General Exalted Thread
Apparently, someone on /tg/ designed a sorcerous initiation that would allow a loophole for mortal martial artists... and also probably serve as THE most common initiation for Sidereal Exalted.
Enlightenment of the Imperfect Lotus
You have honed your mind and soul in distant monasteries and righteous battles, learning your own true nature in the process. Through these meditations and katas, you have grown aware of the chi that flows in and out of your body with each breath, and how to harness it. Through study of the martial arts of the Imperfect Lotus, you have grown to understand the flow of the world's energy, how to harness it, and even how to direct it back into yourself, a true master of the martial arts. (Note: This initiation does not require any investment in actual Martial Arts Abilities, but most of its Shaping Rituals and bonus Merits benefit from such investment.)
Shaping Rituals
• The sorcerer centers herself through her martial arts, motions and katas designed to guide the flow of the world's essence around and through her. The sorcerer may make spend a point of willpower and make a martial arts roll (Perception + Martial Arts) gaining one Sorcerous Mote per success on the roll as the martial artist flows through slow, meditative katas, breathing in and out to gather their chi as a miscellaneous action. Sorcerous motes gathered in this manner remain until the sorcerer next sleeps, loses consciousness, or otherwise takes an extended rest. Activating this ritual again replaces the Sorcerous Motes already acquired with previous activations rather than adding to them.
• The sorcerer has refined his soul through battle like a blade tempered in flames. To that end, the sorcerer is now empowered when she fights against foes in combat. Whenever a sorcerer strikes a Withering attack against a foe in combat, she may channel any amount of Initiative she would normally gain from such a strike into half as many Sorcerous Motes instead. Once per battle, when she lands any blow with or supplemented by a Control Spell against a foe Decisive or Withering she gains Essence Sorcerous Motes on top of any other that the ritual would grant. Sorcerous Motes gained through this ritual fade at a battle's end, in the same moment that its combatants leave Initiative.
• The sorcerer gains one Sorcerous Mote every time they successfully dodge, parry, or soak an entire attack in battle. If the attack was successfully defended against through the help of a Control Spell which in some way improves the sorcerer's ability to dodge, parry, or soak, then she instead gains two Sorcerous Motes. Sorcerous Motes gained through this ritual fade at a battle's end, in the same moment that its combatants leave Initiative. (Example: John of the Mountain is a battlesorcerer with Invulnerable Skin of Bronze as his Control Spell. When attacked by a bandit while transformed by the spell, a sword blow glances harmlessly off of his body. Normally, he would gain one Sorcerous Mote from this, but because it is his Control Spell, he gains two.)
Other Benefits
• Fist of the Lotus (Merit •••••): The sorcerer may learn Martial Arts charms for which she meets all prerequisites as if they were sorcerous spells, allowing them to be activated with Sorcerous Motes instead of personal or peripheral motes as normal. Normal Martial Arts charms gain this benefit with an additional cost of 1xp. (Note: This expressly allows mortal martial artists to learn Essence 1 Martial Arts charms for which they otherwise qualify as sorcerous spells.)
• Signature Technique (Merit ••): The sorcerer may select a Martial Arts charm made into a spell through Fist of the Lotus as a Control Spell. If taken after Initiating, it allows the Martial Artist to swap a Sorcerous Control Spell for a Martial Arts one. Once taken, this effect is onetime and permanent. (Example: Master Shin Qo, a mortal master of Crane Style, chose the spell Obsidian Butterflies as his control spell upon initiating. Later, after gaining Empowering Justice Redirection as a spell through Fist of the Lotus, he takes Signature Technique to replace Obsidian Butterflies with Empowering Justice Redirection as his Control Spell. Once this purchase is made, it is permanent.)
