Monkey Style
Monkey is a jaunty, skittish style that promotes sudden and random movements to offset their opponent’s balance, both physical and mental. Adherents to its philosophy find themselves loudly confident in their own ability and mocking of all others, insisting opponents prove their worth before the Monkey Stylist ceases playing games. The core of the style is a rigorous training regimen and perfection of the most basic techniques - one cannot be simply arrogant, they must support their own importance by internalizing their craft and carrying it deep in their heart; their confidence comes not from pride, but knowledge and surety in their own abilities, a side of the style very few detractors have ever witnessed.
Monkey Weapons:Monkey Style is incompatible with all weapons and may only be practised barehanded.
Armour: Monkey style may be practised in light armour.
Complementary Abilities: Monkey Style benefits from skills and abilities that enhance the Martial Artist’s intuition and guile as trickery is the foundation of their skills. They also benefit from the mobility afforded by Athletics and Dodge.
Distracted Monkey's Countermeasure
Cost: 5m; Mins: Martial Arts 3, Essence 1
Type: Reflexive
Keywords: Clash, Withering-Only, Terrestrial, Mastery
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: None
The monkey distracts aggressors by misdirecting their attention away from her swift counterstrike, playing the fool and appearing helpless but returning such aggression to a startled opponent; tripping them up on their own cloaks or bouncing their projectiles back to them. So long as the Monkey stylist has not yet taken any combat actions in the scene, they may activate this Charm in response to any attack targeting them to reflexively make a withering clash, gaining bonus dice to their attack equal to their guile. This bonus decreases by one each time this charm is activated in a single scene.
Terrestrial: A Dragon-Blood may only activate this charm up to their Essence times in a single combat, and may not damage ranged attackers.
Mastery: Reflexive counterattack and clash charms from any Martial Arts ability do not count as combat actions for the purposes of this charm's limitations.
Foe's Hand Emptying Paw
Cost: 4m; Mins: Martial Arts 3, Essence 1
Type: Simple
Keywords: Decisive-Only, Mastery
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: Distracted Monkey's Countermeasure
A monkey is tricky and crude, but never dishonourable - for that would be a flaw! Their opponents may come at them with weapons in hand but the noble monkey corrects their mistake for them, it's only fair after all. This charm is a special disarm gambit that, if successful, can hurl the target’s weapon out to short range or drive it into the ground, a piece of scenery, or tangle it in something at close range. Retrieving a weapon so embedded or tangled requires a difficulty 2 feat of strength.
Mastery:The Martial Artist adds their essence score to the difficulty of the feat of strength to retrieve the embedded or tangled weapon. If the Martial Artist chooses to hurl the weapon away instead, it is flung to medium range.
Panoply as Playground Antics
Cost:3m; Mins:Martial Arts 3, Essence 2
Type: Reflexive
Keywords: Uniform
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: Distracted Monkey's Countermeasure
As a monkey swings from branch to branch so too do the weapons of their enemies invite the playful agility of their jungle home, twisting and swinging around their enemy’s attacks with increasing vigor and sense of fun. The Martial Artist may activate this charm in response to an attack targeting them from close range, stripping one initiative from the opponent and granting it to the Martial Artist prior to the attack landing. The amount of Initiative stripped by this charm increases by one for each enemy standing in close range to the Martial Artist.
Monkey Form
Cost: 6m; Mins: Martial Arts 3, Essence 2
Type: Simple
Keywords: Form
Duration: One Scene
Prerequisite Charms: Foe's Hand Emptying Paw, Panoply as Playground Antics
Adopting the careless grace and confident air of the Monkey the Martial Artist exudes recklessness and abandon in combat, transforming every fight into a child-like game whose rules are known only to the Monkey. Hopping about their enemies, interposing any random scenery in between them and exalting in the frustration they cause their opponents and finding humour in even the most inane exchanges. Upon adopting this form, the Martial Artist makes a (Manipulation + Presence + Essence) roll against all their opponent’s Resolve. Those who fail to defend against this influence are instilled with a minor tie of confused hesitation towards the Martial Artist, taking half the Martial Artist’s Guile rounded down as a dice penalty on all attacks made against them. This penalty is doubled if the opponent is currently suffering initiative crash. Additionally, the Martial Artist can leverage the superior mobility afforded by dancing with a long pole and may treat all two-handed pole weapons like staves, long spears and halberds as form weapons for Monkey Style so long as Monkey Form remains active.
Special Activation Rules: If the Martial Artist successfully crashes a non-trivial opponent, they may reflexively activate Monkey Form.
