Prax/BlackCrane

Black Crane Style

When the Yufen Clan fled to the West they eventually began taking in other exiled and outcaste Dragon-Blooded to strengthen their bloodlines as well as the White-Crane families temporal power within the world. One of the more promising recruits was a Water Aspect named Reef Blade. Reef Blade was born near Coral over five hundred years ago and had no family before he was taken in by Yufen Tashin, a White-Crane elder who saw promise in the boy's cunning wit and quick reflexes. Reef Blade had a natural affinity for both swordsmanship and the martial arts. As a result he quickly picked up and mastered White Crane Style, but he found it too confining and rigid for his tastes, so he began to innovate on his own eventually developing what he would later name Black Crane Style.

Tashin and the other traditionalists within the White Crane Clan were horrified by what they saw as a corruption of their ancestral style by an outsider. However, Reef Blade argued the point that the flexibility of his new style made it more useful then the old version. The point of combat after all was to defeat your opponent by any means and that's exactly what his new style emphasized, using any means including deceit, subterfuge and all weapons at a character's disposal to subdue an opponent. While traditionalists in the White Crane family have never seen Reef Blade's point, there have been enough individuals who have that the Style continues to flourish and be taught among the less orthodox members of the White Crane family.

Black Crane Style is a Water Aspected martial art and treats short swords and slashing swords as form weapons. It can also be used with any armor that has a mobility of -1 or less.

Hidden by the Reeds Method:

 

Cost: 2m; Mins: Martial Arts 3, Essence 1; Type: Supplemental

 

Keywords: Combo-ok

 

Duration: Instant

 

Prerequisite Charms: None

 

The first thing a Black Crane Stylist learns is to focus his opponent’s attention upon only what he wishes them to perceive. This Charm can only supplement a Flurry that consists solely of two martial arts attacks. Each attack in the flurry must use a different limb to attack with. The second attack in a flurry enhanced by this Charm is considered an unexpected attack with a difficulty to perceive equal to the Black Crane Stylist’s Essence rating.

Subtle Crane Strike:

 

Cost: 3m; Mins: Martial Arts 4, Essence 2; Type: Supplemental

 

Keywords: Combo-Ok

 

Duration: Instant

 

Prerequisite Charms: Hidden by the Reeds Method

 

Black Crane Stylists are masters of subterfuge deliberately drawing their opponent’s attention to certain actions and then striking from unexpected angles. A martial arts attack supplemented by this Charm increases the attack’s Onslaught Penalty by 1.

Ascendant Talon Retaliation:

 

Cost: 3m; Mins: Martial Arts 4, Essence 1; Type: Reflexive (Step 9)

 

Keywords: Combo-Ok, Counterattack

 

Duration: Instant

 

Prerequisite Charms: Hidden by the Reeds Method

 

When subject to a melee or martial arts attack that the Black Crane Stylist manages to successfully parry an attack, she may activate this Charm to execute a reflexive kick. This kick cannot be parried and gains +1 Accuracy for each point by which the martial artist’s Parry Defense Value exceeded her opponent’s attack successes. This Charm cannot be invoked if the Black Crane Stylist’s Dodge Defense Value was applied against the attack.

Black Crane Form:

 

Cost: 5m; Mins: Martial Arts 4, Essence 2; Type: Simple (Speed 5, DV -1)

 

Keywords: Form-type

 

Duration: One scene

 

Prerequisite Charms: Subtle Crane Strike, Ascendant Talon Retaliation

 

Through a series of short, simple katas the martial artist harmonizes her body allowing all of her limbs to act together with perfect synergy. For the rest of the scene the Black Crane Stylist may ignore all of his off-hand penalties and increases the Accuracy and Rate of his kick attacks by 1 each. Finally, whenever the Black Crane Stylist executes a flurry consisting solely of martial arts attacks he may reduce by 1 the total penalty applied to his Defense Values as a result of the flurry.

Broken Wing Method:

 

Cost: 4m; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 2; Type: Reflexive (Step 9)

 

Keywords: Combo-ok, Counterattack

 

Duration: Instant

 

Prerequisite Charm: Black Crane Form

 

The Black Crane Stylist parries his opponent’s attack with one hand and then uses his offhand to violently wrench his opponent’s weapon from her hands, sometimes breaking the opponent’s wrist in the process.

 

After the character successfully parries an attack he may invoke this Charm to attempt a disarm against his opponent using his full Dexterity + Martial Arts and adding a number of automatic successes to the roll equal to the amount by which the character’s Parry Defense Value exceeded the attacker’s attack successes. If the disarm attempt succeeds, Broken Wing Method also inflicts one die of raw Bashing Damage for each success the disarmed character failed to achieve on the roll to resist being disarmed. Against unarmed attacks Broken Wing Method automatically places the opponent in a clinch and then both characters roll to control the clinch as normal.

 

Broken Wing Method may not be invoked against an attack if either the Black Crane Stylist’s Dodge Defense Value was applied against the attack. In addition the Black Crane Stylist must have at least one free hand available when this charm is invoked or it automatically fails.

Upon Black Wings Evasion:

 

Cost: 2m; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 2; Type: Reflexive

 

Keywords: Combo-ok

 

Duration: Until next action

 

Prerequisite Charm: Black Crane Form

 

Leaping high into the air and away from his opponents, the Black Crane Stylist avoids the worst of his attackers’ assaults. Reduce all Onslaught and Coordinated Attack penalties to the Black Crane Stylist’s Defense Values by an amount equal to his Essence until his next action.

Strike From Above and Behind:

 

Cost: 4m; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 2; Type: Simple (Speed 5, DV -1)

 

Keywords: Combo-ok

 

Duration: Instant

 

Prerequisite Charm: Upon Black Wings Evasion, Broken Wing Method

 

Using essence to enhance her agility the Black Crane Stylist quickly leaps up and behind her opponent striking quickly as she passes over head before her opponent can respond. When this Charm is activated the Black Crane Stylist executes a single martial arts attack against her opponent. Targets of this attack must roll Wits + Awareness at a difficulty equal to the Black Crane Stylist’s Essence. Failing this roll means the attack can neither be parried or dodged. If the roll succeeds the target suffers a DV penalty equal to the Crane Stylist’s permanent Essence for the purpose of defending against the attack.

Seven Wings Tempest:

 

Cost: 3m per attack; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 3; Type: Extra Action

 

Keywords: Combo-ok

 

Duration: Instant

 

Prerequisite Charm: Strike from Above and Behind

 

By invoking this Charm the Black Crane Stylist makes full use of his body, lashing out with all of his limbs at his opponents in a carefully coordinated display of physical prowess. Every 3 motes spent on this Charm allows the Black Crane Stylist to make an additional martial arts attack using his full attack pool as long as the attack uses a limb that he hasn’t previously attacked with this tick. These attacks may be divided anyway the character wishes among any number of targets.

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