Rebuild of Obsidian Shards of Infinity (Comments Greatly Appreciated)

Well, its one of my favorite SMA (thematically) and I wanted to make a non-broken but still fun and similarly evocative version of it. So here is my crack at it.  Questions? Comments? Feel free, I definately want some input.  Its a first draft so forgive any minor errors you might find. 

A number of charms have been heavily revised (most)
and a few rebuilt entirely. The style contains a few more pre-form charms as well. This is largely because it was an incredibly short tree for an SMA before.

The Student’s Sutra of Refl ection: Once, there was a
thoughtful maiden…
BLACK SHARDS FALL LIKE ICE
Cost: 13m; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 4; Type: Simple
Keywords: Combo-Basic, Obvious
Duration: One Action
Prerequisite Charms: None
…who broke her mirror, and dropped the pieces to
the ground.
With a shout, a step and a ringing clap, the martial
artist calls forth a rain of sharpened glass. This effect causes shards of reflective, black obsidian shards of various sizes (from a few inches to a yard or two tall) to crash down in the perimiter about the martial artist.  This creates an environmental effect with a diameter of (Essence x Martial Arts) yards centered around the martial artist.   This rain of black glass is treated as a magical environmental effect with the traits (Essence)L/action Trauma: (Martial Arts).  The shower of glass persists for one action, but may be reflexively activated on subsequent actions for the same cost causing it to continue.  The Effect does not move with the martial artist if reactivated in this manner and doing so counts as the exalts charm usage for the action (but is reflexive).   The mirror rain can be moved only by reactivating this charm as a simple action, causing the lingering shards to dissolve into their component motes and black glass to fall again.  The Martial Artist is immune to this damage, though his allies and companions are not.

The charm leaves behind a field broken obsidian fragments, and 5 black mirrors (the largest shards) about a yard or a yard and a half in height, that catch the Martial Artist's reflection at all times. These mirrors can provide 75% hard cover to someone hiding behind them, but are extremely fragile (though hard).  They Have the Soak and hardness of a brick wall but only (essence) health levels and take damage as inanimate objects.  Due to the Nature of this magic, as well as of the psyche of the beings of creation, no more than 5 black mirror shards (and a bunch of shattered bits too broken to hold an image) ever remain after an invocation of this charm.  Each mirror is metaphysically symbolic of the 5 components of the mind (Willpower and the Virtues).  Subsequent activations will replace destroyed mirrors, but as long as 5 endure this charm will not cause more to remain in its wake.  Mirrors created by this charm vanish after one scene, unless they are holding an image (such as through Reaching Through The Mirror).

RIPPLE IN THE SILVERED GLASS
Cost: 6m, 1wp; Mins: Martial Arts 5,
Essence 4; Type: Refl exive (Step 2)
Keywords: Combo-OK, Shaping, Obvious
Duration: Instant or One Tick
Prerequisite Charms: None
She thought to repair it,
When a foe attacks, the Sidereal brings his hands
together, then parts them as if he were opening a pair of
curtains. This Charm reveals an alternate to the course of action attempted by the attacker, which contests the attacker's action for validity.   This charm sidesteps the need for defense entirely, making the possibility of whatever action it opposes seem remote and the possibility of failure near certain.  This existence flux causes the attacker's dice-pool to be reduced to its minimum value (essence) by an internal penalty.   If the attacker rolls 0 successes on this roll, reality is reshaped to ensure their failure.  All their actions that target the Martial Artist fail for the rest of the tick.  If they roll one or more success the attack fails, and subsequent actions targeting the martial artist for the rest of the tick also use their minimum dicepool.  It is theoretically  possible for the attacker to still strike if he can somehow gain sufficient automatic successes to make up for their reduced dice pool.   This defense cannot affect attacks that succeed regardless of successes rolled  (such as accuracy without distance) , or attacks of which the martial artist was not aware.   The Shaping effect of this charm does not target the attacker, but the world around them, even so, charms that establish a bubble of Shaping immunity centered on the attacker will defeat this defense, preventing it from reducing the attackers dice pool to 0.  This defense needn't be applied only to physical attacks, it can be applied to any effect that targets the Martial Artist (including social attacks and non-sentient hazards like storms and falling like).  

Face In The Glass Defense
Cost: 15m 1wp; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 4; Type: Reflexive (Step 2)
Keywords: Combo-OK, Obvious, Illusion
Duration: One Action
Prerequisite Charms: None
but was arrested by the sight of the scattered shards,
The Mirror can be made to show the face, but it can reveal also that which one values.  None can deny what the mirror shows them and from that it draws durability.  The Martial Artist activates this charm when subject to an attack, bending he and his opponent through through the dark mirror that hides within the soul of each man.  The attacker sees not an enemy looking back at him, but himself, and is understandably unnerved.  Martial Artist adds the target's soak (from all sources except charms and sorcery), and hardness to his own and, for a moment, appears in the eyes of his assailant to be the man himself.   This increased soak is real enough, a product of the flare of reflective essence around the Martial Artist,  and applies to all attackers for the duration of the Martial Artist's action.  Hardness, as usual, does not stack. 

