MartialArts/CopperSpiderStyle
Copper Spider Style
By Thinker
Background
This highly mystical style has not been practiced since the First Age, when it was used primarily by Twilight Caste Solar Exalted, and a few Sidereal Exalted. It was often practiced by Sorcerers as a form of personal defense.
Charms
Essence Breath Method</b>
<b>Cost: 1 willpower Duration: One Hour Type: Simple Min. Martial Arts: 2 Min. Essence: 1 Prereqs: None
The Exalt enters a light state of meditation. They are partially aware of their environment and may end the Charm early if the desire, but while they are meditating they take a +1 Difficulty penalty on all Perception rolls, as their attention is focused inward, and the suffer a -2 initiative penalty in the Turn that they end the Charm early. During the hour that the Charm is in effect they regain Essence as if sleeping (8 + Hearthstones etc), plus an additional 8 motes, as they regulate their breathing to maximum possible efficiency for Essence regeneration.
Soul Balance</b>
<b>Cost:7 motes Duration: Instant Type: Simple Min. Martial Arts: 2 Min. Essence: 2 Prereqs: Essence Breath Method
By controlling the flow of Essence through their vital centers with a strong exhale, the Exalt purges their body of disruptive Essence. Any Charm or effect that is causing the Exalt to suffer reduced dice pools or traits are purged from them. This includes Lightning Torment Hatchets, Stillness of Stone and Joint Wounding attack, but not effects like Hungry Earth Strike or a Clinch, as they restrain the character rather than disrupting her ability to act. It is also ineffective against external effects that penalize, such as Ebon Shadow Form or Terrifying Apparition of Glory.
Spider Fangs Strike</b>
<b>Cost:2 motes Duration: Instant Type: Supplemental Min. Martial Arts: 2 Min. Essence: 1 Prereqs: None
The Exalt hardens shells of Essence around his fingers like the fangs of a spider, allowing them to deal or block lethal damage, for a single attack.
Gait of the Copper Spider</b>
<b>Cost:3 motes Duration: Essence Turns Type: Reflexive Min. Martial Arts: 3 Min. Essence: 1 Prereqs: Spider Fangs Strike
The Exalt uses his Essence to spread his weight across a large area, allowing them to run or walk (Though not stand.) on surfaces too weak to support their weight. When the technique is first learned this generally means, thin branches, quicksand and things of similar constancy. At Essence 2 this includes water, and even leaves, if the character has Essence 3, then so long as they take their full movement action each Turn they can even run on air while this Charm is active. Also while this Charm is active the Character’s balance is perfect they will never trip or fall and are not subject to knockdown. (Though the can be Knockbacked).
Copper Spider Form</b>
<b>Cost:6 motes Duration: One Scene Type: Simple Min. Martial Arts: 4 Min. Essence: 2 Prereqs: Gait of the Copper Spider, Soul Balance
Adopting the sacred rhythms of breathing required by the Copper Spider and crouching into the fighting position of its art the Exalt, prepares themselves for battle. While under the effects of the Copper Spider Form the Exalt may pay a single mote to take a full dodge, movement action or a single Martial Arts attack in the same turn that they use a Simple Charm (Including Sorcery). This does not allow them to violate the normal rules for Charm activation or gain additional actions in any other circumstances than a Full Dodge, movement or a Martial Arts attack in conjunction with a Simple Charm. It also allows the Exalt to dodge attacks that would normally be undodgable while it is in effect. A Character may only have one Form type Charm active at a time, if they activate another Form type Charm the Copper Spider Form is immediately canceled and replaced with it.
Spider Walks the Web</b>
<b>Cost:5 motes, 1 willpower Duration: One Scene Type: Simple Min. Martial Arts: 5 Min. Essence: 3 Prereqs: Copper Spider Form
Imitating the movements of the Spider who can walk on the webs that bind their prey with impunity the Character focuses their Essence, allowing them to ignore effects that prevent them from moving while this Charm is active. This charm makes them immune to clinches, restraints, and Charms that trap or imprison the character; it also renders them immune to the secondary effects of such things. This explicitly makes them immune to the effects of the Charm Web Spinning Offense.
Spider Shuffle Defense</b>
<b>Cost:4 motes Duration: One Turn Type: Reflexive Min. Martial Arts: 4 Min. Essence: 3 Prereqs: Copper Spider Form
Like a spider scurrying from the path of a swatting hand, the Character moves in a precise pattern, no element of motion wasted no movement without reason. So long as they have at least a square yard of freedom to move their feet, they may add their Martial Arts to any dodge for the turn that this Charm is active in. Despite its duration this Charm is explicitly allowed to be placed in a combo.
