MartialArts/ElderEbonShadowStyle
Elder Ebon Shadow Style
By Thinker
Background
Practiced by Night Caste in the First Age, who favored the stealth and magical attacks of the Ebon Shadow, but had outgrown the original Ebon Shadow Style. It has the same armor and weapons compatibilities that the original Ebon Shadow Style does. It was perhaps the best of their attempts to ape the Sidereal’s Secret Styles. Though it still lacks some of the polish and insight of the Sidereal of course. These are not Secret Martial Arts Charms and all Celestial Exalted learn them as standard Celestial Martial Arts Charms. Sidereal who learn this style may take a little extra effort while learning it to adapt it to their Essence (Paying Secret Style Costs rather than normal Celestial Ones) they may then take advantage of the Student and Elder Sutra at the appropriate points in the tree. The Player would have to write the appropriate Sutra.
Charms
Vanishing Shadow Technique</b>
<b>Cost: 5 motes Duration: Indefinite Type: Reflexive Min. Martial Arts: 5 Min. Essence: 4 Prereqs: None
The Character enacting this Charm vanishes from sight, becoming immaterial and invisible. The character may remain so as long as he wishes, so long as he does not move from the spot where he is standing. The character may enact other Charms so long as they do not require physical movement.
Air Walking Prana</b>
<b>Cost: 8 motes Duration: One Scene Type: Simple Min. Martial Arts: 5 Min. Essence: 5 Prereqs: Vanishing Shadow Technique
For the remainder of the scene the character can walk upon air. The character makes no sound at all unless he chooses to (this is a perfect effect). The character's normal movement rate applies to horizontal or vertical movement through the air, just as if it were solid ground.
Opponent Staggering Gesture</b>
<b>Cost: 8 motes Duration: Instante Type: Reflexive Min. Martial Arts: 5 Min. Essence: 4 Prereqs: None
The character makes a gesture towards an opponent so distracting that it causes the target to loose his action for the turn. The target must roll his Essence against a difficulty of the character's Martial Arts, and if he fails the target looses his action for the turn. If the target for some reason has multiple actions for the turn, then he only looses one of them. This Charm must be invoked before initiative, and can only be used upon a given opponent once each turn. Remember that someone who has lost his only dice action cannot invoke Simple or Supplemental type Charms.
Stunningly Sudden Glance</b>
<b>Cost: 8 motes, 1 willpower Duration: Instant Type: Reflexive Min. Martial Arts: 5 Min. Essence: 5 Prereqs: Opponent Staggering Gesture
The Character focuses his will upon a single opponent, and rolls his Perception + Martial Arts against a difficulty equal to their target's Essence. If he succeeds, the target looses all his remaining actions for the Turn. This includes any actions granted to him by Extra-Action Charms already invoked, and remaining split actions, his main dice pool, any number of fully independent actions, etc. This Charm may be invoked at any time in the turn any number of times in a turn.
Initiative Erosion Motion</b>
<b>Cost: 10 motes Duration: Essence Turns Type: Reflexive Min. Martial Arts: 5 Min. Essence: 5 Prereqs: None
The character’s distracting and terrifying motions and gestures disrupt magics that enhance other people's initiatives. All who oppose the character using this Charm in combat ignores any magical enhancements that would normally influence their initiatives. This includes effects that protect their initiatives from begin magically beaten, such as Prismatic Arrangement of Creation Form.
Elder Ebon Shadow Form</b>
<b>Cost: 15 motes, 1 willpower Duration: One Scene Type: Simple Min. Martial Arts: 5 Min. Essence: 5 Prereqs: Stunningly Sudden Glance, Air Walking Prana, Initiative Erosion Motion, Shadow Stepping Motion (All of Ebon Shadow Style)
A character who has invoked the Elder Ebon Shadow is a terrifyingly vague opponent. Any Existing Anima Flare instantly mutes down to nothing like a candle snuffed out by a strong breeze, and absolutely no number of motes will cause their Anima to flare in any way while he is under the effects of their Elder Ebon Shadow Form. However, motes spent still contribute to the banner and if the Form is dropped they will show. The character under the effects of the Elder Ebon Shadow Form also shows no signs of the characteristic displays for Sorcery and Combos. The character's location and movements also become similarly blurred making it exceedingly difficult to place him in an area to attack him or counter his blows. Opponents fighting the character treat all attacks against him as if they had their difficulty raised by 10. Likewise all defensive dice actions taken against the character are at a base difficulty of 10 before they begin to cancel their character's attack successes. Finally, in the unlikely event that a character under the effects of the Elder Ebon Shadow Form should die, he explodes in a fountain of dark Essence that totally consumes their soul. All within Essence x 10 yards suffer their Character's Essence in unsoakable levels of Aggravated damage. The character never leaves behind a ghost or any equipment carried on him of any kind. Elder Ebon Shadow Form is explicitly compatible with Ebon Shadow Form and may be activated before or after that Charm and neither Charm disrupts the operation of the other. This is an explicit exception to the proviso below.
Characters may only use a Single Martial Arts Form Charm at a time. If another such Charm is activated while the Elder Ebon Shadow Form is active then it is immediately canceled and replaced by the new Charm.
