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The Demented One
2009-08-23, 08:04 PM
Efficacious Bureaucrat Style

Few would think that a deadly martial arts style would ever arise amid a bureaucratic office. Fools! When the Exalted bend their will to a task, even office politics become a deadly battle! The Efficacious Bureaucrat Style of Terrestrial Martial Arts arose in the first days of the Scarlet Empire, when the Empress first established the Spiral Academy. Its students were cutthroat and ruthless, and soon devised a style of martial arts that applied the lessons of their classes in calligraphy, office management, and accounting to lethal combat. The first graduating class contained no fewer than a dozen masters of the style, all of whom would be recruited into the inchoate Thousand Scales, the administrative agency of the Empire. Ever since then, the Efficacious Bureaucrat Style has been taught to the Dynasts of the Thousand Scales, arming them against the countless foes and intrigues a bureaucrat faces in day-to-day life. This style combines bureaucratic principles with martial arts katas–both specialties of the favored of Danaa’d. Water Aspect Dragonblooded can use Charms of this style without paying a mote surcharge.

Weapons and Armor
Students of the Efficacious Bureaucrat Style wield knives, hand needles, and sais–weapons that mimic the light weight and fine point of a calligraphy brush–as well as their artifact versions. They may also use brushes and styluses as improvised weapons, although doing so is rarely an ideal choice. Such weapons have a speed of 3, an accuracy of -3, a damage of +0B, a defense of +0, and a rate of 2. Martial artists using Charms of this style may not wear anything heavier than light armor–that is, armor which has no mobility penalty.

Complementary Abilities
The techniques of this style are derived from the lessons taught to young bureaucrats, and the martial artist’s education must begin in the classroom. A practitioner of this style must have at least one dot of Bureaucracy. Learning any Charms after this style’s form requires the martial artist to instead have three dots of Bureaucracy.

Proper Stylus-Grasping Method
Cost: 2m
Mins: Martial Arts 1, Essence 1
Type: Supplemental
Keywords: Combo-OK
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: None

Before one can mastery calligraphy, they must master holding a brush. Students of bureaucracy and accounting spend hours merely practicing their grip, learning the utter precision required to execute a perfect brush-stroke. The same dedication to precision is the bedrock of the Efficacious Bureaucrat style! This Charm supplements an unarmed Martial Arts attack, negating the external penalties the martial artist would take for making a called shot.

Exquisite Scarlet Calligraphy
Cost: 1m per die
Mins: Martial Arts 3, Essence 1
Type: Supplemental
Keywords: Combo-OK
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: Proper Stylus-Grasping Method

With one perfect stroke of his brush, a bureaucrat draws a deep slash of black ink–and with one perfect stroke of his blade, he draws a deep slash of red blood! All his years of tracing complex characters yield up a powerful command of fine precision, allowing him to effortlessly sever arteries and tendons. This Charm supplements an unarmed Martial Arts attack, increasing its base damage before soak by one for every mote spent, to a maximum of (Martial Arts).

Signed-in-Triplicate Kata
Cost: 3m
Mins: Martial Arts 3, Essence 1
Type: Supplemental
Keywords: Combo-OK
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: Proper Stylus-Grasping Method

By signing and re-signing the same forms countless time, a bureaucrat internalizes the repeated motions, till he could draw his signature blindfolded, at the bottom of the sea, with his hands bound in manacles. Such is required for this kata, a technique that capitalizes on the building momentum of repeated actions to deliver one devastating blow! This Charm supplements an unarmed Martial Arts attack, which must be the last attack made in a flurry. That attack gains the piercing tag. However, if the martial artist spends insufficient time properly preparing the attack, it may fail–artifact armor whose artifact rating exceeds the total number of attacks made in the flurry do not have their soak reduced.

Efficacious Bureaucrat Form
Cost: 6m
Mins: Martial Arts 4, Essence 2
Type: Simple
Keywords: Form-type
Duration: One scene
Prerequisite Charms: Exquisite Scarlet Calligraphy, Signed-in-Triplicate Kata

Precision, preparation, proper action–the three great truths which must inform any blow the Efficacious Bureaucrat makes! Every document he stamps of file he requisitions is but one part of a greater bureaucracy, and every attack he makes is but one aspect of a greater assault, laying the foundation for one mighty finishing blow. The martial artist moves with perfect control, an absolute precision of movement that allows him to parry lethal attacks unarmed and to deal lethal damage with his unarmed attacks. Whenever he makes a flurry of unarmed Martial Arts attack, the multiple action penalty he suffers on each attack is reduced by one, to a minimum of -1. In addition, the onslaught penalty inflicted on his enemy by each is increased by -1.

