New MA Style - Fearsome Kitten Style

[Haku1]

I have created a new MA style, which is now in the charm submission section.


You can go there via the interface or be lazy and click on the link below.


http://patternspider.net/exalted/l ... ree&id=144


C&C and such is appreaciated.


The style is a terresterial level martial arts style, and is titled Fearsome Kitten Style.

 

[Hanat-Osul]

First of all: please don't interpret the harshness of my comments on this Style as personal in any way.  I am a brusque motherfucker and I tend towards brutal honesty in a setting like this...


Let me state for the record that I am horribly biased against anything cute.  I do not like sweet cute furry little cuddly animals, I do not like bouncy smiling anime sidekick girls in school uniforms, I do not like fluffy pillows edged with lace, et cetera et cetera.  I am ESPECIALLY critical of mixing cuteness with Exalted, which (in my mind) is pretty much the opposite end of the spectrum from cute.  I know it's inspired by anime, and there's plenty of cuteness in anime, but I'm an epic-mythology, cloak-and-dagger sort of roleplayer.  Anyone or anything cute that shows up in my games dies, badly and often.  


So I'm biased against your kitten style.  Take that into account.

 

[Flagg]

While I'll rate the individual Charms later, I'll comment on the Style as a whole here:


I don't think I could ever take this seriously enough to use in a game, HOWEVER, it is pretty thematically tight. It sets out to emulate the behavior of a playful kitten, and I feel the Charms reflect that well.


-S

 

[Persell]

I agree with stillborn but I want to add that some of the charms definitely need a serious rewording as their sense is not always obvious. The descriptions are nice, but the theme is well... odd.

 

[Djalan Pride]

i'll be the loner and say i like the whole thing.  interesting mechanics, fun style, all in all its neato

 

[Haku1]

First of all: please don't interpret the harshness of my comments on this Style as personal in any way.  I am a brusque motherfucker and I tend towards brutal honesty in a setting like this...
Let me state for the record that I am horribly biased against anything cute.  I do not like sweet cute furry little cuddly animals, I do not like bouncy smiling anime sidekick girls in school uniforms, I do not like fluffy pillows edged with lace, et cetera et cetera.  I am ESPECIALLY critical of mixing cuteness with Exalted, which (in my mind) is pretty much the opposite end of the spectrum from cute.  I know it's inspired by anime, and there's plenty of cuteness in anime, but I'm an epic-mythology, cloak-and-dagger sort of roleplayer.  Anyone or anything cute that shows up in my games dies, badly and often.  


So I'm biased against your kitten style.  Take that into account.

Fair enough, and I do understand that cute isn't for everybody. However, there is a time for dour seriousness, and there is a time for cute and just having fun.


Besides, I made this style on a bet. And I think it would be better if I did my responses in here, so it's easier to respond and get feedback on.

"The attack used with this Charm" leads me to believe that this is a supplemental attack-buff. But it's reflexive, and doesn't buff an attack in any way. It's also used to parry lethal attacks, evidently...
What's the function - the intended purpose - behind the Charm? I think you need to make up your mind. Or if it encompasses both effects, you need to word it better, 'cause it doesn't do what you want it to do right now.

Reflexive charms can be used in a supplemental manner. And it does 2 things; 1 - it allows you to do bashing damage (supplemental). 2 - it allows you to enhance your unarmed parry (also supplemental, BUT reflexive due to parries being reflexive in nature and timing).


And I'll look at rewording it.

"pERceive," not "pREceive." I know it's probably dickheaded to correct spelling, but I assure you it's with good intentions.
The last paragraph confuses me. Is this like the Wood Aspect anima power? Does she get [Essence] dice to dodge ANY AND ALL attacks she can perceive? And are you saying that EACH of these reflexive dodges can be a full dodge, can add to an extant dodge action, or add to a reflexive Dodge from another effect?

The spelling issue is to be expected as I didn't do a spellcheck on it, it's just take out wordpad, and start typing... ;


As for the wording... what it does is it gives you persistent die-adder for the scene, up to your essence, for all your dodges, to the point where it will allow you to build a die-pool up from zero die.


