MartialArts/WorldlyHarlotStyle
Worldly Harlot Style [version 1.0]
Terresterial Martial Arts
In the First Age, it is said that a vast multitude of Martial Arts styles existed; of which the terresterial level, also known as the Root of the Perfected Lotus, was the lowest in might and scope amongst the Princes of the Earth, the Exalted of the Gods.
Of the countless styles in this level of understanding of essence, there exists several styles still in use amongst the Princes of the Earth, the Dragonblooded in this dark age of sorrows. One of which is known as the 'Worldly Harlot Style', and is derived from a celestial style reputedly created by one of the Celestial Incarna, the Maiden of Serenity Venus.
This style, despite its name, is one still in use due to its effectiveness and is typically used by assassins who utilize the arts of seduction, and by those who prefer to slay their victims in the bed chamber. It was also typically used in conjunction with 'Celestial Courtesan Style' or 'Dreaming Pearl Courtesan Style' or even 'Violet Bier of Sorrows Style' for those with access to the Bulb of the Perfected Lotus level, also known as Celestial Martial Arts. For the 'Worldly Harlot Style' complimented those styles.
The style DOES permit armour to be worn while being used, but only LIGHT armour that do not impose more then a -1 mobility penalty. the Style's weapons are Fans, Knives of all sorts and minor props such as hair-pins or opium pipes. The revised rules for clinches can be found in the Exalted Player's Guide on page 205.
There is no elemental alignment for this style.
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Charms
Eager Harlot's Strike
Cost: 1 mote Duration: instant Type: reflexive Min. Martial Arts: 2 Min Essence: 1 Prereqs: none
The eager harlot must always be ready to strike, when looking for customers to sample her wares, for she never knows when she might get another chance to find a customer before her rivals.
This charm allows the martial artist to add her Permenent Essence trait to her Initative bonus for the turn by spending 1 mote.
Harlot's Crushing Thighs Prana
Cost: 1 mote per die Duration: instant Type: reflexive Min. Martial Arts: 2 Min Essence: 2 Prereqs: Eager Harlot's Strike
It is said amongst those who much enjoy the wares of harlots and various brothels that only the most skilled harlot can break a watermelon with the strength of her thighs alone; which translates into great muscle strength and control in her thigh area, which supposedly makes a session with said harlot more pleasurable.
This charm strives to emulate that trait, and allows the martial artist to grapple and clinch with more destructive power then is normal. In the turn that this charm is activated, the martial artist can increase the damage for her clinch by 1 die per 1 mote. The martial artist can only buy additional damage die up to her Permenent Essence trait. The damage is still only bashing, unless altered by the effects of other charms.
The martial artist can also use this charm in the feats of crushing grips, such as handshakes or even in the bedchamber or a decadent dynast orgy party. This is resolved as a normal clinch attack, save only the victim will not usually defend themselves from attacks diguised as greetings or... overtly friendly actions.
Harlot's Sly Suprise
Cost: 2 motes or 1 mote Duration: instant Type: reflexive Min. Martial Arts: 3 Min Essence: 2 Prereqs: Eager Harlot's Strike
The sly harlot must always be prepared for the worse and thus has a need to secret away a holdout weapon in the event of an emergency, such as an unsavory customer or rivals trying to muscle in on her domain. Of course, sometimes, a harlot has to hide the evidence of the weapon used in killing an unpleasent customer who refuses to pay for her services after sampling them...
This charm permits the martial artist to stash a weapon in the odd space of elsewhere for a cost of 2 motes and retrieve said weapon for a cost of 1 mote. The weapon MUST be the martial artist's personal weapon and can only be a weapon permited by this style; such as fans or knives or small props (such as hair-pins or opium pipes).
Worldly Harlot Form
Cost: 5 motes Duration: scene Type: simple Min. Martial Arts: 3 Min Essence: 3 Prereqs: Harlot's Crushing Thighs Prana, Harlot's Sly Suprise
The martial artist does a kata that resembles an energetic dance that flaunts her... talents as if she were a harlot hawking her wares on the street. As she does this dance her body limbers up so that she's more agile, able to go into positions normally possible for her, while she gains greater endurance and stamina so that she can last the night.
