Exalted/Rules/Martial Arts/Styles

=Styles= These are rules for the Kung Fu attribute.
 * /Template

Crane Style
by Andrés Santiago Pérez-Bergquist, now archived at [mapache.org].

Another Crane Style
/Crane Style

Resplendent Crane Style
In the First Age one of the most prominent and proud Martial Arts traditions was that of the Resplendent Crane. Masters of the style claimed that it stood pre-eminent among the Celestial Martial Arts while still remaining accessible to newer, younger Exalts. Even initiates in the school were said to be haughty and arrogant fighters, and there are many stories of rivalries between practitioners of this art and students of other styles who believed the Resplendent Cranes were overproud and ought to be brought down a peg or two.

While it is true that in the First Age, practitioners of this Style tended to be arrogant and look down on other styles, it was not an unfounded pride. Students of this style are exceptionally dangerous with their bare hands or with their preferred weapon, the humble staff. They are taught to be almost supernaturally aware of their surroundings, able to face a dozen opponents at once and defend against unseen attacks with aplomb. Resplendent Crane is a soft style that emphasizes maneuverability and tactical superiority over less-disciplined combatants and teaches techniques that turn an opponent’s strength against himself or his comrades, rather than crudely attempting to break their bodies. Chief among their achievements was the mental fortitude demonstrated by the advanced students in the style. Resplendent Crane Masters were said to be literally unkillable unless they wished it, and even the lesser practitioners were known to face their own deaths with unflinching stoicism, a reputation that earned admiration from even their staunchest rivals.

Armor and Weapons: Resplendent Crane Martial Artists wielding staves are considered unarmed for the purposes of all Charms in this Style. None of the Charms in this Style are compatible with armor.

Shedding Water Step Cost: 3 motes Mins: Martial Arts 3, Essence 2 Type: Reflexive (Step 7) Keywords: Combo-OK Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: Any Martial Arts Ex cellency

By infusing her anima with Essence, the martial artist may twist, turn and roll with a potentially lethal blow, greatly lessening the damage suffered by physical attacks – she sheds them like water rolls off a bird’s feathers. After being successfully attacked and after soak is applied, but before damage is rolled, the martial artist may roll her Martial Arts ability and reduce the damage of the attack by one per success. This can reduce the post-soak damage of an attack to zero, in which case the attack is considered to have failed.

Broken Ray-of-Light Technique Cost: 4 motes Mins: Martial Arts 3, Essence 2 Type: Reflexive Keywords: Combo-OK, Obvious Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: Shedding Water Step

The martial artist moves with singular grace, employing irregular motions that are impossible to predict, like the refraction of light through rippling water. With this Charm, knowing the exact point at which the Resplendent Crane will strike is nigh-impossible, greatly hindering any defense against it. Reduce the Dodge or Parry DV against this attack by the Martial Artist's Essence, to a minimum of the target's Essence.

Resplendent Crane Form Cost: 6 motes Mins: Martial Arts 4, Essence 2 Type: Simple Keywords: Form-type, Obvious Duration: One Scene Prerequisite Charms: Broken Ray-of-Light Technique

When a martial artist adopts this Form, his stance becomes aloof and his movements precise and calculated. He reads his opponents’ intentions in their every move and knows the patterns of their attacks before they are launched. Many opponents find the sublime confidence radiated by a Resplendent Crane maddening, yet they cannot deny the uncanny skill he demonstrates. Masters of this technique are capable of facing many opponents with stupefying ease.

While in this Form, the martial artist lowers the penalty imposed on his DV from Martial Arts attacks he makes by 1. Also, the dice-penalty he suffers from making a Flurry is reduced by his permanent Essence score.

Stillness of the Empty Mind Meditation Cost: 6 motes Mins: Martial Arts 4, Essence 2 Type: Simple Keywords: Combo-Basic, Social Duration: One Scene Prerequisite Charms: Resplendent Crane Form

Mastery of the mind and mastery of the body are two of the core principles of martial arts, and vital for one who wishes to learn how to master his own Essence. The Resplendent Crane who uses this Charm distances himself from fear and pain, and assumes a greater control of his own mind than mere mortals can ever achieve. For the rest of the scene, the martial artist reduces the effects of wound penalties and Crippling effects by his permanent Essence score. The character also adds his Essence score to his MDV.

