Hello everyone!

Something that came up during our last session that we really never resolved. The Iron Forest Style technique states:

Quote

Activation: When you make a Martial Arts [Melee] check using a polearm, you may spend ✽ in the following way:
✽+: The area in range of your weapon counts as Dangerous terrain for one target of your action per ✽ spent this way.

Now, this seems to indicate that you can use it to target several individuals. During our session the player wanted to use the Strike action and hit one target, and then spend two opportunities to use Iron Forest Style on two other enemies. Is this possible?
Follow-up question. If not, when would the Iron Forest Style ever be used to spend several opportunities?

Thanks for your time and consideration!

I think it can only be used for the targets of the triggering action (so targets of the attack), and multiple use would be limited to specific attacks that can target multiple opponents, like Thunderclap Strike.

Is there an other martial attack that can target multiple opponents?

There is not - it's why you can't dump Air as a melee Bushi. Thunderclap Strike is the only good Air kata, but it's mandatory if you want to affect multiple opponents with, say, Iron Forest or Coiling Serpent. Note that you can affect everyone with those kata even if you don't hit, so generally what you in that scenario is ignore successes and just take Opps.

10 hours ago, Franwax said:

I think it can only be used for the targets of the triggering action (so targets of the attack), and multiple use would be limited to specific attacks that can target multiple opponents, like Thunderclap Strike.

That's how it works by strict RAW. Not sure that's intended to be how it works, in fact I really doubt it, but by RAW it is.

That doesn't mean that another 'strike multiple targets' technique won't come into existance at some point, though, so it may be general future-proofing.

Or, for that matter, if using Martial Arts [Melee] for a non-technique skill check targeting multiple opponents as a "use skill/narrative action" - trying to intimidate several opponents with a display of flashy spear-work, for example; it has to be a Martial Arts check, it doesn't have to be an attack action.

The Strike action specifically only targets a single opponent, so it definitely isn't possible to iron forest multiple opponents with it.

6 hours ago, Magnus Grendel said:

That doesn't mean that another 'strike multiple targets' technique won't come into existance at some point, though, so it may be general future-proofing.

I kind of hope so but very much doubt it, since I see very little evidence of future-proofing at all in the CRB.