MartialArts/MistOnStillWaterStyle

By SilverMeerKat and Fifth

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This style is a high-Essence Celestial martial art. As such, it does not require the mastery of another Celestial style to learn, though most practitioners will master at least one anyway. Also, any Celestial Exalt can learn these Charms as regular Celestial Martial Arts Charms. And such.

Weapons

No weapons. No armor either. If anyone can think of a weapon that's thematically appropriate, I'll be pretty surprised.

Charms

Fading before Dawn's Onslaught

Cost: 10 Motes, 1 Willpower
Duration: Five Turns
Type: Simple
Minimum Martial Arts: 5
Minimum Dodge: 5
Minimum Essence: 4
Prerequisites: None

Mist appears on a pond during the night, and hides at dawn's approach. The character makes herself as insubstantial as a fogbank, slowly fading away before attacks like vapor burned by the sun's light. For the next five turns, the martial artist becomes completely insubstantial. She is considered dematerialized for the purposes of fighting materialized opponents, and vice versa. She is still fully visible, though hazy and somewhat indistinct.

Stifling the Blinding Eye

Cost: 15 Motes, 1 Willpower
Duration: One Scene
Type: Simple
Minimum Martial Arts: 5
Minimum Stealth: 4
Minimum Essence: 5
Prerequisites: Fading before Dawn's Onslaught

In some eastern swamps, the mists hang so thick that they block the sun's rays from fully dissippating them. The martial artist fills a circular area around herself with a diameter of (her Martial Arts x Essence) yards with thick, smothering fog. First, anything within the cloud that breathes must make a reflexive difficulty 1 Stamina + Resistance roll every turn or lose its action (meaning that anyone with 7 dice can take an automatic success). A botch means the character passes out for the scene. Second, the cloud smothers light entering or leaving it. Those within the cloud can only perceive anything outside of it with a Perception + Awareness roll, difficulty 5, and such perception usually lacks detail (this is an environmental penalty). Those outside of the cloud cannot perceive anything inside of it through any mundane means. Because of its light-smothering properties, anima banners inside the cloud can only be seen out to a few hundred yards even at night, and are nearly imperceptible during the day. Though the fog is distracting to those inside it, they suffer no penalties to perceive each other.

Mist Steals the Warmth

Cost: 7 Motes, 1 Willpower
Duration: Instant
Type: Reflexive
Minimum Martial Arts: 5
Minimum Dodge: 5
Minimum Essence: 4
Prerequisites: Fading before Dawn's Onslaught

The character makes a reflexive dodge at her full pool. Regardless of the success of the dodge, she also rolls her Martial Arts + Essence. For each success on this roll, the character steals two motes from the attack. These motes come from Charms supplementing the attack, unmaking them in descending order of mote cost(with the exception of Charms making the attack undodgable, which are always unmade last). These stolen motes refresh the martial artist's essence pools, personal first. In addition, if she rolls at least 5 successes on the MA + Essence roll, she gains any Willpower spent on the unmade Charms. The first (caster's Essence) motes stolen from a Charm are sufficient to unmake it, though obviously a Charm with no essence powering it (with all of its motes stolen) fails.

For example: Emerald Needle, Chosen of Secrets, is attacking Wounded Crane, a Dawn Caste Solar. Needle is enhancing her attack with some Silly Siddie MA Move, which costs 10 motes (after prayerstrip deduction) and makes her attack unblockable, undodgable, and unsoakable. Crane activates Mist Steals the Warmth, and rolls his MA + Essence (10). He rolls 6 successes, and can now steal up to 12 motes from Needle's attack; however, since she only spent 10, that's all he gets. The SSMAM is unmade, making the attack dodgable again, and Crane gains 10 motes (for a net gain of 3). If Needle hadn't had her prayerstrip active, and had spent 20 motes and 1 willpower on the Charm, Crane would have gained 12 motes and 1 willpower, and the Charm would still have been snuffed. Finally, Crane gets to roll a dodge against the (now) dodgable attack.