Immaculate Pillar of Heaven Stance Cost: 3 motes, 1 Willpower Mins: Martial Arts 4, Essence 3 Type: Simple Keywords: Combo-OK, Compulsion, Obvious Duration: Until broken Prerequisite Charms: Stillness of the Empty Mind Meditation

Resplendent Crane masters were often said to only fight when they wished to, and that unless they willed it, no opponent could so much as move against them. This Charm is the root of those legends. The martial artist marshals his force of will into an aura that abhors violence. So long as the martial artist takes no aggressive action, he may substitute his MDV for his Parry or Dodge DV against physical attacks - assailants who fail to successfully strike the saintly figure of the martial artist are assumed to have been unable to go through with the attack in the first place. Note that while the Exalt cannot take offensive actions, he is permitted to employ Counterattack effects against those who make attacks against him so as to instruct them in the folly of assaulting a holy man.

Wind-Tattered Cloud Technique Cost: 5 motes Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 2 Type: Reflexive (Step 9) Keywords: Combo-OK Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: Resplendent Crane Form

By flowing with an attack rather than blocking it completely, the martial artist can redirect the force of the blow with casual ease. After successfully dodging or parrying a physical attack, the martial artist may employ this Charm to redirect the attack to another target within (Essence yards) of himself. The attack is then resolved as normal against the new target.

Riding the Tiger Cost: 4 motes, 1 Willpower Duration: One Scene Type: Simple, Obvious Minimum Martial Arts: 5 Minimum Essence: 3 Prerequisite Charms: Wind-Tattered Cloud Technique

Resplendent Cranes were infamous during the First Age for their death-defying acrobatics in the midst of pitched combat, ignoring the lesser warriors below them as they danced, untouched, amid and above the the chaos of battle. On every tick that the martial artist takes a Move action, he may add 1/2 his Athletics score to his Dodge DV. In addition, while this Charm is active the Crane practitioner reduces the cost to activate Wind-Tattered Cloud Technique by 2 motes, and activating it is not considered a Charm use.

One Thousand Raindrops Strike Cost: 5 motes, 1 Willpower Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 3 Type: Extra-Action, Obvious Keywords: Combo-OK Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: Resplendent Crane Form

During the First Age, adherents of the Resplendent Crane art were feared for this technique, which allows them to unleash a flurry of blindingly fast attacks on their opponent, often leaving them battered or dead. This Charm creates a magical Flurry of many unarmed Martial-Arts based attacks. The Exalt makes a total number of unarmed attack equal to (her Essence+1). This Charm lets the martial artist make these attacks regardless of her weapon's Rate, without multiple action penalties and with a DV penalty equal to the highest penalty of any one attack. In addition, each attack beyond the first increases its raw damage by the extra successes of the preceding attack, assuming the preceding attack was successful. The martial artist must make all her attacks against the same target.

White Crane Spreads Its Wings Cost: 7 motes Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 3 Type: Simple, Obvious Keywords: Combo-OK Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: Immaculate Pillar of Heaven Stance, Riding the Tiger, One Thousand Raindrops Strike

With the grace and majesty of a crane taking flight, the Exalted twists and leaps into the air, anima coiling about him, to launch an attack against all enemies nearby. Some masters assault their opponents with their own burning animals, whilst others strike the very air before them, seinding a shockwave out in all directions to bowl over those who dare to stand against the Exalted. The player rolls the Exalt’s Martial Arts attack as normal and applies the result to all enemies within (Essencex2) yards of himself that he can perceive. Unlike other applications of this generally nonlethal Style, the damage can be either Bashing or Lethal at the Exalt's choice.

Comments
This version of RCS makes a number of changes to existing Charms and streamlines the Style as a whole. Among other things, it combines Wind-Tattered Cloud Technique and Stream-Polished Stone Deflection into one Charm, and does away with both Wading in the Rushes and Dancing the Unassailable Road entirely, leaving White Crane Spreads Its Wings as the pinnacle Charm. The effects of Stillness of the Empty Mind and Immaculate Pillar of Heaven have changed to reflect the new social combat system. The structure of the Charm cascade has changed somewhat, making the overall Art tighter and smaller than it previously was, while retaining its emphasis on mobility and the contrasting principles of stillness and motion. --[teflonshugenja]

White Crane Style
By [Quendalon]

Background
This is a highly defensive style; while it is capable of inflicting harm on others, its primary use is to protect oneself, making it popular among Sidereal astrologers and with Solars of the Twilight and Eclipse Castes. The signature weapons of the White Crane style are the slashing sword and the jian (a slim straight sword like the Green Destiny from Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon that is mechanically equivalent to the slashing sword), which may be wielded singly or paired.

Poised-for-Flight Attitude  Cost: 2 motes Duration: Instant Type: Reflexive Min. Martial Arts: 2 Min. Essence: 2 Prereqs: None Practitioners of the White Crane style cultivate an enhanced awareness of their surroundings. By invoking this Charm, the character may add her Martial Arts score to a single Awareness roll to spot an ambush or some other imminent danger. If the Awareness roll succeeds and a combat immediately ensues, the character adds all of her successes on the Awareness roll to her initiative total for the first round of combat.

