What about the Akashic Form?
Sigh.
Right, I had forgotten that one. One especially faithful Psi-Wars faithful, calmquist, tried his own hand at it, creating his own updated power-ups. They were not that great, though, and when I finally settled down to take a look at his version, and the original version, I quickly saw why: it's not a good martial art; there's just not much you can do with it. Or, better, it's been made obsolete by the Serene Form.
The central concept of the Akashic Form (and Three-Eye Fighting, from which it draws many of its concepts) is the integration of precognition and Combat Sense into force swordsmanship. It's a nice concept, but that niche has been better filled by the Serene Form.
- Want to use your precognition to better defend? Serene form does that.
- Want to use your precognition to draw and attack the instant before your opponent does? Serene form does that.
- Want to fight blind, relying on your psychic sense? Serene form does that.
The Akashic Form
5 points
Alternate Names: Third-Eye Force Swordsmanship; the Art of the Devil; The Persephonean Way
The Akashic Knights serve the Akashic Order as the defenders of their oracles and their shadowy agents of the Labyrinth. Most Akashic Knights are experienced in at least one Maradonian form (typically the Old Way or the Destructive Form) of force swordsmanship, and have adapted the principles of an old, traditional combat technique called “Third-Eye Fighting” to blend their natural ESP power with their force sword form and create a lethal combat technique.
The Akashic Form is slow, patient and ritualistic. Those who use the form make moves and attacks familiar to anyone who has studied Maradonian force swordsmanship, but they seem exaggerated, almost theatrical, and have a profound sense of hidden meaning behind their movements. Despite this, the technique is extremely effective: they always seem to know just where to strike, and just where to defend, and luck seems to favor Akashic Knights with happy coincidence or impossibly accurate or lethal strikes, as though Destiny itself ordained their victory.
The Akashic Form uses ESP. As the Order never allows men to undergo the Akashic Initiation, most male Espers instead learn the Akashic Form and become Akashic Knights. Non-espers can learn the bare essentials of the technique, and use some of its moves to enhance certain aspects of their existing force swordsmanship, but they cannot advance beyond student levels of the form.
Required Skills: Force Sword, Combat Sense; Religious Ritual (Akashic); Theology (Akashic)
Techniques: Resist Hallucination, Rite of Victory (Religious Ritual), Sense Vulnerability (Combat Sense);
Cinematic Skills: Blind Fighting, Breaking Blow, Mental Strength, Precognitive Defense
Cinematic Techniques: Dual-Weapon Defense, Timed Defense
Perks: Blind Fighter, Blind Psi, Hallucinogenic Fighter, Portentous Victory, Psi-Strike (ESP, Force Sword), Style Adaption (any Maradonian style), Tactical Listener, Triumph of Destiny, Veiled Gaze;
Additional Optional Advantages: Trained by a Master, Higher Purpose (Fulfill the Akashic Prophecy)
Optional Skills: Armoury (Force Sword), Awareness, Fast Draw (Force Sword), Hidden Lore (Labyrinth), Navigation (Underground)
Optional Psi Techniques: Extended Arc (Awarness)
Akashic Form Traits
Perks
Blind Fighting: A blind character gains +2 to all combat rolls; this does not eliminate the combat penalties for blindness! If the character can see via non physical means (Blind Fighting, Awareness, etc), the gains a +1 to all combat rolls instead of the +2.
Hallucinogenic Fighter: The fighter learns to allow hallucinations to guide him in combat. While Hallucinating (see p B429), if the characters successfully resists the effects of the Hallucination roll, they ignore the -2 penalty to their DX and instead gain a +2 to their DX rolls in combat; they suffer the -2 to all other rolls. If they fail to resist the effects of hallucination, they suffer the normal penalties!
Portentous Victory: If the character uses the Akashic Rite of Victory, the complementary bonus to precognitive rolls counts as a Superior bonus (+2 on a success, +4 on a critical success, -1 on a failure, -2 on a critical failure).