Mist on Still Water Form

Cost: 12 Motes
Duration: One Scene
Type: Simple
Minimum Martial Arts: 5
Minimum Dodge: 5
Minimum Essence: 5
Prerequisites: Stifling the Blinding Eye, Mist Steals the Warmth

The character becomes as mist, floating across the surface of reality with uncanny ease, ethereal and inescapable. The character fully perceives both the spirit world and Creation, and he may interact freely with denizens of either (this does not allow him to enter spirits' sancta, though it does allow him to strike dematerialized spirits as well as material beings). In addition, he enjoys the full effects of Fading before Dawn's Onslaught every turn. The ease with which he drifts across the surface of the world allows him a number of automatic successes equal to his Essence on all physical actions. Finally, the character is not negatively affected by Stifling the Blinding Eye, Water Buoies Mist or Mist Shrouds the Still Pond, does not take any environmental penalties from mist, smoke, fog, etc., and may walk on water or any thicker fluid as if it were solid ground while this form is active. This is a form-type Charm, no armor, no other forms, etc., etc.

Water Becomes Mist

Cost: 1 Aggravated Health Level
Duration: Instant
Type: Reflexive
Minimum Martial Arts: 6
Minimum Lore: 5
Minimum Essence: 6
Prerequisites: Mist on Still Water Form

Water essence pervades air essence to form mist, the water giving up part of its being to maintain the safety of a cloak of clouds. The martial artist learns to emulate this far-sighted sacrifice, giving up some of his life force to replenish his own insubstantial protector - his essence. By spending a health level, the character completely refils his peripheral essence pool. As the nature of this tactic is to externalize the internal, it cannot replenish personal essence, and beings without a peripheral essence pool cannot use or learn this Charm.

Searing Light Stays Within

Cost: 1 mote per turn
Duration: Instant
Type: Reflexive
Minimum Martial Arts: 6
Minimum Stealth: 6
Minimum Essence: 6
Prerequisites: Mist on Still Water Form

Building on the smothering properties of mists, the character learns to smother the displays of his anima, if only for a short time. When activating this charm, any periphereal essence the character spends does not affect his anima display immediately. Instead, the martial artist forcibly "walls off" the light from his anima. This "wall" holds for a number of turns equal to the number of motes he spent on this Charm, during which time only perfect effects can perceive that the character has spent essence at all. At the end of this time, all of the peripheral essence that he has spent since he invoked the Charm effects his anima banner as if it had just been used. A character cannot spend more motes on this charm than his permanent Essence.

Mist Parts from Water

Cost: 30 Motes, 2 Willpower
Duration: Indefinite
Type: Simple
Minimum Martial Arts: 6
Minimum Presence: 6
Minimum Essence: 7
Prerequisites: Water Becomes Mist, Searing Light Stays Within

Mist inevitably rises away from the water it's born of. Combining this insight with emulation of the refractive nature of water, the character learns to "throw" his anima banner. If he wishes the banner simply to appear in a general area (a room, a village square, etc.), he need only have seen the area or a good likeness of it. His full, totemic anima appears at the desired destination, and anyone beholding it will receive a simple telepathic message from the character, which can range from "Fear!" to "Reinforcements will be here by dawn tomorrow" to "Marry me, Topaz! My love will be eternal!". However, the more favored use of this Charm is to attach one's anima banner to another being.

This Second use requires that the character touch a living being, who need not be willing (the character makes a standard unarmed MA attack against unwilling targets). Immediately upon contact, and until the martial artist releases the essence spent on this Charm, the target displays the character's anima banner at whatever level the character should be showing, while the character himself displays nothing. If the target has an anima banner of her own, it is completely muted while the martial artist's anima is displaying, but is otherwise normal. The character may not attach his anima to more than one person or place at a time, and may not use this on himself to completely mute his own anima (though he can effectively do this by sending his anima, say, back to his manse indefinitely).

Water Buoies Mist

Cost: 20 Motes, 1 Willpower
Duration: Varies
Type: Simple
Minimum Martial Arts: 6
Minimum Athletics: 6
Minimum Essence: 6
Prerequisites: Mist on Still Water Form

The character focuses the buoyant properties of water into an area around himself with a diameter equal to (Essence x 25) yards and a height of (Essence x 10) yards from the ground. People and things float upward at (the character's Essence) in yards per turn until they reach this height, where they hover like mist. Unless a character has some means of personal flight, she must make a reflexive Wits + Athletics roll every turn. The number of successes she receives is the maximum dice pool she can use for any physical actions that turn. Movement is not allowed without flight (or appropriate stunting if the ST rules there's enough debris). This dice-pool cap is applied after all other modifications besides beneficial Charms and stunts (so, after multiple-action penalties, dice-pool reducing Charms, etc.), but may only be avoided by flying. Note that this also applies to the martial artist himself, unless he has Mist on Still Water Form active. In this case, he acts as if he were affected by Eagle-Wing Style (CB:N p. 73), save that he need not be in motion to maintain the Charm and may move freely within the area of effect (changing his maximum altitude to Essence x 10 instead of {Str + Athletics} x 3 yards).

