MartialArts/ClementHeartStyle
Clement Heart Style
By Moxiane
Background
One of the five main styles of the Five-Fold Path to Perfection, the Clement Heart style is based around its creator’s view of the virtue of Compassion. Many of its Charms deal with protection and healing, whereas those that can be used offensively do so in a manner designed to end the suffering of their target as quickly as possible. While the Clement Heart Style is a Celestial-level martial art it can be, at least partially, taught to Dragon-Blooded in much the same way as the Immaculate martial arts can. It should be noted that only a Water-aspect Terrestrial can proceed along the style further than the Form, and even their ability ends with the Higher Form, the elemental nature of the Dragon-Blooded is not compatible with the highly-structured Essence patterns required for the highest Charms of this style. A character may always channel a point of Willpower through his Compassion when using the Charms from the Clement Heart style.
The Clement Heart Style, as do many other martial arts styles, treats certain weapons as if they were barehanded attacks for the purposes of certain Charms. A character using these Charms may direct their magic through the weapon being used, if it is one of the style’s so-called signature weapons. For the Clement Heart style these are fighting batons (Speed +3, Accuracy +1, Damage +2B, Defence +0), or knives.
Charms
Care-Improving Method</b>
<b>Cost: 6 motes Type: Simple Duration: 1 day Min. Martial Arts: 2 Min. Essence: 2 Prerequisites: None
By careful use of martial arts techniques on various pressure and chakra points on the body of his patient, the Exalted can greatly improve the recovery of patients under his care. For the duration of the Charm the character can add his Martial Arts to any Medicine roll regarding the care and recovery of up to his Medicine + Compassion patients.
Reviving Strike Technique</b>
<b>Cost: 3 motes Type: Supplemental Duration: Instant Min. Martial Arts: 3 Min. Essence: 2 Prerequisites: Care-Improving Method
Through careful and precise placement of his strikes the character learns to absorb some of the energy of his attacks, redirecting it into his anima and replenishing his reserves of Essence. The use of this Charm must be declared before the character makes a barehanded attack – it increases the difficulty of the attack by one, and the target may defend against it as normal. If the attack is successful then the Exalted may remove dice from his post-soak damage pool, up to his Compassion, or down to a minimum of one – each die so removed returns two motes to the Exalted. The Exalted may not use this Charm upon himself.
Life-Ending Blow</b>
<b>Cost: 5 motes Type: Supplemental Duration: Instant Min. Martial Arts: 3 Min. Essence: 2 Prerequisites: Reviving Strike Technique
Some people advocate that the height of compassion is to stop the pain and suffering of those who cannot be saved by quickly and cleanly ending their lives. The Exalted can achieve this in combat by focussing disruptive Essence into an already-wounded target’s body, the greater the damage suffered the more this Essence can affect. This Charm must be activated before the character makes his barehanded Martial Arts attack. If this attack is successful then the post-soak damage pool is increased by one for every health level of damage that has been suffered by the target.
Injury-Removing Prana</b>
<b>Cost: 5 motes, 1 Willpower Type: Simple Duration: Instant Min. Martial Arts: 3 Min. Essence: 2 Prerequisites: Care-Improving Method
The techniques taught in the previous Charm are further focussed and refined, and the Exalted can now provide almost instant respite from injury at a relatively minor cost. The character spends 5 motes and then makes a normal Dexterity + Martial Arts roll (if the target is not trying to resist then use the “Automatic Success” rules from the Exalted Core). Even a single success on this roll will heal two levels of Bashing damage or one level of Lethal damage (which must be no worse than -1) from the character. This Charm has no effect on Aggravated damage.
Aegis of Mercy</b>
<b>Cost: 6 motes Type: Reflexive Duration: Instant Min. Martial Arts: 4 Min. Essence: 2 Prerequisites: Injury-Removing Prana
Through careful meditation and study the Exalted can learn to tap into the very nature of Compassion, presenting it as a kind of shield that even the most hard-hearted of foes will have difficulty striking through. For the remainder of the turn in which this Charm is activated, all characters who would attack the Exalted in close combat suffer a difficulty penalty equal to the number of dots he has in Compassion.
