GURPS Martial Arts - Home

Customization Notes
Styles: Unarmed styles with a strong body of kicks are
popular on the big screen. These include Hapkido (p. 161),
Kyokushin (pp. 171-172), Muay Thai (pp. 185-186), Tae
Kwon Do (p. 200), and Wushu (pp. 206-207). Other styles
made famous by movie stars are Aikido (p. 149), Jeet Kune
Do (pp. 164-165), Professional Wrestling (p. 206), and Wing
Chun (pp. 203-204). Actors often use training in modern art
and sport forms to simulate Shaolin Kung Fu (p. 194) and
Taijutsu (pp. 202-203) – but in a cinematic game, their skills
might be real. Weapons show up in film, too, led by the
whippy swords of Sport Fencing (p. 160), the trademark
nunchaku and sais of Kobujutsu (p. 178), and the “ninja
stars” of Shurikenjutsu (pp. 195-197).
Style Lenses: The watered-down styles that result from
“Self-Defense” and “Trained by a Fraud” are suitable for a
phony. An ex-contender would know the unmodified style.
Spy
100 points
You spy for an intelligence, military, or security service.
You aren’t an analyst or a diplomat, though – you’re a more
“hands-on” kind of spy. Your specialties are physical infiltration,
gathering information, and getting out in one piece.
You employ martial arts because they’re hard to trace,
silent, and the ultimate concealed weapon. These features
make them handy for taking out inconvenient sentries and
making informants talk.
Attributes: ST 10 [0]; DX 12 [40]; IQ 12 [40]; HT 10 [0].
Secondary Characteristics: Damage 1d-2/1d; BL 20 lbs.;
HP 10 [0]; Will 12 [0]; Per 12 [0]; FP 10 [0]; Basic Speed
5.50 [0]; Basic Move 5 [0].
Advantages: 15 points chosen from among Alternate
Identity (Legal) [5] or (Illegal) [15], Claim to Hospitality
(Safe-houses of allied nations) [10], Contact Group (Spy
network; Skill-15; 9 or less; Somewhat Reliable) [10] or
(Skill-18) [15], Rank 1-3 (Administrative or Military)
[5/level], or Security Clearance [5, 10, or 15]. • Another
15 points chosen from among Will +1 to +3 [5/level], Per
+1 to +3 [5/level], Acute Senses (any) 1-5 [2/level],
Cultural Familiarity [1/culture], Danger Sense [15],
Eidetic Memory [5] or Photographic Memory [10],
Flexibility [5], High Pain Threshold [10], Languages
(any) [2-6/language], Peripheral Vision [15], Style
Familiarity (any) [1/style], or Style Perks [1/perk].
Perks: Style Familiarity (own style) [1].
Disadvantages: Duty (Intelligence service; Extremely
Hazardous; 15 or less) [-20]. • One of Enemy
(Counterintelligence cell; Hunter; 9 or less) [-20], Enemy
(Enemy nation; Watcher; 12 or less) [-20], or Secret (Spy)
[-20]. • Another -10 points chosen from among Callous [-
5], Curious [-5*], Intolerance (Enemy nation) [-5] or (All
nations but own) [-10], Paranoia [-10], or Sense of Duty
(Own nation) [-10].
Primary Skills: Area Knowledge (any) (E) IQ [1]-12;
Observation (A) Per [2]-12; Stealth (A) DX [2]-12; and 20
points in the skills and techniques of a combat style (see
Chapter 5).
Secondary Skills: Pick one of these three options: Acting (A)
IQ [2]-12 and Disguise (A) IQ [2]-12; Parachuting (E)
DX+2 [4]-14; or Scuba (A) IQ [2]-12 and Swimming (E)
HT+1 [2]-11. • Choose two of Forced Entry (E) DX+1 [2]-
13; Climbing (A) DX [2]-12; or Electronics Operation
(Security), Lockpicking, or Traps, all (A) IQ [2]-12.
• Select one of Filch (A) DX [2]-12; Electronics Operation
(Surveillance), Interrogation, or Photography, all (A) IQ
[2]-12; or Lip Reading or Search, both (A) Per [2]-12.
• Take one of Escape (H) DX-1 [2]-11, Holdout (A) IQ
[2]-12, or Smuggling (A) IQ [2]-12.
Background Skills: Pick two of Cartography or Propaganda,
both (A) IQ-1 [1]-11; or Cryptography, Diplomacy,
Economics, Expert Skill (Computer Security, Military
Science, or Political Science), Forensics, Geography
(Political), or Intelligence Analysis, all (H) IQ-2 [1]-10.
* Multiplied for self-control number; see p. B120.
Lens
Cinematic (+100 points): Add 80 points chosen from among
Enhanced Dodge 1-3 [15/level], Enhanced Parry 1-3 [5 or
10/level], Enhanced Time Sense [45], Extra Attack 1 or 2
(Multi-Strike, +20%) [30 or 60], Forceful Chi 1-4
[15/level], Gizmos [5/level], Innate Attack [Varies], Inner
Balance 1-4 [15/level], Resistant to Chi Abilities (+3) [10],
Trained by a Master [30], Weapon Master [20-45], or
Wild Talent 1-3 [20/level]. You must take either Trained
by a Master or Weapon Master! • Add 20 points in your
style’s cinematic skills (and prerequisites); Invisibility Art
and Light Walk work wonders.
Customization Notes
Styles: Historical ninja were spies, and used Taijutsu
(pp. 202-203) when undercover and unarmed. Today, guns
relegate martial arts to the court of last resort, for use when
the spy is disarmed and has nothing to lose. Various forms
of Military Hand-to-Hand (pp. 182-185) are most common,
but such training is easily traced. To avoid this, some officers
learn popular “civilian” styles: Boxing (pp. 152-153),
Jujutsu (pp. 166-168), Karate (pp. 169-172), Wrestling
(pp. 204-205), etc. Any style works in a cinematic game, but
Western super-spies from the 1960s generally know Judo
(p. 166) and Karate, while Russian and Chinese secret
agents seem to prefer Sambo (p. 185) and Wushu (pp. 206-
207), respectively.
Style Lenses: For a ninja, none. For a modern spy, the
“Military” or “Police” lens, depending on the agency. A good
spy avoids fights and could get by with “Self-Defense.” A
wartime spy can’t always circumvent violence and might
end up with a skill set that looks a lot like the “Street” lens.
Student
38 CHARACTERS
75 points
You’re a martial-arts neophyte – but a talented, driven
one. You make up in youthful energy what you lack in experience.
In time, you could become a model example of any
of the archetypes portrayed by the other templates. For now,
you train, making whatever sacrifices this requires of you.
You might spend all of your spare time at the gym – or, if
you’re a traditional student, live with your master and work
as his servant.
Attributes: ST 10 [0]; DX 12 [40]; IQ 10 [0]; HT 12 [20].