Martial Arts

Our Martial Arts system is divided into two parts. First the general attack mode and second special maneuvers and skills.

1. About Proficiency and Specialization

-Nonproficiency:

A character who is not proficient in martial arts may not use them.

-Familiarity:

Such a thing does not exist with martial arts.

-Proficiency:

A proficient character can do the following:

• provokes attacks of opportunity from armed opponents
• may make his full allotment of melee attacks
• fighters gain the extra melee attacks based on level
• may be treated as fighting with two weapons using the normal penalties (-2/-4)
• damage caused is 1/4 real damage and 3/4 temporary damage
  

-Expertise:

Everyone can learn expertise in martial arts, but it makes no sense for fighters.

• does not provoke attacks of opportunity from armed opponents
• gains 1/2 attack per round
• may cause 1/2 real damage

-Specialization:

If no optional rules are used only fighters can specialize in martial arts.

• does not provoke attacks of opportunity from armed opponents
• gains 1/2 attack per round
• +1 to hit
• +2 to damage
• may cause 1/2 real damage

-Mastery:

• may make attacks of opportunity against unarmed opponents
• additional +2 to hit
• additional +1 to damage
• may cause 3/4 real damage

-High Mastery:

• causes critical hits on a roll of 16 or higher (see combat & tactics)
• initiative is reduced by -3 to a minimum of 1
• may cause 100% real damage

-Grand Mastery:

• gains one additional attack per round
• receives double damage dice
• may cause 100% temporary damage

-Notes:

• an armed attacker always gains a +4 to "to hit" and damage rolls against an unarmed opponent (see Combat & Tactics)
• basic damage is 1d4/1d4
• knockdown die is 1d6
• critical hits are treated as small bludgeoning

-Some General Remarks:

1. Attack mode:

The damage inflicted by the martial artist does not depend on his attack mode in so far that a punch, a kick, a knee thrust, a head butt or whatsoever is always made with the same damage code and the same chance for to hit. By this the martial artist can, in general, freely describe how he attacks his opponent (this hopefully enriches game play).

E.g.:

A martial artist with two primary hand attacks and one secondary (offhand) attack may decide for (but is not restricted to) one of the following:
treat two right-hand punches as primary attacks and one left-hand as secondary
treat one head butt and one elbow thrust as primary attacks and one kick as secondary
...

This is of course another thing if he uses some special weapon like a magical gauntlet (or similar items on other parts of his body). He is still allowed to make his attacks like he wants, but if he uses the mode with the special weapon his damage and to hit roll will change according to the weapon he uses.

E.g.:

A specialized martial artist uses a nonmagical knuckle duster (dmg.: 1d4/1d3) with his right fist and magical +3 orkspiker boots (dmg.: 1d6/1d6). If he attacks with any mode but the before mentioned he uses his normal thac0 and does 1d4/1d4 + ?(strength) + 2 (specialization) points of damage which is 25 to 50% real. Using the knuckle duster does not change his to hit roll, but now he deals 1d4/1d3 + ?(strength) + 2 (specialization) points of damage which is 100% real. When he kicks with the orkspiker boots his thac0 improves by 3 due to the magical plus and the damage he inflicts is 1d6/1d6 +?(strength) +2(specialization) +3(magical).

2. Opposed rolls:

• Within this system any tied opposed roll is won by the defender.
• In the case that the aggressor rolls a natural 1 the defender is not required to roll at all (and therefore can not fumble...).

3. Marital arts and armor:

A martial artist who wears armor gets a malus on his throw and lock attack rolls as follows:

Up to studded leather (also including elven chainmail)	0
up to (excluding) plate mail	-2
starting with plate mail	-5

These values may vary in special cases (e.g.: magical or very light armor) depending on the game master.

Know also that every "touch" skill (sticking touch, pain touch, paralyzing touch, stunning touch and disabling touch) can only be performed if the used hand is clad with nothing more rigid than a thin leather glove.

2. Martial Arts Combat Skills

We invented several skills which a martial artist can learn.
They are categorized in the skill level which is necessary to learn a given skill:

How to achieve skills?