At the Storyteller's discretion, most plants and structures will resist floating upward, but the effect touches everything above the ground and within the area of effect. If a house resists floating upward toward the character, its contents will still pile themselves on the ceiling until the character leaves.

The area of effect for this Charm is not static. It is centered on the ground directly under the character, and moves with him. Furthermore, this does not bring those who are affected by the Charm along when the character moves - they could well find themselves falling from 60+ yards. Also, if used for transportation, this Charm can do extensive property damage unless the character is moving at full speed.

This Charm ordinarily lasts for one scene, but its effects can be extended. When the scene (about 15-20 minutes) ends, the character can pay 1 Health Level and 1 Willpower to extend the effects of the Charm until the next dawn.

Ripples Tatter the Mist

Cost: 20 Motes, 1 Willpower
Duration: Instant
Type: Reflexive
Minimum Martial Arts: 6
Minimum Essence: 6
Prerequisites: Mist on Still Water Form

Sometimes, something will shatter the perfect calm of a still pool, the ripples causing eddies and tatters in the mist above. The martial artist ties herself to the fabric of the world, causing violent ripples around herself when struck. These ripples carry a flurry of unarmed attacks through Elsewhere to attack all nearby enemies. This Charm may be activated whenever the character is struck with a hand-to-hand attack and takes damage. She makes a number of unarmed MA counterattacks equal to (her Essence + the total number of HLs she took) with her Essence added to the post-soak damage. Each attack targets a different opponent within (the character's Essence) yards. Once the character has attacked every possible enemy, she simply attacks everyone again until she runs out of actions. This Charm does not target enemies the character is not aware of, or those she cannot perceive. It combos as an Extra Action Charm, despite its type (that is, Supplemental and Simple Charms must be activated for each attack), though the character may choose to stop attacking after making a number of counterattacks equal to the number of HLs she took.

If the martial artist has an AoE power from this tree active (see the Form Charm for a lit) and is personally inside it, these attacks may target all enemies within that Charm's area of effect (though each attack still only targets one enemy).

These attacks are considered counterattacks only for the purposes of counterattack Charms used by the character who damaged the martial artist, and this Charm may not be activated in response to a counterattack.

For example: Day's Eternal Bastion, a Night Caste Solar, is in battle with the Last Unforgiven Sin, a Dusk Caste Abyssal. Sin manages to get his daiklaive around Bastion's Flow Like Blood, and deals three Health Levels of Lethal damage. Bastion activates Ripples Tatter the Mist, gaining (6 Essence + 3 HLs =)9 extra actions. Bastion has already used his regular action for the turn. For the first action, Bastion attacks Sin. Since there is no one else around, Bastion attacks Sin with his second action also, and so on. Sin had better have a hopping defense.

Mist Shrouds the Still Pond

Cost: 20 Motes, 1 Willpower
Duration: One Scene
Type: Simple
Minimum Martial Arts: 6
Minimum Stealth: 6
Minimum Essence: 7
Prerequisites: Ripples Tatter the Mist, Water Buoies the Mist

The character cloaks an area (his Essence x 100 yards) in diameter and reaching into the heavens, centered on himself, with a smothering miasma of essence, embodying the powers of mist to cloak an area and also to stifle the senses. Those caught within the cloud when it forms, and anyone subsequently entering, must succeed at a reflexive Wits + Survival roll to find their way out. This roll is at a difficulty of the number of turns the character has stayed within the mist, and must be made every turn or the character becomes disoriented and cannot find the way out. Once the character has failed one of these rolls, she cannot find her way out of the cloud until its duration has expired (except, of course, with perfect effects, including those which negate environmental penalties).

All difficulties within the cloud are increased by the martial artist's Essence. All Perception- or Awareness-based rolls are at a further +5 difficulty penalty (which is negated as an environmental penalty). Note that this also applies to the martial artist himself. Characters outside of the mist may not affect anything inside of it without entering it, including any form of scrying etc. This is a perfect effect. There is no sound within the mist, and neither light nor scent escapes it, even the light of a flaring anima banner.

The column is centered on the character when initially invoked, and remains stationary thereafter.

