BY PE T E R DE L L ’ O R TO A N D S E A N P U N C H
STEVE JACKSON GAMES
Written by PETER DELL’ORTO and SEAN PUNCH
Additional Material by VOLKER BACH and C.J. CARELLA
Edited by SEAN PUNCH
Cover Art by BOB STEVLIC
Illustrated by ABRAR AJMAL and BOB STEVLIC
ISBN 978-1-55634-762-7 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
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Research Assistance: Kim Bernard, Richard Johnson, Seth Milstein, and Brian Wasson
Lead Playtester: Jeff Wilson
Playtesters: Alex Borghgraef, Dave Brown, Jonathan Carryer, Giuseppe Chiapparino, Ken Clary, Doug Cole, Ciaran Daly, Andy Dokachev, Shawn Fisher,
Scott Harris, Leonardo Holschuh, Dan Howard, Rob Kamm, Jonathan Lang, Jason Levine, Norman Lorenz, Phil Masters, Antoni Ten Monros, and Emily Smirle
Special Thanks: Phil Dunlap, Jin Kazeta, Don Wagner, Old Sensei Don,
Kromm’s Victims (Marc Bourbonnais, Martin Bourque, Bonnie Punch, Mike Ryan, Stéphane Thériault, Robert Thibault),
and Peter’s Victims (Andy Dokachev, Jessica Dokachev, Mike Dokachev, Aaron Falken, John Milkewicz, Sean Nealy, and Tom Pluck)
GURPS System Design ❚ STEVE JACKSON
GURPS Line Editor ❚ SEAN PUNCH
Indexer ❚ NIKOLA VRTIS
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JUSTIN DE WITT
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STÉPHANE THÉRIAULT
2 CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Publication History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
About the Authors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
1. HISTORY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
TIMELINE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
ASIA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
China . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Xia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Monks and Martial Arts . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
India . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Northern vs. Southern Kung Fu . . . . . 10
Religion, Philosophy, and Fists . . . . . . 11
Indonesian Archipelago. . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Japan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Ryu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Ninja: Legend vs. History . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Korea. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Other Nations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
EUROPE AND THE MIDDLE EAST . . . . . . 15
Ancient Greece and Rome . . . . . . . . . 15
Gladiators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Medieval Europe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Yeomen Archers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Masters of Defence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Fechtbücher and Traveling Masters . . . 17
Renaissance Europe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Modern Europe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Beyond Western Europe . . . . . . . . . . . 18
AFRICA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
THE NEW WORLD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Brazil. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
United States . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Women in the Martial Arts . . . . . . . . . . 20
SOME FAMOUS MARTIAL ARTISTS . . . . . 21
MYTHS AND MISCONCEPTIONS . . . . . . . 25
Boards Don’t Hit Back. . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Don’t Bring a Fist to a Knife Fight. . . 25
When Do I Learn Weapons? . . . . . . . . 26
Martial Arts and the Law . . . . . . . . . . 26
Bad Reenactments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Style™ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
2. CHARACTERS . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Power Level . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Realism Level . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Beginning Students as PCs. . . . . . . . . . 30
CHARACTER TEMPLATES . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Del Duque (350 points) . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Frauds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Adrian Froste (200 points) . . . . . . . . . . 37
Kai Lian (250 points) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
ADVANTAGES, DISADVANTAGES,
AND SKILLS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Advantages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Desirable Advantages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Chi Powers for Martial Artists . . . . . . . 46
Perks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Disadvantages. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Common Disadvantages. . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Skills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Combat Skills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Wildcard Skills for Styles . . . . . . . . . . . 60
New Skills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
3. TECHNIQUES . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Learning Techniques . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
REALISTIC TECHNIQUES . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Techniques That Aren’t . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Optional Rule: Targeted Attacks . . . . . . 68
“Go for the eyes!” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Dirty Tricks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
Using Your Legs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Optional Rule: Combinations . . . . . . . 80
CINEMATIC TECHNIQUES . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
Secret Techniques . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Silly Techniques. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
CREATING NEW TECHNIQUES . . . . . . . . 89
Designing Realistic Techniques . . . . . 93
Designing Cinematic Techniques . . . . 94
Useless Techniques . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Designing Techniques
for Nonhumans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
4. COMBAT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
EXPANDED COMBAT MANEUVERS . . . . . 97
Aim . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
All-Out Attack. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Attack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Change Posture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Committed Attack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Defensive Attack. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Evaluate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Feint . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Ready . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Who Draws First?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Move . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Move and Attack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Wait . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
ADDITIONAL COMBAT OPTIONS . . . . . . 109
Melee Attack Options . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
A Matter of Inches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
Untrained Fighters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
Close-Combat Options. . . . . . . . . . . . 114
Teeth. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
Grab and Smash! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
Ranged Attack Options . . . . . . . . . . . 119
Rapid Fire with Thrown Weapons. . . 120
Active Defense Options . . . . . . . . . . . 121
Harsh Realism for
Unarmed Fighters . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
CINEMATIC COMBAT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
Multiple Attacks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
Chambara Fighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
Mind Games . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
,its modern form – Japanese unarmed-combat
systems influenced it, and guerrillas used it against the
Japanese occupiers. Two major schools have emerged since
then; these are quite similar in their training. For more infor-
mation, see Bando (p. 151-152), Banshay (p. 176), and Lethwei
(p. 186).
Thailand
Thailand, formerly known as Siam, also has a rich martial-
arts history. Unfortunately, a terrible fire during the 17th cen-
tury destroyed most of its historical records, obliterating reli-
able accounts of the origins of Thai martial arts. The modern
arts of Muay Thai (pp. 185-186) and Krabi Krabong (p. 176)
can trace their origins at least as far back as the loss of those
records; they likely go back much farther. Another style – now
lost – emphasized stealth, subterfuge, and survival techniques.
It was taught to a sect of monks who might have filled a ninja-
like role for the Siamese kings.
Today, Muay Thai and Krabi Krabong are the most promi-
nent Thai martial arts. Muay Thai is a form of kickboxing,
world-renowned for its tough training and tougher competi-
tion. Krabi Krabong is an armed style. Originally a combat
form, it’s now primarily a sport.
14 HISTORY
EUROPE AND THE MIDDLE EAST
HISTORY 15
Europe and the Middle East have a martial-arts history
as long and as colorful as that of Asia, although it hasn’t fea-
tured as prominently in dreadful action movies. Highlights
include the fighting arts of Classical Greece and Rome, the
martial arts on both sides of the Crusades, the swordsman-
ship of the Middle Ages and Renaissance, and of course the
sport wrestling and mixed martial arts so popular across
Europe today.
As in Asia, fighting skills also figured prominently in leg-
end and folklore. Ancient Celtic tales – collected in the
Middle Ages – told of such heroes as Cu Chulainn receiving
training at swordsmanship, spear-dodging, charioteering,
wrestling, breath control, and chess, and performing super-
human combat feats. Likewise, Norse myths pitted heroes
and gods against supernatural foes in wrestling matches.
ANCIENT GREECE
AND ROME
Ancient Greece was home to a number
of the world’s earliest verifiable martial
arts; in fact, these predate the legendary
origins of many Asian styles. In the Greek
city-states of the Classical age, every citi-
zen was a soldier. Even after Greece aban-
doned the citizen armies of the polis,
Greek society long held that martial skills
were essential to a well-rounded upbring-
ing for every male Hellene. For most, this
meant little more than physical condition-
ing at the public gymnasium and the basics
of handling the shield and spear. Dedicated
practitioners went much further, however,
and teachers of hoplomachia (“armed
combat”), boxing, wrestling, and pankra-
tion (literally, “all powers”) found no short-
age of eager youths willing to take advan-
tage of their services.
The Games
The Olympic Games of ancient Greece
featured three different martial-arts con-
tests: wrestling, pankration, and boxing.
None of the three concerned themselves
with weight classes, rounds, or time limits.
All were brutal contests of skill, strength,
and endurance. The Romans were also
fond of games and held similar contests.
Wrestling was much like modern
freestyle wrestling. Victory was by submis-
sion and striking was forbidden. A match
consisted of a single, untimed round.
Endurance was as important as strength,
since defensive tactics and stalling to
exhaust one’s opponent were legal. The
lack of weight classes meant that heavyweights dominated
the sport.
Pankration (p. 188-189) was full-contact, no-holds-
barred fighting. Only eye-gouging and biting were forbidden
– and the Spartans allowed even this. Many strikes common
to modern Asian martial arts – chops with the hand’s edge,
punches with protruding knuckles, leg sweeps, etc. – saw
use. One famous bout ended when a fighter aimed a stiff-
ened finger strike (what Asian martial arts call a “spear
hand”) at his opponent’s armpit, piercing his vital organs
and killing him. Pankration matches lasted until one con-
testant submitted or was incapacitated. Most bouts ended
with a submission from a lock or wrestling hold, although
one pankrationist famously won his bouts by breaking his
adversaries’ fingers, and death in the ring wasn’t uncom-
mon. At least one contender won posthumously: he forced
his rival to submit even as he was dying from a fatal blow!
Gladiators
Through much of Roman history, gladiators provided public enter-
tainment by fighting animals, prisoners, and each other in the arena.
Most were slaves, but their ranks could include almost anyone – from the
impoverished, looking to earn a living, to wealthy thrill-seekers. Because
gladiators risked their lives in the arena, Roman society saw them as
being above such “petty” concerns as morality and responsibility. Thus, a
successful gladiator was often rich and pampered, able to indulge in his
most cherished (or debauched) pleasures. It was said that all men wished
to be gladiators and all women wished to be with them.
During the era of professional fighters, they or their promoters would
pick their opponents from the ranks of slaves, prisoners, or (occasionally)
volunteers. Most match-ups were calculated to guarantee the professional
fighter a victory and the audience a good spectacle. Fights weren’t to the
death as a rule – at least, not between professionals. Still, some Romans
found entertainment in massacres and lopsided contests where untrained
fighters had to defend themselves against merciless pros.
Gladiators enjoyed treatment that would be familiar to modern pro-
fessional athletes. Top schools kept a physician on staff, and masseurs,
bonesetters, and coaches – all likely to be former gladiators – helped keep
the fighters fit and healthy. The school’s head (lanista) was typically polit-
ically and socially connected, and took care of the school’s financial, reli-
gious, and gladiatorial affairs. The top trainer was responsible for hiring
other instructors (generally former soldiers or gladiators), who might be
broadly skilled or very specialized. These teachers tutored the gladiators
in armed and unarmed combat, and even monitored the fighters’ diet.
They led their charges in daily weapons drills and exercises designed to
improve strength and fitness. Legion officers sometimes regarded gladia-
tors as useful trainers for their soldiers and had them show the troops the
dirty tricks of arena combat.
The celebrated doctor Galen, whose views on medicine were long seen
as infallible in later eras, was a physician to gladiators for five years early
in his career. He prescribed a program of walking to improve breathing,
rhythmic movements to settle the soul, and progressive weight training to
build muscle.
Boxing in ancient Greece and Rome consisted solely of
strikes to the head and upper body. Protective headgear
existed but wasn’t used in competitive bouts. Contestants
wrapped their hands and wrists with leather. The original
purpose of this seems to have been to protect the hand, but
later wraps were twisted – some sources claim edged – to
increase the injury from punches, and the Romans some-
times boxed wearing the cestus (p. 214), a studded or spiked
glove. Bouts lasted until one of the fighters submitted or was
incapacitated. Disfigurement was common: legendary
Greek boxers withstood enormous punishment, and period
texts depict cauliflower ears, broken noses, and marred
faces.
Men competing in both boxing and pankration would
occasionally request that the pankration events be held first
– a reversal of the usual order. Boxing was held to be so bru-
tal that competitors worried about being too injured to com-
pete in pankration, even if they won! A pankration bout
could end with a submission hold or choke, but a boxing
match ended only when one boxer was too injured to
continue.
MEDIEVAL EUROPE
Medieval knights fought with a pragmatic ruthlessness
that seems quite at odds with modern beliefs about chival-
ry. Period accounts
,tell of knights killing each other’s hors-
es, grappling foes and bearing them down to be stabbed to
death, and dealing vicious shield bashes, chokes with sword
blades, and “murder strokes” using the handle of a reversed
sword. Knights did have a concept of honor . . . but in duels
and warfare, victory mattered at least as much as how one
fought.
Modern myth also tends to portray knights as brutal
sluggers with little technique. A perusal of written manuals
of period martial arts – collectively known as fechtbücher –
puts the lie to this. The design of knightly weapons was
rugged in order to overcome heavy armor, but the tech-
niques for using them were quite refined. These martial arts
weren’t restricted by borders or culture. Germanic and
French knights bowed to different kings but shared nearly
identical weapons and fighting styles.
On the unarmed front, complex striking arts such as
pankration and boxing fell out of use when the infrastruc-
ture for martial sports disintegrated with the Roman
Empire. The prevalence of heavy armor made wrestling
much more useful, though, and every warrior learned at
least basic grappling. The heavier the armor, the more
important this became – penetrating metal armor is diffi-
cult, but sliding a knife through your foe’s visor is easy once
you have him prone and pinned.
As the Middle Ages wore on, both armor and the
weapons needed to defeat it became heavier. Early knights
wore mail, relied on shields to block, and fought from horse-
back with spears. With the development of high-backed sad-
dles, it became possible to charge with the lance “couched,”
or held under the arm. Armor improved, making it possible
to discard the shield and fight with two-handed weapons
better able to overcome the armor. The period saw a steady
development of weapons, armor, and techniques for using
them.
Warfare wasn’t the only forum for the martial arts. Mock
battles and tournaments – melees and jousts – kept knights’
skills sharp. They also served as a way for a knight to spread
his reputation and display his expertise. Trial by combat was
another fixture of the era. An accused criminal could claim
this right and battle his accuser (either could use a willing
champion), with the “court” finding in favor of the victor.
Noblemen weren’t the only warriors of the Dark Ages and
Middle Ages. Commoners such as England’s yeomen and
Masters of Defence, Asiatic horsem*n such as the Mongols,
and the feared Vikings of Scandinavia all practiced martial
arts. For much of the period, though, the premier armed
martial-arts styles in Europe were those of the knights.
16 HISTORY
Yeomen Archers
Across most of medieval Europe, farmers were
serfs. In England, though, some farmers – called
yeomen – actually owned small pieces of land. While
still peasants, yeomen were free by the standards of
their time. In return for their freedom, the law
required them to train from youth with the longbow
and other weapons. The government encouraged
archery with contests, tournaments, and laws. It
sometimes went so far as to ban co*ckfighting, dice,
football, and other distractions in order to encourage
archery practice!
The finest longbows were made of a single piece
of yew, carved with both core and edge wood to give
a natural composite effect. Yeomen armed with such
weapons were credited with hitting massed troops at
nearly 400 yards. The usual length of a shot against
an individual target would have been markedly
shorter.
The legend of Robin Hood owes much to the real
accomplishments of English longbowmen. Robin
Hood was reputed to be the greatest archer in a com-
pany of seasoned archers. His most famous feat of
skill was splitting a rival’s arrow in an archery tour-
nament. (Even GURPS is colored by his exploits: its
rules let archers make individual shots at distances
that would have challenged massed bowmen shoot-
ing at an entire army!)
Robin Hood was also a master of another cele-
brated English weapon: the quarterstaff. He used his
staff to spar with and defeat his eventual companion,
Little John – a giant of a man. Like the longbow, the
staff was inexpensive and available while swords
were costly and spears were inconvenient for daily
use. The iron-shod staff was as much a walking aid as
a weapon, and the English masters praised its value
in self-defense against all foes.
Robin Hood’s legend curiously parallels that of
Japanese hero Yosh*tsune. Both were rebels against
authority, skilled archers, and leaders of men, and
both had a huge, polearm-using companion. In a
mythical campaign, they could be rivals – or allies
against an even greater foe.
HISTORY 17
Masters of Defence
In England at the end of the Middle Ages and begin-
ning of the Renaissance, certain influential masters of
personal combat became famous as the “Masters of
Defence.” Of common birth, they apprenticed themselves
to skilled martial artists and studied all of the period’s mil-
itary and civilian weapons, truly earning the title “mas-
ter.” At times they even had a royal charter for their activ-
ities. They acted as fight instructors for noble and com-
moner alike, and were occasionally stand-ins during legal
duels – a practice sometimes legal, often not.
During the Elizabethan period, instructors from over-
seas began to challenge the Masters indirectly. In particu-
lar, Italian rapier masters taught their skills to the wealthy
and noble. Masters of Defence such as George Silver
issued challenges to these newcomers and wrote pam-
phlets and even books denigrating their teachings, but
their rivals dismissed them as social inferiors – the
Masters weren’t nobility. The fencing masters likely saw
no reason to accept: defeating a commoner in a no-holds-
barred competition would do little to impress patrons and
students, and failure (or less than total success) could
mean ignominy or even death.
Regardless of the relative efficacy of the competing
styles, it was fashion that undid the Masters’ dominance
over English martial arts. Broadswords, polearms, and
staves were not stylish accessories, while rapiers became
such. Much as in Japan during the Tokugawa era, the
decline of real combat tests meant that instructors of
questionable skill – making dubious claims – could flour-
ish and surpass those with true ability.
For more on the Masters’ skills, see Masters of Defence
Weapon Training (p. 182).
Fechtbücher and
Traveling Masters
Two facets of Renaissance martial arts merit special
discussion: fechtbücher and traveling masters.
Fechtbücher
The fechtbuch (plural: fechtbücher), or “book of fight-
ing,” represents an important historical resource. Masters
would pen fechtbücher to illustrate their techniques –
mainly armed but also unarmed striking and grappling
(often using holds that modern readers would con-
sider “low” or “dirty”). These works varied greatly in
quality. Some were poorly illustrated, badly written
pamphlets full of common techniques. Others had
excellent art – in one case, by Albrecht Dürer – and
clear text. Many fechtbücher survive to this day, giv-
ing the modern student a glimpse of the incredible
depth of the martial-arts training of an earlier time.
The purpose of fechtbücher wasn’t self-
instruction. Students were supposed to refer to
them while training under the master. As a result,
many fechtbücher and their instructions were
intentionally unclear. A notable example was the
14th-century fechtbuch of Johannes Liechtenauer.
It had excellent illustrations but deliberately cryptic
instructions. Liechtenauer gave only his students
the key to his mnemonic devices. Armed with this,
they could profit from the book while others would
be stymied. It wasn’t until the 15th century that a
student, Sigmund Ringeck, broke ranks and
explained Liechtenauer’s writings.
Books of this type weren’t unique to Germany or
even Europe. Virtually every culture had some form
of written, inscribed, or painted combat manual.
Some of these were straightforward texts on fenc-
ing, others were books of military strategy reputed
,to con-
tain hidden lessons in swordplay (or vice versa), and yet
others were scrolls that illustrated fighting techniques but
gave only cryptic descriptions. Perhaps the earliest “fecht-
buch” was Egyptian: a set of tomb paintings that depict-
ed wrestling moves that are still in common use.
Traveling Masters
Germany’s martial-arts masters were similar to
England’s Masters of Defence: commoners who trained
until they attained master status through grueling public
duels. Like the Masters of Defence, they knew how to put
on a show. Groups of masters – accompanied by their
journeymen, apprentices, and inevitable camp-followers
– would travel around Germany demonstrating their
skills at festivals. They would conduct tests for mastery,
stage mock combats to show off their proficiency, and
collect money from spectators. In a historical campaign,
such an eclectic group of combat-trained wanderers
would be an ideal party of PCs!
RENAISSANCE EUROPE
By the time of the Renaissance, heavy armor, guns, and
masses of disciplined infantry were the norm in warfare. On
the battlefield, arms designed for use by ranked troops over-
shadowed those suited to individual combat. In the civilian
world, though, there was a growing need for weapons and
training useful in street skirmishes and duels.
The first important civilian weapon of the period was the
rapier. Its long blade was designed to let the wielder hit with
a thrust before an opponent with a shorter, broader sword
of comparable weight – like a military sword – could attack.
Early rapiers could cut and thrust, but as time went on, tac-
tics favored the thrust so much that later blades were rarely
edged. Rapiers became the center of an arms race, with
longer and longer rapiers emerging to increase the wielder’s
chances of scoring the first strike. These were unwieldy
against other weapons but their length gave them an edge in
a rapier vs. rapier fight – very useful when dueling!
The rapier’s length made parrying difficult. Most
rapierists relied on the off hand to parry, using a cloak,
main-gauche, or mail glove. Some preferred a second rapi-
er – not for its parrying ability but for the increased odds of
defeating the foe before needing to parry! Fencers in this
period sought the botte segrete (p. 86), or the secret unstop-
pable attack. This might have been the lunge – an extended
thrust that took advantage of the rapier’s length and thrust-
ing ability.
Long blades eventually went out of fashion as masters
discovered that shorter ones had a defensive advantage.
This led to a cycle of new tactics that inspired even shorter
weapons and necessitated further refinements in technique.
The smallsword was the end result: a short, light, stiff blade
designed solely for thrusting and equally useful for offense
and defense. The quest for the parata universale – the
Universal Parry, which could stop even the botte segrete –
replaced the search for the unstoppable attack. For more on
such “ultimate” attacks and defenses, see Secret Techniques
(p. 86).
MODERN EUROPE
Modern Europe owes much of its martial-arts heritage to
an explosion of interest in combative sports – and later,
Asian fighting styles – that began during Victorian times.
Victorian Europe
The Victorian period saw a great resurgence in sportive
martial arts across Europe. Polite society still regarded box-
ing and wrestling as brutal sports of the lower classes – and
indeed these activities were extremely popular with those
classes. This “lower-class” nature didn’t stop the posh from
sponsoring fighters, attending fights, and wagering reck-
lessly large amounts of money, though; it simply kept them
from participating.
As for armed martial arts, the period witnessed the devel-
opment of sport quarterstaff forms (using a far shorter staff
than the medieval version) and the widespread practice of
singlestick (stickfighting based on broadsword combat).
With dueling outlawed and combative fencing no longer
acceptable to settle scores, sport fencing began to surge in
popularity. New weapons and rules appeared to make fenc-
ing safer, shifting the emphasis to technique and
sportsmanship.
This renaissance had some unfortunate consequences for
martial-arts history, though. The writings of Victorian histo-
rians and fencing enthusiasts alike painted fencing as the
pinnacle of swordfighting evolution. This myopic viewpoint
helped generate the myth that knights were unskilled thugs
when compared to skilled, elegant fencers – an error that
would poison histories of the European martial arts until the
present day.
20th-Century Europe
Asian martial arts made their European debut near the
close of the 19th century. In the 1890s, several Japanese
teamed up with self-promoter and showman E.W. Barton-
Wright to teach Jujutsu in England. For Barton-Wright, this
was more an exercise in money-making than in teaching a
martial art – but it wasn’t long before Jujutsu and Judo came
to stay for real. The first European Jujutsu instructor opened
a school in Austria in 1904. By the 1930s, Judo had students
across Europe. Even the Hitler Youth trained in Judo; the
Nazis saw it as a masculine sport, worthy of future warriors.
Sport fencing, boxing, and wrestling remained popular,
too. Most people saw these activities as excellent training in
fitness, proper conduct, and gentlemanly behavior – and as
suitable competition between nations. Boxing in particular
surged in popularity as the Marquess of Queensbury rules
removed some of its stigma without dulling its brutal edge.
During World War II, commandos trained in military
martial arts. They needed skills to eliminate sentries and to
fight using improvised weapons – or no weapons – when the
ammunition ran out or circ*mstances made firearms unde-
sirable. The knife, in particular, was popular.
After WWII, Asian martial arts continued to flourish.
European judoka helped make Judo a competitive Olympic
sport, and influenced its rules. Meanwhile, other Asian arts –
such as Karate (pp. 169-172), and Pentjak Silat (pp. 189-191)
brought back from Indonesia by the Dutch – became more
popular. The French kickboxing style of Savate (pp. 193-194),
its practitioners decimated by the World Wars, became more
sportive in form.
In the late 20th century, two developments exerted a
major influence on European martial arts. The first was an
increase in academic interest in the martial arts of medieval
and Renaissance Europe, accompanied by the appearance of
hobbyists who wished to replicate those arts. The second was
the rapid spread of mixed martial arts (p. 189). Today’s
Europe is a cultural swirl of martial arts, with traditional
armed and unarmed European arts, Asian imports, and the
increasingly popular mixed martial arts among its mosaic of
styles.
BEYOND WESTERN EUROPE
Many Eastern European and Middle Eastern nations had
or have their own martial arts. These styles receive less detail
here only because they are for the most part either defunct
or extremely new.
18 HISTORY
Middle East
Islamic warriors fighting against the Crusaders devel-
oped Furusiyya (pp. 159-161): a style of mounted combat
that combined horse archery with close-in tactics. Its main
practitioners were the Mamluks, who first served as soldiers
in Egypt and then ruled there.
