I've been waiting a long time to make this post.
Yes, it's
yet another martial arts style, but a bit different than what you may be used to.
This style was created by a demon.
Black Claw pushes the envelope for esoteric weirdness within a
Celestial style—it's very much riding the edge, and shouldn't be taken
as something you see a lot of in CMA. Still, exploring the odd outer
boundaries of the system and the setting are one of the things we
wanted to do when we asked for this blog, so here we are.
This style is actually, in a manner of speaking, the first thing I ever
wrote for White Wolf. Sort of. Black Claw dates back to the summer of
2008, when Neph was writing Infernals and I was still hoping that I
might some day graduate from playtester to writer. One day, as memory
serves, Conrad Hubbard sent over an email wondering if Neph might
possibly write up Black Claw style for inclusion in the book. "What's
Black Claw style?" I asked. Neph indicated that, according to Conrad,
it was a martial arts style in Mara's writeup, from way back in the
first edition Storyteller's Companion.
I had no memory of such a thing and was quite surprised—Martial Arts
have always been one of my biggest areas of interest in Exalted. So I
dug out my old copy, blew the dust off of it, didn't see anything about
a Black Claw style, read it again, and then finally noticed it in her
Ability block—Martial Arts 5 (Black Claw Style +2).
Conrad has an amazing memory for fine details.
Neph wasn't especially interested in adding such a thing to his
already-full plate, so, half-jokingly, I said "I'll write it up." He
said that I should go ahead and do so, and he'd include it in the end,
if there were any room.
Anyone familiar with
The Manual of Exalted Power—The Infernals is laughing right about now. Or crying. For me it's usually both at once.
At any rate, although I wrote it, this style owes one debt of gratitude
to Conrad Hubbard (for bringing it to our attention) and two debts of
gratitude to Michael Goodwin. First, because he gave me the go-ahead to
write it in the first place, and second, because he provided the idea
for the style's unique sifu-student relationship, which I built the
rest of Black Claw on.
This has been sitting in my proverbial bottom drawer, waiting for the
right moment to be unleashed upon the world, for a very long time. It
may be my single favorite martial arts style that I have ever written.
I hope it provides some benefit to your games.
—Holden Shearer
Black Claw Style
Three times during the First Age,
deer-footed Mara concocted grand and insidious schemes to bring low the
Chosen of Creation. Three times, her plans came to naught. Mara's
prestige within Malfeas remains undiminished despite these failures,
for the tools of her ambition still abide in the world and much
cautionary lore regarding them has vanished in the fires of cataclysm
and revolt. The Black Claw style was her second plan, and while it
failed, it has not passed from existence and might still bear fruit in
this Age or the next.
Also known variously as the Fainting
Maiden style or the Mouse-Seizes-Bear Art, Black Claw style utilizes
the tools of misdirection, perception and love as its primary weapons.
Victory is grasped by opening oneself utterly to the aggressions of
one's foe so that he castigates himself as thoroughly as his victim.
Defeat is mollified by exposing the perfidy of the victorious.
Black Claw style has two qualities that
differentiate it from other Celestial Martial Arts. First, like all
demon-created Celestial arts, any demon of any circle may practice the
style so long as the spirit satisfies all relevant trait minimums.
Second, Mara's association with perverse relationships bleeds into
every Charm, inseparably binding sifu and student. It is impossible to
know the secrets of this style without being exposed to the innermost
heart of one's instructor, and impossible to understand that knowledge
without accepting what is within that heart. So it is that every Black
Claw practitioner bears an Intimacy of genuine and unbreakable love
toward his teacher. No amount of natural persuasion or scenes spent
working against this love can weaken the Intimacy. Only unnatural
mental influence can sever the emotional connection, and even then,
every scene in which the character invokes a Black Claw style Charm
counts as a scene spent rebuilding the Intimacy.
