MartialArts/FiveGloriousBannersStyle

Five Glorious Banners Style

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Designed during the time of the Shogunate, when the thinned ranks of the Dragon Bloodied began to rely more and more on mortal soldiers and bodyguards, this style uses the practioner's own Essence to empower a group of mortal fighters, turning a mere annoyance into a deadly force.

The practioner and her allys must all be unarmed, and the mortals must be unarmored. The most traditional such team will consist of an Earth Aspect, supported by four mortals, one hailing from each of the four directions of Air, Wood, Fire and Water; however, in practice, any motley crew will usually do. This style requires no specialized training on the part of the mortals, although they should preferably be able to fight unarmed already.

Under One Banner

• Cost: -
• Duration: -
• Type: Permanent
• Minimum Martial Arts: 2
• Minimum Essence: 2
• Prerequisite Charms: None

The character binds the Essence of up to four willing mortals (henceforth known as her "allies") to her own. These allies become immune to the effects of the character's Anima. In addition, so long as any of the team is aware of an ambush or other hazard, none of them will be suprised by it. Finally, no mortal under the effect of this charm is an extra. If she wishes to add a new ally or replace an existing one, this is a dice action.

Blackbird Shields Butterfly

• Cost: 1 mote
• Duration: Instant
• Type: Reflexive
• Minimum Martial Arts: 3
• Minimum Essence: 2
• Prerequisite Charms: Under One Banner

Sometimes the strong must step in to protect the weak. This charm allows the character to redirect an attack aimed at one of her allys towards herself. This does not provide her with a defence roll if she is not otherwise entitled to one, and only works if the ally is within [Essence x 5] yards.

Fluttering Banner Defence

• Cost: 3 motes
• Duration: Instant
• Type: Reflexive
• Minimum Martial Arts: 4
• Minimum Essence: 2
• Prerequisite Charms: Blackbird Shields Butterfly

The character may make a reflexive dodge or parry against one attack. This allows her to block lethal damage or ranged attacks unarmed.

Hornet Aids Hawk

• Cost: 3 motes
• Duration: Instant
• Type: Supplemental
• Minimum Martial Arts: 3
• Minimum Essence: 2
• Prerequisite Charms: Under One Banner

Sometimes the weak can aid the strong. The character adds dice to one of her attack or defence rolls equal to the Martial Arts or Brawl of one of her allies. Each ally can only participate in one such manoever per turn.

Burning Banner Assault

• Cost: 2 motes
• Duration: 1 Turn
• Type: Reflexive
• Minimum Martial Arts: 3
• Minimum Essence: 2
• Prerequisite Charms: Hornet Aids Hawk

The character draws on the power of her allies to empower her attacks. Her damage is increased by +[number of allies]L for the rest of the turn.

Five Glorious Banners Form

• Cost: 4 motes
• Duration: Instant
• Type: Reflexive
• Minimum Martial Arts: 4
• Minimum Essence: 2
• Prerequisite Charms: Blackbird Shields Butterfly, Hornet Aids Hawk

The character's bond to her allies becomes deeper, their destinys twisted together so that they become as one and fight in perfect harmony. This has the following effects :

• Her allies no longer recieve actions of their own, and do not roll Initiative. If attacked, each of them may make one dodge or parry roll each turn.
• The characters multiple action penaltys are reduced by up to [number of allies] on each roll, to represent the combined efforts of her and her allies.
• Any one of her allies may substitute themselves for any other and redirect an attack towards themselves instead. For example, if three archers take aim at Alf and fire at him, Bob and Clive can each choose to redirect one arrow towards themselves, so that they each get a full defence roll against one arrow.

Unified Assault Manoever

• Cost: 4 motes
• Duration: Instant
• Type: Supplemental
• Minimum Martial Arts: 4

• Minimum Essence: 3
• Prerequisite Charms: Five Glorious Banners Form

Just as the enemy comes to block one of her ally's attacks, another comes at him from an unexpected angle and deals the killing blow. This can be used to supplement one of the character's attacks. The defender counts as being unaware of the attack, unless they pass a Wits + Awareness roll at a difficulty equal to [number of allies].