Defense Negating Strike</b>
<b>Cost: 7 motes, 1 Willpower Duration: Instant Type: Supplemental Min. Martial Arts: 6 Min. Essence: 6 Prereqs: Elder Ebon Shadow Form
The Character makes a Martial Arts attack against his opponent in a weak spot both in his spirit and his body. The target may not apply any soak at all against this attack. Effects that negate damage (Death Parrying Stroke, the Twilight Caste Anima ability, Adamant Skin, etc) work normally.
Essence Interrupting Strike</b>
<b>Cost: 15 motes Duration: Instant Type: Supplemental Min. Martial Arts: 6 Min. Essence: 6 Prereqs: Defense Negating Strike
If the character successfully lands an attack supplemented by this Charm, then the target's Essence is interrupted, and the targetmay not spend so much as a single mote until the flow of Essence through his vital centers is restored. Roll the character's Dexterity + Martial Arts against a difficulty of the target's permanent Essence; each net success is one scene (or 15 minutes in the case of longer scenes) that the target's Essence flow is disrupted. Even if the roll fails the target's Essence is disrupted for the rest of the scene. The target may burn a point of temporary willpower to reduce the duration by one scene, once per turn.
Shadow Inhaling Death Blow</b>
<b>Cost: 10 motes, 1 Willpower Duration: Instant Type: Supplemental Min. Martial Arts: 6 Min. Essence: 7 Prereqs: Essence Interrupting Strike
The Character strikes his opponent in such a way as the vital centers of the target's Essence are disrupted and the flow that maintains his existence is negated. The target instantly vanishes into a shadow in the shape of his form that collapses into itself until it is small enough to be inhaled by the Ebon Shadow Martial Artist. The character then rolls Wits + Martial Arts against a difficulty of the target's Temperance. For each net success the character may learn one thing that was known to the target (details on a hidden base including passwords etc, knowledge of a Charm enough to buy it without training time, etc.). This knowledge is permanently known to the character.
Evasive Shadow Motion</b>
<b>Cost: 12 motes Duration: Instant Type: Reflexive Min. Martial Arts: 6 Min. Essence: 6 Prereqs: Elder Ebon Shadow Form
The character's form splits into dozens of tiny shadows racing around the area he is in like he was being reflected in a dozen swinging mirrors. While the character suffers no impediment to his actions, his is immune to all attack until his initiative on the next turn after this Charm is activated. Additionally the character may attack anyone within Essence x 5 motes during the time he is under the effects of this Charm.
Fatal Timing Attack</b>
<b>Cost: 10 motes Duration: Instant Type: Supplemental Min. Martial Arts: 6 Min. Essence: 6 Prereqs: Evasive Shadow Motion
The character makes an attack that carries a wave of distracting energy before it that interferes with the timing of his opponent’s defenses. The target may not defend himself against the attack by mundane means, and any instant duration Charms that are raised by the target in his defense are assumed to occur a moment too early or a moment too late, and therefore are not applied to the attack supplemented by this Charm (this includes the reflexive parries or dodges provided by charms like Five Fold Bulwark Stance, etc, or similar Charms that provide instant defenses for a period of time, but does not include Charms like Bottomless Depths Defense that actually provide protection for a period of time constantly). Turn long or longer defenses may activate before the blow and therefore be effective or they may activate too late. To determine if this is the case the character and the defender make an opposed roll of Wits + Ability (for the defending Charm) against Wits + Martial Arts (for the attacker) for each charm. If the target wins then his defenses activate in time, if not they activate a moment too late (assuming the target is still alive.) Perfect Defenses always allow a roll even if they are of instant duration.
Void Assuming Stance</b>
<b>Cost: 20 motes, 1 willpower Duration: One Scene Type: Supplemental Min. Martial Arts: 6 Min. Essence: 7 Prereqs: Fatal Timing Attack, Shadow Inhaling Death Blow
The Void Assuming Stance makes the character a wisp of unmatter loosed upon the world to wander where he wills and bring destruction in his wake. While under the effects of this Charm the character gains the benefits of Vanishing Shadow Technique and Initiative Erosion Motion each turn, save that he may attack and move normally, despite the normal restrictions on Vanishing Shadow Technique. Additionally the character gains a Perfect Success on any stealth roll that he makes while under the effects of this Charm so long as he did not attack during the same turn as he makes the stealth roll, requiring a Perfect Defense against deception or stealth (such as the Eye of the Unconquered Sun) to see him.
Perfect Mark Methodology</b>
<b>Cost: 15 motes, 1 willpower Duration: Varies Type: Reflexive Min. Martial Arts: 7 Min. Essence: 7 Prereqs: Void Assuming Stance
Naming a target, the character assures that he will have a chance to assault him while he is alone. When the Charm is enacted the character vanishes into the flows of Essence of the world, much like a character who has activated the Prismatic Arrangement of Creation Form. However, the character stays in this way timeless and suspended until the target is alone, and not in a place where he is warded from teleportation. The first time that moment occurs (even if that is instantly) the character appears behind him, with an action ready. Of course if the target is particularly paranoid or well protected this Charm carries with it the risk of loosing considerable time suspended between the moments of reality.
Comments
Edited! -- Raindoll
Perhaps Evasive Shadow Motion should cost a willpower, or at least have -some- way of hitting the user. Do perfect attacks or area-attacks encompassing the entire area work?
-- Darloth
