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Message no. 1
From: Nilo Nolasco <nilo@*******.COM>
Subject: Martial Arts Table, Kickboxing Concentration??
Date: Sat, 17 May 1997 09:33:12 -0700
Started another SR group again today as I am quite SURPRISED that HALF
of my players took a Martial Arts concentration of some sort! Then
again, melee combat in my game is as comparable as shooting a gun or
tossing a spell. Heh... :) I have made my own tables for Karate, for
example. It's inspiration is drawn from mostly from cinematics, fight
games, and whatever I could gather around the net concerning unarmed
combat (with some advisement from my father AS WELL who is a high dan
black belt himself):

KARATE


Techniques TN Damage Reach

Block/Evade 4 None None
Can be used for counterattacks. Is assumed that the limb or the haft
of the attacker's weapon is being blocked. An attempt to block/evade
weapons is as follows: +2 to TNs for swords or any melee weapons with a
reach of 2, +4 to TN for monowhips, and +1 to TNs for all other melee
weapons; these modifiers can be negated for a -1 for every 2 Unarmed
Combat skill points over attacker's Armed Combat skill.

Karate Strike 4 (Str+1) M Stun +0

Kick 5 (Str+1)M Stun +1

Jump Kick/Flying Kick 6/7 (Str+2) M Stun +1/+2
Attacker must be able to run at his opponent for a minimum distance of
at least 3 meters in order to perform a flying kick. Athletics or
Quickness can be used in order to augment the damage done by the flying
kick which results in a +1 to power for every 2 successes in which the
attacker runs and jumps at the opponent for the appropriate amount of
actions (if the opponent is still there!). If the attacker fails to
make any successes or due to a defender's evasion, he rolls out of it or
falls prone. If defender blocks and attempts to counterattack a flying
kick, he gets a -1 to his TN.

Disable or Subdue 6 for limb/8 for torso (Skill) M/S Stun +0
An attack targeting the nerve points of the body which must be
specified. Damage applied is not 'real' damage but if all 10 boxes are
filled are filled for that specific body part, opponent cannot use the
affected limb or collapses and incapable of any action for 20 combat
turns/Willpower (2) + modifiers for torso attacks

Get Inside Reach 5 for Rch 2/6 for Rch 1 None +0
As long as an attacker manages 1 more success against the defender, he
has negated both parties Reach modifiers.

Lunge 4 (Str+2) M Stun +0
Charging or lunging at an opponent. The attacker must make a delayed
complex action by meeting the opponent's onrushing attack or jumping him
before he gets to do anything. The opponent may only block or evade
when charged.
Sweep 6 (Str) M Stun +1
A foot sweep which knocks the opponent off his feet. Attacker must
make more successes than the defender.

Pulled Punch 5 As Attack As Attack
The attacker may want to limit
how much damage he does in an attack. Once an attack has been
successful and before the opponent makes a Damage Resistance test, the
attacker chooses a damage category for the attack below the damage
category to which he has presently staged up to.

Full Out Attack As Technique (+2 Power) As Attack
The ultimate in a committed attack. The opponent receives a -1 to his
TN to block/evade the full out attack. The kiai is used along with a
full out attack in which the opponent centers all his inner energy into
one furious blow. This technique cannot be used for counterattacks.

Kiai Target's Willpower None +0
A loud cry combined with limited but threatening moves, its purpose is
to put an opponent off their attack, or unnerve the opponent into making
a mistake or not attacking at all. Make an opposed Charisma test (along
with half of his Karate skill) against the target's Willpower. For
every success past the defender's, the target receives a +1 modifier for
any block/evade or counterattack he attempts against the attacker. Is
considered a Free Action when used with a full out attack, but a Simple
Action for any other attack.

Grapple 6 None +0
The attacker attempts to get a hold of and immobilize the opponent. If
the attacker gains more successes than the opponent, the target receives
a +1 modifier for every 2 successes past the defender's. The attacker
then gets a -2 bonus to his TN for further grapple attacks on the
opponent. The defender can attempt to fight off the attacker's grapple
(but he cannot use any kick or jumping knee techniques), try to break
free by brute strength (Strength test against attacker's skill in
Karate), or try to reverse the grapple. If the opponent accumulates a
number of +1 modifiers more than his Unarmed Combat skill, he is then
considered "immobilized" and are completely helpless. The attacker may
release an opponent from the grapple any time they wish, requiring a
simple action.

Throw 6 (Oppnt's Body) L Stun +0
Following a successful grapple or while sustaining one, the attacker
throws the opponent to the floor. For every 2 successes past the
defenders', the attacker may throw the target 1 meter in any direction.
The opponent must make an Athletics or Quickness roll against the number
of meters thrown is required or risks himself to (number of meters
thrown) D damage.