Perfect Permeation Prana

Cost: 30 Motes, 2 Willpower
Duration: Ten Turns
Type: Simple
Minimum Martial Arts: 7
Minimum Presence: 7
Minimum Essence: 7
Prerequisites: Mist Shrouds the Still Pond, Mist Parts from Water

As the light of the rising sun fills a fogbank with an undifferentiated glow, the character learns to take full advantage of the diffused essence matrices of his AoE powers. He must have one of the AoE powers from this style active (the "host" Charm; these are: Stifling the Blinding Eye, Water Buoies Mist and Mist Shrouds the Still Pond), and must be inside of it, in order to activate this Charm. When he does so, his anima expands away from him in a blinding flash of (Solar / Lunar / Sidereal) essence. Any anima-manipulation powers the character is currently using or being effected by in any way automatically end (this is a perfect effect). Anima-manipulation powers are any powers which directly manipulate the character's anima banner, such as Mist Parts from Water, the Night / Day Caste anima-snuffing power, or (Type) Exalt Ways.

Upon activating this Charm, the character effectively ceases to exist, and yet exists within every point inside the host. Any action he takes may originate at any point anywhere within the host. His attacks may strike anyone inside it, and he is immune to any effects which rely on distance to thwart his attacks. This includes dodging, unless the dodge is perfect in effect (that is, not necessarily in applicability), and explicitly negates the dice-pool penalties associated with Charms like the Unnatural Many-Step Stride which rely on quick movement to disadvantage attackers. His attacks have no physical component, ignoring both parries and armor, and may strike materialized and dematerialized beings alike.

In order to harm the character, an attacker must use an attack capable of harming dematerialized beings (or materialized if they are dematerialized) against the host power directly. This is resolved as a standard attack, as the attacker attemps somehow to harm the brilliant glow surrounding him (slashing, punching, etc.). This attack is made against a difficulty equal to the martial artist's Willpower + Essence. Though he may not raise any other defenses against it without ending this power, he may explicitly choose to do so after the attack roll has been made. If an attack connects, it is resolved as normal, using the appropriate soak values (which are not effected by this power); in the unlikely (but certainly possible) scenario that the martial artist actually takes damage from an attack, the effects of this Charm end immediately along with the effects of the host Charm.

Regardless of how the effects are ended, the martial artist may choose to appear anywhere within the host Charm when they do.

Justification

For all you doubting Thomases out there - MartialArts/MACreationGuide. Therein, Mrs. Borgstrom proceeds (while contradicting herself, but still) to expound upon the differences between high-Essence Celestial styles and Sidereal styles, and asserts that there is no canon ruling on whether or not non-Sidereals can create high-Essence MA (and also that she included sutras essentially because she believes they can). Her actual Charm design may not follow any of it, but her Charm design theory is rock-solid. =P

Actually, she even suggests a "fix" for the situation, which I particularly like: just let any Siddie who feels like investing the time make up a sutra for the style, and use it as a Sidereal style. Everyone else gets it as a Celestial style.

Comments

I need comments on this style, because I'm shooting in the dark here. If you're confused about what power-level I'm trying for, just think of it as a Sidereal style with unfinished Sutras.
-SMK

I think that most of these Charms are too powerful for their requisites, particularly since the Form doesn't suffer from the great limitation of Sidereal MA, the requirement of learning an additional Style. Basically you're saying, "I don't like Sidereals but I like their toys, so I will steal their soccer ball and play dodgeball with it." I don't buy it. These are Sidereal-quality Charms or worse and the limitation that there's no Sutra benefit doesn't make the Style any less Sidereal-level; if you're making a proper high-Essence Celestial style the Charms shouldn't be as effective as they are. That said, I will frame my critiques with the goal of creating a viable Sidereal style power level, since, with the effects you have, it's totally stupid to try and make a Celestial thing.

Basically, I'm saying "Rebecca Borgstrom is an idiot and I don't like what she's done to my game. This is my attempt to fix part of it." I understand that many of these Charms will be overpowered. It happens. That's why I want the critiques =P (Thanks for it, by the way. You know Sidereal-style power levels better than I do). Also, please, what do you mean by "a proper high-Essence Celestial style?" Are you referring to one that already exists? Or your abstract conception of one? Because this is just my actualization of my abstract conception of one, and (AFAIK) we don't actually have any hard canon to go on. - SMK

I also don't really like the additional Ability requirements, but as I understand it that's a houserule of yours so I won't attack it too hard. If it works for you it works for you.