Mocking Monkey’s Provocation
Cost: 3m, 1wp; Mins: Martial Arts 3, Essence 2
Type: Simple
Keywords: None
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: Monkey Form
There are few who tolerate the unrefined and childish antics of the Monkey, but she cares less for their scorn than she does for their praise, inviting them to take her place atop the tree - if they can. The Martial Artist makes a [Manipulation + Presence] inspire action that, if successful, forces the target to attack the Martial Artist on their next available action. This effect cannot force an opponent to Join Battle or use a charm to give themselves an additional attack in combat, though doing so counts as attacking the Martial Artist for the purposes of this charm. Resisting this social action requires spending 2wp and opponents affected by the intimacy instilled by Monkey Form must spend 3wp.
Flowing Mirror of Opposition
Cost: 6m, 1wp; Mins: Martial Arts 4, Essence 3
Type: Simple
Keywords:Uniform, Counterattack, Terrestrial, Mastery
Duration:One Round
Prerequisite Charms:Panoply as Playground Antics, Mocking Monkey Provocation
Every tricky Monkey exalts in the simplest pleasures, imitating their foe’s movements with their own silly embellishments and laughing endlessly when such a simple tactic trips their target up, falling flat on their face. When activating this charm, the Martial Artist selects one opponent at close range to imitate. Every time the selected target takes an action during the charm’s duration, the Martial Artist mimics their motions to a different beat; This is considered a special withering counterattack against the selected target that does not grant the Martial Artist any initiative from damage. This withering damage takes place before the resolution of the opponent’s action and if the Martial Artist crashes an opponent in this way, it is the opponent’s target that gains the break bonus.
Terrestrial: This charm gains the Perilous keyword.
Mastery:If the Martial Artist crashes any opponent with this charm while suffering from initiative crash they gain the benefits of initiative shift even if their target was not the opponent who crashed them.
Faultless Dodging Method
Cost: 6m; Mins: Martial Arts 4, Essence 3
Type: Reflexive
Keywords: Withering-Only
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: Mocking Monkey Provocation
Everyone blames the Monkey when things get broken or fights break out between allies, but it's not his fault everyone else is so terrible at landing their hits! When the Martial Artist successfully defends against an attack using their Evasion they may elect another target within close range for the attack to strike instead with successes equal to the initial roll. This target may be any combatant in range, including allies, or any piece of scenery but may not be the character who is attacking.
Shining Trinket Fascination
Cost: 6m; Mins: Martial Arts 4, Essence 3
Type: Reflexive
Keywords: Terrestrial, Mastery
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: Flowing Mirror of Opposition
The Monkey has no need for such baubles and trinkets others adorn themselves with so readily, for he is handsome and wise and... very very curious. In response to an attack the Martial Artist applies their parry against, they may make a [Dexterity + Larceny] roll against the attacker’s evasion to pluck an item from their person, inspect it, and put it back - in a position more pleasing to the Martial Artist - subtracting their additional successes from the attacker’s roll. If the Martial Artist is aware of any intimacies the attacker possesses which would cause them to dislike the Martial Artist, they may add one non-charm dice to the roll for each intimacy known. The intimacy inflicted by Monkey Form always counts for this purpose, even if the Martial Artist has not made a read intentions action to reveal it.
Terrestrial: The bonus dice added are considered dice added by a charm.
Mastery: If the attacker has been inflicted by the intimacy from Monkey Form, they also subtract any 1’s or 2’s in their roll from their total successes.
Refined Monkey Understanding
Cost: 10m, 1wp; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 3
Type: Simple
Keywords:Mastery
Duration: Scene
Prerequisite Charms: Shining Trinket Fascination, Faultless Dodging Method
The ultimate truth of the Monkey is its own impression of self, a divine state of perfect understanding that proves their own ideals and puts right all their wily wrongs; a state none would ever dare to acknowledge, but all secretly fear. Upon activating this charm, the Martial Artist may treat all two-handed pole weapons as having the traits of heavy artifact weapons. This includes weapons such as staves, long spears, halberds and improvised weapons of similar shape. Additionally, if an opponent afflicted by the intimacy created by Monkey Form witnesses this awakening, the intimacy is automatically upgraded to Major intensity. Additionally, if the Martial Artist successfully crashes any such afflicted opponent, it is automatically increased in intensity once more. This effect is not permanent but cannot be eroded until the end of the scene it is first inflicted, nor in any scene where this charm is activated.
Mastery: If the Martial artist is able to incapacitate an opponent in battle, any existing intimacy created by Monkey Form is automatically changed to a tie of admiration and respect towards the martial artist at the same intensity. This intimacy cannot be eroded until the afflicted either defeats the Martial Artist in combat or witnesses their defeat at the hands of another.
