Newbie ST and player charms

[Rialle]

I am new to story telling in general and also to exalted. When I first purposed the idea of running a game I knew more then my players having been in a few games. Now they can do laps around me.. There has been a bunch of talks about custom charms. I was told by an experienced ST that he did not allow them at all, that it was too much hassle. I am worried that since I do not know the game as well something could be missed or that I am giving players more then I should. How much is too much when it comes to custom charms and players? This was the first batch that I was sent:


Note: this is for a lunar character with wings


Soaring Wind Prana (essence 2)


2m per multiplier, Reflexive, Scene


For every 2 motes committed, increase the base speed of the user by their martial arts score, but only for calculating flying speed. If the flying speed is determined independently of move speed, this charm instead increases the flying speed by the user's essence + martial arts per 3m. You may only commit your essence in motes to this charm.


Diving Scythe Manuver (req: soaring wind)


5m 1wp, simple, instant


You dive at least 10 yards downward, then stop and slash, launching a blade of air. this blade travels essencex5 yards, and is unblockable. If it is dodged, it damages the terrain below the target if there is range left. This can cause instability.


Twisting winds assault (req: soaring wind)


2m, Supplemental, instant


This attack enhances an attack, permitting it to hit all enemies in a radius of essence. Check accuracy with one roll and compare result to each individual's DV. This can be used in a flurry, so onslaught penalties apply.


Soaring Eagle Form (req: diving scythe, twisting winds)


5m, simple, scene


This form replaces your dodge and parry DVs with a value equal to (Dex+Martial arts or dodge+specialty + weapon defense + essence)/2. Any boost that effects one affects the other. In addition, the user is unaffected by being surrounded, including the unexpected attacks resulting fromthat condition. This form only gives benefits while the user is flying. Finally, the user can also ignore manuverabiliy restrictions, being able to the the higher of their ascending or horizontal speeds when moving in the air, unless diving.


Twisting Cyclone Technique (req: Slicing wind form, essence 3)


-(6m, 1wp), Permanent, Permanent


This charm enhances twisting winds assault, permitting a brutal finishing move. After a flurry of two or more attacks enhanced with twisting winds assault, you may pay six motes and a willpower to suck the blood of the wounds inflicted, dealing unsoakable lethal health levels of damage equal to the number of times the charm was invoked, inflicted upon anyone who took lethal health levels that round from a use of twisting winds assault. Finally, whenever a flurry of attacks is supplemented by twisting winds assault entirely, the user may invoke the charm an additional two times, as if the weapon's rate was two higher.


Slicing Zephyr Technique (req: Slicing wind form)


6m, supplemental, one tick


This charm supplements a flying dash action, allowing you to make a single attack that is applied to all enemies you pass by in the action. You may move in ways that are not a straight line, and the DV penalty for the dash action is ignored. You still gain a DV penalty from the attack, and you cannot hurt the same target more then once per three ticks with this charm. You may pay the motes again on each tick to make another attack. You do not refresh your DVs until you stop dashing and do something else.


Heaven Diving Movement (req: Slicing wind form, essence 3)


4m, simple, until dashing ends


This charm allows you to align your essence with Yu-Shan, permitting for a scant few seconds incredible speed for an ascent. For the 6 ticks of this charm, you may use your diving speed when flying upward. This charm is explicitly allowed to end in a use of Diving Scythe Manuver, despite having otherwise used a charm. You may interrupt the charm at any point of movement in order to use it, but it ends Heaven Diving Movement and then applies the speed of Diving Scythe Manuver to your place in the tick wheel. For every fifty yards of ascent, apply a bonus success to the attack roll of Diving Scythe Manuver, each of which counts as a single die for purposes of dice caps. A mote surcharge equal to 2m per success can be applied to a conventional use of Diving Scythe Manuver once this charm is learned, but you must still travel the required distance.


Lightning Striking Temper(req: Heaven Diving movement, Slicing Zephyr Technique, Twisting Cyclone Technique)


-, permanent, instant


This charm grants an overdrive pool of 15 motes, which are accumulated when you successfully dodge or parry an attack. For melee attacks, you gain a single mote, and for ranged, two. When you use Slicing Zephyr technique with motes from this pool, the attack becomes unblockable and gains (essence) attack successes. You must spend a willpower point in addition to it's normal cost to gain this benefit, and it counts as a normal charm use (unlike a normal activation of this charm with overdrive motes)


Earth-Spurning attitude: (req: Lightning Striking Temper, essence 4)


6m 1wp, Simple, scene


This powerful charm allows the user to perfectly avoid any attack, so long as it originates from a source that is on the ground, unless it is both unblockable and undodgeable, but unexpected attacks are still defended against. Jumping will not help users or ranged attacks, but will help melee ones. This charm instantly ends if the user gets in contact with earth at least as large as the user (especially the ground), and thrown chunks of that size cannot be defended from by this charm, although other charms may be used to avoid it. (possibly: stone, dirt and earth cannot be defended by this charm at all)


I would like to know what others think about them please.