Yeah, that's totally a houserule. I didn't intend for them to be part of the style except for people who use that or a similar rule (for example, they'd probably serve as good base Ability reqs if someone were using your "Fu" system). - SMK

FbDA: This "completely insubstantial" thing, as a unitary effect, makes me sad. I understand that it's a basis of the Style, but that doesn't make it good, and I don't like the metaphysical implication of it as an absolute effect. I can see, though, some kind of partial dematerialization - perhaps giving you a defence to attacks that don't exist in two worlds.

That's actually exactly what it does. If a dematerialized spirit tries to attack you, it has to be able to attack materialized beings. If a Siddie standing in creation tries to attack you, she has to be able to strike dematerialized beings. It's not that hard for someone to hit you, they just have to figure out how to do it. Are you saying it should just not be an absolute effect? - SMK

StBE: This seems undercosted.

Really? I'd been worried it cost too much for what it does. I did (just) note that the Stam + Res roll is reflexive, which may have made it seem overpowered (devoting a dice action to that would be major overkill). Other than that, it basically just masks an area from mundane outside observation. Oh, and I noted that it's an environmental penalty (I don't know why I've just been leaving that unsaid in some of these Charms). - SMK

MStW: So, this can never unmake a Charm with a mote cost less than the user's Essence? I like that a great deal. I think you need to be much more explicit about the order that Charms are drained, though. Also...you're stacking mote drain and charm snuffing? Overkill.

Yeah, I've been toying with that one for a long time. I actually didn't intend that one couldn't unmake cheaper Charms, as that would rather severely limit that entire aspect of the Charm... and I don't think it would be really thematic. I should be more explicit about Charm drain order (fixed now). I've also adjusted the mote drain so that you only get motes you steal from Charms. I think this rather limits the overpoweredness I had feared the Charm suffered from. - SMK

The Form: I think this is at least an Essence 6 effect.

I think it's significantly enough less powerful than either CMoS Form or PAoC Form to be acceptable, and these are essentially the guideposts I was using (same Ability / Essence reqs, minus the minor Celestial style mastery, so minus some power). - SMK

SLSW: Nights have two anima powers. Does that make the stifling anima cheaper, or the anima-dimming, or both? This seems like it should be lower in the Style, perhaps replacing some of the clearly overbalancing Charms prior to the Form.

Clarified. I'm not sure what to do with this one, honestly. It's seemed underpowered to me as well, and I'm not sure what extra effects to add and / or costs to reduce to make it fit better where it's at in the tree. I've tried a tweak to the combo requirement. - SMK

WBM again: This is pretty odd. I would probably have the Wits + Athletics roll at a flat difficulty to act unimpeded. This is Exalted after all and people don't suck.

The rolls is the way it is to simulate that you don't have anything to push off of. You're just floating, effectively in zero-G, and it's extremely difficult to do anything physical. Also, the dice-pool cap happens after split dice pools (changed to include detrimental Charms) but before any (changed to "beneficial") Charms and stunts, so it's not as bad as it looks at first. - SMK

RTtM: Dude. Just type the thing as Reflexive. Really. And I don't think it should count as a counterattack against anyone but the person who originated the first attack, because otherwise this is completely broken.

Fixed the counterattack clause (though with some kinda ugly wording). As for the type though, I wanted it to combo as an Extra Action Charm. If it combo'd as Reflexive it could get much nastier. - SMK

MStSP: The escalating difficulty of this effect is ridiculous. I would replace it with some kind of extended roll, maybe (whatever) successes, with an escape roll each turn at diff 5 at most.

The point of the hideous escape roll is that you need a perfect effect to get out unless you do it fast. It's not that hard - Unerring Earth Direction Sense would do it. Some (probably moderately easy) Solar Awareness Charm that negates environmental penalties would do it. I'm sure I could find a Sidereal Charm to do it if I had my copy of E:tS right now. Again, however, I'd neglected to point out that this can be negated as an environmental penalty, which I hope makes things better now. - SMK

PPP: Um. Enumerate the Charms this can be used with, because abbreviations, no matter how convenient they are, are annoying. Similarly you should enumerate anima-manipulations this will end, or at least give a representative sample. And UM-SS has several effects. Basically, this is a duplication of Flickering Moonsilver Approack plus an undodgeability effect, plus several other ambushy nuts effects...in conclusion, while I think this is cool, you are overlapping too many effects in one Charm. I don't think there is any reason to have the redundancy of not only attacking non-physically, but also undodgeably and from surprise. That's just overkill, one of those would do. And a difficulty of Willpower+Essence? What? Taken as it is, this Charm's cost should at least double and have half the duration, and probably cause the host Charm to end when it does as well.