• Everyone who learns martial arts can choose 3 of the above skills as free slots for every degree of proficiency that he achieves beginning with proficient. (Three when becoming proficient, another three when specializing, and so on and so forth).
• He can also buy as much as he wants for the cost of one character point each.
• In both cases he can of course only choose those skills which he is already allowed to learn.

Advanced throw

Prerequisites: Basic throw
Minimum skill level: mastery
Skill Description:

A martial artist who has learned this skill can use any foe who he successfully throws far (see basic throw) as a weapon against another enemy who is in throwing range. To tell if his living missile hits he must make another attack roll with his martial arts thac0 but with dexterity missile modifier. If he succeeds the enemy he has thrown at gets damage as determined by the thrown foe and must save against knockdown or be knocked down together with the missile person.

All around sight

Prerequisites: none
Minimum skill level: Proficiency
Skill Description:

The martial artist hones his attentiveness and hearing to perceive his surrounding in a more complete way than ordinary people are able to. In game terms every attack made against him from flank or rear is treated as a normal attack with no bonus. He also receives a +2 bonus on surprise checks.

Atemi

Prerequisites: none
Minimum skill level: Proficiency
Skill Description:

A martial artist who learns this skill concentrates his training on strengthening his blows even more as to get most out of every hit he lands on a given opponent. The effect is that the damage of every successful unarmed melee attack he makes increases by one for every slot or cap he spent on this skill. He can spend as much as 5 slots or cape's on this skill to a maximum of +5 to damage.

There is the optional rule which states, that the damage bonus from high strength can not be higher than the maximum weapon damage of the used weapon.

E.g.: Damage bonus due to high strength while using a dagger (1d4(1d3) weapon damage) can not be higher than 4(3).

If this rule is used the additional damage done by atemi is treated as "weapon damage" in so far that the martial artist benefits from higher damage bonuses due to high strength.

Arrow Parry

Prerequisites: Basic parry
Minimum skill level: Mastery
Skill Description:

A martial artist with this skill is able to parry missiles and thrown weapons but with a penalty of -0 for a simple dagger he saw being thrown up to -8 for an blowgun dart fired by an invisible thief.
In case of parrying missiles he also looses the bonus he normally gets from the basic parry skill.

Back Attack

Prerequisites: All around sight
Minimum skill level: Specialization/expertise
Skill Description:

If there are opponents in flank or rear fields of the martial artist he may choose to make one additional attack against one of them per combat round but with a -4 to the to hit roll.

Basic Lock

Prerequisites: Basic parry or basic throw
Minimum skill level: Proficiency
Skill Description:

Locking means that the martial artist somehow gets his opponent in a holding grip from which the latter can not escape, or so he hopes. This technique can only be used directly following a successful block or throw for damage (see basic throw). Basic lock allows the martial artist to have only one lock active at a given time and he can not try for a whole body lock (see there for a description).
Whether or not a given opponent is locked is determined via an opposed attack roll with the following modifiers on the attack roll of the martial artist:

-4	as a general penalty
+2	every used limb of the attacker
-4	every attacked limb of defender
+5	whole body move of attacker
-5	whole body move of defender
+1	defender is not proficient in martial arts or wrestling
+1	defender is not proficient in basic lock
-1	defender is proficient in whole body lock
+4	every size category attacker is larger than defender
-4	every size category attacker is smaller than defender
+5	against an attempt from defender to break an existing lock
+/-X	by situation (opponent might be naked and greased, ...)

Table: Modifiers for an Locking Attempt on the Martial Artists To Hit Roll

Explanations:

• "Used" limbs of attacker means the number of limbs he tries to lock his opponent with.
  E.g.: Two arms to lock an opponents arm behind his back.
• Attacked limbs of defender is the number of limbs the martial artist tries to lock.
  E.g.: the one arm that is to be locked behind the back from the last example.
• Whole body move of the attacker can only be used if he also uses all his limbs for the attack. If he does so and also forgoes any other possible action which he might have (even in later rounds if he holds the lock!) and just concentrates on holding fast his opponent he gets this bonus.
• Whole body move of the defender works in analogy to the whole body move of the attacker, except that one does not loose actions in later rounds if unable to break the lock.
• Attacker smaller than defender: Creatures that are two or more size categories larger than the attacker can not be locked.