 

[Plague of Hats]

I am worried that since I do not know the game as well something could be missed or that I am giving players more then I should. How much is too much when it comes to custom charms and players?

Allow what you are comfortable with. It's no different than allowing or disallowing use of artifacts, creation of artifacts, certain Allies or Backing. Fix problems you see, fix future problems when they arise. Remind yourself and your players that this is a collaborative effort, and not everything is set in stone or perfect. If they resent that you had to change a Charm after they have purchased it, discuss why they feel that way and see if you can work it out.

This was the first batch that I was sent:

I might come back later to make specific comments. My first impression on skimming is that, because of the lack of flavor and some particular effects I noticed, it's mostly a grab bag of optimal mechanics the player wants specifically for their character rather than a real Martial Arts style. (Presumably a Celestial style?)

 

[FluffySquirrel]

Yeah, it does come off more as a grab bag style of awesome attacks and amazing defenses. I'd say it looks far too strong offhand.. also, what weapons are in form for it? Given that they'll be adding defense to their DVs.. that has a big say on how powerful the form is.


Things like the immunity to surprise attacks and such also come off as being tacked on and just to make you invincible.


Then you get twisting winds assault and twisting cyclone technique


Hah


haha.. no


I don't think letting someone unleash what might well be 8+ unblockable, onslaughted attacks on everyone within essence radius, doing an extra 8+ unsoakable health levels damage on anyone who happened to take damage on it, is really appropriate at essence 3


I'm not even sure what essence it would be appropriate at.. very high.


I'd only allow most of this style if you want your player to become an utterly invincible 14+ DV flying monster who with just a few hybrid body addons and octopus and spider barrage, can utterly decimate everyone in essence yards. Then regain back the essence spent on it from all the free essence defending with Lightning Striking Temper

 

[Rialle]

It is a custom weapon that I will need to have reviewed as well. Its a 4 dot artifact but I think it also needs to be toned down a little bit. I will post it when I can.


What charms would you keep or what charms with a changes would you allow them to keep?


The weapon:


Speed 4, Acc +2, Damage 9L, Defense +3, Rate 3, Moonsilver material bonus (this is what you sent me), plus the following effects:


This weapon is infused with the passion of Luna and Gaia's love, stoking the user's flames of passion with each swing. This gives the following benefits and drawbacks:


- Attacks with this weapon ignore multiple action penalties, but not flurry penalties, so it goes -0, -1, -2, etc.


-Attacks with this weapon increase instead of decrease the user's defenses in an equal amount.


(As an alternative to the raising, perhaps it ignores the defense penalties but has another effect, like a psudeo-excellency (much like on the perfect talon dagger, an artifact 2))


drawbacks:


-Cannot do bashing damage with this weapon


-Cannot restrain charm usage: if you use an charm to enhance the attack (or a parry), you have to go for broke. This does not mean you have to enhance the entire flurry with it, just can't moderate the usage, all or nothing.


8 motes to attune

 

[Zin]

It is a custom weapon that I will need to have reviewed as well. Its a 4 dot artifact but I think it also needs to be toned down a little bit. I will post it when I can.
What charms would you keep or what charms with a changes would you allow them to keep?


The weapon:


Speed 4, Acc +2, Damage 9L, Defense +3, Rate 3, Moonsilver material bonus (this is what you sent me), plus the following effects:


This weapon is infused with the passion of Luna and Gaia's love, stoking the user's flames of passion with each swing. This gives the following benefits and drawbacks:


- Attacks with this weapon ignore multiple action penalties, but not flurry penalties, so it goes -0, -1, -2, etc.


-Attacks with this weapon increase instead of decrease the user's defenses in an equal amount.


(As an alternative to the raising, perhaps it ignores the defense penalties but has another effect, like a psudeo-excellency (much like on the perfect talon dagger, an artifact 2))


drawbacks:


-Cannot do bashing damage with this weapon


-Cannot restrain charm usage: if you use an charm to enhance the attack (or a parry), you have to go for broke. This does not mean you have to enhance the entire flurry with it, just can't moderate the usage, all or nothing.


8 motes to attune

What kind of weapon is it? And depending on the answer the stats might be off.


And

- Attacks with this weapon ignore multiple action penalties, but not flurry penalties, so it goes -0, -1, -2, etc.
-Attacks with this weapon increase instead of decrease the user's defenses in an equal amount.

The first part doesent make sens to me. And the second part is just a cheap way of gettinging insane DV while pinging the opponent to death.


My first thougt is to say "No. Pic a weapon from the books."


I belive that an artefact above 3 should have interesting effects rather than straight commbat bonuses.