Making-Copies Method
Cost: 2m per attack
Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 3
Type: Extra Action
Keywords: Combo-OK
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: Efficacious Bureaucrat Form

Many are the hours spent in amanuensis, painstakingly copying forms and texts by hand! Without a steady hand or a skillful eye, errors most dire might creep into the copies–but not when the stylus is wielded by an Efficacious Bureaucrat! Repetition and drudgery are second nature to him, in both paperwork and martial arts. This Charm is a magical flurry of two or more unarmed Martial Arts attacks. All attacks must be identical, using the same weapon, and made against the same enemy. If the martial artist wishes to make a called shot with any one attack, he must make it with all of them. Each attack, including the first, costs 2 motes, up to a maximum of (Essence) attacks. The martial artist makes these attacks regardless of his weapon’s rate, and with a DV penalty equal to only the highest DV penalty of any one attack. He does not take normal multiple action penalties on these attacks–instead, they take only cumulative penalties (the first attack takes a -1 penalty, the second a -2 penalty, the third a -3 penalty, and so on).

Requisitioning-of-Arms Agenda
Cost: 2m
Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 3
Type: Reflexive (Step 9)
Keywords: Combo-OK, Counterattack
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: Efficacious Bureaucrat Form

A bureaucrat does not let minor inconveniences impede his agenda–instead, they become part of it! Any enemy foolish enough to attack the Efficacious Bureaucrat will soon find himself regretting ever playing into the martial artist’s hands. The martial artist performs a counterattack, performing a disarm on his attacker’s weapon. The martial artist still suffers an external penalty on the disarm attempt, although he may negate it by placing this Charm in a combo with Proper Stylus-Grasping Method. If the martial artist successfully disarms his foe, he ends up holding the offending weapon–which he may then reflexively throw up to (Strength + Athletics) yards, in any direction.

Like-A-Boss Attitude
Cost: 3m
Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 3
Type: Supplemental
Keywords: Combo-OK
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: Making-Copies Method, Requisitioning-of-Arms Agenda

The master bureaucrat forges an office, teeming with countless lesser bureaucrats, into one great machine that serves solely his agenda. So too does he delivers lightning-fast blows with ultimate efficiency! This Charm supplements a flurry of unarmed Martial Attacks. The speed of the flurry is reduced by 1 for every two attacks made, to a minimum of 3.

Siosilvar
2009-08-23, 08:08 PM
Although I don't play Exalted, I must say that this is one of the funniest things I've read on this forum.

The Demented One
2009-08-23, 08:10 PM
Although I don't play Exalted, I must say that this is one of the funniest things I've read on this forum.
...this actually fits in pretty well with some of the martial arts styles in Exalted. Like the White Veil style, which definitely doesn't exist. Or the Falling Blossom style, whose ultimate technique is suicide. Or the Obsidian Shards of Infinity style, where you punch reality until it breaks. Go play Exalted.

Leeham
2009-08-24, 04:43 AM
...this actually fits in pretty well with some of the martial arts styles in Exalted. Like the White Veil style, which definitely doesn't exist. Or the Falling Blossom style, whose ultimate technique is suicide. Or the Obsidian Shards of Infinity style, where you punch reality until it breaks. Go play Exalted.

I have to now :belkar:

vegetalss4
2009-08-24, 07:09 AM
looks cool flavorfull, and on about the rigth level of power, an excellent style

Hijax
2009-08-24, 08:10 AM
...this actually fits in pretty well with some of the martial arts styles in Exalted. Like the White Veil style, which definitely doesn't exist. Or the Falling Blossom style, whose ultimate technique is suicide.
ever watched life of brian?


Or the Obsidian Shards of Infinity style, where you punch reality until it breaks. Go play Exalted.
meh, reality is such a wuss.

horngeek
2009-08-25, 04:16 AM
Then there's the charm that lets you punt the bad guy into orbit.