The martial artist gains a bonus to her stamina and dexterity equal to her Permenent Essence trait. This bonus is considered a charm derived bonus and may not be used by die-adding charm if the charm uses dexterity + ability or stamina + ability. The soak given by the bonus stamina works as normal natural soak.
As certain customers also have certain kinks and perverse needs in the form of pain as well as its giving and taking, so too does the martial artist have a choice in doing either bashing or lethal damage with ALL her attacks (with or without weapons) while this charm is active.
The martial artist can NOT have more then 1 martial arts form charm active at any given time.
Dodging the Law's Long Reach Method
Cost: 3 motes + 1 willpower Duration: instant Type: reflexive Min. Martial Arts: 5 Min Essence: 3 Prereqs: Worldly Harlot Form
The unwary harlot is occasionally caught for doing something unsavory or illegal; the worldly harlot always knows how to escape such tight spots by dint of her experience.
This charm allows the martial artist to emulate the worldly harlot in escaping trouble by giving a 'free' dodge to the martial artist in her time of need. The martial artist may dodge a single attack she can anticipate with her full Dexterity + Martial Arts die pool. The martial artist can also move by the power of the charm, up to a distance of up to her full movement distance when dodging attacks.
This charm permits the martial artist to escape from a clinch, provided she can roll higher then her opponent's clinch control roll with her Dexterity + Martial Arts dodge roll.
Cruel Rejection Method
Cost: 3 motes + 1 mote per 1 yard Duration: instant Type: reflexive Min. Martial Arts: 4 Min Essence: 3 Prereqs: Worldly Harlot Form
It is sad but true... but even a harlot has to occasionally reject a paying but unsavory customer or a customer who has fallen in love with her, but has no money to pay for her services, or for any other reason that make sense to her. Such cruelty is perfectly natural to one who plies their ware on the cold and harsh streets.
Upon gaining control of a clinch, the martial artist can opt to throw her opponent some distance away from her by spending 3 motes. The distance that the opponent is thrown is equal to [Martial Arts X 5] yards horizontally and half that distance vertically (rounded up). The martial artist can increase the distance by spending 1 mote per yard increased, but may not spend more motes then her Permenent Essence trait.
If the target hits an object, target rolls bashing damage equal to 1 die per yard left on the throw, soaked as normal. Unless, the object would cause lethal damage, such as a cliff side or a wall covered with metal blades. If the target is thrown upwards high, or over a cliff, they take falling damage as per Exalted corebook on page 253.
Surviving Fate's Cruel Cut Defense
Cost: 1 mote per 2B or 1L + 1 mote Duration: instant Type: reflexive Min. Martial Arts: 5 Min Essence: 3 Prereqs: Dodging the Law's Long Reach Method
The world is cold and cruel, this everyone knows well... but the world is colder and harsher when one makes her living plying her wares on the streets of Creation. The worldly harlot learns to endure the cruel slings that fate sends her way and continues on.
This charm allows the martial artist to reduce the damage dice pool dealt to her at a cost of 1 mote and an additional 1 mote per 2B or 1L. This damage isn't simply negated, merely lessened. The charm allows the martial artist to potentially lower the damage dice pool dealt to her to zero. Even if the damage dice pool is reduced to zero, the martial artist is still marked by the attack, with bruises or light cuts. It IS possible for secondary effects of attacks such as poison to work even if this charm is used to negate the damage of an attack entirely. This charm has no effect on aggravated damage.
Clawing the Rival's Face Attack
Cost: 3 motes + 1 mote per die Duration: instant Type: simple Min. Martial Arts: 5 Min Essence: 3 Prereqs: Cruel Rejection Method
The vindictive harlot will claw at the face of a rival or an interloper intruding in on her turf in an effort to ruin the other working girl.
The attack enhanced by this charm appears as a confusing blossom of shadowy after-images as the martial artist strikes with a vengence. This charm allowing the martial artist to make a normal martial arts attack that can not be dodged or parried without the use of charms, spells, hearthstone or other supernatural effects at a cost of 3 motes.
