Pertinacious Automaton Style

This style was created by Argent on the Exalted wiki. It has been altered in several ways to fit better into the Forgotten Suns campaign. Changes from the original will be noted in italics. This style was taught to Regret of the Sun in Autochthonia.

This Celestial-level martial art was designed by Victorious Ember, a First Age sorcerer specifically to be taught to his Amalgam hunter-warriors. The Amalgams were taught to emulate the protocols of the Unrelenting Automaton - to be quick, tireless machines that were able to defeat heavily armored opponents in unarmed close combat. The style emphasizes speed and a strong offense, allowing its user to channel her Essence through her body and transfer the force of her blows through solid objects, as well as honing her body close to the ideal of the Body Machine.

The Martial Art allows the use of armor but has no associated weapons; its users often brandished artificial limbs which they used to devastating effect.

Iron Sheath Posture

Kind: Celestial Martial Arts
Cost: 1 mote per point of reduction
Duration: 5 turns
Type: Reflexive
Min. Martial Arts: 2
Min. Essence: 2
Source: Pertinacious Automaton style inspired by Argent
Prerequisite Charms: None
Summary: Reduce mobility and fatigue penalties, spending no more than Martial Arts.

Taking clues from the basic lessons of the Machine God, the Exalt learns to treat his armor not as an external factor, but as part of himself. He may reduce the Mobility penalty and Fatigue rating of his armor, to a minimum of zero for each. He can spend no more motes than his Martial Arts rating when activating this charm. If invoked when already active, the old invocation immediately ends.

Automated Overdrive Offense

Automated Overdrive Offense

Vibrating Hammer Palm

Kind: Celestial Martial Arts
Cost: 4 motes
Duration: Instant
Type: Supplemental
Min. Martial Arts: 3
Min. Essence: 2
Source: Pertinacious Automaton style inspired by Argent
Prerequisite Charms: Iron Sheath Posture
Summary: Reduce soak provided by target's armor by Martial Arts.

The exalt strikes out with a forceful open-handed punch, using his essence to allow the force of the blow to bypass the armor of his opponent as if it just wasn't there. He may reduce his opponent's armor-based soak for one unarmed Martial Arts attack by twice his Martial Arts rating, to a minimum of zero.

This charm is roughly equivalent to Consuming Entropy Strike (abys.164). In comparison, it becomes cheaper as your MA increases, but is both bounded and doesn't offer as much control.

Unrelenting Automaton Form

Kind: Celestial Martial Arts
Cost: 5 motes
Duration: One scene
Type: Simple
Min. Martial Arts: 4
Min. Essence: 3
Source: Pertinacious Automaton style by Argent
Prerequisite Charms: Vibrating Hammer Palm, Hydraulic Body Configuration
Summary: Bare hands deal and parry lethal damage. Add essence to Strength and any die rolls to resist environmental damage or any effect that is reduced against automata. Cast Iron Sheath Posture intrinsically. Reduce Hardness of target's armor by Essence.

Assuming a fluid, yet forceful stance honoring the perfection of the Machine God, the martial artist harmonizes his essence with the Machine God, effectively becoming part of the great machine. His unarmed Martial Arts attacks do lethal damage and he may parry lethal attacks with his bare hands. He adds his Essence score to his Strength, both for feats of strength and damage. He also adds Essence dice to any rolls to resist environmental damage or any effect that specifically has reduced effect against automata.

While this form is in effect, the martial artist may activate Iron Sheath Posture as an intrinsic ability, without it counting as a charm activation. Any unarmed Martial Arts attacks made while this form is active reduce the Hardness of the target's armor by the martial artist's Essence, to a minimum of zero.

Hydraulic Body Configuration

Kind: Celestial Martial Arts
Cost: 3 motes
Duration: Instant
Type: Reflexive
Min. Martial Arts: 3
Min. Essence: 2
Source: Pertinacious Automaton style inspired by Argent
Prerequisite Charms: Iron Sheath Posture
Summary: Choose to either add Dexterity to initiative, negate effects that automatically win initiative, add Strength to jumping distance or add Strength yards to base movement.

With a quick, precise kata, the martial artist temporarily supercharges his muscles with essence, emulating the hydraulic mechanisms of the Machine God. If he uses this charm while having the Pertinacious Automaton Form activated, his body is temporarily covered with essence lines converging at his reconfigured chakra points. He may put his reconfigured muscles to use in one of the following ways, decided when activating the charm:

• He adds his Dexterity to his initiative
• Charms such as Thunderclap Rush Attack do not automatically win initiative over him.
• He adds his Strength to jumping distance
• He adds his Strength to his base movement

Automated Defensive Configuration

1. REDIRECT Automated Defense Adjustment

Hypergear Acceleration Protocol

Kind: Celestial Martial Arts
Cost: 6 motes, 1 willpower
Duration: One scene
Type: Simple
Min. Martial Arts: 5
Min. Essence: 3
Source: Pertinacious Automaton style by Argent
Prerequisite Charms: Automated Defense Adjustment
Summary: Halve penalties from multiple actions, rounding down.

Feeling the flow of the Machine God accelerating his muscles and mind, time slows down for the martial artist, as he becomes a blur to his opponents, striking out with inhuman speed. For the remainder of the scene, all of his multiple action penalties are halved (rounded down).

Alchemical exalts activating this charm gain a point of temporary Clarity.

Merciless Iron Offense

Kind: Celestial Martial Arts
Cost: 3 motes per success
Duration: Instant
Type: Supplemental
Min. Martial Arts: 5
Min. Essence: 3
Source: Pertinacious Automaton style inspired by Argent
Prerequisite Charms: Pertinacious Automaton Form
Summary: Add up to Martial Arts successes to an unarmed attack. For each success bought, you may also convert one dice of damage into an automatic success.

For one moment, the martial artist's body becomes as metal, his muscles and joints hardening to wires and pistons, granting his blows tremendous machine-like force. He may buy up to Martial Arts successes to an unarmed Martial Arts attack roll. If this attack succeeds, for each attack success purchased, the martial artist may convert one post-soak damage dice into an automatic success.

Steel-puncturing Piston Offense

Kind: Celestial Martial Arts
Cost: 7 motes
Duration: One scene
Type: Simple
Min. Martial Arts: 5
Min. Essence: 3
Source: Pertinacious Automaton style inspired by Argent
Prerequisite Charms: Merciless Iron Assault
Summary: All unarmed attacks to piercing damage. Spend 1wp for an attack to ignore all armor.

The martial artist's synchronicity with the Great Maker grants him deep insight into the armor of his target. If he has Pertinacious Automaton Form activated, his fingers seem to end in pinpoints of light, like brightly burning embers. His punches and kicks slam through armor as if it were not there. All unarmed Martial Arts attacks made while this charm is active deal piercing damage. Further, any soak reduction done by other charms of this style are applied after this charm divides the soak in half.

In addition, the martial artist can reflexively spend a point of Willpower when making an unarmed Martial Arts attack to have that attack completely ignore all of the soak provided by armor, forcing the target to soak the attack only with their Stamina and charms that enhance natural soak.

Alchemical exalts activating this charm gain a point of temporary Clarity.

Merciless Metal Hunter Protocol

Merciless Metal Hunter Protocol

Armor-plated Behemoth Defensive Stance

Armor-plated Behemoth Defensive Stance

Iron-sheathed Demon Activation Procedure

Iron-sheathed Demon Activation Procedure

Invincibly Cocooned Seraph Protocol

Invincibly Cocooned Seraph Protocol

Omega Machine Emulation Hyperprotocol

Omega Machine Emulation Hyperprotocol