Advantages and disadvantages of locking an opponent:

• The obvious advantage is of course that any locked limb can not be used for an attack.
• The obvious disadvantage is that any limb used for locking can not be used for other things either.
• The martial artist has a general +2 to his attack roll when he attacks an opponent he has locked.
• Against opponents other than the locked one he suffers a penalty of -0 to -4 depending on the situation.
  E.g.: A 20 cm pixie that he locks inside his left hand will not result in a penalty but trying to hold down a furious ogre might possibly distract him some from attacks against other foes.
• The armor class of the martial artist against opponents other than the one he locks may be modified by a -4 penalty up to a +4 bonus depending on the situation.
  E.g.: If he locks an opponent and manages to use him as a living shield he might get a bonus. (Strongly depends on a good description of the situation)
• If the martial artist has learned sticking touch and has at least one attack left he can use it against a locked opponent with an automatic success of the required attack roll. This results in a -2 bonus to his armor class and a +2 bonus to any parry against the foe he locks.

How to break a lock?

A locked opponent may attempt once to break a lock which holds him for every (unarmed melee) attack he has left beginning with his next attack.
This attempt is also an opposed attack roll with the same modifiers from the above list. But now the defender can decide for himself how many additional limbs he wants to use to break the lock. The attacker can also decide whether or not to use some more, just to be sure. Limbs that are already used in the lock are automatically used in a freeing attempt (true for both combatants).
Limbs which are newly applied are considered part of the lock when the freeing attempt fails.
E.g.:

The martial artist uses both his arms to lock the right arm of his opponent. The latter tries to break the lock using his left arm as well as the automatically used locked right arm. His attacker foresaw this and for he wants to hold on to his opponent he brings his left leg into play in addition to his two arms. If the freeing attempt fails the defender has both his arms locked and the martial artist has both arms as well as his left leg in use to keep hold on his adversary.

If the defender decides to use all of his limbs to break the lock me may want to declare a whole body move for the additional bonus. And in the case that his attacker is only skilled in basic lock he will always want to do this for even when the attempt fails he can always make another when he has his next attack. That is because even if he declares a whole body move and looses he is not whole body locked (see whole body lock where this point will change)
If the attacker on the other hand decides to use all of his limbs plus a whole body move (and wins) he will forego any other action he might have for as long as he can hold this lock.

Note:

To determine if a lock is in principle possible is very important that the martial artist describes in some detail how he wants to hold his opponent ("What do I know how one can lock a displacer beast with just one arm, but my thac0 is -12 and so..." is not how it works.)

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Basic Parry

Prerequisites: none
Minimum skill level: Proficiency
Skill Description:

When the martial artist is skilled in basic parry he gets a +2 bonus on every block he attempts.
If he uses the maneuver where one does nothing but defending in a round and by that improve ones armor class by a certain value he gets an additional +2 bonus on his armor class.

Basic Throw

Prerequisites: none
Minimum skill level: Proficiency
Skill Description:

This skill can be used to accomplish two things:
One can try to throw an opponent as far away as possible (throw for distance) or
one can try to throw him down as hard as possible (throw for damage)

Whether or not the throw is a success is determined by an opposed attack roll with the following modifiers on the attacker's to hit roll:

+2	defender is not proficient in martial arts or wrestling
+2	defender is not proficient in basic throw
-4	as a general penalty
+/-X	depending on the situation
+/-0	per size category difference

Explanations:

• The difference in size category does not lead to a bonus or penalty because it is as well good and bad to be smaller or larger than the opponent who one wants to throw. But as a general rule no opponent can be thrown using this technique who is more than one size category larger or smaller than the attacker. Yes, a man-sized attacker can grab a 20 cm pixie and throw him away, but he does not use (and need) this technique to do that.
  Or as an alternative general rule of thumb:
  If the defender is more than double or less than half the size of the attacker he can not be thrown by him.
  But one should always use the brain and common sense to decide if a throw is possible or not.