Unexpected Swinging Spider</b>
<b>Cost:5 motes, 1 willpower Duration: One Scene Type: Simple Min. Martial Arts: 5 Min. Essence: 3 Prereqs: Spider Shuffle Defense
Imitating the motions of a Spider swinging on a thread the Character evades attack, moving one way and then the other. While under the effects of this Charm the Character may add their Martial Arts to any dodge dice pool, or even use their Martial Arts alone to reflexively dodge an attack if for some reason they have no other pool. This is a normal Charm bonus and cannot take the Characters dice pool above the norm for their Exalted type.
Thread Launching Strike</b>
<b>Cost:8 motes Duration: Instant Type: Simple Min. Martial Arts: 4 Min. Essence: 3 Prereqs: Copper Spider Form
The Character makes a normal Martial Arts attack, but rather than inflicting damage this attack spins a thread of Essence lashing out of Exalts hands to bind and interfere with the targets ability to fight. This Charm may be focused through a weapon and has a range of Essence x 5 yards. If the attack is successful then each additional success scored on the attack roll reduces the targets combat dice pools by 1. Additionally their movement rate is calculated as if their Dexterity was one point lower per success rolled over their defense roll, if this reduces their effective Dex to 0 they are held immobile by the binding threads of webbing. This effect lasts for a number of Turns equal to the characters Martial Arts.
Web Spinning Offense</b>
<b>Cost:8 motes, 1 willpower Duration: Essence Turns Type: Simple Min. Martial Arts: 5 Min. Essence: 3 Prereqs: Thread Launching Strike
The Character performs a brief Kata imitating the motions of a Spider weaving their web, and a mass of Essence threads around them in the pattern of a spider web. This web extends outwards to a range of Martial Arts x 10 yards and does not move once created. Anyone (including the character) caught within this area has their movement rate reduced by the Characters Martial Arts x 5 yards. If this would reduce their walking movement rate to zero or lower they are stuck and cannot move. Additionally anyone within the area of effect (including the Character) suffers a penalty to all combat dice pools equal to the characters Martial Arts score.
Poison Injecting Strike</b>
<b>Cost:5 motes, 1 Health Level Duration: Instant Type: Supplemental Min. Martial Arts: 5 Min. Essence: 4 Prereqs: Spider Walks the Web, Web Spinning Offense
The Character imbues their hands with deadly Essence venom that passes through the skin of any target touched. It is normally delivered with a Martial Arts attack, though any touch will suffice. Once the poison is delivered the victim must make an opposed Stamina + Resistance roll vs. the Exalts Essence + Willpower. If the Exalt looses the contested roll the victim shakes off the effects of the poison, if they win however for a number of Turns equal to the net successes the victim takes a number of dice of unsoakable aggravated damage equal to the Essence score the Exalt using this Charm.
Essence Snaring Web Defense</b>
<b>Cost:10 motes, 1+ Willpower, 1 Aggravated Health Level Duration: Instant Type: Reflexive Min. Martial Arts: 5 Min. Essence: 4 Prereqs: Web Spinning Offense, Unexpected Swinging Spider
The Character lashes out with a mass of Essence webs that ensnare an incoming Essence based attack, and fling it back upon the attacker. This only works on attacks composed purely of Essence (Such as Blazing Solar Bolt, Wrathful Winds Maneuver, Crypt Bolt or Elemental Bolt Attack.) or Sorcery. This Charm is automatically successful no roll is required, but the strain inflicts great cost upon the user (reflected in the Aggravated Health Level cost.) This Charm can only be used to return Sorcery effects for Circles that the Character themselves know (Meaning that if they are not a Sorcerer at all they cannot use this Charm to deflect Sorcery) and it cannot work on Solar Circle Sorcery in any case. It is however effective on Shadowlands and Labyrinth Circle Necromancy if the character is skilled in those arts. When used to deflect Sorcery or Necromancy it costs a number of additional Willpower points equal to the number required to cast the spell in question.
Desiccating Victim Stance</b>
<b>Cost:3 motes Duration: Instant Type: Simple Min. Martial Arts: 5 Min. Essence: 5 Prereqs: Essence Snaring Web Defense, Poison Injecting Strike
Baring their teeth and sucking in sharply the Character actually draws Essence out of the opponents mouth and through the air to them. This attack cannot be performed from a distance greater than Essence x 10 yards. The victim rolls Essence + Resistance in a contested roll against the characters Martial Arts + a number of automatic successes equal to their Essence score. Each net success removes a mote from the victim’s Essence Pool and adds it to the Essence Pool of the Exalt employing this Charm.