Wrestling has long been popular in Iranian and Turkish
culture. Legendary heroes wrestled demons. Rulers kept
famous wrestlers at their courts, and sometimes wrestled
themselves. A Turkish wrestling tournament, Kirkpinar, is
said to be the oldest continuously running sporting compe-
tition in the world, having been held since c. 1362. Both
Turkey and Iran regularly send successful teams of wrestlers
to international competitions.
Today, the Arab states sponsor many sporting events.
One of the biggest grappling tournaments in the world is
that of the Abu Dhabi Combat Club (ADCC), which attracts
competitors from all over the globe. This is no longer held
exclusively in the Middle East, but grappling champi-
onships remain popular there.
,In addition, most modern
Arab states train their special-operations forces in the mar-
tial arts.
Israel
Present-day Israel is an embattled state, surrounded by
potential foes and in internal turmoil owing to deep ethnic
and religious divides. This motivates many people to study
a martial art for protection. A popular modern style native
to Israel is Krav Maga (p. 183), developed by Imi Sde-Or
(born Imi Lichtenfeld) on the basis of his experience fight-
ing Nazi toughs on the streets of Prague in the 1930s. Krav
Maga stresses pragmatic self-defense tactics – especially
alertness, fight-avoidance, and improvised weapons – and
learning simple techniques thoroughly.
Russia
The Russian Empire covered a vast territory and
engulfed many cultures. Wrestling was popular throughout
the region. It came in several varieties, including belt
wrestling (each contender wore a thick belt and tried to grab
his opponent’s belt and throw him), shirt wrestling, and free
wrestling.
In the 1930s, when Soviet culture was on the rise,
Anatolij A. Kharlampiev, Viktor A. Spiridonov, and Vasilij S.
Oschepkov synthesized Sambo (p. 185) from many indige-
nous wrestling styles and Judo. Sambo went on to become
the official martial art of the USSR. Aside from Sambo, only
Judo – as an Olympic sport – enjoyed official sanction.
Sambo practitioners have often done well in Judo and
mixed martial arts competitions. Other martial arts have
made inroads in the post-Soviet era, but Sambo’s roots are
firmly established and it remains Russia’s signature fighting
style.
HISTORY 19
AFRICA
Few people regard Africa as a hotbed of martial arts, but
in fact the earliest verifiable evidence of the martial arts
comes from ancient Egypt. Other African fighting styles are
poorly known outside their homelands. It’s clear that fierce
warriors wielded spears and sticks with great skill through-
out African history, however.
Ancient Egypt
Paintings on the walls of a tomb at Beni Hasan, dating to
1950 B.C. or even earlier, constitute the oldest known record
of the martial arts. The frescoes depict wrestlers using holds
that modern grapplers would recognize. These might have
been for teaching – an early wrestling “manual” – or for
artistic purposes.
Friezes on the walls of other Egyptian tombs show men
and boys fighting with sticks before the pharaoh. It isn’t
clear whether this depicts a sport, training for war, or an
exhibition for the pharaoh’s entertainment. What is clear is
that the Egyptians had their own martial arts, and that
training and practice were a spectator sport for kings.
In a cinematic campaign, adventurers might plumb the
depths of a musty Egyptian tomb searching not for funerary
treasures but for the lost teachings of an ancient martial-
arts master!
The Zulus
In the 19th century, the Zulus were pastoral herders liv-
ing in southern Africa. They built an empire after the rise of
a new king, Shaka. Shaka organized his warriors into disci-
plined regiments. His army developed a new method of
spear fighting that used not only the traditional javelin but
also a short spear for stabbing. Decades later, the Zulus dealt
Britain a catastrophic defeat at the battle of Isandlwana.
Subsequent battles proved disastrous for the Zulus, but
their victory at Isandlwana cemented their reputation as
fierce opponents.
Stickfighting
Many African tribes retain a tradition of stickfighting as
both a sport and (until recently) a combative art. In some
cases, fighters wear padding and wield whippy sticks; in
others, they wear no protection and use heavy knobbed
clubs. There are both one-stick and two-stick styles; two-
stick styles use the off-hand stick for parrying. Some tradi-
tions eschew parrying and simply alternate strikes until one
fighter gives in from the pain. Defending in such a contest is
considered cowardly and weak! Whether African stickfight-
ing traditions stretch back to those of ancient Egypt or are
independent local developments isn’t known.
THE NEW WORLD
20 HISTORY
Asian and European martial arts made the long trek to
the New World along with immigrants from their home-
lands – often acquiring a distinctive flavor along the way.
You can find martial artists from Canada to Argentina, but
Brazil and the U.S. are home to the most active
communities.
BRAZIL
Brazil, the largest nation in South America, is also the
point of origin of two widely known martial arts: Capoeira
(pp. 153-154) and Brazilian Jiu-jitsu (pp. 167-168). Both can
trace their origins to Old World styles.
Capoeira developed from a fusion of styles, most from
Africa but possibly including Savate (pp. 193-194). Largely
practiced as a sport outside of Brazil, it originated as a com-
bative form practiced by slaves. Even in modern
times, streetfighters use it to settle differences.
Brazilian Jiu-jitsu originated with the
Gracie family. They learned Jujutsu (pp. 166-
168) and Judo (p. 166) from a Japanese immi-
grant and then applied their own experience to
those teachings. The Gracies tested and
refined their art in numerous no-holds-barred
matches, called vale tudo (“anything goes”) in
Portuguese. Vale tudo makes an excellent
venue for a campaign centered on competitive
martial artists; see The Contender (p. 250).
UNITED STATES
The earliest martial arts in the U.S. were
boxing and wrestling, which have origins that
long predate the colonization of America.
During the 19th century, these were popular
pastimes among the poorer strata of society.
Lawmakers often outlawed prizefights, but
this simply drove them underground or led to
bizarre legal dodges such as paying an
“appearance fee” at a bar, charging customers
a “membership fee” for a one-night-only pri-
vate club, or staging bouts on barges or at
unadvertised locations along a train route.
Today, American boxing and wrestling have a
dedicated following in the U.S. and worldwide.
Few martial arts claim the U.S. as their
point of origin, and even those that do – for
instance, Hawaii’s Kajukenbo (p. 168) and
California’s Jeet Kune Do (pp. 164-165) – can
trace their development from Asian arts.
Contact with America has changed many mar-
tial arts, though. The present-day U.S. has an
eclectic collection of martial arts; look hard
enough and you can find almost any style
within its borders. Asian styles and mixed
martial arts are especially common. This
makes the U.S. a hotbed of martial-arts
development.
The wealth of the modern U.S. means that even the
smallest town can support one (or more!) martial-arts
schools. It’s common for parents to send little Taylor and
Ashley off to the local dojo to get fit, learn confidence and
self-defense, and “get better grades.” Today, training in the
martial arts is no more unusual than playing baseball or
football.
The typical American school emphasizes tournament
fighting, forms, and kata. Some academies hold an unusu-
ally large number of promotional exams – almost everyone
gets a black belt after a predictable time period. Derogatory
terms for such a business include “belt mill” and “McDojo.”
Other schools work on a tiered system, training most stu-
dents in the art form but teaching a select few the entire
combat style, either to preserve the tradition or to produce
competitors for no-holds-barred bouts.
Women in the Martial Arts
Nature, nurture, or a combination of the two . . . whatever the
reason, it’s a historical fact that most of the combatants in humanity’s
wars have been male. Thus, it isn’t especially surprising that men
have dominated the martial arts since their inception. This certainly
doesn’t mean that women don’t practice or teach martial arts!
Women have been martial artists for much of recorded history.
Greek legends described the Amazons, reputed to be unrivalled as
archers. Early tales of Celtic hero Cu Chulainn told of a female war-
rior. Both no doubt had some basis in fact. Muslim traveler Ibn
Battuta wrote of women warriors in Southeast Asia. The naginata is
famous as the weapon of Japanese noblewomen – both for fitness and
defense
,in wartime – and in the 1930s was taught to schoolgirls.
Several martial arts – notably Wing Chun (pp. 203-204) and one
form of Pentjak Silat (pp. 189-191) – claim a female founder in their
legendary history. Tradition has it that Wing Chun is named after the
woman who founded it, and that the Silat style was invented by a
woman who observed two animals fighting. Neither origin is verifi-
able, but these styles certainly attract numerous female martial
artists. Silat, especially, prides itself on female participation and has
many women students and masters. Kalaripayit (pp. 168-169), too,
has legends of female practitioners and instructors. Again, it’s difficult
to verify these but they clearly show that the art isn’t solely for men.
Many modern schools are open only to women or hold women-
only classes. This is somewhat controversial. For artistic styles, it’s of
little consequence. For combat or self-defense styles that might be
used against men, however, it’s a valid argument that practicing only
against women leaves out an essential element of training: employing
techniques against opponents of the type you’re likely to face in an
actual conflict. Suggesting that a women-only school produces poor
or incomplete martial artists is a good way to start a fight, though!
In the sports world, competitive Judo has a women’s division that
features many competitors at the Olympic level. Mixed martial arts
and professional boxing and wrestling have women’s tournaments,
too, and participation levels have grown steadily. In Japan, local
Kyudo (p. 181) and Kendo (p. 175) schools and clubs are co-ed, and
women and men sometimes compete head-to-head.
SOME FAMOUS
MARTIAL ARTISTS
HISTORY 21
Below are short biographies of some important figures
from martial-arts history, arranged chronologically to give a
sense of the evolution of the fighting arts.
Milo of Croton (6th Century B.C.)
Milo was born in the 6th century B.C. in the Greek colony
of Croton, in southern Italy. A prodigiously strong wrestler, he
rose to prominence at the 60th Olympic Games (540 B.C.). He
won at least 32 major wrestling contests – including six
Olympic crowns – over a career spanning more than two
decades. His attempt to win a seventh crown failed when his
younger opponent (also from Croton) made it a contest of
endurance and refused to close with the more powerful Milo.
Despite his age, his rivals still feared his massive strength!
Milo was famously strong and large – it’s said that he car-
ried a bull calf around on his shoulders daily to strengthen his
muscles, finally eating the bull when it reached adulthood
four years later. Due to this feat, some credit him as the father
of progressive resistance exercise. Milo also performed feats
of strength and balance. He challenged people to move him
from a precarious perch atop an oiled discus, or to bend his
fingers or arm, and could burst a band stretched around his
temples by inhaling. Legend has it that Milo himself carried
and placed the great bronze statue dedicated to his Olympic
victories.
Detractors made Milo out to be a buffoon, a glutton, and a
man who thought with his muscles. He wasn’t simply a
wrestler, though – some sources claim that he was a disciple
of Pythagoras (and once saved his life by holding up a falling
roof), a man of political influence, and a brave warrior
respected by his fellow soldiers. According to legend, he died
of hubris: finding a partially split tree stump held open by
wedges, he tried to tear it apart with sheer strength but the
wedges fell out and his hands were trapped. Helpless, he was
devoured by wild beasts. This legendary death features promi-
nently in the many statues and paintings immortalizing Milo.
Theogenes of Thasos (5th Century B.C.)
Born on the island of Thasos in the early 5th century B.C.,
Theogenes was a boxer and pankrationist of legendary skill.
A full-time athlete, he traveled widely to compete. He pur-
portedly won between 1,200 and 1,400 bouts. These included
23 major contests, among them two Olympic crowns – one in
boxing, one in pankration – and a “double victory” at Isthmus
(winning boxing and pankration in the same day). Some
sources claim that he killed or disabled most of those he
defeated. True or not, his rivals feared him: he won at least
one boxing competition because his opponents chose to with-
draw rather than face him!
Theogenes was famously arrogant, aggressive, and con-
cerned with personal honor. He named his son “Diolympos”
– “twice at Olympia” – to commemorate his Olympic victo-
ries. He also had a reputation for competitiveness, and once
challenged his guests at a feast to fight him at pankration.
Trying to win at both boxing and pankration at the 75th
Olympiad, Theogenes lost to his best opponent only after
exhausting him and forcing him to default in the final match.
The judges felt that Theogenes had deliberately undercut his
opponent’s chances for victory, fined him one talent (enough
to pay at least 6,000 soldiers for a day!), and sternly rebuked
him. He apparently took this in stride, as he continued to
compete for many years.
Upon his death, Theogenes was enshrined like a god, com-
plete with a statue hollowed out to hold donations. This relic
acquired a reputation for miraculous healing. Theogenes was
one of the first professional martial artists – he built his
career entirely around fighting in contests and lived off his
prize money.
William Marshal (1146-1219)
William Marshal was born c. 1146, the son of John
Marshal – a middle-class knight and tender of the king’s
horses. Squired to another knight at age 12, he was himself
knighted just before battle at age 20. William fought ably in
his first battle. He went on to fight in dozens of tournaments
and melees, and was more often than not victorious.
William served under four English kings, including Henry
II and Richard I. He once put down a rebellion by Richard
while in the service of Henry, but Richard so admired
William’s valor and loyalty that he granted him lands and a
command upon becoming king. William also went on a cru-
sade to the Holy Lands, where he fought for five years.
William was a paragon of knighthood: humble, well-
spoken, honorable, and a noted leader of men. He was loyal
to his king, brave, and dedicated. He was also a terrifically
skilled fighter, a loyal companion in battle (and in the taverns
afterward!), and fond of jousts. Like most Western martial
artists, he claimed no particular school or master. He was
skilled with knightly weapons (sword, lance, and mace), an
expert horseman, and – based on what’s known of his time
period – almost certainly an adept wrestler, capable of han-
dling himself unarmed as well as armed.
William’s fearsome combat skills apparently waned little
with age. He fought in battles and tournaments, and put down
rebellions against his lord, right up until his death. At age 73,
he led a charge against rebelling knights. He took three dents
to his helm and personally fought the rebel commanders
hand-to-hand. He died not in battle but of natural causes.
Musashi Miyamoto (1584-1645)
Born in the village of Miyamoto, Mimasaka province,
Japan in 1584, Shinmen Musashi no Kami Fujiwara no
Genshin – better known as Musashi Miyamoto – was the son
of a samurai with a long and honorable lineage. His father
either left or was killed, and his mother died, leaving
Musashi an orphan in the care of a local priest.
Musashi was a precocious martial artist. Large for his
age and prone to violence, he slew his first man in single
combat at age 13, throwing his sword-armed opponent to
the ground and dashing in his head with a stick – foreshad-
owing a tactic for which he would later become famous. At
age 16, he joined the Ashikaga army in their fight against
Tokugawa Ieyasu at the battle of Sekigahara. Musashi chose
the losing side but survived both the battle and the subse-
quent hunting down and massacre of the defeated army.
Musashi then began his “Warrior’s Pilgrimage.” He trav-
eled around Japan,
,honing his sword skills and fighting any-
one willing to meet him in mortal combat. He was utterly
single-minded about the martial arts. He left his hair uncut
and took neither a wife nor a job. His sole concern was per-
fecting his art, and he thought only of battle. It’s said that he
wouldn’t bathe without his weapon close at hand, to prevent
enemies from taking advantage. He was eccentric, and
showed up to more than one duel so disheveled and behav-
ing so oddly that it unnerved his foe.
Musashi fought in six wars and hundreds of single com-
bats until about age 50. A legend in his own time, he features
prominently in stories from all parts of Japan. For instance,
practitioners of Jojutsu (p. 192) proudly tell the tale of how
their founder lost to Musashi and went on to perfect a style
so powerful that even Musashi couldn’t defeat him!
After his pilgrimage, Musashi adopted a son and became
a teacher, commander, and advisor at the court of a daimyo
on Kyushu. He fought in even more battles, acted as a gen-
eral and sword instructor, and took up painting and wood-
carving. In his final years, he left the court and lived alone
in the mountains, contemplating the ways of the sword and
of strategy. Shortly before his death, he wrote Go Rin No
Sho, or “A Book of Five Rings,” in which he expounded that
strategy and swordsmanship were identical.
Musashi is best known for the style of Kenjutsu (pp. 173-
175) he created, Hyoho Niten Ichi Ryu. He felt that fighting
exclusively with two hands on a single sword was limiting,
and espoused fighting with long and short swords simulta-
neously. Musashi did not himself use actual swords often –
his preferred weapon was the bokken, or wooden training
sword. His record of success in duels leaves little room to
debate its deadliness. Musashi even fought duels with
improvised clubs made from tree branches or oars.
Musashi was a ferocious fighter in his youth, ruthlessly
killing his foes regardless of age, skill, and social position. In
his later years, though, he became less bloodthirsty and was
widely regarded for his great skill in Kenjutsu, earning the
name Kensei, or “sword saint.”
George Silver
(Late 16th/Early 17th Century)
George Silver was a Master of Defence in late 16th- and
early 17th-century England. He’s best known for his written
attacks on foreign martial-arts masters – notably those
teaching the popular new dueling weapon, the rapier. He
wrote two treatises on the subject. Paradoxes of Defence was
published in 1599. The manuscript for Brief Instructions on
My Paradoxes of Defence remained in a museum collection
until finally published in 1898.
Silver epitomized the Master of Defence. Of humble ori-
gins and by most accounts literate and well-spoken, he was
a master of all of the requisite weapons of personal combat
and war. He honed his skills with constant training and test-
ed them against other masters in open matches. Silver was
confident of his ability to defeat any foe with any combina-
tion of weapons. The Italian rapier masters teaching in
England rebuffed or ignored his many challenges, however.
Silver felt that the rapier masters’ emphasis on the thrust
was dangerous thinking. He acknowledged that a thrust
through the body could kill, but pointed out that it wasn’t so
immediately disabling that the victim couldn’t return the
favor before falling! He favored a weapon that could deal
cuts severe enough to cripple an opponent’s limbs, effective-
ly neutralizing him. His writings are often strident defenses
of a combat form on its way to becoming outmoded and
unfashionable, but they’re also the work of a true martial-
arts master who sought to prepare his readers for battle in
all its forms.
Wong Fei-Hung (1847-1924)
Wong Fei-Hung was a physician and martial artist in
Canton province, China. He was born in 1847, the son of
Wong Kei-Ying – one of the famous Ten Tigers of Canton, a
group of top martial-arts masters. Wong Kei-Ying traced his
own martial-arts lineage – from his sifu (master) to his sifu’s
sifu – back to the Shaolin Temple’s scattered masters.
As a physician, Wong was known for his compassion and
skill. He would treat any patient, rich or poor. As a martial
artist, he was credited with developing the Tiger-Crane form
of Hung Gar Kung Fu (p. 163). A political revolutionary as
well, Wong participated in a mass protest against the gover-
nor of Fujian province, which was brutally crushed. He fled
to Canton, where he married several times and lived a quiet
life until his death in 1924.
After Wong’s death, Woshi Shanren wrote a series of pop-
ular novels about his life. Wong was also the main character
in many Peking Opera productions and over 100 movies.
Many actors have portrayed him, including Kwan Tak-Hing
(who played him in most of those movies), Jet Li, Sammo
Hung, and Jackie Chan. Wong’s abilities and deeds grew in
the retelling. He became a full-fledged folk hero, credited
with fighting off scheming Triads, defeating secret plots, and
standing up for China against rampant European colonial-
ism. His name is instantly recognizable in Chinese cinema –
complete with a theme song, a statue in his honor, and still-
growing legends of his exploits.
John L. Sullivan (1858-1918)
John Lawrence Sullivan was born to Irish immigrant
parents in Boston, Massachusetts on October 12, 1858. By
1880, he had started fighting, first in exhibitions (usually
with gloves) and then in prize rings (with gloves, kid gloves,
or bare knuckles). At the time, prizefighting was illegal and
promoters nonexistent. The fighters’ backers put up the
prize money and side bets. Spectators paid admission and a
hat was passed to gather money for the fighters. Police often
interrupted the bouts, which were as a result frequently
staged in undisclosed locations (once even on a barge!).
22 HISTORY
Sullivan stood 5’10” and weighed just under 200 lbs. in
fighting trim. He sported the long handlebar mustache of
his era and wore his dark hair short to prevent hair-pulling
in the ring. He was the stereotypical celebrity athlete. He
drank heavily, womanized, and partied, and saved little for
the future. He took crazy dares, shot off guns, and once even
ran into a burning building to help salvage furniture. He
could also be generous, offering money or goods to those in
need.
Sullivan fought under the loose London Prize Ring rules,
which featured untimed rounds and allowed standing grap-
ples, throws, and bare knuckles; in fact, he was the last of
the bare-knuckle champs. Later, he became the first prize-
fighter to accept the Marquess of Queensbury rules – the
forerunner of today’s boxing regulations. Whatever the
rules, he wasn’t a finesse fighter. He ran down his opponents
with his famous bull-like rushes and defeated them with
ferocious strength. He participated in 47 prize bouts, with a
record of 43-3-1. He fought in a match in France and one in
Canada, and in hundreds of exhibitions.
In 1889, just outside New Orleans, Sullivan fought in the
last great bare-knuckle boxing championship. He accepted
the bout while he wasn’t in top form, and hired a noted
wrestling and boxing coach to whip him into shape for the
reported sum of $10,000! It was money well-spent. Sullivan
knocked out his opponent, Jake Kilrain, after 75 brutal
rounds under the London Prize Ring rules. This was also
Sullivan’s greatest moment; he lost his next bout to James J.
Corbett, a young fighter known for a bobbing, weaving, and
ducking style that would soon characterize all prizefighting.
Although Sullivan would win one more bout under the
Marquess of Queensbury rules, his career as a boxer was
over.
Sullivan died of a heart attack on February 2, 1918.
Funakoshi Gichin (1868-1957)
Funakoshi Gichin was in many ways the father of the
modern sport of Karate. Born in Okinawa in 1868, at the
dawn of the Meiji Restoration, he was a small and weak
child. One of his classmates was the son of a Te (pp. 169-
170) instructor, and Funakoshi took lessons – at night and in
secret, since instruction
,was still illegal. His health
improved, and this turned out to be the first step in what
would later become his way of life.
Funakoshi sat for and passed the entrance exams for
medical school, but furor over his samurai-class topknot led
him to withdraw his application. He later cut off his topknot
and became a schoolteacher, drawing on his early education
in Chinese classics. Funakoshi continued to study martial
arts at night under Azato Yasutsune. Azato was strict,
requiring his student to repeat the same kata or drill until it
was mastered before moving on to the next. Funakoshi went
on to learn from several of Okinawa’s top Te instructors.
In 1922, Funakoshi came to Japan as an official ambas-
sador for Karate. He founded a dojo and called it and the
style he taught there Shotokan (p. 170), after a nom de
plume he used for his poetry (Shoto, or “Pine Wave”).
Funakoshi was a great believer in the power of Te and the
benefits of Karate as healthy exercise, and attempted to
spread the practice of the martial arts to all. He was
peaceful, and taught that the martial arts should only be
used for self-defense – and even then, only when one’s life
was in danger. He had little tolerance for exaggerated tech-
niques or myths about “fatal blows,” and regarded “iron
hand” training as bunk.
Funakoshi constantly refined and improved his style. He
believed that each instructor should teach his own way and
encouraged a diversity of Karate styles. Indeed, Shotokan is
the forerunner of many modern Karate styles – including
Kyokushin (pp. 171-172), founded by Funakoshi’s student
Mas Oyama (p. 24). Funakoshi died in 1957.
Ghulam Muhammad (“Gama”)
(1878-1960)
Ghulam Muhammad – better known as “The Lion of the
Punjab” or simply “Gama” – was born in 1878 to Kashmiri
parents in what was then India. Both he and his brother,
Imam Bux, became wrestlers. Despite being a Muslim,
Gama was accepted into Indian wrestling circles thanks to
his enormous skill and power. By age 19, he stood 5’7” and
weighed 200 lbs. He fought numerous matches against
Indian opponents, defeating or drawing against them all
and eventually defeating those capable of drawing against
him.
In 1910 (some sources say 1908), Gama traveled to
Europe to wrestle. He engaged in several catch-as-catch-can
wrestling matches against the best grapplers he could find.
These included the 234-lb. American B.F. “Doc” Roller and
the 254-lb. Pole Stanislaus “Stanley” Zbyszko. Zbyszko was
unable to take the offensive but his weight advantage
allowed him to sustain a draw after a match that lasted over
two and a half hours. He didn’t show for the decision match,
so Gama won the John Bull Belt by default.
Gama returned to India, where he had become a celebri-
ty. He met all comers, reigning undefeated as world cham-
pion. Zbyszko fought Gama again in 1928 – this time in a
traditional Indian dirt pit. Gama quickly disposed of him,
throwing him in only six seconds and winning in 42
seconds.
Gama’s strength and endurance were legendary. Every
day, he would rise hours before dawn – common practice for
Indian wrestlers – and begin his routine of 2,000 dands (a
kind of pushup) and 4,000 baithaks (deep knee bends). His
skill was equally fearsome: few could take the offensive in
matches against him, and those who tried lost more quick-
ly than those who chose to delay. His combination of power,
stamina, and ability was unmatched.
Gama continued to wrestle until the India-Pakistan par-
tition of 1947. He moved to Pakistan, losing his wealth, tro-
phies, and state pension. He was unable to wrestle against
champions because of the bitter political and religious
divide the partition created. He died in 1960.
