Difference between revisions of "Aberrant 2.0 Martial Arts"

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=Martial Arts Overview=
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=Martial Arts=
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Martial Arts does not improve raw skill with fighting, rather it improves the ''mechanics'' of hand to hand combat-therefore, a Martial Artist cannot have a Martial Arts score higher than their Brawl score. A martial artist must be skilled in fighting before learning the mechanics of combat, but a trained martial artist outclasses a trained brawler. Martial Arts increases the effectiveness of various combat maneuvers, or provides additional combat benefits. Without training, all characters may make these basic listed maneuvers or variations thereof:
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==Basic Attacks==
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Note that these are unchanged from the standard hand-to-hand attacks (save the damage reduction which is a nerf to unarmed in general to make armed fighting more preferable) and are all available at Martial Arts 0.
  
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==Basic Offensive Moves==
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* Strike: Accuracy +0, Damage (Str + 0B), Difficulty +0
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* '''Strike''': Accuracy +0, Damage (Str + 2B), Difficulty +0
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* Kick: Accuracy +0, Damage (Str + 2B), Difficulty +1
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* '''Kick''': Accuracy +0, Damage (Str + 4B), Difficulty +1
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* Grapple: Accuracy +0, Damage (Str + 0B), Difficulty +1, holds target (Str + Might contests)
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* '''Grapple''': Accuracy +0, Damage (Str + 0B), Difficulty +0, holds target (Str + Might contests)
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* Disarm: Accuracy +0, Damage (Str + 0B), Difficulty +1, disarming (damage successes apply to disarming the target instead, disarming if they exceed the target's Strength)
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* '''Disarm''': Accuracy +0, Damage (Str + 0B), Difficulty +1, disarming (damage successes apply to disarming the target if they exceed the target's Strength)
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* Tackle: Accuracy +0, Damage (Str + 4B), Difficulty +1, disabling (+1 difficulty), no multiple actions
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* '''Tackle''': Accuracy +0, Damage (Str + 4B), Difficulty +1, Knockdown (+2 diff), no multiple actions
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* Striking Smackdown: Accuracy +0, Damage (Str + 6B), Difficulty +0, costs 1wp to initiate, takes one turn to wind up, no multiple actions
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* '''Striking Smackdown''': Accuracy +2, Damage (Str + 6B), Difficulty +0, costs 1wp to initiate, takes one turn to wind up, no multiple actions
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* Grappling Smackdown: Accuracy +0, Damage (Str + 4B), Difficulty +0, costs 1wp to initiate, takes one turn to wind up, no multiple actions, holds target
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* '''Grappling Smackdown''': Accuracy +0, Damage (Str + 5B), Difficulty +0, costs 1wp to initiate, takes one turn to wind up, no multiple actions, holds target
 
  
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==Improving Offense==
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'''Optional Rule: Stun Damage'''
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A martial artist gains (Martial Arts) points to improve his offense and an additional (Martial Arts) points to improve his defense. Offense points alter and generate maneuvers, which can be built "on the fly" or prepared ahead of time. The costs to improve a maneuver are as follows:
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: Fists and feet are generally poor ways of inflicting damage on people and this optional rule allows this to reflect that. If this rule is in place, characters without Mega-Strength or a normal Strength of 6 or above deal ''Stun'', rather than Bashing damage with their unarmed attacks. This means that beating someone unconscious is still possible but they'll tend to recover after the scene no worse for wear. As a more realistic form, this may only hold true for characters with low Brawl/Martial Arts scores, as they do not know how and where to hit to maximize damage.
  
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* '''Bashing Damage''': 1 point to turn normally Lethal damage Bashing. This is only generally relevant to Nova martial artists with body modifications, or weapons stylists.
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=Martial Arts Classifications=
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* '''Lethal Damage''': 3 points to turn damage Lethal.
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Characters may buy either ''soft'' or ''hard'' martial arts, which both provide their own independent bonus sets. Soft martial arts provide benefits for grapples, defensive maneuvers, and disarms, while hard martial arts provide benefits to strikes and enduring injury. Characters may buy ''both'', but pay full cost. Martial Arts is ''still'' limited by the number of dots of Brawl a character has-a character with Brawl 2 can have no more than Martial Arts 2.
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* '''Increased Damage''': 1 point per +1B damage.
 
