Monkey Style

Background

Sun Wu Kung was accused of a crime he did not commit, and for this he was exiled from his lands, to eke out an existence on the edge of civilization, where barbarians and city-folk fought over scraps. Apart from the petty men were bands of monkeys, which stole from both and loved neither. One of these groups did Sun Wu Kung befriend, and from them he learned wisdom the men were lacking.

Monkey style martial arts is an unusual and advanced school of combat techniques, actually consisting of five different sub-styles based on the five different monkeys who kept its creator, Sun Wu Kung, a Solar of the First Age, company during his long years of undeserved exile. It has a high learning curve, lacking some of the early utility endowed upon practitioners of other styles, yet once mastered, it flows together to become an incredibly powerful style. Due to its complexity and lack of special moves early on, most of its students are actually masters in other styles already.

Physically, it relies upon speed and extraordinary flexibility coupled with surprising and tricky behavior that channels instincts most humans have forgotten and let become dull. Because of this need for agility, it cannot be performed while wearing armor of any sort, and it is only a bare-hand style, not teaching the use of any weapons that may fail while the body remains strong.

Dragon-Blooded cannot learn its ultimate charm, making it much weaker for them, so almost none throughout history have ever learned Monkey Style. Most Sidereals find it uncouth and inelegant, and so avoid practicing it. While its animalistic basis appeals to Lunars, few practice Martial Arts. Thus, most of its practitioners have always been Solars. At least one Deathlord knows the style, however, and has been teaching it to his Abyssal servants, who appreciate its practicality.

Charms

Capering Simian Dance

Cost: 3 motes

Duration: Instant

Type: Reflexive

Minimum Martial Arts: 3

Minimum Essence: 1

Prerequisite Charms: None

One cannot hit that which is not there. That is not there which has moved. One cannot predict where will be that which moves erratically. This did Sun Wu Kung learn from watching the play of the monkeys, as the young and fast avoided their enraged elders by speed and guile, and thus did he learn to scamper about in a way which defies fate.

The Exalt's erratic movements mimic the unpredictable dance of a monkey, making her hard to track and hit. This charm allows the Exalt to add her Martial Arts rating to a single dodge attempt (or to dodge an attack with her Martial Arts rating without using an action). Due to the need to remain mobile, this charm is incompatible with the use of armor.

Obnoxiously Loud Shriek

Cost: 3 motes

Duration: Instant

Type: Reflexive

Minimum Martial Arts: 3

Minimum Essence: 2

Prerequisite Charms: Capering Simian Dance

The same ears which let one see without sight and track without scent can be laid low by the same mouth which can drip honeyed words into the lap of kings and raise armies with its fervor, merely by loosening one's control of the mouth to deny a foe the use of his ears. This did Sun Wu Kung learn from the rabid shrieks of the monkeys as they attacked, and thus did he learn to disorient others so.

By unleashing a surprisingly loud high-pitched shout, the Exalt stuns an attacking foe. Reduce the attacker's die pool to one half its prior size, rounding down. This charm must be use before the attack is rolled. Armor interferes with the ability to drawn in enough breath to make the shout sufficiently powerful.

Distractingly Lewd Gesture

Cost: 2 motes

Duration: Instant

Type: Reflexive

Minimum Martial Arts: 4

Minimum Essence: 1

Prerequisite Charms: Capering Simian Dance

The civilized mind is shocked to encounter gestures that display indescribable rudeness. The barbarian mind is angered by such effrontery to honor. Both are defeated when thus distracted. This did Sun Wu Kung learn from seeing monkeys raid for food and trinkets, and thus did he learn to make the sign of the genitals of the Yozis.

Symbols best left undescribed are flashed at a foe, making his very eyes sting. Rumors that Ebon Shadow style borrowed a less rude variant of this finger position are hotly denied by its practitioners. Performed at the beginning of a turn, this charm subtracts the Exalt's Martial Arts score from a single opponent's initiative and prevents that opponent from splitting his action that turn, though the opponent may still use Extra Action and Reflexive charms as well as abort to a dodge or parry normally). If the opponent's initiative is reduced below 1 somehow, he forfeits his action entirely. Making the gesture requires that the hands be empty and the arms free to move, unencumbered by armor.

