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Stone: Sling ammo and throwing stones, when carried in a container. Works like Fast-Draw (Arrow). Tonfa: Any baton with a protruding side handle, for use with Tonfa skill. For special Fast-Draw rules, see Multiple Fast-Draw (p. 103), Fast-Draw from Odd Positions (pp. 103-104), Who Draws First? (p. 103), and Quick-Readying Nearby Weapons (p. 104). Flying Leap* see p. B196 Flying Leap is vital for chambara or wuxia fighters! See Special Feats for Cinematic Skills (p. 129) for optional rules that greatly enhance this skill in highly cinematic games. Games† see p. B197 Judges of competitive martial-arts events must know Games, unless the standards are very low. Most contenders get by with IQ-based rolls against Combat Sport (p. B184). Any style with a sport version in Chapter 5 has its own Games specialty – or several, if there are multiple competition types in the setting. All-in fighting championships are a special case. Some have a Games specialty that’s unassociated with a style. Others have no rules . . . and no Games skill. Group Performance† see p. B198 See Faking It (p. 130) for rules for using the Fight Choreography specialty with Stage Combat. This skill also lets you coordinate demo bouts between fighters using Combat Art or Sport skills. Hidden Lore† see p. B199 A new specialty is available in <strong>Martial</strong> <strong>Arts</strong> games: Secret Styles: You know about styles not widely taught in your world – their legends, living masters (and where to find them), techniques, and cinematic abilities, if any. This doesn’t mean you know how to use them. Hobby Skill† see p. B200 The following skill is DX/Easy and often learned by martial artists in settings where they moonlight as fakirs and strongmen: Feats of Strength: You collect tricks that show off your physical grit. Base the skill roll on the score that suits the feat (see p. B172): ST to tear a phone book in half or lift in a showy way (e.g., using teeth or a body piercing), DX to “punch out” a candle flame, Will to walk on hot coals or rest on a bed of nails, and so on. A -4 for lack of familiarity applies to tricks you haven’t practiced. This skill doesn’t improve your capabilities. You can only lift what your ST allows – and while a roll might mean you don’t flinch when punched, you’re still hurt. Also, while you know the secrets of hot coals and beds of nails, you suffer injury if you fail. In a cinematic game, Body Control, Power Blow, etc., replace this skill and do add new capabilities. Judo see p. B203 Judo is the generic skill of “advanced” unarmed grappling. It’s part of any style that incorporates a systematic body of grabs, grapples, sweeps, and throws, regardless of the style’s provenance. It isn’t uniquely associated with the Judo style (p. 166); in fact, that art teaches the Judo Sport skill, not Judo! Sumo Wrestling and Wrestling don’t lend their ST bonuses to Judo techniques – even techniques that also default to those skills. Unless a rule explicitly states otherwise, you only receive these bonuses when using Sumo Wrestling or Wrestling, or their techniques. Jumping see p. B203 Jumping is necessary to get the most out of several optional combat rules, including Acrobatic Movement (pp. 105-107) and Flying Attack (p. 107) in any campaign, and Chambara Fighting (pp. 128-130) in cinematic games. Though we cannot make it possible to fly to the heavens like Superman or to make your body transparent like the Invisible Man, we can make things that are impossible for ordinary people possible, if you practice diligently. – Mas Oyama, This Is Karate Karate see p. B203 Despite its name, the Karate skill isn’t exclusively associated with Karate styles (pp. 169-172). It’s the generic skill of “advanced” unarmed striking. It constitutes part of any art that teaches a complete system of strikes with hands, elbows, knees, and feet – whether that style comes from Okinawa, ancient Greece, or Alpha Centauri. The damage bonus from Karate only applies when attacking with the Karate skill or one of its techniques. It never “stacks” with damage bonuses from Boxing or Brawling. At the GM’s option, though, martial artists who gain Claws or Strikers as part of their training – or who belong to races with natural Claws or Strikers – may wield them with Karate to further enhance damage. To be able to apply Karate bonuses to biting damage, take the Biting Mastery perk (p. 49). CHARACTERS 57
