MartialArts/GhostoftheDesertStyle
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Background
Ghost of the Desert Style
Ghost of the Desert Style is a Celestial Level martial arts style designed around creating illusions and using the tricky arts deception and misdirection to vanquish your opponent. Mastery of the style gives the user terrifyingly good control over images and ethereal things, and a practioner of this style often drives a person crazy before they ever strike. Because the style is designed for quick, powerful, slashing strokes, the form type weapon is a slashing sword (and its artifact equivalent. A martial artist of this style can wear armor and still perform it properly, provided the armor has no Fatigue penalty and no more then 1 mobility penalty.
History
Will fill this in at a later date.
Style
Blurring After Image</b>
<b>Cost: 3 motes; Mins: Martial Arts 3, Essence 2; Type: Supplemental Keywords: Combo-OK, Obvious Duration: Instant Prereqs: None
One of the first principles that one must learn before he can truly master this style is that misdirection of any kind allows for an advantage over the enemy. When this Charm is activated the martial artist blurs forward leaving a fleeting image of himself behind. This image serves to distract his enemies and allows him to outmaneuver them and view holes in their defenses.
Mechanically, this Charm adds the character's martial arts rating in successes to a Join Battle roll, and it grants him his Essence in dice to his first attack, as long as the person he attacks has not had his first action yet.
Inescapable Figment</b>
<b>Cost: 5 motes; Mins: Martial Arts 3, Essence 3; Type: Reflexive Keywords: Combo-OK, Obvious Duration: One Scene Prereqs: Blurring After Image
People often see ghostly figures dancing upon the dunes of the southern deserts. Whether these are real or simply figments of their imaginations no one can say for sure. Practioners of this style have learned to mimic these apparitions and are capable of using them to pursue their enemies, while at the same time driving them slowly mad. When the martial artist uses this Charm he doesn't seem so to much move, but to flicker form one place to another seemingly without movement at all.
Inescapable Figment grants the martial artist a second move action every tick and it also adds his martial arts to his movement rates.
False Reality Rebuke</b>
<b>Cost: 5 motes; Mins: Martial Arts 4, Essence 3; Type: Reflexive Keywords: Combo-OK, Counterattack Duration: Instant Prereqs: Inescapable Figment
Still working off the principles of misdirection, but now beginning to incorporate the power of illusion into his attacks the Exalt is capable of truly misleading his opponent. When the martial artist is attacked this Charm allows him to launch a counterattack against his enemy. This counterattack appears to be levied from the opposite side that it is actually coming from with a weapon that is there one second and gone the next.
An Exalt who uses this Charm may make a full (Dexterity + Martial Arts) counterattack against anyone who attacks him, but the counterattack is thoroughly diguised and counts as an unanticipated attack for the purposed of DV calculation.
Haze Obscures the Mind</b>
<b>Cost: 7 motes; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 3; Type: Reflexive Keywords: Combo-OK, Obvious Duration: One Scene Prereqs: False Reality Rebuke
Deep in the southern deserts there appears to be a perpetual haze that lingers over the entire place. This haze is a detriment to outsiders, but a useful tool to those who live there and know how to use it. The haze hides their approach and distorts the visitors vision just enough that he is never sure if he is aiming his strikes correctly at his assailants. A martial artist who learns this Charm has taken the effort to study this haze and bend its power to his will.
When this Charm is activated a miasma of heat waves linger about the character distorting his movements and allowing him to blend into his surroundings with ease. For the duration of this Charm the user adds his Essence to his Dodge DV and his martial arts score to all attempts to reestablish surprise.
Ghostly Shimmer Attack</b>
<b>Cost: 4 motes; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 4; Type: Supplemental Keywords: Combo-OK, Obvious Duration: Until Next Action Prereqs: Haze Obscures the Mind
At this stage of the style the Exalt has truly learned how to incorporate illusion and deception into his attacks and defenses. When this Charm is activated the martial artist seems to blur before his opponents as dozens of ghostly images attack him all at once. This disorients those he is attacking and renders them panicked and out or sorts.
When Ghostly Shimmer Attack is used the Exalt subtracts a number from his opponents DV's equal to his Essence score, and also adds half (rounded up) of his Essence score to his Dodge DV.
Deceitful Strike</b>
<b>Cost: 7 motes + 1wp; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 5; Type: Extra Action Keywords: Combo-OK, Obvious Duration: Instant Prereqs: Ghostly Shimmer Attack
A quick tensing of muscle, followed by a string of attacks, and ending up with not even the slightest sound of metal on metal. That is what Exalt's who use Deceitful Strike hope to accomplish when they apply its techniques against an adversary in combat.
This Charm creates a magical flurry with a number of actions equal to the users martial arts score, which all must be used for attacks. The flurry has a DV penalty of -1. In addition this Charm allows the martial artist to move so fast and with such great control that any opponent witnessing the attacks believe that all the slashes are coming from a slightly different angle and place then they actually are. This ability makes the target's Parry DV inapplicable, and because of the surprise at the necessity of dodging opponents are put off balance and can never sure up there footing enough the launch an type of counterattack against the Exalt.
Complete Disorientation Method</b>
<b>Cost: 5 motes; Mins: Martial Arts 3, Essence 2; Type: Supplemental Keywords: Combo-OK, Illusion Duration: One Scene Prereqs: None
With but a mere flick of his wrist a practitioner of this style can wrap an illusion around himself and a single target that makes the opponent believe tha the martial artist is not attacking when he actually is.