The charm makes the incongruity of this not immediately apparent and those who do not spend 1wp per attack (to a maximum of 4wp) or have an MDV greater than the Exalt's (Essence+Martial Arts) halt their attack for fear of harming themselves.  This is both an Illusion effect.  Automaton's are unaffected by this illusions as are non-sentient beings.  This charm's illusion applies to a specific being who is attacking him, others perceive an obviously magical effect which manifests as a cloud of faceted fragments of dark essence flickering in a brilliant display about the Martial Artist.  This charm can be reactivated, if the form for this style is active, as a 10m reflexive, non-charm expenditure on subsequent actions.  The illusion effect does not persist, but the soak does.  Because this expenditure is not actually a charm expenditure but a part of the fractal essence cascade that defends the martial artist, this reflexive 10m cost is unaffected by Sutra discounts.

REACHING THROUGH THE MIRROR
Cost: 10m; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 4;
Type: Reflexive(step 1)
Keywords: Combo-Basic, Obvious
Duration: Indefinite
Prerequisite Charms: None
which showed so many visions of her face.
Gesturing at an opponent, the Sidereal calls that opponent’s
refl ection to face her, affixing their reflection in their heart's black mirror. Any refl ective surfaces around the target, no matter how they are angled, show that person. Centering someone's reflection in the mirror requires a successful (Dexterity+Awareness or Perception+ Athletics or Dodge) roll against the target's DDV  to maneuver the subject into the mirror's view.  This attack is a miscellaneous action which must be taken immediately following this charm's activation, but may be flurried with other actions. Until the mirror is struck, the reflection remains intact and may even be used as a means of locating the Target provided they remain within (Essence)/2 miles.  Attacks against the reflections are And undodgeable and, if the exalt is sufficiently far away, or hidden may even benefit from surprise.  This requires the exalt to establish surprise against the target as normal.    The Mirror shows the reflection as long as the motes are committed, but the Exalt may not maintain more than 5 instances of this charm concurrently, nor may he maintain more instances of this charm than he has reflective surfaces. The Damage caused by this attack is a Shaping effect, but it is instant rather than ongoing, and therefore it cannot be retroactively negated by shaping defenses once it has been caused (though it can be prevented from occurring in the first place).  Striking the mirror cracks or destroys it, it takes the full damage of the attack, as the mirror breaks beneath the Exalt's fist, her enemy feels cracks lancing across his skin. The damage is lethal.  The Fae and Ghosts, respectively beings of fable,and entities who are themselves but a reflection of what once was, take aggravated damage.  A mirror, once struck, stops holding the reflection and cannot be re-used. 

Only a mirror crafted of the Exalt's own essence or which is otherwise magical (such as the one created by Black Shards Fall Like Ice) may stand up to more than a single strike from the martial artist, and even then a mirror can only be used once before the connection lapses.  If the mirror is resilient enough to not be destroyed, the blow disassociates the Sidereal's essence and makes it impossible for the Martial Artist to use this charm on the same mirror again, or to maintain the current activation of the charm.  A mirror may only hold 1 reflection at a time.

Cracked Obsidian Restoration
She put the pieces back together ...
Cost: 11m 1wp; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 4;
Type: Supplemental
Keywords: Combo-Basic,Obvious, Shaping
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: Black Shards Fall Like Ice, Face In The Glass Defense, Reaching Through the Mirror
Just as a Mirror can be broken, so to can it be hold, though the cracks and scars that remain are indelible and permanent.  This charm supplements a martial arts attack against the Martial Artist himself or a target whose reflection the martial artist has trapped with Reaching through the Mirror.  This attack must do at least 2 levels of damage.  All damage done by this charm excess of the first two levels is negated and the first two levels are converted into a single aggravated health level of damage.  In Exchange the exalt may select to remove from the target 1 of the following per level of damage forfeited (to a minimum of 1 in the case that the attack does only 2 levels of damage).
- Remove one Shaping Effect or Mutation of any Severity the target suffers from
-Remove one Crippling Effect
-Heal one Lethal wound or two bashing wounds
He may perform as many of any of these as had extra successes (beyond the first two) on the damage roll.