Poo-Flinging Strike

Cost: 3 motes

Duration: Instant

Type: Supplemental

Minimum Martial Arts: 4

Minimum Essence: 2

Prerequisite Charms: Distractingly Lewd Gesture

The warrior that can fight from afar is the warrior that is harder to attack. The warrior that is willing to use any weapon at his disposal is the one who will never be without missiles to hurl at his foes. This did Sun Wu Kung learn from watching the monkeys stoop to flinging their own dung at the eyes of their enemies, and thus did he learn that resourcefulness will outsmart honor.

This charm enables the Exalt to make a single thrown attack using any improvised weapon within reach. She adds her Martial Arts rating to her Dexterity+Thrown die pool, and if the projectile hits, it will do Strength+Essence lethal damage in addition to the extra successes on the attack roll. Throwing the projectile properly cannot be done if one is holding anything else, and throwing it with sufficient force requires a degree of mobility that armor does not allow.

Stone Monkey Form

Cost: 5 motes

Duration: One Scene

Type: Simple

Minimum Martial Arts: 4

Minimum Essence: 3

Prerequisite Charms: Obnoxiously Loud Shriek, Distractingly Lewd Gesture

The first of the monkeys that Sun Wu Kung befriended was the one he named Stone, for he could remain so still as to make one think he was not there, yet this guile was unneeded, for Stone was the strongest of them all and able to take any blows his opponents could muster. From him did Sun Wu Kung learn to strengthen his blows and lessen those of his foes.

The Exalt tenses her muscles to harden her flesh and focuses her force with deadly results. For the remainder of the scene, she adds her Martial Arts rating to her bare-handed damage, which is lethal. In addition, she soaks lethal damage with her full Stamina, and both her bashing and lethal soak are increased by her Martial Arts rating. Lastly, she may use her permanent Essence to soak aggravated damage.

This is a Martial Arts form charm, and may not be used in conjunction with other Martial Arts form charms. However, if the character using this charm activates another Monkey Form charm during the same scene, at the beginning of each round she may reflexively switch at no cost to any Monkey Form charm she has activated that scene. This charm is incompatible with armor or with weapons other than projectiles employed by Poo-Flinging Strike.

Lost Monkey Form

Cost: 5 motes

Duration: One Scene

Type: Simple

Minimum Martial Arts: 4

Minimum Essence: 3

Prerequisite Charms: Obnoxiously Loud Shriek, Poo-Flinging Strike

As Stone was the strongest of the band, the monkey that Sun Wu Kung named Lost was the weakest. Small but cunning, Lost fooled his foes by running away and attacking and running away again before they could recover from their amazement. He could circle opponents faster than they could turn in place, strike when they thought he was fleeing, and move when they thought he was pinned. From did Sun Wu Kung learn to run and leap and twist like the breeze.

Rapid, frantic motions confuse the Exalt's enemies. For the remainder of the scene, she may add her Martial Arts rating to all dodge attempts, though she must still reserve an action for dodging; this charm does not provide reflexive dodges. In addition, the parry and dodge pools of all opponents defending against her attacks are halved (rounding down) prior to being rolled. Lastly, while this charm is active, the Exalt doubles her movement rate and leaping distance.

This is a Martial Arts form charm, and may not be used in conjunction with other Martial Arts form charms. However, if the character using this charm activates another Monkey Form charm during the same scene, at the beginning of each round she may reflexively switch at no cost to any Monkey Form charm she has activated that scene. This charm is incompatible with armor or with weapons other than projectiles employed by Poo-Flinging Strike.

Tall Monkey Form

Cost: 6 motes, 1 Willpower

Duration: One Scene

Type: Simple

Minimum Martial Arts: 5

Minimum Essence: 3

Prerequisite Charms: Any One Monkey Form

While Stone was strong and Lost was quick on his feet, there was another monkey who towered over even Stone and whose hands moved faster than Lost's that Sun Wu Kung named Tall. Tall's arms befit his name, and he could strike at foes while they were still a stride away, flickering out with the speed of a spark and striking with the force of a thunderclap. Tall's fiery temper was such that no one could land a blow on him without expecting quick retribution. From him did Sun Wu Kung learn to strike hard and fast and to not let aggression go unanswered.