William E. Fairbairn (1885-1960)
William Ewart Fairbairn was born in England in 1885.
He served in the Royal Marine Light Infantry from 1901 to
1907. Upon leaving the military, he joined the Shanghai
Municipal Police.
HISTORY 23
In China, Fairbairn came into contact with Chinese and
Japanese martial arts. As part of a SWAT-style “flying squad”
called in to deal with troublemakers on a routine basis, he
was able to put his training to immediate, practical use.
Police records document his personal involvement in over
600 altercations! Despite his famous toughness, Fairbairn
didn’t escape unscathed – in fact, he once survived a beating
by Triad hatchet men who left him for dead. This merely
encouraged him to further develop his unarmed-combat
abilities. He trained his men in “Defendu” – his own style,
stripped down for quick instruction and effectiveness. In
1940, he retired from his post.
During World War II, Fairbairn was recruited to teach
hand-to-hand combat to U.S. and British commandos, and
to members of the OSS. Fairbairn and Eric Anthony Sykes
(another member of Fairbairn’s Shanghai squad) developed
a system of sentry removal and quick, ruthless tactics for
dealing with German troops. They also developed a knife –
the Sykes-Fairbairn commando knife – for use with their
style. Colonel Rex Applegate of the OSS contributed to their
style, too, as well as to the pistol, submachine gun, and rifle
training used by these special-operations troops. Some of
Fairbairn’s teachings were published in the book Get Tough.
Fairbairn died in 1960.
Oyama Masutatsu (“Mas Oyama”)
(1923-1994)
Oyama Masutatsu was born Yong I-Choi in Korea in
1923. At age 15, he moved to Japan, hoping to become a mil-
itary pilot. Life as a Korean in Japan was difficult, though,
and his dreams of aviation fell away. He took the name
Oyama after the family he lived with and began to train in
Karate under Funakoshi Gichin (p. 23). He made rapid
progress, having trained in Chinese martial arts while in
Korea. He was a nidan (second-degree black belt) by age 18,
when he joined the military.
After World War II, Oyama started to study Goju Ryu
(pp. 170-171). He also took up Judo (p. 166), achieving yon-
dan (fourth-degree black belt) after only four years. Oyama’s
life changed yet again after killing a knife-wielding attacker
with a single strike to the head. Taking a life left him dis-
traught. He supported the dead man’s widow and children
by working on their farm until they were able to take care of
themselves. He then retreated into the mountains for a year
and a half, meditating and developing his martial arts in
constant training.
Oyama returned to civilization in time to win the first
Japan-wide Karate tournament. In 1952, he toured the U.S.
for a year, meeting all challengers, from all styles. He fought
270 matches, winning most with a single, well-placed blow.
Oyama believed that fancy techniques and stances were sec-
ondary to power, and both his kicks and punches were
strong. Word had it that if you failed to block him, you were
defeated . . . but if you did block him, your arm was broken!
For his incredible punching power, he became known as the
“Godhand.”
Oyama is also famous for bullfighting, although not in
the traditional sense – he fought bulls barehanded, pitting
his Karate against their brute strength. It’s said that he
fought 52 bulls in total, killing three and striking off the
horns of most of the others using only his hands. In 1957, he
fought a bull in a public match in Mexico. The bull gored
Oyama but he got off its horns . . . and then removed one of
them with a sword-hand strike. Oyama was bedridden for
six months, but upon recovery returned to fighting bulls and
practicing the martial arts.
Oyama founded Kyokushin (pp. 171-172) karate-do and
established its first official dojo in 1956. Prior to this, he and
fellow stylists gathered in a Tokyo field to practice with few
holds barred, using open hands or towel-wrapped fists.
Injuries were common and the dropout rate was prodigious.
Over the years, Kyokushin has spread worldwide. Its train-
ing isn’t nearly as brutal as Oyama’s early classes, but it still
has a well-deserved reputation for turning out tough martial
artists.
Oyama died from lung cancer in 1994.
Bruce Lee (1940-1973)
Bruce Lee was born in San Francisco,
,California in 1940.
His father – a popular entertainer – was in the U.S. to appear
in a play. Bruce grew up in Hong Kong, however. By most
accounts he was a good kid, if rambunctious; playful, but
also hot-tempered and competitive. In his teens, he demon-
strated ability as a dancer, winning a Hong Kong-wide cha-
cha competition.
Bruce’s introduction to the martial arts came from his
father, who practiced T’ai Chi Chuan (pp. 200-201). Bruce
preferred the more direct art of Wing Chun (pp. 203-204),
and started training with Yip Man – an instructor from a
long line of instructors. A talented and enthusiastic martial-
arts student, Bruce also boxed for his high school. His tem-
per got him into a lot of less-decorous fights with other teens
around town, however. He often fought in full-contact chal-
lenge matches held on rooftops or in alleyways, against both
armed and unarmed foes. It was a run-in with the police for
fighting that convinced his family to send him to the U.S. to
finish school. He arrived in America in 1959. In 1964, while
at college in Seattle, Washington, he married Linda Emery,
one of his kung fu students.
Soon after, Bruce began to teach martial arts full-time,
opening what would become a chain of three schools. He
had to turn away would-be students despite his high rates!
He trained those of either sex and of any racial background.
This caused quite a stir in the local Chinese community. A
group of instructors offered Lee a formal challenge: cease
teaching non-Chinese or face a duel. Bruce chose the duel
and won handily, chasing his opponent around the room
until he could force him to submit. Lee’s students eventual-
ly included Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (seen in Game of Death),
Lee Marvin, James Coburn, and Dan Inosanto.
After his duel, Bruce was unhappy. He had won but felt
that his style had been too inefficient to let him win as
quickly as he should have. This led him to develop a more
streamlined method of fighting, which became known as
Jeet Kune Do (pp. 164-165): “the way of the intercepting
fist.” Bruce drew on all of his martial-arts knowledge – box-
ing, fencing, and especially Wing Chun – to develop his art.
He eventually closed his schools because he felt that they
were leading to a rigid style instead of the adaptive process
he sought to create.
24 HISTORY
Lee was a fanatical martial artist and an enthusiastic
weightlifter, and jogged or ran daily. He also read books on
martial arts, weight training, running, and anatomy. Never
satisfied with his progress, he pushed himself and constant-
ly sought out ways to work more efficiently. He paid a price
for this enthusiasm: while doing a set of heavy back exer-
cises without a proper warm up, he injured his sacral nerve.
This sent him to the hospital and threatened to end his
training permanently. Undaunted, Bruce spent his time in
the hospital filling notebook after notebook with thoughts
on the martial arts. In 1975, these notes would see posthu-
mous publication as The Tao of Jeet Kune Do.
Hollywood discovered Bruce Lee in 1966, while he was
demonstrating his art at a Karate tournament. He was cast
as “Kato” on the television show The Green Hornet. This
wasn’t Lee’s first acting experience. From age six until his
late teens, Bruce had acted in Hong Kong films. Lee found
it hard to make an impact in Hollywood, though – the film
business there was resistant to the idea of a Chinese star. He
eventually moved to Hong Kong to make movies with
Golden Harvest Productions.
In Hong Kong, Lee was a tremendous success. His first
movie, The Big Boss (called Fists of Fury in the U.S.),
smashed all Hong Kong box-office records. Each of his two
subsequent films, Fists of Fury (known as The Chinese
Connection in America) and Way of the Dragon (titled Return
of the Dragon in the U.S.), outdid the previous one. He did
the fight scenes for a film to be called The Game of Death
before a bigger project came along – Enter the Dragon.
Near the peak of his fame, just after Enter the Dragon was
filmed, Bruce Lee died suddenly. Suffering from a severe
headache while visiting a friend, he took medication, laid
down for a nap, and died in his sleep. Rumors were rife that
his death was caused by poison, a drug overdose, or rival
martial artists using secret “hand of death” techniques. The
truth is more prosaic: the headache remedy he took triggered
a cerebral edema, killing him. He had previously had a scare
and a hospital visit for a similar drug reaction, but neither
Bruce nor the friend who gave him the medication realized
that it contained ingredients to which Lee was allergic.
After Lee’s death, his popularity hit an all-time high.
Enter the Dragon launched the action-movie genre, and
interest exploded in Chinese martial arts and Asian martial
arts in general. Hong Kong and Hollywood alike sought “the
next Bruce Lee” but found no one who could match his on-
screen charisma, fantastic fitness, and sheer skill. To this
day, Lee memorabilia, books, and movies continue to sell.
His legacy of influence over the martial arts in America is
immeasurable.
Bruce’s son, Brandon, was on his way to modest movie
stardom of his own when he suffered an untimely death on
the set of The Crow. Brandon was shot dead by a gun that
was supposed to be firing blanks. While indisputably an
accident, his death rekindled conspiracy theories about
Secret Masters or angry Chinese martial artists out to
destroy Bruce Lee and his legacy.
Bruce is survived by his wife, Linda, and their daughter,
Shannon.
HISTORY 25
Myths and misconceptions heavily influence “common
wisdom” about the martial arts. This comes as no surprise –
the martial-arts world itself is full of unverifiable legends,
misinformed students, wild claims, and bad data!
BOARDS DON’T HIT BACK
Tameshiwari is the art of using unarmed strikes to break
things: boards, roofing tiles, blocks of ice, and even stones.
It sometimes includes breaking flaming boards, shearing off
the tops of beer bottles, and snuffing candles with the force
of a blow. Tameshiwari is inextricably linked with Karate in
the public mind – especially since many schools use it in
flashy demonstrations and promotions. In reality, it’s a
minor, fairly impractical aspect of the martial arts.
Tameshiwari normally takes place under highly con-
trolled conditions. Practitioners carefully select wood –
most often pine – that is free of knots and has a clear grain.
They choose tiles made of pottery known for its breakabili-
ty and the fact that it doesn’t shatter into sharp, hand-
shredding shards. There are many tricks involved, too –
some of them legitimate “training wheels” for beginners,
others the tools of unscrupulous showoffs. These include
drying or baking boards to remove springiness; separating
multiple boards with spacers to make them easier to break;
and shaving ice blocks in half and re-freezing them with
rock salt between the halves to conceal the flaw.
Tameshiwari isn’t purely for show, though. Karate masters
often teach their students to pull their punches and kicks in
practice, to prevent injury. Tameshiwari represents an oppor-
tunity to strike at full-force and prepare for actual contact.
Asian styles aren’t the only ones to emphasize showy
techniques. Greek wrestlers were fond of demonstrating
their strength, balance, and dexterity. To show off their abil-
ity without fighting, they would break rocks, stand on a
greased shield while people tried to dislodge them, and so
on. More recently, Western circus wrestlers and boxers took
on all comers and paid out prizes to those who could stand
against them.
DON’T BRING A FIST TO A
KNIFE FIGHT
In the real world, fists are no match for weapons. If an
unarmed martial artist faces sticks, knives, swords, etc., he’ll
probably lose. Even if he’s victorious, he’s liable to be
wounded.
MYTHS AND MISCONCEPTIONS
NEVER FIGHT UNARMED BY CHOICE
– Ned Beaumont, Kill-As-Catch-Can
GURPS reflects this reality. An armed fighter who par-
ries a barehanded attack can injure his attacker
,(p. B376).
An unarmed warrior who slugs a shield due to a successful
block, or who strikes armor thanks to a failed defense, can
hurt himself (p. B379). If these outcomes don’t seem severe
enough, the GM can use Harsh Realism for Unarmed
Fighters (p. 124) to raise the stakes. Because weapons don’t
suffer these drawbacks – and enjoy superior reach, swing
damage, and/or wounding modifiers – a weaponless fighter
needs to be far more skilled (and lucky) than an armed
opponent to win unscathed.
Martial-arts fiction doesn’t always work this way. It often
seems as if the bad guy who brings weapons to a fight ends up
more vulnerable to the heroes’ punches and kicks! Armed
flunkies serve only to give the heroes a chance to show off by
deflecting arrows, snapping swords, and dodging ill-timed
spear thrusts. Archvillains and important henchmen who
wield weapons against unarmed heroes fare better – but the
finale inevitably comes down to fists and feet. Those who
enjoy this genre convention should consider using Unarmed
Etiquette (p. 132).
Movies where the heroes themselves are armed are an
exception. Chambara movies delight in showing swordsmen
gruesomely carving up unarmed foes, and wuxia movies often
center on swordfighting. What matters is a fair contest – both
sides armed or unarmed. And if an armed hero is disarmed
and must fight barehanded, he’ll certainly be victorious.
WHEN DO I
LEARN WEAPONS?
Traditional martial arts either focused entirely on armed
combat, emphasized barehanded techniques but included
some weapons training, or balanced the two. European
masters included wrestling in their armed styles. Filipino
masters regarded sticks and knives as training tools, and
taught advanced students the same techniques with bare
hands. Only ancient sports styles minimized weapons train-
ing – and even then, the participants, being able-bodied
men, were expected to be adept at another, weapon-
dominated style for war. In short, it’s historically inaccurate
to segregate weapons from unarmed combat. Even today,
there are parts of the world where it’s best to assume that
martial artists are armed!
This doesn’t prevent modern schools – especially those
that teach art or sport forms – from reserving weapons
training for top students, or restricting it to tournaments
and demonstrations. Reasons for this include philosophy
(“master your body first”), cost (weapons are expensive), and
safety (even the “safest” training weapons are more danger-
ous than bare hands). If a style is entirely weapon-based, it’s
likely to be purely an art or sport form; e.g., Épée (p. 160) or
Kyudo (p. 181).
Even so, most modern military and police styles – and
some weapon-based styles – do train in realistic conditions.
Practitioners accept injuries as the cost of realism!
And “martial-arts weapons” capture the popular imagi-
nation from time to time even among those with no train-
ing. Witness the nunchaku fad of the ’70s or the obsession
with “ninja weapons” in the ’80s. This fascination some-
times leads to weapons training in styles that weren’t meant
to use weapons.
MARTIAL ARTS AND THE LAW
The martial arts – armed and unarmed – have had an
interesting relationship with the law since the earliest days
of both. At various points in history, certain regions have
enforced laws restricting martial-arts training by class or by
sex; banning weapons partly or completely; and even for-
bidding unarmed training.
In the modern world, unarmed fighting skills are rarely
regulated. The use of fighting skills can sometimes result in
difficulties with the law, though. As well, a jurisdiction that
puts severe limits on the possession and use of firearms or
knives is likely to extend those restrictions to “martial-arts
weapons” – although one can usually carry them to and
from martial-arts class unchallenged.
26 HISTORY
Bad Reenactments
A problem hardly unique to the martial arts is that
of bad reenactments. Simply put, these are demon-
strations of martial skills that don’t actually prove
what they set out to establish. Most take one of two
forms: the deliberately staged event or bad science.
Deliberately staged events are pure showmanship
– whether to entertain or to deceive – by masters who
claim chi powers, incredible speed or skill, or other
special abilities. Such demonstrations seem to occur
under “real-life” conditions but actually involve pre-
pared props and/or subjects trained or coached by
the master, typically in carefully engineered situa-
tions. Swords thrust into an iron throat might be
flimsy “thunder blades” designed for showy looks
and safety. Boards struck by a “power blow” might be
baked to remove moisture, meaning they’ll snap
under minimal pressure. The master might “knock
out” cooperative students using pressure-point
strikes or “push” them across the room using his chi
powers. And so on.
Bad science involves a methodical effort to prove
or disprove a claim without genuine scientific rigor.
If the objective is to demonstrate the impracticality of
a technique, the weapons used might be inappropri-
ate (e.g., a cheap replica) or wielded incorrectly (e.g.,
using a broadsword with katana techniques). A test
of chi powers might lack any kind of control group. A
computer model that “proves” that certain martial-
arts techniques can snap ribs or break necks with
ease might assume impossibly ideal conditions. Such
exercises often lack proper attention to the sources,
making it easier to pass off flimsy claims and inaccu-
rate numbers as true.
Both types of bad reenactment help perpetuate
false claims about the martial arts. Even successfully
debunked myths can enjoy incredible vitality. Martial
arts mythology is resilient . . . mostly because people
want to believe in it!
Martial Arts in Court
Contrary to longstanding urban legend, black belts don’t
have to register their hands as deadly weapons. This myth is
traceable to publicity stunts before professional boxing
matches and to outlandish claims made in the movies.
Nowhere in the modern world is there a legal requirement
for trained martial artists to register with the authorities.
Martial-arts experience can influence the case against a
defendant on trial for a violent crime, though. If he’s a mar-
tial artist, he can expect investigators to bring up his back-
ground in an attempt to show that he had the training to
cause harm – or the knowledge and experience to show
restraint. Major considerations include whether the initial
attack was provoked, whether either party acted in self-
defense, and whether the martial artist used “reasonable
force.” Most jurisdictions allow lethal force only if a life is at
stake. In the U.S., there’s precedent for considering an
attacker’s martial-arts training in a self-defense claim; a
court could even find that someone who shot an unarmed
assailant he knew to be martial-arts master was acting in
“self-defense.” On the other side of the coin, muggers have
brought assault charges against victims who’ve fought them
off – and the more injured they look in the witness box, the
better the chance of convincing a jury.
In the eyes of the law, the best policy is to avoid a fight.
If you can’t, then “reasonable force” – such as restraining
your attacker without harming him – is second-best. In such
a situation, the police might opt not to intervene or simply
to send everybody home: no harm, no foul. Unnecessary
force – for instance, striking a drunk and stomping him after
he hits the ground, or using any weapon against an
unarmed man – is an excellent way to attract serious police
attention in even relatively lawless parts. Macho posturing
isn’t a great way to avoid legal trouble, either. Remarks such
as “Even with that knife, he didn’t have a chance against
me!” and “I could kill a guy in three seconds
flat!” aren’t conducive to a successful
defense.
Ultimately, the police, magistrates,
judges, jury, etc., who examine the events
leading up to a fight or an assault may or
may not see things from the martial
artist’s perspective
,. . . and it’s their judg-
ment that counts. Lethal force or even
unnecessary nonlethal force can mean
prison time. The GM should keep all this
in mind if the PCs in a modern-day cam-
paign get too “karate happy.”
These considerations might not apply
in historical or fictional settings. In some
game worlds, the nobility might possess
absolute, life-and-death power over com-
moners. A commoner striking a noble,
however lightly, might receive a death
sentence. A noble killing a commoner to
test his new sword technique might be
guilty only of showing off – or at most of
damaging another noble’s property by
slaying a valuable peasant.
Teaching
Through most of history, all that a would-be teacher
needed was the will to hang out a shingle. Instructors thus
varied greatly in terms of skill, teaching ability, enthusi-
asm, and fees. Of course, if dueling was legal, the
unskilled were unlikely to risk claiming mastery unless
the money was excellent. But where dueling was illegal or
looked down upon, and the martial arts rarely saw use in
anger, false masters flourished alongside true ones.
In some times and places, though, martial artists did
require a license to teach. For instance, in medieval and
Renaissance Europe, those who wished to sell instruction
sometimes needed a royal charter – which in turn
required them to produce certification of their mastery.
No such legal requirements exist today, but modern fight-
ers must often join a federation or an organizing body in
order to compete.
Separate from the issue of “who’s a master” is the mat-
ter of injury – physical, psychological, or social.
Historically, if a student suffered injury or was shown to
be less skillful than his reputation demanded, the master
could lose noble patronage or social approval. The teacher
might face the law if he struck a social superior – even in
training. Worries of modern teachers include insurance,
lawsuits (for injury or harassment), half-hearted students,
and concerned parents. Any of these things could lead to
watered-down techniques, emphasis on Combat Art skills,
and non-contact training.
Lastly, an instructor might not wish to teach just
anyone lethal techniques for fear that an irresponsible
student might use them unnecessarily, resulting in legal
consequences! This was a serious concern for historical
masters, and a realistic (and relatively benign) reason to
apply the “Trained by a Fraud” lens (p. 145) to a style.
HISTORY 27
Style™
The names of many martial-arts styles – e.g., Hwa Rang Do (pp. 163-
164) and Shorinjikempo (see Kempo, pp. 172-173) – and schools (such as
Dog Brothers Martial Arts, mentioned under Escrima, pp. 155-156) are
trademarked. Martial Arts doesn’t append the trademark sign (™) because
this isn’t a legal requirement for a game. What the law does require is that
those who sell martial-arts instruction under these names have the
trademark-holder’s permission.
There’s a good reason for this. Historically, the first fake teacher proba-
bly set up shop 15 minutes after the first real one. Today’s laws protect busi-
ness from this kind of theft. Of course, a trademark sign says nothing about
the quality of the martial art. Trademark law protects the fraud who wants
to keep competing scam artists off his turf as well (or as poorly) as it pro-
tects the true master.
Historical style founders would have adopted trademarks if they could
have – especially the frauds! Such self-promoters as E.W. Barton-Wright
(see Bartit*u, p. 167) would have appreciated the veneer of legitimacy
that a legal trademark provided back when such things still impressed the
masses. In the absence of such protection, warrior and swindler alike had
to resort to more direct action if they wished to defend against misuse of
their good (or at least popular) name . . .
Jon Gilbey shouted, “No, Adrian. The high guard!” Less
loudly, “Whatever possessed me to teach a girl?”
Adrian smiled sweetly and repositioned her splintery
waster. “The fact that Tom would teach me if you would not?”
Jon blushed and then focused on the business at hand.
“Here we go,” he said, swinging his wooden blade. “One, two,
three!”
Adrian parried expertly.
Jon nodded approvingly. “Again! One, two – ow!”
Adrian’s weapon snaked past Jon’s and knocked him on the
head. Adrian smiled again. “You said not to be predictable.”
Jon rubbed his head. “Oh, you aren’t. I wonder often which
of us is the teacher here.”
Any adventurer might know a few combat skills and be a
capable fighter, but these things alone don’t make him a
martial artist. A true martial artist strives to master a system
of fighting arts. He’s dedicated to physical, mental, and pos-
sibly spiritual self-improvement in pursuit of that goal. He
probably started training as a youth and has devoted far
more than just his free time to learning and practicing his
craft since then.
Such a lifestyle is usually only practical for those who are
cloistered . . . or skilled enough to work as professional
fighters, coaches, or instructors . . . or fortunate enough to
be independently wealthy or have a generous patron. To
hold a normal job and still be an accomplished and recog-
nized martial artist requires almost fanatical determination!
In game terms, the GM would be within his rights to forbid
Laziness to such characters, require high Will, and perhaps
even make one or more of Fanaticism, Obsession, and
Workaholic mandatory.
On the other hand, law enforcers, soldiers, and others in
occupations that bring them into contact with physically
hostile individuals commonly learn to fight as part
of their job. And anyone might take self-
defense lessons or practice a sportive
martial art to stay in shape. Such
people aren’t full-time martial
artists like those discussed
above, but they can justify
being familiar with a fighting
style and knowing its core skills
and techniques – especially
since their teachers often are
career martial artists, support-
ing themselves by tutoring.
Martial Arts supports both
kinds of characters. The differ-
ence has to do with focus, not
with who would win in a fight. A
career martial artist should put
most of his points into ST, DX,
HT, physical advantages, and his
style’s skills and techniques. A
part-time student can certainly
be in similar physical shape. He
might be a good fighter, too –
maybe better than a dedicated
athlete, when it comes to playing
for keeps. He’ll have fewer points
in martial-arts abilities, though,
and probably no points in his
style’s cinematic or optional traits
(see Chapter 5).
28 CHARACTERS
CHAPTER TWO
CHARACTERS
POWER LEVEL
The power levels discussed on p. B487 remain valid for
both part-time and full-time martial artists. Some
guidelines:
Feeble (under 25 points): No successful career martial
artist will have so few points! Those in other professions
will need their points for job skills – they won’t have
enough left over for martial-arts abilities. This level best
suits the legions of hopeless goons that action heroes wade
through in martial-arts movies.
Average (25-50 points): Too low for a dedicated martial
artist other than a youth who’s just starting out. “Ordinary
folks” at this level can spare a point or two for martial-arts
lessons, but dangerous occupations that include martial
arts as on-the-job training remain out of reach.
Competent (50-75 points): This is probably the lowest
level where a dedicated martial artist can work as an
adventurer – and only if he takes a few disadvantages and
focuses exclusively on the martial arts. Green military or
police recruits will have enough points to cover their basic
job skills and still learn the rudiments of a martial art.
Exceptional (75-100 points): At this level, it’s possible to
create a respectable career martial artist, although being a
“star” requires extra points from disadvantages and leaves
little room for other skills. A cop, soldier, etc., could be
good at his job and have enough points left over to be com-
petent at the martial arts, too.