 

[Rialle]

The weapon is as a Naginata, a sword on a stick. It is a reach weapon. The player is redoing an old character of mine(completely aside from concept) that never got off the ground and the 4 dot artifact that was listed(got it from the web) was really a 2 dot artifact and they are reducing it to meet the standards of a 4 dot artifact. I am not sure if what was given classifies as a 4 dot artifact. I think it is a bit op in places. What would you suggest in changing it?

 

[ghoti115]

Honestly, I am fairly liberal in what I allow in my games, but some of these are just too much. If the player really wants something like this, make sure they understand that whatever you give to them you can also give to the NPCs. This player may think it would be super-awesome to take out an Army all by themselves while the rest of the PCs are off somewhere out of range of the attacks (and yes, this must be stressed the other PCs will take the damage from these attacks if they are in range). But what will this player think when he/she finds out the rest of the party was wiped out by an enemy using the same martial arts style?


As for the weapon, No! I don't think there should be a way to increase your PDV while using the same weapon to attack, this just seems broken to me, unless it's a shield that has some sort of spiked front that is used to attack with. But even that would only replace the -1 to DV per attack with a 0, not convert it to a +1.


Ask your player to take a look at most/all of the existing Martial Arts Styles before creating their own. It will give them a basis to start from.


What I would do if this was presented to me...


First, elimiate Earth-Spurning Attitude. While it stays within the theme of remaining in the air, it really doesn't fit with the Style. Another one up for the chopping block is Twisting Cyclone Technique. I am not sure what Twisting Cyclone Technique has to do with blood or why you would need to consume it. The name doesn't seem appropriate, not to mention the concept behind it is better suited to an Abyssal Charm.


For Heaven Diving Movement, I would make it 2m per tick instead of a solid 4m for 6 ticket. Who is really going to dash for 6 ticks if their movement is already modified by Soaring Wind Prana?


I would put a straight line restriction on Slicing Zephyr Technique (like a charge in D&D). This prevents your player from weaving through the battle to increase the effectiveness of the attack (though in the presented, this doesn't really matter because they are already hitting everyone within Essence Yards).


With Lightning Striking Temper, I would drop the Overdrive Pool of Essence and opt for Orbs (found in other Styles like White Reaper Style found in Glories of the Most High: Luna, pp. 30-32.). The player gains an orb when they successfully dodge an attack. There can only be Essence orbs orbiting the character. When attacking, the orbs disapate to cause extra successes for the attack roll. Orbs are regained by dodging more attacks.


I would also move the Charms around to this order, saving the attack everyone for the last part of the Style.


Soaring Wind Prana


Diving Scythe Manuver


Heaven DIving Movement


Soaring Eagle Form


Slicing Zephyr Technique


Twisting Winds Assault

 

[Rialle]

That was really informative ghoti115 I will mention the ideas to the play when I can. What would you change to the weapon? It is supposed to be a fire/part air weapon theme to it. What could replace what is broken with it?


P.S. I would like to personally thank you guys for helping me with all this.

 

[ghoti115]

First, I need to point out that I am working with multiple sets of Artifact Creation Rules found across the internet. I can’t provide sources because I put them into a couple of files that I work from to make creation a bit easier. Now, on to the artifact…


The base for a mundane Polearm (Scroll of the Monk), which would include a Naginata in my mind, starts out as follows.


Speed 6, Acc +0, Damage +5L, Defense +1, Rate 2, Minimums Str 2, Cost 2, Tags 2,R


In order to make it an artifact, we would need to first make it a Perfect weapon by adding more numbers to it (can be found in the Core Exalted Book). I will try to work toward what had been proposed by your player.


Speed 6, Acc +1, Damage +7L, Defense +1, Rate 3, Minimums Str 2, Cost 4, Tags 2,R


Then we add the Moonsilver Bonuses (core book again) to get a 2 dot artifact.


Speed 6, Acc +3, Damage +7L, Defense +3, Rate 3, Minimums Str 2, Tags 2,R


Do some modifications to the stats for a +1 to the dot for the final version of the stats (the Artifact creation rules I mentioned earlier) before adding special abilities (a second set of Artifact creation rules).


Moonsilver Naginnata Stats (3):


Speed 5, Acc +4, Damage +9L, Defense +3, Rate 3, Minimums Str 2, Tags 2,R


If we apply a charm to it, we can then bump up the level based on the Essence requirement of the charm being applied. We’ll add Golden Tiger Stance (Essence 1 Charm) to eliminate up to the character’s Dexterity points in penalties to their DVs (I would rule that this would activate only for the PDV despite the actual Charm being available for both DVs, but there is no Mote cost). Which brings us to a 4 dot Artifact.


Attunement cost should be 1.5x to 2x the Artifact’s rating (so 6 or 8). This depends on how nice you are feeling.