Tactical Listener: The character treats Spotting rolls as superior complementary bonuses. They gain +2 on a successful roll, +4 on a critical success, -1 on a failure, and -2 on a critical failure.
Triumph of Destiny: Once per session, after defeating an opponent, make an Akashic Rite of Victory roll to “sanctify” your victory. On a success, you immediately gain one Impulse Buy point that must be spent before the end of the session. The GM can veto the use of this perk; in general, it should only be used against interesting opponents, not activated after defeating a single mook in a dark alley.
Veiled Gaze: The character never meets the gaze of others unless they explicitly state that they do so. Thus, the GM must explicitly ask them if they look into someone’s gaze. Refusing to do so can, in some cases, but off-putting and apply a -1 to reaction rolls. The character will never accidentally look into the eyes of someone who can use a psychic power that requires eye contact.
Techniques
Resist Hallucination
Hard
Default: Will; cannot exceed Will+4.
When attempting to resist the effects of Hallucination, you may substitute this technique in place of Will.
Rite of Victory
Hard
Default: Religious Ritual; cannot exceed Religious Ritual+4.
After defeating an opponent, the character may stop and take a turn to perform a Rite of Victory, sanctifying the defeat in the name of the character’s religion. The benefits of this action vary, but in the case of the Akashic Religious Ritual, this acts as a complementary roll to the Oracle advantage or Precognition rolls, and can immediately trigger a Vision or an Oracle roll (the victory itself counts as “an hour of studying omens”).
Sense Vulnerability
Hard
Default: Combat Sense-5; cannot exceed Combat Sense.
When making a Combat Sense roll against an opponent, the character may choose to Sense Vulnerability instead. This works like a normal Combat Sense roll and the character gains the usual benefits (+1 defense/level of Combat Sense), but if the roll succeeds and the GM declares the character senses a moment of vulnerability in his target’s defenses, he can exploit it. He trades the +1 defense/level for a +2 modifier/level to hit his target. This bonus may be converted to Deceptive Attack penalties or a Feint bonus, etc. This is only possible if the GM declares that a vulnerability exists! This technique only costs 2 fatigue if the GM declares that a vulnerability exists and the character wishes to convert his defense bonus into an offense bonus.
For example: Shay Sabine, with Combat Sense at level 3 and Combast Sense skill-18, is fighting a Ranathim hunter and rolls Sense Vulnerability (a 13 or less). She succeeds, but the GM does not declare a vulnerability. Shay gains +3 to defense as normal. On the next turn, Shay rolls against her Sense Vulnerability (13 or less) and succeeds. The GM declares a vulnerability (“His neck is exposed”) and Shay pays 2 fatigue and to gain a +6 to hit the Ranathim hunter’s neck.
Spotting
Hard
Default: Observation; cannot exceed Observation+4.
When using the Spotting rules (GURPS Action 2 page 39), you may substitute this technique for your Observation skill.
Akashic Form as Power-Ups
Akashic Form – Student
20 points for Primary Style; 10 points for Secondary Style
Prerequisite: None
The Akashic Knight must learn to fight with their force sword, but they must learn that combat is more than just a means of defeating a foe, but a part of the cosmic dance of time and destiny. Their actions shape the future and are shaped by the past. The student of the Akashic Form learns to gain a greater appreciation for this, and studies the basic of Akashic rituals, to protect themselves from the dangers of the Labyrinth, and to prepare themselves for the Rites of Battle (see the Tarot of War for more).
Perks: Style Familiarity (Akashic Form) [1]; 1 pt something; probably something Labyrinthine.
Skills:
As Primary Style:
Force Sword (A) DX+3 [12]; Precognitive Defense (H) IQ-1 [2]; Religious Ritual (Akashic) (H) IQ-1 [2]; Theology (Akashic) (H) IQ-1 [2];
As Secondary Style:
Improve Force Sword one level for 4 points; Religious Ritual (H) IQ-1 [2]; Theology (Akashic) (H) IQ-1 [2];
Akashic Form – Adept
20 points for Primary Style; 10 points for a Secondary Style
Prerequisite: Akashic Form – Student; the Combat Sense ability.
