MartialArtsRelay/InevitableFateofIronStyle

The Twenty-Second Theme is "Rust

This is a Second Edition Celestial martial art, devised to enhance First and Forsaken Lion's crusade into the bowels of Autocthon. It focuses on the concept of rust, eroding away at the most insurmountable barriers and most untouchable ideals. It has seven Charms, two before the Form and four afterward. It has no form weapon, and cannot be used whilst wearing armour. - DeathBySurfeit

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1. Corrosive Palm Strike - Moxiane

Cost: 2m

Duration: Instant

Type: Supplemental

Keywords: Combo-OK

Minima: MA 2, Ess 2

Prereq. Charms: None

Poorly-maintained armour is the bane of the soldier, given time even the smallest speck of rust can spread to render a breastplate brittle. This Charm mimics that effect by flooding the Exalt's hands with entropic Essence aspected towards the Autochthonian element of Metal. If the character's opponent is wearing all- or mostly-metal armour then reduce its Bashing and Lethal soak by 2 on a succesful strike (that need not cause damage). This effect lingers for the remainder of the scene and is cumulative with itself; if the armour's soaks are reduced to zero then it is permanently ruined, otherwise Corrosive Palm Strike's effects can be negated by polishing and scraping the affected item for 10-15 minutes. This Charm does not affect armour made of the Five Magical Materials.

2. Corrosive Sweat - IanPrice

Cost: 2m

Duration: One Action

Type: Reflexive

Keywords: Combo-OK, Obvious

Minima: MA 3, Ess 2

Prereq. Charms: Corrosive Palm Strike

As its descriptive name implies, this makes the Exalt's sweat highly corrosive. His own equipment is immune to this effect, but anything else touching him will begin to bubble an release acrid gas as it is corroded. On any successful hit by this character, reduce the effectiveness of the opponent's armor soak by 1B/1L, unless that armor is an Artifact. Any weapon which touches this character (through a hit or a parry) loses a point of damage bonus. When the damage reaches 0 or less, accuracy degrades instead. Defense follows Accuracy, and Rate follows Defense. When the weapon's Rate becomes 0, it is useless. These effects will not help against Magical Materials weapons.

Even against an opponent clad in artifacts, this charm will still make all clinch damage Lethal. Worse, if the opponent is an Alchemical Exalt, the damage becomes Aggravated.

3. Inevitable Fate of Iron Form - willows

5m, One Scene, Simple

Keywords: Form-type

Minima: 4 / 3

Prereq. Charms: Corrosive Sweat

When he enacts this form, the martial artist's skin begins to crumble away into red powder as he moves, as though flakes of rust were being broken from its surface. They crunch distinctly on the ground. All the Charms in this Style which stipulate that they do not affect the Five Magical Materials or Artifacts are able to do so while this Charm is active.

Mystical objects so affected are not destroyed irreversibly; they are simply weighted down and immobilised by outlandish growths of verdigris. A scene of work in which the character forces Essence through his object while polishing it firmly, along with a simple difficulty Craft roll, will restore the item to good condition.

4. Essence Withering Palm - GoldenCat

Cost: 4m, 1 wp

Duration: Instant

Type: Supplemental

Keywords: Combo-Ok

Minima: MA 5, Ess 3

Prereq. Charms: Inevitable Fate of Iron Form

With the knowledge of how to erode divinity, the Martial Artist strikes an oponent with a gentle, open palm, applying the principles of corrosion to his Essence, eroding the flow of motes within his form. Foes struck by the Essence Withering Palm receive a surcharge in the cost of all Charms they activate equal to the levels of damage dealt in the attack, for a number of their actions equal to the Martial Artist's Essence. This surcharge is doubled against Alchemical Charms and those of Automata and Machine-Gods. If their anima banner flares during this period, it appears withered, as sunlight seen through rusted lens. As it interferes with the very principles that animate them, this attack deals aggravated damage against Automata (including Alchemical Exalted). Automatons destroyed by this Charm do not break, but instead rust solid into a verdigris-covered statue.

5. Untarnished Opposition Calculation - willows

7m 1w, One Scene, Simple

Keywords: ---

Minima: 5 / 3

Prereqs: Inevitable Fate of Iron Form

The character jars the machinery of his spirit, shaking off the rust that has settled there. He defends himself with perfect, mechanical precision, untarnished by the flaws of the human heart. No inhuman opponent may attack him!

Any being that simulates human psychology has difficulty attacking the wielder. For beings with traits analogous to Divergence or Clarity, apply their current Divergence or Clarity as an external penalty to attacks against the martial artist. For beings with conditions analogous to Bedlam, which arise from the exhaustion of psychological trait, apply the Virtue (or other Trait) from which the Bedlam depends as an external penalty to attacks against the martial artist.

Beings that do not have, but do not simulate, human psychology, such as gods, elementals, and demons, are unaffected by this Charm.

6. Nine Centuries Blade - PassengerPigeon

8m 1w 1hl, One Scene, Simple

Keywords: Obvious

Minima: 5 / 3

Prereqs: Essence Withering Palm, Untarnished Opposition Calculation

As a sword rots away with the passage of time, so do skills and stances not employed become forgotten. With a lingering gesture, the adept thrusts the decay of years upon his opponents. Foes of the adept within his Essence in yards find their Charms rusting over! To use one, they must spend (one of the following:) a miscellaneous action in advance to polish it, a Willpower point to urge it, or an aggravated health level to force it. This effect does not apply to Charms that have been used in the last (12 - the adept's Martial Arts) ticks.

