GURPS Martial Arts - Home

Items listed under “Optional Traits” are less cut-and-dried.
They aren’t so much components of the style as they are elements
frequently associated with it. Possibilities include extra
“entrance requirements” enforced by demanding masters;
prerequisites for instruction in the art’s more mainstream
teachings at certain schools; advanced training; and consequences
of training. Where left unspecified, such details are
up to the GM.
Advantages
Optional advantages are most often either traits that
would lead somebody to study and succeed at the style
or learnable advantages (p. B294) taught only at particular
schools. More rarely, they’re entrance requirements
for exceptionally strict schools. See Desirable
Advantages (p. 43) for many suitable examples. A few
traits bear special mention:
Cultural Familiarity: Martial artists might have no
choice but to travel abroad if they wish to study certain
styles. Even if they learn at home, a martial art from a
foreign land might encourage or even pressure them to
become familiar with the art, food, music, and values
of its background culture. This is especially true when
the master hails from that culture! Any of these situations
could justify Cultural Familiarity (p. B23).
Languages: As noted for Cultural Familiarity, those
who study foreign styles might end up immersed in
foreign ways. This definitely includes Languages
(p. B23). A given master or school might refuse to
instruct students in any language but that of the style’s
homeland, because only that tongue has a vocabulary
capable of properly explaining the style’s moves . . . or
because the master speaks only that language!
Unusual Abilities: The style’s teachings might even
enable students to buy cinematic advantages:
Enhanced Time Sense, Extra Attack, Innate Attack,
etc. These are subject to the same prerequisites as cinematic
skills. See Chapter 2 for many examples.
Disadvantages
Optional disadvantages are a mixture of traits that
might influence a martial artist to pick this style over
another, pledges required of new students at strict
schools (most of which are self-imposed mental disadvantages;
see p. B121), and side effects of training.
A particular disadvantage can fall into more than one
category. For instance, someone might elect to study
Sumo because he’s Fat . . . or end up Fat after practicing
Sumo and eating the diet it prescribes. See
Common Disadvantages (p. 53) for possibilities.
Skills
Optional skills fall into three categories:
•Skills that only some masters regard as “basic.” If
the GM rules that an optional skill works this way, it
goes on the main skill list for that school and adds a
point to style cost.
• Skills that all students of the style are encouraged to
study in order to gain a fuller understanding of the style.
These are never necessary for the skilled practice of the style.
•Skills reserved for advanced students. These play a similar
role to techniques, Style Perks, and cinematic skills:
they’re never required, but martial artists who wish to learn
them must first buy Style Familiarity and put a point into
each of the style’s basic skills.
The GM decides which niche each optional skill
occupies.
Style vs. Style
A source of perpetual debate in the martial-arts world is
the question “Which styles are better than what others?” The
reality – which GURPS tries to model – is that almost any
martial art can make a capable fighter out of somebody with
suitable physical, mental, and emotional potential . . . but
some styles do so more readily than others.
Not all styles are created equal – some truly are superior for
certain purposes. Styles created for combat turn out apt fighters
but rarely graceful kata performers or tournament winners.
Dedicated sports styles produce contenders who perform
better under controlled conditions than in a “street
fight.” And styles optimized for fitness and relaxation rarely
train warriors or champs, but are more likely than other styles
to have a positive effect on the average person’s health.
There is no “best” or “ultimate” style, though. Styles are
good for what they’re designed for. Judo, Tae Kwon Do, and
Karate were designed as sports. Their practitioners focus on
competition – although some become tough fighters. On the
other hand, a Jeet Kune Do, MCMAP, or Krav Maga stylist
learns to fight. He’d probably lose badly in a kata competition
or a light-contact match scored on proper form, but pit him
against an assailant in a dark alley and the result would be
quite different. Mixed martial arts (p. 189) attempt to bridge
this gap, training martial artists for full-contact matches but
sharply limiting the use of techniques that are effective but
likely to inflict crippling injury.
In a cinematic game, all bets are off. A realistic combat
style might churn out capable warriors . . . but these would
face easy defeat at the hands of disciples of more artistic styles
with working chi powers. Sports styles might be every bit as
effective in a deadly fight as in the ring. And the most “peaceful”
arts might teach techniques capable of defeating any foe!
School vs. School
It’s rare for every school of a style to teach in an identical
fashion – or even to profess a uniform style. Some belong to
large federations that attempt to dictate a standardized curriculum.
Others are independent, however, or part of a loose
group that doesn’t try to enforce standards.
The GM can use this to justify modifying a style for the students
of a specific school or master. He should be generous in
allowing players to request changes to styles – within limits.
Players who desire custom-designed styles should refer to
Creating New Styles (p. 146) instead.
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