MartialArts/PhoenixStyle2
Phoenix Style
By thinker
Background
An ancient Solar Exalted style practiced in the First Age, it largely resolves around the use of the Daiklave and similar edged weapons, and was practiced as supplemental style to Solar Exalted Sword and Knife fighters. It is demanding and deadly style liken more to the Ebon Shadow than to Snake. Characters that practice the Phoenix Style treat attacks made with edged weapons including Daiklaves as unarmed attacks. Characters whishing to achieve basic competency with the Phoenix Style must also have a basic ability to wield the magic of weapons as defined by their Exalted type. Lunars who use claws may use Unarmed Combat Charms in place of Melee Charms to qualify for the Phoenix Form. More Exotic Exalts such as Alchemicals may not be able to practice the Phoenix Form at all.
Charms
Wing Spreading Defense</b>
<b>Cost: 4 motes Duration: One Turn Type: Reflexive Min. Martial Arts: 2 Min. Essence: 1 Prereqs: None
Spreading her arms slightly from her body like the Phoenix preparing to defend itself the character deflects incoming attacks with great agility and pose. For the Turn that Wing Spreading Defense is active the character may add their Martial Arts trait to their dice pool for any parry roll. They cannot use this bonus as a reflexive parry pool if they do not have one. These dice are treated as regular bonus dice.
Bursting into Motion</b>
<b>Cost:5 motes, 1 willpower Duration: Until Used Type: Reflexive Min. Martial Arts: 3 Min. Essence: 2 Prereqs: Wing Spreading Defense
This Charm once activated remains latent in the characters anima until they choose to draw upon its effects. At that moment the Charm ends and they gain a number of free actions equal to their Martial Arts ability that may be used either as parries or dodges at their full Attribute + Ability dice pool. These actions must be used before the end of the turn or they are lost. This Charms effects can be invoked in the same turn that it is activated and it is sometimes used to provide full dice dodges or parries or both against multiple attacks when the character is caught by surprise.
Soaring Assault</b>
<b>Cost:2 motes Duration: Instant Type: Supplemental Min. Martial Arts: 2 Min. Essence: 2 Prereqs: None
Soaring through the air with a graceful leap that momentarily emulates the Phoenix in flight the character may move up to their Dexterity score in Yards in conjunction with an attack action, so long as they are moving towards their target. Additionally this attack automatically causes lethal damage if it would not already. This Charm is explicitly allowed to be placed in a Combo with Charms from other abilities.
Gliding Combat Stance</b>
<b>Cost:5 motes Duration: One Scene Type: Simple Min. Martial Arts: 3 Min. Essence: 3 Prereqs: Soaring Assault
For the rest of the scene the character drifts approximately an inch from the ground never quite touching it. Their movements seem supernaturally fluid as they effortlessly maneuver through combat. They may add their Martial Arts ability to their initiative for the rest of the scene. Additionally they may treat their Dexterity as raised by their Martial Arts score for purposes of movement rate (including jumping distance); this is specifically compatible with magical effects such as Soaring Assault.
Phoenix Form</b>
<b>Cost:8 motes Duration: One Scene Type: Simple Min. Martial Arts: 4 Min. Essence: 3 Prereqs: Bursting into Motion, Gliding Combat Stance, Basic Melee Charms (At least five)
The Exalt takes upon them self the stance of the Phoenix ready for combat. They raise their weapon ready to attack or defense and their glory is made manifest to all around them. Any attack against a character using the Phoenix Form has its difficulty raised by the permanent Essence of the character, additionally the character’s sense of self is heightened and honed by the Phoenix Form, rendering them immune to any mind effecting Charms or Spells, however this defense comes at a price, each time they would otherwise have been effected by such a Charm they automatically gain a point of Limit (If appropriate to their Exalted Type, Exalts that do not suffer from accumulating Limit, do not share this draw back). Roll any normally resistance to the Charm before applying the Phoenix Form immunity. Finally the Phoenix Form adds the characters Permanent Essence in dice to any Martial Arts or Melee dice pool for the rest of the scene. These dice are considered normal bonus dice for Martial Arts and count against the characters normal dice pool limit, however when applied to Melee they are considered a Martial Arts bonus and are explicitly compatible with any other bonuses to the Melee dice pool even if that would push it above the normal limit.
Though the characters Anima does not necessarily flare when they adopt the Phoenix Form their nature is apparent to all around them in flares of Essence of the appropriate color to their Anima, this also makes stealth impossible. Phoenix Form is explicitly compatible with armor of all kinds.
Characters can only use a single Form-Type Charm at once. If another Form Charm is activated while the character is under the effects of the Phoenix Form it is immediately canceled and the new Form Charm takes its place.
Mobility Enhancing Spirit</b>
<b>Cost:6 motes Duration: One Scene Type: Reflexive Min. Martial Arts: 5 Min. Essence: 3 Prereqs: Phoenix Form
Emulating the phoenix moving through the skies, its fiery form unimpeded by any obstacle personal or otherwise, the character negates all restrictions on mobility. While this Charm is active the character ignores the effects of wound penalties on their dexterity dice pools, and movement rate. They also ignore their armor's mobility penalty if applicable.