SHATTERING THE BALANCE
Cost: 8m, 1wp; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 4;
Type: Supplemental
Keywords: Combo-OK, Compulsion, Sickness
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: Black Shards Fall Like Ice, Ripple in
the Silvered Glass, Reaching Through the Mirror
at all the wrong angles,
Catching his target’s eye, the martial artist strikes her refl
ection—and the target’s mind shatters into madness. She may
be affl icted with multiple personalities, bedeviled by persistent
hallucinations or made to suffer from any other terrible psychosis
of which the Sidereal can think. This charm supplements a martial arts attack against a Mirror that holds the image of a character as a result of a successful use of Reaching Through The Mirror.  When he strikes the surface, the mirror immediately shatters (terminating Reaching Through The Mirror) and the target feels his mind shatter as well.   The subject can neither dodge, nor block this attack, but If the attack would do 1 level of damage to the subject or more, it instead breaks their mind.  Inflicting a Derangment-type disability of the Martial Artist's choice the level of the derangment is equal to the number of levels of damage done (with one damage equating to one level of derangement).  induced psychoses are considered both Shaping and Crippling effects. They may be treated by magics that negate such things.  This charm may be used to overrwrite mental influences with appropriate delusions, the Sidereal may use this Charm to remove unnatural mental infl uences on the target, though only by replacing it with a derangment of some kind.  Amnesia (related to the influence and the conditions which created it) is the most immediately obvious use of this charm.  
Example: Ei Zou fi nds his wife beguiled by a Fair Folk noble,
and she is in love. Feeling sad but compassionate, he kisses her
forehead, activates Shattering the Balance and causes her to become
severely paranoid. Terrifi ed of everyone she used to trust,
Ei Zou’s wife turns away from the Fair One as her love degrades
into suspicion and fear.


OBSIDIAN SHARDS OF INFINITY FORM
Cost: 10m; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 5; Type: Simple (Speed 5, DV-1)
Keywords: Form-type, Obvious
Duration: One scene
Prerequisite Charms: Shattering the Balance, Cracked Infinity Restoration, One Complete Celestial MArtial Art
and was delighted at the image of herself.
Enemies cannot easily fi nd the person behind the Obsidian Shards of Infi nity practitioner’s endless refl ections. Any time a foe successfully strikes him, the martial artist can spend one mote and break into five shards, which disappear as he instantly and reflexively re-forms within a number of yards equal to his Essence. This is a Counterattack effect which takes place in step 9 of combat resolution and may interupt a flurry, but does not mitigate damage.  The player of the transported character may automattically attempt to re-establish surprise his enemy on his next action if he wishes. (See Exalted, p. 155, regarding unexpected attacks.)  If the character loses one of his daggers or sais—through a successful disarm, for example, or if it’s thrown without retrieval— the sidereal can warp its image through the mirror of his soul and call it back to himself (provided it is within reach).  This allows him to ready or retrieve a weapon within Dexterity yards of himself reflexively rather than miscellaneously.  Additionally, because the mirror is the perfect match of that which it reflects, and the martial artist's mirror reflects his body, the Exalt does not suffer DV penalties as a result of his own actions as normal.  Instead he reduces his cumulative DV penalty (resulting from his actions) by his (Martial Arts) to a minimum of 0.  The Mirror Bends and distorts and identity can shift with it.  The exalt may, as a miscellaneous action, re-distribute his physical attributes and appearance.  This can obscure his identity (adding 1 point per dot moved to the difficulty of any roll to recognize him).  he must pay 1m per dot redistributed but the motes stay committed for as long as the dots are displaced.  Displaced dots still count as dice added by charms, but may, themselves, break this cap.  No Attribute can be lowered below 1.  While in the wyld he may also gain or dismiss any pox-level mutation he wishes as a part of one of these actions (for the same cost).  He may not stack these or acquire more severe mutations, doing such risks cracking the mirror of his soul.  

THE MIRROR DOES NOT LIE
Cost: 17m 1wp; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 5;
Type: Refl exive (Step 10)
Keywords: Combo-Ok, Emotion, Shaping, Counterattack, Obvious
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: Obsidian Shards of Infi nity Form
The Elder Sutra of Refl ection: The maiden wanted to show
everyone how wonderful she looked,
The Mirror does not only reflect, it deflects.  This is its strength and its weakness, a mirror may shine like the sun only by reflecting, and appropriating the sun's radiance.  This charm may be activated in response to a social attack or physical attack or any other effect the martial artist is subject to but does not desire.  Instead of being wounded by the outside stimulus, as a man is blinded by looking at the sun, the martial artist reflects it outwards upon the world, in the same way a mirror reflects those blinding rays and is made glorious by them.  The Martial artist activates this charm in Step 10 after dice have been rolled, but before any damage or other effects have been applied.  They flash with essence as they reflect the results of the attack upon the world  and infinite possibilities for the future are visible in the chromatic facets of the essence flare. Mortals who see this charm used feel unease and terror at the paradox they witness, if they must succeed in a Morale check at a difficulty of the Exalt's (Essence/2) as well as a normal Temperance check. If they fail a Temperance check as well as the valor check, the mind blanking fear blocks out all memory of the scene from their minds.  If they succeed in the valor check but fail the Temperance check they believe the attack was targeted at the individuals it was redirected against all along.  This is an Illusion effect which mortals must spend 5wp to resist.  
Activating this charm frees the Exalt of whatever effects would have been applied to him in step 10, provided he succeeds on a Difficulty 7 (Essence+Willpower) roll.  Furthermore, the effects are applied to up to (essence) other individual's within Melee Range of the martial artist's choosing.  The effects are unblockable and undodgable, but defenses that defy applicability should treat them as if they had a number of successes on their attack roll equal to the Martial Artist's net successes on the (essence+Willpower) roll.  Even if the counter attack fails, provided the Exalt succeeds in the initial (Essence+Willpower) Roll the effects are canceled.  

