Raven Style

Raven Style is a mobile style with offensive and defensive abilities focusing on the martial artist's ability to befuddle and out-manuever his opponent, though unlike some other similar styles it is not without a strong attack and defense. Unlike most other celestial martial arts, raven style is somewhat co-operative. Groups of raven-stylists working in concert, called "murders," were relatively common in First Age martial artist circles. Murders often included Solar, Lunar, and Sidereal martial artists. Their combined powers and distinctive co-operative moves made them forces to be reckoned with.

Among each form of celestial exalt, the style had slightly different themes and practicioners. Among Solars, for example, it was most common among Dawn caste, who appreciated its subtlety and the opportunity to use their abilities as leaders and martial artists simultaneously. Oddly enough, it was also prefered by Zenith solars, who, as psychopomps, found a resonance with the raven's role in the transmigration of souls. Few Twilight solars practiced Raven Style, for though they were wise and spirit-crafty, like the raven, they found its powers did little to enhance their fondness for sorcery. Sidereals chosen of Secrets and Endings were both fond of Raven Style, followed closely by chosen of Battles. Lunars of all castes followed this style, especially No Moons and Waning Moons, who felt a connection with the raven's wisdom and trickery, respectively.

Appropriatly, this style is one rife with secrets. Both the charms that allow flight and the charms involved with interacting with ghosts and spirits are "secret" branches of this style, not seen in Creation for generations. Even those who know this style and have agreed to teach it will need their students to show a great deal of intelligence and dedication before passing those charms on. In all cases that a student shows that he might have the potential to use the secret branches of this style, the flight charms are taught first, followed by the spirit charms.

Raven Style uses spears (symbolizing the raven's beak) and paired daggers (symbolizing the raven's talons or wings) as martial arts weapons. Raven style is totally incompatible with the use of armor.

(BTW: I would like to mention Shrike Style and its creator, some of whose ideas found their way into Raven Styl. Shrike Style is also a great, albiet unfinished, style - and you should definately have a look at it, whoever you are - though I feel the two are very different)

Raven Stance

<b>Cost: 4 motes
Duration: One Scene
Type: Reflexive
Minimum Martial Arts: 2
Minimum Essence: 1
Prerequesites: None

The martial artist fills his bones and muscles with essence, becoming unnaturaly light and limber. For the rest of the scene he his ballance and speed are enhanced. He may now add his permanent Essence to his Strength and Dexterity for the purposes of running and leaping.

Fading with the Dusk

<b>Cost: 5 motes
Duration: Instant
Type: Reflexive
Minimum Martial Arts: 3
Minimum Essence: 2
Prerequesites: Raven Stance

As the raven flutters away from those who seek to harm it, so does the martial artist slip away from his attacker. The power of his essence and preternatural awareness allow him to add his martial arts in dice to any one dodge attempt. Furthermore, if the dodge is successful, the martial artist may leap in any direction up to as many yards as he rolled successes on his dodge, plus one yard for each point of his permanent Essence. As with any reflexive dice-adder, this charm allows the martial artist to reflexively dodge an attack with his martial arts score. This charm benefits from all other dodge bonuses the martial artist has active. This charm may be freely comboed with charms from other abilities.

Flying Before the Storm

<b>Cost: 5 motes
Duration: Instant
Type: Reflexive
Minimum Martial Arts: 3
Minimum Essence: 2
Prerequesites: Raven Stance

As an attack sweeps towards him, the martial artist simultaneously channels his essence into his defense and into further lightening his body. When the attack strikes, he may add his permanent Essence to his parry (not dodge) roll. If the parry is successful, the martial artist may leap away from his opponent up to as many yards as he rolled successes on his parry, plus one yard for each point of his permanent Essence. As with any reflexive dice-adder, this charm allows the martial artist to reflexively parry an attack with his permanent Essence plus the defense bonus of his weapon. This charm benefits from all appropriate parry benefits the character has active. This charm may be freely comboed with charms from other abilities.

Raven Form

<b>Cost: 5 motes
Duration: One Scene
Type: Simple
Minimum Martial Arts: 4
Minimum Essence: 2
Prerequesites: Fading with the Dusk, Flying Before the Storm

With this form, the martial artist learns the secret of balance that ravens know. None may attempt to harm the martial artist without putting herself in danger. Should the character parry or dodge an opponent's attack, or strike that opponent with a martial arts attack, the target must make a Dexterity + Athletics check against a difficulty of the character's martial arts or be knocked off-balance for a number of turns to the character's Essence, suffering a -1 die penalty to all physical actions and to initiative. This penalty is cumulative.

This is a martial arts form-style charm; only one form-style charm can be used at a time.