Heroic (100-200
,. . . . . . 130
Extra Effort in Combat . . . . . . . . . . . 131
More Cinematic Combat Rules . . . . 132
TOURNAMENT COMBAT . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
Roleplaying Tournaments . . . . . . . . . 134
Competition Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
INJURY AND RECOVERY . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
Realistic Injury. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
Cinematic Injury . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
5. STYLES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
Cinematic Abilities
and Prerequisites . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
COMPONENTS OF A STYLE . . . . . . . . . . 141
Skills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
Techniques . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
Perks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
Optional Traits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
Style vs. Style. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
CHOOSING A STYLE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
Ultimate Styles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
Self-Defense . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
Styles for Cops . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
Styles for Soldiers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
Streetfighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
BUYING A STYLE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
Styles Bought During
Character Creation . . . . . . . . . . . 146
CONTENTS
Learning New Styles During Play. . . 146
Creating New Styles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
Combining Styles. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147
The Training Sequence . . . . . . . . . . . . 147
HISTORICAL AND MODERN STYLES . . . 148
Do vs. Jutsu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
Aikijutsu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
Armatura. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150
Armatura Equestris . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150
Bajutsu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151
Bando . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151
Bando Animal Forms . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151
Boxing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152
Capoeira . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
The Sweet Science. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
Chin Na. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
Dagger Fighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155
Escrima. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155
“Kung Fu” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155
Fencing Styles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156
Stickfighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
Furusiyya . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
Sport Fencing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
Hapkido . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161
Hoplomachia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161
Hsing I Chuan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
External vs. Internal, Hard vs. Soft. . . 162
Hung Gar Kung Fu
(Tiger-Crane Style) . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
Hwa Rang Do. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
Jeet Kune Do . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
Martial-Arts Uniforms . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
Judo. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Jujutsu. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Kajukenbo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
Kalaripayit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
Karate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
Marma. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
Kempo. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
Kenjutsu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
Knightly Mounted Combat . . . . . . . . 175
Armed Styles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
Kobujutsu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178
Kuntao . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178
Kusarijutsu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
Kyujutsu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
Longsword Fighting. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
Archery. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
Masters of Defence
Weapon Training . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
Military Hand-to-Hand . . . . . . . . . . . 182
The Purpose of Military
Hand-to-Hand. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
Muay Thai. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
Naginatajutsu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
Pa Kua Chuan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
Polearm Fighting. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
Pak Hok . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
Pankration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
Pentjak Silat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
Mixed Martial Arts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
Silat Traditions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Pollaxe Fighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
Praying Mantis Kung Fu. . . . . . . . . . 191
Quarterstaff . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
Staff Fighting. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
Savate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
Savate Rankings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
Shaolin Kung Fu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
Shortsword Fighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195
Shurikenjutsu. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195
Shaolin Traditions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195
Spear Fighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
Sojutsu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
Sumo. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
Sumo Traditions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
Sword-and-Buckler Play . . . . . . . . . . 199
Sword-and-Shield Fighting. . . . . . . . 199
Tae Kwon Do . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
T’ai Chi Chuan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
Taihojutsu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
Taijutsu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
Ninja and Ninjutsu. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
Wing Chun . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203
Wrestling. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204
Wushu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
FICTIONAL STYLES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
Death Fist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
Dragon-Man Kung Fu . . . . . . . . . . . . 208
Force-Swordsmanship. . . . . . . . . . . . 209
Freefighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210
Smasha . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210
6. WEAPONS AND
EQUIPMENT . . . . . . . . . . . 211
WEAPONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212
Cross-Cultural Encounters. . . . . . . . . 212
Combination Weapons . . . . . . . . . . . . 214
Weapons of Quality. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216
Hidden Weapons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218
Unorthodox Attacks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220
Silly Weapons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223
Improvised Weapons . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224
Melee Weapon Table . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226
Muscle-Powered Ranged
Weapon Table. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
TRAINING EQUIPMENT . . . . . . . . . . . . 232
Special Arrows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232
Gloves . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233
Targets. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233
Training Weapons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234
Weights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234
Armor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234
7. CAMPAIGNS . . . . . . . . . . . . 235
CINEMATIC VS. REALISTIC
CAMPAIGNS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236
The Realistic Campaign . . . . . . . . . . 236
The Cinematic Campaign . . . . . . . . . 238
Special-Case NPCs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238
Hybrid Campaigns. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239
CAMPAIGN SETTING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241
Classical Greece and Rome. . . . . . . . 241
Historical China . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 242
Historical Japan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243
Post-Classical Europe . . . . . . . . . . . . 244
Fantasy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245
Modern Day . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246
Post-Apocalypse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246
Science Fiction. . . . . . . . . . .
,points): Most famous real-world mar-
tial artists are at this level. If they focus on the martial arts,
they’ll be very good – but many spread their points across
abilities useful for acting, teaching, or writing. Individuals
in other professions will have enough points to perform
solidly at a job and a martial art. This level is ideal for real-
istic Martial Arts games. It lets the PCs be capable without
being godlike or one-dimensional.
Larger-than-Life (200-300 points): As the Basic Set says,
this level suits the leading roles in kung fu movies! Those
with ordinary jobs can afford to be world-class in their
field and heroic martial artists. Both character types are
only borderline-realistic, but this is a good starting level for
cinematic Martial Arts games and action-movie
campaigns.
Legendary (300-500 points): Any character who starts
out this powerful and has more than a few points in
martial-arts skills will be an adept martial artist – even if
ostensibly something else – unless intentionally designed
to be physically incompetent. This level is suitable for style
founders and the heroes of wuxia and chambara movies.
Superhuman/Godlike (500+ points): This is the realm of
comics and video games, where “martial arts” is often code
for “super-powers.” Superhuman attributes and exotic
advantages don’t have to overshadow skills, though. By
requiring the PCs to spend their many points on believable
attribute levels and mundane traits, with the only excep-
tions being cinematic martial-arts skills and the special
advantages in this chapter, the GM can run a campaign
that’s truly superheroic but nothing like “mutants in
tights.”
REALISM LEVEL
Few fields are as fertile ground for extravagant claims as
the martial arts. Such claims, in turn, drive skeptics to doubt
even believable, well-documented feats, further obscuring
matters. Fortunately, the GM has the final say about what’s
“real” in his campaign – which is as important as the power
level.
Realistic Martial Artists
Realistic martial artists are limited to normal human abil-
ities. Attribute scores above 15 should be rare – and DX, IQ,
and HT can’t exceed 20 in any event. ST might go past 20, but
the GM may restrict such scores to practitioners of styles that
emphasize bulk (e.g., Sumo, pp. 198-199). The GM should
strictly enforce secondary characteristic limits, too:
• HP and FP can’t vary by more than 30% of ST and HT,
respectively.
•Will and Per can’t exceed 20 or be lowered by more than
four levels.
• Basic Speed must stay within ±2.00 of its calculated
value.
• Basic Move must remain within ±3 yards/second of its
base value.
Only mundane advantages and disadvantages are allowed;
those labeled exotic 1 or supernatural 5 are off-limits.
Mundane traits described as “cinematic” – Enhanced
Defenses, Gadgeteer, Gizmos, Gunslinger, Rapier Wit,
Trained by a Master, Weapon Master, etc. – are also forbid-
den. The GM might even wish to rule out such borderline-
supernatural advantages as Danger Sense, Daredevil,
Empathy, Luck, and Serendipity.
The above restrictions weaken somewhat in TL8+ cam-
paigns. Steroids, surgery, and so on can grant “superhuman”
physical abilities even in realistic settings. GURPS Bio-Tech
is indispensable for such games.
Realistic PCs can’t learn skills that have prohibited advan-
tages as prerequisites. This eliminates all cinematic martial-
arts skills (for a list, see Trained by a Master, p. 48) and magic
spells. It would be reasonable to forbid skills that produce
supernatural effects, too, such as Alchemy, Enthrallment,
Exorcism, Herb Lore, Musical Influence, and Ritual Magic.
Realistic martial artists can have any point total the GM
likes . . . but as suggested under Power Level (above), anything
over 200 points verges on unrealistic. A fighter with 250 or
more points in purely realistic abilities won’t seem realistic in
play! He’ll be a “combat monster” whose extreme attribute
and skill levels let him duplicate the effects of cinematic abil-
ities through brute force.
Even at low power levels, believable martial artists should
spend their points evenly on all of their style’s skills, not just
on those useful in a fight. Unless they’re cops, street fighters,
or soldiers, they’re liable to have Combat Art or Sport skills
rather than combat skills, and are highly unlikely to have
Combat Reflexes. There’s no special reason to let high-tech
martial artists capitalize on their typically high DX to have
awesome Guns skills, either – not unless they’re police or mil-
itary sharpshooters. If the players want to play lethal fighters
above all, consider running a cinematic campaign!
CHARACTERS 29
Cinematic Martial Artists
Cinematic martial artists are free of some, most, or all of
the limitations just described for realistic martial artists.
The GM decides how far to go.
The simplest option is to permit no superhuman abilities
other than Heroic Archer, Trained by a Master, Weapon
Master, and cinematic skills. At low power levels, this can
feel more authentic than a high-powered “realistic” cam-
paign. For instance, many people find it easier to accept that
an aged (and presumably skilled) martial-arts master with
ST 10 can break boards using Breaking Blow than that a
youthful warrior can have ST 20 – even if the latter is real-
istic by the letter of the rules. This treatment suits settings
where the world looks like ours and anything unusual is hid-
den away in monasteries, rarely seen outside secret battles
between masters.
To get a feel closer to a swashbuck-
ling or sword-and-sorcery tale, allow
superhuman attribute, secondary char-
acteristic, and skill levels – and perhaps
one or two levels of an exotic advantage
like Damage Resistance or Striking
Strength – but not cinematic skills. The
heroes’ feats are larger-than-life
because the PCs are extraordinary raw
material. There’s nothing mystical
afoot. The strong man has ST 25, not
Power Blow. The rapier fighter can
strike twice per second because his skill
is high enough to absorb the -6 for
Rapid Strike, not because Trained by a
Master lets him halve the penalty. And
so on.
Allowing all of the above – and most
of the cinematic advantages under
Advantages (pp. 42-53) besides – brings
the campaign closer to a wuxia or
chambara movie. Still, the heroes are
limited to abilities from traditional
martial-arts myth. They fly by project-
ing chi using Flying Leap. Their fists
have DR because they punched iron for
10 years. They don’t possess super-
powers. They’re legendary martial
artists . . . but they’re still martial artists.
Throwing in exotic and supernatu-
ral advantages in general turns the
campaign into a video game or super-
hero comic book that’s only loosely
martial arts-based. The heroes do pos-
sess super-powers – they fly, shoot fire
from their fists, and have skin that
turns bullets. The players in such a “four-color” or “over-the-
top” campaign will probably want access to GURPS Powers
as well as Martial Arts when creating their PCs!
Like their realistic brethren, cinematic martial artists
can have any point total the GM likes. The availability of
flashy, expensive abilities means that the cinematic style of
play works best at generous power levels – probably over
200 points, perhaps higher – but a cinematic campaign
doesn’t have to be high-powered. “Cinematic” has more to
do with attitude than with cool powers. The GM should read
The Cinematic Campaign (p. B488) and require the players
to do the same. There’s no denying the link between “high-
powered” and “cinematic” in martial-arts games, though. At
a sufficiently high power level, even a campaign that per-
mits no special abilities will seem cinematic!
30 CHARACTERS
Beginning Students as PCs
The guidelines in this chapter assume that the PCs are experienced fight-
ers, but it can be fun to play martial artists who are just starting out. If all the
PCs are students, the GM may require everyone to start with the Student tem-
plate (pp. 38-40) – or his own variation on it – and study
,the same style under
a common master. Whatever ground rules the GM sets, the heroes should be
low-powered. As the template suggests, 75 points is typical. Anything over
100 points is cinematic . . . for a student.
The fun of student PCs is that the players get to see them grow during
play, painstakingly advancing in ability as they adventure. From a game-
mechanical standpoint, the gradual introduction of new abilities and the
associated optional combat rules enables players who are unfamiliar with
Martial Arts to learn the rules in play. How quickly the students develop their
skills is up to the GM.
If the GM religiously enforces Improvement Through Study (p. B292) and
requires that even earned points be spent at the rates given there, it will take
the students many game sessions to master their style. Since campaigns often
don’t last that long and because many players only enjoy the “absolute begin-
ners” theme in small doses, the GM should consider using Intensive Training
(p. B293) to keep things interesting. This isn’t the only option, though – even
if it’s the most realistic one. The GM may let the heroes learn as described in
The Training Sequence (p. 147), which abstracts long, possibly realistic train-
ing times as a die roll and a few minutes of play. In a cinematic game, the
GM might even let the players spend earned points to increase their skills
without pausing to train at all!
Alternatively, the students might be otherwise competent at their careers
but beginners at the martial arts. The only limit on such PCs is that they can’t
have more points in their martial-arts abilities than indicated on the Student
template. The heroes might even know nothing about the martial arts, in
which case they must learn them in play – see Learning New Styles During
Play (pp. 146-147). This is another good place for a training sequence; e.g.,
for spies learning to be ninja in a week . . .
CHARACTER TEMPLATES
CHARACTERS 31
Below are templates for character types especially suit-
able as PCs in Martial Arts games. To use a template, simply
pay its point cost, choose any options left open on the tem-
plate, and note what abilities this gives you. To customize
your PC, spend your remaining points – and any additional
points from quirks or personal disadvantages – on whatever
you like (subject to GM approval). See How to Use Character
Templates (p. B258) for details.
Each template sets aside points for a martial-arts style but
doesn’t list the individual abilities to spend them on. To cus-
tomize the character, choose a style from Chapter 5 and
spend these reserved points on its components, as explained
under Components of a Style (pp. 141-143). The template’s
“Customization Notes” section sug-
gests especially suitable styles, along
with appropriate “style lenses” from
Choosing a Style (pp. 144-146).
Only Contender (p. 32), Instructor
(pp. 34-35), Monk (p. 36), and
Student (pp. 38-39) portray “career”
martial artists. All of the remaining
templates give traits for heroes who
work at occupations where martial-
art experience could be useful. These
don’t depict typical members of
those professions, but unusual peo-
ple who’ve chosen to invest a lot of
time in martial-arts training, either
for reasons of personal philosophy
or to impress potential employers.
The base templates assume a 100- to 150-point realistic
game. However, each has one or two “lenses” that convert it
into a template suitable for a 200- to 250-point cinematic
campaign. The GM should use the higher end of these point
ranges if he wants the PCs to be naturally gifted and well-
trained, as the templates keep attributes modest (between 10
and 13) and focus on skills. As well, the Instructor template
is intended for a master – someone who is by definition bet-
ter than most martial artists – and calls for closer to 200
points in a realistic game or 300 points in a cinematic one.
Remember that templates are neither required nor pre-
scriptive. You can use them “as is,” alter them, or ignore
them and create a PC from whole cloth. But even if you
choose to ignore them, they’re worth skimming for ideas that
could help you with your character concept.
Assassin
100 points
You’re a silent killer. You might be a ninja, a government
agent, a hired hit man, or a dangerous nutcase with an agen-
da. Whatever your motivations, you’ve chosen the martial
arts as your tool. Unarmed combat is valuable for taking out
targets that would never let a weapon get near, while “tradi-
tional” weapons – bows, knives, etc. – are quieter and less
random than firearms or explosives. The trick is to get close
enough . . . and you’re an expert at that.
Attributes: ST 10 [0]; DX 12 [40]; IQ 12 [40]; HT 10 [0].
Secondary Characteristics: Damage 1d-2/1d; BL 20 lbs.; HP
10 [0]; Will 12 [0]; Per 12 [0]; FP 10 [0]; Basic Speed 5.50
[0]; Basic Move 5 [0].
Advantages: 20 points chosen from among DX +1 [20], IQ +1
[20], Per +1 to +4 [5/level], Acute Senses (any) 1-5 [2/level],
Alternate Identity (Illegal) [15] or Zeroed [10], Cultural
Familiarity [1/culture], Danger Sense [15], Honest Face
[1], Night Vision 1-9 [1/level], Perfect Balance [15],
Peripheral Vision [15], Style Familiarity (any) [1/style], or
Style Perks [1/perk].
Perks: Style Familiarity (own style) [1].
Disadvantages: -20 points chosen from among Duty (Agency,
clan, or guild; Extremely Hazardous; 12 or
less) [-15] or (15 or less) [-20], Greed [-15*],
Intolerance (Nation or other large group) [-5],
Obsession (Assassinate a particular target)
[-5*], Secret (Professional assassin) [-20],
Sense of Duty (Clan or guild) [-5], or Social
Stigma (Criminal Record) [-5]. • Another -20
points chosen from among Bloodlust [-10*],
Callous [-5] or Low Empathy [-20], Code of
Honor (“Stay bought”) [-5], Light Sleeper [-5],
Loner [-5*], Nightmares [-5*], No Sense of
Humor [-10], Paranoia [-10], or Trademark
[-5, -10, or -15].
Primary Skills: Either Disguise (A) IQ+2
[8]-14 or Stealth (A) DX+2 [8]-14. • Also spend
20 points in the skills and techniques of a
combat style (see Chapter 5).
Secondary Skills: Pick four of Forced Entry (E) DX+1 [2]-13;
Climbing (A) DX [2]-12; Camouflage or Savoir-Faire
(Servant), both (E) IQ+1 [2]-13; Acting, Electronics
Operation (Security), Fast-Talk, Holdout, Lockpicking,
Shadowing, or Traps, all (A) IQ [2]-12; or Poisons (H)
IQ-1 [2]-11.
Background Skills: Choose three of Area Knowledge (any) or
Savoir-Faire (Mafia), both (E) IQ [1]-12; or Armoury
(Melee Weapons or Missile Weapons), Explosives
(Demolition or Fireworks), or Streetwise, all (A) IQ-1
[1]-11.
* Multiplied for self-control number; see p. B120.
Lens
Cinematic (+100 points): Add 80 points chosen from among
Blunt Claws [3], Combat Reflexes [15], Cultural
Adaptability [10], Damage Resistance 1-2 (Partial,
Hands, -40%; Tough Skin, -40%) [1-2], Enhanced Time
Sense [45], Extra Attack 1 or 2 (Multi-Strike, +20%) [30
or 60], Forceful Chi 1-4 [15/level], Gizmos (Only for style,
-20%) [4/level], Heroic Archer [20], Innate Attack
[Varies], Social Chameleon [5], Striker (Crushing) [5],
Trained by a Master [30], or Weapon Master [20-45]. You
must take either Trained by a Master or Weapon Master!
• Add 20 points in your style’s cinematic skills (and pre-
requisites); Invisibility Art, Light Walk, and Lizard Climb
are useful for stalking victims.
Stiletto
Customization Notes
Styles: Ninja should know Taijutsu (pp. 202-203) and at
least one of Kenjutsu (pp. 173-175), Kusarijutsu (p. 179),
Kyujutsu (pp. 179-180), or Shurikenjutsu (pp. 195-197);
those in B-movies often practice Kobujutsu (p. 178). Dagger
Fighting (p. 155) or Shortsword Fighting (p. 195) would
serve realistic assassins well in any pre-modern setting.
Modern government agents are typically taught a form of
Military Hand-to-Hand (pp. 182-185). Cinematic killers
occasionally eschew weapons for aggressive styles, such as
Bando (pp. 151-152) and Muay Thai (pp. 185-186), or those
with lethal pressure-point attacks, like Chin Na (p. 154),
Hwa Rang Do (pp. 163-164),
,and Kalaripayit (pp. 168-169).
Style Lenses: Traditional ninja need no lens. “Military”
makes sense for a modern government agent, while “Street”
suits a mob hit man or suspense-movie nutcase.
Contender
100 points
You’re a full-time competitor at a combat sport such as
boxing, fencing, or sumo. You might be a medal-seeking
Olympian, a professional jock, or a tough guy on the no-
holds-barred circuit. Stereotypes needn’t apply to you: not
every Olympian is “clean,” jocks aren’t universally stupid
and greedy, and tough guys don’t have to be bloodthirsty.
One thing almost certainly is true, though – you’re either
fighting or training most of the time.
Attributes: ST 12 [20]; DX 12 [40]; IQ 10 [0]; HT 12 [20].
Secondary Characteristics: Damage 1d-1/1d+2; BL 29 lbs.;
HP 12 [0]; Will 10 [0]; Per 10 [0]; FP 12 [0]; Basic Speed
6.00 [0]; Basic Move 6 [0].
Advantages: 20 points chosen from among ST +1 or +2 [10
or 20], DX +1 [20], HT +1 or +2 [10 or 20], HP +1 to +3
[2/HP], Will +1 to +4 [5/level], FP +1 to +3 [3/FP],
Ambidexterity [5], Enhanced Dodge 1 [15], Enhanced
Parry 1 [5 or 10], Fearlessness 1-5 [2/level] or Unfazeable
[15], Fit [5] or Very Fit [15], Hard to Subdue 1-5 [2/level],
High Pain Threshold [10], Reputation (Titlist) [Varies],
Striker (Crushing; Limb, Shin, -20%) [4], Style
Familiarity (any) [1/style], Style Perks [1/perk], or Wealth
(Comfortable) [10] or (Wealthy) [20].
Perks: Style Familiarity (own style) [1].
Disadvantages: -20 points chosen from among Code of
Honor (“Fight fair”) [-5] or Secret (Cheater, fall-taker,
steroid-user, etc.) [-5], Greed [-15*], Obsession (Win a
title) [-5*] or (Become the best in the world) [-10*],
Overconfidence [-5*], or Workaholic [-5]. • An addition-
al -20 points chosen from among any of the above or
Appearance (Unattractive) [-4] or (Ugly) [-8], Bad
Temper [-10*], Enemy (Contender of equal skill; Rival; 6
or less) [-2] or (9 or less) [-5], Jealousy [-10], Pacifism
(Reluctant Killer) [-5] or (Cannot Kill) [-15], Reputation
(see p. 54) [Varies], or Stubbornness [-5].
Primary Skills: 30 points in the skills and techniques of a
sport or combat style (see Chapter 5).
Secondary Skills: Pick two of Bicycling (E) DX+1 [2]-13,
Breath Control (H) HT-1 [2]-11, Lifting (A) HT [2]-12,
Running (A) HT [2]-12, Sports (any) (A) DX [2]-12, or
Swimming (E) HT+1 [2]-13.
Background Skills: Savoir-Faire (Dojo) (E) IQ [1]-10. • Also
spend 4 points on Current Affairs (Sports), First Aid, or
Games (any), all IQ/E; Acting, Gambling, or Streetwise,
all IQ/A; Intimidation, Will/A; or Autohypnosis, Will/H.
* Multiplied for self-control number; see p. B120.
Lenses
Cinematic (+100 points): Add 80 points chosen from among
Arm ST +1 or +2 [5 or 10], Damage Resistance 1-2
(Partial, Hands, -40%; Tough Skin, -40%) [1-2],
Enhanced Dodge 1-3 [15/level], Enhanced Parry 1-3 [5 or
10/level], Enhanced Time Sense [45], Extra Attack 1 or 2
(Multi-Strike, +20%) [30 or 60], Forceful Chi 1-4
[15/level], Innate Attack [Varies], Resistant to Chi
Abilities (+3) [10], Recovery [10], Striking ST +1 or +2 [5
or 10], Trained by a Master [30], or Weapon Master [20-
45]. You must take either Trained by a Master or Weapon
Master! • Add 20 points in your style’s cinematic skills
(and prerequisites); Power Blow is excellent for “finish-
ing moves.”
Tough Guy (+100 points): You’re a hulking brute! You have
no “mystical” abilities, but your gifts are just as cinemat-
ic. Add +1 to ST [10] and 90 points chosen from among
ST +1 to +9 [10/level], HT +1 to +9 [10/level], HP +1 to
+10 [2/HP], Will +1 to +10 [5/level], FP +1 to +10 [3/FP],
Arm ST +1 or +2 [5 or 10], Damage Resistance 1 or 2
(Tough Skin, -40%) [3 or 6], Extra Attack (Multi-Strike,
+20%) 1-3 [30/level], Lifting ST +1 or +2 [3 or 6],
Recovery [10], Resistant to Arm Injury (+3) [1], Resistant
to Neck Injury (+3) [1], or Striking ST +1 or +2 [5 or 10].
Customization Notes
Styles: Styles for historical contenders include Boxing
(pp. 152-153), Greco-Roman Wrestling (p. 205), Pankration
(pp. 188-189), and Sumo (pp. 198-199). The most common
sportive styles today are Judo (p. 166), Karate (pp. 169-172),
Kendo (p. 172), Professional Wrestling (p. 206), Sport
Fencing (p. 160), and Tae Kwon Do (p. 200). Among those
who compete in mixed martial arts and no-holds-barred
events, Bando (pp. 151-152), Brazilian Jiu-jitsu (pp. 167-
168), Muay Thai (pp. 185-186), Sambo (p. 185), and
Submission Wrestling (p. 205) are popular.
Style Lenses: This template is a style lens – albeit a com-
plex one – but a contender who competes in tournaments
hosted by the armed services might have “Military,” while
one who fights in illegal events could justify “Street.”
