Martial Arts
Should I Learn Martial Arts?
The Solar Exalted are the heroes of the dawn. They are matchless. Their natural grace is the model that martial arts are built to emulate. They can learn the Snake Style, but they are already deadlier than the serpent. They can learn Tiger Style, but they are already fiercer than tigers.
Functionally the supernatural martial arts are often weaker than ordinary Solar Charms. Solar martial artists with a single style are constraining their natural brilliance within combat forms designed for lesser creatures. The martial arts do have two advantages. First, the supernatural martial arts break the normal limits on Solar Charms. These Charms are like Sorcery—they obey their own design rules, rather than flowing from the nature of the Solar anima. These Charms always have a martial focus, but they can intrude to a limited extent on the turf of the other Abilities and Exalt types.
Second, the supernatural martial arts provide powerful Combos. Only in the realm of martial arts can one easily supplement ranged attacks from the firewand-using Righteous Devil Style with the deceptive ninjitsu of Ebon Shadow Style or the sinuous hand-to-hand techniques of Snake Style.
Your character does not have to study supernatural martial arts Charms to be a martial artist. If he carries himself with grace and discipline, reflects deeply on the world and defeats legions of enemies with his hands or sword and his fighting spirit, then he's not just a martial artist—he's a good one. Only if you want him to hunt down or develop occult fighting techniques in order to build unstoppable signature moves should he study the supernatural martial arts.
Trait Description: This trait is important in combat. Martial Arts allows the character to fight without weapons or with special martial arts weapons. Martial Arts covers everything from tavern brawling to boxing and various styles of formal martial arts.
Specialties: Specific Martial Arts Weapon (Hook Swords, Wind-Fire Wheels...), Fighting Unarmed, Multiple Opponents, Wrestling, Fighting in Armor
Trait Effects: Someone with Martial Arts 1 can probably break a board with her bare hands or perform the basic moves flawlessly in an exhibition. Someone with Martial Arts 3 can skillfully fight multiple opponents. Someone with Martial Arts 5 can fight a dozen thugs while simultaneously showing off all of her moves in a precise and beautiful manner.
List of Martial Arts Charms (Excluding Style Charms).
Martial Arts Form Weapons
Martial arts form weapons that are defined as "martial arts weapons", such as sai, are always wielded with (Dexterity + Martial Arts). Once a person has learned a martial art that uses, say, the slashing sword as a form weapon, she may there¬after use (Dexterity + Melee) or (Dexterity + Martial Arts) with that weapon, typically using the score that is better. The only exception is that she must use (Dexterity + Martial Arts) when wielding the slashing sword with a Charm from the su¬pernatural martial art for which it is a form weapon.
When using a Martial Arts style which allows the use of Archery, Melee, or Thrown weapons by inclusion in the style's list of form-type weaponry, the character's attacks are capped by their rating in the associated Ability until the character has mastered the style's Form-type Charm. For example, a character using Righteous Devil Style would base his Martial Arts attacks with firewands on his Archery score until learning Righteous Devil Form. This cap applies even if the style has no explicit additional Ability minimums. This condition does not apply to the first Martial Arts style the character wishes to learn; only subsequent styles are affected.
Martial Arts Form Charms and Combos
All Martial Arts Charms with the Form-type keyword now also possess the Combo-Basic Keyword. However, the first time in an action that a Charm with a Flaw of Invulnerability is activated in a Combo in conjunction with a Charm possessing the Form-type keyword, a two Willpower surcharge is added to the Charm's cost.
Supernatural Martial Arts
The combat forms known as the "supernatural martial arts" require intense study, discipline and training. They do not flow naturally out of the paramount spirit of the Solar Exalted, any more than ordinary martial arts come naturally to mortals flailing in bar brawls. To learn supernatural martial arts, one must understand the Essence flows of the world and harmonize oneself with them.
These Charms are not specific to any Exalt type. The Solar Exalted have incredible strength of spirit and anima, but they must still learn the proper forms, katas and spiritual insights of the martial arts through dedicated experimentation or diligent study. For the other Celestial Exalted, it is no different—and any Celestial Exalt or Immaculate Dragon-Blooded can learn these Charms. Some supernatural martial arts, called the "Terrestrial" Martial Arts, are even available to mortals and ordinary Dragon-Blooded.
Supernatural martial arts styles are complete. It is possible to create new styles but not to augment existing styles with new Charms.
Note that Style Charms are not included in the list of "normal" Martial Arts Charms - that list would become too cluttered with stuff.
TODO: Celestial and Terrestrial Styles in two lists. Also, are there other groups than those two?
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Celestial Martial Arts
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Terrestrial Martial Arts |
Unsorted Styles
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(Note: switch category links point to individual style pages when they are created.)