From:	Sommers sommers@*****.umich.edu
Subject:	CC Martial Arts
Date:	Mon, 05 Jun 2000 12:57:51 -0400

Around 12:05 PM 6/5/00, dbuehrer@******.carl.org was mumbling about:
>Sommers wrote:
>>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.
>
>I must have missed the bit about Unarmed Combat being linked to Strength
>for purposes of karma cost and training. Because if I had, I would have
>raised bloody hell.

AFAIK, all of the melee combat skills are based off of Strength, except for
Monowhips (or maybe all whips). This does makes sense to me from a logical
point of view. If two characters have exactly equal skills, the guy with a
strength of 6 should be able to do more damage than the guy with a strength
of 3.

>Martial arts techniques are not based on strength, they are based on
>technique.

<Snip Stuff>

Little bit of circular logic, but I know what you mean. ;) That's exactly
WHY I suggest the techniques come from the knowledge skill. If you also
default the Unarmed Combat from that knowledge skill, it very nicely starts
to reflect that with better training you can go beyond your (possible)
physical limitations.

>If unarmed combat should be linked to any attribute, it should be linked
>to quickness.

But aren't there several martial arts out there that should be based off of
Strength. The difference between a lightweight fighter and a Tyson 'smash
em til they fall down' bruiser? How about for new styles an additional
edge: default unarmed combat and determine power from Quickness instead of
strength.

Sommers
Aerospace engineers build weapon systems. Civil engineers build targets.