Victorious Banner Rally

• Cost: 5 motes, 1 WP
• Duration: 1 Turn
• Type: Simple
• Minimum Martial Arts: 5
• Minimum Essence: 3
• Prerequisite Charms: Unified Assault Technique

With a cry of victory, the character empowers her mortal allies, temporarily making them more than human. For the rest of the turn, her allies can act on their own even if the Form charm is active, and may split their dice pools normally. They use the character's Initiative, and their Strength, Dexterity, Dodge and Martial Arts are each raised to that of the character, unless already higher, and can deal and block lethal damage unarmed. However, this surge of essence is too much for the mortal frame to bear. Each takes 1L health level of damage.

Living Banner Invigoration

• Cost: 4 motes
• Duration: Scene
• Type: Reflexive
• Minimum Martial Arts: 4
• Minimum Essence: 3
• Prerequisite Charms: Five Glorious Banners Form

Imbued with Essence, the character and her allies are protected from harm. Damage is shared amongst the group, one man's broken leg becoming five men's harmless bruises. The character and her allies recieve +[number of allies]B and L soak. In addition, if anyone suffers more than 1 health level of damage from any source, they may "pool" up to the character's Essence HL of that damage so that it is suffered by one or more of the other participants instead. This can only be done at the time of the damage being taken.

Defiant Banner-Bearer's Spirit

• Cost: 3 motes, 1 WP
• Duration: 1 turn
• Type: Reflexive
• Minimum Martial Arts: 5
• Minimum Essence: 3
• Prerequisite Charms: Living Banner Invigoration

Sometimes, when a warrior has suffered wounds that they cannot possibly survive, they yet keep fighting for a few crucial seconds, kept alive by their own honour and sense of duty to their comrades and their standard. It may seem to the enemy that they are immortal as they remain standing despite horrific injurys. This Charm can be activated when the character or one of her allies has taken damage that would put them on Incapacitated or worse. For the rest of the turn, they keep fighting at a -4 Wound Penalty. At the end of the turn they collapse as usual, unless this charm is used again to keep them up next turn as well. However, if the victim takes enough damage to actually kill them, even this Charm cannot hold back death any longer.

Fivefold Battle-Brothers Binding

• Cost: 15 motes, 1 xp per ally
• Duration: Special
• Type: Special
• Minimum Martial Arts: 5
• Minimum Essence: 4
• Prerequisite Charms: Defiant Banner-Bearer's Spirit, Victorious Banner Rally

The master of the Fivefold Banners style can forge a pact between herself and her faithful retinue, binding them together as blood brothers unto death. This Charm takes 1 hour to activate for each ally bound, up to a maximum of four. This is traditionally spend drinking, singing and generally carousing in the dojo. This has the following effects :

• If fighting with all of her blood brothers as allies, the character may activate the form charm for only 1 mote.
• If all of her blood brothers are present, she cannot choose anyone else as her allies.
• Each of the participants is aware of the rough location and emotional state of the others, if they are within 1 mile.
• Her blood brothers' Martial Arts score is raised to that of the character, as long as she is within 1 mile.

These effects last a lifetime, or until the practitioner dies. If one of the mortals dies, another may be added by using this charm again and paying 1 xp, but not until a ritual mourning period of seven days has passed.

Feedback

Hmm. Still working on this one. I think it's too weak so far. -- Xarak

Not sure Under One Banner should be permanent. I'd make it scene-duration, costing 1 mote per ally you induct to a maximum of four. Cool idea, though. Keep going. - Falcon

I'm not sure it's worth that much. Bear in mind you need it active in order for any of the other charms to work, so that would be an obligitory cost. -- Xarak

Hmm, perhaps I might recommend making it last for one "story"? Might be more appropriate that way --Prions

While I like the style, it seems to have the best reflexive MA defense in the whole of first edition, certainly for a terrestrial style - an entire reflexive defense, against lethal or ranged, dodge OR parry, for only 3 motes?
-- Darloth