MartialArts/SilverDancingDragonflyStyle
Silver Dancing Dragonfly Style
By Fifth
Background
This style was a love gift from the first age Sidereal Kunal Minat to her Lunar mate, Striking Crimson Sunset. Kunal went into retreat for seven years; when she came back, she taught Crimson this style, which she had designed specifically for him. Two days after she finished, the Usurpatation occurred, and Striking Crimson Sunset was torn from her forever. Kunal died during the Contagion, but Striking Crimson Sunset lives on to this day. It is said that he will teach this style only to one who demonstrates True Love.
Silver Dancing Dragonfly Style, because it emulates Lunar natural Shapeshifting abilities, comes much easier to Lunars than to any other kind of Exalt. Lunars have a mote discount on all charms in this style equal to the number of times they have taken Deadly Beastman Transformation. Eclipses do not gain this benefit if they have learned DBT, as they can not actually use DBT. For charms such as Claw of the Silver Lady, apply this mote discount to the entire cost of the charm, not to the individual payments. This discount cannot reduce a charm to less than 1 mote in cost.
Note: Charms in this style do not treat any attacks with weapons as unarmed attacks, and all charms in Silver Dancing Dragonfly Style are incompatible with armor. Lunars may use their natural weapons with this style, and it is fully usable no matter what the Lunar's form.
Charms
Sprinting Rush Strike</b>
<b>Cost: 6 motes Duration: Instant Type: Reflexive Min. Martial Arts: 3 Min. Essence: 1 Prereqs: None
The Lunar flashes toward one of his enemies, using his Essence to surprise and gain an advantage over his opponent. The Lunar automatically wins initiative over a single target. When using this charm, the Lunar can move up to his full sprinting distance; he does not need to move this far, but he must be able to make some sort of move after using this charm. If his opponenet uses a perfect initiative Charm, resolve initiative normally.
Nature’s Movement Prana</b>
<b>Cost:6 motes Duration: Five Turns Type: Reflexive Min. Martial Arts: 3 Min. Essence: 2 Prereqs: Sprinting Rush Attack
Becoming completely in tune with his own body, the Lunar becomes capable of moving without hindering himself. While this charm is active, all of his movement is reflexive; the Lunar does not need to split dice pools to jump, sprint, or do any other type of movement. This charm does not grant extra movement past the Lunar’s normal maximums.
Silver Dancing Dragonfly Form</b>
<b>Cost:8 motes Duration: Scene Type: Simple Min. Martial Arts: 4 Min. Essence: 2 Prereqs: Natural Movement Prana
Whirling and flashing through battle, the Lunar embodies the fullness of the Silver Dragonfly; his movements are unpredictable and his strikes come like lightning, and his body takes on a silvery sheen. The character gains the effects of Nature’s Movement Prana every round. His unarmed attacks always do lethal damage, as his limbs strengthen and harden. In addition, light shimmers off the character’s body, distracting and confusing any opponents who can see him; they take a dice penalty on all physical actions against him (including attacks and parries) of the character’s Charisma. Characters can not use more than one Martial Arts Form-type Charm at a time.
Returning Pain Method</b>
<b>Cost:8 motes Duration: Instant Type: Reflexive Min. Martial Arts: 5 Min. Essence: 2 Prereqs: Silver Dragon Dragonfly Form
Accepting an attack on himself, the Lunar makes a vicious counterattack in response. This Charm can only be activated in response to a successful attack on the Lunar; this does not have to do damage, but at least one damage dice must have been rolled. In addition, to use this charm the Lunar must not actively defend against the attack; if he dodges or parries, then Returning Pain Method automatically fails. If he truly accepts the attack, however, the Lunar may then make an unblockable, undodgeable counterattack with his full dexterity + martial arts pool plus a number of extra dice equal to the damage dice that were rolled against him (post-soak). This charm cannot be used against other counterattack charms.
Claw of the Silver Lady</b>
<b>Cost:3 motes per die, 2 Willpower Duration: Scene Type: Simple Min. Martial Arts: 5 Min. Essence: 3 Prereqs: Silver Dancing Dragonfly Form
Letting essence guide his actions, the character insures some measure of reliability. For each 3 motes spent on this charm, the character converts one of his dexterity dice into an automatic success for all actions using dexterity for the scene. This is based off of dexterity, and is not linked to any specific ability.
