Martial Arts

Terrestrial Hero Style
Weapons and Armor: Terrestrial Hero Style allows all types of armour and can be used with any weapon that can be used in a Clinch. If a weapon can operate both as a clinch-enhancer and as a regular weapon the character can only use it as a Clinch enhancer while benefiting from this Style’s Charms.

Burning Embrace
Cost: 2m Type: Reflexive (Step 1)
Duration: One Action
Keywords: Combo-Basic
Mins: Martial Arts 2, Essence 1 Prereqs: None

The longer an opponent is in contact with the Terrestrial Hero the more damage he can do. This Charm can be activated to improve a clinch attack or a roll to maintain or control the clinch. This charm increases the base damage of the clinch by one die. Every time the character activates this Charm on each successive action the damage increases by one additional die (so two dice on the second action, three dice on the third and so on). If the martial artist fails to maintain the clinch on any action (either because he chooses to let the opponent go or the opponent forces him to let go) the damage for this Charm resets to +1.

Valley Carving Grip
Cost: 2m Type: Reflexive (Step 1)
Duration: One Action
Keywords: Combo-Basic
Mins: Martial Arts 2, Essence 1 Prereqs: None

While it may take millennia even the strongest stone will eventually be destroyed by the steady force of even a trickle of water, so it is with this Charm. This Charm may be activated to improve a Clinch attack or roll to maintain or control a clinch. This Charm reduces the opponent’s Bashing and Lethal soak by one. Every successive action in which this Charm is activated while maintaining a clinch further decreases the opponent’s soak by one more point (-2 at two actions, -3 at four and so on). If the martial artist fails to maintain the clinch on any action, either through his action or the action of his opponent, the penalty imposed by this Charm resets to -1.

Tornado Capture Technique
Cost: 2m Type: Reflexive
Duration: One tick
Keywords: Combo-Basic
Mins: Martial Arts 3, Essence 1 Prereqs: None

Even when it pulls things into itself the tornado’s motion never ceases, and the Terrestrial Hero emulates this ability. Normally while maintaining a clinch the character is considered Inactive and unable to move as normal. This charm may be activated during any tick during which the character is in control of the clinch. He may use his normal movement action for the tick. The character can only use this Charm if he has a high enough Strength + Athletics to lift his opponent (or opponents if using the Form). This value is usually 2 for a human adult but can be considerably higher for other enemies (a Lunar might require 3, a warstrider 10 and a behemoth 20 or more).

Strangling Vine Method
Cost: 2m Type: Reflexive (Step 1)
Duration: One Action
Keywords: Combo-Basic
Mins: Martial Arts 3, Essence 1 Prereqs: None

Unless checked constantly even a humble vine will eventually grow so thick that no one can wrest it free, and the Terrestrial Hero knows this. This Charm adds one die to the accuracy of a Clinch Attack or to a roll to maintain or control a Clinch. For every successive action this Charm is evoked on this bonus increases by one die, i.e. +2 on the second action, +3 on the third and so on. If the character fails to maintain a clinch on any action, either because he lost control of the clinch or decided to let the opponent go, the bonus for this Charm resets to +1.

This charm counts towards the character dice-adder cap from Charms. For Enlightened Mortals, this Charm considers their dice-adder cap to be their Martial Arts score (with no specialties) and no combination of effects that includes this Charm can grant more bonus dice than their Martial Arts score.

Terrestrial Hero Form
Cost: 4m Type: Simple (Speed 5, DV 0)
Duration: One Scene
Keywords: Obvious, Form-Type
Mins: Martial Arts 3, Essence 2 Prereqs: Burning Embrace, Valley Carving Grip, Tornado Capture Technique, Strangling Vine Method

To the Terrestrial Hero all enemies around him become his victims, like the riptide dragging all out to their doom the martial artist can make and maintain multiple clinches. The character can make one clinch roll for every limb he has (normally four). Making more than one clinch attack in a single action requires a Flurry, imposing normal penalties on each successive roll. If the character makes a successful clinch attack, he enters Inactive as normal, but may continue to make Clinch rolls so long as he has limbs left to do so.

If a character is currently in control of a Clinch when the tick comes up to maintain it, he can choose to make a Flurry to make a Clinch attack against another opponent within reach and make his control/maintain clinch roll. If a character is currently maintaining more than one clinch, he must make a Flurry on that tick to maintain all the clinches, doing them in any order he prefers.