Far-reaching hard strikes gouge the Exalt's foes with supernatural speed and attacks against her are responded to in kind. For the remainder of the scene, she adds her Martial Arts rating to her initiative total each round and damage from her unarmed strikes is lethal. In addition, whenever she is attacked, she may immediately launch a counterattack at her full Dexterity+Martial Arts die pool. This effect may not be used against any sort of counterattack.

This is a Martial Arts form charm, and may not be used in conjunction with other Martial Arts form charms. However, if the character using this charm activates another Monkey Form charm during the same scene, at the beginning of each round she may reflexively switch at no cost to any Monkey Form charm she has activated that scene. This charm is incompatible with armor or with weapons other than projectiles employed by Poo-Flinging Strike.

Wooden Monkey Form

Cost: 8 motes

Duration: One Scene

Type: Simple

Minimum Martial Arts: 4

Minimum Essence: 4

Prerequisite Charms: Any One Monkey Form

The fourth monkey Sun Wu Kung named Wooden, for his faced betrayed no emotion. Where Lost fooled foes by running away, Wooden faced them down and still gave no hint of his actions until after they had happened. Slow to anger and always in control, his fury was relentless once brought out. He struck with perfect knowledge, hitting the nerves and pressure points of his opponents, causing them great pain and grievous wounds that took five times as long to heal. From him did Sun Wu Kung learn to measure his opponents yet not betray himself and to focus his Essence into a poison he hurled into the very souls of his foes.

Bending with the flexibility of a sapling and striking with the virulence of the most toxic of poisons, the Exalt is a force to be reckoned with. For the remainder of the scene, she adds her permanent Essence to her Martial Arts rating, and damage from her bare-handed attacks is lethal. In addition, when declaring an attack, she may pay 1 Willpower and take a level of lethal damage to channel her life force into the blow, dealing aggravated damage. If the opponent is damaged by this attack, on his next turn he loses dice equal to the number of health levels of aggravated damage taken from all his actions for the turn; this penalty is reduced by one for each turn thereafter.

This is a Martial Arts form charm, and may not be used in conjunction with other Martial Arts form charms. However, if the character using this charm activates another Monkey Form charm during the same scene, at the beginning of each round she may reflexively switch at no cost to any Monkey Form charm she has activated that scene. This charm is incompatible with armor or with weapons other than projectiles employed by Poo-Flinging Strike.

Drunken Monkey Form

Cost: 10 motes, 1 Willpower

Duration: One Scene

Type: Simple

Minimum Martial Arts: 5

Minimum Essence: 4

Prerequisite Charms: Any Three Monkey Forms

Last of all came a simple-seeming monkey, who loved nothing more than to sneak into the camps of men and steal their liquor, which he drank with great thirst. Dissipated though he was, none could touch him or stop his thefts. Drunkenly as he staggered about, blows missed him almost as if by chance, and he struck back from all positions and angles, at foes he could not even know were there. Only Sun Wu Kung saw through his deceptions and understood that this was the craftiest monkey of all, for he made his foes think he was powerless even as he was defeating them. From him did Sun Wu Kung learn to transcend awareness and flow through his foe's defenses like spilled water, yet hit as strongly and unobtrusively as a draught of fine liquor, making opponents so confused they knew not what from where.

Unpredictable staggering motions slip past defenses and flow around attacks. For the remainder of the scene, the Exalt adds her permanent Essence to her initiative total each round. Additionally, the difficulty of all attempts to attack her is increased by her permanent Essence. Damage from her bare-handed attacks is also increased by her permanent Essence and made lethal. When taking multiple actions in a turn, the penalty for splitting her actions is reduced by her permanent Essence (to a minimum of zero). Lastly, she suffers no penalties for fighting while prone.

This is a Martial Arts form charm, and may not be used in conjunction with other Martial Arts form charms. However, if the character using this charm activates another Monkey Form charm during the same scene, at the beginning of each round she may reflexively switch at no cost to any Monkey Form charm she has activated that scene. This charm is incompatible with armor or with weapons other than projectiles employed by Poo-Flinging Strike.

Five-Fold Monkey Mastery

Cost: N/A

Duration: Permanent

Type: Special

Minimum Martial Arts: 5

Minimum Essence: 5

Prerequisite Charms: All Five Monkey Forms

Able as each monkey was, when banded together they were unstoppable. The group was more than its components, each monkey aiding his companions and shielding their weaknesses. From this did Sun Wu Kung learn to combine only the strengths of the five monkeys, shedding their weaknesses and being each monkey only when he was the one who would defeat a foe. With this did he return from his exile and strike down those who had falsely accused him, setting right things long done wrong.