Crimefighter
100 points
You use martial-arts skills to uphold justice or keep the
peace. You might be a watchman in a time or place where
skilled fighters are common (e.g., feudal Japan), a modern
cop who prefers to subdue crooks without the lethal finality
of a bullet, or a vigilante who goes unarmed because
weapons aren’t available or would attract unwelcome atten-
tion. An interesting – if unlikely – alternative is the detective
charged with solving martial arts-related crimes.
Attributes: ST 10 [0]; DX 12 [40]; IQ 12 [40]; HT 10 [0].
32 CHARACTERS
Secondary Characteristics: Damage 1d-2/1d; BL 20 lbs.; HP
10 [0]; Will 12 [0]; Per 12 [0]; FP 10 [0]; Basic Speed 5.50
[0]; Basic Move 5 [0].
Advantages: 15 points chosen from among Per +1 to +3
[5/level], Acute Senses (any) 1-5 [2/level], Combat
Reflexes [15], Danger Sense [15], Hard to Kill 1-5
[2/level], Intuition [15], Legal Enforcement Powers [5, 10,
or 15] and Police Rank 0-4 [5/level]†, or Style Perks
[1/perk].
Perks: Style Familiarity (own style) [1].
Disadvantages: One of Duty (Law-enforcement agency; 12
or less) [-10]†, Secret (Vigilante) [-10], or Secret Identity
(Caped crusader, masked avenger, etc.) [-10]. • A further -
30 points chosen from among Charitable [-15*], Curious
[-5*], Honesty [-10*], Intolerance (Criminals) [-5],
Obsession (Bring down a particular crook) [-5*],
Overconfidence [-5*], Pacifism (Cannot Harm Innocents)
[-10] or (Cannot Kill) [-15], Sense of Duty (Law-abiding
citizens) [-10], or Stubbornness [-5].
Primary Skills: Area Knowledge (any) (E) IQ+1 [2]-13;
Criminology (A) IQ+1 [4]-13; and 20 points in the skills
and techniques of a combat style (see Chapter 5).
Secondary Skills: Observation (A) Per [2]-12 and Streetwise
(A) IQ [2]-12. • Also pick five of Forced Entry or Knot-
Tying, both (E) DX+1 [2]-13; Driving (Automobile) or
Stealth, both (A) DX [2]-12; Current Affairs (Regional) or
Savoir-Faire (Police), both (E) IQ+1 [2]-13; Interrogation
or Shadowing, both (A) IQ [2]-12; Intimidation (A) Will
[2]-12; or Search or Tracking, both (A) Per [2]-12.
Background Skills: Two of Expert Skill (Hoplology), Forensics,
Intelligence Analysis, Law (Criminal or Police), or Tactics,
all (H) IQ-1 [2]-11; or Detect Lies (H) Per-1 [2]-11.
* Multiplied for self-control number; see p. B120.
† Duty must accompany Legal Enforcement Powers.
CHARACTERS 33
Del Duque is a masked Mexican wrestler and freelance
detective. Every Del Duque adventure starts with our hero
enjoying a meal in some exotic locale while reading the
newspaper. There’s always an unsolved crime in the news,
and the headline always hints at the action to come
(“Thieves dressed as ninja steal art treasures!”).
After a short investigation during which Del Duque
inevitably stumbles onto clues that the police missed, he
impresses the cops by identifying the culprits as evil mas-
ters of an obscure fighting style. He follows the trail to the
criminals’ lair, sneaks in, and uses a drop kick to jump the
sentry. Within seconds, the rest of the gangsters come
charging in and also suffer defeat. Then the boss appears
and hits Del Duque a few times – but Del Duque soon
catches his fist, twists his arm, and uses his trademark
“pain grip” to force surrender. By the time the police
arrive, Del Duque is tying up the bad guys.
Del Duque lives in a B-movie world where everybody
,speaks Spanish, nobody thinks it’s odd that he’s constant-
ly masked (or asks how he eats with a mask on), and a
lone wrestler is more capable than an entire police force.
He doesn’t seem all that fast or skilled, yet he always wins.
He’s definitely a cinematic hero!
Del Duque stands only 5’11” but must weigh at least
300 lbs. He was inspired by the Crimefighter template
(pp. 32-34), and mixes Combat Wrestling (pp. 204-205)
with Professional Wrestling (p. 206).
ST 16 [60]; DX 14 [80]; IQ 14 [80]; HT 14 [40].
Damage 1d+1/2d+2; BL 51 lbs.; HP 16 [0]; Will 14 [0];
Per 14 [0]; FP 14 [0].
Basic Speed 6.00 [-20]; Basic Move 6 [0]; Dodge 10*;
Parry 12*.
Social Background
TL: 8 [0].
CF: Western [0].
Languages: Spanish (Native) [0].
Advantages
Combat Reflexes [15]; Damage Resistance 1 (Tough
Skin, -40%) [3]; High Pain Threshold [10]; Higher
Purpose (Bring criminals to justice) [5]; Intuition [15];
Serendipity 1 [15]; Trained by a Master [30].
Perks: Honest Face (Only when masked!); Special
Exercises (DR 1, Tough Skin); Style Familiarities
(Combat Wrestling; Professional Wrestling). [4]
Disadvantages
Fat [-3]; Honesty (12) [-10]; Pacifism (Cannot Harm
Innocents) [-10]; Secret Identity [-10]; Sense of Duty
(Law-abiding citizens) [-10].
Quirks: Always uses Drop Kick when making a sur-
prise attack; Considers masks perfectly normal; Rarely
speaks; Spends hours reading the newspapers, looking for
high-profile crimes; Wears a cape, even though opponents
could grab it. [-5]
Skills
Acrobatics (H) DX-1 [2]-13; Area Knowledge (World)
(E) IQ [1]-14; Brawling (E) DX+2 [4]-16; Brawling Art (E)
DX [1]-14; Criminology (A) IQ-1 [1]-13; Current Affairs
(Headline News) (E) IQ [1]-14; Driving (Automobile) (A)
DX-1 [1]-13; Forensics (H) IQ-2 [1]-12; Hidden Lore
(Secret Styles) (H) IQ [2]-14; Immovable Stance (H) DX
[4]-14; Intimidation (A) Will [2]-14; Judo (H) DX [4]-14;
Knot-Tying (E) DX [1]-14; Law (Criminal) (H) IQ-2 [1]-12;
Observation (A) Per [2]-14; Power Blow (H) Will [4]-14;
Pressure Points (H) IQ [4]-14; Stealth (A) DX [2]-14;
Streetwise (A) IQ [2]-14; Wrestling (A) DX+2 [8]-16;
Wrestling Art (A) DX [1]-14†; Wrestling Sport (A) DX
[1]-14†.
Techniques: Drop Kick (Brawling) (H) [2]-16; Hand
Catch (Wrestling) (H) [4]-12*; Wrench Arm (H) [5]-16.
* Includes +1 for Combat Reflexes.
† Based on Wrestling default.
Del Duque (350 points)
Lens
Cinematic (+100 points): Add 80 points chosen from among
Enhanced Dodge 1-3 [15/level], Enhanced Parry 1-3 [5 or
10/level], Enhanced Time Sense [45], Extra Attack 1 or 2
(Multi-Strike, +20%) [30 or 60], Forceful Chi 1-4
[15/level], Gadgeteer [25], Gizmos [5/level], Heroic
Archer [20], Higher Purpose [5], Innate Attack [Varies],
Resistant to Chi Abilities (+3) [10], Trained by a Master
[30], Weapon Master [20-45], or Wild Talent 1-3
[20/level]. You must take either Trained by a Master or
Weapon Master! • Add 20 points in your style’s cinemat-
ic skills (and prerequisites); Hypnotic Hands, Kiai, and
Pressure Points are handy for taking prisoners.
Customization Notes
Styles: Taihojutsu (p. 201) merits special mention
because it was invented for law enforcers. Most grappling
styles – including Aikijutsu (p. 149), Judo (p. 166), Jujutsu
(pp. 166-168), and Wrestling (pp. 204-206) – are well-suited
to subduing crooks. Being able to hit hard is also useful.
Fictional 19th-century detectives might use Bartit*u (p. 167)
or Savate (pp. 193-194); pulp heroes and practical cops pre-
fer Boxing (pp. 152-153); modern vigilantes go for styles
with “street cred,” such as Capoeira (pp. 153-154), Jeet Kune
Do (p. 164-165), and Kajukenbo (p. 168); and everyone is
familiar with the Shurikenjutsu (pp. 195-197) skills of a
famous crime-fighting “dark knight.”
Style Lenses: “Police” is probable for an actual law officer.
A vigilante might have “Self-Defense” or “Street,” depending
on how aggressive his methods are.
Duelist
100 points
You’ve studied the fighting arts, typically a knightly or
sword style, in order to win duels for profit. You champion
moneyed folk who wish to settle affairs of honor with blood
– just not theirs. You’re adept at remaining cool enough to
strike not necessarily first but best. Dueling attracts hot-
heads, may be illegal, and often leaves corpses behind, so
you must stay on the road to avoid those who would seek
glory, vengeance, or justice at your expense.
Attributes: ST 11 [10]; DX 13 [60]; IQ 10 [0]; HT 11 [10].
Secondary Characteristics: Damage 1d-1/1d+1; BL 24 lbs.;
HP 11 [0]; Will 10 [0]; Per 10 [0]; FP 11 [0]; Basic Speed
6.00 [0]; Basic Move 6 [0].
Advantages: 20 points chosen from among DX +1 [20],
Basic Speed +1 [20], Ambidexterity [5], Enhanced Block
1 [5], Enhanced Dodge 1 [15], Enhanced Parry 1 [5 or
10], Fearlessness 1-5 [2/level] or Unfazeable [15], Hard to
Kill 1-5 [2/level], Luck [15], Rapid Healing [5], Style
Familiarity (any) [1/style], Style Perks [1/perk], Wealth
(Comfortable) [10] or (Wealthy) [20], or Weapon Bond
[1].
Perks: Style Familiarity (own style) [1].
Disadvantages: -20 points chosen from among Enemy
(Glory-seeker or rival duelist; Hunter; 6 or less) [-5] or (9
or less) [-10], Enemy (Past victim’s vengeful relatives;
Hunter; 6 or less) [-5] or (9 or less) [-10], Reputation -1 or
-2 (Ruthless killer) [-5 or -10], Secret (Illegal dueling
deaths) [-20], or Social Stigma (Criminal Record) [-5].
• An additional -20 points chosen from among Bloodlust
[-10*], Callous [-5] or Low Empathy [-20], Code of Honor
(Professional) [-5] or (Gentleman’s) [-10], Distinctive
Features (Dueling scars) [-1], Greed [-15*], Loner [-5*],
or Overconfidence [-5*].
Primary Skills: 30 points in the skills and techniques of a
combat style (see Chapter 5). Unlike most martial artists,
a duelist can justify putting most of these points into just
one skill!
Secondary Skills: Armoury (Melee Weapons) (A) IQ [2]-10;
Current Affairs (People) (E) IQ [1]-10; First Aid (E) IQ
[1]-10; and Savoir-Faire (High Society) (E) IQ [1]-10.
Background Skills: 4 points chosen from among Area
Knowledge (any) or Savoir-Faire (Dojo), both IQ/E;
Connoisseur (Weapons) or Merchant, both IQ/A;
Diplomacy, Expert Skill (Hoplology), or Law (Criminal),
all IQ/H; or Intimidation, Will/A.
* Multiplied for self-control number; see p. B120.
Lens
Cinematic (+100 points): Add 80 points chosen from among
Enhanced Block 1-3 [5/level], Enhanced Dodge 1-3
[15/level], Enhanced Parry 1-3 [5 or 10/level], Enhanced
Time Sense [45], Extra Attack 1 or 2 (Multi-Strike, +20%)
[30 or 60], Forceful Chi 1-4 [15/level], Innate Attack
[Varies], Resistant to Chi Abilities (+3) [10], Trained by a
Master [30], or Weapon Master [20-45]. You must take
either Trained by a Master or Weapon Master! • Add 20
points in your style’s cinematic skills (and prerequisites);
Flying Leap is extremely useful for surprising adversaries
and getting the first strike.
Customization Notes
Styles: Sword styles dominate the profession. These include
Fencing (pp. 156-159), Kenjutsu (pp. 173-175), Longsword
Fighting (pp. 180-182), Shortsword Fighting (p. 195), Sword-
and-Buckler Play (p. 199), and Sword-and-Shield Fighting
(pp. 199-200). Historical duelists might instead know Glaive
Fighting (p. 187), Pollaxe Fighting (p. 191), or Quarterstaff
(pp. 192-193). A duelist might supplement any of these styles
with Combat Wrestling (pp. 204-205) and/or Dagger Fighting
(p. 155). An alternative for the well-rounded 15th- through
17th-century European duelist is the very complete Masters of
Defence Weapon Training (p. 182).
Style Lenses: Usually none, because the unmodified
forms of most styles suitable for duelists are meant for duel-
ing. “Trained by a Fraud” is conceivable for a wannabe
duelist taught by an unscrupulous master, though.
Instructor
175 points
You’re a martial-arts master with your own dojo, salle,
gym, etc. While you’re an accomplished fighter, your real
expertise lies in inspiring students to train and in figuring
out where they most need to improve. How you do this is up
to you. You might favor newfangled “scientific”
,methods
(e.g., geometric patterns on the floor or gleaming machines)
or old-fashioned ones. You might patiently tutor your
charges or beat them until they get it right . . .
Attributes: ST 12 [20]; DX 12 [40]; IQ 12 [40]; HT 12 [20].
34 CHARACTERS
Secondary Characteristics: Damage 1d-1/1d+2; BL 29 lbs.;
HP 12 [0]; Will 12 [0]; Per 12 [0]; FP 12 [0]; Basic Speed
6.00 [0]; Basic Move 6 [0].
Advantages: 25 points chosen from among DX or IQ +1
[20], Will +1 to +5 [5/level], Basic Speed +1 [20],
Charisma 1 or 2 [5 or 10], Combat Reflexes [15],
Enhanced Block 1 [5], Enhanced Dodge 1 [15],
Enhanced Parry 1 [5 or 10], Extra Attack [25],
Fearlessness 1-5 [2/level] or Unfazeable [15], Fit [5] or
Very Fit [15], High Pain Threshold [10], Indomitable
[15], Language (Broken) [2], Longevity [2], Reputation
[Varies], Status 1 or 2 [5 or 10], Style Familiarity (any)
[1/style], Style Perks [1/perk], Wealth (Comfortable) [10]
or (Wealthy) [20], or Weapon Bond [1].
Perks: Style Familiarity (own style) [1] and Style Familiarity
(one other style) [1].
Disadvantages: Duty (School; 12 or less) [-10]. • Either
Bully (12) [-10], for a not-so-nice master, or any two of
Code of Honor (“Fight fair”) [-5], Pacifism (Reluctant
Killer) [-5], Sense of Duty (Students) [-5], or Vow (Never
refuse a request for training) [-5], for a pleasant one. • A
further -20 points chosen from among Bad Temper
[-10*], Disciplines of Faith (Ritualism) [-5], Enemy
(Members of rival school; Rival; 9 or less) [-5], Obsession
(Perfect the ultimate style) [-10*], Odious Personal Habit
(Inscrutable, or speaks in riddles) [-5], Overconfidence
[-5*], Stubbornness [-5], or Workaholic [-5].
Primary Skills: Savoir-Faire (Dojo) (E) IQ+2 [4]-14;
Teaching (A) IQ+2 [8]-14; and 40 points in the skills and
techniques of any style (see Chapter 5).
Secondary Skills: Pick one of Diplomacy (H) IQ [4]-12,
Intimidation (A) Will+1 [4]-13, or Leadership (A) IQ+1
[4]-13. • Also select one of Body Language (A) Per+1
[4]-13 or Psychology (H) IQ [4]-12.
Background Skills: Any three of First Aid (E) IQ+1 [2]-13;
Administration, Hidden Lore (Secret Styles), Public
Speaking, or Writing, all (A) IQ [2]-12; Expert Skill
(Hoplology), Philosophy (any), or Physiology, all (H)
IQ-1 [2]-11; Meditation (H) Will-1 [2]-11; or Esoteric
Medicine (H) Per-1 [2]-11. • Also choose one of Breath
Control (H) HT-1 [2]-11, Lifting (A) HT [2]-12, or
Running (A) HT [2]-12.
* Multiplied for self-control number; see p. B120.
Lens
Cinematic (+125 points): Add 85 points chosen from among
Blunt Claws [3], Damage Resistance 1-2 (Partial, Hands,
-40%; Tough Skin, -40%) [1-2], Enhanced Block 1-3
[5/level], Enhanced Dodge 1-3 [15/level], Enhanced Parry
1-3 [5 or 10/level], Enhanced Time Sense
[45], Extra Attack 1 or 2 (Multi-Strike,
+20%) [30 or 60], Forceful Chi 1-4
[15/level], Heroic Archer [20], Innate
Attack [Varies], Inner Balance 1-4
[15/level], Resistant to Chi Abilities (+3)
[10] or (+8) [15], Striker (Crushing) [5],
Trained by a Master [30], Weapon Master
[20-45], or Wild Talent (Focused, Martial
Arts, -20%) 1-4 [16/level]. You must take
either Trained by a Master or Weapon
Master! • Add 40 points in your style’s cin-
ematic skills (and prerequisites) – prefer-
ably all of them.
Customization Notes
Styles: Every style has masters,
but teachers of certain styles are more
likely to elicit strong reactions – usually
respect, fear, or disapproval – from their
community. Hoplomachia (pp. 161-162),
Kalaripayit (pp. 168-169), and Pentjak
Silat (pp. 189-191) all have this reputa-
tion. Historically, Masters of Defence
(p. 17) were outspoken and influential,
and often enjoyed noble patronage . . . or
censure. In modern times, the menacing
drill sergeant who teaches Military Hand-
to-Hand (pp. 182-185) is among the
strongest of instructor archetypes.
Style Lenses: An instructor normally
practices an unmodified style – even if
what he teaches has the “Military,”
“Police,” or “Self-Defense” lens – but he
could have one of these lenses himself.
“Trained by a Fraud” is unlikely, but some
masters are frauds; see Frauds.
CHARACTERS 35
Frauds
Instructor (p. 34-35) depicts a talented martial artist who genuinely
teaches a fighting style – whatever his personal flaws. The world is full of
frauds, though. Some have little skill but pretend otherwise because
they’re dishonest or crazy. Others are skilled masters who don’t teach any-
thing useful out of laziness, concern that student injuries might ruin their
reputation, fear that their teachings might be turned to evil or against
them, and so on.
In a lighthearted game with little mortal combat, it can be fun to play
a phony. In any Martial Arts campaign, the GM might wish to keep play-
ers on their toes by making some instructors charlatans. To create a con-
vincing fraud, consider the traits listed below. The students of such a pre-
tender must buy their style with the “Trained by a Fraud” lens (p. 145). For
rules on bogus martial arts in action, see Faking It (p. 130).
Advantages: Charisma, Reputation, Smooth Operator, and Voice can all
help lure students. Alternate Identity is an excellent way to avoid getting
caught! Don’t overlook the Honest Face perk.
Disadvantages: Greed is the motivation of most frauds. Laziness often
accompanies it in the case of those with real skill. Compulsive Lying,
Delusions, and Overconfidence are all common. Even true masters might
harbor Delusions about their skills – or simple Paranoia. Being a fake can
be a risky Secret.
Skills: Acting, Fast-Talk, and Performance are crucial. Complete shams
might add Stage Combat. Those trying to pass off watered-down styles as
valuable in combat have Combat Art/Sport skills. Dishonest masters may
truly possess the skills they purport to teach, even if they don’t share these
with their students. In all cases, Intimidation is a great way to discourage
prying questions.
Techniques: Total cons don’t know any techniques! Those with combat
skills, or at least Art/Sport versions, know their style’s usual techniques.
Dishonest masters may know useless techniques (p. 95). Deluded ones
likely have secret techniques (p. 86) . . . which might still be useless.
Monk
100 points
You’ve isolated yourself from society in order to contem-
plate existence and purify your soul. You practice martial arts
not to defeat foes (although you can fight if you must) but to
focus your mind. You might practice your art in a monastery
or alone, as a hermit. You don’t actively seek adventure – but it
might find you during a pilgrimage or a quest, or when disre-
spectful outsiders challenge the peace of your monastery or
hermitage.
Attributes: ST 11 [10]; DX 11 [20]; IQ 12 [40]; HT 11 [10].
Secondary Characteristics: Damage 1d-1/1d+1; BL 24 lbs.;
HP 11 [0]; Will 12 [0]; Per 12 [0]; FP 11 [0]; Basic Speed
5.50 [0]; Basic Move 5 [0].
Advantages: 15 points chosen from among ST or HT +1 [10],
Will +1 to +3 [5/level], Autotrance [1], Claim to Hospitality
(Monasteries of the same order) [1], Clerical Investment
[5], Enhanced Dodge 1 [15], Enhanced Parry 1 [5 or 10],
Fearlessness 1-5 [2/level] or Unfazeable [15], Fit [5], High
Pain Threshold [10], Less Sleep 1-4 [2/level], Longevity [2],
Perfect Balance [15], Resistant to Disease (+3) [3],
Resistant to Poison (+3) [5], Single-Minded [5], or Style
Perks [1/perk].
Perks: Style Familiarity (own style) [1].
Disadvantages: -25 points chosen from among Disciplines of
Faith (Monasticism or Mysticism) [-10] or (Asceticism)
[-15], Fanaticism (Philosophical or religious) [-15], Low TL
1 or 2 [-5 or -10], Pacifism (Cannot Kill or Self-Defense
Only) [-15], Vow (Chastity, Vegetarianism, etc.) [-5], Vow
(Silence) [-10], Vow (Always fight unarmed) [-15], or
Wealth (Struggling) [-10], (Poor) [-15], or (Dead Broke)
[-25]. • A further -15 points chosen from among the above
traits or Charitable [-15*], Loner [-5*], Oblivious [-5], Sense
of Duty (Fellow monks) [-5], Shyness [-5 or -10], or
Workaholic [-5].
Primary Skills: Meditation (H) Will [4]-12 or Religious Ritual
,(H) IQ [4]-12; Philosophy or Theology, both (H) IQ [4]-12;
and 30 points in the skills and techniques of an art or com-
bat style (see Chapter 5).
Secondary Skills: Pick two of Autohypnosis (H) Will-1 [2]-11,
Breath Control (H) HT-1 [2]-10, Esoteric Medicine (H) Per-
1 [2]-11, Hypnotism (H) IQ-1 [2]-11, Mind Block (A) Will
[2]-12, Occultism (A) IQ [2]-12, Pharmacy (Herbal) (H) IQ-
1 [2]-11, or Savoir-Faire (Dojo) (E) IQ+1 [2]-13.
Background Skills: First Aid (E) IQ [1]-12, and either Cooking
(A) IQ-1 [1]-11 or Housekeeping (E) IQ [1]-12.
* Multiplied for self-control number; see p. B120.
Lens
Cinematic (+100 points): Add 80 points chosen from among
Enhanced Dodge 1-3 [15/level], Enhanced Parry 1-3 [5 or
10/level], Enhanced Time Sense [45], Extra Attack 1 or 2
(Multi-Strike, +20%) [30 or 60], Heroic Archer [20], Higher
Purpose [5], Innate Attack [Varies], Inner Balance 1-4
[15/level], Reduced Consumption 1 or 2 [2 or 4], Resistant
to Chi Abilities (+3) [10] or (+8) [15], Social Chameleon [5],
Trained by a Master [30], True Faith [15], Weapon Master
[20-45], or Wild Talent 1-3 [20/level]. You must take either
Trained by a Master or Weapon Master! • Add 20 points in
your style’s cinematic skills (and prerequisites); Body
Control, Mental Strength, and Zen Archery all suit a medi-
tative monk.
Customization Notes
Styles: The most famous monastic style by far is Shaolin
Kung Fu (p. 194). Other traditional kung fu styles for Chinese
monks include Chin Na (p. 154), Hung Gar (p. 163), Pak Hok
(p. 188), and Praying Mantis (pp. 191-192). A Japanese monk
might know Bojutsu (p. 192) or Naginatajutsu (p. 186). A
European monk could know Quarterstaff (pp. 192-193) – and
a former Crusader might be adept at Knightly Mounted
Combat (pp. 175-177) or Sword-and-Shield Fighting (pp. 199-
200). The best surviving manual on Sword-and-Buckler Play
(p. 199) was written by and for Christian monks.
Style Lenses: A monk normally trains in an unmodified style.
Movie Star
100 points
You’re an actor, often a contender gone soft, who special-
izes in martial-arts roles. You might work on swashbuckling
films featuring musketeers and pirates, or chambara and
wuxia flicks about samurai and kung fu masters – or just bad
action movies. Most of your moves are faked and choreo-
graphed, but you train at the martial arts to improve your odds
of getting a plum role. A lot of your fans think you’re the real
deal. On a good day, so do you!
