Martial Arts
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Martial Arts
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In the world of Oriental
Adventures, the martial arts are a style of combat that never
developed
significantly in the rest of the AD&D©
game world. It is perhaps one of the most unique features of this land-the
development of the body into a useful
weapon, capable of defeating opponents supposedly better armed and
armored than the unarmed fighter. The
unarmed fighter uses his entire body-his hands, feet, legs, arms,
head-any part can be turned into a weapon.
To achieve this skill, he must undergo rigorous training. This
training requires great physical and mental
discipline to master the styles, maneuvers, and feats of the martial
arts. The unarmed fighter must learn to
anticipate actions, harden his body, block out pain, and summon
energies from deep within himself. This
is not easy and requires a deep commitment on the part of the
character.
There are several reasons why the MA have
been developed to such a high degree within this
society. Part of it is the philosophy
&& outlook of the people. Found throughout all the lands is a belief
in the
forces of nature. These forces are not
just abstract concepts, they surround the character and charge everything
about him with hidden energies. Nor is
the character a passive observer of these forces. He is part of them, just
as they are part of him. Therefore, he
too can draw upon these forces and use them. Furthermore, he strives to
live in harmony with these forces, perhaps
appeasing them with offerings && prayers or learning to commune
and understand them. But before he can
do this, he must learn, develop, and harmonize the forces within
himself. By doing so, he is able to live
at peace with the natural forces. While tools can be effective in changing
the face of nature, they are outside this
harmony, they intrude upon it. Understanding one's own body and its
capabilities is thus one factor leading
to the development of unarmed fighting skills.
Several religious beliefs espouse the idea
that this world is a passing thing, that with time, everything
will change. As such, material possessions
have little real worth or value--they are not permanent. Devout
followers of these beliefs try to divest
themselves of the desire for the material world, since these are
impediments to ultimate perfection. Only
the inner qualities of a man are permanent and positively known.
Reliance upon a tool such as a weapon
is reliance upon the material world. Only by knowing themselves and
their own value can they achieve perfection.
Thus, they learn and develop their own abilities to understand
themselves.
There are other, more pressing social reasons
for the development of unarmed fighting. The Oriental
society is not like the other societies
of the world. Where the peasant
of another land always keeps and feels
entitled to carry a sword or similar weapon,
it is not unusual in the lands of OA for severe
edicts to be passed restricting the ownership
of such weapons. This is particularly true in conquered lands and
notoriously troublesome provinces. Punishments
could be quite severe, including torture and execution. Given
these restraints, commoners often had
to find other ways to defend themselves.
In time, these skills became widely practiced
and honorable. Efforts were made to regularize the styles
and training practices. Careful study
of scientific principles and religious concepts followed. Unarmed fighting
became an art which if practiced diligently
and correctly could guide the student to self-perfection.
With the spread of martial arts skill,
every land developed its own styles. The fighter had to learn to
counter weapons favored in the local area
and studied the natural styles of the beasts of his land. Each style was
further divided by the masters who taught
it. Each developed his own particular moves and methods and two
masters of the same style could easily
fight in entirely different forms. Thus, there grew a vast proliferation
of
methods of martial arts, some might favor
use of the feet while others might rely on evasion and throws and so
forth. Arguments and challenges over which
style was better were quite common, as fighters of different
schools sought to establish the supremacy
of their claim. These were often spectator events, with hundreds of
interested onlookers.
At the lowest level, the MA artist trains
the fighter in the use of his body. The primary goal is to train
the fighter so that he can avoid being
hurt. However, different masters espouse different ways of reaching this
goal. Some styles are mainly defensive,
diverting or avoiding the attack. Other styles are more aggressive, their
masters believing that attacking is the
best way to protect oneself. Others demand the fighter learn and master
many different weapons to understand their
use.
Unarmed combat uses many different techniques,
depending mainly on the style learned. Forms include
punches, blocks, kicks, pushes, throws,
holds, locks, and dodges-a near infinite variety of moves. Unarmed
combat is also a misnomer. Students are
often expected to learn how to handle common and unusual weapons.
However, using many of these weapons effectively
requires the same discipline and training as the unarmed or
open-hand forms and so their use is only
taught as part of a particular martial arts style. To give a peasant a
tui-fu and expect him to fight with it
effectively is foolish, but in the hands of a master of martial arts it
can
become a deadly weapon.
This section covers how martial arts skills
are learned and used in combat. Some of the styles
described
are historical. But, as noted above, there
can be hundreds of different styles, so a part of these rules describe
how the DM can create different and unique
styles as befits the campaign. One never knows when there might
be a hermit in the hills who has developed
a new fighting style!
The martial arts given here are designed
to fit within the rules the AD&D game.
Players should not
expect a detailed listing of every type
of combat move, thrust, or parry that combine to make a complete style.
Styles are defined by their effects within
the rules-number of attacks, damage, armor class, and principal attack
form. As characters rise in levels, they
may also learn a number of specialized maneuvers inherent to a style.
However, such powers only come with dedication
and training!
Under OA rules,
the martial arts are classified by five different characteristics--number
of attacks, damage, armor class, principal
attack form, and special maneuvers. When grouped together, these
elements form a style. There can be as
many styles as there are possible combinations of these elements. Each
style is different and must be learned
separately. Styles are often given descriptive or poetic names, based on
how the style works, its appearance when
used, or the source of inspiration. There are animal names (Snake,
Monkey, Tiger,
etc.), poetic names (Eight Drunken Fairies), and descriptive names (Empty
Hand, Springing
Legs, Eight Fists, etc.). Each identifies
a particular style. In addition, styles are further identified by their
use.
Some are highly defensive, retying on
the inner power of the user to overcome the opponent: others are
aggressive, stressing form and channeled
power in hard and sudden attacks. Below are listed some common
styles.