Enumerated. I also removed the "from surprise" but, as it wasn't really necessary, and increased the cost of the Charm. The purpose of the difficulty of the attack is that, if you make that attack (which isn't at all unreasonable at 7 Essence, especially since it's a flat difficulty), the power ends. The MAist will defend (unless you used some sort of perfect attack, in whic case he'll probably just get hit), and the power will be over. Poof, wasted essence and willpower. I don't see why, though, it should take down the host Charm when it drops, unless it drops because the character was damaged (which I've added).

Thanks for the help, willows! I'll be most pleased if you're not too horrified by your first look through the style to keep helping =) - SMK

- willows

I like the flavoring and the names of the charms. The systems, however, grate me a bit. They seem much to powerful in general, and while I rather agree with you on the whole "not every powerful MA has to be Sidereal Level" thing, this goes a bit too far in my opinion. The rational Mrs.(Miss?) Borgstrom used is rather appropriate. REAL Martial Arts require a great deal of discipline and effort. The more powerful a Martial Art is, the more knowledge it requires to execute correctly. For example, there are many applications in Qigong, especially things such as Marrow/Bone Clensing, can KILL you if you don't have proper guidance and training. In other words: No. Bad Meercat. Ow. Ow. Ow. If you want to make Baby Jesus cry, go back to playing with yourself. At least it's not on a web page for people to look at.

- Jydan

I understand the difficulty inherent in learning any system which requires so much discipline. I have fundamental problems with what Ms. Borgstrom did, not from a theoretical MA-centric standpoint, but from a theoretical Exalted-based standpoint. I'm working on the mechanics to try and tone them down to be on par with (Sidereal Style - Sutras), which is effectively the formula Ms. Borgstrom herself set out in the link I give under "justification" up above. - SMK

"Mist on Still Water Form" - Not sure about this. Effectively, this is letting you parry or dodge the same attack twice with the same defense, which is a major no-no. "Water Becomes Mist" - should cost an Aggravated Health level, not just a generic one. Other than that, I don't see anything horribly wrong, althoug their are a couple iffy charms. -Fifth

Well, strange as it seems, the Form was the first Charm in this style I wrote and the one I'm (possibly second) least hesitant to just scrap. Any thematic suggestions? Good point about WBM. What are the these iffy Charms you mention? (and thanks for the feedback!) - SMK

Also, for no good reason: [1] a link I can't seem to make pretty! But follow it! It's funny!

"Mist Steals the Warmth" - There's no way to counter this, because it's already a defense. And it almost gurantees that it will negate some of the charms, and you will, statistically, always get your essence back. Why would you ever not use this charm?
"Searing Light Stays Within" - I disagree with copying the anima power. I also dislike the fact that after a Night caste learns this charm, he effectively only has a personal pool of essence.
"Water Buoies Mist" - it seems to me that this maximum dice cap thing can be seen as interfering with the "cannot reduce dice pools below a character's Essence" rule. You need to clarify that interaction.
"Ripples Tatter the Mist" - It seems like there must be an easier way to write what you're doing with this charm...
Thematic on the form charm: This style is based, at least somewhat, on insubstantiality. I would allow the character to be able to interact fully with both materialized and dematerialized objects/spirits/thingies at will, as well as see dematerialized and materialized creatures perfectly. In addition, I would give them Fading before Dawn's Onslaught every turn for free. Finally, I would let them add their Essence in successes to any action; this is represented, thematically, as the "duplicate" arms/dodges and such helping the character out. -Fifth

MStW - Well, the willpower cost is supposed to make it less viable for spamming. I suppose I could remove the "getting back willpower" clause, or limit it so you only gain willpower spent on snuffed Charms... Yeah, I think I'll do the latter. Is that rather more reasonable? (I also fixed the example)

SLSW - You've miraculously found the only Charm in this style I actively dislike. I just could not for the life of me come up with something else that was a) pretty powerful and b) involved manipulating your peripheral essence. Any help here is also welcome, if you're bored enough *nudgenudge*.