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* '''Increased Accuracy''': 1 point per +1 accuracy
 
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* '''Armor Piercing''': 2 points per -3 soak
 
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* '''Disarming''': 4 points.
 
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* '''Incapacitation''': 1 point per -1 penalty to specific actions, 2 points per -1 penalty to Attribute, or 3 points per -1 penalty to all actions, +2 points to last for a scene, +3 points to last until all damage is healed
 
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* '''Knockdown''': 1 point to knock a target down (unless they make a Str + Ath roll at +1 diff) + 1 for each +1 difficulty on the (Strength + Athletics) resistance roll to stay standing.
 
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* '''Grapples Target''': 2 points
 
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* '''Throws Target''': 2 points
 
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* '''Predictable''' (can only be used once/scene): Returns 1 point
 
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* '''Increased Difficulty''': Returns 2 points per +1 difficulty
 
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* '''Takes Preparation Time''' (1 turn or precondition): Returns 2 points
 
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* '''No Multiple Actions''': Returns 2 points
 
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* '''Costs Willpower''': Returns 2 points
 
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* '''Unaware/Incapacitated Targets Only''': Returns 4 points
 
  
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===Detailed Mechanics===
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==Soft Martial Arts==
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As you can see, all attacks are worth 2 points with Martial Arts 0, and a Maneuver starts with (Accuracy +0, Damage +0B, Difficulty +0). An attack may not have any one category improved by more than (3 + [Martial Arts + Maneuver Flaws]/2), rounded up. So a Smackdown, with 6 points of maneuver flaws, may be improved by (6 + [Martial Arts/2]) in any category. So, let's have some examples of offensive maneuvers. Note that for weapon stylists, the maximum damage of a move becomes (Base Damage + 1) if the result is higher than the maximum improvement level.
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Examples of soft martial arts are judo, aikido, tai chi, and other relatively gentle unarmed combat forms which rely on redirecting the opponent's strength rather than exploiting one's own. Soft martial arts are more delicate and graceful than the brutality of hard martial arts, but are still effective
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:Martial Arts *: +1 Accuracy to disarms and grapples (incl. grappling smackdowns), +1d to unarmed parries.
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:Martial Arts **: -1 difficulty for disarms and tackles (so difficulty is +0 instead)
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:Martial Arts ***: Grapples may use (Dexterity + Martial Arts) against the opponent's (Strength + Might) instead of a contested roll of (Strength + Might) to hold targets. Grapples may also use the opponent's Strength to deal damage, rather than the character's.
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:Martial Arts ****: +1 success on all rolls to keep control of a held target, an additional +1d to all unarmed parries (total +2d).
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:Martial Arts *****: Any successful parry of an unarmed or melee attack uses its remaining successes as a counterattack that attempts to either grapple (unarmed) or disarm (melee).
  
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===Examples===
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==Hard Martial Arts==
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*'''Jab''' (Martial Arts 1, 3 pts): Damage +2B (-2), Accuracy + 1 (-1)
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Hard martial arts rely on raw power, physical brutality, and vicious speed to deal devastating blows against foes. Examples are Karate, Kung Fu, Krav Maga, Commando Sambo, LINE, MCMAP, and other alphabet soup military martial arts forms. These tend to be based on the simple principle of hitting someone very hard very often until they stop fighting back.
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** A rapid, accurate, punch.
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:Martial Arts *: +1 Accuracy, +1 Damage to Strikes and Kicks (including the Striking Smackdown)
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:Martial Arts **: +1B/0L soak, -1 difficulty for kick attacks
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:Martial Arts ***: -1 Multiple Action Penalty for unarmed strikes/kicks only, +1 Damage to Strikes and Kicks (total +2 damage)
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:Martial Arts ****: +1 Bashing Health Level, -1 wound penalty from bashing damage, +1 accuracy to strikes and kicks (total +2 accuracy)
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:Martial Arts *****: +1 Bashing Health Level (total 2), striking smackdowns convert their damage to ''Lethal'' after soak.
  
