SMA: Second Edition

[vikarmic]

General Note: SMA (Sidereal Martial Arts) is a new tag. Charms with this tag are eligible for cost discounts when used with the appropriate sutras.

Written for Petal on the Windswept Plain, Sidereal Chosen of Journeys

Falling Petals of Regret Style

The Student's Sutra of Revelation: Once there was a maiden...

...who planted seeds in innocence...
Unopened Bud Method
Cost: 15m
Type: Reflexive (Step 2)
Tags: Emotion, Combo-OK, SMA
Duration: One action
Minimum MA: 5
Minimum Essence: 4
Prereq: None

The martial artist adopts the innocent purity of an unopened flower bud, and opponents cannot bear to spoil her simple beauty. This Charm creates an unnatural mental influence; the Exalt rolls Manipulation + Martial Arts, and all enemies with a Dodge MDV less than her successes must spend a point of Willpower or be convinced of her innocence and fragility. This generally leads characters to refuse to attack the Exalt, but exceptions exist for particularly sadistic or cruel opponents. The influence is momentary, lasting until the end of the action.

...who walked among the blossoms....
Perceptive Floral Grace
Cost: 8m
Type: Simple (Speed 4, -1 DV)
Tags: Obvious, SMA
Duration: Scene
Minimum MA: 5
Minimum Essence: 4
Prereq: None

The martial artist casts his essence into the air as a handful of petals, which are blown unerringly to trace an opponent's Essence flows. This Charm allows the wielder to percieve any Martial Arts Charms activated by the target opponent and gain knowledge of their purpose and nature. In addition, by scrutinizing the type of flower conjured (different for each opponent) and the subtleties of the pattern formed by the petals (an Int+Lore or Int+Martial Arts roll), the martial artist may determine the target's Nature and current Limit, Resonance or Paradox.

...and watered them in blood...
Hidden Thorn Practice
Cost: 12m
Type: Supplemental
Tags: Combo-OK, SMA
Duration: Until discharged
Minimum MA: 5
Minimum Essence: 4
Prereqs: Unopened Bud Method
Often the beauty of a flower eclipses the prick of its thorns. Thus it is with the martial artist, who disguises his lethal intent under a facade of harmless loveliness. This Charm enhances a Martial Arts attack, veiling it in innocent intent. This Charm enhances an attack, which counts as an attack from surprise unless the target succeeds in a reflexive Perception+Awareness roll at a difficulty of the martial artist's Essence. Additionally, if the attack hits, the Exalt may choose to delay the damage of the attack for up to five times his Martial Arts in ticks. Only one instance of this Charm may affect a given target at a time, and the Essence for the Charm remains committed until the damage is applied. This Charm is incompatible with the use of weapons.

...and danced upon the wind...
Wind-Blown Petal Defense
Cost: 6m
Type: Reflexive (Step 2)
Tags: Obvious, Combo=OK, SMA
Duration: Instant
Minimum MA: 5
Minimum Essence: 4
Prereqs: Perceptive Floral Grace
Like a petal tossed by the wind, the martial artist evades her opponent's strikes. The rush of her opponent's strikes blow her away from danger, and she lands as lightly as a falling leaf. This Charm subtracts the attacker's Strength from the successes of his attack. The martial artist reflexively moves twice her Essence in yards away from her attacker after the attack resolves; this is a leaping defense.
This Charm may also be used reflexively in response to a fall, in which case the Exalt subtracts her Essence x Martial Arts from the distance fell for purposes of inflicting damage.

...until the time of winter came...
Entrapping Vine Strike
Cost: 10m
Type: Supplemental
Tags: Combo-OK, Crippling, Obvious, SMA
Duration: Instant
Minimum MA: 5
Minimum Essence: 4
Prereqs: Wind-Blown Petal Defense, Hidden Thorn Practice
The martial artist strikes not to kill, but to disable, as vines entrap their trellises. He makes a standard Martial Arts attack, which does no damage. If it hits, the Exalt rolls his Manipulation+Martial Arts. Each success is applied as a penalty to the opponent's die pools, which lasts for the martial artist's Essence in rounds, as vines of emerald Essence weave themselves around the target and blossom. Multiple invocations of this Charm stack, up to a maximum of the martial artist's Essence.

...and withering she fell.
Falling Petals of Regret Form
Cost: 15m, 1 WP
Type: Simple
Tags: Obvious, Compulsion, Form-Type, Combo-Basic, SMA
Duration: Scene
Minimum MA: 5
Minimum Essence: 5
Prereqs: One Complete Celestial Style, Entrapping Vine Strike
The martial artist assumes the grace and beauty of a petal on the breeze, drifting hither and yon as the wind takes her. She increases her Dodge and Parry DVs by her Essence, and all defenses she makes are considered leaping. With each action she takes, she may reflexively choose to activate Unopened Bud Method at no cost; this is part of the effects of Falling Petals of Regret Form and does not count as a Charm in itself. Finally, she may choose to do bashing or lethal damage with any attack she makes, at her option.