Table 68: COMMON MARTIAL STYLES
| Name | # of At. | Damage | AC | Principal Attack <*Method> | Special
Maneuvers |
Special
Maneuvers |
| Karate | 3/1 | 1-6 | 8 | Hand | Strike 1, 2, 3
Kick 1 Movement 1 Mental 1 |
Iron Fist, Crushing Blow, Eagle Claw.
Circle Kick. Feint. Meditation. |
| Kung-fu | 2/1 | 1-6 | 6 | Hand | Lock 1, 2, 3
Strike 1, 2 Kick 2 Movement 4 Mental 5 |
Choke Hold, Locking Block, Incapacitator.
Iron Fist, Crushing Blow. Flying Kick. Missile Deflection. Ironskin. |
| Tae Kwon Do | 1/1 | 1-8 | 8 | Foot | Kick 1, 2, 3
Strike 1 Throw 4 Movement 5 |
- |
| Jujutsu | 2/1 | 1-6 | 7 | Hand | Throw 1, 2, 3, 4
Movement 1, 3 Vital Area 1, 2 Mental 1, 2, 3 |
- |
Number of attacks functions in the
same manner as it does for normal combat. When using martial arts,
the number of attacks depends on the style
used and may differ from the number of attacks with weapons. Thus
a character's ability to attack may increase,
decrease or remain the same when using martial arts.
Damage is the die that is rolled to determine
the effect of a hit. Defensive styles generally do low
damage; offensive styles have the opposite
effect.
Armor class is
a measure of the degree of protection the character gains when using the
style.
This protection comes from the character's
training which may allow him to avoid, deflect, or withstand blows.
Principal
attack form is the part or parts of the body most often used in the
style. So long as the
character has the listed body part free
he can continue to make effective attacks. Karate emphasizes the fist,
so
the character can attack even though his
legs may be held. Other styles use the legs, elbows, torso, etc.
Special maneuvers are the secrets
of the art, secrets that allow fantastic feats, but are difficult to learn.
These include things such as Backward
Kick, Sticking Touch, Great Throw, Ironskin, and other normally
impossible abilities.
In addition to using the common styles
already listed, the DM is encouraged to create new styles for use
in his campaign.
These styles are taught by various NPC masters. A style is created by choosing
the general
characteristics of the style and then
selecting values, terms, and abilities from the lists given in the text.
The DM should first decide whether the
style is hard, soft, or a combination of the two. Hard styles
emphasize the use of the muscles and bones
for power. They usually use very direct movements and are
generally offensive, stressing the attack.
Soft styles rely more on the inner power of the character to provide the
necessary energy, although they too require
conditioning of the muscles. Their movements are much more fluid
and circular and are generally considered
more defensive. These movements divert the attacker, using his own
force against him, and making an attack
only after the enemy has committed himself. The training is more
mentally oriented, showing the student
how to focus and use his inner power. Styles that combine both hard and
soft attempt to use the best practices
from each. Circular and gentle defensive movements are combined with
swift and direct attacks. Physical training
is balanced with psychic training. All styles can make use of a number
of unusual weapons.
Next, the DM must choose the principal
method of the style, the fighting method most commonly used
in the style. When a character attacks,
he more often than not uses the principal method of the style. Each
principal method describes the most common
means of attack-those with kicking method use many kicks, those
with throwing rely on grappling and leverage,
etc. However, every style incorporates moves from other
methods, since reliance on a single form
would certainly mean defeat.
Table 69: Martial Style Combinations
lists all the different choices available for creating a style.
As the DM makes selections, his choices
determine the AC, number of attacks, damage, and body part used by the
style.
Table 69: MARTIAL STYLE COMBINATIONS
| Form | AC Mod. | #AT Mod. | Damage Mod. | Body Part |
| Hard | 1 | 1 | 4 | - |
| Soft | 3 | 0 | 2 | - |
| Hard/Soft | 2 | 1 | 3 | - |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| Principal Method | - | - | - | - |
| Kick | 1 | 1 | 4 | Foot |
| Lock | 1 | 1 | 2 | Body |
| Movement | 2 | 1 | 2 | Legs |
| Push | 2 | 1 | 1 | Hand |
| Strike | 1 | 1 | 4 | Hand |
| Throw | 1 | 1 | 2 | Body |
| Vital area | 2 | 1 | 4 | Hand and foot |
| Weapon | 1 | 1 | by weapon | Hand and arm |
Notes Regarding Style Combination Table
Form/Principal Method — The DM
must select one form and one principal method for each style.
AC Mod. — Total
the AC Mod. from the form and the method chosen.
Subtract this number from 10 to get the
AC
of the style.
#AT Mod. — Total
the #AT Mod. from the form and the method chosen.
This is the number of attacks allowed
in a melee round when fighting in this style.
This number of attacks does not apply
for any other style or when fighting with normal weapons.
Damage Mod.
— Total the Damage Mod. from the form and the method chosen.
Round this number (up) to the nearest
die size used in the game.
Thus, a total of 6 equals 1d6. A total
of 4 equals 1 d4. A total of 5 equals 1d6.
This is the basic amount of damage done
when fighting in the style.
Body Part
— This lists the part or parts of the body most commonly used when fighting
in this style.
Kicking relies on the feet, while throwing
makes use of the whole body.
So long as a character has the listed
body part unbound or free to move, the character can still attack effectively
with that particular MA style.
In addition to the basic information concerning
the style of the martial art, the referee must also
determine what weapons (if any) are taught
under the style. The DM rolls 1d4 and subtracts two from the
result. This is the number of weapons
that are taught under this particular style of martial arts. The DM can
select the weapons
from those that can be used in martial arts only.
Finally, the DM must determine the special
maneuvers used by the style. This is explained in the next
section, Special Maneuvers.
Q: Table
69 (Oriental Adventures,
page 102) seems to indicate
that a
created style has a maximum
of two
attacks per round. Is this
correct? If
so, why does karate allow
three
attacks per round? Is karate
off-limits
to PCs?