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*'''Neck Break''' (Martial Arts 3, 5 pts + 8 flaws): Takes Preparation Time [1 turn] (+2), Unaware Targets Only (+4), No Multiple Actions (+2), Lethal Damage (-3), Armor Piercing 3 (-2), Damage + 6L (-6), Grapples Target (-2).
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Bashing Health Levels are considered to be -0 Health Levels, but may only be filled with Stun or Bashing damage. Lethal or Aggravated damage ignores them-basically, they're a buffer against Bashing damage and provide the martial artist the ability to survive more of a beating from clubs or fists than an untrained man, but provide no protection against knives or guns.
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** An old classic of special forces commandos, action movie heroes, and Metal Gear Solid protagonists, snapping someone's neck from behind is a difficult but deadly attack.
 
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*'''Snap Kick''' (Martial Arts 3, 5 pts): Damage +4B (-4), Accuracy + 1 (-1)
 
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** A powerful and accurate kick.
 
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*'''Limb Snap''' (Martial Arts 4, 6 pts + 2 flaws): Takes Preparation Time [target must be grappled] (+2), Damage +0B, Incapacitation [-3 to all actions with broken limb until healed] (-6)
 
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** Another martial arts movie staple, breaking someone's limb in the middle of a fight takes a bit to set up but can be extremely rewarding.
 
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==Improving Defense==
 
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A martial artist also gains (Martial Arts) points of defensive/utility maneuvers, which allow him or her to take hits or avoid them much better. Custom defensive and utility maneuvers may be suggested, with a few caveats: Martial Arts is primarily about ''fighting'', and about fighting unarmed in particular. A martial artist's defensive moves should generally be focused on this.
 
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* '''Counterstrike''' [Any excess parry successes become successes on a counterattack against the opponent] (-1)
 
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** Even a defending martial artist is a deadly foe with this ability, as a failed attack gives her opportunities to strike back.
 
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* '''Finesse''' [may make Brawl/Melee attacks with Dexterity versus Strength] (-1)
 
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** Skilled fighters learn to fight with finesse and grace rather than raw power.
 
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* '''Improvisation''' [no penalties for using improvised Melee weapons or brawling aids] (-1)
 
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** Some martial arts train their students in the use of improvised weapons or tools as crude methods of dealing harm. A roll of quarters can become a crude set of brass knuckles, a broken table leg or beer bottle a crude club, so on and so forth. A martial artist skilled in improvisation can use these weapons just as well as a lesser fighter could use a properly-designed weapon of similar type.
 
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* '''Weapons Style''' [can apply martial arts bonuses to Melee] (-2)
 
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** Many martial arts styles teach how to use various weapons types alongside their combat maneuvers. However, for game balance reasons, Weapon Style halves (round up) the points available for move customization that a martial artist using a weapon may gain. On the other hand, he gains the base weapon damage. Damage may never be reduced to less than half of a weapon's base damage, round down (so a Str + 5 damage sword may never have a move that does less than Str + 2 damage).
 
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* '''Improved Deflection''' [+2 to parries] (-2)
 
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** Martial Artists who practice their defensive talents become incredibly good at deflecting attacks.
 
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* '''Weapon Strip''' [a successful disarm allows the martial artist to immediately make an attack with the stolen weapon] (-2)
 
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** As guns have become the deadliest weapon on the battlefield, martial arts have found better methods of dealing with guns, such as improved techniques to steal guns from their previous owners.
 
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* '''Iron Shirt''' [+1 to Stamina for soak only] (-3)
 
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** Endless body conditioning has inured the martial artist to blows.
 
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* '''Pain Tolerance''' [-1 to wound penalties] (-3)
 
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** Years of experience in tolerating injury has increased the martial artists' pain tolerance significantly.
 
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* '''Cobra Speed''' [pay 1wp up to (Martial Arts) times per scene to get 1 free martial arts action at full pool] (-4)
 
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** Some martial artists can move incredibly fast, striking even when there's seemingly no opening with seemingly inhuman speed. This technique is extremely difficult to master and a great effort of will, but can allow a martial artist to devastate enemies.
 
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* '''Sixth Sense''' [Up to (Martial Arts) reflexive full-pool dodges/parries in a scene, melee attacks only] (-4)
 
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** Particularly skilled martial artists can sometimes manifest almost preternatural skill, dodging multiple attacks with great ease.
 
  
 
[[Category: Aberrant 2.0]]
 
[[Category: Aberrant 2.0]]

Revision as of 22:18, 2 August 2011

Martial Arts

Basic Attacks

Note that these are unchanged from the standard hand-to-hand attacks (save the damage reduction which is a nerf to unarmed in general to make armed fighting more preferable) and are all available at Martial Arts 0.