To advance deeper into the Akashic Form, one must be psychically awake so that they can sense the flow of destiny in combat. This requires the ability to use Combat Sense, which forms the basis for many moves of the Akashic Form. Those who cannot sometimes seek to Open the Third Eye (see below), but if they are unable to, they cannot advance in the form.
Those who gain advance learn the secrets of Combat Sense and perfect their knowledge of Akashic Rituals.
Skills:
As Primary Style: Combat Sense (H) IQ [4]; Improve Force Sword to (A) DX+5 [20] for 8 points; improve Precognitive Defense to (H) IQ+1 [8] for 6 points; improve Religious Ritual to (H) IQ [4] for 2 points.
As Secondary Style: Combat Sense (H) IQ [4]; Improve Force Sword one level for 4 points; improve Religious Ritual to (H) IQ [4] for 2 points.
Akashic Form – Master:
20 points as primary style; 10 points as secondary style.
Prerequisite: Akashic Form – Adept; ESP Talent 1 or greater.
Those who seek to master the Akashic Form must have total facility with ESP: the space and time must lay bare before their mind. Those that cannot see with the totality of their Third Eye must seek to Open the Third Eye (see below) or abandon their quest for mastery.
Those who do master the form learn to use their ESP to great effect. Once per session, they can add their ESP talent to their attack or damage rolls with their force sword. Furthermore, they learn to truly become one with the prophecies of the Akashic Order (for what is an Akashic Knight if not a servant of the Oracles?) and gains a +1 to all rolls whenever their actions seek to further an Akashic Prophecy.
Perks: Psi Strike (ESP, Force Sword) [1]
Traits: Higher Purpose (Fulfill the Akashic Prophecy) [5]
Skills:
As Primary Style: Armoury (Force Sword) (A) IQ [2]; Improve Force Sword to (A) DX+7 [28] for 8 points; improve Precognitive Defense to (H) IQ+2 [12] for 4 points.
As Secondary Style: Improve Force Sword one level for 4 points;
Akashic Form Moves
Accept Fate (“the Dead Stance”)
4 points
Prerequisite: Style Familiarity (Akashic Form), Combat Sense
The Akashic Knight learns to trust her instincts, to read the flow of combat through his Combat Sense, rather than her intellect and the benefits of his senses. His combat technique becomes “lazy” and seemingly slow, and yet she always manages to not be where her opponent strikes, and to strike exactly where she needs to strike. She allows fate, and her combat sense, to dictate the tempo of the fight, rather than trying to will her way to victory.
Trademark Move (The Dead Stance): Evaluate your target and roll Combat Sense+1; you gain a +3 to your next attack against your target and ignore up to -3 in defensive penalties from Feint or Deceptive attack. If your Combat Sense roll succeeds, you may apply your Combat Sense level as a bonus to all Defense rolls for this turn or the GM may choose to “reveal an opportunity” to your character, in such case, you may choose to trade in your +1/level defense for a +2/level to your next attack against the specific target.
Perks: Trademark Move (Dead Stance) [1]
Technique: Sense Vulnerability (H) Combat Sense+0 [3]
The Guided Path
4 points
Prerequisite: Style Familiarity (Akashic Form)
The Akashic Knight submits her will to the Akashic Order, even during a fight! They learn to listen to the commands and orders of an oracle, to allow their visions to guide them in combat. They also learn to watch out for others, to call out commands of their own to guide others.
When making a Spotting roll (GURPS Action 2 page 39), they roll Observation+4. When receiving the benefits of Spotting, they treat a successful Spotting roll as a superior complementary bonus, gaining +2 on a success instead of +1.
Perks: Tactical Listener [1]
Technique: Spotting (H) Observation+4 [3]
The Tarot of War
5 points
Prerequisite: Style Familiarity (Akashic Form)
The Oracles of the Akashic Order learn to seek omens in the random moments of everyday life, but the Akashic Knight has learned, through the psionically resonant rituals of the Akashic Order, to create an opporunity for an oracle to find the omens they seek.