Black Feather Dive Technique

<b>Cost: 6 motes, 1 willpower
Duration: Instant
Type: Simple
Minimum Martial Arts: 4
Minimum Essence: 3
Prerequesites: Raven Form

The martial artist leaps into the air with a burst of essence and phantasmagoric black feathers. The martial artist may move up to ten times his Strength in yards in any direction. He may attack as he lands if he wishes, gaining his Martial Arts as a bonus to his initiative and his permanent Essence as a bonus to damage. If the martial artist has the ability to fly he may still use this charm. The attack becomes a dive and requires that the martial artist be higher in altitude than his opponent.

Raven Greets the Dawn

<b>Cost: 8 motes, 1 willpower

Duration: One Scene
Type: Simple
Minimum Martial Arts: 5
Minimum Essence: 3
Prerequesites: Black Feather Dive Technique

The martial artist leaps into the air... and does not come down again. He has learned one of the highest secrets of Raven Style, the secret of true flight. The martial artist can move aerially at five times his base running speed (80 miles per hour outside of combat). While flying, the martial artist can only be attacked in hand-to-hand combat during the intiative tick when they attack a foe in hand-to-hand combat. If flying characters choose to linger outside of hand-to-hand range and characters can not leap to them or otherwise come to grips, the caster has control of the situation. A target of the caster’s attack may attack (or counterattack) without penalty. Characters other than the target who wish to attack must be able to move into hand-to-hand range reflexively and suffer a –3 penalty. Characters who have long weapons, such as spears, suffer only a –1 penalty. A flying character may be attacked in ranged combat normally.

Black-Winged Harbringer

<b>Cost: 6 motes
Duration: One Scene
Type: Simple
Minimum Martial Arts: 4
Minimum Essence: 3
Prerequesites: Raven Form

The martial artist spreads his arms and draws the essence of endings into his body. Shadows about him lengthen and deepen, his vioce becomes deep and echoing, and even his anima banner becomes dim and strange. For the rest of the scene, those who would strike him must succeed on a valor roll. If they fail, they must either spend a point of willpower or attack a different foe.

Righteous Psychopomp

<b>Cost: 8 motes, 1 willpower
Duration: One Scene
Type: Simple
Minimum Martial Arts: 5
Minimum Essence: 3
Prerequesites: Black-Winged Harbringer

The martial artist executes a complex and utterly silent set of katas, aligning himself more fully with the essence of endings. When he is finished, his hands and eyes flicker with the violet of the maiden of endings and he is constantly surrounded by a fall of phantasmal black feathers. His attacks against spirits, ghosts, and creatures of the abyss - including Abyssal exalted - are now aggravated. No creature dealt its death blow by this charm can return to life in any fashion. Spirits are permanently destroyed and ghosts, mortals, and exalts, even those damned to Oblivion, enter lethe and reincarnation. In the case of ghosts, this is a perfect effect. Only similarly perfect effects, such as the immortality protecting the Deathlords, can prevent lethe and reincarnation.

Carrion Call

<b>Cost: 5 motes, 1 willpower + 3 motes/Attack
Duration: One Scene
Type: Simple
Minimum Martial Arts: 4
Minimum Essence: 3
Prerequesites: Raven Form

This charm is the one through which murders of raven-style martial artist became feared in the old realm. Once this charm is active, the martial artist becomes a cunning opportunist. Whenever an opponent whithin the martial artist's Dexterity + Athletics + permanent Essence is knocked down, knocked back, or knocked off ballance, the martial artist may reflexively spend 3 motes of essence to move towards that opponent and deliver an attack. Activating this charm is a charm and a dice action, but the reflexive attack is not a charm and it does not count against the number of charms the martial artist may use in a round. In fact, the martial artist may supplement this attack with any appropriate reflexive or supplemental charms he knows, at ordinary cost. The martial artist may use this charm's effects more than once per round, but only once for each opponent. Furthermore, the martial artist may not, at this level of expertese attack those he himself put off balance.

Ten Thousand Blackened Feathers

<b>Cost: 4 motes, 1 willpower
Duration: Instant
Type: Reflexive
Minimum Martial Arts: 5
Minimum Essence: 3
Prerequesites: Carrion Call

Whenever the martial artist successfuly knocks a target down, knocks a target back, or knocks a target off ballance he may activate this charm to get another attack with the same number of dice. If that attack successfuly knocks its target down, knocks its target back, or knocks its target off ballance, the martial arist may activate this charm again. The martial artist may use this charm no more than once per opponent per point of his permanent Essence. The martial artist may follow his opponent; there is no limit to the number of yards he may move to chase his opponent.