Also, I would still advise your player to take a good look at the White Reaper Style for Martial Arts if you can get your hands on a copy of Glories of the Most High: Luna. It seems like it might offer what the player is after and works with Scythe or Spear as the form weapons (but if you’re a nice ST you can say you’ll allow Polearms too).


Edit: As for the thanks, you are welcome. I just hope that your player likes it too.

 

[Rialle]

The weapon is supposed to be a fire weapon. Like it needs a fire gimmick.


I was thinking about adding to what you have already done with the weapon. Could you tell me if it is too much or too little?


On a swing the weapons blade gets red hot.


On the second swing of a flurry it to starts to catch fire and does 2L fire damage


On the third swing of a flurry it is blazing and does 3L(or 4L) fire damage


The idea is the more rapid you swing the weapon the hotter it gets. (after the third swing it discharges and starts again)


If it is a little much I could have this being why the weapon can only do lethal.


what do you think?

 

[Rialle]

Another weapon:


stats are for the trident:


Speed 5, Damage 10L, accuracy +2 defense +3, rate 2, magical material bonus: orichalcrum (not included), an attuned user being able to use five motes to invoke a sphere of water to surround the user, who is completely unimpeded by it's presence, except that it is not breathable


This Water Sphere gives the wielder a +3 cover bonus to both DVs, in addition to doubling their movement rate. The water supports his weight fully and flows around by the user's thoughts, allowing him to ignore any difficult terrain, and allow him to climb easily climbed areas like ladders and ropes without using any limb to do so at his full movement rate. The water is infused with healing essence, negating any poison that is exposed to the water, and healing the user's wounds at a rate of 1 bashing per minute. It cannot heal lethal or aggravated injuries. In water, the benefits are the same, except that the movement rate modifier is times five instead of two. Again, the user's attacks and defenses are completely unimpeded by this water bubble, and this extends to attacks made against people outside the bubble but in water.

 

[wordman]

How much is too much when it comes to custom charms and players?

Tell players that before you allow any of their custom charms or gear, you will first use those charms and gear against them. (Typically, you don't actually have to do this. The point is to put your players in the mind set of "I'm building a power that will be used against me" rather than "I'm fulfilling wishes for cool shit my guy can do".) I'm guessing that Soaring Eagle Style would look a lot different if the player that created it was thinking about what it would do to his guy, rather than for his guy.


Also, some links may be of help:

• a wind-based style that could probably be co-opted by a flying character. This has the benefit of being designed by half a dozen people, so is probably a bit more solid than a typical fan-designed style.
  
• a strange, vaguely wing related style. Make sure you read the "old comments" at the bottom to see how difficult it is to both design and evaluate martial arts styles. You might also want to look at a combat that pitted this style against Snake Style.
  
• a style built on emulating birds of prey.
  
• a prior thread about how to design martial arts styles.
  
• The charms section of the wiki has some advice on custom charms. (My own advice is not to allow them until you know the game better.)

 

[ghoti115]

The weapon is supposed to be a fire weapon. Like it needs a fire gimmick.
I was thinking about adding to what you have already done with the weapon. Could you tell me if it is too much or too little?


On a swing the weapons blade gets red hot.


On the second swing of a flurry it to starts to catch fire and does 2L fire damage


On the third swing of a flurry it is blazing and does 3L(or 4L) fire damage


The idea is the more rapid you swing the weapon the hotter it gets. (after the third swing it discharges and starts again)


If it is a little much I could have this being why the weapon can only do lethal.


what do you think?

I acutally like that. With it's conditional aspect, it really does keep it in the right range for the created artifact. I would set the attunement cost to 8 for that.

 

[Requiem_Jeer]

Okay, I'm the guy that came up with this style, and I would like to say that I wasn't trying for a grab-bag of amazing powers. I acknowledge that I may of put a bit too much oomph in this, and would like to respond.

As for the weapon, No! I don't think there should be a way to increase your PDV while using the same weapon to attack, this just seems broken to me, unless it's a shield that has some sort of spiked front that is used to attack with. But even that would only replace the -1 to DV per attack with a 0, not convert it to a +1.

Yeah, the weapon is a bit much. I figure the best way to resolve this is just to change it to the flurry penalty reduction(which was taken from fire dragon style) + the no DV reduction for using it, and that's it. Also make it speed 5. The idea behind it was that it infused the wielder with the passion (see: fire) of Luna' and Gaia's love, stoking the user's flames of battle with each swing. The only lethal thing was more of a 'you can't check your swing' then a 'the weapon is physically incapable of doing bashing'

Ask your player to take a look at most/all of the existing Martial Arts Styles before creating their own. It will give them a basis to start from.


What I would do if this was presented to me...