DRAW FORTH ONE SHARD
Cost: 15m, 1wp + later expenditure; Mins: Martial Arts 5,
Essence 6; Type: Simple
Keywords: Combo-Basic, Obvious, Shaping
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: Obsidian Shards of Infi nity Form
So she painted a self-portrait,
The martial artist pulls gently at the mirror she holds
before her enemy, and the refl ection of her foe suddenly
stands beside him. A close observer, however, sees something
different about the double—an edge to its smile, the slightest
change in its movements. It’s not the same person, they
think—or, as the duplicates turn toward each other, is it?
To use this Charm, the Sidereal must touch the surface of a Mirror holding the target's image as per Reaching Through The Mirror (this requires a successful Martial Arts attack) stripping the mirror of all its luster and turning it into a useless shard of foggy crystal. The duplicate—the shard—has the traits, personal possessions and knowledge of the original, save that it does not itself have a refl ection. The shard person has also one other difference, which is fairly significant, its Motivation and Intimacies are diametrically opposed (Though not nessecarily a clear inversion) of the orignal's, and it suffers an impossible compulsion to kill the origninal and replace them.  This can be resisted for 2wp per scene (to a maximum of 4wp per day) but never fades.  It is not under its creator's control, though it suffers a MDV penalty of -(Essence) against the Sidereal Exalt's attacks and cannot attack the Sidereal without spending 1wp per action (to a maximum of 5wp).   At will, the martial artist may see through its eyes or control
its movements, by spending the cost of this charm a second time.  This possesion cannot be resisted by the doppelganger, but lasts only the Martial Artist's (Martial Arts +Essence) Actions.  The duplicate may use reflexive charms to defend itself during this time, if it wishes, but cannot otherwise act.  The Martial Artist riding the double may use only her own charms and essence pool and her body is unconscious and inactive.   The motes spent on the possesion are commited and must be re-spent if the Exalt wishes to extend the duration of the ride.  Although, none of the members of the unit can use charms, but her essence flows through them and empowers them.   Any instant duration charms she activates that could plausibly benefit them are activated on their behalf as well.  
The duplicate lasts a number of days equal to the Exalt's (Essence).

The shard and original share a mystical bond. The reflection may use any of its counterpart’s Obvious Charms, that the Martial Artist has seen the original use during that scene.  It may not use holy charms, however, and is considered a creature of darkness, as it is, itself, an obscene reflection of the world.  It calculates its essence pool as a mortal, (Essence x10) and stunts as a heroic mortal as well.  It does not regain motes through normal respiration and tapping its mote pool to 0 instantly kills it.  It has identical stats as the orignal as well, including those created by artifacts, but does not actually have a duplicate artifact.  The panoply it appears to weild are essence constructs that mimic the original.  They have the same Weapon and Armor stat's but no additional powers and no magic material bonus.  They are treated as Perfect items for the purposes of being destroyed (though they require no attunement).  Items with a repair rating cannot be duplicated.  And the duplication of items is only a side effect of creating a double. They vanish if she dies and cannot be removed from her ownership without causing them to turn to dust.   The martial artist may use Draw Forth One Shard on herself—but will rarely like what she calls. The Sidereal may create only 1 replicant at a time.  Creating another destroys the prior one.


