ReignWulin:Unique Disciplines

Divine Melancholy Palms

During the fifteen years of lonely seclusion he spent separated from Xiaolongnu, Yang Guo created this unique palm style, which synthesized the various techniques he had learned over his lifetime with the profound internal energy he had built up using Dugu Qubai's training methods and allowed him to channel his loneliness and frustration. Since he had already been partially crippled, his new style incorporated many strange and unorthodox moves that allowed him to strike with parts of the body that are not normally used, and even to apply muscle systems that are normally thought of as involuntary. During the year of his reunion with Xiaolongnu he taught most of the style to Zhou Botong before retiring with her into seclusion from the Wulin.

These techniques are all used with Coordinated + Unarmed Strike. Some of them allow you to make unarmed strikes with parts of the body that are not normally used for striking. All of them draw upon the practitioner's sorrow and anguish, and function much more effectively if the user is suffering the effects of a thwarted Passion (see pg 38).

• Cherish Hate, Suppress Sobs (1 point): If you know this technique, your attack rolls gain bonuses from thwarted Passions instead of penalties. You still suffer penalties from your thwarted Passions to all other rolls, including Dodge and Parry attempts.
• Meaningless Wanderer (2 points): This eerie movement is an enhanced Feint attempt. If it is successful, you gain a +2d bonus on your next attack against that opponent (instead of the usual +1d). If you are suffering from a thwarted Passion, the extra die becomes an Expert Die (for a total bonus of +1d+E).
• Frightened Heart Spasm (3 points): You may Parry attacks against you even if none of your limbs are available to use. (If used against an armed attack, you suffer the normal penalties for parrying unarmed, unless another technique you know negates them.) If you are currently suffering from a thwarted Passion, a successful Parry using this technique deals a point of Shock damage to the limb striking you.
• Overbearing Sadness (4 points): Your palm strike does an additional two points of Shock damage. If you are currently suffering from a thwarted Passion, it costs two Gobble Dice to remove one die from your attack success. This is the only attack you can make in the round but you may combine this with non-attack actions if you wish (suffering the usual multiple action penalty.)
• Out of Nothing (5 points): You may make as many attacks as you wish without suffering a multiple action penalty, and you may attack even if none of your limbs are available to strike with. If you are currently suffering from a thwarted Passion, all of your Waste Dice become Area Dice against an opponent of your choice as well.

Other stance names from the novel include: Disturbing Oneself, Entangled by the Web of Love, Entering Dead End, Face Without Feeling, Good for Nothing, Hesitating on Return to Empty Valley, Longing for Emptiness, Restless Thought, Six Disturbed Ghosts, Strong Desire Weak Strength, Stupid as a Wooden Chicken, Walking Upside Down, and Wandering the Empty Valley.

Heavy Iron Sword Technique

• The path the eagle took descended lower and lower. Soon, Yang Guo found himself inside a deep valley. After walking continuously for another good while, they came to the entrance of a big cave. The ugly eagle nodded its head three times with three chirrups as if it was saluting toward the cave.
• The cave was actually not deep at all. Only about thirty feet into the cave, they had already reached the end. Other than a table and a bench made out of stones, there was nothing inside the cave. The ugly eagle chirped again, signaling toward a corner of the cave. Casting a glance toward the corner, Yang Guo saw a pile of rocks and stones of all shapes and sizes jumbled together. It looked like a grave.
• The rock wall seemed to have some words written on it. The strokes of the words were thin but were carved into the rock wall very deeply. It seemed that the words were carved using a very sharp blade. The three lines said: “Having roamed the martial world for more than thirty years, I have killed all my villainous foes and defeated all heroic champions. There’s no one who can be my equal under the same sky. Without any other challengers, I could only retreat to this deep valley, living a hermit’s life in seclusion, with only an eagle as my companion. Alas, throughout my life I searched for a match in vain. Unbearable loneliness is my destiny.” The signature at the bottom was, “Demonic Swordsman Dugu Seeking-Defeat.”