MartialArts/InexorableMarchofIceStyle2E

Inexorable March of Ice Style

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Background

This style has recently resurfaced in Creation and was supposedly crafted by the Deathlord Eye and Seven Despair. Those who study these things claim this not to be the case and instead point to the style being older than that as evidenced by that fact that it is practiced by Lunars in the North. Regardless of its origin, the style has spread beyond the Deathknights of Cold House and the Northern Lunars. Practitioners of this style are taught the principles of timely action, deliberation, stillness, and patience. They use inevitability as an abstract concept and reinforce it with the more conrete symbol of the coming of the Ice Times, a day when all that is will be reduced to frozen wastes.

Those who practice the style are often cool and level headed, and many are seen as unfeeling and even cruel. The style is charactrized by a blend of careful motions deliberate strikes, and powerful essence manipulation with an icy focus.

This is a Second Edition style.

Weapons and Armor

Attacks with cesti, smashfists or similar weapons are considered unarmed for charms of this style. This style may be practiced in medium armor or lighter.

Charms

Reactive Defense </b>

<b>Cost: 3 motes
Duration: Instant
Type: Reflexive
Keywords: Combo-OK
Minimum Martial Arts: 2
Minimum Essence: 2
Prerequisite Charms:: none

Patience is the first lesson taught to Students. The first strike is not always the winning strike, and hasty opponents can be baited into perilous situations. The character rolls Martial Arts + Essence before Join Battle is rolled. For each success rolled the character may subtract a success from their Join Battle roll and add 1 to their PDV. This bonus to PDV persists for a number of actions equal to the character’s Essence and cannot exceed the character’s Martial Arts.

Deliberate Blow</b>

<b>Cost: 1 mote
Duration: Instant
Type: Supplemental
Keywords: Combo-OK
Minimum Martial Arts: 3
Minimum Essence: 2
Prerequisite Charms:: none

Students are taught to strike deliberately and with consideration for their opponent’s technique. By taking the time to attack precisely, the Student is capable of delivering more effective blows. The attack supplemented by this charm has its speed, accuracy, and damage increased by 1.

Indoctrination of Ice </b>

<b>Cost: none
Duration: Permanent
Type: Permanent
Keywords: Permanent
Minimum Martial Arts: 3
Minimum Essence: 2
Prerequisite Charms:: Reactive Defense, Deliberate Blow

Students who have mastered the basic techniques are finally introduced into the style’s doctrine. The ice times are coming, slowly, surely and with an unfeeling conviction. Through a harsh regimen, students are able to internalize the tenor of this truth. Reduce the character’s Join Battle pool by 1 die each time this charm is purchased as well as reducing the character's wound penalties by 1. After this charm is first purchased it may be purchased again after the form is learned, and then once more after the pinnacle charm is learned.

Inexorable March of Ice Form</b>

<b>Cost: 6 motes
Duration:One Scene
Type: Simple (7/-1)
Keywords: Form, Obvious
Minimum Martial Arts: 4
Minimum Essence: 3
Prerequisite Charms:: Indoctrination of Ice

After indoctrination, Students are taught the basic precepts and can attain the rank of Disciple. By adopting the Inexorable March of Ice Form the Disciple adopts a sturdy, patient stance. His limbs are steady, his focus unwavering. Students who become Disciples understand the basic tenants of inevitability and by placing timely strikes instead of attacking with abandon can achieve devastating results. The Aim action becomes a (Martial Arts/-0) action. In addition to increasing the accuracy of an attack it also increases the damage. Instead of 3, the maximum bonus is equal to the character’s Martial Arts ability. This value may not be modified by the First Excellency. In addition, add the character’s essence as automatic success to resist knockback or other effects which might move him against his will.

Glacial Mien </b>

<b>Cost: 4 motes
Duration:One Scene
Type: Reflexive
Keywords: Obvious, Combo-OK
Minimum Martial Arts: 5
Minimum Essence: 3
Prerequisite Charms:: Inexorable March of Ice Form

The Glacier is one of the strongest images of the ice times, and Disciples must learn to emulate its qualities. With a low, drawn out shout, the Disciple focuses his essence coating his flesh in a fine layer of ice. Activating this charm adds (Essence) to the character’s soaks and damage, allows him to parry lethal attacks unarmed without a stunt, and raises the speed of all of his actions by 1.

Frostbitten Rebuke</b>

<b>Cost: 6 motes
Duration:One Scene
Type: Simple
Keywords: Obvious, Combo-Basic
Minimum Martial Arts: 5
Minimum Essence: 4
Prerequisite Charms:: Glacial Mien

Disciples who learn to emulate the Glacier can learn to radiate bitter chill from within the core of their animas. Those who would seek to harm the character find a numbing chill driven into their flesh, dulling their wits and slowing their bodies. When an opponent touches the character, including successful hits by an attacker or a successful parry by the character, the speed of his action is increased by 1. This charm comes into effect in step 10 of the attack resolution and only when the character is the defender. At essence 5 the character’s mastery of his essence is so great that the retributive chill can travel back along the path of ranged attacks to affect their originator.