DRAW FORTH EVERY SHARD
Cost: +5m per point of magnitude, 1wp; Mins: Martial Arts 6, Essence
6; Type: Simple
Keywords: Combo-Basic, War, Obvious, Shaping
Duration: One scene
Prerequisite Charms: Draw Forth One Shard
and they all believed her.
The Mirror may reflect unto infinity and the carefully polished dark mirror that the Martial Artist learns to hold up to her soul may hold thrice that many reflections.  Activating this charm, the martial artist calls forth the legion of her self, of which she is the champion.  This charm creates a mass combat unit with the following traits comprised of reflections of herself on the facets of the Obsidian mirror.  They appears as if they are replicants of her, but in truth the host itself is a lie, a distribution of one being across many selves.  Thus, none of the characters may use charm save the orignal, even special characters, and they do not have a separate essence pools.  However,  The traits for the unit are based on the Exalts unmodified base stats (absent charms or magic) as follows:
Magnitude: (Maximum War)
Drill: (War)/2
Close Combat Attack: (Dex+Matial Arts)/2 Close Combat Damage: (Strength+1)/2
Ranged Attack: (As Normal) Ranged Damage: (As Normal)
Endurance: (Stamina+Essence+Drill)/2 Might: (Essence/2) Armor: (Essence/2)
Morale: Perfect

The Sidereal must remain at the lead of this unit, but may appoint her allies as special characters in the unit.

ECHOES OF INFINITY
Cost: 10m, 1wp; Mins: Martial Arts 6; Essence 7;
Type: Refl exive
Keywords: Combo-OK
Duration: Indefinite
Prerequisite Charms: Vanished Within the Glass, Draw
Forth Every Shard
until she made everyone look at her
Mirrors opposed to mirrors seem endless. The Sidereal
can activate this Charm while he stands within the area near the 5 black mirror shards called down from the heavens with the charm Black Shards Fall Like Ice. This area has a radius of (Dexterity xMartial Arts)/2 yards and the obsidian mirrors are spaced evenly throughout. While she remains within the area, which has been folded into the mirror world and now reflects the martial artists being, rather than the external world, she gains the following benefits to charms of this style:
-The Mirrors created by Black Shards fall like Ice have a full compliment of (Essence+Martial Arts) health levels and damage must be rolled against them (this does not effect transmission of damage through them or render them immune to charms which explicitly destroy the mirror that held an image).
-The Difficulty of the (Willpower+Essence) roll for Ripple in the Shattered Glass is reduced by 1 per intact mirror.  
-She lowers the cost of all charms of this style by 1m.
-She Respires 1m per tick.
-The infinite facets of bend possibility itself within the area, while the martial artist stands within the area affected, no attack originating from within the area is unblockable or undodgable to the Martial artist.  The Mirror world may be warped, but it is the Martial Artists.  Attacks that hit without regard for defenses do so as usual.

BREATHING ON THE BLACK MIRROR
Cost: 10m 6xp 1wp; Mins: Martial Arts 7, Essence 8;
Type: Simple
Keywords: Combo-Basic, Obvious, Shaping
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: Echoes of Infi nity
and they all believed her.
With a breath that lays a dark mist before him, the
Sidereal steps back, then brings his palm forward in a strike
that seems to craze the very air. This charm is best use at a moment of climactic tension, when the stakes are high, otherwise, the cost is but a waste.   Closing his eyes the Martial Artist takes hold of the shape of fabric of the world and turns the mirror upon it.  The mirror shatters, existence shatters, and whatever might be will be.   Time stops. The martial artist sees five refl ections of the scene before him, each representing a possible conclusion to
the scene. He must choose one by stepping into it:
• In one shard, he has won an immediate conflict, which must be already underway and which the Exalt must have participated in for at least 4 actions, but at an unforeseen personal cost. The martial artist triumphs over his foe (though not necessarily killing him utterly, he certainly renders him Incapacitated).  If a Shaping defense prevents the target from being altered or the ambient area around them from being Shaped this charm provides the Exalt with whatever prize or goal (which must be specific, concrete and immediate and cannot depend on the participation or alteration of the target) the Martial Artist hoped to achieve, and safe escape from the immediate danger (to some location within 1mile of his previous location which is reasonably safe and chosen by the Storyteller).  It also inflicts an Illusion upon the enemy the Martial Artist was confronting that creates a memory of humbling defeat in combat which costs (6wp) to shrug off.  This willpower must be spent all at once.  In exchange the Martial Artist must select one Amputation disability or Debility level negative mutation (which could have logically resulted from the battle) which he acquires as a permanent reminder of the price of victory.  This effect is part of the cost of victory and can never be healed, a constant mark upon his being.  Only the direct intervention of one of the Incarna can remove this, and maybe not even then.

Ei Zou fought Ligier, the Green Sun, in its
human form until the blood of each spattered the demon
lord’s palace of brass—and in the end, the demon bowed his
shining head in defeat.  But for his pains he found his eyes had been cut from his head, never again would he see the face of his beloved

• In one shard, he is offered great joy, but no other gain.  The Martial Artist finds himself in the presence of a physical object or person which he loves or desires (represented by a motivation or intimacy usually) but does not posses.   He is literally within feet of the object (unless the area is warded against teleportation in which case he is as close as possible and knows how to get there), but he does not posses it and will likely have to fight great odds to take ownership of it.  This could entail a long struggle to escape with it, or a courtship to win the entity's favor.  This charm simply puts him in its presence it does not grant possession or engender any form of attachment.  The exalt must do that themselves. This charm cannot reveal the locations of an enitity or object that is itself (or herself) already attuned to.  Persons who trade their will to become akuma are considered, for the purposes of this charm, to be attuned to by the Yozi as are entities who have been Ravished beyond recovery by the Fae.

