MartialArts/CrocodileStyle
Crocodile Style
By Shakenzerite
Background
Crocodiles have long inspired both worship and animosity in humanity. Some Exalted, of course, came from more worshipful societies, and a few inevitably came up with a style of combat emulating the literal and attributed qualities of the crocodile, with both devastating attacks and protective effects woven into the fighting style.
Equipment Usage
Crocodile Style martial arts utilize no particular set of martial arts weapons.
Charms
Shielding The Eye</b>
<b>Cost: 6 motes Type: Simple Duration: One Scene Min. Martial Arts: 2 Min. Essence: 2 Prereqs: None
In reality and in legends, the eyes of the crocodile have a third lid that drops down to guard their gaze. The first trick that martial artists learn in the style based on this creature is something similar, as lids of Essence cover their gaze and prevent their skills from falling short of the occasion from visual tricks. The martial artist is not penalized dice for any of these effects, and when confronted by an illusion, the player may roll the character’s Perception + Awareness at a difficulty equal to the creator’s Essence to realize it for what it is.
Water's Edge Concentration</b>
<b>Cost:1 mote/die, 1 Willpower Type: Supplemental Duration: Instant Min. Martial Arts: 3 Min. Essence: 2 Prereqs: Shielding the Eye
The edge of a waterway, where water meets land, is an incredibly dangerous place, because this is where the crocodile takes his prey unawares. Striking from surprise, an Exalt may cause grievous injury. Extra damage dice for an attack may be purchased when using this Charm, at the cost of one mote per die, up to the raw damage of the attack.
Thrashing Tail Method</b>
<b>Cost:5 motes Type: Reflexive Duration: Five turns Min. Martial Arts: 4 Min. Essence: 2 Prereqs: Shielding the Eye
Drawing upon the power of the crocodile’s tail, which can propel the beast far out of the water and into the air, the Exalt may move with far greater speed than he otherwise would. For the duration the Charm’s activity, the martial artist may add his Essence rating to his Initiative, to his Strength for the purposes of jumping and to his Dexterity to determine how quickly he may move.
Crocodile Form</b>
<b>Cost:6 motes Type: Simple Duration: One Scene Min. Martial Arts: 5 Min. Essence: 2 Prereqs: Water's Edge Concentration, Thrashing Tail Method
Barreling forward with massive amounts of the power in his limbs, the martial artist dives into combat as the crocodile dives into the water. His attacks hit considerably harder when they land, and so his Martial Arts rating is added to the raw damage of all hand to hand attacks he makes this Scene. The power of the crocodile’s scales and his cold mind also protect the Exalt who assumes this form, as his essence is added to his bashing and lethal soak, and also to any Virtue or Willpower roll to resist compulsion or fear as well.
Heat-Channeling Stance</b>
<b>Cost:5 motes, 1 Willpower Type: Simple Duration: One Scene Min. Martial Arts: 5 Min. Essence: 3 Prereqs: Crocodile Form
By positioning his limbs and body in the appropriate manner the martial artist may resist the cold’s attempt to steal his heat away, or allow his body heat and Essence to vent in such a manner that they block the effects of the heat in the world. This adds his Martial Arts rating to his soak against heat and cold based attacks, and also allows him to ignore those environmental conditions for the scene this Charm is activated in.
Warming the Ichor</b>
<b>Cost:8 motes, 1 Willpower Type: Reflexive Duration: Five Turns Min. Martial Arts: 5 Min. Essence: 3 Prerequisite Charms: Heat-Channeling Stance
Drawing upon the active potential of a basking crocodile, the Exalt is capable of feats of enhanced physical prowess, or even of heightened awareness. For five turns, the martial artist adds his Essence to either a physical attribute or to his Perception. These are bonus dice and count as such for the purpose of adding to the dice pool with any other such Charms that an Exalt might have.
Land-Shaking Bellow Kiai</b>
<b>Cost:5 motes, 1 Willpower Type: Simple Duration: Instant Min. Martial Arts: 5 Min. Essence: 3 Prereqs: Crocodile Form
The Disciple of Scales holds in a mighty breath, and shakes the surrounding landscape with the power of his voice. The currents of Essence he controls magnify the effect of this battle bellow, and terrify those who stand before the emulator of the Scaled One. All those who overhear him must make a Valor roll with a difficulty equal to the Essence of the one that issued the Land-Shaking Bellow Kiai, and if they fail, they lose one die from all combat actions for the remainder of their conflict with the Disciple of Scales. Dice pools cannot be reduced below the unfortunate’s Essence with the use of this Charm.
Spinning the Jaw</b>
<b>Cost:8 motes, 1 Willpower Type: Supplemental Duration: Instant Min. Martial Arts: 5 Min. Essence: 3 Prereqs Charms: Land-Shaking Bellow Kiai
Clinches and holds can be the bane of any who are so entangled, but not one of the followers of the Crocodile Way. His hands emulating the jaws of the crocodile, the Scale Disciple’s mighty limbs twist the body of the unfortunate that is engaged in such a bout of wrestling, doing massive amounts of damage to the victim held in the mighty jaws of the crocodile. Damage received from the Scale Disciple in a clinch counts as lethal, and he may also add his successes in grappling to the damage roll, which is increased by his Martial arts rating.
Dragon Shield Defense</b>
<b>Cost:6 motes Type: Reflexive Duration: Instant Min. Martial Arts: 5 Min. Essence: 3 Prereqs: Crocodile Form
While some martial artists rely merely on deflection to avoid the business end of their foes’ aggressive intent, the Disciples of the Crocodile employ more safety, and far more pluck in their scaly toughness, allowing an attack to land and then skid harmlessly off the surface of their body. Using this Charm, the player of a Disciple of Crocodile may roll the character’s Stamina + Martial Arts as a “parry” roll against any one attack. Success results in a glancing blow that does no harm; even if the attempt is unsuccessful, the Disciple of Crocodile may add 5L/5B to his soak to soak that one attack, even if it is aggravated.
Snapping Jaw Interdiction</b>
<b>Cost:6 motes Type: Reflexive Duration: Instant Min. Martial Arts: 5 Min. Essence: 3 Prereqs: Dragon Shield Defense
His hands constricting tightly around a sword, arrow or fist, the Crocodile Disciple may block an attack aggressively, so as to injure or disarm his opponent while avoiding injury, gaining a reflexive parry roll equal to his Dexterity + Martial Arts. If struck by a hand to hand weapon such as a sword or axe, or even a ranged weapon, the Disciple uses any leftover successes as an attack against the weapon, counting the weapon’s lethal damage modifier as both soak and health levels; each damage success reduces the weapon’s damage by 1, and breaks it once the damage modifier is reduced to 0. Against the unarmed, it is resolved as a normal counterattack (with leftover successes once again used to attack).
Ocean-Crossing Fortitude</b>
<b>Cost:10 motes, 1 Willpower, 1 health level Type: Reflexive Duration: One Scene Min. Martial Arts: 5 Min. Essence: 4 Prereqs: Snapping Jaw Interdiction, Spinning the Jaw, Warming the Ichor
Saltwater crocodiles are capable of traveling the vast breadth of oceans. The Disciple of Scales draws upon the strength of these hardy, barnacle encrusted stalwarts to survive almost any tribulation or injury. All rolls using Stamina add the Scaled Disciple’s Martial Arts in dice, and soak is increased by this amount as well. The difficulty of Stamina rolls is also decreased by the Disciple’s Essence, to a minimum of 1.