Enlightenment of the Imperfect Lotus
You have honed your mind and soul in distant monasteries and righteous battles, learning your own true nature in the process. Through these meditations and katas, you have grown aware of the chi that flows in and out of your body with each breath, and how to harness it. Through study of the martial arts of the Imperfect Lotus, you have grown to understand the flow of the world's energy, how to harness it, and even how to direct it back into yourself, a true master of the martial arts. (Note: This initiation does not require any investment in actual Martial Arts Abilities, but most of its Shaping Rituals and bonus Merits benefit from such investment.)
Shaping Rituals
• The sorcerer centers herself through her martial arts, motions and katas designed to guide the flow of the world's essence around and through her. The sorcerer may make spend a point of willpower and make a martial arts roll (Perception + Martial Arts) gaining one Sorcerous Mote per success on the roll as the martial artist flows through slow, meditative katas, breathing in and out to gather their chi as a miscellaneous action. Sorcerous motes gathered in this manner remain until the sorcerer next sleeps, loses consciousness, or otherwise takes an extended rest. Activating this ritual again replaces the Sorcerous Motes already acquired with previous activations rather than adding to them.
• The sorcerer has refined his soul through battle like a blade tempered in flames. To that end, the sorcerer is now empowered when she fights against foes in combat. Whenever a sorcerer strikes a Withering attack against a foe in combat, she may channel any amount of Initiative she would normally gain from such a strike into half as many Sorcerous Motes instead. Once per battle, when she lands any blow with or supplemented by a Control Spell against a foe Decisive or Withering she gains Essence Sorcerous Motes on top of any other that the ritual would grant. Sorcerous Motes gained through this ritual fade at a battle's end, in the same moment that its combatants leave Initiative.
• The sorcerer gains one Sorcerous Mote every time they successfully dodge, parry, or soak an entire attack in battle. If the attack was successfully defended against through the help of a Control Spell which in some way improves the sorcerer's ability to dodge, parry, or soak, then she instead gains two Sorcerous Motes. Sorcerous Motes gained through this ritual fade at a battle's end, in the same moment that its combatants leave Initiative. (Example: John of the Mountain is a battlesorcerer with Invulnerable Skin of Bronze as his Control Spell. When attacked by a bandit while transformed by the spell, a sword blow glances harmlessly off of his body. Normally, he would gain one Sorcerous Mote from this, but because it is his Control Spell, he gains two.)
Other Benefits
• Fist of the Lotus (Merit •••••): The sorcerer may learn Martial Arts charms for which she meets all prerequisites as if they were sorcerous spells, allowing them to be activated with Sorcerous Motes instead of personal or peripheral motes as normal. Normal Martial Arts charms gain this benefit with an additional cost of 1xp. (Note: This expressly allows mortal martial artists to learn Essence 1 Martial Arts charms for which they otherwise qualify as sorcerous spells.)
• Signature Technique (Merit ••): The sorcerer may select a Martial Arts charm made into a spell through Fist of the Lotus as a Control Spell. If taken after Initiating, it allows the Martial Artist to swap a Sorcerous Control Spell for a Martial Arts one. Once taken, this effect is onetime and permanent. (Example: Master Shin Qo, a mortal master of Crane Style, chose the spell Obsidian Butterflies as his control spell upon initiating. Later, after gaining Empowering Justice Redirection as a spell through Fist of the Lotus, he takes Signature Technique to replace Obsidian Butterflies with Empowering Justice Redirection as his Control Spell. Once this purchase is made, it is permanent.)
Is that a bad thing?
People have been complaining about it since the leak dropped.
azoicennead
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I am 83% certain you're wrong.
If I understand this correctly, the way it's written means you need the Martial Artist merit, sorcerous initiation, and the Fist of the Lotus merit to make it work.
Martial Artist allows you to buy Martial Arts.
Sorcerous initiation gives your a shaping ritual.
Fist of the Lotus lets you use sorcerous motes for martial arts charms, and learn martial arts charms as spells (but does not give you any way to meet the requirements for those charms).
Which all ignores the question of why that's a problem.