Searching the brass palace of the Green Sun for his foe, Ei Zou
found his wife—lost a thousand years before—confi ned within
a vault. Unable to believe his fortune, he took her tenderly in
his arms—and Ligier, in those long moments, gathered his army and fell upon the unsuspecting Ei Zou, pre-occupied by the joy of his reunion.

• In one shard, he has suffered a great loss loss but learns a sure path to great and final victory.  The Martial Artist must knowingly forsake the object of a fully fledged intimacy consigning them to death, destruction or certain harm (an intimacy to an ideal is not valid, only an intimacy to a physical being, object or social unit).  This blight affects all current intimacy targets, and any other intimacies the martial artist may have held in the past.  Their death is a Shaping effect (but appears natural) and can be defended against by them if they are able (but not by the sidereal). Those who survive are aware of the Martial Artist's betrayal of them for his own personal advancement as are any individuals with an intimacy towards the characters who are killed as a result of the Martial Artist's choice.  In exchange he learns a certain method by which he can achieve his Motivation, whatever that might be.  This may include (Incidentally or as a direct result of this charm) one Great Secret (one of the game's great mysteries) such as the Location of the Empress, The Secret Weakness of A Deathlord or The Identity of the Emissary.  And any number of lesser bits of information the Martial Artist might require.  It does not, however, materially aid him in achieving his goal and he must now walk that road alone.  The Martial ARtist is aware of exactly who will die as a result of his use of this charm, but not of the potential fallout.

Ei Zou knew he could not fi ght Ligier and his horde of demon minions—but knowledge of the Sun's enmity with another demon prince gave him the leverage he needed to coerce the armies of that prince to attack Ligier dividing his forces and enabling victory.  Ei Zou escaped with his wife, to find all of Yu Shan turned against him because of his choice lead to the death of a beloved elder and old friend

• In one shard, he learns something that completely
changes his opinion on an important matter. The Martial Artist becomes aware of a fact which inverts his feelings on a matter of great importance (such as an intimacy or motivation).  The Storyteller should feel free to make this up (it should be suitably dramatic and relevant) and should offer a vague hint at what it is related to when the player is deliberating his choice.  It should also be something that will have a profound impact on the game and is a secret of some importance.  This is not a shaping effect.  Athough the method by which the Sidereal comes to know the secret requires the shaping of some outside agent of information transmision, this source can really be anyone and so no effect can block the Martial Artist from learning that fact.  This fact causes the Sidereal to immediately invert whatever intimacy or motivation it was related to.

A chance comment by the Green Sun led Ei Zou to realize just how deep Kejak’s treachery went. He knew he could no longer support the Bronze Faction campaign to eliminate the Solar Exalted. Abandoning his plan to fi ght the demon, Ei Zou strode from the brass palace and went straight to the Gold Faction.

• In one shard, he loses something dear to him, but one
of his greatest enemies is killed or neutralized.  Whatever the greatest obstacle to his motivation was suddenly becomes a non-issue (normally through death but not if Shaping defenses prevent this).  In exchange, however, for a number of years equal to the essence of the removed target every character for whom the Exalt develops a positive intimacy dies or through some  circumstance comes to despise the Martial Artist.    If something would utterly make eliminating the target utterly impossible, than creation itself is reshaped to exclude the target.  The target (plus whatever area of stable creation is created by his shaping defenses) falls into the Deep Wyld and must navigate back to creation by his own devices.  In the Meanwhile creation believes them dead. This is an illusion effect that cannot be broken except by effects that specifically penetrate illusions because it affects creation itself not its denizens.  The Martial Artist, is not aware that his victory is a lie, but does not suffer the drawback associated with this cost (he is not aware of why this is the case however).  
Ei Zou saw himself weeping before the open gates of the Demon Prince
Malfeas. He had utterly broken his former nemesis, and
crippled every one of its lower souls—but had been forced
to sacrifi ce his own daughter to do it.
Though he will remember using Breathing on the Black Mirror, the Sidereal will not be able to recall the contents of any of the other shards once he has stepped into one.  He will not know the prices of the other effects and cannot learn them.  He knows only what he chose and what he gave up.   Whenever this charm would cause a character to come to harm or die as a result of the Martial Artist's Choice treat it as an unexpected act of Shaping that succeeds perfectly absent shaping defenses (which obviously will exempt the character).   Each time a sidereal uses this charm he rolls 1 dice, adding 1 dice to that pool each time (after the first) that he uses the charm.  If the exalt ever rolls more than 2 successes at once on one of these rolls, he dies, but whatever vision is promised still comes to fruition.  

