Righteous Devil Style rewrite

Righteous Devil Style
This style is Solar-aspected; those who are not Solar Exalted or heavily infused with Solar Essence (such as the Unconquered Sun, spirits that tend the Day Star and others) must pay an additional mote of Essence to activate any Charm in the style. This surcharge is not committed. In addition, Solars and Solar-aspected characters who know this style increase the Accuracy of their flame-discharge weapons by one and their Damage by two when making attacks with them. This bonus does not apply if the Solar-aspected character has become a creature of darkness, and such characters must also pay the surcharge to activate the style’s Charms as if they were not Solar-aspected.

Weapons and Armor: Righteous Devil Style is unusual, in that its Charms are mostly compatible only with fire-discharging weapons specifically, and not with normal unarmed attacks. This distinction is noted in Charms where it matters. When this style’s Charms note that they enhance flame-discharge weapon attacks, this applies to either Martial Arts or other Abilities, such as Archery, and appropriate Charms of any such Ability (or other trait) can be placed in Combos with Charms of this style. This style is compatible with armor.

Complementary Abilities: Righteous Devil stylists must have at least two dots in Archery to learn the style. It is strongly advised that they also possess any Craft skills necessary to perform regular maintenance on their weapons, as flamepieces and firewands can be notoriously finicky devices.

Kiss of the Sun Concentration
Cost: 1m+; Mins: Martial Arts 2, Essence 2; Type: Supplemental
Keywords: Combo-OK
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: None

Like the rays of the Daystar beating down on the endless, flat expanses of the South, the Righteous Devil’s retribution can and does touch all within sight. This Charm enhances a flame-discharge weapon attack, increasing its Range by a number of yards equal to the martial artist’s permanent Essence for every mote spent activating the Charm, to a maximum of (Martial Arts) motes.

Blossom of Inevitable Demise Technique
Cost: 3m; Mins: Martial Arts 2, Essence 2; Type: Supplemental
Keywords: Combo-OK, Obvious
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: Kiss of the Sun Concentration

With this Charm the martial artist breathes deeply and with the release of his breath he fires. From his mouth he expels a few golden sparks that feed the fire racing from his weapon, causing it to expand as it goes into a great fireball larger than a man. The edges may singe things that get too close, but this does not allow the attack to meaningfully harm extra targets. This Charm enhances a flame-discharge weapon attack, adding the practitioner’s Martial Arts to the raw damage of the attack in Step 7 of resolution.

Lightning Draw Stance
Cost: 2m; Mins: Martial Arts 2, Essence 2; Type: Reflexive (Step 1)
Keywords: Combo-OK, Obvious
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: None

Black and gold lightning wreathes the martial artist’s hands and arc towards his gun and his ammo as he reaches for them. This Charm may be activated as a reflexive Ready Weapon action whether to draw a flame-discharge weapon of personal scale or to reload such a weapon as per a normal miscellaneous action to do so.

Blessing of the Righteous Solar Spark
Cost: 2m per weapon; Mins: Martial Arts 3, Essence 2; Type: Simple
Keywords: Combo-Basic, Holy, Obvious
Duration: One scene
Prerequisite Charms: Lightning Draw Stance

Performing a quick benediction over his weapons, the stylist invokes the name of the Unconquered Sun, bathing the guns in heatless, blue-tinged golden flames. For two motes this Charm hallows up to two personal scale flame-discharge weapons, making them Holy so that any attacks they are used to make for the rest of the scene cause aggravated damage to creatures of darkness. This includes both normal shots fired with them as well as using them as improvised weapons to club a foe. This Charm cannot bestow blessings on demon-tainted weapons such as those fashioned or corrupted with vitriol. This benefit applies to the weapons only while they are wielded by the martial artist himself. If he willing hands them over to someone else’s use this Charm ends prematurely.