Monkey is a jaunty, skittish style that promotes sudden and random movements to offset their opponent’s balance, both physical and mental. Adherents to its philosophy find themselves loudly confident in their own ability and mocking of all others, insisting opponents prove their worth before the Monkey Stylist ceases playing games. The core of the style is a rigorous training regimen and perfection of the most basic techniques - one cannot be simply arrogant, they must support their own importance by internalizing their craft and carrying it deep in their heart; their confidence comes not from pride, but knowledge and surety in their own abilities, a side of the style very few detractors have ever witnessed.
Monkey Weapons:Monkey Style is incompatible with all weapons and may only be practised barehanded.
Armour: Monkey style may be practised in light armour.
Complementary Abilities: Monkey Style benefits from skills and abilities that enhance the Martial Artist’s intuition and guile as trickery is the foundation of their skills. They also benefit from the mobility afforded by Athletics and Dodge.
Distracted Monkey's Countermeasure
Cost: 5m; Mins: Martial Arts 3, Essence 1
Type: Reflexive
Keywords: Clash, Withering-Only, Terrestrial, Mastery
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: None
The monkey distracts aggressors by misdirecting their attention away from her swift counterstrike, playing the fool and appearing helpless but returning such aggression to a startled opponent; tripping them up on their own cloaks or bouncing their projectiles back to them. So long as the Monkey stylist has not yet taken any combat actions in the scene, they may activate this Charm in response to any attack targeting them to reflexively make a withering clash, gaining bonus dice to their attack equal to their guile. This bonus decreases by one each time this charm is activated in a single scene.
Terrestrial: A Dragon-Blood may only activate this charm up to their Essence times in a single combat, and may not damage ranged attackers.
Mastery: Reflexive counterattack and clash charms from any Martial Arts ability do not count as combat actions for the purposes of this charm's limitations.
Foe's Hand Emptying Paw
Cost: 4m; Mins: Martial Arts 3, Essence 1
Type: Simple
Keywords: Decisive-Only, Mastery
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: Distracted Monkey's Countermeasure
A monkey is tricky and crude, but never dishonourable - for that would be a flaw! Their opponents may come at them with weapons in hand but the noble monkey corrects their mistake for them, it's only fair after all. This charm is a special disarm gambit that, if successful, can hurl the target’s weapon out to short range or drive it into the ground, a piece of scenery, or tangle it in something at close range. Retrieving a weapon so embedded or tangled requires a difficulty 2 feat of strength.
Mastery:The Martial Artist adds their essence score to the difficulty of the feat of strength to retrieve the embedded or tangled weapon. If the Martial Artist chooses to hurl the weapon away instead, it is flung to medium range.
Panoply as Playground Antics
Cost:3m; Mins:Martial Arts 3, Essence 2
Type: Reflexive
Keywords: Uniform
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: Distracted Monkey's Countermeasure
As a monkey swings from branch to branch so too do the weapons of their enemies invite the playful agility of their jungle home, twisting and swinging around their enemy’s attacks with increasing vigor and sense of fun. The Martial Artist may activate this charm in response to an attack targeting them from close range, stripping one initiative from the opponent and granting it to the Martial Artist prior to the attack landing. The amount of Initiative stripped by this charm increases by one for each enemy standing in close range to the Martial Artist.
Monkey Form
Cost: 6m; Mins: Martial Arts 3, Essence 2
Type: Simple
Keywords: Form
Duration: One Scene
Prerequisite Charms: Foe's Hand Emptying Paw, Panoply as Playground Antics
Adopting the careless grace and confident air of the Monkey the Martial Artist exudes recklessness and abandon in combat, transforming every fight into a child-like game whose rules are known only to the Monkey. Hopping about their enemies, interposing any random scenery in between them and exalting in the frustration they cause their opponents and finding humour in even the most inane exchanges. Upon adopting this form, the Martial Artist makes a (Manipulation + Presence + Essence) roll against all their opponent’s Resolve. Those who fail to defend against this influence are instilled with a minor tie of confused hesitation towards the Martial Artist, taking half the Martial Artist’s Guile rounded down as a dice penalty on all attacks made against them. This penalty is doubled if the opponent is currently suffering initiative crash. Additionally, the Martial Artist can leverage the superior mobility afforded by dancing with a long pole and may treat all two-handed pole weapons like staves, long spears and halberds as form weapons for Monkey Style so long as Monkey Form remains active.
Special Activation Rules: If the Martial Artist successfully crashes a non-trivial opponent, they may reflexively activate Monkey Form.