I have made a similair table as well for the Aikido style (from watching
WAY too many Steven Seagal movies) along with its unique attacks/moves
to distinguiesh them from say, Karate. I have had much success with my
Martial Arts tables so far as it allows beginner players (who know
NOTHING about the Martial Arts) become creative when it comes to melee
combat in SR instead of going, "I use my Karate concentration against
Mr. Street Sam". :(

I plan to make similiar tables as well for kung fu, tae kwon do, hapkido
and many others but I need suggestions from those versed in these other
martial arts and speacial attacks/moves that makes them unique! I am a
bit of a rush to find ANY suggestions for a KICKBOXING concentration
table similir to mine as my only PA has decided to take the Thai martial
art as his. From what I could gain from many a Ultimate Fighting
Championships videos, too much Street Fighter a few years back, and what
I could get from my dad - it's not much besides the obvious - elbow,
forearm, knee attacks, etc. Anyone wish to help out with this project?

Nilo
Message no. 2
From: Matb <mbreton@**.NETCOM.COM>
Subject: Re: Martial Arts Table, Kickboxing Concentration??
Date: Sat, 17 May 1997 14:17:27 -0700
Nilo Nolasco wrote:

> Started another SR group again today as I am quite SURPRISED that HALF
> of my players took a Martial Arts concentration of some sort!

One of the great problems of the SR melee system - there's almost no
reason *not* to specialize into a martial art. It's not even comparable
to specializing in pistols over SMGs, as kicks and punches are both
considered to deal the same damage and have the same reach.

Oh, there are a few disadvantages a clever GM can make use of: using
cyberspurs or razors would default down to the basic skill (or if you
want to niggle, down to the general and then back up to the
specialization). A character who specializes in, say, sumo won't be
able
to compete on the pro Karate circuit (although those silly Ultimate
Combat freestyles are becoming more and more popular...) And you can
always wiggle a character concentrating in throws into a fight in
close quarters. But the mechanics provide no differentiation.

As far as your tables go, I don't think they provide an adequate
solution, or, at least, an improvement over the current rules.

Myself, I generally have a form of martial arts as the general skill,
a 'stance' as the concentration (offensive, defensive - and yes, it's
tied to how you use your combat pool) and a specific move (ie,
handstrikes) as the specialization (all of which depend on the stance
taken). The concentrations are still a bit difficult to handle (what's
the difference between attacking with a punch and attacking with a knee,
as far as the mechanics are concerned?) but it seems to provide a bit
more "better in this, worse in that" than the current system.
Message no. 3
From: David Buehrer <dbuehrer@****.ORG>
Subject: Re: Martial Arts Table, Kickboxing Concentration??
Date: Sat, 17 May 1997 16:18:21 -0600
Matb wrote:
|
| Myself, I generally have a form of martial arts as the general skill,
| a 'stance' as the concentration (offensive, defensive - and yes, it's
| tied to how you use your combat pool) and a specific move (ie,

I'd like to hear more about your concentration rules.

-David
--
/^\/^\/^\/^\/^\/^\/^\ dbuehrer@****.org /^\/^\/^\/^\/^\/^\/^\
"His thoughts tumbled in his head, making and breaking
alliances like underpants in a dryer without Cling Free."
~~~http://www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/1068/homepage.htm~~~~
Message no. 4
From: "MARTIN E. GOTTHARD" <s457033@*******.GU.EDU.AU>
Subject: Re: Martial Arts Table, Kickboxing Concentration??
Date: Sun, 18 May 1997 12:27:22 +1000
> > Started another SR group again today as I am quite SURPRISED that HALF
> > of my players took a Martial Arts concentration of some sort!
>
> One of the great problems of the SR melee system - there's almost no
> reason *not* to specialize into a martial art. It's not even comparable
> to specializing in pistols over SMGs, as kicks and punches are both
> considered to deal the same damage and have the same reach.
>
Which is why our group dissallows concentration into different styles; it
is asumed that you can call the skill whatever you want (ie, Karate,
Street Fighting, Ninjitsu, Combat Headbutting etc.) but it costs the same
(Ie general skill) and no style gives you bonuses in attack or defense.

It's not entirely accurate I know, but it saves all the bullshit
discussions about which martial art is 'better', and stops players from
gaining extra skill points for free by calling Unarmed Combat (Martial Arts
[God-killing]) a specialisation..


> Myself, I generally have a form of martial arts as the general skill,
> a 'stance' as the concentration (offensive, defensive - and yes, it's
> tied to how you use your combat pool)

That's not a bad idea, because it leaves you with a balance; You get
better on one area, worse in another, and you don't have to keep track of
all those piddly Martial Arts skill tables.

Marty
Message no. 5
From: The Digital Mage <mn3rge@****.AC.UK>
Subject: Re: Martial Arts Table, Kickboxing Concentration??
Date: Fri, 23 May 1997 16:43:50 +0100
On Sat, 17 May 1997, Matb wrote:

> One of the great problems of the SR melee system - there's almost no
> reason *not* to specialize into a martial art. It's not even comparable

Thats why in my Martial Arts rules I made sure that a concentration either
allowing strikes or grapples but not both. I know that this isn't strictly
accurate but it works to prevent some munchkins/mini-maxers from
concentrating just for the sake of it. Plus also concentratiosn like
Boxing don't allow for kicks, so you're at a severe disadvantage if teh
hands are tied or holding something other than a weapon.



The Digital Mage aka Grant Erswell - mn3rge@****.ac.uk
"Sadder still to watch it die, than never to have known it"
-Rush, Losing It

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