First, elimiate Earth-Spurning Attitude. While it stays within the theme of remaining in the air, it really doesn't fit with the Style. Another one up for the chopping block is Twisting Cyclone Technique. I am not sure what Twisting Cyclone Technique has to do with blood or why you would need to consume it. The name doesn't seem appropriate, not to mention the concept behind it is better suited to an Abyssal Charm.


For Heaven Diving Movement, I would make it 2m per tick instead of a solid 4m for 6 ticket. Who is really going to dash for 6 ticks if their movement is already modified by Soaring Wind Prana?

Yeah, the Earth-spurning thing is a little much, anyone have an idea to replace it? Towards the end I was running out of ideas. The costs for the charms I wasn't quite sure of, so I'll defer to your judgement there.

I would put a straight line restriction on Slicing Zephyr Technique (like a charge in D&D). This prevents your player from weaving through the battle to increase the effectiveness of the attack (though in the presented, this doesn't really matter because they are already hitting everyone within Essence Yards).

I was actually thinking of changing it to a set amount of targets, and you get a move action between each, make it an extra action charm. How many attacks I'm in the air about though.

With Lightning Striking Temper, I would drop the Overdrive Pool of Essence and opt for Orbs (found in other Styles like White Reaper Style found in Glories of the Most High: Luna, pp. 30-32.). The player gains an orb when they successfully dodge an attack. There can only be Essence orbs orbiting the character. When attacking, the orbs disapate to cause extra successes for the attack roll. Orbs are regained by dodging more attacks.

I like this. The idea behind the charm was that for every attack, a static charge was built up, before it exploded in lightning-based fury. Overdrive seemed to fit, but your idea I like. Combined with the slicing wind, it's a great synergy, and removes the need for a special enhancement. Perhaps increase the number of orbs retained, but limit the amount spent per attack... Or not, just an idea.

I would also move the Charms around to this order, saving the attack everyone for the last part of the Style.


Soaring Wind Prana


Diving Scythe Manuver


Heaven DIving Movement


Soaring Eagle Form


Slicing Zephyr Technique


Twisting Winds Assault

I hesitate on putting heaven diving movement before the form charm. The twisting winds charm originally did a set 2 meter radius, but someone else convinced me to make it essence. I'm thinking now that I'd make it just everyone within melee range of you. Makes it more suitable. That should make it suitable for a pre-form charm, and more balanced in general. The idea behind the bood-sucking charm was to create a vaccum, and suck blood out of open wounds for further injury. If anyone has a good idea for a substitute charm, I'm all ears. Not every aspect of this style was something I was happy with, only some core parts of it was stuff that I thought was a great idea.


The idea behind the style as a whole was aerial combat, and the three combat charms were meant to reflect this. When I think Ariel combat, I think dives, fly-by attacks, and being swarmed in three dimensions but swinging around your weapon a lot to cut them down because you're badass like that. Which is where all the charms sprung from. The form charm was because I was thinking about flying combat, and the line between parries and dodges tends to blur when every parry moves you as much as a dodge does. Then I thought it was a little lame for a celestial form charm, so I added in that immunity to being surrounded to keep in mind the aforementioned themes. Increased aerial mobility was also a small benefit that would increase aerial dominance, but they were all a little small for a celestial form, so I just threw them all together. As a final note, that version lacks a crucial errata, namely the loophole closing that says you can only benefit from dodge or parry bonuses, not both.


As a side note, I came up with the Trident for her, given the criteria of artifact 4, water/wood aspected trident. I did the best I could think of. I really like how dominant the thing makes you on a ship, able to use the water to limblessly climb rigging. But that's just me patting myself on the back.

 

[ghoti115]

I’m happy to hear that someone is trying to create a Martial Arts Style. I don’t think I’ll be able to respond to all of the post all in one go. There’s a lot of information there. I am going to start focusing on the Charms. Just remember that I am making suggestions and you can take what you like and throw out what you don’t, but it’s your ST who has the final say on what is approved.


If I recall correctly, you were going to be using this style with a Lunar character. In this case you may want to consider looking at some of the Solar Charms, which would not typically be available to a Lunar. In particular, two Melee Charms seem to match with what you are aiming for in the Twisting Winds Assault, Peoney Blossom Attack and Iron Whirlwind Attack (both found on page 191 of the Exalted Core Book). I don’t think there is a similar Charm available for either of these in the Lunar Charms. Each of these represents an appropriate power level for a pre-form (Peoney Blossom Attack) and a post-form (Iron Whirlwind Attack) Charm and have a little room for modification. In the end, you still make rolls for each attack, but they are all at the full dice pool (assuming you’re just attacking with the Flurry). To move it back to the third Charm in the list, you would want to base it on the Peoney Blossom Attack. This makes it a little expensive and limits the number of attacks based on your Permanent Essence.