I'm taking my time reading through this carefully, though did a quick skim.

paradim:

I'm taking my time reading through this carefully, though did a quick skim.

Why is the Martial Artist not immune to Black Shards Fall Like Ice?  It doesn't seem right for a Charm to create an environmental hazard centered on the Exalt that can still hurt them.

Beacause its raining glass and thats kind of hard to avoid... I could change it, but a sidereal could theoretically avoid the damage anyway.  more specifically, its a pretty wide radius.

JiveX:

Beacause its raining glass and thats kind of hard to avoid... I could change it, but a sidereal could theoretically avoid the damage anyway.  more specifically, its a pretty wide radius.

First look. This style draws me inexorably, like player characters to shiny objects.

Disclaimer: Analysis purely from a high-optimization gamist point of view, etc.

Black Shards Fall Like Ice: Instead of having it damage you, if you want to preserve costing, just add the expected cost of defending against the attack to the Charm and make it not strike the user. I think, since you are paying XP to buy the Charm, you shouldn't have to pay an additional XP tax to make a Combo just so you can use it without killing yourself.

Ripple in the Silvered Glass: Mechanically, this costs 1m 1w after the student's sutra discount, that works out to 5 effective motes to block an entire flurry with no weaknesses, and unlike the Solar/Infernal/Abyssal/Lunar action-length perfect defenses, this works in conjunction with Joy in Adversity Stance to provide free motes. Kinda dangerous, as it theoretically enables a reactor-style defense. On the meta level, a Shaping effect that affects a target's Traits and action capability without actually being a Shaping attack on the user is not a good design space to go exploring in. Presumably you did that so you can get around UFvIO. Please don't do that. It makes me cry bitter tears. :(

Facet in the Glass Defense: This is underpowered. At 15m 1wp (10m 1wp after student's sutra) / 10m upkeep per action, you're adding your target's natural Stamina soak + armour soak to your own for an action, which is functionally sort of weak (even superheavy plate wearers are only going to give you about 18-19 soak total, and you can't wear armour). Compare to the Lunar Charm Invulnerable Moonsilver Carapace, which gives 15/15/15 soak and immunity to ping damage, with upkeep of 6m/action. The Illusion effect, if it doesn't work against anyone with an MDV of [10] or above, given the MDV calculation involving Willpower, isn't potent enough to justify the expense on its own.

Reaching Through the Mirror: What exactly are the conditions enabling the Unexpected Attack? A scenelong Unexpected Attack is rather powerful, compared to an Undodgeable Attack, as the target cannot Perfectly defend, so a clearer demarcation of when the Charm enables such attacks is probably a good idea. Should probably also put in something talking about whether or not this damage counts as a physical transformative effect for interaction with Lunar moonsilver tattoos.

Cracked Obsidian Restoration: I'm curious, why is a universal healing / undesirable effect removal charm in Obsidian Shards of Infinity? It's not mechanically unbalanced at first glance, but it doesn't seem to fit.

Shattering the Balance: Charm Keyword line is missing Shaping and Crippling, which are present in the text.

Obsidian Shards of Infinity Form: This is a scenelong that enables a non-charm one mote perfect defense + flurrybreaker effect with no stipulation against being unable to function against unexpected attacks. On top of this, it's a DV penalty negator and a surprise attack facilitator. Uh... kinda excessive, I think. Would recommend severe brutalizing with the special nail-studded nerfbat.

The Mirror Does Not Lie: Does the Shaping keyword apply to the reflection counterattacks?

Draw Forth One Shard: Hey, it can be defended against now. Still an automatic one-shot kill, but at least you can block it. Still hate it, but it's not broken now. Potential exploit when used with a willing target, as the shard-replica can engage in highly risky behaviour and get itself killed with no permanent damage to the person being affected, allowing for a functional respawn zerg approach to life. May want to cut that potential for abuse.

Draw Forth Every Shard: Not broken compared to Emperor Ox Expansion if taken to be a simple mass combat stat buff. However, do the shards have individual existences? Because if they do, and count as 'allies', there is strong potential for broken combinations there, particularly if they have their own mote pools.

Echoes of Infinity: See Ripple in the Silvered Glass.

Breathing on the Black Mirror: The drawback of the first shard, a Crippling effect, is functionally not a drawback as the style contains a Charm that can heal such effects. The second shard is unclear - if the sacrifice has IPP up and doesn't die, does the character invoking the Charm still get what he wants? Also, is this a physically transformative effect for the purposes of Lunar tattoos? The fourth shard is trying to get around UFvIO in the same way Ripple in the Silvered Glass is, this is not a safe design space.