Clement Heart Form</b>
<b>Cost: 6 motes Type: Simple Duration: 1 scene Min. Martial Arts: 4 Min. Essence: 2 Prerequisites: Life-Ending Blow, Aegis of Mercy
The character has truly begun his journey along the path of the Clement Heart when he learns this Charm. Dropping into a low, almost easy, position with movements that personify the Exalted’s caring nature, he improves his own defences while making those who would attack him falter. The character adds his Martial Arts score to his Bashing and Lethal soaks, and all close combat attacks against him suffer a difficulty penalty equal to the successes on a roll of the Exalted’s Compassion score - this difficulty modifier is neither a dodge nor a parry. Furthermore, the character may choose whether Lethal attacks made with the style’s signature weapons do Bashing damage without penalty. A character may have only one Martial Arts Form-type Charm active at a time, and activating any other immediately ends the effects of this one. The character must have a Compassion score of at least 3 to learn and use this Charm. This Charm is not compatible with the use of armour.
Compassion-Bolstering Method</b>
<b>Cost: None Type: Special Duration: Permanent Min. Martial Arts: 5 Min. Essence: 3 Prerequisites: Clement Heart Form
The character aligns his anima more closely than ever before with the virtue of Compassion, so much so that should he draw upon it he will receive a greater than usual benefit. Whenever the character channels a point of Willpower through the Virtue he will receive one more die than usual. This does not affect the number of times that the character may call upon his Compassion per story, only the number of dice he gains from doing so.
Impurity-Removing Blow</b>
<b>Cost: 7 motes, 1 Willpower Type: Simple Duration: Instant Min. Martial Arts: 5 Min. Essence: 3 Prerequisites: Clement Heart Form
The character learns to perceive the world through eyes modified by Compassion. With this sight the poisons and diseases that routinely affect the people of Creation become as obvious to him as the noonday sun, and by activating the chakras of his patient in the correct order he can literally burn these substances out from him. The character makes a Dexterity + Martial Arts roll against a difficulty equal to the strength of the venom or the morbidity of the disease. Success on this roll completely removes the effect from the body of his patient with no side-effects. Multiple poisons or diseases will require multiple uses of this Charm.
Wound-Closing Touch</b>
<b>Cost: 10 motes, 1 Willpower, 1 health level Type: Simple Duration: Instant Min. Martial Arts: 5 Min. Essence: 3 Prerequisites: Impurity-Removing Blow
The sight developed with Impurity-Removing Blow has become even more refined, allowing the Exalted to see the disrupted Essence flows around a patient’s wounds and the precise sequence of pressure-points that will cause healing Essence to flood into his body. The character makes a Dexterity + Martial Arts roll with a difficulty of 1 + the highest wound penalty suffered by the target. Extra successes can heal levels of Bashing damage on a 1:1 basis or Lethal damage for 2:1. This Charm has no effect on Aggravated damage.
Damage Redirection Prana</b>
<b>Cost: 7 motes Type: Reflexive Duration: Instant Min. Martial Arts: 5 Min. Essence: 2 Prerequisites: Clement Heart Form
Compassion has become one of the fundamental forces in the Exalted’s life by this point, so much so that the principles of self-sacrifice come without thought. This Charm is one of the highest expressions of this principle, since it allows the Exalted to absorb the damaging Essence from an attack against one of his allies into himself. The simply character chooses an ally within his Essence in yards who has just been successfully attacked, before the damage is actually rolled. The blow is redirected towards the character, applying his usual soak plus his Compassion to the raw damage, and then suffering any health levels of damage that are actually rolled. Note that the target of the Charm is the one who is actually attacked, and so he may use counterattack Charms (if applicable) as usual, he will merely suffer no damage from the assault.
Painless Strike Method</b>
<b>Cost: 5 motes, 1 Willpower Type: Simple Duration: Instant Min. Martial Arts: 5 Min. Essence: 3 Prerequisites: Damage Redirection Prana
There can come a time when a person is too ravaged by disease or poison for even the most powerful Charms and sorceries to have any effect, and at this time there are those who consider that the height of compassion is to end the suffering of these unfortunates as painlessly as possible. By a careful strike and the infusion of deadening Essence into the target the Exalted can deliver a deadly blow that also removes his target’s pain for a short while, granting lucidity before the end. The character makes a normal barehanded Martial Arts strike that inflicts damage as normal, however any wound penalties inflicted by the attack are deferred for a number of turns equal to the character’s Martial Arts. If the target of this Charm is unaware of the attack then he must make a reflexive Perception + Awareness roll with a difficulty of 5 + (character’s Essence) – (number of health levels inflicted) to even realise he has been struck. If the damage inflicted is enough to reduce the target below Incapacitated then the magic of the Charm sustains them for the same period of time that wound penalties are deferred for. If used offensively then this Charm is known as the “Deadly Feather Strike”.
