Frog style?

[Smeggedoff]

Has anyone seen a decent Frog/toad themed martial art?


I'm looking at making a Twilight survivalist/doctor and thought some sort of frog/toad theme might be cool.


There's a fan written Frog style of the official wiki but after a brief look see it's horribly overpowered. Including two perfect defenses, the twilight anima damage reducing power included as a "pay 1 mote" ability in both form charms (yes there are two) the ability to make unexpected attacks, the ability to make unblockable attacks (for free even, another power of the second form charm).


That's not the whole thing, I stopped looking about three charms in and skipped to the last charm (second form) to see how bad it got. It got bad.


The writer seems to think that this was balanced by the high permanent essence required to learn the charms. Sadly though, it probably could be compared to the sidereal styles if the mote costs were upped, it'd be a dull one though.


But I digress. Has anyone seen a passably written style that could be hammered to fit?


Worst comes to worst I'll give a whack at writing one myself, in that event though I'd ask if anyone has some suggestions for what effects to put into it so I don't fall into the trap of "Lets cram everything I want into a tree and call it a style"


Thanks in advance guys. As always

 

[Flagg]

To me, the words "frog" and "combat" don't really seem to go together in obvious ways. The only things that come to mind is a poison effect and some kind of enhanced leaping/wall walking.

 

[Persell]

Three words, Kung Fu Hustle.

 

[Moonstone Spider]

Hmm, I don't know of a Frog Style but I think it'd be fun to try to put one together. Let's see, first the basic stuff. Frogs don't have any sort of natural armor so the style shouldn't allow armor. I'd think the logical weapons would emulate a frog's tongue, so at a glance I'll call the form weapons the whip, fighting chain, and rope dart.


You already said you were interested in survival so that'll be a part of the style. Frogs can't fight much but they tend to grab and swallow so I'll focus the style on clinching and survival-boosters that emulate a frog, being able to pretty much go anywhere given jump, climb, and swim enhancements.


As frogs aren't tough and don't have good offensive weaponry I think damage boosters or soak enhancing charms are inappropriate. Frogs are good at moving suddenly so a join battle enhancer is a good idea and one of the higher level charms can make an attack unexpected. The capstone ability can have a poison effect.


I think putting together a skeleton of the tree first will help. I'll emulate the general shape of the other Celestial Arts.

       Charm
        |
      Charm
        |
      Charm
        |
       Form
      /     \
  Charm    Charm
   |           |
  Charm    Charm
   |           |
  Charm    Charm
    \          /
      Capstone

Playing off of that we can start throwing abilities into the slots. I figure one branch after the form can be clinch enhancers, the other branch speed enhancers, ending with a scenelong poison that only affects people with a large amount of skin contact, ie. clinched opponents. The first charm in a style is usually the join battle booster if the style has one.

 

[Kyeudo]

I'd actually suggest making it not about Clinching. We have a ton of styles that boost Clinching. I would go with a fairly defensive style, where mobility and different ways to dodge and leap were the focus, maybe with some cool Charms for boosting kicks.

 

[Catatonik]

Oh, include the clinch ability (whips/chains) just don't make it the focus, as frogs use it to feed (generally) on much smaller cretaures. Though, one could go aggressive frog, more than one species of frogs is at least carnivorous and often quite dangerous.


Then there's the potential of a drug-like effect...


My focus would be for a highly acrobatic style with light clinch support, great dodges, and potentially camouflage/stealth enhancements. A nice defensive style, with great compatibility with dodge/athletics is actually quite appealing.


I have put a great deal of thought into a frog-like Martial Arts, as well as other forms of froggy characters.


I have just never gotten around to writing one up.


Spears/whips/chains


No armour (or light potentially as some frogs depend on a thick hide for added protection..)


Form charms doubles jump/leap adds half of ma rating to DDV and adds her essence tto clinch rolls?

 

[Flagg]

For all the cartoonish depictions of a frog shooting out a long extended tongue to nab a far away insect, does this actually exist in the real world? Some chameleons have long extensible tongues, but all of the frogs I've ever seen have short stubby ones.

 

[Smeggedoff]

Wow, so there's a fair amount of interest in this then. There have been some really cool suggestion so far. I agree with a mainly defensive style based around kicks and rope weapons, Maybe the Urumi could be a form weapon? It's one of those ones that gets overlooked.


I agree lots of styles use clinches but with a style based around a frog some clinches are unavoidable, maybe ranged clinches to emulate the tongue? that might set it apart from other grappling styles slightly.