Righteous Devil Form
Cost: 5m; Mins: Martial Arts 3, Essence 2; Type: Simple
Keywords: Compulsion, Form-type, War
Duration: One scene
Prerequisite Charms: Blossom of Inevitable Demise Technique, Blessing of the Righteous Solar Spark

The world stills as the Righteous Devil faces his foe, others sure to watch without interfering. While this Charm is active the martial artist may “call out” a foe, whether a single person or a singular social group. The chosen opponent or group must step into the open and face the martial artist, though they may remain behind cover sufficient to provide a DV bonus without making attacks impossible against them. They must remain so for at least one long tick, after which if the Righteous Devil fails to engage them in physical combat they are free to go. Once the martial artist (or one of the chosen villains) initiates combat, however, the unnatural compulsion persists until the fight is over or the martial artist is dead or ends the Charm. Targets called out with this Charm may ignore its influence by spending four points of Willpower, and falling back to make any ranged attack does not require resisting this effect.

Just as the villain is shamed into the open, bystanders and minions are cowed into watching or fleeing the exchange. While a target is called out, witnesses are compelled to stay out of the fight or flee the area as they desire. This normally costs three Willpower to ignore, but if the witness sincerely believes the target that was called out is an ally or friend, the cost drops to two Willpower. If the bystander has a positive Intimacy toward the called out target, the cost drops to one Willpower.

Once the target foe or group is defeated (Incapacitated or worse) the compulsion ends. Until that time, the martial artist may not call out any other foes.

In mass combat a martial artist acting as a special character may use this Charm to initiate a duel against another special character in an enemy unit that his own is engaged with. The attempt to start a duel is automatically successful and cannot be waylaid by either the Righteous Devil’s or the target’s unit commanders, unless those commanders are willing to spend the Willpower necessary to resist this Charm’s compulsion. If the Righteous Devil’s fellow officers interfere in the duel in some way and he does not make his best attempt to stop them without harm, this Charm deactivates and cannot be reactivated for the rest of the mass combat.

Cloud of Ebon Devils
Cost: —; Mins: Martial Arts 4, Essence 3; Type: Permanent
Keywords: Form-Enhancing (2), Obvious
Duration: Permanent
Prerequisite Charms: Righteous Devil Form

When the martial artist adopts the stance of the Righteous Devil, he surrounds himself in the black, fiery clouds of ash left from those he has brought to justice. These whirling clouds of phantasmal firedust leap eagerly to harm those who have yet to suffer the justice they have, carrying the martial artist’s attacks through the air as penance for their misdeeds. While Righteous Devil Form is active, the character adds one to the Rate of his personal scale flame-discharge weapons and uses half the usual ammunition with each shot. This allows him to fire up to the full Rate of appropriate S-tagged weapons without needing to reload. He may also activate Lightning Draw Stance to reload his weapons as if it were not a Charm activation.

Garda Flies on Gilded Wings Attack
Cost: —; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 3; Type: Permanent
Keywords: Obvious
Duration: Permanent
Prerequisite Charms: Righteous Devil Form

This Charm permanently enhances the character’s Kiss of the Sun Concentration. As the martial artist pulls the trigger on his weapon and breathes the sparks that spell doom for his foe, the discharging flames leap out to form seven gilt-edged wings of white fire. This doubles the distance that Charm adds to the weapon’s Range for every mote spent. In addition, Solar Exalted who learn this Charm may activate Kiss of the Sun Concentration as if it were not a Charm.

Azure Abacus Meditation
Cost: 4m (+1wp); Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 3; Type: Simple (Speed 3)
Keywords: Combo-OK, Holy, Obvious
Duration: Until discharged
Prerequisite Charms: Cloud of Ebon Devils, Garda Flies on Golden Wings Attack

The martial artist concentrates on a valid target for one of her flame-discharge weapon attacks when she activates this Charm, her eyes flashing with tiny blue-black rings and wreathed in azure flames. Activating this Charm costs four motes and is identical to beginning an Aim action (Exalted, p. 142). It may be aborted or continued like a normal Aim action. When the character finally makes her aimed attack the rings filling her eyes align and fly out into the air before her, flaming blue hoops describing the surest path to her target. Rather than one bonus die per tick, however, this action provides two extra successes to the attack per tick spent aiming. If the attack is against a creature of darkness, it also becomes undodgeable.