Throw for distance:

If the throw for distance was successful one determines the throwing distance as follows:

• Look up how many space (squares) the attacker requires on a tabletop.
  E.g.: Human 1x1 square, ogre 2x1 squares.
• The actual throwing distance is then 4 times the longest edge of the occupied space.
  E.g.: 4*1 = 4 squares for a human attacker and 4*2 = 8 squares if the attacker is an ogre.

The thrown opponent also takes damage as follows:

1d3	tiny attacker
1d6	small or medium attacker
+1d6	for every 3 meter height of the attacker
+1d6	for every additional 3 meter of falling (e.g.: a throw from a roof)

• The maximum damage is 20d6 as is for a very high fall.
• The opponent must save versus knockdown or be knocked down.
• Another restriction for throwing creatures for distance is that they must fulfill one of the following conditions:
  Either be lighter than the maximum press value of the attacker or be lighter than 3 times the attackers own body mass.

Throw for damage:

• A successful throw for damage deals the same basic damage as the throw for distance (see above).
• Now damage modifiers for high strength, specialization and such are taken into account.
• The opponent is thrown in an adjacent square as chosen by the attacker.
• The opponent is automatically considered knocked down.
  

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Crushing Blow

Prerequisites: Atemi
Minimum skill level: Specialization/expertise
Skill Description:

A martial artist with this skill can deal tremendous blows.
Since it requires one full round to concentrate on this feat this technique, it is of no use in combat, but to any solid material like doors or walls serious structural damage can be done.
In game terms the blow is treated as a strike with a big maul but the martial artist can choose the damage mode (piercing, slashing or bludgeoning).

Death Blow

Prerequisites: 3 times atemi, crushing blow
Minimum skill level: High-mastery
Skill Description:

Using this skill the martial artist can deal even more deadly blows as usual in combat.
If he wants to deal a death blow the martial artist is required to gather strength for the length of one attack with his primary hand (this attack is lost) until the next. With this next primary hand attack he can use the full force of the death blow. Any secondary hand (offhand) attacks that he might be allowed to make while concentrating must be stalled until the death blow took place, but then he may immediately make them.
A death blow does not directly give any damage bonus, but, if successful, the strike is treated as a critical hit (whichever system is used...).

The martial artist must of course have at least two primary hand attacks left in the actual combat round to make a death blow.

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Disabling Touch

Prerequisites: Stunning touch
Minimum skill level: Grand-mastery
Skill Description:

This skill is the climax of the martial artist's study of the nervous system and only the most experienced will ever be able to accomplish this feat.
Disabling touch works basically like pain touch but with a -8 to hit penalty rather than the -4 and on a failed saving throw the opponent is completely paralyzed for 1d4 rounds.

Evade

Prerequisites: none
Minimum skill level: Proficiency
Skill Description:

Any slot or character point spent on this skill gives the martial artist a cumulative +1 defense adjustment to his armor class (with a maximum of +2) if unarmed and unencumbered.

Fall

Prerequisites: none
Minimum skill level: Proficiency
Skill Description:

This skill represents the part of the tumbling proficiency that describes falling.

• If the martial artist already has the tumbling proficiency he automatically has the fall skill at no additional cost.
• If the martial artist has the fall skill he can buy the tumbling proficiency for 1 less character point.

Flying Kick

Prerequisites: Leap
Minimum skill level: Proficiency
Skill Description:

This common technique is used to give an attack some extra punch by jumping at the opponent.

• The distance the martial artist is able to jump is reduced by one when attempting to attack via flying kick and he is of course required to be able to jump into the square of his opponent.
• Each flying kick substitutes one of the normal attacks of the martial artist but only one flying kick can be made in a single combat round.
• The damage die of the attack is increased by one category (e.g.: 1d4 changes to 1d6).
• The knockdown die is also increased by one category. A knocked down creature falls to the ground one square farther.