For the post-Form Charms, I am glad that you liked the Orbs idea for the Lightning Striking Temper. With the Martial Arts Styles that use the Orbs, they are typically limited to the character’s Essence. If your ST allows it, I would suggest taking it up to Essence X2 or X3, but be sure to include that you must be in the Soaring Eagle Form to gain the Orbs.


You should take a look at the rest of the Charms and rebuild the ideas to be the pinnacle of the style (the last Charms in the Style). Here is what I can think of at the moment, but they might be a bit under powered for higher level Charms and all of them (including Lightning Striking Temper) would have the Obvious keyword.


Base Twisting Cyclone Technique around a cyclone that lifts your target into the air and eliminates makes all attacks undodgeable (until they are back on the ground or the Cyclone dissipates if they are capable of flight).


Build Slicing Zephyr Technique to enhance an attack with a wind component with a knockdown/knockback (knockup if they are already in the air or you want to lift them into the air) effect that carries over to targets within Martial Arts + Essence yards of the initial target. Spend 5m and apply one attack roll against the initial target, if this successfully hits, figure out all of the damage and apply it to both damage and to knockback/knockdown the opponent. Then, apply the attack and knockback to opponents within Martial Arts + Essence yards.


For Heaven Diving Movement, you should take the old idea you had for Slicing Zephyr Technique and build it out into something more complex. I think there should be a multiple action component to this Charm due to the movement, so Tag it as an Extra-Action Charm. Effectively, this Charm could allow you to move between different opponents at your full dash and apply one attack to each. The cost could be something like 10m to Dash and attack up to Martial Arts + Essence targets once each. Each attack is made with this Charm uses the dice for the first attack applied by the Charm, but are separate rolls. The attacks within the Charm count as one action for the purpose of determining penalties to DV and Multiple Actions.


For an additional 3m 1wp, you gain 1 automatic success for every 5 yards you move before attacking an opponent while using this Charm (this is a cumulative effect so the last opponent you figure out how many successes based on your entire move for the action). Since you should have MA 5 and Essence 4 by this point, you should be attacking 9 opponents and moving about 29-31 yards in a Dash action while using Soring Wind Prana. So this makes the range for extra successes somewhere between 0 (if you attack first and then move to the next one) and 6 (after all of your movement). Alternately, you could try to aim for targets that are all grouped together and you hit them all at the end of the Dash to apply the 6 successes to all attacks. These successes would have to count


New Martial Arts Charm List (in order)


Soaring Wind Prana


Diving Scythe Maneuver


Twisting Winds Assault Heaven


Soaring Eagle Form


Lightning Striking Temper


Twisting Cyclone Technique


Slicing Zephyr Technique


Heaven Diving Movement


If you are still looking for a way to eliminate penalties to your DV, you should look back into the Manual of Exalted Power: Lunar on pages 150 and 151 for the Defensive Charms. There’s no need to crowd your Martial Arts Style with something that you already have access to.

 

[Requiem_Jeer]

Well, upon careful consideration of all the suggestions I've recieved in this forum and others, I have here a revised version of the style, with a new name!


Striking Gale Style


This martial art is an ancient one designed during the primordial war to supplement the War Forms of avian Lunars, so as to more efficiently dispatch the many flying souls of the creators.


Weapons and Armor: To reflect the emphasis of combat using wind to extend the reach of the user, this combat style's form weapons include any slashing weapon with the R tag. If the user has wings, they may use them in combat, acting with the same stats as a kick. This style is incompatible with any armor that has a mobility penalty.


Special: To use this style, the user must be able to fly for the entire training time, and can only use it's charms while flying. In addition, the user must have dodge 2 and athletics 2.


Soaring Wind Prana


2m per multiplier, Reflexive, Scene


For every 2 motes committed, increase the base speed of the user by their martial arts score, but only for calculating flying speed. If the flying speed is determined independently of move speed, this charm instead increases the flying speed by the user's essence + martial arts per 3m. You may only commit your essence in motes to this charm.


Diving Scythe Maneuver (req: soaring wind prana)


5m 1wp, simple, instant


You dive at least 10 yards downward, then stop and slash, launching a blade of air. this blade travels essencex5 yards, and is unblockable. If it is dodged, it damages the terrain below the target if there is range left. This can cause instability.

Spoiler

I've seen little to no complaints about these two charms, so they are unchanged.


Twisting winds assault (req: soaring wind)


3m, Supplemental, supplemental


This attack enhances an attack, permitting it to hit all enemies in melee range. Check accuracy with one roll and compare result to each individual's DV. This can be used in a flurry, so onslaught penalties apply.





I had actually based it on Peony Blossom Attack to begin with, but initiially it had a small 2 yard radius. I'm not sure why I made it essence radius. Just nerfing the area to just those in melee range seems appropriate, especially when you consider that it's multiple attack penalties have the same restrictions as normal multiple attacks, even in a combo it's a huge mote drain (note I increased it to 3 per) and just applies what it does to one dude to everyone in melee range. I should note that Lunars do get things like Iron whirlwind attack, Octopus Spider Barrage springing to mind immediately.