Kiai* see p. B203 This skill has a Japanese name but isn’t restricted to practitioners of Japanese styles. It can represent any kind of war cry, and suits cinematic warriors of all stripes. The GM may want to waive the Trained by a Master or Weapon Master prerequisite. He might even allow those with Musical Instrument skills to gain the Intimidation bonus (but not stun enemies) at fairly long distances by playing instruments such as bagpipes. Knot-Tying see p. B203 Use Knot-Tying to tie up a foe after entangling him with a whip (p. B406) or a lariat (p. B411). You must enter close combat with him and roll a Regular Contest of Knot-Tying vs. his DX or best grappling skill each turn. This counts as an Attack. If you win, you bind his arms to his sides. If you lose, he’s free of your weapon. See Binding (pp. 82-83) for a more cinematic way to tie someone up with this skill. Light Walk* see p. B205 This skill offers additional combat options in highly cinematic chambara- or wuxia-style campaigns. See Special Feats for Cinematic Skills (p. 129). Main-Gauche see p. B208 It’s permissible to use Main-Gauche with your master hand to receive the benefits of a fencing parry while wielding a knife. Armed this way, you can also attack at your full Main-Gauche level. If you just want to attack with a knife, you can save a few points by learning Knife (DX/Easy) instead of Main-Gauche (DX/Average). Mental Strength* see p. B209 In addition to helping resist the abilities mentioned in the Basic Set, Mental Strength can replace Will when resisting chi powers (see Chi Projection, p. 46) or the Hypnotic Hands skill (p. 61). It’s also good against mental effects contested by a score other than Will, such as Mind Control spells and truth drugs that target HT – make a DX-, IQ-, HT-, or Per-based Mental Strength roll to resist, as appropriate. Finally, Mental Strength can substitute for Will to “stare down” a foe or resist the same; see The Contest of Wills (p. 130). Parry Missile Weapons see p. B212 Parry Missile Weapons isn’t a cinematic skill, but it’s far more effective in the hands of martial artists who enjoy cinematic abilities. For one thing, since fighters with DR 2+ on the hands can use this skill to parry with their hands, those who have DR 2 or more from “iron hands” (see Damage Resistance, p. 43) don’t need weapons or armor to parry projectiles. Other “iron body parts” may parry, too, at the GM’s discretion. Warriors with both Enhanced Parry and Weapon Master for a weapon gain their Enhanced Parry bonus when using Parry Missile Weapons with that weapon. Those with Trained by a Master and “iron hands” likewise get a bonus for any Enhanced Parry that includes bare hands. The GM may also permit an Enhanced Parry variant that benefits attempts to parry ranged weapons by any means; see Enhanced Defenses (pp. 43-44). Those with Enhanced Time Sense (ETS) can actually parry bullets, blaster bolts, and other slower-than-light firearms attacks; see Enhanced Time Sense (p. 44). Such parries are at -5. ETS doesn’t normally allow parries against light-speed weapons such as lasers . . . but the GM may allow this, still at -5, if the defender also has Precognition (p. B77). For another option, see Precognitive Parry (p. 62). The penalties for multiple parries in a turn are halved as usual for those with Trained by a Master or Weapon Master; see Parrying (p. B376). Don’t roll separately to parry each hit from a rapid-fire attack, though. Roll just once. Success means you deflect one hit plus additional hits equal to your margin of success. Critical success parries all the hits! Power Blow* 58 CHARACTERS see p. B215 At the GM’s option, those who know Power Blow at Will+1 or better may use it in lieu of Will when attempting extra effort with physical feats or chi powers. Use Extra Effort (p. B356), not the usual Power Blow rules. The only change is that Power Blow replaces Will. Pressure Points* see p. B215 The GM might want to let martial artists who know this skill attack pressure points that produce some of the effects under Realistic Injury (pp. 136-139), even in a cinematic game that doesn’t otherwise use those rules. All of these attacks work as usual for Pressure Points: the attacker must strike the target hit location at an extra -2, inflict at least a point of injury, and win a Quick Contest of Pressure Points against the victim’s HT. •Arm or Leg: You can stop short of fully crippling a limb, inflicting any of the three levels of lesser effects under Partial Injuries (p. 136) – the most severe of which counts as torture for the purpose of Interrogation (p. B202). Duration is still 5d seconds. You can also target joints, as explained under New Hit Locations (p. 137). This gives the victim -2 on his HT roll to resist but otherwise produces the usual effects of a limb hit. • Neck, Skull, or Vitals: You can temporarily induce any of the unpleasant effects on the table give for the targeted hit location under Lasting and Permanent Injuries (pp. 138- 139). (Exception: You can’t inflict Wounded.) Duration is 2d seconds, making attribute and Basic Speed penalties the most useful effects.
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B Y P ETER D ELL’ORTO AND S EAN P
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CONTENTS INTRODUCTION . . . . . . .
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INTRODUCTION Say “martial arts”
Page 7 and 8: The martial arts are as old as hist
Page 9 and 10: 1835 - New Jersey outlaws prizefigh
Page 11 and 12: Eventually, the links between secre
Page 13 and 14: INDONESIAN ARCHIPELAGO The Indonesi
Page 15 and 16: Okinawa Okinawa has always had stro
Page 17 and 18: Boxing in ancient Greece and Rome c
Page 19 and 20: RENAISSANCE EUROPE By the time of t
Page 21 and 22: THE NEW WORLD Asian and European ma
Page 23 and 24: Musashi was a precocious martial ar
Page 25 and 26: In China, Fairbairn came into conta
Page 27 and 28: Bad Reenactments A problem hardly u
Page 29 and 30: Jon Gilbey shouted, “No, Adrian.
