MartialArts/RockStyle

The Rock Style is a Mortal-level Martial Art. It relies on the implicit use of one my optional rules, that Mortals have Psuedo-Essence scores. (DariusSolluman/MortalEssence) Further, these Charms all take a number of months equal to the number of days they would normally take to learn. If Martial Arts is a Favored Ability, it instead requires a number of weeks.

The Gate Forms all work on a cascading principle- that is, you must be in the First Gate to open the Second, in the Second to open the Third, and so on. Further, in order for an unExalted person to properly open a Gate, they must succede at a Dexterity+Martial Arts check (difficulty 3). Failure to do so still wastes their action and Willpower spent for the turn. Exalted never need to make such a check. The benefits of each Form are also cumulative, but not the penelties.

Additionally, the Gate Forms deal the character harm from pushing their bodies too far. At the end of each turn, they must make an unmodified Stamina + Resistance roll, or suffer half the difficulty as unsoakable lethal dice of damage. This damage is considered Perfect- it cannot be mitigated. (Precise numbers are provided with each Gate).

The later Gate Forms also include the possibility of permanent Attribute damage. Each turn they remain in the Form, make a tick mark. When the drop the Form, roll that many dice against the character's unmodified Attributes, one at a time. Thus, if they are in the Limiting Form for 3 turns, they'll need to roll 3 dice against their Strength, then against their Dexterity, then against their Stamina. If the Form Dice get more successes, the character loses that many dots from the relative Attribute, permanently. The precise Attributes rolled vary from Form to Form. Moving to a higher Form is leaving the Form you're in ends the count of the old Form and starts it for the new, requiring any checks neccesary for the old Form at only 1 die (typically).

Example: Rock Lee is active in the Limting Form for 3 turns. He has an unmodified Strength of 3, Dexterity of 5 and Stamina of 4. When he leaves the Form, he rolls his Strength (3) against the Form Dice (3)- this results in 7, 5, and 2 vs 9, 8, and 6. He next rolls his Dexterity (5) against the Form (3)- this results in 10, 8, 7, 4 and 1 vs 8, 4, and 3. Finally, he rolls his Stamina (4) vs the Form Dice (3), and has 10, 5, 3, 2 vs 10, 3, and 1. Thus, he loses 1 dot of Strength permanently, although it can be bought back up as normal.

Weighted Training</b>
<b>Cost: Special
Duration: Special
Type: Simple
Min. Martial Arts: 2
Min. Essence: 2
Prereqs: None 

The Rock Stylist recognizes that, relative to the amazing powers of Essence control the Exalted have, they are at a slight disadvantage. They compensate for this by training to an extreme degree, and are capable of pushing themselves far beyond what humans are normally able to- but at a lingering cost to their ability to continue on fighting. To keep themselves from constant exhaustion, most masters of Weighted Training wear special weights which prevent them from fully using their power.

Each time Weighted Training is taken, the character gains two points. These points may be added either 1 for 1 to Strength or Stamina, or 2 for 1 to Dexterity, and must be set when purchased. However, using Weighted Training is exhausting, and every three turns the character moves with their full power, they must make an (unmodified) Stamina+Endurance check, difficulty equal to the number of times they've taken Weighted Training. Failure results in them taking half the number of times they've taken Weighted Training as unsoakable dice of Bashing Damage.

Weighted Training may be taken no more than the character's Psuedo Essence. Weighted Training is always 'active', unless a character has some sort of limiter to it- which they almost all do, just to avoid accidentally dying from overstrain. If an Exalt takes Weighted Training, the dice added count as bonus dice for the purposes of dice adders.

Inital Gate Form</b>
<b>Cost: 1 Willpower
Duration: One Scene
Type: Simple
Min. Martial Arts: 3
Min. Essence: 3
Prereqs: Weighted Training, Body of Iron

Inside the body, there are 8 Gates, through which Essence flows into and out of the person. Normally, these gates are kept relatively shut- but through concious effort, some rare few gain the ability to force them open. Doing so places a massive amount of strain upon the body, however, as Essence was not meant to flow at such paces through a mortal frame. The first of these Gates is known as the Inital Gate.