A Solar Exalt who uses this Charm may spend one point of Willpower when discharging it to enhance an attack. Doing so extends the Holy effect to all attacks for the rest of the tick  instead of simply the first attack in a flurry. This only applies to attacks against the target at which she aimed and only if the flurry includes no attacks against other targets. This use of the Charm is often accompanied by the disturbing image of flaming blue cherubs, similar to those created by the spell Infallible Messenger (Exalted, p. 254), flying out of her anima and ferrying word of the Exalt’s righteous judgment back to the Unconquered Sun.

Twin Salamander Fist
Cost: 3m or 6m; Mins: Martial Arts 4, Essence 2; Type: Extra Action
Keywords: Combo-OK, Obvious
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: Righteous Devil Form

Firing his weapon, the martial artist’s flaming discharge blasts back harmlessly over the barrel and his arm before rushing forward with the brunt of the attack, punishing the target twice for its need to be punished. Activated for three motes, this Charm is a flurry of two attacks using a single flame-discharge weapon against a single target, ignoring multiple action penalties and Rate and imposing a total DV penalty equal to the highest of any one attack in the flurry. If the martial artist holds two valid weapons, he may pay six motes to flurry both in the same fashion; each is used to make two attacks, though each weapon may target a separate foe with their attacks. Each weapon used to make these attacks only uses up one shot’s worth of ammunition for their two attacks.

Dance of the Howling Magma Sprites
Cost: 6m; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 2; Type: Supplemental
Keywords: Combo-OK, Obvious
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: Twin Salamander Fist

With this Charm the martial artist’s flame-discharge weapon attack bursts forth from his weapon’s barrel, only to explode in the air into an angry cloud of biting, burning phantoms. When this Charm is used to enhance a flame-discharge weapon attack the attack is rolled once but applied to both the initial target and all other valid targets within a number of yards of the first target equal to the martial artist’s permanent Essence. The raw damage against all the targets does not increase based on the martial artist’s extra successes on the attack roll; only the weapon’s base damage and damage added by Charms applies if a target is hit.

A Solar Exalt who enhances an attack with a Combo that includes this Charm and Blossom of Inevitable Demise Technique doubles the raw damage provided by the latter Charm.

Phantom Flamebolt Prana
Cost: 3m; Mins: Martial Arts 4, Essence 2; Type: Reflexive (Step 1)
Keywords: Combo-OK, Obvious
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: Righteous Devil Form

The flaming breath of the Righteous Devil covers the world in its warmth, soothing the holy and burning the wicked. This Charm can enhance a personal scale flame-discharge weapon attack, negating the need for any non-Artifact ammunition, such as firedust. It may also be used to enhance attacks even if the weapon has the ammunition it needs from other sources. In either case, the gout of flame becomes translucent and twists lazily through the air, burning slowly and flowing in no wind anyone on the battlefield knows. This allows the martial artist to ignore the target’s DV bonuses from cover as well as any other physical obstructions to the attack, such as someone who is attempting to protect the target with a Defend Other action. The ball of fire passes through obstacles with ease, allowing the martial artist to attack through walls against targets he cannot see, though he still suffers the usual -2 external penalty for firing at someone who is essentially invisible.

When this Charm is used to thwart a Defend Other action, the guardian performing that action may spend three motes to negate that aspect of the Charm that bypasses Defend Other. The attack still ignores penalties for other obstructions. Charms that can block unblockable attacks prevent this Charm from bypassing a character’s Defend Other action.

Caress of One Thousand Hells
Cost: 4m, 1wp; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 4; Type: Supplemental
Keywords: Combo-OK, Crippling, Holy, Obvious
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: Azure Abacus Meditation, Dance of the Howling Magma Sprites, Phantom Flamebolt Prana

In microcosm, the Righteous Devil condemns his foe to suffering and torment just as the Sun and his Chosen sentenced the Yozis to eternal imprisonment sheathed in their own wickedness. Wearing a crown of lightning and fire, the martial artist’s gun spits forth terrible judgment in the form of cobalt-and-gold flames. If the attack hits and ends with at least one die of post-soak damage in Step 8 of resolution, the target is subject to a Crippling effect. This effect is resolved similarly to a Poison (Exalted, p. 130-131) though it is not otherwise resisted as a Poison effect. This shaming pain has the following traits: Damage 3*/action, Toxicity (martial artist’s Essence), Tolerance —/—, Penalty (martial artist’s Essence). As noted by the asterisk, it inflicts no actual damage. “Doses” stack just like a normal poison.

