LOE Martial Arts

Martial Arts

Martial Arts are constructed to individual taste. At each level (up to 5) one new combat bonus and one special ability may be chosen. Additional special abilities and bonuses may be purchased with further refinement. Any practitioner of the art may get all the combat bonuses (so long as they have the time to be trained in them), however someone with skill X can only use 1 special ability. More skill points allow more special abilities.

Martial arts are, of course an Unrestricted Skill.

Combat Bonuses are +1 Attack roll, +1 Parry/Dodge roll, +1 Combat dice, +2 Init, +2 Soak

Special Abilities are:

Grappler: -1 difficulty to conduct grapple attacks, as well as to maintain or evade them
Joint Lock/Break: Inflict 1 dice automatic attack on attacker upon performing any successful block or dodge. Requires Grappler
Death Grip: Death attack on any grappled opponent if opponent fails to break the grapple. Opponents in heavy armour (but not light) will still get armour saves. Requires Grappler.
Countermove: -1 difficulty to attacks immediately after a block/dodge
Golden Gloves: Opponent may attempt to block only the first successful attack roll of each turn, regardless of stance or special abilities.
Iron Shirt X: +1 armour if wearing no other armour (may be taken sequentially)
Iron Soul: Will only fail death save on a 1. (requires Iron Shirt)
Iron Hand: +1 Piercing (works on all armour)
Shattering Glass Blow: ignores armour (“V” attack)
Pressure Points: Attacks increase the difficulty of opponents armour save by +2.
Exploding Heart Strike: Successful attacks are death (“D”) weapon attacks (requires pressure points).
Fist of the Prophet Star: Successful strike acts as Area Effect 1 attack (Requires Shattering Glass Blow or Exploding Heart Strike). Attack is draining and requires a Will, Str or Con roll difficulty 10 to use a subsequent time in same combat.
Burning Soul Ignores Fire: -2 reduced difficulty on to environmental saves
Weapon Style: May apply combat bonuses to light melee weapons and use Martial Arts Skill for melee weapons. (will not work with other attack special abilities and may not be combined with armour).
Advanced Weapon Style: May apply combat bonuses to heavy melee weapons, bows and thrown non-explosive weapons (requires Weapon Style and may not be combined with armour).
Gun Kata Weapon Style: May apply combat bonuses to pistol close combat weapons in a melee (requires Weapon Style and may not be combined with armour)
Claws of the Five Dragons: May use attack special abilities with all melee weapons (requires Advanced Weapon Style and may not be combined with armour).
Tiger Leap: May move +1 every other turn
Crouching Tiger Leap: When performing Tiger Leap may attack with +2 Init and 1 extra attack dice (obviously requires Tiger Leap)
Freerunning: May use environmental cover bonuses with dodge pool when conducting a full dodge.
Deadly Whirlwind: +1 die bonus attack immediately following a successful attack which inflicts damage.
Endless Wind Technique: +1 attack dice the turn after a successful attack which inflicts damage, cumulative with Deadly Whirlwind, and previous bonuses gained through Endless Wind Technique, until an attack fails (requires Deadly Whirlwind)
Flow Like Water: Automatic dodge at -2 reduced difficulty against a Grapple, Guard or Riposte attacks.
Flow Like Wind: Receive one free dodge with full unarmed dice pool in melee combat no matter what (Requires Flow like Water)

Attribute bonuses are only applied to the first die rolled, down to a minimum target number of 4, after which any excess bonuses can be applied to the next die. This is called Skill Restriction, and occurs because many weapons have a limited capacity to be improved upon by the raw skill of the user. Thus the excess die gained through high skill levels will usually roll on the base target number. This is the case for almost all firearms, vehicles and other mechanical systems, as well as many magical attacks.

However, some weapons are Unrestricted Skill weapons, where the skill of the user has much greater influence. These tend to be less advanced weapons such as swords, spears and other simple melee weapons, but it can also apply to some missile weapons such as bows or thrown knives, as well as some magic spells. Unrestricted Skill attacks can apply their Attribute bonus to all die rolled, down to a minimum of 4 on each dice, including those gained from Skills and other bonuses.

Combat Moves

Guard – Declare a Guard in the initiative phase. When guarding the player gains one full strength block followed by an attack on the individual who attacked them.

Full Dodge – May dodge all melee attacks, but may make no attacks

Aim – Spend a turn aiming and gain an extra die. May not be combined with rapid fire weapons. May also be gained from firing from prepared positions.

Ambush – Attack against an unwary opponent, gains +2.

Charge – After a full move at the enemy gains +1 for melee but may not use block.

Grapple – may choose to lock the enemy after a successful unarmed attack rather than do damage. Opponent must break with unarmed combat success, modified by difference in either strength or agility (attacker’s choice)