  • Strike: Accuracy +0, Damage (Str + 0B), Difficulty +0
  • Kick: Accuracy +0, Damage (Str + 2B), Difficulty +1
  • Grapple: Accuracy +0, Damage (Str + 0B), Difficulty +1, holds target (Str + Might contests)
  • Disarm: Accuracy +0, Damage (Str + 0B), Difficulty +1, disarming (damage successes apply to disarming the target instead, disarming if they exceed the target's Strength)
  • Tackle: Accuracy +0, Damage (Str + 4B), Difficulty +1, disabling (+1 difficulty), no multiple actions
  • Striking Smackdown: Accuracy +0, Damage (Str + 6B), Difficulty +0, costs 1wp to initiate, takes one turn to wind up, no multiple actions
  • Grappling Smackdown: Accuracy +0, Damage (Str + 4B), Difficulty +0, costs 1wp to initiate, takes one turn to wind up, no multiple actions, holds target

Optional Rule: Stun Damage

Fists and feet are generally poor ways of inflicting damage on people and this optional rule allows this to reflect that. If this rule is in place, characters without Mega-Strength or a normal Strength of 6 or above deal Stun, rather than Bashing damage with their unarmed attacks. This means that beating someone unconscious is still possible but they'll tend to recover after the scene no worse for wear. As a more realistic form, this may only hold true for characters with low Brawl/Martial Arts scores, as they do not know how and where to hit to maximize damage.

Martial Arts Classifications

Characters may buy either soft or hard martial arts, which both provide their own independent bonus sets. Soft martial arts provide benefits for grapples, defensive maneuvers, and disarms, while hard martial arts provide benefits to strikes and enduring injury. Characters may buy both, but pay full cost. Martial Arts is still limited by the number of dots of Brawl a character has-a character with Brawl 2 can have no more than Martial Arts 2.

Soft Martial Arts

Examples of soft martial arts are judo, aikido, tai chi, and other relatively gentle unarmed combat forms which rely on redirecting the opponent's strength rather than exploiting one's own. Soft martial arts are more delicate and graceful than the brutality of hard martial arts, but are still effective

Martial Arts *: +1 Accuracy to disarms and grapples (incl. grappling smackdowns), +1d to unarmed parries.
Martial Arts **: -1 difficulty for disarms and tackles (so difficulty is +0 instead)
Martial Arts ***: Grapples may use (Dexterity + Martial Arts) against the opponent's (Strength + Might) instead of a contested roll of (Strength + Might) to hold targets. Grapples may also use the opponent's Strength to deal damage, rather than the character's.
Martial Arts ****: +1 success on all rolls to keep control of a held target, an additional +1d to all unarmed parries (total +2d).
Martial Arts *****: Any successful parry of an unarmed or melee attack uses its remaining successes as a counterattack that attempts to either grapple (unarmed) or disarm (melee).

Hard Martial Arts

Hard martial arts rely on raw power, physical brutality, and vicious speed to deal devastating blows against foes. Examples are Karate, Kung Fu, Krav Maga, Commando Sambo, LINE, MCMAP, and other alphabet soup military martial arts forms. These tend to be based on the simple principle of hitting someone very hard very often until they stop fighting back.

Martial Arts *: +1 Accuracy, +1 Damage to Strikes and Kicks (including the Striking Smackdown)
Martial Arts **: +1B/0L soak, -1 difficulty for kick attacks
Martial Arts ***: -1 Multiple Action Penalty for unarmed strikes/kicks only, +1 Damage to Strikes and Kicks (total +2 damage)
Martial Arts ****: +1 Bashing Health Level, -1 wound penalty from bashing damage, +1 accuracy to strikes and kicks (total +2 accuracy)
Martial Arts *****: +1 Bashing Health Level (total 2), striking smackdowns convert their damage to Lethal after soak.

Bashing Health Levels are considered to be -0 Health Levels, but may only be filled with Stun or Bashing damage. Lethal or Aggravated damage ignores them-basically, they're a buffer against Bashing damage and provide the martial artist the ability to survive more of a beating from clubs or fists than an untrained man, but provide no protection against knives or guns.

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