Striking Gale Form (req: diving scythe, twisting winds)


5m, simple (speed 5), scene


This form replaces your dodge and parry DVs with a value equal to (Dex+Martial arts or dodge+specialty + weapon defense + essence)/2. Any boost that effects one affects the other. In addition, the user is unaffected by being surrounded, including the unexpected attacks resulting from that condition. This form only gives benefits while the user is flying. Finally, the user can also ignore manuverabiliy restrictions, being able to the the higher of their ascending or horizontal speeds when moving in the air, unless diving.





I haven't seen any really substantial complaints about the form charm, except for one that misunderstood the line about surprise attacks, so with that and the lack of other suggestions it's also unchanged.


Lightning Striking Temper(req: Striking Gale Form, essence 3)


-, permanent, instant


This charm enhances the Form Charm, permitting the accumulation of bonus successes through successfully applying your DV to an attack, although a dodge or parry enhanced with a charm carrying a flaw of invulnerability accumulates no successes. These successes are applied towards attack rolls, with a limit essence successes applied per attack roll. Attacks applied towards multiple opponents consume twice as many accumulated successes. You may carry a limit of essence x Martial arts successes, and they fade at the end of the scene.





While the idea of halos that are expended towards bonus successes appealed to me, given that the halos in question would only be expended towards one purpose made me think the system to be a bit clunky. Instead, I draw inspiration from the reflexive attack stocking. Given the limit on the speed of how fast you can discharge them, and the fact that a lot of the ways you would use the successes would consume them twice as fast, I felt comfortable giving the charm a rather high limit.


Twisting Cyclone Technique (req: Striking Gale form, essence 3)


5m, instant, supplemental


This charm enhances an attack, causing the attack to, if it hits, send the foe up a number of yards equal to the raw damage of the attack. This attack is unblockable, and if flurried this charm's effects are culmulative, the target only actually ascending at the end of the flurry. The defender cannot dodge attacks while airborne without a stunt if they cannot fly normally, and does not descend from the apex of their flight for five ticks, unless the defender can fly. Impacting objects does no damage to non-extras, but inflicts the full raw damage of the supplemented attack to extras in piercing bashing damage, as if from a fall.





I hope this works out for you. The conventional method is iffy, allowing you to inflict half your normal damage as falling damage, and it allows the really cool fling up then fly upwards, striking them when near helpless in the air. Also handy for launching your allies if you can't lift them with a feat of strength.


Slicing Zephyr Technique (req: lightning striking temper)


6m, instant, Extra action


This charm allows a flurry of attacks, made in one roll and applied to martial arts + essence targets, with the limit that you must be able to make a single move action in between each target, in sequence. For a bonus expense of 3m1wp, you may apply the full essence bonus attack successes from lightning striking temper even if you don't have enough to do so, doing this empties your pool of successes.





I know you had another idea for this charm, but it seemed a little redundant, although I incorporated your idea for Heaven Diving movement for the target limit. The thing is, most flying speeds are twice that of the normal speeds, so your idea about the bonus successes there could quickly get out of hand, and was redundant with the stocked success idea. I'm a little iffy on the secondary activation I did put there, so I figured I'd just put it out there and let the critiques come.


Heaven Diving Movement (req: Lightning striking temper, Twisting cyclone technique)


2m, one tick, reflexive


This charm allows the martial artist to temporarily subvert gravity, allowing them to use diving speed when traveling in any direction, as long as it's in a straight line, Use of this charm allows flight so fast that it becomes difficult to target the user. When his charm is active, the user may use his stocked attack successes to increase his DV by 1 as a reflexive(step 2) action. As is normal, you may only apply your essence in successes to each dodge. Attacks from those who are in the user's path cannot have the user's DV increased with this charm. A dodge so enhanced cannot accumulate additional successes. As a final benefit, you ignore the DV penalties that arise from dashing when using this charm. As a point of clarification, while the user is in the form charm, the bonus applies equally to parry DV.





Yeah, changing a charm to utilize the core idea that was behind another charm seemed silly to me, and I thought that a super-speed charm would be awesome, because the sky is big, and the distances involved can be a lot larger then on the ground. When your fighting airships, being able to zoom an eigth of a mile or so in a tick could be incredibly useful. It's still a charm activation, so it's use is a little limited, but it's very good for when it does have use. The dodge thing was because moving an eighth of a mile in a tick can make it really easy for you to be missed, and I'm pretty sure using the stocked successes is a nice balanced way to use it.