Attributes: ST 10 [0]; DX 12 [40]; IQ 11 [20]; HT 12 [20].
Secondary Characteristics: Damage 1d-2/1d; BL 20 lbs.; HP
10 [0]; Will 11 [0]; Per 11 [0]; FP 12 [0]; Basic Speed 5.00
[-20]; Basic Move 5 [0].
Advantages: 15 points chosen from among ST +1 [10],
Appearance (Attractive) [4] or (Handsome) [12], Charisma
1-3 [5/level], Fashion Sense [5], Fit [5], Languages (any)
[2-6/language], Reputation [Varies], Shtick [1], Smooth
Operator 1 [15], or Voice [10]. • An additional 20 points
chosen from among the above traits or Contacts (any)
[Varies], Daredevil [15], Luck [15], Signature Gear [Varies],
Status 1 or 2 [5 or 10], or Wealth (Comfortable) [10] or
(Wealthy) [20].
Perks: Style Familiarity (own style) [1].
Disadvantages: -15 points chosen from among Code of
Honor (“The show must go on!”) [-5], Debt 1-20 [-1/level],
Duty (Contract; Nonhazardous; 12 or less) [-5], Greed
[-15*], Impulsiveness [-10*], or Obsession (Become #1 at
the box office) [-10*]. • A further -25 points chosen from
among Addiction [Varies], Alcoholism [-15], Bad Temper
[-10*], Compulsive Carousing [-5*], Delusions (see pp. 53-
54) [-5 to -15], Jealousy [-10], Lecherousness [-15*],
Overconfidence [-5*], Pacifism (Reluctant Killer) [-5] or
(Cannot Kill) [-15], Reputation (see p. 54) [Varies], Selfish
[-5*], Slow Riser [-5], or Stubbornness [-5].
Primary Skills: Performance (A) IQ+2 [8]-13; Stage Combat
(A) DX+1 [4]-13; and 20 points in the skills and techniques
of an art or sport style (see Chapter 5).
Secondary Skills: Pick four of Acrobatics (H) DX-1 [2]-11,
Acting (A) IQ [2]-11, Dancing (A) DX [2]-12, Makeup (E)
IQ+1 [2]-12, Professional Skill (Modeling) (A) IQ [2]-11,
Public Speaking (A) IQ [2]-11, Singing (E) HT+1 [2]-13, or
Skiing (H) HT-1 [2]-11.
36 CHARACTERS
Background Skills: 4 points chosen from among Sports
(Golf, Tennis, etc.), DX/A; Current Affairs (Popular
Culture) or Savoir-Faire (High Society), both IQ/E;
Connoisseur (any) or Fast-Talk, both IQ/A; Carousing,
HT/E; or Sex Appeal, HT/A.
* Multiplied for self-control number; see p. B120.
Lenses
Cinematic (+100 points): Add 80 points chosen from among
Enhanced Dodge 1-3 [15/level], Enhanced Parry 1-3 [5 or
10/level], Enhanced Time Sense [45], Extra Attack 1 or 2
(Multi-Strike, +20%) [30 or 60], Gizmos (Only for style,
-20%) [4/level], Heroic Archer [20], Innate Attack
[Varies], Rapier Wit [5], Serendipity 1-4 [15/level],
Trained by a Master [30], Weapon Master [20-45], or
extreme levels of traits on the realistic template:
Appearance (Very Handsome) [16] or (Transcendent)
[20], Charisma 4-12 [5/level], Luck (Extraordinary) [30]
or (Ridiculous) [60], Smooth Operator 2-4 [15/level], and
Wealth (Very Wealthy) [30] or (Filthy Rich) [50]. You
must take either Trained by a Master or Weapon Master!
• Add 20 points in your style’s cinematic skills (and pre-
requisites); Flying Leap, Light Walk, and Lizard Climb
suit wuxia stars who do their stunts for real.
Tough Guy (+100 points): You’re a beast of a man, typecast
as the guy who shrugs off baseball bats and fires
machine guns one-handed. You’re as unbelievable as any
flashy wuxia star – but it’s all grit, not mystical mumbo-
jumbo. See Contender (p. 32) for statistics.
CHARACTERS 37
Adrian was born in 1537 to a Warwickshire man-at-
arms and his wife. Despite being raised like any English
girl, she was more fascinated with her father’s skills than
her mother’s domestic duties. She eventually convinced
several of her father’s younger comrades to train her.
Most regarded this as a fair trade for the opportunity to
spend time with a pretty (if eccentric) girl.
When Adrian was 17, her father marched off to some
nastiness in which the Duke of Suffolk was embroiled. It
proved to be a rebellion, and her father was slain when
forces loyal to Queen Mary defeated Suffolk. Shortly
thereafter, her mother was killed in random reprisals
against Protestants. Adrian escaped the same fate only by
taking up a rusty longsword – a souvenir of her father’s –
and fighting her way free.
Once safe, Adrian cut her hair, dressed in men’s cloth-
ing, and posed as one of England’s many traveling “mas-
ters,” showing off for food and drink. She swore a vow to
avenge her parents’ deaths by seeking news of unpopular
deeds by the Queen’s agents in the countryside, finding
those responsible, and killing them. She soon found her-
self sought by bounty hunters coming to collect the price
on her head. Several Englishmen, two Welshmen, and
one Italian later, she still walks free.
Adrian is a larger-than-life prodigy at 19 years of age,
and stronger than some men – which lets her move her
5’8”, 125-lb. frame with blinding speed. She was built
with the Duelist template (p. 34) and has Masters of
Defence Weapon Training (p. 182).
ST 12 [20]; DX 14 [80]; IQ 11 [20]; HT 11 [10].
Damage 1d-1/1d+2; BL 29 lbs.; HP 10 [-4]; Will 11 [0];
Per 11 [0]; FP 11 [0].
Basic Speed 7.00 [15]; Basic Move 8 [5]; Dodge 10; Parry
13; Block 10.
Social Background
TL: 4 [0].
CF: Christian European [0].
Languages: English (Native) [0].
Advantages
Attractive [4]; Enhanced Parry 1 (All) [10]; Luck [15].
Perks: Grip Mastery (Longsword); Style Familiarity
(Glaive Fighting; Italian School; Longsword Fighting;
Masters of Defence Weapon Training; Pollaxe Fighting;
Quarterstaff; Sword-and-Buckler Play; Sword-and-Shield
Fighting); Weapon Bond (Her father’s longsword). [10]
Disadvantages
Enemy (Many bounty hunters; Hunter; 6 or less) [-10];
Loner (12) [-5]; Secret (Woman) [-5]; Social Stigma
(Criminal) [-5]; Trademark (Simple; Always takes the time
to strip the bodies
,of those she slays – looking for items of
value to the needy – even when that’s unsafe) [-5]; Vow
(Never refuse any request for aid) [-15].
Quirks: Abstains from intimate relations; Accepts only
things she needs, never money, from those she aids;
Claims to be the bastard son of a local official when asked
for identification; Fights dirty; Maneuvers to keep oppo-
nents at maximum reach in duels. [-5]
Skills
Acting (Cross-Dressing) (E) IQ+1 [2]-12†; Area
Knowledge (England) (E) IQ+1 [2]-12; Armoury (Melee
Weapons) (A) IQ-1 [1]-10; Brawling (E) DX [1]-14;
Broadsword (A) DX+4 [16]-18; Current Affairs (England)
(E) IQ+1 [2]-12; Disguise (Cross-Dressing) (E) IQ+1 [2]-
12†; Fast-Talk (A) IQ [2]-11; First Aid (E) IQ [1]-11; Hiking
(A) HT [2]-11; Knife (E) DX [1]-14; Polearm (A) DX [2]-
14; Shield (E) DX [1]-14; Shield (Buckler) (E) DX [1]-14;
Shortsword (A) DX [0]-16*; Spear (A) DX [2]-14; Staff (A)
DX [2]-14; Stealth (A) DX [2]-14; Two-Handed Sword (A)
DX+4 [14]-18*; Wrestling (A) DX [2]-14.
Techniques: Feint (Two-Handed Sword) (H) [3]-20;
Sweep (Two-Handed Sword) (H) [4]-18.
* Based on Broadsword default.
† Optional specialties; see p. B169.
Adrian Froste (200 points)
Customization Notes
Styles: Unarmed styles with a strong body of kicks are
popular on the big screen. These include Hapkido (p. 161),
Kyokushin (pp. 171-172), Muay Thai (pp. 185-186), Tae
Kwon Do (p. 200), and Wushu (pp. 206-207). Other styles
made famous by movie stars are Aikido (p. 149), Jeet Kune
Do (pp. 164-165), Professional Wrestling (p. 206), and Wing
Chun (pp. 203-204). Actors often use training in modern art
and sport forms to simulate Shaolin Kung Fu (p. 194) and
Taijutsu (pp. 202-203) – but in a cinematic game, their skills
might be real. Weapons show up in film, too, led by the
whippy swords of Sport Fencing (p. 160), the trademark
nunchaku and sais of Kobujutsu (p. 178), and the “ninja
stars” of Shurikenjutsu (pp. 195-197).
Style Lenses: The watered-down styles that result from
“Self-Defense” and “Trained by a Fraud” are suitable for a
phony. An ex-contender would know the unmodified style.
Spy
100 points
You spy for an intelligence, military, or security service.
You aren’t an analyst or a diplomat, though – you’re a more
“hands-on” kind of spy. Your specialties are physical infil-
tration, gathering information, and getting out in one piece.
You employ martial arts because they’re hard to trace,
silent, and the ultimate concealed weapon. These features
make them handy for taking out inconvenient sentries and
making informants talk.
Attributes: ST 10 [0]; DX 12 [40]; IQ 12 [40]; HT 10 [0].
Secondary Characteristics: Damage 1d-2/1d; BL 20 lbs.;
HP 10 [0]; Will 12 [0]; Per 12 [0]; FP 10 [0]; Basic Speed
5.50 [0]; Basic Move 5 [0].
Advantages: 15 points chosen from among Alternate
Identity (Legal) [5] or (Illegal) [15], Claim to Hospitality
(Safe-houses of allied nations) [10], Contact Group (Spy
network; Skill-15; 9 or less; Somewhat Reliable) [10] or
(Skill-18) [15], Rank 1-3 (Administrative or Military)
[5/level], or Security Clearance [5, 10, or 15]. • Another
15 points chosen from among Will +1 to +3 [5/level], Per
+1 to +3 [5/level], Acute Senses (any) 1-5 [2/level],
Cultural Familiarity [1/culture], Danger Sense [15],
Eidetic Memory [5] or Photographic Memory [10],
Flexibility [5], High Pain Threshold [10], Languages
(any) [2-6/language], Peripheral Vision [15], Style
Familiarity (any) [1/style], or Style Perks [1/perk].
Perks: Style Familiarity (own style) [1].
Disadvantages: Duty (Intelligence service; Extremely
Hazardous; 15 or less) [-20]. • One of Enemy
(Counterintelligence cell; Hunter; 9 or less) [-20], Enemy
(Enemy nation; Watcher; 12 or less) [-20], or Secret (Spy)
[-20]. • Another -10 points chosen from among Callous [-
5], Curious [-5*], Intolerance (Enemy nation) [-5] or (All
nations but own) [-10], Paranoia [-10], or Sense of Duty
(Own nation) [-10].
Primary Skills: Area Knowledge (any) (E) IQ [1]-12;
Observation (A) Per [2]-12; Stealth (A) DX [2]-12; and 20
points in the skills and techniques of a combat style (see
Chapter 5).
Secondary Skills: Pick one of these three options: Acting (A)
IQ [2]-12 and Disguise (A) IQ [2]-12; Parachuting (E)
DX+2 [4]-14; or Scuba (A) IQ [2]-12 and Swimming (E)
HT+1 [2]-11. • Choose two of Forced Entry (E) DX+1 [2]-
13; Climbing (A) DX [2]-12; or Electronics Operation
(Security), Lockpicking, or Traps, all (A) IQ [2]-12.
• Select one of Filch (A) DX [2]-12; Electronics Operation
(Surveillance), Interrogation, or Photography, all (A) IQ
[2]-12; or Lip Reading or Search, both (A) Per [2]-12.
• Take one of Escape (H) DX-1 [2]-11, Holdout (A) IQ
[2]-12, or Smuggling (A) IQ [2]-12.
Background Skills: Pick two of Cartography or Propaganda,
both (A) IQ-1 [1]-11; or Cryptography, Diplomacy,
Economics, Expert Skill (Computer Security, Military
Science, or Political Science), Forensics, Geography
(Political), or Intelligence Analysis, all (H) IQ-2 [1]-10.
* Multiplied for self-control number; see p. B120.
Lens
Cinematic (+100 points): Add 80 points chosen from among
Enhanced Dodge 1-3 [15/level], Enhanced Parry 1-3 [5 or
10/level], Enhanced Time Sense [45], Extra Attack 1 or 2
(Multi-Strike, +20%) [30 or 60], Forceful Chi 1-4
[15/level], Gizmos [5/level], Innate Attack [Varies], Inner
Balance 1-4 [15/level], Resistant to Chi Abilities (+3) [10],
Trained by a Master [30], Weapon Master [20-45], or
Wild Talent 1-3 [20/level]. You must take either Trained
by a Master or Weapon Master! • Add 20 points in your
style’s cinematic skills (and prerequisites); Invisibility Art
and Light Walk work wonders.
Customization Notes
Styles: Historical ninja were spies, and used Taijutsu
(pp. 202-203) when undercover and unarmed. Today, guns
relegate martial arts to the court of last resort, for use when
the spy is disarmed and has nothing to lose. Various forms
of Military Hand-to-Hand (pp. 182-185) are most common,
but such training is easily traced. To avoid this, some offi-
cers learn popular “civilian” styles: Boxing (pp. 152-153),
Jujutsu (pp. 166-168), Karate (pp. 169-172), Wrestling
(pp. 204-205), etc. Any style works in a cinematic game, but
Western super-spies from the 1960s generally know Judo
(p. 166) and Karate, while Russian and Chinese secret
agents seem to prefer Sambo (p. 185) and Wushu (pp. 206-
207), respectively.
Style Lenses: For a ninja, none. For a modern spy, the
“Military” or “Police” lens, depending on the agency. A good
spy avoids fights and could get by with “Self-Defense.” A
wartime spy can’t always circumvent violence and might
end up with a skill set that looks a lot like the “Street” lens.
Student
75 points
You’re a martial-arts neophyte – but a talented, driven
one. You make up in youthful energy what you lack in expe-
rience. In time, you could become a model example of any
of the archetypes portrayed by the other templates. For now,
you train, making whatever sacrifices this requires of you.
You might spend all of your spare time at the gym – or, if
you’re a traditional student, live with your master and work
as his servant.
Attributes: ST 10 [0]; DX 12 [40]; IQ 10 [0]; HT 12 [20].
38 CHARACTERS
Secondary Characteristics: Damage 1d-2/1d; BL 20 lbs.;
HP 10 [0]; Will 10 [0]; Per 10 [0]; FP 12 [0]; Basic Speed
6.00 [0]; Basic Move 6 [0].
Advantages: 15 points chosen from among ST +1 [10], HT
+1 [10], HP +1 to +3 [2/HP], Will +1 to +3 [5/level], FP +1
to +3 [3/FP], Ambidexterity [5], Fit [5] or Very Fit [15],
High Pain Threshold [10], Language (Broken) [2], Patron
(Martial-arts master; 6 or less) [8] or (9 or less) [15],
Pitiable [5], Single-Minded [5], or Style Perks [1/perk].
Perks: Style Familiarity (own style) [1].
Disadvantages: -15 points chosen from among Duty
(Master; Nonhazardous; 12 or less) [-5] or (15 or less)
[-10], Fanaticism (Master, school, or style) [-15],
Obsession (Reach a specific grade) [-5*], Overconfidence
[-5*]†, or Workaholic [-5]. • Another -15 points chosen
from among Chummy [-5] or Gregarious [-10], Delusions
,(see pp. 53-54) [-5 to -15], Easy to Read [-10], Gullibility
[-10*], Impulsiveness [-10*], Low Self-Image [-10]†,
Pacifism (Reluctant Killer) [-5], Post-Combat Shakes
[-5*], Sense of Duty (Master) [-2] or (Fellow students)
[-5], Social Stigma (Minor) [-5], or Wealth (Struggling)
[-10] or (Poor) [-15].
Primary Skills: Savoir-Faire (Dojo) (E) IQ+2 [4]-12 and 15
points in the skills and techniques of a martial-arts style
(see Chapter 5).
Secondary Skills: Lifting (A) HT [2]-12 and Running (A) HT
[2]-12.
CHARACTERS 39
Kai Lian is a secret agent of the Shining Temple of the
Autumn Wind, the location of which is known to no one
– travelers to and from the monastery must go blindfold-
ed, in the company of a blind master. She is trained in the
way of Shaolin, as well as in two of the Temple’s secret
styles. Her trademark attacks are a lethal strike with her
long fingernails (Delicate Hand Dragon Claw), a leaping
kick (Graceful Floating Axe), and a chi-blast that can
hammer foes at 30 feet (Autumn Wind Sky Fist).
Kai Lian’s present assignment is in frontier America,
land of the six-shooter, telegraph, and locomotive. Her job
is a tough one: retrieve the Five Tigers Jade Buddha stat-
ue, which was stolen from its guardian monks by
American crooks. To them, it was merely a valuable
antique. To those who know better, it’s a powerful relic,
capable of binding evil spirits.
The Temple chose Kai Lian for her stealth and fighting
abilities, and the fact that she learned broken English
from her master. None of this has helped her much when
it comes to dealing with American culture and technolo-
gy. “Frisco” was nothing like China, and it took all of her
acrobatic skills to dodge the bullets of those thugs at the
docks. They fought like men possessed, and Kai Lian is
beginning to suspect that there’s more to this mystery
than meets the eye.
Kai Lian is a petite woman (4’10” and 90 lbs) in her
mid-30s, with unusually long fingernails, clad in simple
but immaculate clothing. She was inspired by the cine-
matic Monk template (p. 36). Her style is Shaolin Kung
Fu (p. 194).
ST 9 [-10]; DX 14 [80]; IQ 13 [60]; HT 11 [10].
Damage 1d-2/1d-1; BL 16 lbs.; HP 9 [0]; Will 14 [5]; Per
13 [0]; FP 14 [9].
Basic Speed 6.00 [-5]; Basic Move 6 [0]; Dodge 12; Parry
12.
Social Background
TL: 3 [-10].
CF: Chinese [0].
Languages: English (Broken) [2]; Mandarin (Native)
[0].
Advantages
Blunt Claws [3]; DR 1
(Partial, Hands, -40%;
Tough Skin, -40%) [1];
Enhanced Dodge 3 [45];
Flying Fists (p. 45) [5];
Perfect Balance [15];
Trained by a Master [30].
Perks: Shtick (Clothes
never get torn or dirty);
Style Familiarity (Shaolin
Kung Fu; two secret styles
for use with Shout It Out!,
p. 132). [4]
Disadvantages
Duty (Shining Temple of the Autumn Wind; 15 or less;
Extremely Hazardous) [-20]; Shyness (Mild) [-5]; Social
Stigma (Second-Class Citizen) [-5]; Vow (Fight without
weapons) [-15]; Wealth (Poor) [-15].
Quirks: Believes that users of TL4+ gadgetry are weak;
Finds big moustaches exceptionally silly; Humble;
Incompetence (Riding); Shouts out the name of each
technique before attacking (much to the puzzlement of
American foes). [-5]
Skills
Acrobatics (H) DX+1 [4]-15*; Climbing (A) DX [1]-14*;
Esoteric Medicine (H) Per-1 [2]-12; Flying Leap (H) IQ+1
[8]-14; Judo (H) DX-2 [1]-12; Jumping (E) DX [1]-14;
Karate (H) DX+4 [20]-18; Light Walk (H) DX [4]-14;
Lizard Climb (H) DX [4]-14; Meditation (H) Will-2 [1]-12;
Observation (A) Per-1 [1]-12; Pharmacy (Herbal) (H) IQ-1
[2]-12; Philosophy (Buddhism) (H) IQ-1 [2]-12; Power
Blow (H) Will [4]-14; Shadowing (A) IQ-1 [1]-12; Staff (A)
DX-1 [1]-13; Stealth (A) DX [2]-14; Tracking (A) Per-1
[1]-12.
Techniques: Lethal Strike (Karate) (H) [3]-18; Flying
Jump Kick (Karate) (H) [8]-18.
* Includes +1 for Perfect Balance.
Kai Lian (250 points)
Background Skills: 6 points chosen from among Hobby
(any), DX/E or IQ/E; Sports (any), DX/A; First Aid, Games
(any), Housekeeping, or Savoir-Faire (Servant), all IQ/E;
Cooking, IQ/A; or Carousing, HT/E.
* Multiplied for self-control number; see p. B120.
† Low Self-Image and Overconfidence are incompatible.
Lens
Cinematic (+75 points): Add 60 points chosen from among
Destiny [5, 10, or 15], Enhanced Block 1-3 [5/level],
Enhanced Dodge 1-2 [15/level], Enhanced Parry 1-3 [5 or
10/level], Extra Attack 1 (Multi-Strike, +20%) [30],
Forceful Chi 1-2 [15/level], Heroic Archer [20], Innate
Attack [Varies], Inner Balance 1-2 [15/level], Resistant to
Chi Abilities (+3) [10], Trained by a Master [30], Weapon
Master [20-45], or Wild Talent 1-2 [20/level]. You must
take either Trained by a Master or Weapon Master! • Add
15 points in your style’s cinematic skills (and prerequi-
sites); students often drill at Breaking Blow and
Sensitivity.
Customization Notes
Styles: It’s possible to be a student of any style. If an ordi-
nary man on the street has martial-arts training in a modern-
day game, he’ll most likely know Greco-Roman Wrestling
(p. 205), Judo (p. 166), Karate (pp. 169-172), Kendo (p. 175),
Tae Kwon Do (p. 200), T’ai Chi (the meditative version on
p. 201, not T’ai Chi Chuan), Wing Chun (pp. 203-204), or
Wushu (pp. 206-207), depending on his culture. Aikido
(p. 149) and Hapkido (p. 161) are growing in popularity in
the West, as are such actively promoted arts as Hwa Rang Do
(pp. 163-164) and Kempo (pp. 172-173).
Style Lenses: See the lenses suggested for the kind of mar-
tial artist that the student aspires to become. Lessons at the
typical modern-day gym lead to “Self-Defense.” “Trained by
a Fraud” is unfortunately common.
Stuntman
100 points
You stand in for movie stars (although probably not the
skilled ones described under Movie Star, pp. 36-38) and play
nameless bad guys in martial-arts movies. A stuntman might
work as an aerialist, cowboy, driver, marksman, and many
other things, all in the same feature. You’re good at some of
these things, but you’re great at fighting. Most of your
martial-arts skills are slanted toward what looks good, but
the real thing looks best, and you know enough about it to be
convincing.
Attributes: ST 11 [10]; DX 12 [40]; IQ 10 [0]; HT 12 [20].
Secondary Characteristics: Damage 1d-1/1d+1; BL 24 lbs.;
HP 11 [0]; Will 10 [0]; Per 10 [0]; FP 10 [-6]; Basic Speed
6.00 [0]; Basic Move 6 [0].
Advantages: 20 points chosen from among ST +1 or +2 [10
or 20], DX +1 [20], HT +1 or +2 [10 or 20], HP +1 to +3
[2/HP], Basic Speed +1 [20], Basic Move +1 to +3 [5/level],
Daredevil [15], Enhanced Dodge 1 [15], Fearlessness 1-5
[2/level] or Unfazeable [15], Flexibility [5], Hard to Kill 1-
5 [2/level], High Pain Threshold [10], Perfect Balance
[15], Rapid Healing [5] or Very Rapid Healing [15], Style
Familiarity (any) [1/style], or Style Perks [1/perk].
Perks: Style Familiarity (own style) [1].
Disadvantages: -20 points chosen from among Compulsive
Behavior (Thrill-Seeking) [-5*], Duty (Agent, producer, or
studio; 9 or less) [-5] or (12 or less) [-10], Greed [-15*],
Impulsiveness [-10*], On the Edge [-15*], or
Overconfidence [-5*]. • Another -20 points chosen from
among the above traits or Compulsive Carousing [-5*],
Delusions (see pp. 53-54) [-5 to -15], Gigantism [0],
Minor Addiction (Ordinary painkillers) [-1], Minor
Handicap (Old injury) [-1], Overweight [-1] or Fat [-3],
Pacifism (Reluctant Killer) [-5] or (Cannot Kill) [-15],
Reputation (see p. 54) [Varies], Stubbornness [-5], or
Trickster [-15*].
Primary Skills: Acrobatics (H) DX+2 [12]-14; Jumping (E)
DX+1 [2]-13; Stage Combat (A) DX+1 [4]-13; and 20
points in the skills and techniques of almost any style
(see Chapter 5).
