Latest revision as of 23:19, 31 May 2012

Basic Attacks

Note that these are all available at Martial Arts 0 and use the modified stats for unarmed attacks found in the weapons list.

Light Attack: A fast kick, jab, or the like deals little damage but is fast and accurate.

Accuracy +1, Defense +0, Damage (Strength + 0B), Min Strength 1, Max Strength (infinite)

Heavy Attack: A slower, more powerful attack.

Accuracy -1, Defense +0, Damage (Strength + 2B), Min Strength 1, Max Strength (infinite)

Disarm: When facing an armed enemy, turning the tables on the opponent by stealing their weapon is often advisable. A Disarm rolls Strength + Brawl versus the opponent's Strength + Might, Strength + Melee, or Strength + Brawl (choose higher). If the character succeeds, the weapon is flung away from the opponent. If the character succeeds with 5 or more successes, she may immediately take possession of the weapon. Disarms may be done with a weapon, in which case they use the weapon's accuracy and inflict normal weapon damage -2.

Accuracy +0, Defense +0, Damage N/A

Trip: Bringing the opponent to the ground is often useful. This may take the form of a sweeping kick, a shove, or something more graceful. A trip rolls (Strength + Brawl), and if an opponent fails to roll more successes on a (Dexterity + Athletics) roll than the attacker rolled (with difficulty equal to the attacker's Strength), the opponent is knocked prone.

Accuracy +0, Defense +0, Damage (Strength + 0B), Min Strength 1, Max Strength (infinite)

Grapple: A grappling attack. A successfully grappled character may attempt to escape or take control of the grapple, both sides making opposed Strength + Might or Strength + Brawl (choose higher) rolls. Each dot of Mega-Strength is 5 automatic successes to that roll.

Accuracy +0, Defense +0, Damage N/A

Grappling Smackdown: Smackdowns require 1 WP to use and a turn to wind up, essentially being over-the-top finishing moves. A successful grappling smackdown not only inflicts the damage listed, it also puts the target in a grapple.

Accuracy +0, Defense +0, Damage Strength + 4B

Striking Smackdown: Smackdowns require 1 WP to use and a turn to wind up. A successful striking smackdown knocks the target prone (unless they succeed a reflexive, opposed Stamina + Resistance roll with a difficulty of the attacker's strength) and deals the damage listed.

Accuracy +2, Defense +0, Damage Strength + 6B

Grappled Attacks

The controller of a grapple can initiate any of these attacks. Unless stated otherwise, all of these attacks halve enemy soak (rounded down), as the controller has an advantage in looking for weakpoints and exploiting them, and automatically hit. However, they can only be used once per turn.

Pound: Pounding someone in a grapple is a great way to inflict damage. This may involve mounting someone and whaling on them, slamming their face into nearby hard objects, breaking joints, or other methods of causing pain.

Damage Strength + 2B

Throw: Throwing someone requires sufficient strength to toss them. Throws can be used to launch unfortunate victims into dangerous objects, or simply send someone somewhere else. Skilled characters may throw their grappled opponents into other characters as well, which deals full damage to both targets. Unlike other attacks against a grappled foe, throws do not halve enemy soak. The damage of a throw is for a throw into a hard object like a rock or the ground. Throwing a character into something soft changes its damage to Stun, while throwing them into something edged (spikes, an industrial grinder), damage is lethal. Throwing someone off a cliff does standard fall damage instead.

Difficulty +2 (if aimed at a small target such as another person or a spike), Damage Strength + 4B.

Choke: Targets which require breathing or blood circulation can be disabled while grappled by cutting off blood flow and breath. Choking a target is far less effective if they do not require oxygen circulation (i.e. they have Dispersed Organs). In that case, one must suffocate them, and they only start taking damage when they can no longer hold their breath.

Damage 1 unsoakable bashing/level round.

Coup De Grace: Not actually a finishing blow, an edged weapon like a knife can be used in a grapple, being stabbed into weak points. Alternatively, a grapple can be used to allow for the point-blank use of a small arm.