If any opponent wins the maintain clinch roll, they automatically break free so long as there is even one more opponent in the clinch.

Example: Mnemon Darrow is facing down three opponents, a fellow Terrestrial and his two mortal henchmen. Darrow has Terrestrial Hero Form active and has four limbs (two arms, two legs). He decides to grab and hold the three miscreants until help can arrive. He makes a Flurry of three Clinch attacks, operating at standard multiple action penalties, one for each opponent. Provided he succeeds he maintains the clinch against all three of them, five ticks later he must flurry again to maintain the clinch. He chooses to make his first roll (at only a -3 penalty) against the Terrestrial judging him to be the bigger threat. If any one of his enemies beat Darrow on the opposed roll, they break free of the clinch with no chance to take control of it, only the last opponent to break free can choose to instead take control of the clinch. If two more henchman showed up Darrow could flurry up to four Clinch rolls to try and maintain his grip on the existing three and add the fourth in but could not attempt to clinch the fifth one since he is out of limbs.

Hostage Taking Method
Cost: 5m Type: Reflexive (Step 2 & 9)
Duration: Instant
Keywords: Combo-Basic, Counterattack
Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 2 Prereqs: Terrestrial Hero Form

Normally once you enter a clinch with another person you are leaving yourself open to any number of attacks from nearby foes. The master of this Charm need fear no such reprisals. Using this Charm, the Terrestrial Hero turns those he has grabbed into a shield to defend himself from attack.

This Charm can only be activated if you are currently in control of a clinch. You activate this Charm during Step 2 of an attack against you. This Charm gives you a special Parry DV equal to your (Strength + Martial Arts)/2 adding a +2 external bonus from cover (this bonus may be higher or lower if the opponent is particularly large or small). You literally drag the person you are clinching into the path of the incoming attack. In addition to the normal effects of a Parry if the opponent should miss their attack due to your Parry DV they are instantly subject to the same attack. This occurs during Step 9. The attack your victim suffers is exactly the same as the one targeted against you, including all Step 1 Charms (the opponent does not need to pay for these Charms again) and it scores exactly the same amount of successes on the attack roll. Note that most opponents in a clinch are Inactive, so their DVs will be zero. This Charm cannot be activated in response to a Counterattack. If you are maintaining more than one clinch at the time, you choose which character you are clinching is subject to the attack.

Lightning Momentum Reversal
Cost: 3m Type: Reflexive (Step 2)
Duration: Instant
Keywords: Combo-Basic, Counterattack
Mins: Martial Arts 4, Essence 2 Prereqs: Terrestrial Hero Form

Sometimes it is best to wait until the opponent strikes before drawing them into your trap. The martial artist can evoke this Charm in response to any Clinch attack made against him, unless that attack is being generated by a Counterattack Charm.

When evoked this Charm changes the Clinch from an attack into a contested roll to maintain a Clinch. Resolve the opposed roll as a normal roll to maintain a clinch that has already been established, with the winner choosing whether to maintain or end the clinch at that point. A character with Terrestrial Hero form can activate this Charm even when he is already in a clinch at the time, provided he has a limb free.

Tsunami Rush Attack
Cost: 4m, 1wp Type: Reflexive (Step 1)
Duration: Instant
Keywords: Combo-Basic, Obvious
Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 3 Prereqs: Hostage Taking Attitude, Lightning Momentum Reversal

The ideal Terrestrial Hero will rush selflessly into the enemy, grabbing them and pinning them before anyone can react. This Charm allows a character to move up to his Strength + Essence yards while performing a clinch attack against a valid target. He will leap, run, hurdle and otherwise close on the opponent with preternatural speed and in any direction, even straight up. The movement gained from this Charm is in addition to the character’s normal movement for the tick. If the martial artist was over 5yrds away when the attack was initiated the sheer speed of this attack catches most opponents by surprise, making the clinch attack an Unexpected Attack.

This Charm normally cannot be used while the character is maintaining a clinch, even if Terrestrial Hero Form is active. However, if placed in a Combo with Tornado Capture Technique the character can use this Charm even while maintaining multiple clinches using Terrestrial Hero Form.

