Supernatural Martial Arts

An important part of capturing that wuxia feeling in Exalted is the developing supernatural martial arts styles. Such skills are naturally open-ended and require the Essence Wielder trait. They cost 2-3 general skill points and a mentor-type relationship to open during character creation. These skills are always rooted in Essence and another appropriate stat (usually Agility).

Martial Arts Burner
To make a supernatural martial art, follow the steps below:

i. Concept
What do you want the martial art to do? Where did you learn it and who taught it to you? Why? Try to find some inspiration for the the martial art, either by looking at the original exalted material, or you may even turn to some classic wuxia fiction, video games, or anime if you like.

ii. Choose a Base Skill
This is typically a martial arts skill (à la Boxing) but with the GM’s permission—and if it fits your concept and you can justify it—it may be any other skill instead. (Yes, this means you can have a martial art about archery, dancing, debate, or even drinking!) The only exception are Sorcerous-type or any skills that are otherwise naturally open-ended.

This gives thematic flavour and direction for your martial art and it helps to dictate an appropriate second root (the first root always being Essence), the skill category, and appropriate FoRKs.

When used as a skill, the supernatural martial art functions exactly like the skill it’s based on, using its listed obstacles and so on, except that it’s always open-ended, and the user must be in the correct stance to use it (see below). The original base skill, the form’s weapon or tool skills (if any), and one or two appropriate wises may be FoRKed. In this way, such arts are like Elven skill-songs.

Combined Arts
Alternatively, you may combine two skills (or a skill and a single spell) together. This costs an extra general skill point, or doubles the in-game learning aptitude. And it means that the single martial art skill can be used to achieve intents from either Ob lists. Or if it's a spell, then the skill has a special alternative use.


 * For example, you could combine the Guzheng musical skill with the Throwing skill, allowing you to throw blades from the strings of your musical instrument (like in Kung-Fu Hustle). You could mix Knives with Surgery and become a psycho killer-doctor. Or you might want to combine Boxing with the Fire Fan spell (for some fire-punching Hadoukening action!)

A spell added to the skill this way follows all the usual rules of sorcery, but costs no rps. The spell must fit your concept though, and you may only add one spell or add one extra skill, not both.

Tools?
Some martial arts also require tools, such as appropriate weapons, instruments, special armour or clothes, talismans, or prayer strips, etc. Such restrictions are imposed by the GM at this stage.

iii. Design a Stance
To use the martial art properly you must enter a special stance. If this martial art is combat focused, then choose upon entering whether it is ‘neutral’, ‘aggressive’, or ‘defensive’ (see BWG pg 445). Entering the stance always comes with one other drawback. Choose one from the ideas below, or make up your own. This drawback cannot be changed once the skill has been designed and learned though, so pick wisely: The exact specifications of the chosen drawback needs to be thematically appropriate to the martial art, and discussed with the GM. (Remember that you can only ever be in one stance at a time, and that you drop out of a stance if you ever Disengage, Hesitate, Charge/Tackle someone, or become incapacitated.)
 * The user's Anima flares while they're in the stance.
 * The stance cannot be entered if wearing certain armour.
 * Being in the stance makes performing certain other tasks more difficult or near impossible.
 * You may only enter the stance in certain terrain or light conditions (and leaving those conditions means you exit the stance).
 * You suffer a wound upon leaving the stance.
 * The stance can only be entered with a specific target in mind (i.e. changing targets requires exiting the stance and then re-entering with the new target). That is, the martial art is best used for 1-on-1 duels.
 * Entering the stance costs artha (a fate point, say).
 * It takes a few moments of (uninterrupted) concentration to enter the stance.
 * The stance can only be entered infrequently (once per session, say).
 * The stance requires some kind of sacrifice to be entered (a cash die, say).

iv. Add a new Sphere
A martial art has a secondary function: While a character is in the stance, their Essence Spheres get expanded. The new Sphere is named after the martial art's base skill (or skills) or the martial art itself, which will probably make it sound quite vague in-name, but should be quite focused in terms of what you and the GM agree it is capable of.

It may help to write down a list of thematically appropriate, pre-named, one-sentence channeling powers for easy access (use a similar style as that seen in the Spheres and Channeling Examples if you like). Indeed if you’re basing the style off the original Exalted material, then it can be a useful exercise to summarise each charm in the original martial art’s tree as a single essence channeling.


 * For example, if we have a Supernatural Martial Art with the base skill in religious Ritual, then some ideas we might have about things that the Ritual Sphere will allow our Essence to do may include: Basic things like give bonus dice (aid), or ignore certain penalties (boon); plus more powerful (minor miracle) things like exorcising the dead or the possessed, calling forth a rain during drought, purifying food and drink, or speaking with animals for a scene.

Footnote: Because of the way that Spheres work, one can ostensibly still perform such channelings without knowing the martial art. The martial art just makes them easier, as it guarantees that the appropriate Sphere is always part of your ability-set so long as you maintain the stance.

See the Martial Arts Conversions from Exalted section for more examples.

v. Name it and Learn it
Give the martial art style an appropriate name and then spend 2 (or 3) general skill points. The skill may then be advanced normally with any kind of skill point. At the discretion of the GM, the martial art may be grey-shaded for 5 skill pts.

You also need an appropriate relationship to learn a martial art. Someone who passes this art on to you. Buy them as a relationship during character creation, or circle them up if you're leaning a new martial art in-game.

Peer Review
This entire process requires the GM to be present and helping in the discussion of what you want the martial art to do. Then it needs a final peer review from the other players. If a player comes to the table with an unchecked martial art, the GM reserves the right to strip it from their sheet!

A Warning: You could combine more than two skills, or multiple spells, into a single art. But this requires some heavy GM discretion. Add 1 general skill point (or double aptitude) for each one, and maybe add multiple drawbacks or multiple tutors. Experiment with this silliness at your own risk!