While in the Inital Gate Form, a character deals lethal with their unarmed attacks.

Stamina + Resistance: 1, 1d unsoakable lethal for failure.

Harming Gate Form</b>
<b>Cost: 1 Willpower
Duration: One Scene
Type: Simple
Min. Martial Arts: 3
Min. Essence: 3
Prereqs: Weighted Training x2, Inital Gate Form

The Harming Gate is the Gate which controls the arms and legs of the body. When it is active, a character becomes a litteral blur, barely able to be tracked.

When in the Harming Gate Form, a character gains all the benefits of the Inital Gate Form. Additionally, they gain their Martial Arts as a bonus to their Initative. Additionally, any defense made against their attacks looses a number of dice equal to their Essence.

Stamina + Resistance: 2, 1d unsoakable lethal for failure.

Healing Gate Form</b>
<b>Cost: 1 Willpower
Duration: One Scene
Type: Simple
Min. Martial Arts: 3
Min. Essence: 3
Prereqs: Weighted Training x3, Harming Gate Form

The Healing Gate is the Gate which controls the heart and bones. When it is active, a character recovers from gross injury much faster, shrugging off and even drawing strength from the pain of recuperation.

When in the Healing Gate Form, a character gains all the benefits of the Harming Gate Form. They also convert any penelty they are suffering to their dice pool from wounds, pain or physical imparment (such as the Cripling Pressure Point strike, but not being tied up) becomes a bonus, up to their Martial Arts. These dice count as bonus dice, for the purpose of Exalted dice adders.

Stamina + Resistance: 3, 2d unsoakable lethal for failure.

Living Gate Form</b>
<b>Cost: 1 Willpower
Duration: One Scene
Type: Simple
Min. Martial Arts: 4
Min. Essence: 4
Prereqs: Weighted Training x4, Healing Gate Form

The Living Gate Form is considered the 'safe' pinacle, controlling the lungs. At it, a master is unlikely to push themselves too far by accident, although they may accidentally injure themselves far more than they intended to. However, they become capable of seemingly impossible feats of martial power.

When in the Living Gate Form, a characters gains all the benefits of the Healing Gate Form. A character also gains their Martial Arts as bonus dice for attacks, and successes on attacks double for the purposes of dealing damage.

Stamina + Resistance: 4, 4d unsoakable lethal for failure.

Limiting Gate Form</b>
<b>Cost: 1 Willpower
Duration: One Scene
Type: Simple
Min. Martial Arts: 5
Min. Essence: 5
Prereqs: Weighted Training x5, Living Gate Form

The Limiting Gate is named for it's unique position. It is the point at which a Martial Artist risks dealing themselves permanent damage and drastically shortening their lives. The rare few masters of the Limiting Gate refrain from using it except under direst need- the potential cost is simply too high.

When in the Limiting Gate Form, a character gains all the benefits of the Living Gate Form. While in the Limiting Gate Form, they soak lethal damage with their full Stamina and Aggravated Damage with half their Stamina. Additionally, they make two additional, full dice pool Martial Arts actions (attacks or defenses) a turn.

Stamina + Resistance: 5, 3d unsoakable lethal for failure.\\ Risked Attributes: Strength, Dexterity, Stamina

Viewing Gate Form</b>
<b>Cost: 1 Willpower
Duration: One Scene
Type: Simple
Min. Martial Arts: 5
Min. Essence: 5
Prereqs: Weighted Training x5, Limiting Gate Form

By assuming the Viewing Gate Form, a martial Artist is making a definitive stand. They will fight, and they will win. The cost of using the Viewing Gate Form is such that almost nothing else could make it worth while- the the Viewing Gate is the gate of the brain and eye.

