Martial Styles are groupings of similar maneuvers and training regimes that have, over generations of being passed down from sensei to student, been refined and codified into distinct martial disciplines. Martial Styles are relatively common, in that even people who aren't trained with weapons can usually recognize one when it is being used, even if they don't understand how to replicate its techniques.
Each Martial Style is comprised of a Style Bonus and several Techniques. Any character that possesses one or more Techniques from a Martial Style also gains its Style Bonus: this represents the intrinsic benefits a character gains as they become more proficient in the Martial Style's Techniques.
A character can learn the Techniques of a Martial Style in any order they wish, though some Techniques may not provide much (if any) benefit until more fundamental Techniques are learned.
Characters are not "locked in" to Martial Styles once they learn a Technique from that Style; they can choose Techniques from multiple Martial Styles, creating their own patchwork "personal style" by combining the Techniques they find most useful from multiple Styles, or they can attempt to master a single Martial Style in all of its intricacies. Both are considered to be perfectly acceptable paths for a character to walk, even if the mastery of a single Martial Style tends to be a bit more prestigious in the eyes of the common folk.
Martial Styles
Re: Martial Styles
Falling Rain Style (Sword)
The Falling Rain style is a frantic style that focuses upon flurries of lightning-fast sword strikes to intimidate an opponent and overwhelm their defenses.
Style Bonus: When you make a sword attack against an opponent that you attacked in the previous round, you add +X to your attack roll total, where X is equal to twice the number of Falling Rain Techniques that you know.
Half Heart Style (Sword)
The Half Heart style is named due to the belief that a master of its techniques should be able to kill an opponent in half a heartbeat. The style emphasizes drawing a sheathed blade with blinding speed, which makes it a favorite of duelists.
Style Bonus: The first time you draw a sword in combat, you gain +X to the damage roll total of your first sword attack that turn, where X is equal to twice the number of Half Heart Techniques that you know.
The Falling Rain style is a frantic style that focuses upon flurries of lightning-fast sword strikes to intimidate an opponent and overwhelm their defenses.
Style Bonus: When you make a sword attack against an opponent that you attacked in the previous round, you add +X to your attack roll total, where X is equal to twice the number of Falling Rain Techniques that you know.
- Cloudburst
- Before you make a sword attack, you may spend 1 Ki to instead make two sword attacks against the same opponent. Each attack suffers a -2k0 penalty to its attack roll.
- Song of Thunder
- Before you make a sword attack, you may spend 1 Ki to strike in such a way that your blade makes a surprisingly loud peel when it connects with its target. If your attack is successful, any characters that you did not attack that have a Conviction lower than your final attack roll total have a -5 penalty on any attack rolls against you until the start of your next turn. If you use this Technique prior to using the [Cloudburst] Technique, every sword attack you make using that Technique is affected in this manner, and the penalties are cumulative.
- Relentless Downpour
- If an opponent that you attacked on your last turn moves to a different Zone, you may spend 1 Ki to move to that same Zone after their movement is complete, regardless of distance.
- Stormfront
- After you make a sword attack against an opponent (regardless of its success), you gain +5 Defense against any melee attacks made by that opponent until the start of your next turn.
- Deluge of Steel
- When you use the [Cloudburst] Technique, you may choose to make three sword attacks against the same opponent. If you do so, each attack suffers a -2k1 penalty to its attack roll.
- Sweeping Flood
- Before you make a sword attack, you may spend 1 Ki to lower your Defense by any amount until the start of your next turn. If you do so, until the start of your next turn, your successful sword attacks each gain one Success Margin for every full 5 points by which you lowered your Defense.
Half Heart Style (Sword)
The Half Heart style is named due to the belief that a master of its techniques should be able to kill an opponent in half a heartbeat. The style emphasizes drawing a sheathed blade with blinding speed, which makes it a favorite of duelists.
Style Bonus: The first time you draw a sword in combat, you gain +X to the damage roll total of your first sword attack that turn, where X is equal to twice the number of Half Heart Techniques that you know.
- Perfect Draw
- The first time you draw a sword in combat, you may make an immediate attack with that sword, without spending an Action.
- Cross Blade
- After an opponent attacks you with a melee weapon while you a wielding a sword, you may spend any amount of Ki to parry the attack; this choice is made after you see the opponent's final attack total. For each Ki you spend in this way, your Defense is increased by +10 for the duration of that attack. If you spend 5 or more Ki in this way on a single parry, your sword shatters after the opponent's attack is resolved.
- Leaf Cuts Stone
- The first time you draw a sword in combat, your sword attacks that turn ignore the opponent's reduction.
- Cruelest Cut
- The first time you draw a sword in combat, if your sword attack that turn is successful, the opponent's Pain penalty is increased by +X until the start of your next turn, where X is equal to their current Pain penalty minus their Pain penalty before the attack.