Increasing control over her own Essence and total mastery of the five Monkey Forms allows the Exalt to utilize whatever aspects of each technique are appropriate to the moment, shifting faster than the eye can follow and performing different styles with different parts of her body.

Once this charm is learned, the Exalt can have multiple Monkey Form charms active simultaneously and gain the full benefits from all of them, not just one at a time. Each form in use must still be activated separately. If Wooden Monkey Form is active, forms that provide bonuses based on the Exalt's Martial Arts rating use the original unmodified Martial Arts rating without taking into account the bonus provided to it by Wooden Monkey Form.

The abilities granted by this charm require manipulating Essence with a level of finesse that Terrestrial Exalted are simply incapable of. They may never learn this charm by any means whatsoever.

Comments

May I suggest changing the name "Poo-Flinging Strike" to something like "Flight of the Fecal Insult". -- Wordman

Bah. Keep Poo-Flinging Strike. - TonyC

Speaking of Poo-Flinging Strike, can it be comboed with Thrown or Martial Arts Charms? It requires MA, but the dice pool is Dex + Thrown... -- JesseLowe

It shouldn´t, since it´s Supplemental and therefore can only benefit other MA Charms in a combo. You could add a specific exception to the Charm text, if you were so inclined. - Argent

Well, now second edition is out and these need some changes to be usable; I've done some quick analysis and here's what I've come up with until Mapache decides to do revisions for 2.0;

Capering Simian Dance: Increase DV for Blocking and dodging by 1/2 MA until next action (Combo-OK)

Obnoxiously Loud Shriek: No change needed (Combo-OK, prolly obvious)

Distractingly Lewd Gesture: Gives the target a number of ticks that must be discharged before their next action can be taken equal to the practitioners' MA (Combo-OK, obvious, emotion)

Poo-Flinging Strike: May throw abnormal items as a Speed 5 action regardless of unsuitability for throwing, range=strength*5 yds. (Combo-OK)

Stone Monkey Form: No change needed. (Form Type)

Lost Monkey Form: +1/2 MA to Dodge DV, Halve the DV of opponents (round down) and double all movement and leaping distances. (Form Type, Obvious)

Tall Monkey Form: Reduce unarmed attack Speed by 1, does Lethal, free counterattacks (Form Type, Obvious)

Wooden Monkey Form: Boost MA by Essence, does Lethal, pay 1W/1L Health to deal Agg with persisting dice penalties equal to the number of damage done -- the penalties are reduced by 1 each time the victim's DV refreshes; this is a Crippling Effect) (Form Type, Obvious)

Drunken Monkey Form: Reduce unarmed attack Speed by 1, attackers take an external penalty equal to Permanent Essence of practitioner, does Str+Essence Lethal Dmg, reduce flurry dice penalties and total DV reduction by Permanent Essence, no penalties fighting while prone. (Form Type)

Some testing suggests that the above is too powerful in 2e. Suggested fixes are dropping the external penalty to attackers or dropping the DV penalty reduction, or both. For the moment, try dropping the external penalty to attackers first. - TonyC

Five-Fold Monkey Mastery: No change needed

There we go; quick 2.0 Fivefold Monkey until Mapache scuttles it with the real thing -- JadeSerpent

Your conversion of Distractingly Lewd Gesture is probably too powerful. With repeated uses of this charm, the opponent will never get to act. I very much prefer "target is prevented from using multiple actions on his next action barring Extra Action charms or similar effects. If his next action is an attack(s), increase the attack's Speed by 1."

Poo-Flinging Strike's range probably should be MA * 5 yards, just like the throwing people charms in the Solar Hero Style. Or we could say that it's Str * 5 yards, but you can throw it further with the usual range penalty.

Also, I'm assuming that all effects that aren't explicitly replaced remains the same (i.e., the damage increase). If it's not, then we should discuss the reasons for nerfing this MA.

- TonyC

Egad... Halving attack pools, halving DV... I do not look forward to fighting this incredibly powerful form. - IanPrice

MartialArts/MonkeyStyle2

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