| From: | Richard Pieri <ratinox@******.COE.NORTHEASTERN.EDU> |
|---|---|
| Subject: | Shadowrun Martial Arts |
| Date: | Tue, 8 Dec 92 21:49:35 EST |
find below will tend to be more powerful than a street fighter with
melee combat skills with the same rating, but nowhere near as tough as
a dedicated Physical Adept. Anyway, look it over and tell me what you
think.
[Yes, I know that the rulebook says that you can specialized Unarmed
Combat into a martial arts style. Sure you can, but it's not the same
thing. Trust me.]
MARTIAL ARTS FOR SHADOWRUN
A treatise for "true" Martial Arts in the Shadowrun universe
Somewhere between the street brawler who's taken a few Karate courses and
the Physical Adept who's tuned his Ki to a razor's edge lies the true
Martial Artist, someone who knows how to make his mind and body and spirit
act as one. Unarmed Combat and Armed Combat may often be defined as a
"Martial Arts style". But training the body to fight is the least important
aspect of true Martial Arts. The Martial Arts are a way of life, a
philosophy, a regimen that strengthens the mind, the body, and the spirit
so all work in concert.
An experienced student will have to meet certain requirements, these being
what his training has provided to him:
* All physical Attributes and Willpower must be at least 4, and
Intelligence and Charisma must be at least 3. Attribute minima must be met
without augmentation of any kind, and before racial penalties are applied.
* Two skills are required, a "Martial" skill and an "Art" skill. These
two
skills are explained below.
* The Martial Arts is a way of life, rich in tradition and mistique. Any
Martial Artist must follow the way of his style, or he loses *all* of the
benefits of his style, and his Martial skill becomes just like the normal
melee skills.
The "Martial" skill is the physical training side of Martial Arts. This
skill may be used in place of Armed and Unarmed Combat, depending on the
particular style. For styles which are practiced both armed and unarmed
(Tai Chi, Kempo/Kung Fu), a "primary" and "secondary" method must be
specified. The primary method is the character's prefered way of combat and
is used just like the approprate Combat skill. The secondary method is just
like traversing the Skill Web between Armed and Unarmed Combat, but as if
only 1 dot is crossed (ie, +2 to target numbers instead of +4). The Martial
skill may *never* be chipped--it must be learned naturally and improved
with Karma. The Martial skill may not be Specialized or Concentrated.
The "Art" skill is the mental/philosophical side of training. This skill is
never a combat skill. The Art skill rating must be at least half the
Martial skill rating, rounding up (a Martial skill of 5 requires an Art
skill of at least 3). This skill is usually dependant upon the style, but
not always; it is usually creative or meditative in nature. Meditation,
poetry, and painting are common Art skills. The actual benefits of the Art
skill are up to you and the GM to decide; slightly accelerated healing and
problem solving are just two ideas (this is the skill that provides the
flashbacks to lessons learned long ago). Like the Martial skill, the Art
skill may *never* be chipped--it must be learned naturally and improved
with Karma. The Art skill may not be Specialized or Concentrated.
Note: With this restriction, Ninjutsu is *not* a Martial Art, but a
combination of Armed Combat, Unarmed Combat, and Stealth skills, backed up
by such skills as Lockpicking and Sleight of Hand skills.
In combat, the Martial skill is more effective than the standard Armed and
Unarmed Combat skills. Martial Artists gain a -1T# in combat when they use
the Martial skill. Martial Artists increase their effective STR for damage
equal to their Martial skill/3, rounding down. Any 'ware that adds to
Physical skills does *not* add to the damage bonus (this includes things
like Reflex Recorders and Enhanced Articulation). So a Troll Karateka with
a Karate Skill 6 and a a Strength 5(8) could throw a punch that does (10)M
Stun damage.
SOME SAMPLE MARTIAL ARTS STYLES
Shao-Lin Kung Fu: Generally accepted to be the "original" Martial Art, its
origins date back over 1000 years ago. "Shorinji Kempo" is the art brought
to Japan by the Shao-Lin monks centuries ago, and is almost identical, but
with minor stylistic differences. Kung Fu is a mixed style, able to fight
armed and unarmed (chose a preference).
Aikido: A modern Japanese style, it is purely defensive in nature--the
Akidoka (practicioner of Akido) is incapable of attacking an opponent. The
Akidoka instead defends with wide, sweeping motions and directs his
opponent's Strength against him--the Akidoka uses the opponent's Strength
to do damage, not his own (an Akidoka with a Martial 8 skill fighting the
Troll Karateka from the example above could do (11)M Stun to the Troll, if
the Troll attacks him. Aikido is an unarmed style.
--Rat
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Northeastern's Stainless Steel Rat ratinox@******.coe.northeastern.edu
If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a
hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory
gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor
yourself, you will succumb in every battle. --Sun Tzu, The Art of War