Ground is Water</b>
<b>Cost:8 motes Duration: Instant Type: Supplemental Min. Martial Arts: 5 Min. Essence: 2 Prereqs: Silver Dancing Dragonfly Form
Leaping into the air, the Lunar comes down on the ground like the dragonfly strikes the water, sending the earth itself splashing up and into his opponent. Because of this, any attack supplemented with this charm is undodgeable due to area of effect. Note that this charm can be used on practically any surface; anything less than the Five Magical Materials will break (or simply splash, if it is used on a liquid) and slam up into its target.
Crushing Limb Strike</b>
<b>Cost:6 motes Duration: Instant Type: Simple Min. Martial Arts: 5 Min. Essence: 3 Prereqs: Returning the Pain Method
The Lunar rushes forward and seizes one of his opponents in a vise-like grip with one arm. The Lunar makes a normal clinch; however, the Lunar may choose to let this charm fuel the hold, costing 1 reflexive mote per turn (this does not count as charm use). If he does so, then he is not bound by the normal restrictions on a grappling character, and may continue to act normally in addition to maintaining the clinch.
Infinite Avoidance Technique</b>
<b>Cost:12 motes, 1 Willpower Duration: Scene Type: Reflexive Min. Martial Arts: 5 Min. Essence: 3 Prereqs: Claw of the Silver Lady
When the Lunar activates this charm, he becomes a true whirlwind of movement; he dances away from attacks with the ease of a butterfly avoiding an air current, and his own attacks come with a rush as he glides into battle. For every attack he makes and for every attack made against him, the Lunar gains free reflexive movement equal to his permanent Essence (this free movement is explicitely forbidden from being enhanced by movement charms or effects such as the Full Moon anima banner). For every attack he makes or attack against him, the Lunar may choose to use this reflexive movement in order to move into range or in order to avoid an attack. If he uses this to move away from an attacker, that attacker takes a penalty on their attack equal to the number of yards the Lunar moves. Note that this will break a multiple action combo unless the attacker has some way of either closing the range or attacking at a distance.
Flaring Essence Wings Strike</b>
<b>Cost:12 motes, 1 Willpower Duration: Instant Type: Extra-Action Min. Martial Arts: 5 Min. Essence: 4 Prereqs: Ground is Water
After activating this charm, the Lunar seems to grow dragonfly wings of pure silvery essence that sprout out of his back. Visible for only an instant, they then sweep down and into his opponents in a powerful attack. System wise, the character makes a full martial arts attack against every opponent within his permanent Essence x 2 yards that turn. If comboed with supplemental or simple charms, the Lunar must be able to pay for all charm uses; if he becomes unable to do this, then Flaring Essence Wings Strike fails.
Whirlwind Feet and Arms</b>
<b>Cost:12 motes, 1 Willpower Duration: Scene Type: Simple Min. Martial Arts: 5 Min. Essence: 4 Prereqs: Crushing Limb Strike, Infinite Avoidance Technique, Flaring Essence Wings Strike
While this charm is active the Lunar is a whirling dervish of light and limbs. Any attacks against him take a dice penalty of his permanent Essence from the confusion of his movement. Furthermore, the Lunar may take a cascading parry or full dodge each round in addition to his normal action as his essence reacts to incoming attacks of any kind. In addition, a character who masters Silver Dancing Dragonfly Style by purchasing this charm slightly trancends his bestial nature. A Lunar Exalt who learns this charm may freely combo charms in this style with charms from the Unarmed Combat tree, and any of his normal reflexives.
Comments
I really like the style, I just had one quick question - shouldn't Flaring Essence Wings Strike have a limit to the number of times you can use it in a turn? Or did you want it to be usable repeatedly to take out waves of extras? - SilverMeerKat
Whoops! Flaring Essence Wings Strike is an Extra-Action charm, but that got lost in my copy-paste job. My bad. Thanks for the feedback. -Fifth
This style is so stolen. <yoink! runs off to make a new character> =P - SilverMeerKat
Dude, go for it; someone else thinking about actually using my charms makes my day. :) -Fifth
