| From: | Sommers sommers@*****.umich.edu |
|---|---|
| Subject: | CC Martial Arts |
| Date: | Mon, 05 Jun 2000 10:53:25 -0400 |
>Also, the rules don't specify, IMHO, that a character's unarmed combat
>skill reflects their ability to fight, not their martial arts
>knowledge. IMO the number of techniques that a person knows should be a
>function of Knowledge: Martial Arts skill.
>
>I've taken Hapkido for a year and a half. Hapkido is a particularly
>brutal martial art. I know how to maim people. But can I do it in a
>fight? Honestly, probably not, unless I get lucky or my opponent isn't
>much better at fighting than I am. If I were to ever end up facing off
>against an experienced fighter, I'd probably get my ass
>whupped. Why? Because Hapkido doesn't train me to fight. All of the
>techniques I know have been taught in a controlled environment (if they
>weren't, Hapkido students would spend a lot of time in the
>hospital). Occasionally we spar, and then it quickly becomes apparent
>that knowledge and fighting ability are not the same.
>
>Martial arts knowledge and training does not necessarily equate with an
>ability to fight. Few martial arts actually train their students to
>fight. Tae Kwan Do and Karate are the only two that are coming to mind at
>the moment that train their students to fight, and then it's in a
>controlled situation with rules. A street fight is not a controlled
>situation, and it has no rules.
>
>IMO a character with unarmed combat skill is someone who as actual
>experience fighting. I'm going to experiment with treating martial arts
>as a knowledge skill that can be used as a complimentary skill to unarmed
>combat. And maybe a martial artist can default from the complimentary
>skill to martial arts (so every two successes would count as one success
>and the TN would be increased). Anyone have any thoughts?
Instead of making it that complex, how about just bringing back the Unarmed
Combat skill as an Active skill, and then the martial art as the Knowledge
Skill. The martial art skill is the one you use to keep track of the
different maneuvers you can learn, the unarmed combat is the skill you use
for combat tests. That means that you are going to have to learn more
skills than the CC, but you get more flexibility.
I'd rather stay away from complimentary skills affecting combat though.
There are already enough dice floating around with Combat and Karma pool.
How about as a bonus for the martial arts guys, you can use your knowledge
skill as a "Linked Attribute" instead of Strength for purposes of the Karma
costs and training time for raising the Unarmed Combat Skill. So the old
master with the strength of 2 can still raise his "Death Fu" to ridiculous
levels because his knowledge skill is so high, fitting in well with a
cinematic theme.
Some ramifications of this method are that it makes it ridiculously easy to
make martial arts that concentrate more intensely on the use of weapons. A
kenjutsu skill would allow you to learn maneuvers for use with the sword,
and would roll Edged Weapons during combat. For "sport" forms like judo,
the martial art Knowledge skill is linked "Sport Unarmed Combat" instead of
Unarmed Combat. With the sport version, all Power ratings are halved, and 4
successes are needed to stage up damage.
Off the cuff, how does this sound?
Sommers
Aerospace engineers build weapon systems. Civil engineers build targets.