Salty
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Well I know I'd feel rather miffed if I'd purchased the Martial Arts merit at character creation so I could get Martial Arts charms then, and then later on in the game somebody purchases one Occult charm and immediately gets a massive XP lead on me.
A fair amount of the discussion I've seen on this forum(I think) has involved ignoring the Martial Art Merit altogether as a requirement for Exalts to learn MAs.
So it depends on what house rules your game is running on.
azoicennead
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Can you explain how someone can bypass the need for the Martial Artist merit with this initiation?
I'm not seeing it.
FaeGlade Plural
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It doesn't replace it.
You need the Martial Arts Merit to learn ANY Martial Arts Ability. So you could not learn, say, "Martial Arts (Crane Style)" without it.
Nothing in that Initiation changes that. Fist of the Lotus allows you to learn charms for which you meet the prerequisites - so to learn any at all, you need a MA Ability.
Overall, this is a pretty interesting way to allow mortal martial artists. The balance seems right too, but I would straight-up not make this available to any Exalts period just to be sure.
You need the Martial Arts Merit to learn ANY Martial Arts Ability. So you could not learn, say, "Martial Arts (Crane Style)" without it.
Nothing in that Initiation changes that. Fist of the Lotus allows you to learn charms for which you meet the prerequisites - so to learn any at all, you need a MA Ability.
Overall, this is a pretty interesting way to allow mortal martial artists. The balance seems right too, but I would straight-up not make this available to any Exalts period just to be sure.
Honestly, as someone who's recently created a Martial Arts heavy character for a 3E game and is currently trying to plan out what to do with later advances, I really think that the Merit isn't a big deal, when you actually get down to it. So it costs 4 out of your 10 available by default, big deal. There's always bonus points.
The biggest problem with Martial Arts is the tiny charm pool that each have available; with each usually needing 3 or 4 ability dots even just for the introductory charms, making the ability to mix charms from different arts and use them together (apparently a great strength of the playstyle) god damn difficult.
If you're going mainly unarmed, you have a slight advantage over weapon-based arts; the vast majority of the available Martial Arts allow for unarmed use, but even so you're generally looking at about 9 charms per style. Brawl, meanwhile, has 47. Melee has 38.
Things get much worse if you're predominantly using weapons as a martial artist. If for example you want to take something like Single Point Shining Into The Void style (Slashing Swords only), Righteous Devil style (Firewands only) or Steel Devil style (Twin Swords), there is no other MA to combine charms with unless you get elbows-deep in homebrewing up new ones, and not every player or GM has much in the way of talent for being able to make fair and balanced content.
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FaeGlade Plural
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I did a post a while back exploring possible combinations of Martial Arts and other Abilities.
Combining Martial Arts with each other does allow some interesting options too, though the necessary investment into multiple Abilities makes it rather expensive.
Tiger Style goes well with Ebon Shadow - both can use Tiger Claws, both work well with Stealth.
Snake Style and Crane Style share the Hook Sword as a form weapon and make for a very defense-heavy combo.
Crane and Dreaming Pearl can both use War Fans, but there is actually a bit of an issue with one favoring doge the other parry and Crane not being compatible with the armor from Pearlescent Filigree Defense.
So most likely you'll just use your unarmed attacks if you combine Styles.
Of course, that leaves out Single Point Shining into the Void (Slashing Swords only), Righteous Devil Style (Firewands, Flame Pieces only) and Steel Devil Style (pair of identical swords only).
But you can actually combine Steel Devil Style with Snake Style and Crane Style (both use Hook Swords) and with Single Point Style (nothing in that style says you can't dual-wield your slashing swords). And they can profit from Melee-charms as well, at least the non-supplementary ones.
Oh and there are A LOT of Brawl charms that should work just fine with unarmed Martial Arts attacks.
Combining Martial Arts with each other does allow some interesting options too, though the necessary investment into multiple Abilities makes it rather expensive.