Phoenix Eye Defense</b>
<b>Cost:5 motes Duration: Instant Type: Reflexive Min. Martial Arts: 5 Min. Essence: 4 Prereqs: Mobility Enhancing Spirit
Like the all-seeing Phoenix who soars above worldly concerns the character is very hard to catch without a defense. This Charm may be activated reflexively whenever the Character would become subject to the effects of a Charm or a Charm enhanced attack. It allows them to make a reflexive attack against the character attempting to attack or effect them that is adjudicated before the effects of the Charm or attack are resolved. If the attack successfully deals even a single level of damage, the effect is aborted. (The target must still pay the cost of the effect). If the effect is part of a combo then only a single non-reflexive Charm chosen by the Martial Artist is negated by a successful attack. The character must be within range of their target to attack them, and this Charm cannot be used in response to counterattack type effects.
Armored Bird Wing Charm</b>
<b>Cost:7 motes, 1 willpower Duration: One Scene Type: Simple Min. Martial Arts: 5 Min. Essence: 3 Prereqs: Phoenix Form
Strengthening their bond with their armor the Exalt strengthens its endurance. When this Charm is activated a faint pattern of Essence appears across the surface of their armor, like the overlapping feathers of a Phoenix. This matrix of Essence hardens the armor adding the characters Essence to its Bashing and Lethal Soak values. This increases the armors Aggravated soak as well. Additionally for the rest of the scene the armor is considered to be made of the magical material appropriate to the characters Exalted type for purposes of other Charms if it was not already. This Charm is only compatible with armor.
Golden Aura of Defense</b>
<b>Cost:5 motes, 1 health level Duration: Instant Type: Reflexive Min. Martial Arts: 5 Min. Essence: 4 Prereqs: Armored Bird Wing Charm, Phoenix Eye Defense
Exploding into a flurry of motion answering attacks from all directions as surely as they do what is right before them. The character may make a single parry action at their full Dexterity + Ability dice pool and apply it to all attacks that are targeted against them for the rest of the Turn. They may supplement or replace this parry with another Charm if they wish so long as they have any other Charms they wish to use in a combo with Golden Aura Defense. Yes they really can use Heavenly Guardian Defense or Serenity in Blood in place of the parry and gain a Perfect Defense against all attacks for the rest of the Turn with a Combo.
Solar Flare Assault</b>
<b>Cost:5 motes, 1 willpower Duration: Instant Type: Supplemental Min. Martial Arts: 5 Min. Essence: 3 Prereqs: Phoenix Form
The Exalt charges their weapon with their Essence attempting to introduce the burning edge of their attack into their victim’s soul. If the attack supplemented by this Charm is successful the character rolls their Essence + Martial Arts in an opposed roll to their targets Wits + Resistance. If the target wins then the attack simply does damage as normal. If the character wins then in addition to the normal damage of the attack the character ruptures their opponents Anima, causing it to leak motes. For a number of turns equal to the number of additional successes scored on the Essence + Martial Arts roll the target must spend an additional mote on each Charm they activate. If they activate a combo, this cost must be paid on each and every Charm in it. These motes are always out of the Peripheral Essence pool if possible and do count towards the targets anima display. This Charm is explicitly allowed to be combo’ed with Charms from other abilities.
Glory Corona</b>
<b>Cost:7 motes Duration: Instant Type: Supplemental Min. Martial Arts: 5 Min. Essence: 4 Prereqs: Solar Flare Assault, Phoenix Eye Defense
One of the deadliest techniques in the Phoenix Style, this potent Charm wraps an attack in a massive flare of Essence pushing its Charms far beyond the norm for their potency. Any other Charm supplementing an attack supplemented by this Charm is twice as hard to resist as it would be normally. (Either double the successes on the characters roll or double the difficulty number of their opponents). This Charm is explicitly allowed to be in a combo with Charms from other abilities.
For Example if a Mary attacks Jane with a combo of Solar Flare Assault and Glory Corona and it hits, he may double his successes on his Essence + Martial Arts roll before they are compared to Jane’s Wits + Resistance check.
Raging Fury Aura</b>
<b>Cost:10 motes, 1 willpower Duration: One Scene Type: Simple Min. Martial Arts: 5 Min. Essence: 5 Prereqs: Glory Corona, Golden Aura of Defense
Wrapping themselves in the terrifying power of the totem of their style a master of the Phoenix path is truly terrifying to behold. They may make a number of Martial Arts or Melee attacks equal to their Martial Arts each turn for the rest of the scene. These attacks are at the characters full dice pool and may be further enhanced by the use of other Charms like any normal action. The character may not gain benefit from any Extra Action type Charms in any turn that he uses this ability, nor may be benefit from other Charms that are incompatible with Extra- Action type Charms (Such as Steel Devil Style) while they are using Raging Fury Aura.
