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Message no. 1
From: "Jason Carter, Nightstalker" <CARTER@***.EDU>
Subject: More Martial Arts Stuff
Date: Fri, 11 Dec 92 00:42:42 CET
Slash says:
>> If you want to describe the character I am giving here as a munchkin, so
>>be it, but one of my players plays him and it works well.
Calm down guy. I was just cracking a joke. I didn't mean to insult you or
your character. I was just a (not so) funny (I guess) way of asking Stainless
what he thought about Real Martial Artist physical adepts.
As for your martial arts rules, I can't tell if they upset game balance, but
if you don't post them you shall be depriving all of us of the opprotunity to
see (and maybe use) a very interesting varient. Let's see it Slash.
Now Stainless Steel Rat, you (and probably many other people) must carry a
common misconception about Ninjutsu (feel free to correct my if I'm wrong). Now
contrary to popular opinion (and even my last post) Ninjutsu is not a martial
art or even a fighting art. Ninjutsu is the "Art" of Stealth (in loose terms).
What most believe to be the martial art of Ninjutsu is the accompaning fighting
art of "Taijutsu".
So now I ask the question again can Ninjutsu/Taijutsu be a Real Martial Art?

See Ya in Shadows,
Jason J Carter
The Nightstalker

P.S. For anyone looking for a book with tons of martial arts check out HERO
Games Ninja Hero supplement for Champions.
Message no. 2
From: Richard Pieri <ratinox@******.COE.NORTHEASTERN.EDU>
Subject: Re: More Martial Arts Stuff
Date: Thu, 10 Dec 92 20:44:12 EST
>>>>> On Fri, 11 Dec 92 00:42:42 CET, "Jason Carter,
Nightstalker"
>>>>> <CARTER@***.EDU> said:

Slash says:
>> if you want to describe the character I am giving here as a
>> munchkin, so be it, but one of my players plays him and it works
>> well.

JCN> Calm down guy. I was just cracking a joke. I didn't mean to
JCN> insult you or your character. I was just a (not so) funny (I
JCN> guess) way of asking Stainless what he thought about Real Martial
JCN> Artist physical adepts.

As I mentioned before, a Real MA PhysAd would have a slight edge over
a "berserker" PhysAd, just as a Real Mundane MA would have slight edge
over a street fighter. The berserker PhysAd should still have an edge
over the Real Mundane MA, however, which manifests in such things as
Killing Hands, extra dice (or autosuccesses), and other such neat things.

JCN> As for your martial arts rules, I can't tell if they upset game
JCN> balance, but if you don't post them you shall be depriving all of
JCN> us of the opprotunity to see (and maybe use) a very interesting
JCN> varient. Let's see it Slash.

Yeah, let's see it. That's what this forum is for. Even if your ideas
are the worst thing to come down the pike (which I'm not saying they
are), someone may find some use for them. What have you got to lose?

JCN> Now Stainless Steel Rat, you (and probably many other people)
JCN> must carry a common misconception about Ninjutsu (feel free to
JCN> correct my if I'm wrong). Now contrary to popular opinion (and
JCN> even my last post) Ninjutsu is not a martial art or even a
JCN> fighting art. Ninjutsu is the "Art" of Stealth (in loose terms).
JCN> What most believe to be the martial art of Ninjutsu is the
JCN> accompaning fighting art of "Taijutsu".

JCN> So now I ask the question again can Ninjutsu/Taijutsu be a Real
JCN> Martial Art?

We could argue this back and forth even more than the "what exactly is
a PhysAd" debate could rage. In My Opinion, in comparison with the
other Martial Arts, Ninjutsu/Taijutsu does not have the "art" aspect,
the philosophical aspect common to other Martial Arts. All forms of
Martial Arts, from ancient Shao-Lin Chuan Fa to modern Aikido, are
Ways of strengthening both the mind and the body. Note that I exclude
such things as Escrima, La Savate, Combato, etc., because they are
really specialized combat techniques--they are not "Real" Martial Arts
under this definition. I include Taijutsu as a specialized combat
technique, as it is a Way of killing more effectively and quietly.

Now, if you really must have a game-balance mechanism, look at the
suprise rules. A character that is totally suprised gets no Combat
Pool to defend against attacks. This hurts--enough to kill. This is
where a Stealth 8-10 is important, for Stealth is the Ninja's most
important skill, not combat. A Stealth 8/Armed Combat 4 is far more
devestating than an Armed Combat 8/Stealth 4.

JCN> P.S. For anyone looking for a book with tons of martial arts
JCN> check out HERO Games Ninja Hero supplement for Champions.

Unfortunately, there are enough inconsistancies in Ninja Hero to make
it only moderately useful. Combat skill levels in the 3-5 point range
are far more useful than a Martial Arts style in the long run.

Take a look at TORG's Nippon Tech book. It has, to date, the *best*
treatment of cinematic martial arts in an RPG context that I have
seen, bar none.

--Rat
||||| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |||||
Northeastern's Stainless Steel Rat ratinox@******.coe.northeastern.edu
It is a proud and lonely thing to be a Stainless Steel Rat.
--`Slippery' Jim DiGriz

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Thwap!