This style gained popularity in
Creation during the First Deliberative Era of the Old Realm. Its
practice, which began among several of Brigid's students, quickly
flourished throughout the Solar and Lunar community. Its first Exalted
practitioners viewed the style as a quaint and amusing demon-trap, its
dangers easily seen and avoided so that its benefits could be enjoyed.
However, as the art spread far and wide, it came to be regarded with
unease—while conquered demons were of no threat to the Realm, the idea
of a power bloc forming among young Solars bonded in love to a handful
of mighty teachers (all the worse if those teachers were Lunars, or
Sidereals!) was quite alarming. So it was that after a few short
centuries Queen Merela outlawed the style and brutally suppressed its
schools. Those without the personal or political power to ignore the
law were bonded in Eclipse-sanctified oaths to forsake the practice of
the style. Save for a handful of lovestruck outlaws, it fell from the
history of Creation.
The Black Claw style likewise proved
disruptive to the regimented chaos of the Demon City. Because it
allowed the weak to bond the mighty to themselves in chains of love,
Cecelyne issued a partial proscription against the style, sanctioning
its use only by citizens of Malfeas. Orabilis, who does not consider
love to be a form of wisdom, tasked his soul Florivet with rooting out
illegal schools within the Demon City. However, the Whim-of-the-Wind
has rarely bothered looking since he became an adventurer. On the rare
occasions when he uncovers demonic serfs making unauthorized use of the
Black Claw, he defeats them in gaudy and spectacular public fights, but
this happens less and less as time goes on. The public resentment
against him after such battles makes Florivet sullen and unenthusiastic.
Now, as the Reclamation begins, Black
Claw style is experiencing a resurgence. Mara has already taken on
several Green Sun Princes as students (and lovers), and it will not be
long before they establish their first school in Creation.
Weapons and Armor:
Black Claw style may only be practiced with bare hands, and without
armor. An appearance of martial readiness would undermine
practitioners' posture of unjustly assaulted innocence.
Complementary Abilities:
To properly grasp the insights upon which the style is founded, a
student must possess at least two dots spread in any fashion among
Larceny, Socialize and Performance.
Open Palm Caress
Cost: 4m; Mins: Martial Arts 2, Essence 2; Type: Reflexive
Keywords: Combo-OK, Illusion
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: None
From the beginning, things start to
go wrong. Righteous heroes find themselves cast as a vicious bullies
when they fight a student of the Black Claw—even if the martial artist
picked the fight himself. This Charm supplements a Join Battle action,
adding the user's Essence in bonus successes.
Regardless of whether the Join
Battle roll permits the martial artist to act first, compare the result
to the Dodge MDV of all other characters who witness the fight begin
(including all combatants). If the roll result is higher, they suffer
an unnatural Illusion effect which costs two Willpower to resist,
convincing them that the martial artist's opponents initiated
hostilities. This even applies to the opponents themselves, who may
suddenly find themselves quite confused about why they are attacking
the character. Characters that do not pay this cost upfront can pay
four Willpower to correct their memories later, but only with external
prompting or a compelling personal reason to question the memory and
not until a day has passed since they last encountered the martial
artist. Minds need distance from such a toxic presence before they can
think clearly. This Charm may enhance only the first Join Battle roll
the character makes in a fight.
Torn Lotus Defense
Cost: 2m; Mins: Martial Arts 3, Essence 2; Type: Reflexive (Step 10)
Keywords: Combo-OK, Emotion
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: None
Every Black Claw student must
submit to his sifu. As one whose heart has already been conquered, he
knows that any greater defeat is impossible. The martial artist draws
on the memory of his love and channels it into his stance, projecting
unmistakable and fragile resolution: a sight to move the hearts of gods
and demons alike.
This Charm may be invoked when the
character successfully negates an attack with his DV. The aggressor is
struck by the character's posture of resolute defiance, and treats the
successful defense as a scene spent working toward building a positive
Intimacy for the martial artist. The specific emotional context of the
Intimacy, be it respect, admiration, or even unexpected love, depends
on the context of the situation and may be chosen by the attacker’s
player. This unnatural mental influence costs one Willpower to resist.