Every time the Exalt attacks, the victim of this Charm must roll (Wits + Awareness) at a difficulty of the martial artists Essence to notice the Exalt attempting the attack. If the roll fails then the Exalt's attack is considered unanticipated. The effect may be resisted by the expenditure of 1 willpower, and after 2 willpower has been spent in this fashion he becomes immune to the effects of this Charm for the rest of the scene.
Any who are watching the fight and are not the target of this Charm simply see the martial artist attacking with his adversary offering no defense.
Veiled Ghost Technique</b>
<b>Cost: 5 motes + 1wp; Mins: Martial Arts 3, Essence 3; Type: Simple Keywords: Combo-Basic, Illusion Duration: One Scene Prereqs: Complete Disorientation Method
A true ghost of the desert is able to fade in and out of a given situation with ease and little fanfare. This Charm allows the martial artist to craft an illusion around any onlookers that leads them to believe that he is not there.
The martial artist rolls his (Manipulation + Martial Arts) with his successes applied against any onlookers' Dodge MDVs in an attempt at unnatural mental influence. Success means that the onlookers are caught in the illusion and do not see the character whenever he is not joined in battle. Any targets may spend 3 willpower to dispel this illusion over them, and this drops to 1 willpower if anyone call attention to the Exalt.
Promise of Oasis</b>
<b>Cost: 7 motes; Mins: Martial Arts 4, Essence 3; Type: Reflexive Keywords: Combo-OK, Illusion Duration: One Scene Prereqs: Veiled Ghost Technique
An Exalt at this level of mastery realizes how appearing weaker may actually make himself stronger in the long run. By using this Charm he may cast an illusion over a single opponent that he is fighting that makes the adversary see an opening in the Exalt's defenses that is not truly there. This makes the target's movements and attacks very predictable and allows the martial artist to never be overwhelmed or caught off guard by him or her.
Mechanically, the Exalt must roll (Dexterity + Martial Arts) at a difficulty of the target's Dodge MDV. If he is successful then the target sees the false opening and the martial artist recieves several bonuses. He adds his Essence divided by two (rounded up) to his Parry DV and he will not take any onslaught penalties from attacks made by the target of this Charm. The person caught in this illusion may spend 2 willpower to shrug off its effects.
Flickering Illusion Dance</b>
<b>Cost: 5 motes + 1wp; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 3; Type: Simple Keywords: Combo-OK, Illusion, Obvious Duration: One Scene Prereqs: Promise of Oasis
Attacks made by a desert ghost are often quick and sharp, while there movements between attacks are fluid and graceful. This makes those witnessing them fight think they look like they are performing some obscure, beautiful, flickering dance. This Charm makes those thoughts reality as the martial artist fans out into 10 perfect duplicates of himself and they all begin to do this so-called Ghost Dance in unison.
When this Charm is activated the martial artist must roll (Manipulation + Martial Arts) and apply it to everyone's Dodge MDV. Success means the victims are fooled by the illusion and they believe there really are 10 of the Exalt dancing across the battlefield. Whenever an opponent attacks the martial artist drop a ten-sided die, the attacker has his Essence in 10 chances to hit, and if the die comes up a miss the attack simply fails, but if it comes up a hit then the attack is resolved normally. Any person caught in this Charm may pay 2 willpower to resist its effects.
Exposure's Clarity</b>
<b>Cost: 6 motes + 1wp; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 4; Type: Reflexive Keywords: Combo-OK Duration: One Scene Prereqs: Flickering Illusion Dance
A practitioner of this style has done much research and experimentation into crafting and using illusions, so much so that they no longer bother him when he does not wish them too.
The martial artist simply spends the motes and willpower on this Charm and any illusion effects that are currently plaguing him are dispelled and he is immune to any further illusions for the rest of the scene.
Red Mirage Masquerade</b>
<b>Cost: 20 motes + 1wp; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 5; Type: Simple Keywords: Combo-Basic, Illusion, Obvious Duration: One Scene Prereqs: Exposure's Clarity
This is the most deadly technique performable by this style and students take a long time in mastering it, because perfection of its implementation means they are truly ready to become a ghost of the desert. The martial artist slowly raises his blade or hand in a great arc that forms a semi-circle. When he reaches the apex of the climb he brings his weapon down in front of his chest, and as he finishes the target of this illusion finds himself trapped in a red, hazy world filled with his worst inner demons or nightmares. The images seem real and life like to the target and he will exert his full effort into warding them off. Those not in the illusion see the poor soul trapped within it flailing at and defending himself from invisible foes to the detriment of all else.
The martial artist rolls (Manipulation + Martial Arts) against a difficulty of his opponent's Dodge MDV. Success means the target is encased in the illusion world and suffers all the adverse effects there of. All the target's DV's are reduced to zero against any attack, these DV's can be bumped via Charms or other magics, but their natural starting place is zero. The target may spend 2 willpower to shake off this illusion.
Ghost of the Desert Form</b>
<b>Cost: 15 motes; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 5; Type: Simple Keywords: Form-type, Obvious Duration: One Scene Prereqs: Red Mirage Masquerade, Deceitful Strike
Now that the Exalt has mastered the arts of misdirection and illusion he can finally master this style and become a true Ghost of the Desert. When this Form Charm is activated the martial artist's appearance becomes flickery and unstable, and he seems to dart around his opponents vision, never staying in one place for longer then a heartbeat. His features sink back and become indefinable and his attacks seems to lash out from places he doesnt even seem to be.
When the martial artist enters Ghost of the Desert Form he becomes capable of attacking any opponent within his Essence x 5 yards regardless of where he actually appears to be. This flickering state also grants him the element of surprise and the first attack of each of his actions counts as unanticipated for the purposes of DV calculations. Finally, his mastery of illusion and mirage increases his willpower cost to resist any illusion created by this style by 1.