Crippling Frost Affliction </b>

<b>Cost: 4 motes
Duration:Instant
Type: Reflexive
Keywords: Obvious, Combo-OK
Minimum Martial Arts: 5
Minimum Essence: 4
Prerequisite Charms:: Inexorable March of Ice Form

Drawing further upon the portion of the ice times developing within, Disciples who master this technique can send out insidious tendrils of frozen essence, filling their opponent’s weapons with an unnatural chill. As this chill grows in strength it seeps into the limbs and anima of their wielder, numbing and slowing, even as the weapons themselves become encased in bulky and unbalancing frost. This charm may be activated whenever the character successfully parries an attack or whenever one of his targets successfully parries one of his attacks. Roll Martial Arts + Essence with a difficulty equal to the target’s essence. If this roll is successful, reduce the accuracy and defense traits of the opponent's weapon by 1. These values may not be reduced below -2. In addition increase the weapon’s speed by 1, this value may not be raised above 8. If the target weapon is an attuned artifact, increase the difficulty of the Martial Arts + Essence roll by 1. Finally, the owner of an attuned artifact targeted by this charm may pay the artifact’s attunement cost in motes to nullify the effects of this charm.

Blissful Embrace of Rime </b>

<b>Cost: 4 motes
Duration:Instant
Type: Supplemental
Keywords: Obvious, Combo-OK
Minimum Martial Arts: 5
Minimum Essence: 4
Prerequisite Charms:: Crippling Frost Affliction

It is said the victims of ice and snow lose sensation and become sluggish to the point where they simply drift off into sleep and eventually the comparative warmth of death. Disciples can channel this power into their attacks, slowly sending their foes into an unfeeling sleep. Unarmed attacks supplemented by this charm that inflict at least one health level of damage, allow the character to roll Martial Arts + Essence + Number of health levels inflicted. Targets with an awakened essence may contest this by rolling Stamina + Resistance. If the character succeeds, reduce the target’s Dexterity by 1 for the scene. Targets reduced to 0 Dexterity by this charm become inactive for the rest of the scene. Lost Dexterity returns at the rate of 1 point an hour for beings with an awakened essence or 1 point a day for mortals.

The Paean of Stillness </b>

<b>Cost: 6 motes
Duration:Instant
Type: Simple (5/-0)
Keywords: Obvious, Combo-Basic
Minimum Martial Arts: 5
Minimum Essence: 4
Prerequisite Charms:: Frostbitten Rebuke, Blissful Embrace of Rime

As the Disciples grow closer to understanding, they become Acolytes. The first technique taught to Acolytes is the Paean of Stillness. The Acolyte speaks a brief sutra and a wave of primal stillness radiates outwards from his anima. Those caught within the wave are overcome by insight and introspection into the slow coming of inevitability. Everyone within a number of yards equal to the character’s Martial Arts + Essence has their actions delayed by a number of ticks equal to the speed of activating this charm.

Strides of the Bleak Juggernaut </b>

<b>Cost: 3 motes
Duration:Instant
Type: Reflexive (Step 3, 5, or 7)
Keywords: Combo-OK
Minimum Martial Arts: 5
Minimum Essence: 4
Prerequisite Charms:: Paean of Stillness

Acolytes who firmly internalize the lessons of the ice times fight with an inexorable deliberation. Knowing that all things will come to them in time, they do not rush, instead choosing to move with a steady precision, effortlessly avoiding attacks and delivering effective and timely strikes of their own. When this charm is activated the character may either add (speed of the character’s previous action/2) to his attack pool or DV calculation or (speed of the character’s last action) to his raw damage. This charm may be activated multiple times, but it cannot enhance a given value more than once.

Withering Hoarfrost Bite</b>

<b>Cost: 10 motes
Duration:Instant
Type: Simple
Keywords: Obvious, Combo-OK, Crippling
Minimum Martial Arts: 5
Minimum Essence: 4
Prerequisite Charms:: Strides of the Bleak Juggernaut

In the most extreme realization of the Acolyte’s mastery over the ice time within, the martial artist is capable of delivering crippling infusions of icy essence. As the character attacks essence encases the strike and freezes the air. Those who fall victim are crippled as the chill essence withers their flesh with frostbite and fills their minds with a sluggish haze. The character makes an unarmed Martial Arts attack and resolves it normally. If the attack inflicts at least one level of damage, the character may roll Martial Arts + Essence + Number of health levels inflicted. Beings with an awakened essence may contest this with a Stamina + Resistance + Essence roll. If the attacker succeeds, the target’s move action becomes a (4/-1) Miscellaneous action for the rest of the scene. Regardless of the results of this roll, the victim suffers from a mobility penalty equal to the martial artist’s essence for the rest of the scene. This penalty is not affected by resistance to crippling effects.

Inevitable Glacial Crush</b>

<b>Cost: 15 motes, 1 willpower
Duration:Instant
Type: Simple (8/-0)
Keywords: Obvious, Combo-OK
Minimum Martial Arts: 5
Minimum Essence: 5
Prerequisite Charms:: Withering Hoarfrost Bite

Once an Acolyte becomes a Master he learns to strike with such clarity and focus that his attacks cannot be stopped. Marshaling his essence, the Master strikes with the crushing force of an avalanche and the unstoppable advance of the glacier. Opponents can only delay such an awe-inspiring technique, never stop it. This charm generates and unarmed Martial Arts attack that will always strike its target with a minimum number of successes equal to the character’s Martial Arts + Essence. This attack doubles damage dice after soak, and will always inflict a minimum of (Essence/2) levels of damage. Should the target avoid the attack through a perfect defense or similar effect, then the motes powering this charm are not spent.

Metadata

Name: Inexorable March of Ice

Author: Ambisinister

Type: celestial

Subtype: metaphoric

Rules: E2

Form Weapons: cesti

Armor Allowed: light, medium

Shield Allowed: no

Essence Range: 2-5

MA Range: 2-5

Total Charms: 12

Forms: 1

Comboable Charms: 10

Reflexive Charms: 4

Persistent Charms: 4