This Charm will not function if evoked
in conjunction with a Charm possessing a Flaw of Invulnerability (or
equivalent effect, such as an Infernal Imperfection); the martial
artist's beauty lies in his weakness, not his invulnerable strength.
Flexing the Emerald Claw
Cost: 3m or 4m; Mins: Martial Arts 3, Essence 2; Type: Supplemental
Keywords: Combo-OK, Illusion, Obvious, Poison
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: Open Palm Caress, Torn Lotus Defense
Even for the unjustly wronged,
there comes a time to strike back. Students of the Black Claw opt to do
so with deceptive force. By paying three motes to supplement an unarmed
attack, the martial artist's hand becomes wreathed in a bilious green
spray of Essence. If the attack hits, it inflicts normal damage and the
victim becomes afflicted with a dose of poison with the following
statistics: (7L/action, 3, —/—, -2). This poison is exceptionally
subtle, displaying no outward symptoms as it destroys its victim from
the inside. By paying four motes instead, the martial artist may veil
his strike in an unnatural Illusion effect, removing the Obvious tag
for all observers save the Charm's target. This Illusion may be ignored
by observers who spend one Willpower.
Black Claw Form
Cost: 5m; Mins: Martial Arts 4, Essence 3; Type: Simple
Keywords: Emotion, Form-type
Duration: One scene
Prerequisite Charms: Flexing the Emerald Claw
The martial artist assumes a
defensive posture, equally declarative of his unwillingness to fight
and his readiness to defend himself regardless. During Step 9 of any
attack directed against him, the character may pay one mote to leap
away from his aggressor (Appearance) yards, although the character does
not actually move until after Step 10 has been resolved.
Additionally, as only a brute would
assault such a reluctant opponent, each attack directed at the
character causes any onlookers to act as though the attacker had just
spent a scene eroding any positive Intimacies they might feel toward
him. This unnatural Emotion effect costs one Willpower to ignore for
the rest of the scene with regard to that attacker. Witnesses with
higher Essence than the Charm's user who pay this cost ignore its
influence with regard to all attackers.
Finally, the character may parry
lethal and ranged attacks without a stunt or Charm, and Torn Lotus
Defense does not count as a Charm activation while this Form is active.
Storm-Calming Embrace
Cost: 3m; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 3; Type: Reflexive
Keywords: Combo-OK, Crippling
Duration: Until next action
Prerequisite Charms: Black Claw Form
Despite being cruelly assaulted,
the martial artist clasps his opponent to him. Swallowing his rancor,
he does nothing to escalate the fight—such virtue! This Charm allows
the martial artist to add his Essence rating in dice to all attempts to
establish, maintain or control a grapple. However, a clinch enhanced by
this Charm may only be used to apply a hold, not to crush or throw.
Incidentally, as a Crippling
effect, the target the martial artist is holding automatically fails
all Toxicity rolls, and any poisons in the target's system add the L
tag to their Toxicity.
Doe Eyes Defense
Cost: 2m; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 3; Type: Reflexive (Step 2)
Keywords: Combo-OK, Emotion
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: Black Claw Form
The Black Claw practitioner is well
aware that vulnerability is his greatest defense, and exploits it
ruthlessly. The martial artist falls back hurriedly in response to an
attack, his every movement accentuating his inferiority in the face of
the oncoming assault. Realization of her target's weakness unnerves or
unduly excites the attacker, depending on her temperament, causing her
to experience an internal penalty on her attack roll equal to the
martial artist's (Appearance + 2). This unnatural mental influence
costs two Willpower to ignore. In the First Age, this technique was
also sometimes known as the Fainting Maiden Ward, or the Painted Boy
Defense.
Table-Turning Reversal
Cost: 6m; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 3; Type: Reflexive (Step 9)
Keywords: Combo-OK, Counterattack, Emotion
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: Black Claw Form
Only a coward would use a weapon to
strike down an unarmed man. All Creation rejoices to see a bully given
a dose of his own medicine, and the martial artist is the one to do it.
