MartialArts/ElderSnakeStyle
Elder Snake Style
By Thinker
Background
Practiced by Solar Exalted in the First Age, who favored the fast and lethal attacks of the snake, but had outgrown the original Snake Style. It has the same armor and weapons compatibilities that Snake Style does. It was another of their attempts to ape the Sidereal's Secret Styles. Though again it lacks some of the polish and insight of the Sidereal’s Martial Arts possess it is not to be underestimated. 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
Sheathing Skin</b>
<b>Cost: 12 motes Duration: One Scene Type: Simple
Min. Martial Arts: 5 Min. Essence: 4 Prereqs: None
Wrapping themselves in patterns of Essence that resemble the skin of some ancient ophidian horror from before the world descended to its current weakened and primitive state, the Martial Artist may increases their Bashing soak by 12 points.
Flawless Scales</b>
<b>Cost:6 motes Duration: Essence Turns Type: Reflexive Min. Martial Arts: 5 Min. Essence: 5 Prereqs: Sheathing Skin
Hardening their muscles into Essence tightened coils the Martial Artist prepares to absorb even the harshest of blows. Any attack that strikes them while this Charm is active that does less raw damage than their soak is ignored completely.
Striking Coil Practice</b>
<b>Cost:2 motes Duration: Instant Type: Reflexive Min. Martial Arts: 5 Min. Essence: 4 Prereqs: None
This Charm doubles the characters total initiative, including bonuses provided by other Charms. Furthermore in the turn that this Charm opponents using Charms such as Thunderclap Rush Attack, and Opportune Shot do not automatically gain initiative on them. This Charm must be activated before initiative is rolled.
Poison Parry Method</b>
<b>Cost:5 motes Duration: Instant Type: Reflexive Min. Martial Arts: 5 Min. Essence: 5 Prereqs: Striking Coil Practice
The Exalt may make an immediate parry and counterattack against a single attack. Both are at their full normal dice pool, and are resolved before the original attack is. The counterattack always does lethal damage and adds the base damage of the attack that it was in response to its own. The counterattack may be defended against normally. This Charm can be invoked in response to another counterattack but in this case it merely provides a parry.
Elder Snake Form</b>
<b>Cost:12 motes Duration: One Scene Type: Simple Min. Martial Arts: 5 Min. Essence: 5 Prereqs: Flawless Scales, Poison Parry Method, Essence Venom Strike (All of Snake Style)
Swaying like the Primordial Serpents the Martial Artist becomes nearly impossible to hit, and mind shatteringly fast. Characters under the effects of the Elder Snake Form are almost impossible to strike any attack made against them must subtract a number of successes equal to the Exalt's Essence + Martial Arts, and may be dodged or blocked even if it would normally be a Perfect Attack (This is a Perfect Effect). Twisting like a snake around the Essence used by Charms that boost other people's initiative the character mirrors the effects of any initiative effecting Charm used by an opponent in any fight she is in with the Elder Snake Form up. (If someone uses Thunderclap Rush then it is treated as if the Elder Snake Stylist had also used Thunderclap Rush attack against them, if she is fighting an Immaculate using Hurricane Combat Method and Wind Dragon Speed she may add twice their Martial Arts to her initiative, etc.) Elder Snake Form is explicitly compatible with Snake 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 Snake Form is active then it is immediately canceled and replaced by the new Charm.
Ten Miles Strike Discipline</b>
<b>Cost:6 motes Duration: Instant Type: Supplemental Min. Martial Arts: 6 Min. Essence: 6 Prereqs: Elder Snake Form
Lashing out with a contrail of Essence the Exalt may make a Martial Arts attack out to a range of their Essence in miles so long as the target is visible.
Thousand Coils Motion</b>
<b>Cost:16 motes, 1 willpower Duration: Instant Type: Extra-Actions Min. Martial Arts: 6 Min. Essence: 6 Prereqs: Ten Miles Strike Discipline
The Elder Snake Stylist literally becomes a blur of motion as like the snake they strike too fast to be seen. They may make a number of Martial Arts attacks equal to their Essence each at their full Dexterity + Martial Arts dice pool. The effects of each successful attack are applied a number of times equal to their Martial Arts score, including other supplemental effects.
Soul Venom Practice</b>
<b>Cost:16 motes Duration: Instant Type: Supplemental Min. Martial Arts: 6 Min. Essence: 6 Prereqs: Elder Snake Form
Lashing out this an unarmed strike the Exalt fills their hands with potent Venom of the soul. If the attack is successful the motes used to fuel it immediately become committed. As long as they remain committed the targets essence is poison to them, each mote they spend inflicts an unsoakable dice of aggravated damage upon them, as it burns them from the inside out. Charms that shatter or remove this effect (Such as Essence Dousing Wave Attack, or Body and Spirit Purification Touch) work normally, but they inflict a number of Unsoakable Aggravated Levels of damage upon the person performing them equal to the Essence score of the character who used Soul Venom Practice.
Hydra Coils Attack</b>
<b>Cost:10 motes, 1 Willpower Duration: Instant Type: Supplemental Min. Martial Arts: 6 Min. Essence: 7 Prereqs: Soul Venom Practice
Blurring to the point of being indistinguishable as anything but a field of pure Essence in the air the Elder Snake Stylist, multiplies a single attack by their Martial Arts score, including all other supplemental effects. Each of thess attacks must be blocked or dodged separately and are considered to be Perfect Attacks.
Celestial Scales and Fangs</b>
<b>Cost:16 motes Duration: One Scene Type: Simple Min. Martial Arts: 7 Min. Essence: 7 Prereqs: Hydra Coils Attack, Thousand Coils Motion
Taking into themselves the Essence of the Elder Snake, the Martial Artist prepares for battle. They double their soak in all categories and their base damage type becomes Aggravated for all Martial Arts attacks.
Comments
I hope it's alright with some late comments on this marvelous idea and tree. My comments may be strange since I have not yet found the Sid hardback. Well, here we go.
Sheathing Skin: Why a flat 12 soak bonus? Wouldn't MA+Essence do the trick?
Thousand Coils Motion: Do the MAist have to pay for the supplementals Essence times?
Soul Venom Practice: For how long does the effect linger, should a victim choose not to spend any motes after the attack? "Ouch, that hurt, I have 14 agg waiting in line, but I think I hope that it wears off in the future.."
Hydra Coils Attack: This means that there is one roll for all of the attacks, I presume? Furthermore, in what way the the attacks perfect, like Accuracy Without Distance, or is it not blockable and dodgable? Also, same problem as with Thousand Coils Motion, do one have to pay extra? -Clebo
Keep in mind that these were written by a person who has repeatedly shown himself to have no sense of Charm design scale or sentence structure, and doesn't actually use the Wiki. - willows
Elder Snake Form is ridiculous - I reduced the sux-reduction to Essence only, which still makes it really good combined with Snake Form. Also renamed the tree to Grandfather Snake Style when handing it out. - Xyphoid
