and more menacing than he really is. While under the effects of this Charm, the character may add his Conviction to an intimidation attempt against a victim. If the initial attempt it not sufficient to cow the individual, or if the victim throws off the effects later, he is immune to further applications of this Charm in the same scene.
Buzzing Evasion Technique
Cost: 3 motes Duration:One Turn Type: Reflexive Minimum Martial Arts: 4 Minimum Essence: 1 Prerequisite Charms: None
A character who activates this charm takes on the erratic movement and sudden darting of their totem creature; most also begin to emit a thin buzzing hum, boring into their victim's skulls. When this Charm is activated, anyone attempting to attack the Exalt suffers a dice penalty equal to the Wasp Stylist's Martial Arts score. Note that this charm may specifically be used to stack with the dodge benefits provided by Insolent Wasp Form.
Burrowing Lance Agony
Cost: 4 motes Duration: Instant Type: Supplimental Minimum Martial Arts: 4 Minimum Essence: 2 Prerequisite Charms: Buzzing Evasion Technique
Characters with this Charm begin to understand the nature of the Wasp: Strike quickly and make the blow as painful as possible. Upon a successful attack that inflicts a minimum of 1HL of damage to the target, the character may activate this Charm; the wound begins to fester and boil with poison. For a number of turns equal to the character's Essence score, the victim suffers additional damage equal to the character's Conviction, whichever is higher, soaked only by Stamina or other natural Soak enhancements, such as charms.
Insolent Wasp Form
Cost: 5 motes Duration: One Scene Type: Simple Minimum Martial Arts: 4 Minimum Essence: 2 Prerequisite Charms: Swollen Body Technique, Burrowing Lance Agony
Characters who master the first teachings of the Wasp - mainly, appear frightening, appear swiftly, avoid all attacks, for the littlest of them may crush you, and ensure that each attack is as painful and deblitating as one can make it - have learned the tenets that grant them access to the Form of the Insolent Wasp. Upon adopting the Insolent Wasp Form, the character grows much more dangerous and difficult to hit; upon making a successful attack, the character may spend 2 motes to increase base "plink" damage by 1, to a maximum of no more than double the character's Essence rating. The stylist also adds the character's Martial Arts score to all Dodge attempts. While in this Form, Stylists move erratically, dancing around their opponents and diving in for sudden attacks.
Distracting Venom Technique
Cost: 4 motes Duration: Instant Type: Supplimental Minimum Martial Arts: 4 Minimum Essence: 2 Prerequisite Charms: Insolent Wasp Form
Once an initiate to the Wasp Style has progressed past the Form, he has mastered the basic concepts of the Style; only then may he begin to harness the true power of the Wasp, granting him access to the venoms and poisons designed to emulate various species. The first that any character learns is the Distracting Venom. Upon a successful attack, the character may activate this Charm; at the beginning of the next turn, the victim erupts in sores and hives that impede their movement and inhibit their speed. For a number of turns equal to the character's Essence, the victim has their effective Rate/number of Actions limited to their Conviction score.
Blinding Venom Strike
Cost: 6 motes Duration: Instant Type: Supplimental Minimum Martial Arts: 4 Minimum Essence: 2 Prerequisite Charms: Distracting Venom Technique
Once he has mastered the Distracting Venom Technique, the Stylist next learns to direct his poisons to attack the nervous system of a victim; upon a successful attack, the Blinding Venom Strike can be activated. The character strikes at the face of his victim, leaving behind droplets of Essence-Poison that seep into the flesh. At the beginning of the victim's next turn, they become blinded, an unfortunate condition that lasts for the character's Essence in turns. Blind characters suffer from all manner of maladies, as the ST dictates. Victims using sensory enhancement charms at the time regain only their normal sight when the time period has passed, and must reactivate those Charms.
Vengeful Crippling Venom
Cost: 6 motes Duration: Instant Type: Supplimental Minimum Martial Arts: 4 Minimum Essence: 2 Prerequisite Charms: Distracting Venom Technique
Much like the Blinding Venom Strike, Vengeful Crippling Venom grants the Stylist a method by which to attack his victim's nervous system. Rather than assaulting the sensory organs, however, the Vengeful Crippling Venom targets the centers for movement and pain. Upon a successful attack, the character may activate this Charm; it imposes a dice penalty equal to the character's Essence to all actions performed by the victim, for a number of turns equal to the character's Conviction.
Weakness of the Tsetse Fly
Cost: 8 motes, 1 Willpower Duration: Instant Type: Supplimental Minimum Martial Arts: 5 Minimum Essence: 2 Prerequisite Charms: Blinding Venom Strike, Vengeful Crippling Venom
The penultimate techique of the Insolent Wasp Style, Weakness of the Tsetse Fly allows the stylist to inflict a limited form of Sleeping Sickness on the victim. Upon a successful attack, that must do at least 1HL of damage, the victim is given a dose of the venom. Unlike many of the Wasp's poisons, this one grants a resistance roll; roll the victim's Stamina + Resistance, with a difficulty of the character's Essence. Upon success, the victim is only slightly woozy, imposing a -2 dice penalty to actions for the remainder of the turn. If the victim fails, he immediately falls unconscious for a number of turns equal to the character's Conviction score.
Final Stinging Breath
Cost: 8 motes, 1 Willpower, 1+ HLs Duration: Instant Type: Simple Minimum Martial Arts: 5 Minimum Essence: 3 Prerequisite Charms: Weakness of the Tsetse Fly
The ultimate Charm of the Insolent Wasp Style, it epitomizes a Stylist's willingness to sacrifice himself to destroy those things that have roused their anger. The character may opt to sacrifice their own life to inflict damage upon his target; like some species of bees and wasps, the character puts their very life into a single sting. When this charm is activated, the character may accept 1HL of lethal damage for every 2HLs of damage he wishes to inflict on his target, then makes the attack roll. If the attack is successful, the target immediately suffers the appropriate number of HLs of damage, automatically and unsoakable. The character may not use this Charm again - assuming he survived - until the damage inflicted by it have been healed, though other Charms or Sorcery are acceptable means of healing this damage.