The Master's Sutra of Revelation:

And she rose and healed with harm...
Resplendent Eglentine Caress
Cost: 15 motes, 1WP
Type: Simple (Speed 4)
Tags: Combo-OK, Obvious, SMA
Duration: Scene
Minimum MA: 5
Minimum Essence: 5
Prerequisites: Falling Petals of Regret Form
Assuming the aspect of the briar rose, the Exalt wounds in order to heal. As a reflexive, non-charm action, whenever she deals damage by any means, she may heal her own wounds by paying one mote per health level regained, up to a maximum of the damage she dealt. Alternately, by paying two motes per health level, she may instead heal an ally within her Essence in yards. This healing manifests as a shower of rose petals covering the wounds, then falling away to reveal unmarked skin.

And she rose and nothing hindered her...
Mistletoe Emulation Stance
Cost: 20 motes, 1WP
Type: Reflexive
Tags: Obvious, Combo-OK, SMA
Duration: Scene
Minimum MA: 5
Minimum Essence: 5
Prerequisites: Falling Petals of Regret Form
Calling on the aspect of mistletoe, the martial artist surmounts all obstacles. No Charm, spell or ability with a minimum Essence less than that of the Exalt can restrain him while this Charm is in effect, and even more powerful effects must win an opposed Essence roll with him or wither away. Additionally, the martial artist may choose to escape from any clinch without a roll; this is a perfect effect. Finally, the Exalt multiplies his movement speed by his permanent Essence while this Charm is in effect, and may freely move in any direction so long as he ends his movement on a solid surface; any Athletics rolls he is required to make gain automatic successes equal to his Essence. The use of this Charm causes small mistletoe bushes to flower from the user's footsteps; these wither and die at the end of the scene.

And she rose and was bane and blessing...
Evanescent Poppy Strike
Cost: 20 motes, 1WP
Type: Supplemental
Tags: Crippling, Obvious, Combo-Basic, SMA, Touch
Duration: Instant
Minimum MA: 5
Minimum Essence: 5
Prerequisites: Falling Petals of Regret Form
Like the white poppy, the Exalt is bane and blessing alike, channeling deadly Essence through her touch. She makes a normal Martial Arts attack, which surrounds the target with the narcotic scent of poppies. If successful, she rolls damage as normal, and subtracts one point from the target's Stamina for every two health levels inflicted. Targets reduced to zero stamina collapse into a deep coma, and die at sunset unless this Charm is specifically invoked with the intent to reverse itself. In this case, all lost Stamina returns instantly, and the target awakens refreshed. Should a victim die of this Charm's effects, his body collapses into a cloud of white petals. This Charm is incompatible with the use of weapons.

And she rose and perceived all...
Gracious Hawkweed Gaze
Cost: 10 motes, 1WP
Type: Simple
Tags: Combo-OK, SMA
Duration: Scene
Minimum MA: 5
Minimum Essence: 5
Prerequisites: Falling Petals of Regret Form
Meditating on the essence of hawkweed, the Exalt gains prenatural clarity of sight. While this Charm is in effect, she cannot be surprised, and she is considered to be aware of everything within her Essence in yards. As well, she may reflexively scrutinize a single opponent at the beginning of each round, reading subtle cues of posture and stance to anticipate and counter the target's future actions. The opponent has +1 TN to any action opposed by the martial artist, increased to +2 if the Elder Sutra of Revelation is active.

[Yes, I realize this breaks a cardinal rule of Martial Arts. SMA is supposed to do that.]

...for all had been revealed to her.
Celestial Petal Revelation
Cost: 25 motes, 1WP, 1 health level
Type: Simple (DV -0)
Tags: Crippling, Compulsion, Obvious, SMA
Duration: One Scene
Minimum MA: 6
Minimum Essence: 6
Prerequisites: Gracious Hawkweed Gaze, Evanescent Poppy Strike, Mistletoe Emulation Stance, Resplendent Eglentine Caress
The Exalt summons forth a storm of flower petals of every description, which swirl around her, increasing her DVs by her Essence without impeding her own actions. As a miscellaneous action, she may spend 10 motes of Essence to select one petal appropriate to the nature of her opponent (a Perception+Martial Arts roll opposed by the target's Temperance + Integrity) and cast it into the air. The chosen petal unerringly drifts to affix itself to the target's Caste Mark (or the center of their forehead if they have no Caste Mark).

Immediately, the target's true nature reveals itself; their anima flares at the iconic level, and they must act in accordance with their Motivation; this is a Compulsion effect which generates an unnatural social influence. In addition, the target instantly loses all Personal and Peripheral Essence, which manifests as a swirling cloud of petals of appropriate type bursting from their anima, one for each mote lost. While this cloud exists, the target suffers a difficulty penalty equal to his own Permanent Essence to all actions, due to the overwhelming fragrance and his own obscured vision.

A target affected by a petal cannot respire or regain Essence by natural means (including Hearthstones and stunts). If a Charm or spell would cause him to regain Essence, he must roll his Willpower at a difficulty of the martial artist's Essence or negate that portion of the effect; lost motes manifest as petals. The martial artist may use these petal-motes as though they were in her Personal Essence pool; used petals vanish with a burst of fragrance. At the end of the scene, unused petals vanish like smoke, leaving the target's Essence pool empty. All effects on the target are Crippling.