7. Whirlwind of Iron Finality - GoldenCat

Cost: 10m, 1 wp, 1hl

Duration: Instant

Type: Simple

Keywords: Combo-Ok, Obvious

Minima: MA 5, Ess 4

Prereq. Charms: Nine Centuries Blade

As he finishes the Inevitable Fate of Iron style, the Martial Artist achieves such a transcendant understanding in the nature of rust and decay that he becomes it, after a fashion. Adopting the stance of the lost god of rust, the character's essence explodes in a whirlwind of decay, covering the ground in flakes of verdigris and corroding any equipment within the character's Permanent Essence in yards. His own equipment is unnaffected - he is at the eye of the storm.

The character rolls his Strength+Essence, and any equipment in this area with a resources cost lower than the success threshold becomes useless until properly polished, as with Corrosive Palm Strike. The character can increase the difficulty of this roll as much as he desires, and each 1 difficulty added increases the range of the Charm by his Permanent Essence in yards. This Charm has no effect in items made of the Five Magical Materials, but if used while the Inevitable Fate of Iron Form is active it affects items made of the Five Magical Materials as if they had an effective resources cost equal to twice their artifact rating.

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Comments

Hopefully this doesn't suck terribly...DeathBySurfeit

Does this suck terribly? If this doesn't conjure ideas, I'd like to declare the theme open to change by whomsoever has a revelation fastest...DeathBySurfeit

Keeping the Autochthonian theme, perhaps "Smoke"? I could see a style which focuses on polluting the battlefield and the Essence of opponents, perhaps... or a self-destroying terror tactic employed by Gremlins. Maybe both. - sssssz, who's been wondering about the Underworld versions of the Autochthonian elements.

The Auto-bot elements in the underworld would be the same, Metal, Steam, Lightning, Oil, and Crystal, but all of them would be blighted by smoke. Rusted and pitted Metal, putrid grey-green steam, Lighting that was pale yellow and shedding sparks, Oil that instead of being viscious and clear would be gritty and dark, and Crystal, instead of clear and gleaming, would be clouded and malevolent. Or atleast thats what I think they'd be like - ArabianNinja, who also has pondered the Autochthonian elements in the underworld.

Dreadfully literal, but I figured we might as well give the Relay a chance. - Moxiane

I personally like styles that start off with practical applications and build up to ideals and concepts. For a starting charm, it is fairly powerful, but I like it.
-- Darloth approves (PS - if it's deemed too powerful, putting it as 2nd charm in would probably fix it imho) (PPS - really nice name on the form charm Willows!)

Wordman, the pre-Form Charms have already been written, the layout for the style was given as 2-1-4. Decent enough Charm, but it's in the wrong place m'afraid. - rules lawyer Moxiane

Oops. Out it goes. -- Wordman

Dang, guys, why not just shift it to after the form? - willows

Yes! It was a decent Charm, bring it back! - GoldenCat

Sooo, I am not very good with this Exalted 2nd thing(yes, yes, so I shouldn't be posting, etc; But just thought it was a decent enough idea), so anyone can help me and say if that is elligible to some other Keyword? - GoldenCat

I also am not sure if my Charm should have some Keywords. -- PassengerPigeon (However, I am sure that it needs a health-level cost.)

Neat Charm, pigeon ^_^ Also, I think we should wait on Wordman(remember, we are trying to make the wiki more courteous!), then either write a pinnacle of he does not post, or extend the style if he does post to have an eight charm as its pinnacle! Everyone in agreement? -- GoldenCat

My charm wasn't appropriate for post-form, IMO, so let's live without it. -- Wordman

For the pinnacle: I do like it, but one question. If the Form is active, it would affect Artifacts, but they have no Resources cost. I assume it would affect them based on Artifact rating in this case? - IanPrice

Yes! I should explicitly mention it! *Does so* Also, thank you! ^_^ - GoldenCat

You're welcome! Now, given the new effect, do you want the wording to say "successes" or "extra successes" for what Resources costs are affected? The former means you get full effect for all your successes, regardless of difficulty. Also, if you want to be even clearer about things and you want the successes spent on increasing the range not to affect how much resources cost is broken, you could call it an external penalty instead of a difficulty increase. - IanPrice

There's no functional difference between the two - and the word you're looking for is "threshold" which is defined in Ex2. - simplication master Moxiane

Right, changed to threshold! ^^ But succcesses only count after the difficulty is beaten, Ian. And now that this is done... I guess someone comes up with the next theme? And on another news, a question for willows - if you were going to use this MA in 1e - as I intend to - what would you add to the Form? 2e Forms are markedly weaker, right? - GoldenCat

Erm, uh, I don't really design like that. I'd recost my other Charm and pigeon's Charm that followws it, maybe; they are both a litttle harsh on the motes. - willows

... COP. OUT. I did tell you that you try too hard at being artsy sometimes, right? I'll probably just go with Pigeon's suggestion about it. Still, I'll never let you forget you copped out, nyah nyah ^~ -- GoldenCat

Say, IanPrice, shouldn't your charm deal aggravated against 'Automata(including Alchemicals)'? As it is, it works against the Autochtonian champions, who are kinda rare, and not their robot sidekicks, allies, and all the other manner of crazy machines you find on Autochton. And there is no reason it shouldn't affect them as well as Alchies - heck, Alchies are those that could likely be *exempt* from it!(but won't be, since the MA is supposed to kill them!^_^) -- GoldenCat - Who should have thought those things before the relay closed. Blame it on me being on a creativity roll, and not really in an analytical state of mind.

Actually, GoldenCat, I'm glad you didn't say anything until the relay was over. I think it benefits the relays for them to be done quickly and then examined in retrospect, rather than constantly clogged up by discussion while they are running (see the Twins HearthstoneRelay). - willows