A: Yes, created styles
have a maximum of
two attacks. PCs can learn
any of the
styles listed on page 101.
Karate does
allow three attacks per
round.
The common
martial styles listed on page 101 were not created using the
rules
on page 102.
Each is unique and cannot
be recreated or
modified using the rules
creating new
styles.
(121.24)
Q: How do you determine
which special
maneuvers can be used with
a
created martial-arts style?
A: The form of the
style determines which
special maneuvers can be
used with it.
Each special maneuver on
table 70 (page
103) is labeled for use
with one of the
forms. A special maneuver
labeled hard is
used primarily with hard
styles, hard/soft
maneuvers can be used with
any style,
and soft maneuvers are used
primarily
with soft styles. The special
maneuvers
listed under mental and
physical training
are labeled with the most
compatible
forms but may be used with
any style; all
other special maneuvers
should be restricted
to their primary style?no
more
than one ?out of form? maneuver
per style
is a good rule of thumb.
(151.9)
Special maneuvers are actions and abilities
that require intensive study && skill to learn. In return, they
give the user greater-than-normal results
and can be used to great effect. Some maneuvers are actions that the
character can attempt during the course
of a fight (Flying Kick, One Finger, etc.), others
are constant abilities
that once learned are always in effect
(Ironskin, Blind Fighting, etc.). Combat maneuvers are risky in that
failure often leaves the character in
an exposed or dangerous position. A combat maneuver costs the character
one or more of his attacks for the melee
round. A movement maneuver counts as movement, preventing the
character from making any attacks that
round (unless the maneuver notes otherwise).
All maneuvers are organized according to
the principal method of fighting used. Kicking covers actions
involving kicks; movement includes-°
leaps, tumbles, dives, and acrobatics. In addition, each maneuver is
identified as being hard, soft, or hard/soft.
This corresponds to the genera classification of the fighting style. A
soft fighting style mainly uses some special
maneuvers and a hard style uses hard special maneuvers. This does
not prevent crossover between the two
styles, it just indicates the general type of maneuver each style uses.
To determine the number of special maneuvers
taught by the style, Of 1d8. This is the number of special
maneuvers that can be chosen on from the
principal method of the style or from the Mental and Physic Training
lists. Then, a second roll of 1-3 is made
to find the number of maneuvers chosen from other methods (or again
the Mental and Physical Training category).
All styles usually incorporate a few maneuvers from' other methods
to provide the character with an arsenal
of tactics.
The special maneuvers of each method are
ranked according to the difficulty of each maneuver. The
lower the number of the maneuver, the
easier it is to learn and execute. When selecting the special maneuvers,
there must be a progression from 1 on
up. However, the progression does not need to be within a single
principal method and there can be more
than one maneuver at the same difficulty level. A style could begin with
Circle Kick (1), Flying Kick (2), All-around
Sight (2), and end with Backward Kick (3). The ranking is given to
determine the order in which the abilities
are gained. A higher difficulty maneuver can only be learned if those
beneath it have already been learned.
Special maneuvers are not gained immediately
upon learning the martial art style. They require extra
training and are learned gradually. How
these maneuvers (and martial arts proficiencies in general) are gained
is
explained under Learning Martial Arts.
In addition to the maneuvers grouped under
the principal method, there is the additional category of
Mental and Physical Training. These are
special maneuvers that can be learned in any style because of the
methods of practice and discipline of
the training.
Q: How does a character
with a
martial arts skill gain
special
maneuvers?
A: Each special maneuver
learned requires
one proficiency slot, no
matter what style
is used or what other maneuvers
or
weapons are known.
(121.24)
Q: When can special
maneuvers be
used? For example, can a
character
with prone fighting skill
use a
katana while prone?
A: Martial arts special
maneuvers may be
used only in conjunction
with the character’s
style; a katana is not a
martial arts
weapon and cannot be used
with any
martial arts style or special
maneuver.
However, common sense dictates
that the
special maneuvers from the
mental and
physical training category
can be used any
time, unless their descriptions
state
otherwise.
(122.42)
Q: How does the form
of a style (hard,
soft, hard/soft) affect
which special
maneuvers can be used?
A: The principal method
of the style, not
the form, determines the
style’s special
maneuvers (OA, page
102). Each special maneuver
on page 70 is
labeled for use with one
of the forms —
information which might
be helpful when
assigning “out of method”
special maneuvers;
just match the chosen maneuver
to
the form of the style.
(122.42)
Q: The rules say that
special maneuvers
must be learned in order,
yet
the common martial arts
styles skip
some of the maneuvers in
several
categories. Why is this
so?
A: Any style’s special
maneuvers are
learned in numerical order,
no matter
what groups they are from
(as per Oriental
Adventures, page 102). In
tae kwon do,
for example, Movement 5
is the last
maneuver learned; the character
does not
have to (and, in fact, cannot)
learn Movements
1-4, because they are not
part of his
style.
(122.42)
Q: In "Sage Advice"
in issue #122, you
said that the to-hit roll
required for
the special martial-arts
maneuver
Leap should be made against
AC 10.
Does this apply to to-hit
rolls required
for other maneuvers, such
as
Weapon Catch?
A: No. In general,
combat special maneuvers
require a to-hit roll vs.
the armor
class of the target character.
The target
character in a Weapon Catch
is the character
holding the weapon that
is to be
caught.