Damage (as weapon + 1)

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, stun damage inflicted this way may spill over into normal Bashing 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.

A character may have both martial arts sets and gain both sets of benefits.

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 in a fight.

Martial Arts *: May use Dexterity instead of Strength with Brawl to attack. Trip attacks use Dexterity instead of Strength for difficulties and damage.

Martial Arts **: +1 Accuracy to disarms and grapples (incl. grappling smackdowns), +1d to unarmed parries, +1 success on all rolls to keep control of a grappled target.

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. An unsuccessful attempt to escape the martial artist's grapple inflicts (Opponent's Strength + 2B) damage on the opponent. The martial artist may use the opponent's strength instead of his own to deal damage in grapples.

Martial Arts ****: +1 success on all rolls to keep control of a grappled target (total 2), an additional +1d to all unarmed parries (total +2d).

Martial Arts *****: Any successful unarmed parry of an unarmed or melee attack uses its remaining successes as a counterattack that attempts to either grapple/trip (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 to all close combat attacks, +1 Damage to all unarmed attacks

Martial Arts **: +1B/0L soak, +2 Damage to Pound attacks.

Martial Arts ***: -1 Multiple Action penalty for unarmed attacks only, +1 Damage to all close combat attacks (total +2 damage for unarmed attacks)

Martial Arts ****: +1 Bashing Health Level, -1 wound penalty from bashing damage, +1 accuracy to all close combat attacks (total +2 accuracy)

Martial Arts *****: +1 Bashing Health Level (total 2), Smackdowns convert their damage to Lethal after soak, -1 Multiple Action penalty for melee attacks (total -1 multiple action penalty for all close combat attacks).

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.