After defeating a target (at least a Henchmen), the character may make a Ready Action to roll Religious Ritual (Akashic) at +3. On a success, they perform the rite properly (typically a simple, ritually significant gesture of movement that takes no longer than a second), they immediately gain a single impulse buy point that they must spend before the end of the session, or they lose it. Additionally, any character with Oracle may immediately roll to notice an omen in the events of the battle, and they gain a +2 to their roll; characters with Visions might have a Vision triggered and, if so, gain a +2 to their Visions roll to interpret their vision. A character may successfully invoke the Tarot of War no more than once per session.
The Tarot of War may only be invoked at the GM’s discretion. The character may perform the rite at the appropriate moment, but whether it has any impact depends on how momentous the victory was; the GM may decide that it didn’t matter or that there are no visions or destiny to be had in that moment!
This move synergizes with the knowledge of other Maradonian Styles. Characters who have a Style Familiarity in the Destructive Form, the Graceful Form, the Swift Form or Knightly Force Swordsmanship automatically gain the appropriate additional benefit when using this move:
Knight of Swords (Destructive Form): also called the “Rite of Execution,” if the Henchmen (or better) was defeated by having their head severed (such as via the Reaping Stroke trademark move) or their arm/hand severed (such as via the Spirit-Killing Stroke trademark move), they may claim the bonus Impulse buy point and the complementary bonus for an Oracle who witnessed the victory without making a Religious Ritual roll.
Knight of Hearts (Graceful Form): also called “the Dancer’s Rite” the Akashic Knight may replace their Religious Ritual roll with a Combat Art (Force Sword) roll (such as the Triumph trademark move) or a Dancing roll.
Knight of Crowns (Swift Form): also called the “Rite of Law,” the Akashic Knight may explicitly make the Religious Ritual roll after defeating his opponent in a duel via a disarm (such as via the Gentleman’s Victory trademark move) or via a technicality (using Games (Dueling)).
Knight of Staves (Knightly Force Swordsmanship): also called the “Rite of Battle,” the Akashic Knight may perform the Religious Ritual after defeating three mooks, rather than a Henchman.
Perks: Portentous Victory [1]; Style Adaption (Maradonian Styles) [1]; Triumph of Destiny [1];
Technique: Rite of Victory (H) Religious Ritual (Akashic)+3 [2]
Akashic Form Exercises
The Cosmic Path
4 points
Prerequisite: Style Familiarity (Akashic Form), Trained by a Master or Weapon Master
The character has learned to experience a hallucination as psychic information that grants them superior insights into battle, provided they can maintain their focus and prevent themselves from becoming lost in the hallucination.
While Hallucinating, if the character successfully makes their Will roll to act, they gain a +2 to all combat rolls instead of the usual -2 (which still applies to non-combat actions); if they fail, they suffer the usual -5 to all rolls. When rolling Will to resist the effects of Hallucination, they roll at Will+4!
Perks: Hallucinogenic Fighter [1]
Techniques: Resist Hallucination (H) Will+4 [3]
The Veiled Stance
5 points
Prerequisite: Style Familiarity (Akashic Form), Awareness
The Akashic Knight has honed their psychic Awareness to total combat potency, allowing them to see behind as well as to the sides and the front with total ease. They learn to fight better without their eyes than with them! So long as they cannot see their target with their physical eyes, they gain a +1 to all combat rolls, but they suffer the normal penalties for blindness to all other actions.
Perks: Blind Fighter [1]
Techniques: Extended Arc (H) Awareness-1 [4]
Open the Third Eye
3 points
Prerequisite: Style Familiarity (Akashic Form)
Some non-Esper Knights who serve the Order express frustration at being unable to further their skill beyond that of student thanks to their lack of facility of ESP. The Order, in response, sometimes suggests that the Knight is psychically latent and that, by studying the teachings of the Order diligently, he may “open his third eye.”