Secondary Skills: Performance (A) IQ+1 [4]-11. • Also
select two of Parachuting (E) DX+2 [4]-14; Climbing,
Driving (any), Fire Eating, Riding (any), or Sports (any),
all (A) DX+1 [4]-13; Escape (H) DX [4]-12; Acting or
Scuba, both (A) IQ+1 [4]-11; Swimming (E) HT+2 [4]-14;
or Skating or Skiing, both (H) HT [4]-12.
Background Skills: 5 points chosen from among Guns
(any), DX/E; First Aid or Makeup, both IQ/E; Armoury
(Melee Weapons) or Explosives
,(Fireworks), both IQ/A;
or Artist (Scene Design), IQ/H.
* Multiplied for self-control number; see p. B120.
Lenses
Cinematic (+100 points): Add 80 points chosen from among
Damage Resistance (Tough Skin, -40%) 1 or 2 [3 or 6],
Enhanced Dodge 1-3 [15/level], Enhanced Parry 1-3 [5 or
10/level], Enhanced Time Sense [45], Extra Attack 1 or 2
(Multi-Strike, +20%) [30 or 60], Forceful Chi 1-4
[15/level], Gizmos (Only for style, -20%) [4/level], Heroic
Archer [20], Innate Attack [Varies], Resistant to Chi
Abilities (+3) [10], Recovery [10], Trained by a Master
[30], or Weapon Master [20-45]. You must take either
Trained by a Master or Weapon Master! • Add 20 points
in your style’s cinematic skills (and prerequisites);
the GM may let you use Breaking Blow when slamming
bodily into doors and windows.
Tough Guy (+100 points): Like the cinematic stuntman
above, you perform “impossible” stunts. The difference is
that instead of being impossibly agile, you’re tough
enough to take those falls for real! See Contender (p. 32)
for statistics.
Customization Notes
Styles: Stuntmen are often former athletes who competed
at Boxing (pp. 152-153), Judo (p. 166), Karate (pp. 169-172),
or Tae Kwon Do (p. 200). Many tough guys come from the
world of Greco-Roman Wrestling (p. 205), Professional
Wrestling (p. 206), or Sumo (pp. 198-199), or are ex-soldiers
with a Military Hand-to-Hand (pp. 182-185) background.
Most of the notes under Movie Star (pp. 36-38) are also
applicable.
Style Lenses: Cops or soldiers who’ve moved into showbiz
should have “Military” or “Police,” as appropriate. “Street”
suits many tough guys; quite a few real-life stuntmen are the
genuine article.
40 CHARACTERS
Warrior
100 points
You’re a full-time man-at-arms. You might be a knight,
mercenary, or volunteer – or perhaps you’re a conscript,
draftee, or levy who never got sent home. Whatever your
situation, you’re in it for the long haul and you’ve gravitated
to the martial arts as a set of tools that can help you survive
on (and off) the battlefield. Unlike most martial artists, you
have a good excuse to be skilled with heavy, military weapons.
Attributes: ST 11 [10]; DX 12 [40]; IQ 10 [0]; HT 11 [10].
Secondary Characteristics: Damage 1d-1/1d+1; BL 24 lbs.;
HP 11 [0]; Will 10 [0]; Per 10 [0]; FP 11 [0]; Basic Speed
6.00 [5]; Basic Move 6 [0].
Advantages: 20 points chosen from among ST +1 or +2 [10
or 20], DX or IQ +1 [20], HT +1 or +2 [10 or 20], HP +1 to
+3 [2/HP], Per +1 to +4 [5/level], FP +1 to +3 [3/FP],
Combat Reflexes [15], Danger Sense [15], Enhanced
Block 1 [5], Enhanced Dodge 1 [15], Enhanced Parry 1 [5
or 10], Fearlessness 1-5 [2/level] or Unfazeable [15], Fit [5]
or Very Fit [15], Hard to Kill 1-5 [2/level], High Pain
Threshold [10], Military Rank 1-4 [5/level]†, Penetrating
Voice [1], Rapid Healing [5] or Very Rapid Healing [15],
Style Familiarity (any) [1/style], Style Perks [1/perk], or
Weapon Bond [1].
Perks: Style Familiarity (own style) [1].
Disadvantages: -25 points chosen from among Code of Honor
(“Stay bought”) [-5], (Soldier’s) [-10], or (Bushido or
Chivalry) [-15], Duty (Unit or force; 12 or less) [-10] or (15
or less) [-15]†, Fanaticism (Unit, force, nation, etc.)
[-15], Greed [-15*], Intolerance (Enemy nation) [-5] or (All
nations but own) [-10], or Sense of Duty (Unit) [-5] or (Own
nation) [-10]. • A further -15 points chosen from among the
above traits or Berserk [-10*], Bloodlust [-10*], Callous [-5],
Chummy [-5] or Gregarious [-10], Overconfidence [-5*],
Stubbornness [-5], or Workaholic [-5].
Primary Skills: Soldier (A) IQ+2 [8]-12, plus 20 points in the
skills and techniques of a combat style (see Chapter 5). •
Spend a further 10 points on your style or on military
weapon skills typical for your TL:
TL0-3: Crossbow, Shield, or Thrown Weapon (Spear), all
DX/E; Axe/Mace, Bow, Broadsword, Polearm,
Shortsword, or Spear, all DX/A; or Sling, DX/H.
TL4-5: Gunner (Cannon) or Guns (Musket, Pistol, or Rifle),
both DX/E; or Broadsword, Polearm, Rapier, Shortsword,
Spear, or Throwing, all DX/A.
TL6-8: Gunner (MG), Guns (GL, LAW, LMG, Rifle, or SMG),
or Liquid Projector (Flamethrower), all DX/E; or Spear or
Throwing, both DX/A.
TL9+: Beam Weapons (Projector or Rifle), Gunner (Cannon
or Beams), or Guns (GL, Gyroc, LAW, or Rifle), all DX/E;
or Force Sword or Throwing, both DX/A.
Secondary Skills: Hiking (A) HT+1 [4]-12 or Riding (any)
(A) DX+1 [4]-13. • Also choose two of Stealth (A) DX+1
[4]-13; Camouflage or First Aid, both (E) IQ+2 [4]-12;
Armoury (any), Forward Observer, Leadership, or
Navigation (Land), all (A) IQ+1 [4]-11; or Observation or
Survival (any), both (A) Per+1 [4]-11.
Background Skills: 4 points chosen from among Gesture or
Savoir-Faire (Military), both IQ/E; Connoisseur (Weapons),
Gambling, or Heraldry, all IQ/A; Expert Skill (Hoplology or
Military Science), Strategy, or Tactics, all IQ/H; Carousing,
HT/E; or Intimidation, Will/A.
* Multiplied for self-control number; see p. B120.
† Duty must accompany Military Rank.
Lenses (Realistic)
Hand-to-Hand Combat Instructor (+25 points): Add Fit [5];
Teaching (A) IQ+2 [8]-12; and an extra 12 points of style
skills and techniques. Add the NCO template to get a drill
sergeant.
Knight or Samurai (+25 points): Add Status 2 [5] and Wealth
(Wealthy) [20]; Status includes +1 from Wealth. • Replace
Soldier with Leadership (A) IQ+2 [8]-12. • Add Lance and
Two-Handed Sword, both DX/A, to primary weapon skill
lists. • Riding is mandatory. • Add Savoir-Faire (High
Society), IQ/E, to background options.
NCO (+35 points): Add IQ +1 [20]; Military Rank 1 [5];
Leadership (A) IQ+1 [4]-12; Tactics (H) IQ-1 [2]-10; and an
extra 4 points in primary, secondary, or background skills.
Maximum Military Rank is 4.
Officer (+50 points): Add IQ +1 [20]; Military Rank 3 [15];
Leadership (A) IQ+1 [4]-12; Savoir-Faire (Military) (E)
IQ+1 [2]-12; Tactics (H) IQ [4]-11; and 5 more points in pri-
mary, secondary, or background skills. This is a veteran,
not a green lieutenant!
Lenses (Cinematic)
Cinematic (+100 points): Add 80 points chosen from among
Blunt Claws [3], Damage Resistance 1-2 (Partial, Hands,
-40%; Tough Skin, -40%) [1-2], Enhanced Block 1-3
[5/level], Enhanced Dodge 1-3 [15/level], Enhanced Parry
1-3 [5 or 10/level], Enhanced Time Sense [45], Extra
Attack 1 or 2 (Multi-Strike, +20%) [30 or 60], Forceful Chi
1-4 [15/level], Heroic Archer [20], Innate Attack [Varies],
Resistant to Chi Abilities (+3) [10], Striker (Crushing) [5],
Trained by a Master [30], or Weapon Master [20-45].
You must take either Trained by a Master or Weapon
Master! • Add 20 points in your style’s cinematic skills
(and prerequisites).
Tough Guy (+100 points): You’re the soldier from the movies,
shrugging off arrows or bullets as you wade into the enemy
with a massive two-handed weapon . . . or a hefty machine
gun. See Contender (p. 32) for statistics.
Customization Notes
Styles: An historical warrior could have any style known in
his time and place. Armed styles meant for battlefield use –
Armatura (p. 150), Hoplomachia (pp. 161-162), Kenjutsu
(pp. 173-175), Kyujutsu (p. 179-180), Naginatajutsu (p. 186),
Sojutsu (pp. 197-198), Spear Fighting (pp. 196-197), Sword-
and-Shield Fighting (pp. 199-200), etc. – make the most sense.
For a mounted warrior, add Bajutsu (p. 151), Furusiyya
(pp. 159-161), and Knightly Mounted Combat (p. 175-177) to
this list. A smart soldier will supplement his training with an
unarmed style – perhaps Aikijutsu (p. 149) or Combat
Wrestling (pp. 204-205). Modern troops learn Military Hand-
to-Hand (pp. 182-185).
Style Lenses: A genuine battlefield style requires no lens.
Other styles should have “Military” if taught formally, “Street”
if picked up in pubs and ports.
CHARACTERS 41
ADVANTAGES, DISADVANTAGES,
AND SKILLS
42 CHARACTERS
The martial arts are ultimately about personal capability.
Dedicated fighters train hard, and the most successful tend
to be fit, talented people to begin with. These realities make
the PCs’ advantages, disadvantages, and skills
,remarkably
important in a Martial Arts campaign – worthy of the same
attention as exotic powers in a superhero game or magic in
a fantasy setting.
Even if the martial arts are “background color” in anoth-
er type of campaign – fantasy, historical, military, etc. – the
GM should realize that martial artists are popular as
PCs. To those who like to play them, their aptitudes
and training are as vital as their weapons and back-
ground. If the GM wants such heroes to be viable and
fun, he should lend some thought to how he plans to
handle their capabilities. It’s crucial to let the players
know in advance which traits are allowed, which are
off limits, and which work differently.
ADVANTAGES
The advantages discussed below either work dif-
ferently in a Martial Arts game or require additional
interpretation for martial artists. Consult with the
GM before taking any trait described as “cinematic.”
Such abilities may have additional prerequisites (typical-
ly Trained by a Master or Weapon Master) and are likely
off-limits in a realistic campaign.
Altered Time Rate
see p. B38
This advantage has no place in a realistic game. Real-
world martial artists who can land multiple techniques in
the space of a second are using All-Out Attack (Double)
(p. B365), Rapid Strike (p. B370), Combinations (p. 80), and
so forth. They aren’t warping time!
Altered Time Rate is also unsuitable for “traditional” cin-
ematic settings. To stay true to martial-arts myth, those
whose blinding speed results from schooling in secret fight-
ing arts should use Trained by a Master or Weapon Master
to halve the Rapid Strike penalty, while those with excep-
tional coordination should look at Extra Attack (p. B53).
Fighters with both can make many attacks but are still lim-
ited to one maneuver per turn.
However, some comic books and movies depict impossi-
bly fast martial artists who can engage several widely spaced
opponents before any of them can retaliate. This requires
multiple maneuvers per turn, implying Altered Time Rate.
In campaigns inspired by such fiction, the GM may allow
one or more levels of this advantage to those with
Gunslinger, Heroic Archer, Trained by a Master, or Weapon
Master.
For more on speedy heroes, see Multiple Attacks
(pp. 126-128).
Claws
see p. B42
Many martial artists toughen their hands by punching a
heavy bag, wooden post, etc. The usual goal is to condition
the hands so that hitting hard surfaces is less risky (treat
this as DR; see Damage Resistance, p. 43), but some
unorthodox exercises are intended to harden the hands into
deadly weapons. These include striking iron or steel, driv-
ing extended fingers into
hot sand, and applying
rank-smelling unguents.
The results often have a
colorful name, such as
“iron hand” or “eagle claw.”
Represent this using Blunt
Claws [3] – and perhaps
other traits.
Realistically, any tough-
ening extensive enough to
improve punching damage
would irreversibly damage
the hand. The GM should
only let realistic fighters
buy Blunt Claws if they also
take Bad Grip 1 [-5]. The
package is a net disadvan-
tage (-2 points). Since Bad Grip 1 gives -2 to grapple or use
melee weapons, this severely curtails the martial artist’s
other combat options.
In a cinematic campaign, the GM may relax this restric-
tion and allow esoteric, non-destructive exercises or amaz-
ing ointments. If so, individuals with Trained by a Master
should have access to such methods and be able to buy
Blunt Claws without Bad Grip. If those without Trained by
a Master want this advantage, they can either get it the hard
way (with Bad Grip) or pay 10 points for Unusual
Background (Access to secret hand-toughening exercises).
It’s possible to modify just one hand. This doesn’t reduce
the point cost of Claws or Unusual Background, but Bad
Grip must have the -80% limitation “One hand only.” This
reduces its value to -1 point and means that its -2 penalty
applies to one-handed tasks with the modified hand. For
two-handed tasks, the penalty is only -1.
Those who wish to do this in play should see Learnable
Advantages (p. B294). Base the time required on the cost of
Blunt Claws (3 points). Where applicable, any Unusual
Background must be bought before training begins, while
Bad Grip appears at the end of this time.
For another option, see the Limb limitation under
Striker (p. 47).
Chakram
Damage Resistance
see p. B46
Suitably limited Damage Resistance
fits many kinds of cinematic campaigns.
A few ideas:
Ablative: Some action heroes can
absorb a lot of damage before their luck
runs out. They suffer kicks, punches, falls,
etc., throughout the story, but only get
hurt in the finale. To simulate this, the
GM may allow DR (Ablative, -80%)
[1/level]. Each point of damage rolled
blows away a point of DR. This DR does-
n’t protect against poison – but while it
lasts, it does keep poisoned weapons from
delivering their deadly dose! Such DR
works much like HP, but the two aren’t
the same. Compare lost HP to the victim’s
basic HP score to determine crippling,
major wounds, and death.
Limited: Other fictional heroes are
resistant to bludgeoning but affected nor-
mally by blades, bullets, and beams. To
represent this, the GM may permit DR
(Limited, Crushing, -40%) [3/level].
Limited, Unarmed is also -40%, and
affects cutting and impaling Claws,
Strikers, and Teeth.
Partial: Martial artists often toughen
extremities or limbs into “iron body
parts.” Those with Trained by a Master
may buy DR with Partial (-80% for one
hand or one foot; -40% for two hands, two
feet, one leg, or one arm; or -20% for two
legs or two arms) and Tough Skin (-40%).
This traditionally accompanies Claws
(p. 42), or requires or is an Iron Body Parts
perk (p. 50).
Tough Skin: The GM may let really tough guys buy DR
(Limited, Crushing, -40%; Tough Skin, -40%) [1/level] for
their whole body. Attacks that don’t break the skin or carry
a contact poison or chi-based touch attack simply hurt less.
Some warriors have DR (Tough Skin, -40%) [3/level] and are
harder to hurt with all attacks! Martial artists who simulate
tough body parts using Partial must also take Tough Skin.
The GM decides how much DR to allow and of what
type, and should base the time needed to acquire it through
training on its final point cost (see Learnable Advantages,
p. B294). Outside of superhero games, DR 1-2 is probably
enough unless it’s Ablative. Ablative DR could go up to HP
in any cinematic game, and up to 5¥HP for heroes who sur-
vive 10-story falls and 60-mph car wrecks. Anything is pos-
sible, though. Damage Resistance might have nearly any
modifier when part of a chi power (see Chi Powers for
Martial Artists, p. 46). The GM should design powerful
defensive abilities himself and present them in a manner
similar to the offensive ones under Innate Attack (pp. 45-47).
For instance:
Ghost Shirt (-70%): DR 20 (Limited, Bullets, -60%; Pact,
-10%) [30]. Notes: Your chi lets you resist bullets – if you
don’t use modern weapons yourself! The special Pact limi-
tation means you must take and observe Vow (Use only
muscle-powered attacks) [-10]. If you use guns, explosives,
etc., for any reason, you immediately lose the DR until
1d days have passed (the GM rolls in secret). Treat the
combination of DR and Vow as a meta-trait: Ghost Shirt
[20]. 20 points.
Enhanced Defenses
see p. B51
The GM decides how many levels of these traits are avail-
able. Enhanced Defenses are cinematic and not especially
suitable for a purely realistic game . . . but in a campaign
that adds subtle cinematic elements to a largely realistic set-
ting (see Hybrid Campaigns, pp. 239-241), a single level
won’t upset things. The typical “action movie” game can
take two levels in stride. Campaigns that feature extreme
comic-book and wuxia action might go up to three levels,
but probably not beyond that – not unless the GM likes
untouchable fighters!
CHARACTERS 43
Desirable Advantages
Below are lists of advantages particularly valuable to martial artists,
split into categories that reflect common fictional
,. . . . . . . 246
CAMPAIGN THEMES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247
The Quest for the Master . . . . . . . . . . 248
GLOSSARY. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 251
BIBLIOGRAPHY . . . . . . . . . . . . 252
INDEX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 254
About GURPS
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this one.
CONTENTS 3
Say “martial arts” and most people start talking about
karate, katanas, and ninja . . . or kung fu (or the old Kung Fu
TV series) . . . or Bruce Lee. Non-Asiaphiles will share their
views on such sports as boxing and fencing . . . or no-holds-
barred fighting . . . or good old rasslin’ (“Pro wrestling is
real!”). And Europhiles will bring up pankra-
tion in ancient Greece, English “Masters of
Defence,” and the deadly truth about the rapi-
er, pausing only to lament that Europe gets
short shrift with martial-arts fans – or to
recruit you as a live-steel reenactor.
Sport vs. combat, unarmed vs. armed,
movies vs. reality, Asia vs. everywhere else –
the truth about the martial arts can be con-
fusing. Who’s right? The answer is “All of the
above.”
GURPS Martial Arts examines the fight-
ing arts of the world, or at least a good-sized
sample chosen from the past three millennia.
It doesn’t let fiction color reality or realism
stand in the way of a good story – such deci-
sions are left to the GM. Of course, because many martial
arts originated with the warriors who carved out the world’s
great empires, and the best-kept records are those of the
Asian and European powers, there is an almost inevitable
bias toward the fighting styles of those regions. But Martial
Arts does its best to venture outside that territory; to bal-
ance the historical with the modern; to give equal time to
combat, sport, and art; and, especially, to dispel myths.
The biggest myth laid to rest is that the martial arts aren’t
appropriate for every genre and setting – that they only
belong in historical games and those based on action
movies. Martial Arts definitely supports cinematic games –
of the Hollywood, Hong Kong, and Tokyo varieties – while
also presenting historically accurate styles, but it doesn’t
assume a genre or a set-
ting. You can use it to give
fantasy warriors the depth
of knowledge and ability
that spells give wizards . . .
or for hand-to-hand com-
bat in a gritty modern
technothriller . . . or for
futuristic swashbuckling
with force swords.
So grab your katana,
rapier, or iklwa – or just
bandage your knuckles.
Say a prayer to Allah,
scream a kiai, or psyche
yourself up with a little
shadowboxing. You won’t know who’s out there until the
arena door opens – but with Martial Arts, you’ll be ready!
PUBLICATION HISTORY
This is the third edition of GURPS Martial Arts. It was
inspired by GURPS Martial Arts, Second Edition (1996),
which itself combined GURPS Martial Arts, First Edition
(1990) with GURPS Martial Arts
Adventures (1993). Other important
GURPS Third Edition supplements were
GURPS Japan, Second Edition (1999) for
Japanese fighting styles and equipment;
GURPS Low-Tech (2001) for weapons in
general; and GURPS Swashbucklers,
Third Edition (1999) for European swords
and swordplay. The authors also wish to
thank Volker Bach for access to two arti-
cles originally published in Pyramid mag-
azine: “The Western Way of War” and
“Vechten Unde Schirmen: European
Martial Arts Before The Rapier.”
The current volume is a new work, not
a revision of any of the above – they served
primarily as sources of concepts, references, and terminolo-
gy, not text.
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Peter V. Dell’Orto started roleplaying in 1981, with
Dungeons & Dragons, and has played GURPS since Man
to Man. He has been active as a GURPS playtester, editor,
and contributing author since 1996, and has written many
GURPS articles for Pyramid magazine. Peter is an enthusi-
astic martial artist who has trained in places as varied as a
McDojo, a private instructor’s garage, and a hardcore gym.
He has practiced Goju-ryu and Shorin-ryu Karate, T’ai Chi,
Kali Silat, and Wing Chun, and has trained in at least a
dozen other styles. His most recent studies have been in
Kachin Bando and Kendo, and fighting amateur in Shooto.
His other hobbies include fitness, reading, painting minia-
tures, and music. Born and raised in New Jersey, he present-
ly lives and trains in Niigata, Japan.
Sean “Dr. Kromm” Punch set out to become a particle
physicist and ended up as the GURPS Line Editor. Since
1995, he has compiled the two GURPS Compendium vol-
umes, written GURPS Wizards and GURPS Undead, edit-
ed or revised over 20 other GURPS books, and master-
minded rules for dozens more. Most recently, he created the
GURPS Basic Set, Fourth Edition with coauthor David
Pulver and wrote GURPS Powers with coauthor Phil
Masters. Sean has been a fanatical gamer since 1979. His
non-gaming interests include cinema, computers, and wine.
He lives in Montréal, Québec with his wife, Bonnie. They
have two cats, Banshee and Zephyra, and a noisy parrot,
Circe.
INTRODUCTION
4 INTRODUCTION
Chain Whip
Longsword
HISTORY 5
CHAPTER ONE
HISTORY
“The Temple is ancient, Kai Lian,” the Grandmaster lec-
tured. “Things remain much as they were during the Wei
Dynasty.”
Kai nodded. “Yes, sifu.”
“The theft of the Five Tigers Jade Buddha dishonors
every monk who has lived and trained here over the past
14 centuries.”
“It does, sifu.”
“Go to America and find the thieves.”
“As sifu wishes.”
“These devils do not respect our history because they have
none of their own.”
“Your wisdom illuminates their weakness, sifu.”
“When you find them, deal them a blow for each dynasty
that the Temple has seen fall. Even a fool should respect the
Temple’s long and honorable past after such a lesson.”
“I shall, as the Americans say, learn ’em, sifu.”
The martial arts are as old as history. Ancient
tomb carvings show men fighting with sticks and
shields, and wrestling with holds still used in modern
fighting arts. The oldest texts tell of warriors with
great skill at arms, demonstrating their strength and
technique.
There’s no one “origin” of the martial arts – no sin-
gle founding culture or style from which all system-
atic combat training sprung. The martial-arts world
is nevertheless full of claims of antiquity, each style
maintaining
,archetypes. Anybody
can have the mundane traits, but only cinematic or super-powered char-
acters are likely to have the exotic or supernatural ones.
•Agility and coordination. Fighters who put precision before power and
feel that evading blows is more useful than being able to take lumps often
have some of these traits, plus good DX, Basic Speed, and/or Basic Move.
Mundane: Ambidexterity (p. B39); Combat Reflexes (p. B43); Enhanced
Defenses (p. B51); Extra Attack (p. B53); Flexibility (p. B56); and Perfect
Balance (p. B74). Exotic & Supernatural: Altered Time Rate (p. B38); Arm
DX (p. B40); Enhanced Move (p. B52); Enhanced Time Sense (p. B52);
Slippery (p. B85); and Super Jump (p. B89).
• Endurance and toughness. Some martial artists pride themselves on
being able to take a few hits. This calls for high HT, FP, Will, and/or HP,
along with an advantage or two from this list. Mundane: Fit (p. B55); Hard
to Kill (p. B58); Hard to Subdue (p. B59); High Pain Threshold (p. B59);
Rapid Healing (p. B79); and Resistant (p. B81). Exotic & Supernatural:
Damage Resistance (p. B46); Injury Tolerance (p. B60); Recovery (p. B80);
Regeneration (p. B80); Regrowth (p. B80); Supernatural Durability
(p. B89); and Unkillable (p. B95).
• Power and strength. Heavy hitters require ST – as much as they can
afford. In some campaigns, advantages that improve damage are available.
Exotic & Supernatural: Arm ST (p. B40); Claws (p. B42); Striker (p. B88);
Striking ST (p. B88); and Teeth (p. B91).