Jon Chung:

The Illusion effect, if it doesn't work against anyone with an MDV of [10] or above, given the MDV calculation involving Willpower, isn't potent enough to justify the expense on its own.

Maybe I am having a brain fart here? Why would it not work against anyone with an MDV of 10 or higher? You need an MDV greater than the stylist's (Essence + Martial Arts). At Essence 5 & Martial Arts 5 this means 11+. At Essence 7 and Martial Arts 7 this means 15+.

I'm assuming an opponent on the same level as the martial artist at the point at which the martial artist acquires that Charm, which gives him a total MA+Essence of 9, requiring an MDV 10 to ignore. A mental defense focused Willpower 10, Integrity 5+3, Essence 4 Exalt has an MDV of 11. A non-specialist Willpower 10, Integrity 3, Essence 4 Exalt has an MDV of 9, requiring only two added dice to the calculation, or an MDV bonus of +1, to ignore the Charm.

It's not a bad Charm effect, but it's not powerful enough to demand 10 motes per action.

Jon Chung:

A non-specialist Willpower 10, Integrity 3, Essence 4 Exalt has an MDV of 9, requiring only two added dice to the calculation, or an MDV bonus of +1, to ignore the Charm.

Wouldn't this be MDV 8, as Dodge MDV is rounded down, per p. 172 of Exalted? At MDV 8 that's a four die difference.

+2 isn't hard to get. Really, if it's going to cost me 15m 1w to kick in and 10m per action to sustain, it should do more than this.

Ripple: interesting comment-- I don't see it as significantly different than entropic charms... But I understand the reservation.. I made it shaping because without the keyword it seemed inappropriate.

Form: this charm does not offer a perfect defense (other version did) read more closely it is only a flurry breaker and not an especially potent one.

more later. Gotta say, your a bit of a fan legend mr. Chung Im a bit starstruck

Jon Chung:

+2 isn't hard to get.

As someone who doesn't look at things from a gamist high-optimization view point, care to share any of these ways so I can spring them on some poor unsuspecting ST?

JiveX:

Ripple: interesting comment-- I don't see it as significantly different than entropic charms... But I understand the reservation.. I made it shaping because without the keyword it seemed inappropriate.

Fair enough. You could leave it Shaping, which makes Integrity Protecting Prana the bane of this style like Immunity to Everything Technique is the bane of Citrine Poxes of Contagion (this seems to be thematically sound, to me), or alter it to more closely match other Charms that impose internal or external penalties without being Shaping. Either way, the Joy in Adversity interaction has to be watched out for.

JiveX:

Form: this charm does not offer a perfect defense (other version did) read more closely it is only a flurry breaker and not an especially potent one.

The wording implies the user shatters and reforms far away upon being struck (tick six or so), which is necessarily before damage is resolved. You may want to specify that it activates on Step 9, and give it the Counterattack keyword, in order to improve clarity.

JiveX:

more later. Gotta say, your a bit of a fan legend mr. Chung Im a bit starstruck

I just post a lot and have a CCG/wargaming background influencing my judgement.

mercucio:

As someone who doesn't look at things from a gamist high-optimization view point, care to share any of these ways so I can spring them on some poor unsuspecting ST?

Off the top of my head:

1. Stunting adds to DVs directly - a simple two-die stunt would push an 8 to a 10. Intimacies, Motivation and Virtues provide flat MDV modifiers, as seen on page 174. Appearance may or may not apply, but that's another modifier to worry about.

2. Solar Integrity Charm, Temptation-Resisting Stance (excellency prereq, ability 2 essence 1 req, reflexive), adds a Virtue (normally Temperance, can be any of the others depending on Motivation) to your MDV for the scene. Most characters have a Virtue at 4 or 5. A character with an 18 base pool for MDV using this Charm would have a final MDV of 14 before applying anything in point 1 above, a 13 base pool would end up with an 11.

Typing this on my phone so it's short. God I'm being antisocial. Blah whatever.

I re read ripple I plan to re-write when I get back and lower the cost of soak charm. I will also clarify the form and address your other notes. Just saying I'm in agreement about ripple and black shards.

JiveX:

Well, its one of my favorite SMA (thematically) and I wanted to make a non-broken but still fun and similarly evocative version of it. So here is my crack at it.  Questions? Comments? Feel free, I definately want some input.  Its a first draft so forgive any minor errors you might find. 

Aack! I just saw this, and I won't have time to read it and respond until late Sunday! And I do want to take a look at it. Recently, I wrote up my own hopefully-fixed version, and I look forward to comparing them.

Dean Shomshak