Crane Dances Through the Reeds  Cost: 2 motes Duration: Instant Type: Reflexive Min. Martial Arts: 3 Min. Essence: 2 Prereqs: Poised-for-Flight Attitude The character moves in concert with the surrounding Essence, flowing away from that which would do her harm. By invoking this Charm, she adds a number of dice equal to her permanent Essence score to a single dodge or parry attempt. This Charm is incompatible with the use of armor.

Ear-Boxing Technique Cost: 2 motes Duration: Instant Type: Simple Min. Martial Arts: 3 Min. Essence: 2 Prereqs: Crane Dances Through the Reeds With this Charm, the character clouts her opponent’s ears with a deafening open palm strike. The character makes an unarmed Martial Arts attack as normal. If the attack hits, the target takes a single automatic level of bashing damage and subtracts her Stamina + Resistance from the attack's successes. If any successes remain, the attack stuns and deafens the target for the duration of the scene. A stunned character suffers a -2 penalty to all dice pools.

White Crane Form  Cost: 6 motes Duration: One scene Type: Simple Min. Martial Arts: 4 Min. Essence: 2 Prereqs: Ear-Boxing Technique The character adopts the posture and bearing of the crane - graceful and upright, yet always mindful of danger. She adds her Martial Arts score to all of her dodges. These additional dice may not be used to initiate a reflexive dodge action, although they do add to reflexive dodges raised by other Charms. The character also adds her permanent Essence score to her initiative total and as bonus dice to all Athletics pools to retain her footing, and suffers no penalties to her dice pools from standing in mud or water up to waist deep. White Crane Form is incompatible with the use of armor. A character may not use more than one Martial Arts form-type charm at a time.

Seize the Dragonfly  Cost: 2 motes Duration: Instant Type: Reflexive Min. Martial Arts: 4 Min. Essence: 2 Prereqs: Crane Form The character may snatch an arrow from the air as easily as the crane devours a flying insect. By invoking this Charm when she is the target of a physical projectile no larger than a spear, the character may immediately attempt to parry it, even while unarmed, using her full Dexterity + Martial Arts dice pool. If she successfully blocks a projectile with an unarmed parry, she may catch the weapon and have it ready for immediate use.

Plumage of White Jade  Cost: 5 motes Duration: One scene Type: Reflexive Min. Martial Arts: 4 Min. Essence: 3 Prereqs: Seize the Dragonfly White radiance swirls across the character’s skin, turning arrows aside as easily as a crane’s feathers shed the rain. For the remainder of the scene, the character may parry ranged attacks without a stunt, even unarmed, and adds her permanent Essence score to her bashing and lethal soak against all ranged attacks. Even magical or elemental attacks with no physical component may be turned aside using the Plumage of White Jade.

Feather Skims the Waters Cost: 2 motes Duration: Instant Type: Supplemental Min. Martial Arts: 4 Min. Essence: 2 Prereqs: Crane Form As the gliding crane moves along the interface between air and water as she skims the surface of lake or stream, the character’s blow slips between an opponent’s feet and the ground, knocking the foe sprawling. When used with a successful sweep attack, the difficulty of the opponent’s reflexive Dexterity + Athletics roll to remain standing equals the White Crane stylist’s Martial Arts score.

Strike Upon the Stones  Cost: 4 motes Duration: Instant Type: Reflexive Min. Martial Arts: 4 Min. Essence: 2 Prereqs: Feather Skims the Waters As the crane pounds a snail upon a rock to crack its shell and get to the meat within, so may the disciple of the Crane lash out at a prone foe. Whenever the character knocks an opponent down, she may attempt a normal attack against that opponent using her full Martial Arts + Dexterity dice pool. This attack does not count as an action and does not subtract from the character’s dice pools or affect her actions for the turn.

Lofty Perch Stance  Cost: 5 motes Duration: One scene Type: Simple Min. Martial Arts: 4 Min. Essence: 2 Prereqs: Crane Form With this Charm, the character may take advantage of the swaying movements of unstable surfaces, using them to her advantage. For the remainder of the scene, the character may automatically retain her footing on narrow or unstable surfaces, and such surfaces do not impede her dodge attempts. In addition, she adds a number of bonus dice equal to her permanent Essence to all of her Dexterity dice pools whenever she is standing on, jumping onto, or jumping off of any swaying, rolling or otherwise moving surface.