Tiger Style goes well with Ebon Shadow - both can use Tiger Claws, both work well with Stealth.
Snake Style and Crane Style share the Hook Sword as a form weapon and make for a very defense-heavy combo.
Crane and Dreaming Pearl can both use War Fans, but there is actually a bit of an issue with one favoring doge the other parry and Crane not being compatible with the armor from Pearlescent Filigree Defense.
So most likely you'll just use your unarmed attacks if you combine Styles.
Of course, that leaves out Single Point Shining into the Void (Slashing Swords only), Righteous Devil Style (Firewands, Flame Pieces only) and Steel Devil Style (pair of identical swords only).
But you can actually combine Steel Devil Style with Snake Style and Crane Style (both use Hook Swords) and with Single Point Style (nothing in that style says you can't dual-wield your slashing swords). And they can profit from Melee-charms as well, at least the non-supplementary ones.
Oh and there are A LOT of Brawl charms that should work just fine with unarmed Martial Arts attacks.
My inner GM is very sceptical of this argument. Single Point is designed to be used by unsheathing, attacking and resheathing your weapon in the midst of combat, like Rurouni Kenshin-esque Battoujutsu. I'd tell any player who tried to rule-lawyer their way out of that to stop being a dick head.
Also, purely as a matter of personal taste, I don't like Steel Devil all that much. Offhand Charge just doesn't seem particularly interesting.
Well, so long as you're not using Forms which would in any way interact with the non-MA Charm, sure. Doubt that'd happen all too often though.
Regardless, unless you're only taking two or three charms with low ability prerequisites, you might as well just forgo the MA entirely and use the vanilla charm tree of whichever fighting style you were interested in.
FaeGlade Plural
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Yes the exact interaction between Martial Arts and normal charms is...interesting. There are basically two ways to inteprete that bit of text:
- It's a declaration that Martial Arts is an ability of its own, and thus the normal charm-compatibility rules apply (Reflexive can be combined across abilities if it makes sense, Supplemental can't).
- It's a statement that all MA-charms are incompatible with all other charms like Leaping Tiger Attack is incompatible with Eagle-Wing Style.
I would prefer the first interpretation because it allows far more options for building a martial artist.
The second interpretation is also really weird IMO.
What if I am using Crane Form (+1 Parry) and want to ignore my onslaught penalties with Iron Battle Focus? Can I use Fists of Iron Technique to parry a lethal attack barehanded, or can a Crane Stylist just not do that at all? Second Interpretation says that I can't because I'm using two incompatible charms for the same action (a parry).
But at the same time the Second Interpretation does nothing to stop me from using Peony Blossom Technique to make a reflexive Melee Attack while in Steel Devil Form, since I am creating a new action that does not interact with it at all. Unless you go all-out and say "no native charms period while in a MA-form", but then a Martial Artist is entirely without any Perfect Defenses, or even just more basic defensive techniques.
Actually the Second Interpretation creates that problem anyway. Can somebody in Black Claw Form/Silver Voiced Nightingale Form (raises Evasion by 1) use Seven Shadow Evasion? Can they counter penalties with Shadow Over Water? All interact with the same Evasion-attempt after all. One could argue that Dodge is not a combat-ability and thus fine, but then you disfavor those styles that favor parry over evasion.
So with the Second Interpretation, a martial artists defense will have a lot of holes. No negating onslaught penalties or other penalties to defense, no negating surprise attacks. No soak-boosting with resistance charms either. And no perfect defenses at all.
On the other hand, the first Interpretation actually makes Solars better at martial arts by virtue of their charms. A Solar Crane Stylist can parry the swords of a dozen enemies as easily as those of a single one (thanks to Iron Battle Focus and Iron Hand Technique) and is not hindered by his lack of armor when he gets hit (thanks to Diamond-Body Prana).
Making Solar Charms matter for Solar Martial Artists is very much something I support, so I am heavily favoring the first interpretation.