Instant Stand

Prerequisites: Fall or tumbling proficiency
Minimum skill level: Proficiency
Skill Description:

If the martial artist has learned instant stand he can make a dexterity check to instantly get back to his feet every time he has somehow fallen down. This does not cost him any of his time in so far that instant stand is an action which takes place in addition to any other action or actions that he is otherwise allowed to make.
If the first dexterity check fails he could either stand up as the normal rule says or fight prone until the next round when he is allowed another attempt to instantly stand.

Iron Skin

Prerequisites: none
Minimum skill level: Mastery
Skill Description:

When learning this skill the martial artist begins to harden his skin and muscles effectively giving him a natural armor class of AC9 if he spent one slot or character point. It gets to AC8 for two slots or cp's which is the maximum.

Leap

Prerequisites: Jump proficiency
Minimum skill level: Proficiency
Skill Description:

When learning this skill the martial artist gets the ability to jump from standing still as if he were doing a running jump (he needs no run-up).

Pain Touch

Prerequisites: Sticking touch
Minimum skill level: Specialization/expertise
Skill Description:

With this skill the martial artist starts to learn how to manipulate the nervous system of his enemies. With just a (more or less) gentle touch he is able to send wracking pain through their bodies. An attack roll with a -4 penalty is required for touch which counts against the number of attacks the marital artist can make in that round. If successful the opponent must save against paralyze or be struck by agonizing pain (penalty of two on attack rolls, saves, and armor class for the next 2d4 rounds).
The touch itself does no damage at all.
The pain penalty is not cumulative with itself in so far that multiple hits have no additional effect other than possibly extending the time until the pain fades away, that is when the new roll for duration is larger than the actual remaining time. If the new duration is smaller than the old no effect was achieved.
As a side remark: One should always keep in mind, that this line of skills can only be used on opponents that have some sort of nervous system, which sorts out at least any non living creatures such as golems or undead but also (probably) any kind of ooze, slime or jelly.

Paralyzing Touch

Prerequisites: Pain touch
Minimum skill level: Mastery
Skill Description:

While his training on the nervous system continues the martial artist learns how to disable the limbs of his enemies with a single touch. As with pain touch an attack roll with a -4 penalty is required to hit the opponent. On a successful hit the latter must save against paralyzation or the hit limb (just that single one) is paralyzed (rigid) for 1d4 rounds. Paralyzing the same limb multiple times has no additional effect other than extending the duration as described in pain touch.
The limb which is hit can be chosen by the martial artist in so far, that he can make a called shot when attacking. This goes with the appropriate to hit penalty, of course. (-4 arm or leg, -8 head, the torso cannot be paralyzed).
If no called shot was declared the hit limb is determined at random:

Humanoid opponent	Hit limb	d12 roll
(with just two arms,	Right leg	1-2
two legs	Left leg	3-4
and one head)	Right arm	5-6
	Left arm	7-8
	Choose above	9-10
	Head	11-12

Hit location table: Standard (humanoid) Opponents.

Non humanoid opponent	Hit zone	d10 roll	Limbs that belong into this category
(or at least one with	Lower body	1-4	(hind) legs, tail, (some) wings, etc.
some additional limbs	Upper body	4-8	(fore) legs, arms, tentacles, (most) wings, etc.
e.g. wings of an avariel)	Head	9-10	head(s)

Hit location table: Non Standard Opponents.

If a creature falls into this category of opponents (most monsters do...) then do the following:

• Use the upper table for non standard opponents to determine the general hit location
• Then count all of the creatures limbs that belong into this location and can be affected
• Choose the best fitting die and determine with same odds for every limb which one is hit.
• (If the limbs are very different in size one might want to adjust the probabilities a bit.)

E.g.:

A martial artist fights a lizard man and chooses the paralyzing touch  as his attack mode. The to hit roll was successful and the lizard man failed his saving throw. The martial artist rolls now a d10 for he had not declared a called shot. The result is a 2 which means he somehow hit the lower body of his opponent. For a lizard man has two legs and one tail that fall into the lower body category a d3 is rolled to determine which limb was hit (e.g. 1 right leg, 2 left leg, 3 tail;). The roll shows a 2 meaning that the left leg was hit and is now paralyzed for 1d4 rounds.