When in the Viewing Gate Form, a character gains all the benefits of the Limiting Gate Form. Further, they double their Dexterity+Wits for initative purposes, and ignore the effects of those with initative stealers.

Stamina + Resistance: 6, 3d unsoakable lethal for failure.\\ Risked Attributes: Strength, Dexterity, Stamina, Wits

Wonder Gate Form</b>
<b>Cost: 1 Willpower
Duration: One Scene
Type: Simple
Min. Martial Arts: 5
Min. Essence: 5
Prereqs: Weighted Training x5, Viewing Gate Form

The Wonder Gate is the gate of the higher soul. Through it, all of Heaven's grace enters a person. Every good thing they have in life ultimately derivces from the Wonder Gate. Masters who open the Wonder Gate thus terribly tax their higher soul, and risk permanentlly losing themselves from the glory it provides.

When in the Wonder Gate Form, a character gains all the benefits of the Vieing Gate Form. Further, they automatically gain a number of bonus dice equal to their highest Virtue to every action they take. These dice do not count as bonus dice for the purposes of Exalted dice adders, and the character may spend a Willpower to channel a Virtue as per normal.

Stamina + Resistance: 7, 4d unsoakable lethal for failure.\\ Risked Attributes: Strength, Dexterity, Stamina, Wits, (Highest Virtue- cannot reduce the Primary Virtue of an Exalt with a Virtue Flaw below 3)

Death Gate Form</b>
<b>Cost: 1 Willpower
Duration: One Scene
Type: Simple
Min. Martial Arts: 6
Min. Essence: 6
Prereqs: Weighted Training x6, Wonder Gate Form

The Death Gate is the gate of the Lower Soul, the connection the mortal frame has the House of Endings. There have been an estimated two dozen masters of the Death Gate Form over the history of Creation, although speculation says that perhaps two hundred mortals have actually managed this nearly impossible feat. However, in using the Death Gate Form, they command themselves to the final end- it tears their spirit apart, condemning them to the pits of Oblivion itself. While it grants tremendous power, the Death Gate Form is a final, irrevocable step, and taking it will be the last thing a Martial Artist does.

When in the Death Gate Form, a character gains all the benefits of the Wonder Gate Form. Further, they gain a number of automatic successes on any action they take equal to their Essence and an additonal fully independent action.

When the character releases the Death Gate Form (typically by dying from the damage of the Form itself), they instantly die, their soul drawn into Oblivion itself.

Stamina + Resistance: 8, 4d unsoakable lethal for failure.

Comments

Hmm. If I were writing up Rock Lee's style, I'd have used Hurricane Combat Method as an inspiration for the Opening the Gates thingie. Also, rather than make a special "weight training" charm, I'd just have the character buy up his Dexterity and Strength with experience to represent the training, purchasing Legendary Attribute 2.0 if necessary. That would cost tons of experience points if you started with average stats, but that would be consistent with the effort it took Rock Lee to attain the level that he did. (If you wanted to give Rock Lee a reason to wear weights all the time, you could say that he does it to constantly strength-train.)

Looking at the charms as you decided to write them, I'd replace the lethal damage for Weighted Training with bashing damage. I'd also make that switch for most of the gates, except on a botch.\\ - Raindoll

Mm. While Lee should certainly get Legendary Strength, Stamina and Dexterity, I disagree that they do a good job conveying both the extreme to which Lee took his training, and the physical taxingness it had on his body. He needed the weights to prevent himself from overstraining himself- the human body was simply not meant to move at Lee-speed. But yeah, they probally should be doing Bashing.

I did use the Hurricane Combat Method as an inspiration for the Limiting Gate and beyond. But I wanted the person using the earlier gates to be able to drop out of the Form if they became too injured- it heightens the danger of the Limiting Threshold. And, IMO, they should be Lethal damage- it's /extreme/. DS