This is likely a lie, but if the GM decides it is true, then practitioners of the Akashic Form may indeed unlock a hidden latency in ESP which they may later develop into a full ESP ability, or even the ESP Talent!
Perks: Weak Psi Latency (ESP) [1]
Skills: Improve Theology (Akashic) to (H) IQ [4] for 2 points.
Akashic Form Secrets
Labyrinthine Revelation
1 + the cost of the Revelation.
Prerequisite: Style Familiarity (Akashic Form), Style Adaption (Appropriate Maradonian Style), Style Familiarity (at least one Maradonian Style), Trained by a Master or Weapon Master; ESP Talent 1 or better.
According to legend, those knights who have mastered the Akashic Form, especially the Tarot of War, complete their journey of self-knowledge and unlock the “cosmic secrets” of the other Maradonian styles that allows them to seize their own destiny in the heart of battle.
This move is not a single move, but a collection of four moves, each related to one of the four Maradonian styles. The character must have Style Familiarity with the requisite style, and have a Style Adaption perk associated with the style (the Tarot of War move is sufficient for this latter requirement). If so, the character may purchase the Labyrinthine Revelation for that style. All Labyrinthine Revelations cost an Impulse Buy point to use.
Labyrinthine Revelation of Swords (Destruction Form): The Labyrinthine Revelation of Swords allows the character to spend an impulse buy point to make his next attack with a force sword cosmic. The attack ignores non-cosmic DR and non-cosmic forms of injury tolerance or immortality. A mortal blow from the Labyrinthine Revelation of Swords will kill a character with the Unkillable advantage. [15]
Labyrinthine Revelation of Hearts (Graceful Form): The Labyrinthine Revelation of Hearts allows the character to spend an impulse buy point to make his next dodge cosmic. The character halves any penalties to their dodge roll, and may dodge any explicitly “undodgeable” attack, provided (barring the current circumstances) the character could normally dodge such an attack. Thus, the character could dodge other Cosmic attacks (such as the Labyrinthine Revelation of Crowns), surprise attacks, invisible attacks, etc, but they could not dodge a Malediction. [5]
Labyrinthine Revelation of Crowns (Swift Form): The Labyrinthine Revelation of Crowns allows the character to spend an impulse buy point to make his next All-Out Attack with a force sword cosmic. The attack becomes indefensible and that target may not block, parry or dodge. The Revelation has an inferior effect against those trained in non-Maradonian force sword styles. A character with a style familiarity in a non-Maradonian force sword martial art (such as the Serene Form) instead apply a -5 to their defense rolls. [15]
Labyrinthine Revelation of Staves (Knightly Force Swordsmanship): The Labyrinthine Revelation of Staves allows the character to spend an impulse buy point to make his next Block (with a force buckler) or Parry (with a force sword) cosmic. The character halves any penalties to their block or parry roll, and may block or parry any explicitly “unblockable” attack, provided (barring the current circumstances) the character could normally dodge such an attack. Thus, the character could block or parry other Cosmic attacks (such as the Labyrinthine Revelation of Crowns), surprise attacks, invisible attacks, etc, but they could not block a Malediction. [5]
Perks: Secret Technique (Varies) [1];
Shadow Knight Training
15 points
Prerequisite: Religious Ritual (Akashic) 14+; Style Familiarity (Akashic Form), Trained by a Master or Weapon Master.
The Akashic Order reserves these secrets for their Shadow Knights, those Akashic Knights who have received induction into the secrets of the Labyrinth. They have been trained to walk the labyrinth, made aware of its dangers, and learn to fight the perilous time shades within. Their force swords can always affect insubstantial beings, they learn the rites of exorcism, and they learn to avert their gaze from everyone, to avoid the dangerous, eyeless gaze of a time shade.
Perks: Veiled Gaze [1]
Advantages: Blessed (Ghost Weapons; Force Swords only -60%) [6]
Skills: Exorcism (Akashic) (H) Will [4]; Hidden Lore (Labyrinthine) (A) IQ [2]; Navigation (Underground) (A) IQ [2]
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