When the head was struck use the following table to determine the effect:

Head	Affected sense	d4 roll	Effect during the duration
	Taste	1	Creatures sense of taste does not work
	Olfactory	2	Creatures sense of smell does not work
	Hearing	3	Creature deafened
	Eyesight	4	Creature blinded

Hit location table: Head

Parry All

Prerequisites: Basic parry
Minimum skill level: Mastery
Skill Description:

Using this skill requires two primary hand attacks (which are lost) in a round when he wants to parry all but the martial artist is now able to roll a block for every melee attack that is made against him, but without the +2 bonus from the basic parry skill.

Parry All Arrows

Prerequisites: Parry all, parry all arrows
Minimum skill level: High-mastery
Skill Description:

Using this skill is the martial artists sole action for the round. Nevertheless he is further required to have at least two primary hand attacks per round to use this skill. He can then roll a block for every attack being made against him, be it melee or missile weapon attack, with all appropriate modifiers (e.g.: see arrow parry).

Prone Fighting

Prerequisites: none
Minimum skill level: Proficiency
Skill Description:

With this skill the AC and to hit penalty for fighting prone is halved to a -2. The AC bonus against missile weapons does of course remain.

Speed

Prerequisites: none
Minimum skill level: Specialization/expertise
Skill Description:

This skill gives the martial artist the ability to make one additional attack in a given combat round but then ALL of his attacks in that round are made with a -2 penalty to the to hit roll.

Sticking Touch

Prerequisites: none
Minimum skill level: Specialization/expertise
Skill Description:

When placing a hand on his enemy a martial artist skilled in sticking touch is always able to guess what his enemy's next move will be. He feel the play of muscles (if any) and even the slightest beginning of movement and has learned to interpret this information. When he wants to use the sticking touch he must make an attack roll to get in place one of his hands (his choice which) on his opponent. This attack counts against the total number of attacks the martial artist is allowed to make but does no damage. If successful the hand is placed and the martial artist gains a +2 bonus to attack and block rolls as well as his armor class against this opponent but against any other opponent he has a penalty of -2 for both attack and block rolls but not his AC.
Since the martial artist can feel his enemy's every move an established sticking touch can only be broken if the opponent he is sticking to can somehow move in a manner which he can not follow (jump farther or higher, run faster, teleport, etc.).
The cost for keeping a sticking touch in place is one attack per round. This attack has not to be rolled, though.

Stunning Touch

Prerequisites: Paralyzing touch
Minimum skill level: High-mastery
Skill Description:

Stunning touch works basically just like pain touch but when the opponent fails his saving throw against paralyzation he is stunned for one round.

Whole Body Lock

Prerequisites: Basic lock
Minimum skill level: Mastery
Skill Description:

Basically this skill works like basic lock. But there are some additional options that can be used.
One of the to hit modifiers has changed and there are also two in addition:

+0	defender is proficient in whole body lock (changed)
+1	defender is not proficient in whole body lock (new)
-5	attack whole body of defender (new)

Differences to basic lock:

• Basic lock can only be used following a block or throw. Whole body lock can in addition be used to further entangle an already locked opponent by extending the existing lock.
• Now more than one lock can be established (to different opponents).
• Now the "whole body" of the defender can be attacked (hence the name...)

Explanations:

• To attack the whole body of defender means that all of the limbs must be attacked and in addition the -5 penalty for the whole body option must be paid.
• If the whole body attack is successful the defender can make only one attempt to break the lock and this one not before the next round.
  If this attempt to break the lock fails the defender is pinned, meaning he is not able to escape on his own (but maybe by magic, psionic or similar means) for as long as the martial artist wants to hold him.
• There is another possibility of how the defender can suddenly find himself in a whole body lock.
  That is if he attempts to break a lock and chooses to use a whole body move.
  In contrast to basic lock there is now a serious disadvantage, because if his attempt fails he is whole body locked and can make just one more try for escape in the next round or be pinned.