Specialties

TBD

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-=Martial Arts Overview=
+=Basic Attacks=
-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:
+Note that these are all available at Martial Arts 0 and use the modified stats for unarmed attacks found in the weapons list.
-==Basic Offensive Moves==
+* '''Light Attack''': A fast kick, jab, or the like deals little damage but is fast and accurate.
-* '''Strike''': Accuracy +0, Damage (Str + 2B), Difficulty +0
+: Accuracy +1, Defense +0, Damage (Strength + 0B), Min Strength 1, Max Strength (infinite)
-* '''Kick''': Accuracy +0, Damage (Str + 4B), Difficulty +1
-* '''Grapple''': Accuracy +0, Damage (Str + 0B), Difficulty +0, holds target (Str + Might contests)
-* '''Disarm''': Accuracy +0, Damage (Str + 0B), Difficulty +1, disarming (damage successes apply to disarming the target if they exceed the target's Strength)
-* '''Tackle''': Accuracy +0, Damage (Str + 4B), Difficulty +1, Knockdown, no multiple actions
-* '''Striking Smackdown''': Accuracy +2, Damage (Str + 6B), Difficulty +0, costs 1wp to initiate, takes one turn to wind up, no multiple actions
-* '''Grappling Smackdown''': Accuracy +0, Damage (Str + 5B), Difficulty +0, costs 1wp to initiate, takes one turn to wind up, no multiple actions, holds target
-==Improving Offense==
+* '''Heavy Attack''': A slower, more powerful attack.
-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:
+: Accuracy -1, Defense +0, Damage (Strength + 2B), Min Strength 1, Max Strength (infinite)
-* '''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.
+* '''Disarm''': When facing an armed enemy, turning the tables on the opponent by stealing their weapon is often advisable. A Disarm rolls Strength + Brawl versus the opponent's Strength + Might, Strength + Melee, or Strength + Brawl (choose higher). If the character succeeds, the weapon is flung away from the opponent. If the character succeeds with 5 or more successes, she may immediately take possession of the weapon. Disarms may be done with a weapon, in which case they use the weapon's accuracy and inflict normal weapon damage -2.
-* '''Lethal Damage''': 3 points to turn damage Lethal.
+: Accuracy +0, Defense +0, Damage N/A
-* '''Increased Damage''': 1 point per +1B damage.
-* '''Increased Accuracy''': 1 point per +1 accuracy
-* '''Armor Piercing''': 2 points per -3 soak
-* '''Disarming''': 4 points.
-* '''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
-* '''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.
-* '''Grapples Target''': 2 points
-* '''Throws Target''': 2 points
-* '''Predictable''' (can only be used once/scene): Returns 1 point
-* '''Increased Difficulty''': Returns 2 points per +1 difficulty
-* '''Takes Preparation Time''' (1 turn or precondition): Returns 2 points
-* '''No Multiple Actions''': Returns 2 points
-* '''Costs Willpower''': Returns 2 points
-* '''Unaware/Incapacitated Targets Only''': Returns 4 points
-===Detailed Mechanics===
+* '''Trip''': Bringing the opponent to the ground is often useful. This may take the form of a sweeping kick, a shove, or something more graceful. A trip rolls (Strength + Brawl), and if an opponent fails to roll more successes on a (Dexterity + Athletics) roll than the attacker rolled (with difficulty equal to the attacker's Strength), the opponent is knocked prone.
-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.
+: Accuracy +0, Defense +0, Damage (Strength + 0B), Min Strength 1, Max Strength (infinite)
-===Examples===
+* '''Grapple''': A grappling attack. A successfully grappled character may attempt to escape or take control of the grapple, both sides making opposed Strength + Might or Strength + Brawl (choose higher) rolls. Each dot of Mega-Strength is 5 automatic successes to that roll.
-*'''Jab''' (Martial Arts 1, 3 pts): Damage +2B (-2), Accuracy + 1 (-1)
+: Accuracy +0, Defense +0, Damage N/A
-** A rapid, accurate, punch.
-*'''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).
+* '''Grappling Smackdown''': Smackdowns require 1 WP to use and a turn to wind up, essentially being over-the-top finishing moves. A successful grappling smackdown not only inflicts the damage listed, it also puts the target in a grapple.
-** 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.
+: Accuracy +0, Defense +0, Damage Strength + 4B
-*'''Snap Kick''' (Martial Arts 3, 5 pts): Damage +4B (-4), Accuracy + 1 (-1)
+* '''Striking Smackdown''': Smackdowns require 1 WP to use and a turn to wind up. A successful striking smackdown knocks the target prone (unless they succeed a reflexive, opposed Stamina + Resistance roll with a difficulty of the attacker's strength) and deals the damage listed.
-** A powerful and accurate kick.
+: Accuracy +2, Defense +0, Damage Strength + 6B
-*'''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)
+==Grappled Attacks==
-** 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.
+The ''controller'' of a grapple can initiate any of these attacks. Unless stated otherwise, all of these attacks halve enemy soak (rounded down), as the controller has an advantage in looking for weakpoints and exploiting them, and automatically hit. However, they can only be used once per turn.
-==Improving Defense==
+* '''Pound''': Pounding someone in a grapple is a great way to inflict damage. This may involve mounting someone and whaling on them, slamming their face into nearby hard objects, breaking joints, or other methods of causing pain.