(151.58)
Table 70:
MARTIAL ARTS SPECIAL MANEUVERS
| Kick | Lock | Movement | Push | Strike | Throw | Vital Area | Weapon | Mental and
Physical Training |
| 1. Circle kick (hard) | 1. Choke hold (hard/soft) | 1. Feint (hard/soft) | 1. Concentrated push (soft) | 1. Iron fist (hard) | 1. Fall (hard/soft) | 1. Pain touch (soft) | 1. Weapon catch (hard/soft) | 1. Meditation (hard/soft) |
| 2. Flying kick (hard) | 2. Locking block (soft) | 2. Prone fighting (soft) | 2. Sticking touch (soft) | 2. Crushing blow (hard) | 2. Instand stand (hard/soft) | 2. Stunning touch (soft) | 2. Weapon breaker (hard/soft) | 2. All-around sight (soft) |
| 3. Backward kick (hard/soft) | 3. Incapacitator (hard/soft) | 3. Immovability (soft) | 3. One finger (soft) | 3. Eagle claw (hard) | 3. Hurl (hard) | 3. Paralyzing touch (soft) | 3. Steel cloth (soft) | 3. Mental resistance (soft) |
| - | 4. Immobilizing (hard/soft) | 4. Missile deflection (soft) | - | - | 4. Great throw (soft) | 4. Distance death (soft) | - | 4. Blind fighting (soft) |
| - | - | 5. Leap (soft) | - | - | - | - | - | 5. Ironskin (hard) |
| - | - | 6. Speed (hard/soft) | - | - | - | - | - | 6. Levitation (soft) |
| - | - | 7. Slow resistance (hard/soft) | - | - | - | - | - | - |
In this dramatic kick, the attacker builds
up power and momentum by spinning in a complete circle before landing the
kick (usually on the side of the head or body). If successful (a normal
to hit roll), the kick does twice normal damage.
If unsuccessful, the character loses the
next attack he is normally allowed as he tries to recover his balance.
This spectacular kick requires at least
five feet of running space.
The character leaps high into the air
and leads with a powerful kick to the head (or head height for larger than
man-sized creatures).
If the kick connects, the character does
triple normal damage. If unsuccessful,
the character falls to the ground
adjacent to the intended target and must
spend a round getting back to his feet (unless he also has Prone
Fighting or Instant Stand).
Backward
Kick: This seemingly innocuous kick is extremely difficult to master.
The character attempts
a normal attack at any creature directly
behind him, either kicking his foot over and behind his own head or
lashing out straight backward. He does
not have to turn around and face his attacker. The kick does normal
damage,
but a failed attempt has no ill effects.
Locking is the art of gripping an opponent
in such a way that prevents him from acting-twisting an arm
so the joint is locked, applying pressure
to choke off breathing and blood flow, etc.
This teaches the character the correct
way of applying pressure to render an opponent unconscious.
When using a choke hold, no attacks can
be made in the next round as the attacker is entirely occurred in gripping
and holding his opponent.
If a successful to hit roll is made, the
choke has been applied.
Once applied, the hold must be maintained
until the end of the next melee round (during which the character can take
no other action).
The victim can attempt to escape by making
a successful to hit roll, modified by a -2 on the die roll.
The escape attempt can be tried as many
times as the victim has attacks.
If the character fails to escape, he falls
unconscious at the end of the round.
He remains unconscious for 1-3 rounds.
Locking Block:
This action can be attempted instead of a normal attack. It can be used
against other
unarmed fighters or melee weapon attacks.
A normal to hit roll is made. If successful, the character has trapped
his opponent's weapon, arm, or leg in
a scissors arm-lock and it cannot be used to make attacks. In addition,
so
long as the victim is so trapped the character
can make attacks (using the feet only) with a + 4 on his chance to
hit. The victim can break the lock by
expending an attack and making a normal to hit roll for success. The
locking block does not cause damage.
When used against an unarmed fighter, an
unsuccessful locking block causes no penalty other than the
fact that the attack has been lost and
no damage is done. However, when used against a weapon, an
unsuccessful locking block results in
the character taking damage from the weapon.
In attempting to make the
block, the character has only managed
to get himself hit by the weapon.
Incapacitator:
By gripping the opponent and twisting the joints, the character can render
one finger,
arm, or leg useless for 24 hours and cause
double normal damage. The effects of incapacitating
a limb are
explained under the wu jen withering palm
spell. A successful to hit roll must be made and the victim is allowed
a saving throw vs. paralyzation. If the
saving throw is failed, the appropriate limb is rendered useless. If the
saving throw is made, the attack fails.
An unsuccessful attack (either a failed to hit or a successful saving throw)
has no effect on the attacker other than
the waste of an attack and the lack of damage done. This maneuver is
particularly useful to prevent opponents
from escaping or making attacks.
Immobilizing:
With one hand the character is able to grip and hold an opponent in a way
that keeps him
from taking any action. The character
is still able to make attacks (using either his feet or his other hand),
even
applying an immobilizing lock on another
victim. A successful to hit roll must be made and the attack does no
damage. Immobilized characters can attempt
to escape by spending a melee attack to break the hold. However,
the chance of success is modified by -6
to the die roll. An unsuccessful immobilizing lock results in a -4
modifier on the character's next attack.
This method relies on the training of the
character in the control and positioning of his own body--his
posture, stance, and reflexes. From it
students learn the importance of SPEED, sudden changes of direction, and
footwork. It is seldom very offensive,
but when combined with other styles creates a dangerous and deadly
fighter.
Feint: A feint
is a trick where the character begins an attack in one direction and at
the last minute
changes it to another direction. When
done successfully, the opponent is out of position to the new attack and
cannot defend as effectively against it.
A feint requires one melee attack to execute. A normal to hit roll is made
and if successful the character's next
attack gains a + 2 on the chance to hit. The feint itself does no
damage. If
unsuccessful, the character suffers no
penalty other than the toss of the attack.
Prepared for any circumstance, the character
is able to fight effectively even when lying on the ground.
This special maneuver is constant-it applies
any time the character is knocked from his feet.
The only limitation is that the character
can perform no other special maneuver (except Instant Stand) when prone.
Immovability:
By
carefully positioning his feet and learning to tense and relax various
muscles, the
character can avoid being knocked, lifted,
or thrown off his feet. Any time these would occur, the character is
automatically allowed a save vs. Paralyzation.
