Ink Monkeys exists, in large part, because writing for Exalted isn’t just something I do for a paycheck; it’s my hobby. Long before I was a freelancer, I was a fan. Specifically, I was “martial arts guy.” That was my hobby—designing martial arts styles for Exalted. I did it for fun. The only part of becoming a freelancer that sucked was not getting to write up martial arts styles or other Charms whenever I wanted any more. So we have Ink Monkeys!

I remain convinced that some of my old fan-era work is not lacking in merit, though; and so, since it’s a slow night, I’ve decided to share one of my favorite creations with you—overhauled and updated to fit modern Charm design standards, naturally. For some of you, this is an update of something old and familiar; for others, it’s brand-new. Either way, I hope you like it.
—Holden Shearer

 

 

Swaying Grass Dance Style

This curious Terrestrial martial arts style first emerged among the slave pens of the distant East. According to the tale passed down by the style’s practitioners, it originated on a particular Guild plantation, where slaves worked to harvest drugs that assisted in achieving Essence sight. These slaves were forbidden tools or possessions of any sort beyond the most minimal clothing, and any fighting within the pens was punished severely; but it seemed normal to their keepers when the hallucinogen-addled slaves took to spending their evenings in wild, ecstatic dance. This dance, created by a rebellious young slave named Silver Leaf, was actually a developing form of unarmed combat, intended to be used to rise up and overthrow the plantation. Silver Leaf’s unexpected Exaltation at the behest of the Wood Dragon acted as the catalyst for this uprising; extending her nascent style’s precepts into a supernatural martial arts form, she tore the plantation apart and led the slaves into the forest.

Most scattered, but a few freedmen stayed on with Silver Leaf, pledging themselves as her loyal students and followers. Now the Swaying Grass Dance Style has spread to all five Poles of Creation, in both its limited form as a surreptitious slave style, and its true form as an Exalted combat art. Rumor has it that Silver Leaf still walks the Threshold, selling herself into plantation slavery for the purpose of causing uprisings among the pens. This Terrestrial martial arts style is aspected toward the element of Wood.

Weapons and Armor: Swaying Grass Dance style exclusively employs kicks; its Charms will not function with unarmed punches. As such, kicks, iron boots and god-kicking boots are considered in-style weapons, and are treated as unarmed attacks for the purpose of its Charms. This style is not compatible with armor.

Complementary Abilities: Understanding the precepts of the Swaying Grass Dance Style requires two dots of Performance.

Jubilant Battle Proposition

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

Keywords: Combo-OK

Duration: Instant

Prerequisite Charms: None

The martial artist catches her opponents off-guard by masking her aggressive intent in joyous dance. The character must already be engaging in dance to activate this Charm. When she does so, she adds a number of successes equal to her Performance to her Join Battle roll.

Sweeping Meadow Awareness Practice

Cost: 1m; Mins: Martial Arts 3, Essence 2; Type: Reflexive (Step 2)

Keywords: Combo-OK

Duration: Instant

Prerequisite Charms: None

The fighter sways and weaves as she fights, shifting her body and maintaining full awareness of her surroundings. When surrounded by opponents, this Charm prevents one of those attackers from making an undefended attack against the character's back; the Grass Dancer applies her DV normally to this attack, removing its unexpected quality.

Swaying Grass Dance Form

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

Keywords: Form-type

Duration: One scene

Prerequisite Charms: Jubilant Battle Proposition, Sweeping Meadow Awareness Practice

The martial artist begins to sway and dance, shuffling in and out of combat-ready stances unpredictably. Her kicks slash up from dead angles, and any glimpsed openings are gone before opponents can act on them. The character's unarmed attacks gain -1 Speed, +1 Accuracy, +2 Defense, and +1 Rate. She takes no penalties for fighting prone, and may rise from prone reflexively. These benefits may not lower the character's Speed below 3. She is also considered to be dancing while this Form is active, and any attempts to recognize this Charm’s activation as a form of combat-readiness suffer a -2 external penalty.