Ride the Wind's Breath  Cost: 3 motes Duration: Instant Type: Reflexive Min. Martial Arts: 4 Min. Essence: 3 Prereqs: Lofty Perch Stance As the rising crane’s wings catch hold of the wind, so does the character seize hold of the flows of ambient Essence. She becomes as light as a feather until she touches the ground once more. The effect lasts but a moment, but it is enough to land safely from a fall of any distance.

The character drifts downward at walking speed, and while her arms must be free, she may use them to attack or take other actions while falling. For example, she may jump into the air, invoke this Charm at the apex of the jump, and fire arrows at her leisure as she drifts slowly downward toward her opponents. In addition, she may attempt to glide along with winds and updrafts; each turn she does so, she must reactivate the Charm and make a successful Dexterity + Athletics roll each turn at difficulty 2.

If used in combat in response to an opponent’s attack, the character adds her permanent Essence score to her bashing soak and cannot be knocked down by the attack. If knocked back, the character travels twice the indicated distance but takes no damage as a result.

Feathered Whirlwind Method  Cost: 5 motes Duration: Instant Type: Reflexive Min. Martial Arts: 5 Min. Essence: 3 Prereqs: Plumage of White Jade, Ride the Wind’s Breath, Strike Upon the Stones The character draws strength from an opponent’s Essence and turns that strength against the aggressor. When this character successfully parries or dodges a single attack, she may employ this Charm to attempt an immediate counterattack against the attacker using a number of dice equal to her Martial Arts + any extra successes on the dodge or parry. The counterattack may be a strike, throw or sweep.

Feathered Whirlwind Method may be used in conjunction with another Charm that allows the character to catch a thrown weapon; in this case, the character may throw the weapon back using a number of dice equal to her Thrown + any extra successes on the roll involved in catching the weapon.

This Charm is not an action, and does not subtract from the character’s dice pools or affect her actions for the turn. It may not be used in response to a Solar Counterattack or any other counterattack Charm.

Crane Awaits the Tiger  Cost: 5 motes, 1 Willpower Duration: One scene Type: Simple Min. Martial Arts: 5 Min. Essence: 4 Prereqs: Feathered Whirlwind Method With this Charm, the disciple of the Crane style scrutinizes the ebb and flow of her opponent’s Essence, allowing her to anticipate and counter his every movement. The character chooses a single target when she activates this Charm. For the remainder of the scene, add a number of automatic successes equal to her permanent Essence score to all of her Martial Arts, Dodge and Awareness rolls for attacking, defending against, or perceiving the actions or intentions of the chosen target. These automatic successes may not be used to initiate a reflexive dodge or parry action. The character may reflexively spend 1 Willpower at any time to change the target of this Charm. The Faultless Heavenly Crane Cost: 10 motes, 1 Willpower Duration: Instant Type: Supplemental Min. Martial Arts: 5 Min. Essence: 5 Prereqs: Crane Awaits the Tiger For an instant, the character brings mind and body into perfect harmony amidst a silent white cascade of Essence. The character may use this Charm when making a roll involving Dexterity, Perception or Wits to convert her entire dice pool into automatic successes.

[|Archived Comments for this Style]
=Stances= 

Dragon Stance

 * No special advantages or disadvantages. A very common style.

Tiger Stance

 * +1 Speed, Damage and Defense with fist.
 * -1 Accuracy and -1 Damage with kicks.

Mantis Stance

 * +1 Speed, Accuracy and Defense with clinch.
 * -1 Damage and Speed with fist.
 * -1 Damage and Speed with kick.

Snake Style

 * +1 Speed and Accuracy with fist.
 * -1 Accuracy with kick.
 * -1 Damage with fist and kick.

Crane Style

 * -1 Speed and Accuracy with fist
 * +1 Defense with kick and fist
 * +1 Speed with kick
 * +1 Damage with kick

Turtle Style

 * -1 speed for punch, kick and clinch
 * +1 defense for punch, kick and clinch

Laughing Dragon Style
Fire - Monkey King inspirerad - +Presence= Str, +Performance = Sta, +Socialize = Dex

Pearl Dragon Style
Wood and Water - Healing and Health

Heavenly Dragon Style
Air - Thunder / Lightning and flight -

Tornado Dragon Style
Air - Tornado Punches / Jumping Kicks Style

Black Dragon Style
Water - Embodiment of a Sea Monster

Blue Dragon Style
Air - Esoteric Air

Red Dragon Style
Fire - Bronze association, Controlled heat

Green Dragon Style
Wood - The Wise Dragon, internal force-user

White Dragon Style
Earth - Anti-Undead Style

Magma Dragon Style
Earth and Fire - Volcanic Effects

Feral Dragon Style
Wood - Beastial Kung Fu 