Page 31 and 32: Beginning Students as PCs The guide
Page 33 and 34: Customization Notes Styles: Ninja s
Page 35 and 36: Lens Cinematic (+100 points): Add 8
Page 37 and 38: Monk 100 points You’ve isolated y
Page 39 and 40: Customization Notes Styles: Unarmed
Page 41 and 42: Background Skills: 6 points chosen
Page 43 and 44: ADVANTAGES, DISADVANTAGES, AND SKIL
Page 45 and 46: Most martial artists can only take
Page 47 and 48: Chi Powers for Martial Artists Mart
Page 49 and 50: Inigo: You’re using Bonetti’s d
Page 51 and 52: Chi Resistance*† You can rally yo
Page 53 and 54: Suit Familiarity† You’ve learne
Page 55 and 56: Minor Delusions affect combat again
Page 57: Even so, stunt fighters are still f
Page 61 and 62: Tactics see p. B224 Tactics is a ma
Page 63 and 64: Modifiers: A penalty equal to encum
Page 65 and 66: Description: Some techniques raise
Page 67 and 68: Martial artists practice dozens of
Page 69 and 70: Your foe’s only legal defenses ar
Page 71 and 72: Counterattack Hard Default: prerequ
Page 73 and 74: Blinding your foe is an effective t
Page 75 and 76: Head Butt Hard Defaults: Brawling-1
Page 77 and 78: Combine Kicking with Committed Atta
Page 79 and 80: Push Kick Hard Defaults: Brawling-3
Page 81 and 82: Optional Rule: Combinations Martial
Page 83 and 84: Wrench (Limb) Hard Default: ST-4; c
Page 85 and 86: This technique is dangerous! If you
Page 87 and 88: To execute a Piledriver, you must f
Page 89 and 90: Humorous movies often feature silly
Page 91 and 92: Prerequisites Unless the technique
Page 93 and 94: A use of a defensive technique is a
Page 95 and 96: • Own Defenses: A bonus to one’
Page 97 and 98: The Italian used his dagger to ward
Page 99 and 100: All-Out Attack (Long) is incompatib
Page 101 and 102: • Determined: Make a single attac
Page 103 and 104: Thus, a weapon that’s ready stays
Page 105 and 106: Arrow: +1 if stuck in the ground at
Page 107 and 108: Dealing with Charging Foes The sure
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WAIT Wait requires you to name a pa
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These rules address minute differen
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When striking to the front or sides
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CLOSE-COMBAT OPTIONS These expanded
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Lame see p. B141 If you’re standi
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Grapples can set up vicious strikes
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The archer can precede this feat wi
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The grappler has no penalties. Howe
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Sideslip: If you’re standing, you
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Faster Combat You can run extremely
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Example 1: An attacker with two att
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An important part of martial-arts m
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MORE CINEMATIC COMBAT RULES The unr
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TOURNAMENT COMBAT Not all combat is
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INJURY AND RECOVERY Injury is an im
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Severe Bleeding Realistic campaigns
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Del Duque’s cape swirled dramatic
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Wax on, right hand. Wax off, left h
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CHOOSING A STYLE Every would-be stu
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Some styles were born “stripped d
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A PC who starts with several styles
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ARMATURA 6 points Armatura was the
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Perks: Iron Legs; Power Grappling;
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Capoeira fighters claim that slaves
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Escrimadors prefer the Defensive At
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La Verdadera Destreza 4 points La V
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Sport fencing largely eliminates mo
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Practitioners of Hoplomachia often
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Hwa Rang Do stylists prefer to open
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JUDO 4 points Judo is a Japanese co
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Brazilian Jiu-jitsu is a relatively
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Te stresses deflecting an incoming
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Belts and Grading In the popular im
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Iaijutsu 5 points Iaijutsu is the J
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Many cultures have styles that cons
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KOBUJUTSU 8 points “Kobujutsu”
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Kusarigamajutsu 3 points Warriors s
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Skills: Brawling; Judo; Knife; Two-
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The Purpose of Military Hand-to-Han
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In matches, competitors wear modern
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Skills: Judo; Karate; Meditation; P
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Kumango Silat 4 points The heartlan
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Staff Fighting Staff fighting is as
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Skills: Karate; Wrestling. Techniqu
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Sojutsu (pp. 197-198) is but one of
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Sojutsu deals primarily with using
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Tae Kwon Do Ranks Tae Kwon Do (see
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Ninja and Ninjutsu The Japanese cha
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Cinematic Techniques: Dual-Weapon A
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Like other sport wrestling, Indian
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Against multiple opponents, stylist
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FREEFIGHTING 5 points Freefighting
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Weapons don’t evolve in a vacuum.
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Cane - Universal. The walking stick
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The weapons in Martial Arts come in
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Martial-arts tales (especially ninj
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Unorthodox Attacks Often in fiction
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POLLAXE (p. B272) - Europe. The Bas
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A real weapon is preferable to an i
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Yari - Japan. A Spear (pp. B273, B2
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TL Weapon Damage Reach Parry Cost W
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TL Weapon Damage Reach Parry Cost W
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Notes: [1] A crossbow bolt costs $2
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Armor Martial artists, especially p
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CINEMATIC VS. REALISTIC CAMPAIGNS W
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Special-Case NPCs Non-player charac
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Amazing Abilities One option is to
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An especially appropriate theme for
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POST-CLASSICAL EUROPE The uninforme
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MODERN DAY Modern-day games are amo
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The Quest for the Master In a cinem
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There are many variations on this t
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BIBLIOGRAPHY Described below are wo
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With rare exceptions, weapons are n
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Power level guidelines, 29. Prana,
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