- Tiger Among Deer
- If your sword attack kills an opponent, you may spend 1 Ki to assume a defensive stance. If you do so, your Defense and Conviction are each increased by +X until the start of your next turn, where X is the amount of "extra" damage you dealt to that opponent beyond their remaining Health.
- Calm Center
- You may sheathe your sword as a Free Action, rather than a Bonus Action. If you sheathe your sword on the same turn that you killed an opponent, you may spend 1 Ki to ignore any previous times you've drawn your sword this combat for the purposes of this Style's Techniques.
Re: Martial Styles
Nine Whirlwinds Style (Spear)
The Nine Whirlwinds style uses wide, sweeping attacks that capitalize upon the reach and momentum of a swinging spear to knock opponents off balance and strike multiple enemies at once.
Style Bonus: When you make a spear attack, the target's reduction is lowered by X, where X is equal to the number of Nine Whirlwinds Techniques that you know.
Dragon's Judgment Style (Spear)
The Dragon's Judgment style channels the aloof and distant nature of the dragons. If focuses upon utilizing the natural reach of a spear to keep an opponent from ever drawing close enough to make an effective attack.
Style Bonus: If you are wielding a spear when you are attacked with a non-spear melee weapon, you add +X to your Defense, where X is equal to twice the number of Dragon's Judgment Techniques that you know.
The Nine Whirlwinds style uses wide, sweeping attacks that capitalize upon the reach and momentum of a swinging spear to knock opponents off balance and strike multiple enemies at once.
Style Bonus: When you make a spear attack, the target's reduction is lowered by X, where X is equal to the number of Nine Whirlwinds Techniques that you know.
- Three Wind Cyclone
- Before you make a spear attack, you may spend 1 Ki to instead make a single spear attack against two different opponents in your Zone. This attack suffers a -1k0 penalty to its attack roll.
- Battering Winds
- Each time you make a successful spear attack against an opponent, that opponent is knocked off balance and suffers a -5 penalty to their Defense until the end of your next turn. During this time, if the opponent is forced to make an Athletics Skill Roll to avoid becoming Prone, the TN of that Skill Roll is increased by +5.
- Five Wind Cyclone
- When you use the [Three Wind Cyclone] Technique, you may choose to instead make a single attack against every character in your Zone. If you do so, the attack suffers a -2k0 penalty to its attack roll.
- Forceful Gale
- Before you make a spear attack, you may spend 1 Ki to sweep the legs of your opponents with your spear. If the attack is successful, any characters hit by the attack must also succeed at an Athletics (Strength) Skill Roll with a TN equal to the damage they suffered (before applying Armor). On a failure, that character becomes Prone.
- Downdraft
- You may spend 1 Ki to make a spear attack against a Prone opponent as a Bonus Action.
- Eye of the Storm
- After you make a successful spear attack against a Prone opponent, that opponent treats the Stand Up Action as a Standard Action (rather than a Simple Action) until the start of your next turn.
Dragon's Judgment Style (Spear)
The Dragon's Judgment style channels the aloof and distant nature of the dragons. If focuses upon utilizing the natural reach of a spear to keep an opponent from ever drawing close enough to make an effective attack.
Style Bonus: If you are wielding a spear when you are attacked with a non-spear melee weapon, you add +X to your Defense, where X is equal to twice the number of Dragon's Judgment Techniques that you know.
- Dragon's Claw
- Before you make a spear attack, you may spend 1 Ki to throw your opponent. If the attack is successful, make an Athletics (Strength) Skill Roll with a TN of 10 + the Reduction of the opponent's Armor, +5 if the opponent is Large. On a success, the opponent is moved into an adjacent Zone.
- Dragon's Disdain
- When you use the [Dragon's Claw] Technique, if your Athletics (Strength) Skill Roll is successful, the opponent also becomes Prone.
- Dragon's Scales
- After an opponent enters your Zone, if you are wielding a spear, your Defense against any melee attacks made by that opponent is increased by +10 until the start of your next turn.
- Dragon's Tail
- Before you make a spear attack, you may spend 1 Ki to target an opponent in an adjacent Zone.
- Dragon's Breath
- On your turn, you may spend 1 Ki to assume a defensive stance. Until the start of your next turn, if you are wielding a spear when an opponent makes a melee attack against you, that opponent suffers X Damage, where X is equal to your ranks in the Spear Skill.
- Dragon's Flight
- After you make a successful spear attack against an opponent, you may spend 1 Ki to move to an adjacent Zone as a Bonus Action.
Re: Martial Styles
Rice Palm Style (Unarmed)
The Rice Palm style earned its name from the way that its practitioners strengthen their fists by gripping uncooked rice in large barrels. This training regime gives them the strength they require to master the style's brutal and unforgiving Techniques.