Clement Heart Higher Form</b>
<b>Cost: 8 or 16 motes Type: Simple Duration: 1 scene Min. Martial Arts: 5 Min. Essence: 4 Prerequisites: Wound-Closing Touch, Painless Strike Method
The deeper mysteries of the Clement Heart style open themselves to the character upon attaining mastery of this Charm, allowing the nature of Compassion to make him lightning fast on the defence of himself or others, and healing Essence wells up from his anima infusing his whole being with its power. The character may add his Martial Arts score to all parry attempts, even ones using other Abilities, or may parry reflexively using his Martial Art score – these reflexive parries can even be used against attacks directed at others within the character’s Essence in yards. At the end of every turn the character reflexively heals two levels of Bashing damage or one level of Lethal damage – this Charm does not affect Aggravated damage. As a Higher Form this Charm is expressly compatible with and requires the activation of Clement Heart Form to be used itself (this greater cost in motes allows both Charms to be activated simultaneously). A character may have only one Higher Form Charm active at any time, and should he use another Higher Form or activate a different base Form, then it instantly replaces Clement Heart Higher Form. A character must have a Compassion score of at least 4 to learn and use this Charm.
Essence-Seeking Empathy</b>
<b>Cost: None Type: Special Duration: Permanent Min. Martial Arts: 5 Min. Essence: 4 Prerequisites: Clement Heart Higher Form
By learning this Charm the character subtly alters his anima, allowing it to draw upon the deepest reserves of compassion, and bolstering his Essence pools when acting along the lines of the style. The activation cost in motes of all Charms in the Clement Heart style is reduced by the character’s Compassion.
Chakra-Renewing Method</b>
<b>Cost: 15 motes, 2 Willpower, 1 health level Type: Simple Duration: Instant Min. Martial Arts: 5 Min. Essence: 4 Prerequisites: Clement Heart Higher Form
One of the final techniques of the Clement Heart style involves learning the deepest secrets of the healing powers buried within a person’s chakra points. Through absolutely precisely places strikes and blows, and the infusion of large amounts of Essence a character can instantly heal a chosen patient of all illnesses, poisons and wounds, leaving him slightly dazed but otherwise perfectly healthy. A slightly different order of activation on the chakra points, however, is vastly inimical and can cause the target’s body to turn against itself in a short-lived, but potent, orgy of self-destruction.
To use the healing method the Exalted makes a Perception + Martial Arts roll with a difficulty of 3 + (target’s wound penalties) + (1 per disease or poison currently affecting the target). If the character is successful then the target is instantly healed of all wounds, even Aggravated damage can be healed by this Charm, and any disease or poison affecting him is cleansed from his system without side-effect.
To use this Charm harmfully the Exalted must make a normal barehanded Martial Arts attack at an additional +2 difficulty - the target may defend against this attack as normal, and it inflicts the usual damage. If the attack strikes and at least one die of damage passes through soak then the Charm takes effect. The Exalted rolls Dexterity + Martial Arts opposed by the target’s Stamina + Resistance, and if he wins then his target suffers a number of levels (not rolled) of unsoakable Aggravated damage equal to the permanent Essence of the Exalted, and also permanently loses one dot of Strength, Dexterity or Stamina (chosen by the Exalted’s player). In this form the Charm is more commonly known as the “Chakra-Ravaging Strike”.
Consuming the Pain of the World</b>
<b>Cost: 20 motes, 1 Willpower Type: Reflexive Duration: Instant Min. Martial Arts: 5 Min. Essence: 5 Prerequisites: Chakra-Renewing Method
By now the very essence of Compassion has swelled up to dominate the life of the Exalted, and learning this Charm becomes an obvious step to take. Focussing inwards on his Essence and his Compassion a soft explosion of Essence ripples from the character’s anima passing through every ally within its area of effect, and bypassing every enemy, and down the links that have just been forged flow all the wounds and pain inflicted upon his friends. This Charm must be activated at the beginning of the turn, before initiative is rolled, and for the remainder of the turn, every ally of the Exalted with his permanent Essence x 10 yards is considered to be under the effect of Damage Redirection Prana. All the wounds inflicted on the character is deferred until the end of the turn, when the Charm ends and the stored damaging Essence strikes at the character as a single blow (this damage may not be soaked again). A character must have a Compassion score of at least 5 to learn and use this Charm.
As one of the pinnacle Charms of the Five-Fold Path to Perfection, Consuming the Pain of the World also grants an additional ability to the character who masters its secrets. This ability is a natural function of the knowledge of the Charm, and consumes no Essence to use, instead it may be used a number of times per day equal to the Exalted’s permanent Essence. The character gains the power of healing hands, able to close wounds with a touch and a smile. He may heal up to his Compassion x Essence of mortals of a single health level of damage, and ensures that their wounds will not become infected – once per day. This requires a 10 minute ritual to perform.
