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 to construct a particular “school”. Thus at full development each school will include five combat bonuses and five special abilities. A nation can construct multiple martial arts schools, and rare individuals can even learn multiple schools, though they cannot be combined together in the same attack – each is a discrete style.

Martial arts are coupled to either the Melee Armed or Melee Unarmed skills (or in rare cases the Ranged Weapons skill). The Martial Arts level cannot be higher than its linked Melee skill. Each level of Martial arts (including X) allows a practitioner to use up to three bonuses and 1 special ability. Two bonuses can be traded for one additional special ability. This describes the characters level of knowledge in their school of martial art – special abilities and bonuses above the level known by the school cannot be used. Thus nation with a particularly advanced martial art may have very few individuals who can use it fully, while one with a very simple martial art may have many masters who have the potential to learn more than their nation can teach.

Martial arts are an Unrestricted Skill.

Combat Bonuses are -1 to Attack difficulty, -1 to Parry/Dodge difficulty, -2 Soak Difficulty, +1 Combat dice, +2 Init

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), requires Iron Hand
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 non-weapon attack special abilities with 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 a free pool of dodge dice equal to your melee combat dice pool each turn (Requires Flow like Water)