-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.
+: Damage Strength + 2B
-* '''Counterstrike''' [Any excess parry successes become successes on a counterattack against the opponent] (-1)
+* '''Throw''': Throwing someone requires sufficient strength to toss them. Throws can be used to launch unfortunate victims into dangerous objects, or simply send someone somewhere else. Skilled characters may throw their grappled opponents into other characters as well, which deals full damage to both targets. Unlike other attacks against a grappled foe, throws do not halve enemy soak. The damage of a throw is for a throw into a hard object like a rock or the ground. Throwing a character into something soft changes its damage to Stun, while throwing them into something edged (spikes, an industrial grinder), damage is lethal. Throwing someone off a cliff does standard fall damage instead.
-** Even a defending martial artist is a deadly foe with this ability, as a failed attack gives her opportunities to strike back.
+: Difficulty +2 (if aimed at a small target such as another person or a spike), Damage Strength + 4B.
-* '''Finesse''' [may make Brawl/Melee attacks with Dexterity versus Strength] (-1)
-** Skilled fighters learn to fight with finesse and grace rather than raw power.
+* '''Choke''': Targets which require breathing or blood circulation can be disabled while grappled by cutting off blood flow and breath. Choking a target is far less effective if they do not require oxygen circulation (i.e. they have Dispersed Organs). In that case, one must suffocate them, and they only start taking damage when they can no longer hold their breath.
-* '''Improvisation''' [no penalties for using improvised Melee weapons or brawling aids] (-1)
+: Damage 1 unsoakable bashing/level round.
-** 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.
-* '''Weapons Style''' [can apply martial arts bonuses to Melee] (-2)
+* '''Coup De Grace''': Not ''actually'' a finishing blow, an edged weapon like a knife can be used in a grapple, being stabbed into weak points. Alternatively, a grapple can be used to allow for the point-blank use of a small arm.
-** 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).
+: Damage (as weapon + 1)
-* '''Improved Deflection''' [+2 to parries] (-2)
-** Martial Artists who practice their defensive talents become incredibly good at deflecting attacks.
+'''Optional Rule: Stun Damage'''
-* '''Weapon Strip''' [a successful disarm allows the martial artist to immediately make an attack with the stolen weapon] (-2)
+: 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, stun damage inflicted this way may spill over into normal Bashing damage.
-** 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.
-* '''Iron Shirt''' [+1 to Stamina for soak only] (-3)
+=Martial Arts Classifications=
-** Endless body conditioning has inured the martial artist to blows.
+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.
-* '''Pain Tolerance''' [-1 to wound penalties] (-3)
-** Years of experience in tolerating injury has increased the martial artists' pain tolerance significantly.
+A character may have both martial arts sets and gain both sets of benefits.
-* '''Cobra Speed''' [pay 1wp up to (Martial Arts) times per scene to get 1 free martial arts action at full pool] (-4)
-** 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.
+==Soft Martial Arts==
-* '''Sixth Sense''' [Up to (Martial Arts) reflexive full-pool dodges/parries in a scene, melee attacks only] (-4)
+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 in a fight.
-** Particularly skilled martial artists can sometimes manifest almost preternatural skill, dodging multiple attacks with great ease.
+:Martial Arts *: May use Dexterity instead of Strength with Brawl to attack. Trip attacks use Dexterity instead of Strength for difficulties and damage.
+:Martial Arts **: +1 Accuracy to disarms and grapples (incl. grappling smackdowns), +1d to unarmed parries, +1 success on all rolls to keep control of a grappled target.
+: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. An unsuccessful attempt to escape the martial artist's grapple inflicts (Opponent's Strength + 2B) damage on the opponent. The martial artist may use the opponent's strength instead of his own to deal damage in grapples.
+:Martial Arts ****: +1 success on all rolls to keep control of a grappled target (total 2), an additional +1d to all unarmed parries (total +2d).
+:Martial Arts *****: Any successful unarmed parry of an unarmed or melee attack uses its remaining successes as a counterattack that attempts to either grapple/trip (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 to all close combat attacks, +1 Damage to all unarmed attacks
+:Martial Arts **: +1B/0L soak, +2 Damage to Pound attacks.
+:Martial Arts ***: -1 Multiple Action penalty for unarmed attacks only, +1 Damage to all close combat attacks (total +2 damage for unarmed attacks)
+:Martial Arts ****: +1 Bashing Health Level, -1 wound penalty from bashing damage, +1 accuracy to all close combat attacks (total +2 accuracy)
+:Martial Arts *****: +1 Bashing Health Level (total 2), Smackdowns convert their damage to ''Lethal'' after soak, -1 Multiple Action penalty for melee attacks (total -1 multiple action penalty for all close combat attacks).
+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.
+==Specialties==
+TBD
 [[Category: Aberrant 2.0]]

Difference between revisions of "Aberrant 2.0 Martial Arts"