Mocking Monkey’s Provocation
Cost: 3m, 1wp; Mins: Martial Arts 3, Essence 2
Type: Simple
Keywords: None
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: Monkey Form
There are few who tolerate the unrefined and childish antics of the Monkey, but she cares less for their scorn than she does for their praise, inviting them to take her place atop the tree - if they can. The Martial Artist makes a [Manipulation + Presence] inspire action that, if successful, forces the target to attack the Martial Artist on their next available action. This effect cannot force an opponent to Join Battle or use a charm to give themselves an additional attack in combat, though doing so counts as attacking the Martial Artist for the purposes of this charm. Resisting this social action requires spending 2wp and opponents affected by the intimacy instilled by Monkey Form must spend 3wp.
Flowing Mirror of Opposition
Cost: 6m, 1wp; Mins: Martial Arts 4, Essence 3
Type: Simple
Keywords:Uniform, Counterattack, Terrestrial, Mastery
Duration:One Round
Prerequisite Charms:Panoply as Playground Antics, Mocking Monkey Provocation
Every tricky Monkey exalts in the simplest pleasures, imitating their foe’s movements with their own silly embellishments and laughing endlessly when such a simple tactic trips their target up, falling flat on their face. When activating this charm, the Martial Artist selects one opponent at close range to imitate. Every time the selected target takes an action during the charm’s duration, the Martial Artist mimics their motions to a different beat; This is considered a special withering counterattack against the selected target that does not grant the Martial Artist any initiative from damage. This withering damage takes place before the resolution of the opponent’s action and if the Martial Artist crashes an opponent in this way, it is the opponent’s target that gains the break bonus.
Terrestrial: This charm gains the Perilous keyword.
Mastery:If the Martial Artist crashes any opponent with this charm while suffering from initiative crash they gain the benefits of initiative shift even if their target was not the opponent who crashed them.
Faultless Dodging Method
Cost: 6m; Mins: Martial Arts 4, Essence 3
Type: Reflexive
Keywords: Withering-Only
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: Mocking Monkey Provocation
Everyone blames the Monkey when things get broken or fights break out between allies, but it's not his fault everyone else is so terrible at landing their hits! When the Martial Artist successfully defends against an attack using their Evasion they may elect another target within close range for the attack to strike instead with successes equal to the initial roll. This target may be any combatant in range, including allies, or any piece of scenery but may not be the character who is attacking.
Shining Trinket Fascination
Cost: 6m; Mins: Martial Arts 4, Essence 3
Type: Reflexive
Keywords: Terrestrial, Mastery
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: Flowing Mirror of Opposition
The Monkey has no need for such baubles and trinkets others adorn themselves with so readily, for he is handsome and wise and... very very curious. In response to an attack the Martial Artist applies their parry against, they may make a [Dexterity + Larceny] roll against the attacker’s evasion to pluck an item from their person, inspect it, and put it back - in a position more pleasing to the Martial Artist - subtracting their additional successes from the attacker’s roll. If the Martial Artist is aware of any intimacies the attacker possesses which would cause them to dislike the Martial Artist, they may add one non-charm dice to the roll for each intimacy known. The intimacy inflicted by Monkey Form always counts for this purpose, even if the Martial Artist has not made a read intentions action to reveal it.
Terrestrial: The bonus dice added are considered dice added by a charm.
Mastery: If the attacker has been inflicted by the intimacy from Monkey Form, they also subtract any 1’s or 2’s in their roll from their total successes.
Refined Monkey Understanding
Cost: 10m, 1wp; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 3
Type: Simple
Keywords:Mastery
Duration: Scene
Prerequisite Charms: Shining Trinket Fascination, Faultless Dodging Method
The ultimate truth of the Monkey is its own impression of self, a divine state of perfect understanding that proves their own ideals and puts right all their wily wrongs; a state none would ever dare to acknowledge, but all secretly fear. Upon activating this charm, the Martial Artist may treat all two-handed pole weapons as having the traits of heavy artifact weapons. This includes weapons such as staves, long spears, halberds and improvised weapons of similar shape. Additionally, if an opponent afflicted by the intimacy created by Monkey Form witnesses this awakening, the intimacy is automatically upgraded to Major intensity. Additionally, if the Martial Artist successfully crashes any such afflicted opponent, it is automatically increased in intensity once more. This effect is not permanent but cannot be eroded until the end of the scene it is first inflicted, nor in any scene where this charm is activated.
Mastery: If the Martial artist is able to incapacitate an opponent in battle, any existing intimacy created by Monkey Form is automatically changed to a tie of admiration and respect towards the martial artist at the same intensity. This intimacy cannot be eroded until the afflicted either defeats the Martial Artist in combat or witnesses their defeat at the hands of another.
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