As for Single Point Style combined with Steel Devil Style:
To me, Single Point Shining Into the Void seems to be mostly about unity with the blade allowing for extremely quick strikes and equally quick draws.
The form charm says that it is "customary" to sheathe ones blade after each blow, but doesn't actually require it. Someone who blends two styles together obviously does something that is not customary already, and Single Point Form even says that you sheathe your blade to control your blade - which is exactly what Steel Devil is also struggling with.
- It's a declaration that Martial Arts is an ability of its own, and thus the normal charm-compatibility rules apply (Reflexive can be combined across abilities if it makes sense, Supplemental can't).
- It's a statement that all MA-charms are incompatible with all other charms like Leaping Tiger Attack is incompatible with Eagle-Wing Style.
I would prefer the first interpretation because it allows far more options for building a martial artist.
The second interpretation is also really weird IMO.
What if I am using Crane Form (+1 Parry) and want to ignore my onslaught penalties with Iron Battle Focus? Can I use Fists of Iron Technique to parry a lethal attack barehanded, or can a Crane Stylist just not do that at all? Second Interpretation says that I can't because I'm using two incompatible charms for the same action (a parry).
But at the same time the Second Interpretation does nothing to stop me from using Peony Blossom Technique to make a reflexive Melee Attack while in Steel Devil Form, since I am creating a new action that does not interact with it at all. Unless you go all-out and say "no native charms period while in a MA-form", but then a Martial Artist is entirely without any Perfect Defenses, or even just more basic defensive techniques.
Actually the Second Interpretation creates that problem anyway. Can somebody in Black Claw Form/Silver Voiced Nightingale Form (raises Evasion by 1) use Seven Shadow Evasion? Can they counter penalties with Shadow Over Water? All interact with the same Evasion-attempt after all. One could argue that Dodge is not a combat-ability and thus fine, but then you disfavor those styles that favor parry over evasion.
So with the Second Interpretation, a martial artists defense will have a lot of holes. No negating onslaught penalties or other penalties to defense, no negating surprise attacks. No soak-boosting with resistance charms either. And no perfect defenses at all.
On the other hand, the first Interpretation actually makes Solars better at martial arts by virtue of their charms. A Solar Crane Stylist can parry the swords of a dozen enemies as easily as those of a single one (thanks to Iron Battle Focus and Iron Hand Technique) and is not hindered by his lack of armor when he gets hit (thanks to Diamond-Body Prana).
Making Solar Charms matter for Solar Martial Artists is very much something I support, so I am heavily favoring the first interpretation.
As for Single Point Style combined with Steel Devil Style:
To me, Single Point Shining Into the Void seems to be mostly about unity with the blade allowing for extremely quick strikes and equally quick draws.
The form charm says that it is "customary" to sheathe ones blade after each blow, but doesn't actually require it. Someone who blends two styles together obviously does something that is not customary already, and Single Point Form even says that you sheathe your blade to control your blade - which is exactly what Steel Devil is also struggling with.
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azoicennead
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I don't see how that's incompatible with using two swords. You just draw and sheath an extra sword.
Well that's ridiculous.
Seriously, there's a reason I changed Undrawn Blade Style to reward drawing and sheathing your weapon on the tick. It better fits the real-life techniques of iaijutsu/iaido/battoujutsu
Can anyone serve as a Devil's Advocate and argue reasonably as to why the four-dot merit to allow you to even begin purchasing Martial Arts dots is a good thing?
The only thing that mortal martial artists get out of Martial Arts is the ability to use weapons like hook swords and seven-section staves.
Exalted can get Charms out of it, but they still have to pay for those Charms on top of a new Ability for each and every set, especially if they want to dip their toes into multiple Styles for the pre-Form Charms.
The only thing that mortal martial artists get out of Martial Arts is the ability to use weapons like hook swords and seven-section staves.