And Yeah, Kung Fu Hustle could be a pretty cool inspiration


Frogs tongues are apparantly hinged at the front of their mouths allowing them to catch insects from a short distance away, nothing like that of a chameleon though

 

[Flagg]

Yeah, when I think ropes/chains, I think this:

 

[Smeggedoff]

Yeah, a frogs tongue is only 1/3 the length of its body, so maybe Urumi, whips and perhaps fighting chains (not the rope dart style stuff)

 

[Persell]

You could even use a tonfa. It can be flipped out and back and its not very long, like a frogs tounge. Same for nunchaku.

 

[Smeggedoff]

Hmm good point, I didn't even consider those.

 

[Chaka]

...you see, now I want to have a go at making a Frog Style using nunchaku and tonfa as well.


Actually, I just generally want to have a go at making Celestial Martial Arts again.

 

[Ker'ion]

Battletoad Style?


Battletoads, Combat Frogs, Conflict Amphibians, War Tadpoles, Internecine Anurans, Pugna Bufonidae :mrgreen:

 

[wardog]

might I humbly suggest checking out Ray Park's work as Toad from the first X-men movie from a few years back in addition to Kung Fu Hustle?


kicks that send people flying


jumping on people so hard they get squished into the ground


spitting goo in people's faces


multi-hitting leaping attacks


lots of tongue action (in the case of the MA, make it out of essence)


getting hit by lightning? no wait. that's no good...


and of course, look for vids of toads attacking things on youtube.

 

[Moonstone Spider]

Battletoad Style?
Battletoads, Combat Frogs, Conflict Amphibians, War Tadpoles, Internecine Anurans, Pugna Bufonidae :mrgreen:

Yeah, but think of the hideously difficult enemies and traps a Battletoad stylist would attract. That would be really horrible.

 

[wardog]

Battletoad Style?
Battletoads, Combat Frogs, Conflict Amphibians, War Tadpoles, Internecine Anurans, Pugna Bufonidae :mrgreen:

Yeah, but think of the hideously difficult enemies and traps a Battletoad stylist would attract. That would be really horrible.

but you do get speeder-bikes as a form weapon!

 

[Smeggedoff]

So bare bones.


Hopping Treefrog Style


Form Weapons: Tonfa, Nunchaku, Whips, God Kicking Boots


This style may not be used with armour.


Maybe limit progression unless your athletics or dodge is high enough?


Charm 1(Frog leaps from stewpot?) - Join battle increaser


MA 1 Essence 1


Permanent


Doubles unmodified Join Battle pool


Kinda dull but it does the job, it's pretty much the one from Violet bier but hey, there's only so many ways to improve JB right?


Form charm (Hopping Treefrog Form)


Double jumping distances


Allows jumping as move action


Player may end action on a wall or ceiling but must move again on their next action


Dunno, this is off the top of my head. Maybe a dodge DV increaser in there?


I'd like to represent use of the legs more in this MA, but I'm not sure how to do that. Maybe an ability to clinch multiple opponents or to move and attack with your legs while you have someone grappled with your arms?


An unexpected attack would be nice but not necessary, could be represented by the tongue thing as stated.


More defensive charms would be nice as people have been said, Frogs aren't usually too agressive so it fits better, increasing dodge/parry DV can't be the only way to do it thematically though right?


I think the Lunar defensive charm where you jump out of range in reponse to an attack could fit well (winds wings carry?), modified of course, there's nothing duller than a copy paste tree.


The poison thing works thematically as poison dart frogs have a fairly potent neurotoxin so working that in somewhere could be good as poison can be a fairly defensive weapon. Nick someone, then dodge around as the poison does its work.

 

[wardog]

(greened to get into the right frame of mind)


a permanent increase to join battle? is that done? or at least, is that done for a charm with such low requirements? (I mean, i believe that Violet Bier is Sidereal, correct? so I presume that one would be at least min. Permanent Essence 2)


plus the suggested charm name implies a dodge, rather than an increase in speed or ramping up for battle. how about "Frog Leaps Into Pond/Deep End?"


some frogs also have psychotropic poisons as well as neurotoxic ones, how about a striking charm called Kiss of the Frog Prince where you whack 'em and then they start hallucinating?(add Essence rank in penalties on all of their actions) that could lend itself to some amusing brawls. Then have the more deadly toxic attack higher up in the tree, so to speak.


also looking at how some frogs mate with the piggyback mounting provides an interesting inspiration for a clinch-type charm that could be quite fun and cinematic. imagine the player jumps onto a target's back, clinches and then entices the target's allies to attack. the fun then begins when your character makes the target twist and turn to intercept the incoming attacks using their armor and weapons to fight (and providing cover for the player). i'm sure i've seen that sorta thing in kung fu movies over the years.