Comments

The pre-form charms are...odd. The Raven Stance is an excellent charm to the point of being *too* excellent - it's much better than Graceful Crane, for example. The standard for +MA to a defense seems to be 3 motes, so +MA to a defense AND additional tricks might cost more. The wording on the Form is wonky, as Athletics doesn't add to movement speeds AFAIK (You may wish to split this, so Raven Stance boosts leaping and the Form boosts motion), and the 'off-balance' thing might best be worded thus: "Should the character parry or dodge an opponent's attack, or strike that opponent with a martial arts attack, the target must make a Dexterity + Athletics check against a difficulty of the character's successes (on the dodge, parry, or attack) or be knocked off-balance for a number of turns to the character's Essence, suffering a -1 die penalty to all physical actions and to initiative." - that said, I'd apply it to dodges and parries only, and set the difficulty to an arbitrary 'Character's MA score'. The leaping charm is almost identical to that one Athletics charm - that might better be considered in the vein of the Mantis leaping charm? ~ BerserkSeraph Lurky lurky

I think I will take most of your advice: The cost of Raven Stance has been increased by one mote and its movement boosters taken away and given to the form. Fading with the Dusk and Flying Before the Storm costs increased by two motes each. Streamline and re-wording will both be applied. I don't have access to the Mantis Leaping charm, so I'm going to leave that one as is, for now. -Seraph

I meant to say that you could either recost Crow Stance (and keep the abilities as-is) or change the abilities (+ to Athletics for leaping and perfect balance) and keep the 5-mote cost - now you're paying double for the same effect as Graceful Crane! IIRC the Mantis charm lets you jump MA x 10 yards forward or backwards and gives you + MA to initiative if you attack after leaping forward, and costs about 4 motes - that sounds pretty solid (in that it won't let you jump as high as the Athletics charm while allowing a more direct combat application) ~ BerserkSeraph

Hm... I see the problem. As it is, Raven Stance is basically a speed-bump. Of course, that might be a good thing. Neh... it's not a speed bump if there's another charm that does THE EXACT SAME THING, only cheaper. Then it's just a pain in the ass, and everyone will take it to get at the later charms and take Graceful Crane Stance anyway. I'll keep the cost at six and give it back the other ability. As far as Raven Dive Technique, I think I'll keep the expensive cost and have it do the same thing as the Mantis Charm, plus a little damage bonus. Raven Style is meant to be a little more vicious than Mantis Style. Also, I'm switching some names around. -Seraph

Raven Stance - I'd probably simply say that perm Essence is added to Strength and Dexterity for the purposes of running, leaping, and balancing, reduce the cost by a mote, and leave it at that. As it stands, it does everything GCS does and then some.

Flying Before the Storm - the mechanics of this are a bit awkward, as the parry roll presumably already includes MA.

Raven Leap - I'd make the Duration equal to one turn to reflect that it replaces the character's normal movement and can't be used ten times in a single turn. I also think (1) this is too much like Monkey Leap and (2) there are already so many leaping charms in this style that this charm is redundant.

Black Feather Dive Technique - adding to initiative with a supplemental charm makes no sense.

Raven Greets the Dawn - I don't like the alternate mechanics. Let the character choose which method of flight to use. They ought not to add together.

Black-Winged Harbringer - get rid of the 'spend a point of willpower' - it is redundant, as one can spend a point to succeed on a valor roll.

Riding the Secret Wind - This Charm does too many things. Entering the underworld, becoming immaterial, and forcing your way into a spirit's sanctum are all very different cosmologically. I don't see how a Charm, in particular an Essence 3 Charm, can do all three.

Righteous Psychopomp - I'd remove the "this is a perfect effect" bit. If some spirit has a defense against Ghost-Eating Technique, it ought to defend against this as well.

Carrion Call - "or put off ballance for any reason" and "the martial artist may not... attack those he himself put off balance"... which of these is it?

Ten Thousand Blackened Feathers - This should be a reflexive Charm. I'd reduce the cost so that it is spent in full each time it is activated (perhaps 4 motes, 1 willpower). I'd also get rid of the Carrion Call clause. Let them attack once with CC and follow up with as many TTBF attacks as they can afford. - szilard

I'm still not totally happy with Raven stance and I may take your advice. Flying Before the Storm does need work. I decided to replace the martial arts bonus with permanent Essence. Basically, Fading with the Dusk is a dodge and it gets you more bonus dice and lets you move in any direction - thus, more flexible. Flying Before the Storm is a parry, it gets you fewer bonus dice, but if you've got a weapon, you've got a defense rating, and you have to travel away from your opponent - thus, less flexible, but possibly more of a life-saver. I'm going to remove Raven Leap altogether and replace it with a slightly cheaper Black Feather Dive Technique, and then fix it. I'll also clarify Black-Winged Harbringer; the idea was that if they fail the valor roll, they have the option of spending a point of willpower instead of loosing their attack. The perfect part of Righteous Psychopomp was the "enters Lethe" bit, not the "kills spirits" bit. Nothing short of a perfect spiritual defense (ie. like something posessed by a Deathlord) can prevent the reincarnation of a ghost killed with this charm. I'll clarify Carrion Call and fix Ten Thousand Blackened Feathers. Thanks. -Seraph

