MartialArts/TranquilScholarStyle

Tranquil Scholar Style

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This martial arts Style is part of the Ascendant Quill Cascade.

“Who could doubt the prowess of those who practice Tranquil Scholar Style martial arts? They read their opponents’ actions as though they were writing upon a book!”

Formulated in the First Age as the initiation into the complexities of a grander martial art still, Tranquil Scholar Style persists within the Realm to this day amongst those eager to learn the arts of self-defence. It rewards a considered and defensive approach to combat over the more aggressive tactics of many of its fellow Styles.

The Style is closely aligned to the Essence of air; air-aspected Dragon Blooded pay no elemental surcharge for the use of this Charm, whereas earth-aspected Dragon Blooded do. Should any Dragon Blooded master the Style entirely, they may begin tutelage in the Celestial martial art of the (now mostly forgotten) Worldly Canvassed Calligrapher Style, in a similar manner to initiation into the Immaculate Arts.

Tranquil Scholar Style treats attacks with quills and feathers as unarmed attacks. In the hands of a practitioner of the Style, they possess the statistics of throwing knives when used in combat (both in melee and at range). This Style is incompatible with armour.

Reading The Sudden Introduction

• Cost: 1 mote
• Duration: Instant
• Type: Reflexive
• Minimum Martial Arts: 2
• Minimum Essence: 1
• Prerequisite Charms: None

Practitioners of Tranquil Scholar Style are ever-vigilant; this Charm may be activated when making a Wits + Awareness roll in response to ambush; they receive automatic successes on the roll equal to their Essence.

Researching The Avenues Of Thought

• Cost: 2 motes
• Duration: Instant
• Type: Reflexive
• Minimum Martial Arts: 3
• Minimum Essence: 1
• Prerequisite Charms: Reading The Sudden Introduction

In a moment, the martial artist studies what actions are available to her opponent and adapts her approach to pre-empt them. She may add her Intelligence to her initiative rating for the turn in which the Charm is activated.

Cramming The Wordly Necessities

• Cost: 2 motes
• Duration: Instant
• Type: Extra Action
• Minimum Martial Arts: 3
• Minimum Essence: 2
• Prerequisite Charms: Researching The Avenues Of Thought

The martial artist identifies her moment and acts before it is denied to her; she may make an additional martial arts attack at her full Dexterity + Martial Arts dice pool against one target that has not yet acted in the turn.

Studying The Text’s Body

• Cost: 2 motes
• Duration: Instant
• Type: Reflexive
• Minimum Martial Arts: 3
• Minimum Essence: 1
• Prerequisite Charms: Reading The Sudden Introduction

Noting her opponent’s readiness to strike, the martial artist positions herself ready to deflect it when the attack comes. The character may use a pool equal to her Martial Arts to parry any one incoming hand-to-hand attack she is aware of.

Forming The Argument’s Counterpoint

• Cost: 3 motes
• Duration: Instant
• Type: Reflexive
• Minimum Martial Arts: 3
• Minimum Essence: 2
• Prerequisite Charms: Studying The Text’s Body

Refining her technique further, the martial artist arrays herself to not only refute her opponent’s attack when it comes, but to return it. If she generates extra successes on a parry attempt, she may activate this Charm and immediately make an unrolled counterattack, with those extra successes counting as successes on the attack roll.

Tranquil Scholar Form

• Cost: 5 motes
• Duration: One scene
• Type: Simple
• Minimum Martial Arts: 4
• Minimum Essence: 3
• Prerequisite Charms: Forming The Argument’s Counterpoint, Cramming The Worldly Necessities

As the martial artist adopts Tranquil Scholar Form, her actions become minimalistic, considered and precise, her senses honed on those about her. Her mind stills, and the slightest action of her opponents is as obvious and telling as writing on a page.

For the remainder of the scene, the character may add her Perception in dice to her martial arts parries; standard restrictions on dice adders apply. Furthermore, she cannot be surprised.

Relating The Foreseen Conclusion

• Cost: 4 motes
• Duration: Instant
• Type: Reflexive
• Minimum Martial Arts: 4
• Minimum Essence: 3
• Prerequisite Charms: Tranquil Scholar Form

Taking a moment to recognise an incoming attack, the martial artist speaks a word and makes a quick gesture, describing the attack in the most succinct and accurate manner possible. Her companions, provided they are able to see and hear her, receive bonus dice equal to her Wits to any attempt to dodge or parry the attack in question. These bonus die contribute toward the die pool adder limit as normal. The character herself receives no benefit, being too busy relating the information at hand to capitalise upon it.

Perceiving The Hidden Subtext

• Cost: 3 motes
• Duration: One scene
• Type: Simple
• Minimum Martial Arts: 4
• Minimum Essence: 3
• Prerequisite Charms: Tranquil Scholar Form

Carefully scrutinising an opponent’s manner of fighting, the martial artist hones her understanding of that foe. For the remainder of the scene, she gains a one die bonus on all attempts to attack, block or dodge that opponent, knows when they channel Willpower or a Virtue (and which), and is aware of their wound penalty.

Discarding The Blank Document

• Cost: 3 motes
• Duration: Instant
• Type: Reflexive
• Minimum Martial Arts: 4
• Minimum Essence: 3
• Prerequisite Charms: Relating The Foreseen Conclusion, Perceiving The Hidden Subtext

As the martial artist’s understanding increases, conventional forms of attack become as natural as breathing to avoid; only originality poses a threat to them. Activating this Charm automatically parries any single non-stunted material attack that the character is aware of. This is not a perfect defence.

Closing The Finished Book

• Cost: 8 motes, 1 Willpower
• Duration: Instant
• Type: Reflexive
• Minimum Martial Arts: 5
• Minimum Essence: 3
• Prerequisite Charms: Discarding The Blank Document

As a book’s covers close over it, the martial artist turns her opponent’s assets against himself. Activated in response to an attack declared against the character, this Charm redirects it against the attacker, who may defend against it normally.

Feedback

Very cool style! I like especially Discarding the Blank Document, Preceiving the Hidden Subtext, and the quills as weapons thing. Also, all the charms relate very directly to the theme (something I'm working on...I tend to have kinda all-over-the-board effects just because I think they're cool). - AmbroseCollector

Cramming the Worldly Necessities - When do I do this? What does it really give me? Can it be used more than once to give me more than one extra attack? I should note that as it is worded now, it could be construed to not give an extra attack, but simply make an attack. I assume this is supposed to allow just one extra attack, possibly made out of initiative order. Certainly restricted by the initiative of my opponent. - IanPrice

Thanks for the kudos, AmbroseCollector! I'm glad to see someone appreciated the Style. Cramming The Worldly Necessities has now hopefully been clarified (thanks to two precious, precious extra words); much obliged for the feedback, IanPrice...DeathBySurfeit

Ooooh, Yomiko as a DragonBlood. Not quite, I suppose, but looks quite fun to play. :)

-ScrambledValkyrie