In addition to the punishing virtue that enflames a target’s guilt and sends them into paroxysms of shame, if a target suffers this Charm’s Crippling effect they are also caught in consuming red, blue and gold flames. This is an environmental hazard with Damage (martial artist’s Essence)L/action, Trauma (martial artist’s Essence). The Damage becomes aggravated against creatures of darkness. It cannot be doused normally, though enchanted or magically produced water (as with the Dragon-Blooded Elemental Bolt Attack) can quench the flames and end the Charm’s effect prematurely.

One mercy of this Charm is that both the pain and the fire it inflicts can be resisted with a single reflexive (Stamina + Resistance) roll, making it easier on players and characters who need roll (and apply Excellencies) only once per action.

What does "Form-Enhancing (2)" mean?

I like that Cloud of Ebon Devils and Phantom Flamebolt Prana finally give some benefit to flame weapons that don't use ammunition.

Zelbinnean:

What does "Form-Enhancing (2)" mean?

I like that Cloud of Ebon Devils and Phantom Flamebolt Prana finally give some benefit to flame weapons that don't use ammunition.

You pay two motes to use this when you put on the form.

Zelbinnean:

What does "Form-Enhancing (2)" mean?

You've been slacking off on your reading, young man!

Plague of Hats:

You've been slacking off on your reading, young man!

Ah, the akuma one. Yeah, I admit, I skimmed it. =P

Thanks for the link.

Is there anyway you could make this work without requiring the flame piece? It's a little to Archery in the form of MA for my taste.

Epimetheus:

It's a little to Archery in the form of MA for my taste.

Fire lance.

Your rewrite of Mantis Style inspired me to work on a rewrite of Righteous Devil Style myself.  After I saw you put up Ebon Shadow Style, I knew it was time for me to work on Righteous Devil.

Now you went and did it yourself.  Thanks.

Edit: No really, thank you! :)

Zelbinnean:

Epimetheus:

It's a little to Archery in the form of MA for my taste.

Fire lance.

Elemental Bolt Attack (fire), Dragon's Breath mutation, flamethrower, Bolt of Fire from the Blazing Fire Path.

Could you expand on what exactly you mean, Epimetheus?

deathmatchfm:

Your rewrite of Mantis Style inspired me to work on a rewrite of Righteous Devil Style myself.  After I saw you put up Ebon Shadow Style, I knew it was time for me to work on Righteous Devil.

Now you went and did it yourself.  Thanks.

Edit: No really, thank you! :)

You're welcome. It is my purpose in life to thwart your intentions!

This...this is much better than SotM. Three fixed styles in a week? Huzzah! =)

Plague of Hats:

Zelbinnean:

Epimetheus:

It's a little to Archery in the form of MA for my taste.

Fire lance.

Elemental Bolt Attack (fire), Dragon's Breath mutation, flamethrower, Bolt of Fire from the Blazing Fire Path.

Could you expand on what exactly you mean, Epimetheus?

Well, without weapons and a ranged abilities the style doesn't work. That makes it more archery than MA.

mercucio:

This...this is much better than SotM. Three fixed styles in a week? Huzzah! =)

Damning with faint praise!

Epimetheus:

Well, without weapons and a ranged abilities the style doesn't work. That makes it more archery than MA.

I can only shrug and "meh." I don't believe Martial Arts is inextricably tied to fist and foot, even if it is rare to exclude them.

Epimetheus:

That makes it more archery than MA.

If you define MA literally as "hitting things with your hands or things that function as your hands," you're right.

If you define MA as physical mediums that represent paths of ascetic meditation and spiritual realization, you're not.

Personal preference: combat mechanics should be as much about the latter as the former. The former has a place, but alone it's boring, no matter what your hand-analogue is.

Plague of Hats:

I can only shrug and "meh." I don't believe Martial Arts is inextricably tied to fist and foot, even if it is rare to exclude them.

I don't think they should ever be excluded with the current system. I'm not saying a practitioner should be just as great without the weapons only that he should still be able to use it without them.