Teeth in the Grass Strike

Cost: 4m; Mins: Martial Arts 4, Essence 3; Type: Simple (Speed 5, DV -1)

Keywords: Combo-OK, Illusion

Duration: Instant

Prerequisite Charms: Swaying Grass Dance Form

The character feints high then scythes her leg up from below with no warning. So convincing is her feint that the opponent is absolutely convinced the next strike will come in from above. The character makes an unarmed Martial Arts attack. If the character's successes on the attack roll exceed the target's Dodge MDV, the attack is unexpected. If the character is standing in tall grass or shallow water, or the terrain otherwise obscures her legs and feet from view, add two bonus successes to the attack. This Charm’s unnatural mental influence costs one point of Willpower to resist. Targets become immune to this Charm for the rest of the scene after spending three points of Willpower.

Rolling With the Wind Method

Cost: 2m; Mins: Martial Arts 4, Essence 3; Type: Reflexive (Step 9)

Keywords: Combo-OK, Counterattack

Duration: Instant

Prerequisite Charms: Swaying Grass Dance Form

The harsh upbringing of this style’s practitioners makes them fast to react to danger. Those who land one blow upon a Grass Dancer rarely manage a second. When the character is struck and this Charm is activated, the martial artist goes cartwheeling (attacker's Strength x 5) yards away, exactly as though she suffered from knockback, save that the character controls which direction he tumbles in and whether or not she strikes any objects.

Inescapable Tumbleweed Prana

Cost: 1m, 1wp; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 3; Type: Reflexive

Keywords: Combo-basic

Duration: Until next action

Prerequisite Charms: Teeth in the Grass Strike, Rolling with the Wind Method

Those who would oppose a practitioner of the Swaying Grass Dance Style reap the whirlwind. Shuffling along with a dizzying series of quick-steps and cartwheels, the character pursues an adversary. This Charm must be targeted against another character when activated; this target must be within unarmed striking range, and must have already attacked the martial artist within the current scene. For the duration of the Charm, the martial artist gains whatever mobility is necessary to follow her target. Her Move speed matches that of her target, even if Charms such as Leaping Dodge Method or Rolling With the Wind Method are employed. This pursuit explicitly includes whatever acrobatic prowess is necessary to pursue a flying opponent, so long as there are trees or other structures to climb through in order to reach them. Inescapable Tumbleweed Prana will not allow the character to follow a target who moves away by teleporting.

Whirling Rhythm Revolution

Cost: 4m, 1wp; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 3; Type: Extra Action

Keywords: Combo-OK

Duration: Instant

Prerequisite Charms: Inescapable Tumbleweed Prana

The character listens to the music pounding in her heart, and then whirls to the attack. She launches an unarmed martial arts attack, and, if it inflicts any damage, immediately launches another. These attacks utilize the character's full dice pool, ignore Rate, and levy a DV penalty equal to the highest penalty incurred by any one attack. The character may launch a total number of attacks equal to her Performance, or until she fails to inflict damage, whichever comes first.

Grass Reaping Posture

Cost: 3m, 1wp; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 3; Type: Simple (Speed 5, DV -1)

Keywords: Combo-OK

Duration: Until broken

Prerequisite Charms: Inescapable Tumbleweed Prana

The character imposes her rhythm upon another, taking control of the battle. This Charm begins with a low, sudden leg sweep. The character makes an unarmed Martial Arts attack. Resolve this attack normally; if the attack strikes the target, they suffer automatic knockdown. Thereafter the martial artist shuffles about her downed foe, confusing him and buffeting him to the ground with her legs should he try to escape. So long as the martial artist remains within unarmed attacking range of her prone target, all the target's attempts to rise from prone provoke a reflexive contested Dexterity + Martial Arts roll. If the target wins, he rises from prone successfully. If the Grass Dancer wins or ties, the target remains prone. Grass Reaping Posture lasts until the martial artist moves out of range or until the target successfully rises from prone.

Serenading the Reed

Cost: 5m; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 3; Type: Simple (Speed 3, DV -1)

Keywords: Combo-OK

Duration: Indefinite

Prerequisite Charms: Whirling Rhythm Revolution, Grass Reaping Posture

The martial artist draws strength from dance, and his dance is empowered by music. This Charm may only be activated in the presence of music or song with rhythm, and this music cannot originate with the character. So long as the music plays on, the character's DV is raised by half the Performance rating of the most skilled musician or singer performing (round up).

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Posted 3 Aug 2010 4:31 AM by Holden