Style Bonus: When making an Unarmed attack, you may ignore X reduction from the opponent's Armor, where X is equal to twice the number of Rice Palm Techniques that you know.
Fox Fist Style (Unarmed)
The Fox Fist style is rumored to have been taught to its first practitioner by a mischievous fox spirit. The style focuses upon atemi strikes to specific parts of the body, which disrupt the flow of Ki in a target's body and leaves them disoriented. To many, the strikes of this school's techniques appear to be supernatural in nature, which only furthers the mystical myths surrounding their origin.
Style Bonus: The effects created by this Style's Techniques last for X rounds, where X is equal to the number of Fox Fist Techniques that you know.
The Rice Palm style earned its name from the way that its practitioners strengthen their fists by gripping uncooked rice in large barrels. This training regime gives them the strength they require to master the style's brutal and unforgiving Techniques.
Style Bonus: When making an Unarmed attack, you may ignore X reduction from the opponent's Armor, where X is equal to twice the number of Rice Palm Techniques that you know.
- The Mountain Does Not Yield
- When you are Grappled, you do not suffer the typical -10 penalty to your Defense. When you attempt to escape a Grapple with an Athletics (Strength) Skill Roll, your TN is halved.
- Demon Clutch
- Before you make an unarmed attack, you may spend 1 Ki to grab the opponent by the throat (or its equivalent, if the opponent has no throat). If the attack is successful, the target becomes Grappled (but you do not) until the start of your next turn. If you move during this time, the target moves with you. At the start of each of your subsequent turns, if the target is still Grappled, you may spend 1 Ki to renew this effect until the start of your next turn; if you do so, the target suffers 1k1 Damage, ignoring Armor.
- Blade Grasp
- After an opponent makes an unsuccessful melee attack against you, if you have at least one hand free, you make spend 1 Ki to attempt to disarm them. Make an Unarmed attack against a TN equal to the final total of the opponent's attack roll. On a success, the opponent is disarmed and you can either take the weapon yourself or throw it into the same or an adjacent Zone.
- Iron Skin
- While you are not wearing Armor, you have Reduction equal to your Stamina.
- Shattering Strike
- Before you make an unarmed attack, you may spend 1 Ki to attempt to shatter the opponent's Armor. If the attack is successful and, after applying any reduction from the opponent's Armor, the remaining Damage is equal or greater than the Armor's reduction, then the Armor shatters and becomes unusable.
- Mountain's Molten Heart
- When you spend 1 Ki to ignore your Pain Penalty for 1 round, you may apply your ignored Pain Penalty as a bonus to your Unarmed attack roll totals (instead of applying it as a penalty).
Fox Fist Style (Unarmed)
The Fox Fist style is rumored to have been taught to its first practitioner by a mischievous fox spirit. The style focuses upon atemi strikes to specific parts of the body, which disrupt the flow of Ki in a target's body and leaves them disoriented. To many, the strikes of this school's techniques appear to be supernatural in nature, which only furthers the mystical myths surrounding their origin.
Style Bonus: The effects created by this Style's Techniques last for X rounds, where X is equal to the number of Fox Fist Techniques that you know.
- Fox Light
- Before you make an unarmed attack, you may spend 1 Ki to blind your opponent. If your attack is successful and you dealt at least 1 Damage to the opponent, the opponent's vision becomes nothing but bright whiteness, rendering them Blinded.
- Fox Whisper
- Before you make an unarmed attack, you may spend 1 Ki to confuse your opponent. If your attack is successful and you dealt at least 1 Damage to the opponent, the opponent's thoughts become muddled, rendering them Stunned.
- Fox Claws
- Before you make an unarmed attack, you may spend 1 Ki to inflict a bleeding wound on your opponent. If your attack is successful and you dealt at least 1 Damage to the opponent, they become Bleeding.
- Fox Glare
- Before you make an unarmed attack, you may spend 1 Ki to dampen the opponent's Ki. If your attack is successful and you dealt at least 1 Damage to the opponent, the opponent becomes Frightened.
- Fox Foot
- Before you make an unarmed attack, you may spend 1 Ki to hinder the opponent's mobility. If your attack is successful and you dealt at least 1 Damage to the opponent, the opponent falls Prone and cannot take the Stand Up or Move Actions.
- Fox Theft
- After you make a successful unarmed attack against an opponent, you may declare that you are stealing their Ki. If you do so, the attack deals no Damage and the opponent instead loses 1 Ki. Then, you gain 1 Ki. For every two Success Margins you spend, increase the amount of Ki the opponent loses and the amount of Ki you gain by 1. You cannot gain more Ki from this Technique than was lost by the opponent.