MartialArts/TheLovers
Submission & Dominance - the Lovers
The lover is dressed in silk robes, and his hair is rumpled. He is superficially friendly and attractive but betrays some sign of violence or restraint, though it may only be in the form of love-bites. The Lovers is the sign of the fixed-price prostitute, the debtor, the beggar, the pedophile, and all individuals engaging in sex acts. Its correlations are service, submission, slaves, vermin, Ravagers, lust, the sex act, rape, and abuse. (Exalted: the Sidereals, p. 223)
Exploited Paramour's Descent
Cost: 3 motes Duration: Instant Type: Supplemental Minimum Martial Arts: 2 Minimum Essence: 2 Prerequisite Charms: None
As a blow speeds toward her, the martial artist falls limp, fainting backward into a prone position. As she sprawls upon the ground, she becomes the lover manipulated and then discarded; through this, she becomes difficult to further damage. This Charm supplements a Dodge action, adding the martial artist's Martial Arts in dice to the pool. In addition, the attacker must fail on a Compassion roll or halve his base initiative on the following turn, as he beholds his own beloved, battered and bruised, within his opponent's eyes.
Lesser Tantra of the Lovers
Cost: 5 motes Duration: 10+ Turns Type: Supplemental Minimum Martial Arts: 3 Minimum Essence: 2 Prerequisite Charms: Exploited Paramour's Descent
As the martial artist completes the slow, languid manuvers required to activate this Tantra, she assumes the stance of one who has been used and abused. She internalizes the smaller lesson of the Lovers: calculated submission allows for unexpected strength. For the duration of this Charm, she may fight from a prone or sitting position as if she were standing. In addition, opponents must succeed at a reflexive Perception + Awareness roll, difficulty 2, whenever attacked by the Charm's user. Should they fail, the target counts as surprised for the purpose of selecting defenses. This is a Tantra-type Charm.
End-of-an-Affair Retribution
Cost: 4 motes, 1 Willpower Duration: One turn Type: Reflexive Minimum Martial Arts: 4 Minimum Essence: 3 Prerequisite Charms: Lesser Tantra of the Lovers
The paramour in an affair is always the one who submits and is always the one who suffers. But this suffering can be turned against its inflictor, as the martial artist well knows. Filled with the rage of a jilted lover, the Serenity stylist hurls herself at an opponent who has successfully struck her this turn, rolling Dexterity + Martial Arts as an attack. The opponent must then succeed on a reflexive Strength + Athletics roll, difficulty equal to the number of successes gained on the Martial Arts attack, or be knocked prone along with the martial artist. Should the stylist succeed in knocking her opponent to the ground, she may make other attacks as per the normal rules for splitting actions, without penalty for fighting prone.
Tasting the Whip
Cost: 5 motes Duration: One scene Type: Simple Minimum Martial Arts: 5 Minimum Essence: 3 Prerequisite Charms: Lesser Tantra of the Lovers
The Lover knows that violence need not be a wholly un-enjoyable experience; through this Charm, the stylist adds a certain level of risqué entertainment to a conflict. She assumes the stance of one willing to suffer in the name of pleasure. For the duration of the scene, the martial artist reduces her wound penalties by 2. But the bitter caress of her fingertips can bring about the same gratification she feels to those who dare stand against her enjoyment. For each success on a roll of the martial artist’s unmodified Essence, made when Tasting the Whip is activated, the stylist may increase the wound penalty of a single opponent by one as they are overcome by surges of pleasure. A stylist may switch the increased penalty to any other opponent as a reflexive action once per turn.
Dirty, Pretty Things
Cost: 6 motes Duration: 5 turns Type: Simple Minimum Martial Arts: 5 Minimum Essence: 3 Prerequisite Charms: Lesser Tantra of the Lovers
The martial artist revels in the degradations heaped upon her by lovers, by friends, and by enemies. She makes her a soul a mirror of this ill treatment, inflicting it upon her opponent in turn, meeting blow for blow, lunge for lunge. Whenever an opponent successfully strikes the martial artist, she may either make an immediate Dexterity + Martial Arts counterattack, or she may add a number of dice equal to twice the number of health levels inflicted by the blow to her next Martial Arts attack or parry. Should the attack deal no damage, the martial artist may add one die. When these dice are added, the martial artist's hands becomed limned with a viscous, blue glow. Her attacks are sly sweeps and tricksome swipes, designed to upset and overturn, while her parries are deceptive flourishes that draw an attacker inward and toward overbalance. Any attack or parry that benefits from these dice will knock the opponent prone if the successes rolled exceed either his Dexterity (for an attack) or his Wits (for a parry). The dice in this pool persist after the Charm's duration end; however, they dissipate if left unused by the end of the scene.
Greater Tantra of the Lovers
Cost: 10 motes Duration: 10+ Turns Type: Supplemental Minimum Martial Arts: 5 Minimum Essence: 3 Prerequisite Charms:
Serenity's stylist now fully understands the greater lesson of the Lovers: calculated strength allows for unexpected submission. She assumes the stance of one accustomed to taking her pleasure from others, and with it, the ability to batter her opponent's resolve along with his body. For the duration of the Charm, the martial artist may force her opponent to make a Willpower check at the end of any turn, with the difficulty being equal to the number of health levels inflicted by the martial artist that turn. On a success, nothing happens. On a failure, the martial artist may issue one simple, imperative command that becomes an irresistable motivation for its victim. The command cannot involve physical harm to the victim, although it can serve as a prelude to physical harm, and must be no longer than five words. Exalted victims may attempt to regain their senses by rolling their unmodified Essence at a difficulty of the stylist's Martial Arts rating. Otherwise, the victim will devote their next turn to fulfilling the command, with no outside actions being attempted. Additionally, the martial artist may fight in a prone or sitting position without penalty. This is a Tantra-type Charm.
Comments
Note: These aren't really balanced yet, since there are no other substyle Charms for them to interact with; i just wanted to get a feel for... what was possible. -- OhJames
- The Greater Tantra is really nasty. The Essence roll to resist is extraordinarily difficult, even for high-Essence characters. Maybe the resist roll should be easier, but rather than cancel the command, it lets the victim put it off for a turn, or something? - David.
- I think it sounds nastier than it actually is, since whatever command you issue will only be obeyed for about three seconds. -- OhJames
- Plus, you've got to get through the first Willpower check, which requires the Martial Artist to deal health levels of damage. Honestly, given the 7+ WP most Exalts have, the MA'ist has to successfully deal 3 damage before it activates. The question is, does norping a mook count, or do the health levels have to be done to someone worthwhile? -- GregLink
- Norping mooks, with the assumption that "to norp" is equivalent to "to damage," is perfectly valid. Especially since "Hit him with your sword!" is precisely five words. -- OhJames
- I think it sounds nastier than it actually is, since whatever command you issue will only be obeyed for about three seconds. -- OhJames
Tasting the Whip is abusable as written. Though written to affect one target at a time, since a) you can move the penalty around reflexively and b) actions in Exalted never take place simultaneously, it can be used to move the penalty to any opponent just prior to any of their die rolls. Ignoring defense against area effects, this is, practically speaking, identical to saying "all opponents suffer this penalty until the end of the scene". I don't think that was the intent of the charm. Maybe allow moving the penalty "up to Essence times per round" or something? -- Wordman