Exalted can get Charms out of it, but they still have to pay for those Charms on top of a new Ability for each and every set, especially if they want to dip their toes into multiple Styles for the pre-Form Charms.
I don't know how closely you read the 'Martial Arts and other Abilities' section, but the rules actually seem fairly clear on this:
Martial Arts and Other Abilities
Creation's martial arts stand apart from the bare-handed fighting of brawlers or the weapons training of soldiers. Each one is a unique combination of precise, esoteric katas that stand on the boundary between fighting style and art form. In short—Martial Arts Charms are not compatible with Brawl, or any other combat Ability, unless they explicitly state otherwise. A bare-handed attack cannot benefit from both the maiming precision of Snake style's Crippling Pressure-Point Strike and the devastating force of the Heaven Thunder Hammer; wielding twin blades in the katas of Steel Devil style is entirely unlike the pragmatic fundamentals of the Melee Ability. However, while the Martial Arts cannot be combined with other combat Abilities, they can be freely combined with one another, limited only by the constraints of style weapons and armor restrictions (see below).
Creation's martial arts stand apart from the bare-handed fighting of brawlers or the weapons training of soldiers. Each one is a unique combination of precise, esoteric katas that stand on the boundary between fighting style and art form. In short—Martial Arts Charms are not compatible with Brawl, or any other combat Ability, unless they explicitly state otherwise. A bare-handed attack cannot benefit from both the maiming precision of Snake style's Crippling Pressure-Point Strike and the devastating force of the Heaven Thunder Hammer; wielding twin blades in the katas of Steel Devil style is entirely unlike the pragmatic fundamentals of the Melee Ability. However, while the Martial Arts cannot be combined with other combat Abilities, they can be freely combined with one another, limited only by the constraints of style weapons and armor restrictions (see below).
Basically, you can't benefit from a MA charm and another combat ability charm at the same time, more or less.
'Combat abilities', according to the Combat section of Chapter 5, are defined as the abilities with which you can make attack rolls (Archery, Brawl, etc). This doesn't include things like Dodge, Stealth or Resistance obviously, therefore you could use any Dodge charm or the like with a MA charm. But it would preclude you, unless I'm very much mistaken, from using any kind of Melee or Brawl charm while you were using or had a MA charm active. Since Forms are one of the most helpful tools in the MA charm pool, that largely means that it's just about pointless investing any effort into MA and another Combat Ability.
Well, drawing and cutting with a pair of swords one-handed in an Iaido fashion is roughly like wielding a Greatsword by holding the grip one-handed with only your index finger and thumb; you can do it, yeah, but no one would ever do it in combat.
azoicennead
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Or - and I realize this may sound strange to you - you could draw one sword with each hand.
You know, like someone who isn't trying to make it look (more) ridiculous.
FaeGlade Plural
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I didn't look up the exact definition of "Combat Abilities". But that doesn't really change the rest of my argument, which was mostly a "I would prefer to read it this way because"-argument anyway.
Oh and yes of course I read that section. Notice the second interpretation?
Your interpretation is basically that Form charms behave to combat ability charms like armor does to martial arts - you can't use it, your active and permanent effects are suppressed. Let's call that "Interpretation #3"
There is no indication that this is the only valid interpretation - "compatible" also gets used in the context of "can't be used for the same effect" and "can't be used on the same action".
That's also a valid interpretation, all I am saying is "this massively nerfs martial arts".
It leaves huge gaps in several styles, especially in regards to defense. A Crane Stylist without a weapon or ubiquitous stunting is helpless against any lethal damage since none of the charms allow parrying lethal attacks. Actually, there are no Martial Arts charms that allow blocking a blade with your bare hand at all! But there IS a Brawl-charm that can be learned by anyone who knows Martial Arts (it only requires Brawl 1, which you need for the Merit) - Fists of Iron Technique. Which is impossible under I#2 and I#3.
Oh and yes of course I read that section. Notice the second interpretation?