Obviously, need rewording here.

This gets the -1 for the description. Haku, don't take this as an insult, but that's just slipshod worksmanship right there. I don't see a shred of effort in it.
What do you mean by adding dice to "her roll for a single ambush attempt"? Do the dice add to an attack roll made from ambush? Also: "...has to be a pounce." As a mechanic, this statement is meaningless, unless there's a pounce attack of which I've been heretofore unaware.

Okay, the description, I'll have to give to you... it IS sloppy, but it IS comparable with certain First Edition description... ;


I would have thought the charm effect was obvious. When you do an ambush, you have to roll stealth + dexterity, this adds to that ambush roll.


As for the pounce being needed, it's flavor for how you do the attack... yesh...

How do you SHRED something with BASHING damage?

The same way you KILL someone with bashing damage.

[QUOTE="Form Char]The effects are interesting, and appropriate for a lesser Terrestrial style in terms of power level & applicability. By FAR the best Charm in this tree thus far.

[/QUOTE]
Thank you...

While something about it gives me an icky feeling in my stomach' date=' I cannot rationally find fault with this Charm. Being able to buff it with an elemental lens is probably going to net you several cries of "Bullshit!" from DB purists, but I guess it's interesting.[/quote']
Well... the elemental lens are suppose to be able to buff essence effects rather then just pure elemental effects, in which case, why not the sand splash or for that matter Crypt Bolt or one of the many essence 'shot' attacks?

There should be a more specific mechanic for the second effect: dice towards an Athletics roll to maintain grip, &c.
The sentence beginning, "The dice bought..." doesn't make much sense. Does this affect a single clinch roll, or are you saying it can persist, affecting several clinch rolls? If it persists, is the essence committed?

Good point, and yes... the die bought is a persistent charm effect, ie. it lasts as long as the clinch/hold lasts. And yes... I'll need to rework the second part.


"A single kitten can appear to be a host of a thousand, destroying everything around her in a cute manner as she plays."

That, comrade, is some dumb-ass shit. You and I look at kittens in entirely different ways, and I have my suspicions about yours.
More to the point: while it works well in other respects, granting a lesser Terrestrial style a multi-attack Charm with a lower mote cost than Celestial-level powers is bogus.

I wouldn't change it in any way. The terresterial extra action charms are ALL extremely cheap.


No, seriously. 5 dragon wrath costs 1 mote per action + 1 health level for activation. The DB brawl extra action charm "riptide method" is 1 mote per attack/foe. The DB archery extra action charm "swallows defend the nest" is 1 mote per arrow/attack.


Granted, the DB melee extra action charm "ringing anvil onslaught" is the odd man out costing 8 motes, and needing you to ROLL to determine how many actions/attacks you get. Granted, you COULD combo the charm with the die-adder to get a large die pool to roll for the extra action... but still.


And Crosswind Feint is just all kinds of oddness for thrown and really isn't a true extra action charm... ;;;

I don't know if it costs enough' date=' but it's a good idea.[/quote']
Thank you... it seemed fitting to actually have a 'sneaky' attack as a pinacle.  :twisted:

 

[Haku1]

While I'll rate the individual Charms later, I'll comment on the Style as a whole here:
I don't think I could ever take this seriously enough to use in a game, HOWEVER, it is pretty thematically tight. It sets out to emulate the behavior of a playful kitten, and I feel the Charms reflect that well.


-S

Nnnnh... I'll be honest as well in saying, I would never use this style in a serious manner in a game. It's meant to be humourous and was created as a bet.


And it's a compliment that you feel the theme and the charms go well.

 

[Haku1]

I agree with stillborn but I want to add that some of the charms definitely need a serious rewording as their sense is not always obvious. The descriptions are nice, but the theme is well... odd.

Definitely as in my previous reply, I'll look at the wording of the charms, but it's a fun theme, fully of good natured cuteness.

 

[Haku1]

i'll be the loner and say i like the whole thing.  interesting mechanics' date=' fun style, all in all its neato[/quote']
Thanks, Djalan...