If the save is successful, the character remains where he
is.
Missile
Deflection: Relying on the speed of his reflexes and the nimbleness
of his footwork, the
character is sometimes able to avoid nonmagical
missile attacks (including magical arrows and bolts). This
ability is constant although the character
must be aware of the attack. The character is allowed a saving throw
vs. Paralyzation against each attack.
If the save is successful, the character has dodged the missile; if not,
the
missile hits normally.
The character is able to perform extraordinary
feats of springing and leaping by channeling his
inner power, mentally making himself as
light as a feather. From a standing START the character can spring four
feet into the air and three feet forward
plus one foot for each level of the character. He can also flip in mid-air
to
automatically change his facing. Such
springs do not take an entire melee round, costing instead only one attack
allowed during the round. Thus a character
could flip over an opponent, land behind him, and execute an attack
from the rear with his next melee attack.
From a running start, the character can spring eight feet upward and
ten feet forward plus one foot for each
level of the character. The character must have at least 10 feet of running
space for springing. In both cases, the
character must make a normal to hit roll to see if he lands safely. If
the
roll is made, the leap or spring is successful.
If the roll is failed, the character makes the leap but falls to the
ground upon landing.
Q: The leap maneuver
requires a “to
hit” roll — but against
what armor
class?
A: The “to hit” roll
is normally vs. AC 10,
but the DM may alter the
armor class
rating to reflect a particularly
dangerous
or difficult circumstance,
such as bad
footing, poor visibility,
or a confined space.
Magic and dexterity do not
alter the “to
hit” roll in any way.
(122.42)
SPEED: The character
has developed lightning-fast reflexes and powerful muscles mainly by concentrating
and learning how his body controls its movements. The character gains twice
the normal amount of melee attacks he is normally allowed (both with the
MA and normal combat) and
moves at double the normal combat movement
rate (only).
The increase in movement rate does not
apply to normal movement nor can the movement SPEED be maintained for more
than five rounds.
This special maneuver is difficult and
tiring.
It can only be done once per day and can
only be maintained for five rounds.
At the end of this time, the character
must REST for 1-3 rounds.
Slow
Resistance: Having developed his
body and disciplined his mind, the character is automatically immune to
slow effects.
Pushing is a soft form of combat,
primarily protective in nature. It relies on the character's understanding
of the forces of motion. The opponent's
own force is turned against him, deflecting his attack, throwing him off
balance, or knocking him backward with
a single touch. Learning this art takes great mental discipline but does
not require great strength.
Concentrated
Push: The character focuses his inner energy into his hands, giving
him great results even from a gentle push.
On a successful to hit roll the opponent
is knocked back one foot per level of the character.
If the distance is greater than three
feet, the victim must make a successful saving throw vs. Paralyzation to
remain on his feet.
If the victim hits a solid object, he
suffers damage as if he had fallen the same distance. <(WSG:
Falling
Damage)>
Note that those with Immovability can
resist being knocked back. If the Concentrated Push attack is unsuccessful,
all attacks made against the character
for the remainder of the round have a + 2 on their chance to hit.
Sticking
Touch: The character has so attuned his sense of touch that even by
lightly placing his hand on another he can cause it to follow their every
MOVE.
A normal to hit roll must be made and
the touch does no damage.
However, so long as the character remains
in contact, he gains + 2 on all subsequent to hit rolls and his AC
improves by 2,
since he is able to feel the impending
move of his opponent before it happens.
The touch can only be broken by the opponent
moving in a way or at a speed beyond the abilities of the character.
Thus, if the opponent had the Leap maneuver
he could use this to break contact.
However, if both knew this maneuver, the
character could automatically choose to leap at the same time as his opponent,
keeping his contact unbroken.
One Finger:
This skill requires long and difficult practice. It is said that the student
first learns to push a
heavy bell with the touch of a single
finger. He concentrates then on touching it lighter and lighter while making
the bell swing even more. Finally, he
reaches the point where he can make the bell move without actually
touching it. His inner power extends from
his finger and pushes the bell. At this point he has mastered One
Finger.
One Finger gives the character the power
of Concentrated Push without having to touch the TARGET. The
character simply concentrates and points
his finger at the victim. The range is equal to one foot per character
level. One Finger requires great concentration
and is the only action that can be taken in the melee round
regardless of the number of attacks the
character has. A normal to hit roll must be made. If successful, the
victim is affected as if hit by a Concentrated
Push. If unsuccessful, the attack misses and has no effect.
Iron
Fist: Through various toughening exercises, the character has hardened
his hands so much so that
they feel like steel.
The character does 1d10 points of damage
on each attack, if his principal body part used is
the hands. If the
principal body part is not the hands, the character does 1d10 points of
damage on one attack
per melee round.
Q:
Is there a duration for the iron fist
special
maneuver or a limit to the
number
attacks it can be used with
in
a single round?
A:
Duration is irrelevant, as iron fist is
used
but once per round. If the principle
body
part used in the style is the hand,
then
each attack does 1-10 hp damage.
Otherwise,
one of the character’s other
attacks
does 1-10 hp damage. In either
case,
1d10 from the maneuver replaces
the
style’s base damage.
(122.42)
Crushing
Blow: The character is able to shatter or break hard objects with a
blow of his hand. This
includes wood, ceramics and masonry but
not metal. The character can break 1 1/2"of wood or 1/4" of brittle
stone per level. The DM can modify this
based on the shape, hardness, and age of the object. If used against a
living target, the character causes normal
damage plus points equal to his level. The Crushing Blow requires
great concentration and is the only action
the character can do in a round regardless of the number of attacks
normally allowed. In all cases a normal
to hit roll must be made. The DM must determine the number needed to
hit a stationary object (based on its
hardness). If the die roll is failed and the character is striking a hard
object
(such as a stone), he has seriously hurt
his hand. He suffers damage equal to what
he would do on a normal
attack and the hand is unusable for 24
hours.