Sigh... now I need a charm to fill the gap left by the old Riding the Secret Wind... suggestions? -Seraph

Scratch that. Riding the Secret Wind was a pain in the ass, anyway. It's gone, like the other one. It's the Carrion Call / Ten Thousand Blackened Feathers branch that's the coolest anyway; why make the two secondary branches longer than the central, thematic branch? The spirit-killing branch and flying branch are fun tricks, but it's Ten Thousand Blackened Feathers and all your buddies with Carrion Call that'll win the fight. I'm adjusting requirements to match Ten Thousand Blackened Feathers with Raven Greets the Sun and Righteous Psychopomp. - seraph

Raven Stance seems expensive. I suggest a 1 or 2-mote reduction on the cost.
Fading with the Dusk could use some clarification on whether it accrues bonuses from Essence (in Powercombat), Hearthstone Bracers, etc.
Flying before the Storm: Same as the previous. Also, I'd be wary of providing a style with both parry and dodge adders, unless it is deliberately heavy on defence.
Raven Form’s effect is really neat and clever. I'm a little concerned that it works on attacks and defences as well, though; it seems like that's a recipe for disaster, in the form of "A Raven stylist is undefeatable! All fall into the grass, sprawling like palsied babes, at his approach!" It's a very strong effect for a cheap low-Essence Form
BFDT: Ten times his Strength in what units?
Black-Winged Harbringer: The word you want here is harbinger. I am a little confused as to why these two seemingly unrelated effects are bound together in this Charm; perhaps unmanifested spirits should succeed at a reflexive Valour roll or become manifest (not materialised!) at no cost, as their Essences interact with the adept's.
10kBF: So, you can spend seven motes repeatedly? The costing pattern of this Charm is unclear. I think it would help to word the introductory sentences differently, as well: "Whenever the martial artist successfuly knocks a target down, knocks a target back, or knocks a target off balance he may activate this Charm to make an additional attack (at the same dice pool? at the same base pool, able to be affected by Charms?)....

- willows

Let's see, taking it from the top... I'd like to cheapen Raven Stance, since I made it a lot weaker. I just might, in fact. I'll drop it to four motes, but three seems a little cheap. Fading and Flying are both clarified. I'm going to leave both Fading with the Dusk and Flying Before the Storm in. It is, in fact, a heavily defensive style. Its offensive power comes from its cooperative and opportunistic elements. Its only offensive capabilities that aren't cooperative/opportunistic are movement-oriented. I'm similarly going to leave Raven Form alone, for now, though I'll accept further commentary on it. It's basically the form's only offensive ability. BFDT fixed. 10kBF clarified. -Seraph

Raven Form - since this is a heavily defensive style and you have two reflexive defenses by the time you get RF, why not drop the bit about unbalancing someone when you strike them? It seems to fit less with the flavor text than the unbalancing on a dodge or parry. Perhaps in its place put in the ability to do lethal barehanded - which ought to be in there. If you are going to be opportunistic, you probably won't always have a convenient form weapon at hand... szilard

Point... though I wanted the style to have some offensive capabilities. Perhaps I could add an offensive charm, post Form, before the three-way branching. A sort of "knock off balance/back/down" deal, which you could combo with Ten Thousand Blackened Feathers if you wanted to... -seraph

Thoughts: I'd probably suggest a supplemental offensive knockdown charm, as you already have a lot of off-balancey stuff... and it ought to be distinct from the defensive side-effects. As an alternative (or in addition), you could include some sort of taunting charm that will cause the target to attack you at a penalty the next round... in which you can easily parry/dodge the attack and knock him off balance. (I'm stealing ideas from my Magpie Style here...) - szilard

That's good... that's really good. Probably not the taunty charm, this style lacks a social dimension, but a knockdown charm. Or maybe both. Hm... -seraph

My thought on this Style as a whole: You don't have a strategy for making strong attacks, but you do have three strategies for very strong defences, a robust way of weakening the opponent's defences, and a pair of great tools for making large numbers of attacks, predicated on a condition you only control indirectly. On the whole, I think that providing a direct way to control that condition (forcing a knockdown) makes this style too strong; multiplicity of attacks is already superior to singular attacks in Exalted, and an obvious tool to get huge numbers of attacks (assuming a Raven death squad) makes this thing basicaly invincible. - willows

MartialArts/RavenStyle

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