The martial artist can also increase the dice pool of the attack by spending 1 mote per additional attack die, the martial artist can not buy more die then her martial arts score.
Honey Draws the Fly Technique
Cost: 4 motes + 1 mote per turn Duration: instant Type: simple Min. Martial Arts: 5 Min Essence: 4 Prereqs: Dodging the Law's Long Reach Method, Cruel Rejection Method
The smart and worldly harlot knows that sweet honey draws the fly far better then sour vinegar, and thus tries to sweeten her disposition and appearance with that in mind.
This charm allows the martial artist to do a ranged clinch attack with her essence, up to [Permenent Essence X 5] yards away, with the clinch resolving rolls as normal at a cost of 4 motes. The martial artist can then, if she so choses and has won the clinch control, draw the reluctent opponent into her embrace.
If the martial artist choses to keep clinching her opponent at range, she can do so. However, to maintain the clinch at range, requires the martial artist to keep spending 1 mote per additional turn. IF used in a combo, the combo effects only work in the first turn, with this charm's effect maintained beyond as per normal.
Caught Between Heaven and Hell Embrace
Cost: 3 motes + 1 willpower + 1 mote per turn Duration: until ended Type: reflexive Min. Martial Arts: 5 Min Essence: 4 Prereqs: Surviving Fate's Cruel Cut Defense, Clawing the Rival's Face Attack, Honey Draws the Fly Technique
When one is with a truly skilled harlot, it is said that her embrace is truly like being in heaven, while her cost is much like being in the nadir of hell. But for some, it is a price well worth, for the skill of the harlot is truly beyond compare.
To activate this charm requires that the martial artist have her opponent in an embrace OR a clinch, and pay the cost of 3 motes and 1 willpower. Once this cost is paid, it is nearly impossible to escape her embrace as the essence within the martial artist resonates with her victim, causing great pleasure.
This effect gives the martial artist automatic successes for her clinch control equal to her Permenent Essence trait. While this charm is active, the martial artist can chose to do lethal or bashing damage with her clinch.
The martial artist can also actually move at half her movement speed / rate with her victim IF she has the strength to actually lift her victim up and has won the clinch control roll. She can also use other reflexive charms while this charm is in effect.
The charm can also be included in a combo, despite its non-instant duration.The combo's effect only works in the turn it's activated in, while this charm's effect continues on as per normal until ended. To continue the charm beyond the first turn requires a surcharge of 1 mote per additional turn.
It should be noted that this charm is fairly popular at certain Dynast parties...
There, this martial arts tree is now finished and ready for any and all comments. Please use the space below for any and all C&C. ^_^
Peanut Gallery
... Interesting style. One charm, "Surviving Fate's Cruel Cut Defense", is a bit confusing as to precisely -when- you can reduce the damage. Is this pre-soak damage or post-soak damage. If it's post soak it's probably too powerful for a Terrestrial MA. -- Halloween
Thanks for the comments. But yes, I wanted a nice clinching and grappling style with throws added in. And I was looking at another of my MA styles when I thought... what the hey... and I went with harlots as the theme.
As for the effects of "Surviving Fate's Cruel Cut Defense", it's post-soak and as for it being too powerful for a terresterial style, I hate to break it to you, but there is a cannonical terresterial martial arts style "Jade Mountain Style" with a charm that functions identically, with the same pre-requisites and location in its charm tree. I have increased the cost of the charm by 1 willpower.
~ Haku
- Ahh. I sit corrected then. I should really get around to reading DragonBlooded one of these days. It IS a cool style though. - Halloween
- Well... it's located in Aspect Book: Earth, Jade Mountain Style that is. On the other hand, one of the starting charms in Five Dragon Style (found in Exalted: Dragonblooded) also has the same effect, but only pre-soak for the same cost, but at a lower requirement.
- Hmmm... I think I might remove the willpower restrictions, and mod it to 1 mote per 1L or 2B and 1 mote to start up the charm.
~ Haku hopes that the other style isn't THAT bad that no one will comment on it.
- Hmmm... I think I might remove the willpower restrictions, and mod it to 1 mote per 1L or 2B and 1 mote to start up the charm.
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