| From: | dbuehrer@******.carl.org dbuehrer@******.carl.org |
|---|---|
| Subject: | CC Martial Arts |
| Date: | Mon, 05 Jun 2000 09:45:17 -0600 |
When are you going to change your email options to reflect your new alias? :)
>From: <dbuehrer@******.carl.org>
>
> > 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.
>
>Dave, we've been using this for a while now, and there are a couple of
>hang-ups you are likely to encounter trying this.
Thanks for the input.
> > 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?
>
>And of course this is a functional trick. As I mentioned previously, we've
>been doing this now for quite a while. It was something that actually
>occurred to us when we first read SR3 and looked at the idea of
>"complimentary skills" as a whole.
>
>The one really/truly significant drawback is this method can literally throw
>away the entire Combat Pool mechanic. Remember, "skills" do not have a
>limit on refresher rates like Pools do. That and most, if not all,
>complimentary skills are going to be relatively cheap (karma wise) to
>develop.
I can't remember, is the karma multiplier to develop Knowledge skills
x1? IMO it should be x2. In any case, you are in effect paying a fair
ammount of karma for a complimentary skill because of the 2-1 rule.
>For instance, as a test-field example I took the Tai Chi skills
>for Padre', who also had "Tai Chi Maneuvers" (best terms to use quickly) as
>the complimentary skill to go with it. Every Tai Chi martial art action
>(aka; melee combat) also immediately came forth with the complimentary skill
>as well. Hence, we almost doubling the effective skill even though the dice
>for the complimentary used the two-to-one mechanic.
My house rule regarding complimentary skills is to replace the two-to-one
success mechanic by dividing the complimentary skill by two and rounding
down to determine the number of additional dice. Pretty much the same
outcome, just a different way of approaching it.
Also, I would limit the number of combat pool dice that can be added by the
unarmed combat skill, not the number of dice being rolled for the test. If
a character has Unarmed Combat 4, and Martial Arts 5, they would be rolling
6 dice and could add up to 4 dice from their combat pool.
Your physad could get obscene with Unarmed Combat 6, Martial Arts 6, +6
dice for unarmed combat, and 6 combat pool dice, for a total of 21 dice
(6+3+6+6) for an unarmed combat test. However, I don't have a problem with
a physad rolling that many dice for an unarmed combat test as I feel
Physads should be able to get to the top of the food chain when it comes to
unarmed combat :)
>Other hang ups when using this system arise when considering how many
>"special maneuvers" the character knows. If you use the complimentary skill
>as the basis, you are in fact making them more available because the cost to
>aquire them has most likely been dropped (background skill vs. active skill
>cost).
Ah, I wasn't specific. I meant to say that I would prefer to define
Martial Arts as a knowledge skill that can be used as a complimentary skill
for unarmed combat *instead* of using specific/general maneuvers and/or
techniques. I.e., I would like to use the complimentary dice as an
abstraction of the character's use of martial arts in unarmed combat.
>House Rules are great for many things, it's part of why we discuss things
>like we do on this list and in other places, but at the same time
>occasionally we really should consider the overall picture and how are
>changes will impact the game mechanics as a whole.
>
><ending unintentional soapbox blathering now>
<helps K down off his soapbox>
Thanks for the input and feedback :)
To Life,
-Graht
http://www.users.uswest.net/~abaker3
--
"All things are at all times, in motion. Take the time to watch the dance."
-John Caeser Leafston