Eagle
Claw: Through physical exercise
and concentration, the character can summon immense crushing strength into
his hand.
On a successful to hit roll he can shatter
objects (snap spear shafts, crush stones,
etc.), crush metal items, and cause 3d10 points of damage
on an attack.
This requires great concentration and
is the only action the character can take during the round.
Fall: The first
maneuver any student of this style learns is how to fall correctly.
He learns to fall and roll, taking the
impact of the fall on the safest areas of his body.
Once learned this maneuver is constantly
in effect.
Thereafter he suffers only 1/2 the normal
amount of damage from any fall.
Instant Stand:
After learning to fall, the student learns how to gain his feet quickly
either by rolling up
to a standing position or using an acrobatic
jump. Normally one round is required for a character to gain his
feet, but a character knowing this maneuver
can regain his feet automatically instead of making an attack. He
may do other actions in the round if he
has attacks available.
Hurl: This type
of throw relies a great deal on strength and less on leverage. The character
can attempt
to pick up an opponent and throw him to
the ground 1d4 feet away. The victim suffers double damage
from the
throw. Characters with Immovability can
resist this maneuver. A successful to hit roll must be made for the
Hurl to work. If the roll is failed, the
character loses all remaining attacks for the round and automatically loses
initiative for the next round.
Great Throw:
Using leverage and his opponent's momentum, the character is able to throw
his enemy a
great distance. A normal to hit roll must
be made. If the victim is stationary, the character can throw him one
foot per level. If the victim is charging
the character, the distance thrown is six feet plus one foot per level.
The
victim suffers triple normal damage from
the throw. If the to hit roll is unsuccessful, the opponent has countered
the move and the character has been knocked
off his feet, automatically losing initiative the next round.
This method is much like strike || kick
in that it relies on the blow for effect. However, the strength of
the blow is not nearly as important as
where it is delivered. The vital area method teaches the character where
and how to strike at the weak spot on
his opponent's body-the throat, the ears, the foot, nerve points, and other
places. Because the training requires
a knowledge of anatomy, the special maneuvers listed can only be used
against humanand
humanoid opponents.
Pain Touch:
Simply by pressing his finger against specific points of the body, the
character can cause great pain in his victim.
This can be done in place of a normal
attack. It causes no damage, but if the to hit roll is successful,
the victim feels as if he is on {fire}.
Thereafter, he will be -2 on his chance
to hit and +2 on chance of being hit.
The effect lasts for 1-3 rounds.
There is no adverse effect on the victim
if the to hit roll is failed.
Stunning
Touch: With a light slap of his fingers in the correct place, the character
can stun and daze his opponent.
This can be done in place of a normal
attack and causes no damage. A normal to hit roll must be made.
If successful, the victim is allowed a
save
vs. Paralyzation.
If this is failed, the victim is stunned
for 1d4 rounds, unable to take any action.
However, should the to hit roll fail or
the save be passed, the attack has no effect.
Paralyzing
Touch: By placing pressure on specific nerve junctions, the character
can paralyze his
victim, leaving him unable to move for
1d6 turns. A normal to hit roll must be made and the victim is allowed
a
save vs. Paralyzation.
If the attack fails or the saving throw is made, no damage is done.
Distance
Death: This is the ultimate skill of this method and requires great
practice and concentration.
To learn it, the character must practice
at a pool of water, driving his finger
at it without touching it. As he does
so, he concentrates on his own power,
trying to extend it from his finger. When he can hear the echo of his
thrust rebound from the water, he has
mastered the maneuver.
Distance Death requires great concentration
and is the only action the character can take during the
melee round. It has a range of one foot
per level of the character. With it the character can choose to apply the
effects of Pain, Stunning, or Paralyzing
Touch or he can choose to do three times his normal damage on the
attack. If Pain is chosen, the victim
is not allowed a saving throw; for Stunning the saving throw is-2 on the
die
roll. In all cases a normal to hit roll
must be made.
The martial arts often include training
in a number of standard and unusual weapons. The training with
standard weapons is very much like that
which other warriors receive and is covered elsewhere in these rules.
However, there are several weapons
unique to the martial arts--weapons that cannot be used effectively without
training in the moves and positions associated
with the martial arts. The maneuvers given below can only be
applied when using those weapons that
are noted as being exclusive to practitioners of the martial arts.
Weapon Catch:
All weapons are routinely used to block and parry an opponent.
The Weapon Catch maneuver teaches the
character how to use the special martial arts weapons to catch and lock
his opponent's weapon in places.
Here weapon includes not just melee weapons
but also the arms and legs of an unarmed opponent.
A Weapon Catch is made in place of a normal
attack and a to hit roll must be made.
If successful, the character has caught
the opponent's attack with his weapon and has locked it in place.
The opponent cannot USE that weapon
to fight with.
Furthermore, the character can make further
attacks on the opponent with a + 2 on his chance to hit,
if he has the correct principal body part
free to make the attack.
The opponent can break the catch by either
dropping his weapon or spending a melee attack to attempt to break free.
If he attempts the latter, he must make
a normal to hit roll to succeed.
If the Weapon Catch attempt fails, the
character has managed to foul his own weapon on that of the opponent's.
With a quick twist the opponent pulls
the character's weapon from his grasp, leaving the character disarmed.
Just as martial
arts weapons are designed to catch weapons, they are also capable of
breaking them. Indeed, students are often
taught this art as it gives them an advantage in combat. The breaking
action is a swift blow or twist with the
weapon. It can only be used against melee weapons, not unarmed.
fighters. The character can also use this
maneuver when fighting with the bo stick against a sword. A normal to
hit roll must be made. If successful,
the opponent's weapon must save vs. crushing blow or be broken. If the
to
hit roll fails or the save is made, the
maneuver fails. This maneuver does no damage.