I dont know if you have leopard frogs where you live, but one of the interesting things about them is their camoflage. you poke the little bugger and he jumps into nearby grass and you then often can't see him. even if you saw exactly where he entered the grass. so how about a dodge charm that allows you to leap away and gain some sort of mental influence stealth effect until you attack again?


as for kicking, how about a charm where your kick sends you and your opponent flying in different directions? like a WWE style drop-kick right on their chest, etc. and allows you to rapidly move around the battle area; functionally dodging all over the battle-field without it just being a straight up DV increasing charm. then a higher charm where you can do that multiple times in one go (the big showstopper, we could call it Rain of Deadly Frogs)


Now, the croaking. How about a charm that emitts a territorial warning type of croak that exerts an unnatural mental influence causing those who fail to resist it to flee?


Just some suggestions to help you fill out the form, so to speak. feel free to use or ignore.

 

[Kyeudo]

Smeggedoff, I like your name for the Style, but I'm not sure a Join Battle increaser is right for this style. Nothing about frogs screams "I always go first!" unlike Snake Style, First Pulse Style, or even Even Blade Style.


Is this going to be a Terrestrial Style or a Celestial Style? If Terrestrial, I'd say the form Charm is perfect. If not, I'd suggest a (+ Essence) Dodge DV bonus as long as the Martial Artist jumped since his last action.


Now that I think of it, perhaps the "Double Jumping Distance/Jump as a Move action" and "Stick to walls and cielings" abilities should be your lead-in Charms and the Form can allow you to use them as innate powers instead of requiring a Charm activation and throw in the the (+ Essence) to Dodge DV on top of that. Of course that would make this a solidly Celestial Style.


Suggested Charm:


Frog Tongue Lash


Type: Simple (Speed 6, DV -1)


Duration: Until released


The Martial Artist makes a clinch attack against any opponent and entangles them in sticky Essence. The Martial artist makes a clinch attack, which can be made unarmed or with a form weapon. If the attack hits, the opponent suffers all the normal effects of being clinched. The Martial Artist can not crush the target for damage, but can perform any other grappling action on the affected target as a reflexive action once per action. The Martial Artist retains his DVs and can continue to attack other targets, but must either maintain contact with the victim or keep hold of the weapon in contact with the victim for as long as he wishes to maintain this Charm. The Martial Artist can only use this Charm on a single target at a time.


Might need some cleaning up there.

 

[Smeggedoff]

Violet Bier is a the Sidereal Hero style, which puts it on the Celestial Tier, but yeah, their Join Battle adder is kind of cheeky.


thanks for the feedback, there were some awesome suggestions. I'll fold things into the next build and have another go.


Edit: Thought I'd better add, I was aiming for this to be celestial style, but if it ends up being Terrestrial in power I'm fine with that too.

 

[Moonstone Spider]

Hmm, how about a swim enhancer?


Frog Lives in Two Worlds


Type: Simple


Keywords: None


Duration: 1 scene


A frog can swim as easily as it can leap through the air, and a threatened frog knows how to make full use of this ability to avoid hungry predators. The Martial Artist invokes this charm and gains the ability to breath water as easily as air. In addition, her dash and move speeds underwater are equal to her normal land speeds and she ignores all penalties that apply due to being underwater. The Martial Artist may invoke this charm again when it's duration expires, but even a frog cannot live underwater forever, she must return to the surface to breath ever (essence) hours.


Special: A character who is already aquatic through Wyld Mutations, Genesis, or similar permanent qualities may instead learn a mirror to this charm which enables her to breath air, and travel on land unencumbered.

 

[Kyeudo]

Lets try and keep this style simple. It is a fighting Martial Art, even if a defensive one. We don't want to hodge-podge every Charm effect we can think of into a single tree.


So far, the idea seems to be that Frog Style will be a highly mobile, defensive style. Its signature finishing move is a scene-long skin poison Charm combined with a frog-tongue style grapple to keep the opponent in skin contact until he dies.

 

[Moonstone Spider]

Eh, I figured being able to go underwater at will fit in with "Mobility."

 

[wardog]

Lets try and keep this style simple. It is a fighting Martial Art, even if a defensive one. We don't want to hodge-podge every Charm effect we can think of into a single tree.

Yes, by all means. after all, this is Exalted, not 4th Edition Dungeons and Dragons.


"Your character can do this, and this, and this because... um, just because! Look; all I know is that there were cliffs and magic all around when we wrote this system just like in Highlander. Durr-hurr."