New idea for capstone:


Wind-scarring Mantra (req: Heaven Diving Movement, essence 4)


-, Permanent, permanent


This charm permanently enhances Twisting winds assault, slicing zephyr technique, and cyclone attack technique. Now, when any of those charms are invoked, they leave behind an enviornmental damage effect in their areas, defined at the area attacked for twisting winds, the area moved through for slicing zephyr, and the area below the target (including the target) of the knockup for cyclone attack. This hazard lasts for a single tick, dealing damage equal to the raw damage of the attack before attack successes are applied, with trauma (essence). Invoking twisting winds assault multiple times can extend the duration of this hazard, changing it to a number of ticks equal to the number of times the charm is invoked. The Cyclone attack technique's hazard lasts until the attacker's DV's refresh. The frequency of the enviornmental effect is 1/action, so it's rare for any given invocation of a charm to hurt someone more then once. This is more frequently used to limit the movements of enemies then to actually hurt them. Ranged attacks sent through this enviornmental effect suffer a -2 external penalty.




I think the charm could use some cleanup, but I'm not sure quite how to trim it down. What does everyone think? Would a surcharge be appropriate?

 

[ghoti115]

Looks pretty good to me. There are just a few questions I still have.


For Lightning Striking Temper, did you really mean that Essence x Martial Arts successes could be stored? If you're looking for a pool greater than 10, you might be better expressing it as Dexterity + Martial Arts + Specilizations + Essence.


As you mentioned, I would drop out the secondary activation of Slicing Zephyr Technique. Since Lightning Striking Temper is a Permanent Charm, the successes are already being applied. Unless you were indicating that for an additional 3m 1wp the attack will gain bonus successes equal to Essence x Martial Arts. However, I would change this to just Martial Arts + Essence successes for the cost.


Having a capstone charm that affects other charms in the style is an awesome idea. It does look like Wind-Scarring Mantra needs some clean up. I'm not sure really understand the full effect of it. What I am reading from it is that the terrain around the targets of the Charms defined within becomes disrupted for a single tick so the ground becomes more rocky or wind just buffets the area making it hard to move. Is it something along those lines? Or is the effect also supposed to do damage to the target that was hit by the attack? At this point I just want to make sure I understand the concept before trying to take a shot at helping to clean it up.

 

[Requiem_Jeer]

To clarify...


Yes, you read the amount of successes right, but the idea was to be able to only reach a limit if you're being really stingy with them. I don't think specializations are an appropriate thing to put in the pool, but having it be Dex + MA + Ess seems workable, you essentially get 3 attacks enhanced, with an edge at lower essence levels. It's probably appropriate, but I'm thinking that making essence count twice would be appropriate, so that you can fit in an even two uses of an area attack at the full pool. I'm really not entirely sure how big the pool should be...


The slicing zephyr surcharge is for if you didn't have enough successes in your pool to max it out, but it doesn't give you any more successes then you could of spent normally if you had enough, but yeah, eliminating it seems like a smart move.


The idea behind the charm was to have the slicing winds linger, creating some enviornmental hazards that can disrupt the battlefield, cutting up people who don't spend the tick of the attacks moving out of the area. The longer effects for the twisting winds and cyclone attack was because a style that uses the wind isn't complete without making a small personal tornado to protect you from ranged attacks, and common sense for the second. The wind is there keeping him suspended for a few seconds, the final charm just makes it painful. I would welcome ideas as to how to improve the implementation.

 

[ghoti115]

I understand the concept for Lightning Striking Temper now. With that in mind, the size of the pool should reflect how much additional power you think is necessary for your style. I would say stick with Martial Arts X Essence because I have a fun idea on how else those successes could be used.


On your capstone, Wind-Scarring Mantra, it is a really good concept. The thought I have for it is to have up to Essence of these that remain in effect until one of two conditions is met. The first would be until it affects someone who crosses through the whirlwind. The second would be until your next action. While you are looking at this Charm, remember that it should be an Essence 4 or 5 Charm to begin with, so having up to five vortexes swriling around the battle field while waiting to hit someone is pretty cool.


This part is just for fun.


Another possible aspect could be, if you don't make any attacks on your next turn, you may spend 2 Successes from your Lightning Striking Temper per vortex you want to keep active to cause them remain and even have some movement across the battlefield. This would give you the reason to avoid blowing all of the successes on your attacks. Of course this would push it up to the Essence 5 requirement to obtain the Charm. Also, the vortexes would use the same attack roll you had made to create it, but would lose 2 damage dice for each action you maintain them. The disapation still applies if it does hit someone.

 

[Requiem_Jeer]

I like it, although I'm not quite sure how to exactly word it, think you could give it a go?

 

[Requiem_Jeer]

Okay, this thread's about more then that style, so maybe we should take the tweaking to PMs, alright? Send me whatever you think would work for that final charm, and then we'll make a new thread about it.

 

[ghoti115]

I will see what I can do.