Steel Cloth:
With this maneuver, the character need never be without a weapon. Taking
a 6- to 10-foot
piece of cloth, the character whirls and
snaps it tight, keeping it in constant motion, giving it the rigidity of
a
spear. The cloth is treated as a spear,
except that it cannot be thrown. This maneuver is automatic, no die roll
is
made for success.
These maneuvers are gained by the character
in the course of training and reflect his superb control over
mind && body. They do not belong
to the categories of principal methods as they can be learned by
practitioners of any method or style.
Meditation:
The character gains all the powers of meditation
as explained under the shukenja character description.
Shukenja and kensai, who already have
this ability, do not need to spend a proficiency to gain this maneuver.
Majere (god of meditation)
All-around
Sight: The character's training makes him more attuned to his immediate
surroundings.
He is able to detect opponents on all
sides of him, provided they are not invisible.
The character can never be struck
from behind or suffer a penalty from a back attack. This maneuver is constantly
in effect.
Mental
Resistance: The mental exercises and ordeals of the character's training
have toughened and strengthened his will.
He receives a + 2 on all saving throws
against mental attacks including charm,
illusion, and hold spells. This maneuver is constantly in effect.
Blind Fighting:
Under his master's guidance, the character has trained for long periods
while wearing a
blindfold or in darkened rooms. This has
given the character the ability to detect his foes with his other senses.
The character suffers only a -1 penalty
when fighting in darkness, when blinded, or when faced by invisible
opponents. However, any of these in combination
with a silence spell render the character effectively blind
again. This maneuver is constantly in
effect. <(Blind Fighting, DSG)>
Ironskin:
Rigorous physical training has toughened the character's muscles to the
point where he can
harden them like
iron. The AC of the character is improved by 2, but only when he is not
wearing any
other type of armor.
Levitation:
This is perhaps the rarest of all the martial arts maneuvers, since it
requires the utmost of
concentration and mental discipline. Daily
the character practices at making his body feel lighter, using his
mental power to negate his own weight.
Finally, the character succeeds in overcoming all his weight. At this
point he can levitate. This maneuver requires
one turn of concentration before it can be done. Thereafter the
character can move up, down or sideways
at five feet per round. He can take no actions while levitating and if
his concentration is broken, he falls
to the ground. Upon completion of the Levitation, the character must rest
for one round before doing any other action.
In addition to the basic abilities and
the special maneuvers associated with a MA style, all styles
have a chance of stunning or incapacitating
a man-sized opponent. Whenever the MA fighter rolls an
unmodified 20 on his to hit roll, the
victim must make a save vs. Paralyzation.
If the saving throw is
successful, the victim is not stunned
or incapacitated (although he does take normal damage from the attack).
If
the saving throw is failed, the victim
is either incapacitated or stunned. Compare the hit dice or level of the
victim to the die roll. If the number
rolled is less than the hit dice or level of the target, the victim is
stunned for
1 d6 melee rounds. If the number is greater
than this, the victim is incapacitated for t-3 hours.
A character attacks a lizard man with
martial arts and scores a 20. A saving throw roll is made and 2 is
rolled on the die. This is equal to the
2 + 1 dice of the lizard man, so it is stunned for 1d6 rounds. If the die
roll
had been 6, the creature would have been
incapacitated for 1-3 hours. Creatures with a + 4 or greater on their hit
dice are treated as having one extra die
for this calculation.
In some ways, learning a MA skill is like
learning any other proficiency. The character must
have a proficiency slot available and
spend it on the particular martial arts style he wishes to learn. However,
learning a martial art is much more difficult
than learning other disciplines, so there are a few more
requirements when mastering a martial
art.
The character must first find a master
to study under. Masters are the teachers of the martial arts. They
can be anyone and can be found anywhere.
The peasant in the field may also be a master of martial arts. The
hermit in the hills may pass his time
learning and developing his own style. The master may be a bushi skilled
in these techniques who travels the countryside
teaching others. He may be a professional teacher who opens a
school in a city or village. He may be
a famous samurai, willing to pass his skills onto others. A priest in a
temple may teach his followers as part
of their religious training.
Master is an honorary title, not a character
class. Students refer to their teacher as master. Unarmed
fighters who have gained a reputation
are respectfully called master. A wanderer may enter a town proclaiming
himself to be a master. The title is not
a measure of the skill or level! There are brilliant masters whose names
and deeds are well-known. There are skilled
masters, able to teach all but the most difficult feats. There are
mediocre masters, just good enough to
teach the basics. And there are incompetent masters who hide their poor
skills behind the imposing sounding title.
As characters study, they learn the true qualities of the master they
have chosen.
Finding a master is not necessarily an
easy task. Many masters regard their skills as valuable secrets to
be taught to only a select few. Many a
style has disappeared because the master refused to reveal his art. Often
they do not advertise or even display
their skill. They feel that to do so would be proud and boastful,
characteristics that are undesirable in
a master (and incidentally may incur the wrath of the gods). For many,
the
ultimate goal of their training is to
avoid having to use it. Others feel that their art can only be learned
in the
most tranquil and secluded surroundings,
deep in mountain forests and the like. Such men seldom appear in
civilized lands.
Politics are another reason masters can
be hard to find. Conquered peoples are often forbidden to learn
or practice their arts lest they become
troublesome and rebellious. Powerful temples (often the center of such
training) may be destroyed by nervous
emperors, warlords, or daimyos. The master and his students are forced
to scatter with the winds and many disappear
without a trace. In such cases, they may join or form secret
societies, clandestinely meeting on rare
occasions to train.
Not all masters are such recluses or the
skills of martial arts would long since have died away. A large
town or city may have a school run by
a master. His skill might be well-known and potential students might
travel great distances to study under
him. The DM can also create other schools teaching the same or different
styles. As characters adventure in his
campaign, they will undoubtedly hear of some of these schools or may
even learn of one of the more secretive
masters of martial arts.