RTtM - It totally seems that way, but this is something like revision six for this Charm, and I'll be damned if I can come up with an easier way to phrase it. I know, I know, it's ugly as sin, but, well... *shrug* waddyagonnado?

MoSWF - ...Wow. Way to casually toss out an infinitely more appropriate form than I'd come up with in about two months of working on this style. Thanks for making me look bad ;). Really though, this pleases me immensely. I'm just going to adopt it outright, and I hope you don't mind that I'm shamelessly pirating your idea. The writeup will be along in a few minutes...

Dude, you totally r0xx0rz. Slash, this is one of the most productive response I've ever gotten to anything. Thank you =) - SMK

Ok, I removed the whole "duplicates" thing in favor of an easier-to-write explanation, and I added a fairly minor effect (walking of water). Comments on balance? - SMK

I like the revised form. If anything, it's a tad on the "underpowered" side now, but it's thematic and cool.

MStW - still seems like an unbeatable charm killer to me. Unless they unload on you with a massive 30 mote combo, this is basically a "free" perfect defense. It doesn't have much use against non-enhanced attacks, true, but someone with this charm is probably going to have a persistant already.

RTtM - I would just go ahead and make this charm Reflexive, for a couple of reasons. First, this increases its comboability, this is true. But as written, any supplemental charms in a combo with this will be used, which is almost insane. Or any simple charms! That could be a killer. Making it Reflexive means you can't use Simple charms with the attacks, or possibly supplementals (don't want to get into that debate here).

here's my best take on periphereal essence manip. It's a quick write up, so if you use it, I suggest you paraphrase and just steal ideas.

Cool! I think the form's powerful enough as it is, since it makes it so damn hard for most people to even pretend to try to hit you. And it does seem a great deal more thematic.

MStW - I'm just not seeing how it's all that horrible... I mean, it doesn't even improve the dodge, meaning that to get a good dodge with it, you have to spend at least 2 willpower (to combo it). I mean, sure, it strips away a Charm, probably even two if they use a combo. But then it's basically just your defense against their offense, roll vs. roll, which isn't really all that bad. Plus, it still costs a willpower. Can you maybe give an example of the sort of nastiness you forsee with this guy?

RTtM - I've made the change, and it cleaned the language up, but only a tiny bit. C'est la vie. I guess it really is simpler now, though.

SLSW - Well... um... I don't see what this revision... does. I mean, it delays the appearance of your anima banner for a couple of seconds, but that doesn't really help when you're trying not to shatter all your stealth Charms while you sneak around Ligier's sanctum (or whathaveyou). Perhaps a Simple that costs an Agg HL (and a WP?), lasts Essence minutes, and makes motes you spend from peripheral during that time not count against your anima banner? I dunno, this one will require much thinking. - SMK

MStW - let's say you have a Solar with this style. He puts up FFBS. Now, on every attack against him, he uses his parry, then either perfects the attack or uses MStW. There's no reason to do anything else. He's going to get motes back for free, and most likely his willpower. And if he really needs it, he can always enhance his dodge. It's just... if I had this charm, I would use it on practically every single attack against me.

My problem with RTtM was the complications of using an Extra Action charm reflexively; the way it is now, comboing it is a lot simpler, and there's no strange language to deal with.

SLSW - the idea I was going for was more of a tactical use of the charm, rather than a sneaking one... ie, you use it to mask a big use of charms, then a few turns later, you flare up. But if your'e going for more of a sneak thing... I'm not sure, I'll have to think about it. -Fifth

The way I see MStW working, he might get the one willpower back some of the time, but it's definitely not guaranteed (this brings up the argument of whether or not he knows if an attack is Charm-enhanced), and he'll almost never actually gain willpower using it. It slows the loss of willpower from using the Charm, and is kind of a way of making the Charm effectively cost a little less than a willpower per use, but it's really not as great as it might seem.

Oh, now I get the uses for your version of SLSW. I think I like it, but I'll have to think some more. Don't be hesitant about more comments - they're always appreciated - SMK, who needs to go eat now, before it rots on the stove...

After-Dinner Edit: I've decided that I like your version of SLSW. I want it to be a bit less limiting, though - I'm thinking of maybe a version that shunts all anima flares to the end of the time limit, so it doesn't have to be combo'd. I'm gonna put that version up - lemme know what you think. And I hope you don't mind, but I'm crediting you as a co-creator of this style with this much help =). - SMK