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).
Posted
3 Aug 2010 4:31 AM
by
Holden