Terrestrial Hero Expansions

Blade Hand Technique
Cost: None Type: Permanent
Duration: Permanent
Keywords: Anima
Mins: Martial Arts 2, Essence 1 Prereqs: Burning Embrace

The Dragonblooded learns to focus his anima along his hand. Whenever his anima banner is flaring at the 1+ mote level or higher he may parry any lethal attacks barehanded and all his unarmed attacks do lethal damage.

Become The Hammer
Cost: None Type: Permanent
Duration: Permanent
Keywords: Anima, Elemental
Mins: Martial Arts 4, Essence 2 Prereqs: Blade Hand Technique

This Charm permanently enhances the character’s Blade Hand Technique. In addition to the benefits of that Charm the character may apply the Jade Magical Material Bonus (or one of the alternate Jade bonuses detailed in Oadenonal’s Codex) to all his unarmed attacks so long as Blade Hand is active. Finally, by spending 1m when making a Punch or Kick attack the character can gain the benefits of Dragon Graced Weapon on the attack.

Freezing Embrace
Cost: 5m Type: Reflexive (Step 10)
Duration: One Scene
Keywords: Obvious, Combo-Basic
Mins: Martial Arts 4, Essence 3 Prereqs: Terrestrial Hero Form

Normally once an opponent is released from your grasp they can act as they please. Using this Charm, the Exalt infuses Essence into his opponent, freezing them in place. The character may activate this Charm only when he is releasing an opponent from a clinch. He spends 5m and while the character releases the clinch, the opponent remains in the clinch as if he had failed the clinch contest, remaining inactive for the next five ticks. At that time the opponent may attempt to escape the clinch, rolls his normal dice pool against a pool equal to the Exalt’s Essence + Martial Arts. If he fails, he remains held for five more ticks, continuing either until the end of the scene, the Dragonblooded chooses to release him, or he breaks free. This charm cannot be used after doing damage to the opponent with a crush attack.

Crushing Glacier Grip
Cost: None Type: Permanent
Duration: Permanent
Keywords: None
Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 4 Prereqs: Freezing Embrace

This Charm permanently enhances Freezing Embrace. By spending 1wp while using that Charm the character cannot only maintain the clinch, but also do damage as if he had used a crush option. On each subsequent action the character can spend 1wp to inflict crush damage on the victim. This willpower point must be spent before making the contested roll to maintain the clinch.

Disarming Prana
Cost: 3m Type: Reflexive (Step 10)
Duration: Instant
Keywords: Combo-Basic
Mins: Martial Arts 4, Essence 2 Prereqs: Valley Carving Grip

By twisting the helpless opponents’ limbs, the Exalt forces him to discard his weapon. This Charm may be activated after winning a Clinch roll. Instead of doing crush damage, he may force his opponent to drop his weapon.

Storm Hands Grip
Cost: 3m, 1wp Type: Simple (Speed 6, DV -1)
Duration: One Action
Keywords: Combo-Ok, Cooperative
Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 4 Prereqs: Tsunami Rush Attack, Crushing Glacier Grip

This Charm allows a Dragonblooded to summon up a vortex of elemental Essence to grab an opponent even at range. The special effects vary (freezing the opponent in an ice block, restraining them with tendrils of water, having the earth swallow them up) but the effect is the same. The character can make a single Clinch attack against a target up to his (Essence) x 10 yards away. If he succeeds, he may do crush damage adding his Essence to the base damage of the attack.

Treat this in all ways like a normal clinch attack. The victim and the Dragonblooded both go Inactive for five ticks. At the end of that time the character may spend to activate this Charm again to force another contested roll to maintain the clinch. If he succeeds proceed normally, however if the opponent wins the roll the magic cannot be reversed. All the opponent does is break free. The character may activate Freezing Embrace (or Glacier Grip) if he doesn’t want to remain Inactive for the five ticks while holding this Charm.

This Charm is an explicit exception to the normal Combo rules. The character may place it in a Combo with any Charm from the Terrestrial Hero Style (or any Charm the builds off of it) even if that Charm is normally Combo-Basic.

This Charm can be used cooperatively. If so, only one Dragonblooded makes the Clinch attack roll, but each additional Dragonblooded adds his Essence in automatic successes to the attack roll, and his Essence to the base damage of the attack. Up to five Dragonblooded may use this Charm at once.

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