This Charm is activated in response
to an attack; regardless of whether the attack succeeds, the martial
artist may launch a counterattack. This counterattack is a standard
disarm attempt (see Exalted,
p.158), save that rather than knocking the opponent's weapon away, the
martial artist steals and reflexively equips it. If the counterattack
succeeds, he may treat the pilfered weapon as though it were an unarmed
attack for the purpose of all Black Claw style Charms then for the rest
of the scene or until the weapon leaves his grasp, whichever comes
first. Weapons made entirely of Essence and attuned artifact weapons
are not valid targets for this Charm.
Additionally, all characters who
witness a successful disarm performed with this Charm treat the sight
as a scene of work toward building a positive Intimacy for the martial
artist. The emotional context of this Intimacy is chosen by the
observer’s player. This unnatural mental influence costs one Willpower
to resist.
Outrage-Kindling Cry
Cost: 10m, 1wp; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 3; Type: Reflexive (Step 9)
Keywords: Combo-basic, Compulsion, Counterattack
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: Storm-Calming Embrace, Doe Eyes Defense, Table-Turning Reversal
These things are natural in
Creation, but not Malfeas: To cheer for the underdog, to feel one's
heart go out to another in pain, and to abhor injustice. Thus pious
critics of Black Claw style are revealed as hypocrites; this technique
employs the weapons of Creation, not Hell.
This Charm may be activated in
response to an attack that successfully strikes the martial artist. It
takes the form of a kiai that compresses the character's agony into a
heart-rending wail. Roll ([Manipulation or Appearance] + Performance),
adding a number of successes equal to any wound penalties the martial
artist may be suffering, and apply it against the Dodge MDV of all
witnesses within earshot save for the attacker himself. Those who
succumb to this unnatural mental influence (spending the standard one
Willpower to resist immunizes a listener for the rest of the scene)
suffer a Compulsion to assault the martial artist's attacker and to
protect the martial artist. This behavior persists until either the
attacker or the martial artist has been out of sight for one minute, or
the scene ends, whichever comes first.
The attack is considered
automatically successful against all listeners who have a positive
intimacy toward the martial artist, a negative intimacy toward the
attacker, or who believe the attacker started the fight.
Heart-Ripping Claw
Cost: 4m, 1wp; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 4; Type: Supplemental
Keywords: Combo-OK, Obvious
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: Outrage-Kindling Cry
This is the secret final technique
of the Black Claw style. In the past, many teachers kept this Charm to
themselves. Though the Yozis have forbidden their progeny from
withholding it from the Green Sun Princes, it seems likely that many of
the style's Infernal masters may likewise neglect to mention
Heart-Ripping Claw when they establish their schools in Creation.
Eight wisdoms live at the heart of
Black Claw style: Love is a lie; innocence is a lie; blame is a lie;
lies are inescapable. Children betray their parents; gods betray their
makers; students betray their teachers; betrayal is inescapable. Wise
masters are ready to strike first, and strike better.
Enhancing an unarmed attack with
this Charm causes the attacking limb to be wreathed in a corona of
screaming black shadows, razor-edged and lashing. An attack so enhanced
inflicts lethal damage, and adds a raw damage bonus equal to twice the
martial artist's Essence rating.
Moreover, if the Black Claw master
is held in someone's heart, he cannot fail to strike that mark. This
Charm acts as an unblockable and undodgeable attack against any target
harboring a positive Intimacy toward the martial artist. If the attack
would have missed such a target without this Charm, then it strikes
with a threshold of 0 successes. If the target has an Intimacy of love
toward the martial artist, then the attack inflicts aggravated damage
in addition to the benefits mentioned above. If
this Charm slays an opponent, the Infernal tears the target’s heart out
of their chest and holds it in his fist as it crumbles to ash.
Posted
9 Apr 2010 11:58 PM
by
Holden