That's one possible interpretation.
Your interpretation is basically that Form charms behave to combat ability charms like armor does to martial arts - you can't use it, your active and permanent effects are suppressed. Let's call that "Interpretation #3"
There is no indication that this is the only valid interpretation - "compatible" also gets used in the context of "can't be used for the same effect" and "can't be used on the same action".
That's also a valid interpretation, all I am saying is "this massively nerfs martial arts".
It leaves huge gaps in several styles, especially in regards to defense. A Crane Stylist without a weapon or ubiquitous stunting is helpless against any lethal damage since none of the charms allow parrying lethal attacks. Actually, there are no Martial Arts charms that allow blocking a blade with your bare hand at all! But there IS a Brawl-charm that can be learned by anyone who knows Martial Arts (it only requires Brawl 1, which you need for the Merit) - Fists of Iron Technique. Which is impossible under I#2 and I#3.
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Revlid
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Yes, you could buy a style based around iaijutsu and then completely ignore how iaijutsu actually looks in order to squeeze out a mechanical advantage.
Or you could argue that repeatedly drawing a katana one-handed looks anything but ridiculous to begin with, never mind drawing two, one with each hand.
Either works.
The given example involves a Simple-type MA Charm and a Reflexive-type Brawl Charm.
The basic combo rules say that Heaven Thunder Hammer should enhance that attack. Heaven Thunder Hammer does not include any clause that prohibits it from enhancing a Martial Arts attack. Yet, this example tells us that it cannot.
Therefore, one must conclude that Martial Arts Charms do in fact have additional restrictions on compatibility than usual for Ability-based Charms.
At least, regarding "attacks".
But you can still can combo reflexive MA Charms with other Charms, as normal for cross-ability Charm combinations!
The exception is when a reflexive MA Charm explicitly calls upon the dependence of using of an attack or parry, which must necessarily be a Martial Arts attack or parry.
Serpentine Evasion is a reflexive Charm that enhances the user's dodge. There is absolutely nothing preventing it from working together with Dodge Charms of any type, except if the martial artist is wearing more armor than Snake Style permits.
Striking Cobra Technique is also a reflexive Charm, but because it enhances an attack, its very nature as a Martial Arts Charm specifies that the attack must be based on the Martial Arts: Snake Style ability, which cannot be enhanced by Heaven Thunder Hammer. It can still be activated in the same turn as Fists of Iron Technique, but the martial artist would not enjoy that Brawl Charm's attack-enhancement effect for his Martial Arts attack.
Not that I disagree, but doesn't this same complaint apply against using reaper daiklaives, which must be an absolute BITCH to sheath and unsheath due to their ungodly length?
Hakumen merely settles for returning his overlong sword (which isn't even curved!) to a resting position each time rather than sheathing it, but I insist he's using Shining Point Style.
Is it acceptable to specify that Shining Point should only work with two-handed slashing swords?
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azoicennead
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You know what looks even more ridiculous? Sheathing the sword after every strike. Which also isn't how you do iaijutsu.
So, the Form charm for Single Point already says you should throw how iaijutsu actually looks out the window when it says it's traditional to sheath your sword after every strike.
(Also the part where you sheath your sword in the middle of combat; iaijutsu is your opening strike.)
Furthermore, you draw a katana by grabbing the handle in one hand and the sheath in the other. If you don't need to grab the sheath, suddenly you're drawing the katana with one hand.
But, sure, if you want to say I can't have my character learn two (mechanically compatible) combat styles and then combine them into a single, unusual, combat style, go for it. I'll just not play in your games, and argue against that ruling in games that I play in.
There's also the fact that the devs don't really consider Single Point to be an iai style.
Morke said:
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They're making Wind-Cutting Blade canon?
Great! We might yet see Graceful Hummingbird Style, too! But without the adaptive keyword.
Great! We might yet see Graceful Hummingbird Style, too! But without the adaptive keyword.