Even after finding a master, the character
is not guaranteed of training. Masters are notoriously finicky
about who they take as a student. The
character untrained in martial arts must first present himself to the master
with, he hopes, the proper humble and
respectful attitude. At this time the character has a 10% chance of being
accepted outright. More often than not,
the master will dismiss the applicant politely. Now the character must
begin courting the master, trying to gain
his favor. He must return to the master, bearing some small gift or
offering. If this pleases the master (and
the character's behavior is still properly respectful), the chance of
acceptance is increased by 10%. The character
can continue this round of visits until he is either accepted or he
offends the master. Once the latter occurs
the master will never accept the character as his student.
If the character already has some martial
arts skill, he can challenge the master to a fight. This challenge
is automatically accepted. A time and
place is arranged and the master decides it he or one of his current
students will fight the challenging character.
If the character is not well-known for his skill, a student is
automatically assigned to accept the challenge.
This is customary and is not considered an insult to the
character. Challenges can be fought to
subdue or fought to the death. In most cases, the former is preferred since
'it spares unnecessary killing. However,
the death of an opponent in a challenge is not considered a crime and
the victor is seldom punished. Challenges
are open to spectators and large crowds may gather to see the
outcome. If the character wins the challenge,
the master automatically accepts him as a student (although he
may actually hope to learn from his pupil).
If the character loses the challenge, he can leave and return at a later
date when he has gained more skill, or
he can humbly beg to be accepted. Such entreaties are particularly
effective when the master has disposed
of the challenger with humiliating ease.
After a character has been accepted by
a master, the DM should determine just what the master knows
about the particular style. He automatically
knows the basics (which give the AC, etc.). The DM
should count the number of weapons used
by the style (if any) and roll the nearest die that is equal to or greater
than this number. The result is the number
of special weapons the master is proficient in. The DM should then
total the number of special maneuvers
available to the style and roll the nearest die that is equal to or greater
than this number. This gives the number
of maneuvers the master is proficient in. Special maneuvers are always
known from those of lowest difficulty
upward (the master is under the same restriction as characters for
learning special maneuvers). Once this
is determined, these are the things the master can teach. The master
never increases in knowledge unless the
DM rules that special circumstances dictate otherwise.
Once a character has been accepted by a
master, he must remain and study under him for at least one
month. At the end of this time, the character
spends one proficiency slot and gains the basics of the style--the
Armor Class, number of attacks, and damage.
He does not gain any of the special maneuvers or weapons that
may be taught by the style. At this point,
the character does not need to remain with the master constantly. He is
free to travel and adventure. He must
practice his style for at least one hour a day and must spend six hours
per
week working with his master. Characters
who do not fulfill this obligation cannot add more special maneuvers
and weapons.
To learn the special maneuvers and weapons
of a particular style, the character must spend additional
proficiency slots, For each proficiency
slot expended, the character can add one special maneuver or weapon
from the style. This does not mean the
character just suddenly knows how to do it, but assumes that he has been
practicing prior to gaining the maneuver
or weapon proficiency. No more than two proficiency slots can be
expended on a single martial arts style
per level. Special maneuvers must be learned in order of difficulty. All
difficulty 1 maneuvers must be learned
before the character can progress to difficulty 2 maneuvers, and so forth.
When a character has learned all the knowledge
the master knows, there is no point for him to study
under the master. The character can now
go off in search of another master-one who knows more about the style
or one who teaches a different style.
Q: Is there any limit
to the number of
martial-arts styles a character
can
learn?
A: Theoretically,
a character could have as
many different martial arts
styles as he
had weapon proficiencies,
but this would
be a waste. The character
would do much
better to use the slots
to learn weapons or
special maneuvers.
(151.9)
Q: Can a gajin character
learn martial
arts or Oriental weapons?
A: Western characters
can learn martial
arts if they can find an
Oriental teacher
and if they have a weapon
proficiency slot
available. Most martial
arts masters will be
unwilling to take on a gajin
student, however.
Gajins can learn to use
Oriental
weapons that are similar
to weapons
allowed to their classes.
A mage, for example,
could use a proficiency
slot to learn to
use shurikens, as these
weapons are
similar to darts.
(121.20)
Q: How does a character
learn a weapon-related martial arts style?
Does he have to be proficient
with the weapon first?
A: A weapon style
is learned just like any
other style; the weapon
is part of the style
and does not require an
additional slot.
Only martial arts weapons
can be used
with a weapon style. If
a character wishes
to be proficient in more
than one martial
arts weapon, he must learn
a separate
style for each weapon.
(121.24)
Q: The rules say that
a character
must learn a martial-arts
style?s
special maneuvers in order.
Yet the
common styles on page 101
skip
some maneuvers; tae kwon
do, for
instance, skips all the
movement
maneuvers and goes straight
to
number five. Please resolve
this
conflict.
A: There is no conflict
at all. Any style?s
special maneuvers are learned
in numerical
order, no matter what groups
they are
from. In tae kwon do, for
example, Movement
5 is the last maneuver learned.
The
character does not have
to (and cannot)
learn Movements 1-4 because
they are not
part of his style.
(151.9)
Multiple Styles and Combining Styles
PCs can learn more than one style of MA
at a time.
This requires more than one
master, available proficiency slots, and
dedication on the part of the PC. When fighting the
character must choose which particular
style he will use. He gains all the abilities of that style, but none of
the
other style he knows. Likewise only the
special maneuvers of the style can be used, unless they are constantly
in
effect. The character can change styles
from melee round to melee round, however. '
After a PC has gained proficiency in two
or more styles and has learned all he can from
those masters; he can create his own unique
style. To create a unique style, the character combines those
elements of each style as he desires.
He could use the AC of one style combined with the number of
attacks and damage of another. All the
maneuvers he has learned from each style can be combined in the new
single style. He can also instruct others
in this new style as if he were a master.