• Situational awareness. Tactical and streetwise warriors try to pick
their fights carefully and avoid danger. These traits help, and work best
with decent IQ and Per. Mundane: Acute Senses (p. B35); Danger Sense
(p. B47); Fearlessness (p. B55); Peripheral Vision (p. B74); and Unfazeable
(p. B95). Exotic & Supernatural: 360° Vision (p. B34) and Vibration Sense
(p. B96) – although any superhuman sense could come in handy.
Finally, anyone who routinely goes on dangerous adventures would
benefit from Daredevil (p. B47) and Luck (p. B66)!
Most martial artists can only take Enhanced Defenses
listed under “Optional Traits” for their styles; see Chapter 5.
Those with Trained by a Master or Weapon Master have
access to all Enhanced Defenses. Weapon Masters who have
Enhanced Parry may add their bonus to parries made using
the Parry Missile Weapons skill (p. B212) as well as with reg-
ular Melee Weapon skills, when armed with suitable
weapons.
To mute the deadliness of ranged weapons so that most
fights end up at melee range, the GM may let heroes buy
Enhanced Parry (All parries against ranged weapons) for 5
points/level – possibly at higher levels than other types of
Enhanced Parry. This gives a bonus to regular parries against
thrown weapons (see Parrying, p. B376) and to parries with
the Parry Missile Weapons skill. Its bonus “stacks” with those
for weapon-specific Enhanced Parry advantages.
Enhanced Time Sense
see p. B52
A fighter with Enhanced Time Sense (ETS) always acts
before one who lacks it – both in the “turn sequence”
(p. B363) and in a Wait situation (see Cascading Waits,
p. 108). This is especially useful to a martial artist who must
face firearms. It lets him spring across a room and take out
a gunman who has him dead to rights! It also lets him parry
bullets, if he knows the Parry Missile Weapons skill (see
p. 58). He can even try to dodge a sniper’s bullet (normally,
no active defense is possible). The GM may extend these ben-
efits to encompass blaster bolts and other slower-than-light
ranged attacks.
All of this makes ETS perfect for campaigns based on
action movies. In the movies, Stars always get the drop on
Extras, even alerted Extras with machine guns, and snipers
shooting at Stars always miss with their first shot. Naturally,
PCs are Stars, as are bosses, top henchmen, and other impor-
tant NPCs. Stars are likely to have ETS; the GM can even
make it a “campaign advantage” that all PCs must have.
Everyone else is an Extra, and Extras never have ETS. This
approach converts ETS from an exotic advantage to an
Unusual Background that extends “plot immunity” to Stars
– an extremely common feature of martial-arts cinema. In
some films, ETS only applies during action sequences; see
the special limitation below.
Finally, in campaigns that use Bullet Time (p. 133), the
GM might wish to reserve that rule for heroes who have ETS.
New Special Limitation
Combat Sense: Your ability only works when you’re fight-
ing. While the game is in “slow” time for combat (see Time
During Adventures, p. B497), you enjoy all the usual benefits
of ETS. The rest of the time, your advantage does nothing! It
won’t help you avoid penalties for being rushed on non-
combat tasks and it’s worthless against traps, snipers, and
environmental hazards encountered out of combat. -20%.
Extra Attack
see p. B53
A realistic martial artist may take one level of Extra Attack
to represent excellent coordination. This lets him attack with
any combination of two different weapons, hands, or feet,
with no restrictions on the skills involved. To attack multiple
times with the same weapon or body part requires the Multi-
Strike enhancement. If both attacks must use the same com-
bat skill, take the Single Skill limitation. Both modifiers
appear below.
The GM decides how many levels of Extra Attack are pos-
sible in a cinematic game. Multi-Strike should be mandatory
for humans with more than one level, as with three or more
attacks and only two hands, one hand will be striking twice.
The GM may relax this requirement if the martial artist takes
Single Skill for skill that covers kicking. A warrior with Extra
Attack 3 (Single Skill, Karate) could make two punches and
two kicks at once – at least in a chambara or wuxia game
where fighters rarely seem to touch the ground!
The GM decides whether Extra Attack is learnable. If so,
consider using Single Skill to represent practice with a par-
ticular combat skill. Fighters who use paired weapons are
more likely to buy Off-Hand Weapon Training (p. 50) and
Dual-Weapon Attack (p. 83), however.
See Multiple Attacks (pp. 126-128) for other important
details.
New Special Enhancement
Multi-Strike: You can strike more than once with the same
weapon or body part. This lets you launch more attacks than
you have limbs, natural weapons, and attack abilities. You
can use your best attack multiple times. +20%.
New Special Limitation
Single Skill: Your Extra Attacks apply only to a particular
combat skill. For instance, Extra Attack 2 (Single Skill,
Karate) lets you attack three times – but at least two of the
attacks must be with the Karate skill. To attack more than
once using a weapon skill, you need either one weapon per
attack or the Multi-Strike enhancement. -20%.
Fearlessness
see p. B55
Mastering a fighting style is a great way to build confi-
dence. The GM may wish to allow martial artists to buy a
level of Fearlessness in play for every two levels by which
their best combat skill exceeds DX. For instance, a fighter
with Karate at DX+6 could “learn” Fearlessness 3. This
option particularly suits military martial arts.
Flexibility
see p. B56
The +3 for Flexibility and +5 for Double-Jointed apply to
all rolls to break free (p. B371) – including attempts to escape
the locks and holds in Chapter 3.
44 CHARACTERS
I kick arse for the Lord!
– Father McGruder,
Braindead
Gizmos
see p. B57
Stealthy assassins and warriors in martial-arts fiction,
especially ninja, always seem to have exactly the hardware
they need – blowpipes, flash grenades, garrotes, knives,
smoke bombs, throwing stars, vials of poison, etc. – without
carrying a concealed armory that slows them with its weight
or draws suspicion with its bulk. To simulate this, the GM
may permit those with Weapon Master to buy Gizmos with
an Accessibility limitation: Only for style, -20%. This limits
the Gizmos to things typically used by the martial artist’s
style (GM’s opinion) and that weigh no more than 1 lb. apiece
. . . but they’re undetectable and don’t
,count as encumbrance
until revealed.
Gunslinger
see p. B58
As the Basic Set suggests, the GM may allow low-tech
versions of this advantage that cover muscle-powered
weapons. Here’s an example suitable for mythic samurai,
fantasy Elves, and green-clad English bandits.
Heroic Archer
20 points
You can perform amazing feats with any weapon that
uses the Bow skill. When you Attack or All-Out Attack with
a bow, you may add its Accuracy bonus to skill without tak-
ing an Aim maneuver. If you do Aim, you get +1 after one
second or +2 after two or more seconds, in addition to Acc.
When you Move and Attack, you don’t get your bow’s Acc
bonus but may ignore its Bulk penalty. Ignore the extra -1 or
-2 to skill for a Flying Attack (p. 107) or an Acrobatic Attack
(p. 107), too. This lets you shoot at full skill even while run-
ning, jumping, sliding down banisters, etc.
You can also disregard Bulk in close combat (see
Weapons for Close Combat, p. B391). You never get an Acc
bonus there but you do shoot at full skill. This makes the
Close Combat technique (p. 69) redundant for you.
You can use Quick-Shooting Bows (pp. 119-120) to
improve your rate of fire when you Move and Attack as well
as when you Attack or All-Out Attack. Regardless of your
maneuver, halve the -6 to skill for this stunt. On an Attack or
All-Out Attack, add Acc to your attack roll but not to the skill
roll to ready your bow hastily. Similarly, halve the penalty to
shoot two arrows at once using Dual-Weapon Attack (p. 83);
DWA (Bow) defaults to Bow-2 for you, not Bow-4.
Finally, when you use Fast-Draw (Arrow), total all appli-
cable penalties from Multiple Fast-Draw (p. 103), Fast-Draw
from Odd Positions (pp. 103-104), and Move and Attack
(p. 107), halve the sum, and round in your favor.
You can combine Heroic Archer with any Weapon
Master specialty that covers bows. This gives you the dam-
age bonus for Weapon Master and all of the above benefits
– and makes the quick-shooting penalty a mere -1!
Injury Tolerance
see p. B60
A new form of Injury Tolerance suits some cinematic
action heroes:
Damage Reduction: You divide the injury you suffer by 2,
3, or 4 after subtracting DR from damage and applying
wounding modifiers. This normally reduces all injury, but
the GM should require the Limited modifier (see Limited
Defenses, p. B46) in a Martial Arts game. “Physical Attacks”
gives -20%, while “Crushing” or “Unarmed” gives -40%. 50
points for a divisor of 2, 75 points for 3, 100 points for 4.
Innate Attack
see p. B61
Use Innate Attack to create the “chi blasts” wielded by
martial artists in video games and comic books. These take
many forms: flaming breath, devastating kiais, “weapons” of
pure chi, and so on. Some of the more improbable claims
made for legendary masters in the real world would also be
Innate Attacks, such as blows delivered from a distance,
direct psychic attacks, and the sinister “hand of death.”
If the GM allows such abilities, he should limit damage
to keep Innate Attack from eclipsing the fists, swords, bows,
and so forth that martial artists usually use, even in video
games. Martial-arts tradition provides convenient guide-
lines: these abilities draw their strength from the same well
as the martial artist’s unarmed attacks – his chi – and should
inflict comparable damage. Since most of these exotic
attacks violently expend the user’s chi, they should cost FP.
This provides a convenient hedge against overuse.
Such an attack should still be a useful alternative to an
ordinary punch, though. Otherwise, who’d waste time devel-
oping it? Fitting capabilities include non-crushing damage,
ongoing injury (like poison), the capacity to partially or
wholly bypass DR, and range.
Below are worked examples of suitable abilities. Damage
is 1d, equivalent to a strong man’s punch. In each case, the
sum of the modifiers used appears in parentheses after the
attack’s name. To alter damage, apply this total modifier to
the cost of an Innate Attack of the desired size.
Breath of Dragon (-25%): Burning Attack 1d (Costs
Fatigue, 1 FP, -5%; Melee Attack, Reach 1-4, Cannot Parry,
-20%) [4]. Notes: A narrow flame jet – spewed from the
mouth – that can scorch a target up to four yards away. This
counts as a melee attack. Take an Attack maneuver and roll
against Innate Attack (Breath) to hit. 4 points.
Flying Fists (+0%): Crushing Attack 1d (Blockable, -10%;
Costs Fatigue, 1 FP, -5%; Low Signature, +10%; Variable,
+5%) [5]. Notes: By punching or kicking at air, you can smite
a distant target. If the victim has never witnessed this abili-
ty, he must make a Sense roll at -4 to know he’s being
attacked! (He may defend normally against later uses.) It’s
otherwise a standard ranged attack with Acc 3, 1/2D 10, Max
100, and RoF 1. To use it, take an Attack maneuver. Roll
against Karate to hit. 5 points.
Ghost Knife (-40%): Impaling Attack 1d (Blockable,
-10%; Costs Fatigue, 1 FP, -5%; Inaccurate 3, -15%;
Increased 1/2D, ¥5, +10%; Reduced Range, ¥1/5, -20%) [5].
Notes: A hurled blade of pure chi, this is a standard ranged
attack with Acc 0, 1/2D 10, Max 20, and RoF 1. To use it,
take an Attack maneuver and roll against Thrown Weapon
(Knife) to hit. 5 points.
CHARACTERS 45
Hand of Death (+205%): Toxic Attack 1d (Contact Agent,
-30%; Cosmic, Lingering special effect, +100%; Costs
Fatigue, 2 FP, -10%; Cyclic, 10 sec., 6 cycles, Resistible,
+125%; Delay, Triggered, +50%; Low Signature, +10%;
Melee Attack, Reach C, -30%; Resistible, HT-4, -10%) [13].
Notes: To deliver the Hand of Death, you must touch bare
skin. This requires a Karate roll in combat, an ordinary
touch otherwise. Only witnesses with the Esoteric Medicine
skill will recognize the Hand. Success means you can – at an
unspecified future date, from any distance – trigger the
Hand. The victim must then roll HT-4 every 10 seconds for
a minute. Each failure means 1d injury, as if from poison.
There’s no way to remove an untriggered Hand or interrupt
its toxic effects. Survivors heal normally. 13 points.
Mega-Kiai (+75%): Crushing Attack 1d (Accessibility, Not
in vacuum, -10%; Based on HT, +20%; Costs Fatigue, 1 FP,
-5%; Malediction 1, +100%; No Blunt Trauma, -20%; No
Knockback, -10%) [9]. Notes: Similar to the Kiai skill
(p. B203), this mighty shout injures the target! To affect the
victim, take a Concentrate maneuver and win a Quick
Contest of Will vs. his HT. Your roll is at -1 per yard of dis-
tance between you. 9 points.
Soul Blast (+170%): Fatigue Attack 1d (Malediction 2,
+150%; No Signature, +20%) [27]. Notes: This invisible psy-
chic attack disrupts the victim’s chi. To affect him, take a
Concentrate maneuver and win a Quick Contest of Will.
Range penalties from the Size and Speed/Range Table
(p. B550) apply to your roll. This chi attack doesn’t cost FP
like the others . . . it’s slow and subtle, not violent. 27 points.
46 CHARACTERS
Martial Arts mostly treats passive chi abilities as
advantages (e.g., Resistant to Chi Abilities) while modeling
active ones as cinematic skills – Lizard Climb, Power
Blow, etc. – in order to make them easier to tie into the
styles in Chapter 5. Comic books and video games, how-
ever, often depict all such capabilities as something akin to
psi powers or super-powers. They might be evident at
birth, awakened by initiation or ordeal, or even learned
(see Learnable Advantages, p. B294).
Like a psi power, a chi power consists of a set of advan-
tages that must be bought with a power modifier (see
Power Modifier, p. B254). Adept users may purchase levels
of a Talent that aids die rolls to use those abilities, compa-
rable to a psionic Talent (see Psionic Talents, p. B255).
Below are two examples.
Body Control
The Body Control power lets you channel your chi
internally in order to heal injury, perform amazing athlet-
ic feats, purge your body of poison, and so on.
Body Control Talent: You get +1 per level to use any
Body Control ability, and can use earned points to acquire
new abilities. In some worlds, Inner Balance (p. 47)
replaces Body
,Control Talent and benefits both Body
Control abilities and the skills listed for Inner Balance. 5
points/level (15 points/level for Inner Balance).
Body Control Abilities: Breath Holding; Catfall; Damage
Resistance, with Tough Skin; Enhanced Defenses (any);
Enhanced Move (Ground); Extra Attack, with Multi-
Strike; Lifting ST; Metabolism Control; Perfect Balance;
Protected Sense (any); Radiation Tolerance; Reduced
Consumption; Regeneration; Resistant, to any physical
threat; Sensitive Touch; Silence; Striking ST; Super
Climbing; Super Jump; Temperature Tolerance; and
Universal Digestion.
Power Modifier: Body Control. The advantage is a chi
ability within the Body Control power. To maintain it, you
must spend a few hours a day exercising and meditating.
Take a -10-point Disciplines of Faith or Vow disadvantage
to cover this. If you fail to roleplay your disadvantage, your
entire power fails the first time you call upon any of its abil-
ities. Once it does, none of your abilities will work and
you’ll feel ill, suffering an affliction chosen by the GM from
those under Irritating Conditions (p. B428); e.g., cough-
ing/sneezing, drowsy, nauseated, or pain. The only cure is
to take 1d days out from other activities to rebalance your
chi. -10%.
Chi Projection
The Chi Projection power lets you direct your chi exter-
nally in order to blast enemies, project force fields, fly, and
so forth.
Chi Projection Talent: You get +1 per level to use any Chi
Projection ability, and can use earned points to acquire
new abilities. In some worlds, Forceful Chi (p. 47) replaces
Chi Projection Talent and benefits both Chi Projection
abilities and the skills listed for Forceful Chi. 5 points/level
(15 points/level for Forceful Chi).
Chi Projection Abilities: Damage Resistance, with Force
Field; Flight; Healing; Obscure (any); Rapier Wit, with
Based on HT; Scanning Sense (Para-Radar); Terror, with
Based on HT; and Vibration Sense. Chi Projection can jus-
tify nearly any Affliction or Innate Attack – and sometimes
Telekinesis. The GM will usually restrict you to one or two
“signature” attacks and set an upper limit on damage. Be
sure to come up with elaborate names and special effects
for your attacks! See Innate Attack (pp. 45-47) for examples.
Power Modifier: Chi Projection. The advantage is a chi
ability within the Chi Projection power. Otherwise, this is
identical to the Body Control limitation. -10%.
Other Powers
The GM who wants to create additional chi powers will
get a lot of use out of GURPS Powers. Body Control and
Chi Projection (as “Bioenergy”) are both there, and the
Body Control power modifier appears as a generic -10%
modifier – “Chi” – for use with many powers. For instance,
Chi can replace the modifiers given for the Antipsi, ESP,
Psychic Healing, and Psychokinesis powers on pp. B255-
257, converting them from psi powers to chi powers.
Chi Powers for Martial Artists
Some of these abilities resemble weapons or unarmed
attacks, and allow attack rolls against normal combat skills
instead of the Innate Attack skill. This is a “special effect”
aimed at preserving the martial-arts flavor. It doesn’t affect
point cost.
Normally, the only legal defense against a ranged Innate
Attack is a dodge. However, a few of these attacks have the
Blockable limitation or Melee Attack limitation, which lets
the target attempt a block or parry. Others are Maledictions,
which can be resisted but not avoided.
Innate Attacks are unrealistic and strictly for over-the-top
cinematic games – and even then, they have Trained by a
Master or Weapon Master as a prerequisite.
Regeneration
see p. B80
Regeneration offers an alternative to Flesh Wounds
(p. B417) for the GM who wants cinematic PCs back in the
game soon after being knocked out or left for dead, but who
prefers up-front point costs. The GM chooses the permitted
levels. Accessibility limitations are prudent on speedier ver-
sions. “Not in combat” (-20%) limits healing to between
fights. “Only when unconscious” (-30%) means the hero
heals after he passes out, until he awakens at 1 HP. Limited,
Crushing (-40%) or Unarmed (-40%) allow quick comebacks
from beatings – but be aware that they also create the need to
record what caused each wound.
Resistant
see p. B80
Martial artists in cinematic games can be Resistant to
Hypnotic Hands (p. 61), Invisibility Art (p. B202), Kiai
(p. B203), Pressure Points (p. B215), or “Hand of Death”
attacks (see Innate Attack, pp. 45-47). Neck-toughening exer-
cises (an “iron neck”) allow Resistant to Neck Injury, which
gives a bonus in Quick Contests to avoid injury from chokes
(p. B370) and Neck Snap (p. B404). Arm exercises might give
a similar bonus to resist injury from Arm Lock (p. B403) and
Wrench Limb (p. B404). Individually, the above items are
“Rare.” Resistant (+3) to any one of them costs 1 point and
makes an excellent Style Perk.
The blanket category “Chi Abilities” is comparable in
importance to “Psionics” and therefore “Very Common.”
Anyone might enjoy Resistant to Chi Abilities (+3) [10]; this
represents unusually strong chi. Individuals with Trained by
a Master can go as high as Resistant to Chi Abilities (+8) [15].
Immunity to Chi Abilities [30] only suits unnatural beings.
These traits protect against all noxious effects caused by cin-
ematic skills or chi powers (see Chi Powers for Martial Artists,
p. 46).
Striker
see p. B88
In a cinematic game, the GM may permit fighters to buy
any body part that isn’t a limb or an extremity as a Striker.
Real-world martial artists have claimed to have “iron”
foreheads and buttocks, among other things. Such Strikers
must be crushing, can’t have the Long enhancement, and
frequently suffer from Cannot Parry, Clumsy, and/or
Limited Arc.
Video game-inspired Strikers – such as a heavy spiked
ball at the end of a long braid – have no such restrictions.
They can have almost any reach and damage type. It’s up to
the GM whether things like that spiked ball are Strikers or
just equipment. As a rule, if it gets damage bonuses from
unarmed combat skills and you’re gaming in an unrealistic
genre where searches for weapons always conveniently over-
look it, it’s a Striker.
All Strikers inflict thrust damage at +1 per die – more
than most punches and kicks.
New Special Limitation
Limb: Your crushing Striker isn’t a new body part but a
limb. The limb has its normal reach and can strike with
Brawling or Karate. Find punching or kicking damage as
usual, including skill bonuses, and add +1 per die for the
Striker. This isn’t cumulative with the effects of Claws. Limb,
Arm is cinematic, and also lets you parry with the arm as if
it were a weapon; Unusual Background and training time are
as per Claws (p. 42). Limb, Shin is a realistic part of some
styles’ training, and enhances shin kicks (p. 112). -20%.
Talent
see p. B89
For general rules governing Talents, see the Basic Set.
Two new Talents are germane to Martial Arts:
Forceful Chi: Breaking Blow, Erotic Art, Flying Leap,
Hypnotic Hands, Hypnotism, Invisibility Art, Kiai, Power
Blow, Precognitive Parry, Pressure Points, Pressure Secrets,
Push, Throwing Art, and Zen Archery. Reaction bonus: hon-
orable opponents, those who practice “hard” or “external”
styles (including potential students and masters), and lovers
(past or present). 15 points/level.
Inner Balance: Autohypnosis, Blind Fighting, Body
Control, Body Language, Body Sense, Breath Control,
Dreaming, Immovable Stance, Light Walk, Lizard Climb,
Meditation, Mental Strength, Mind Block, and Sensitivity.
Reaction bonus: pacifists, ascetics, and those who practice
“soft” or “internal” martial-arts styles. 15 points/level.
Someone with Forceful Chi is gifted at projecting his chi
– both subtly and violently – to affect objects and people. He
can even influence missiles in flight, helping him aim his
own ranged weapons and evade his enemies’. His tangible
aura of fitness impresses those who face him on the battle-
field, at the dojo, or in the bedroom.
A hero with Inner Balance has superior
,control over his
body and mind. This inner peace strengthens his will, sharp-
ens his senses, and enables him to perform impossible feats
of endurance and balance. He’s visibly at peace, and those
who appreciate order and focus find him pleasant to be
around.
Forceful Chi and Inner Balance are in many ways oppo-
sites. The GM could even make them mutually exclusive.
However, the greatest masters of the Chinese martial arts –
whose yang and yin are in perfect balance – might have high
levels of both talents.
CHARACTERS 47
These Talents don’t guarantee access to cinematic skills.
If a skill lists Trained by a Master or Weapon Master as a
prerequisite, you must possess the relevant advantage to
learn it.
Trained by a Master
see p. B93
This advantage represents schooling in the esoteric
secrets of one or more fighting styles. These martial arts
might be armed or unarmed, and of any provenance. One of
the primary purposes of Trained by a Master is to give
access to cinematic abilities, which might include:
• The cinematic skills Blind Fighting, Body Control,
Breaking Blow, Flying Leap, Hypnotic Hands, Immovable
Stance, Invisibility Art, Kiai, Light Walk, Lizard Climb,
Mental Strength, Power Blow, Precognitive Parry, Pressure
Points, Pressure Secrets, Push, Sensitivity, Throwing Art,
and Zen Archery – but only if they’re part of one of the mar-
tial artist’s styles!
• Any technique or perk marked with an asterisk (*) to
indicate that it’s cinematic, provided it belongs to one of the
martial artist’s styles.
• Exotic and supernatural advantages that are normally
off-limits to ordinary humans, such as Altered Time Rate
(p. 42), suitably modified Damage Resistance (p. 43), certain
Innate Attacks (p. 45-47), and chi powers (see Chi Powers for
Martial Artists, p. 46).
• Fewer restrictions on advantages that are available to
everyone, such as being able to take Claws (p. 42) without
Bad Grip, buy all Enhanced Defenses (pp. 43-44), possess
more than one level of Extra Attack (p. 44), have Resistant
(p. 47) at up to +8 vs. chi abilities, and wield Strikers (p. 47)
with Karate.
Another significant benefit of this advantage is to expand
the martial artist’s combat options. In campaigns that use
the optional rules in Chapter 4, Trained by a Master (or
Weapon Master) is required for Chambara Fighting (pp. 128-
130) and Bullet Time (p. 133). The GM may also make it a
prerequisite for attacking more than twice with Rapid
Strike (see Rapid Strike, p. 127) or employing extra effort in
a fight (see Extra Effort in Combat, p. 131). Those with
Trained by a Master are never subject to Harsh Realism for
Unarmed Fighters (p. 124). Finally, Trained by a Master
halves the penalties for Rapid Strike (p. B370) and multiple
parries (p. B376) – although this isn’t cumulative with the
similar halving for Weapon Master.
Weapon Master
see p. B99
In a Martial Arts campaign, this advantage represents
natural talent with low-tech weapons, or training in the eso-
teric secrets of an armed fighting style. Its main benefit is
the damage bonus noted in the Basic Set, but it also grants
access to cinematic abilities, which might include:
• The cinematic skills Blind Fighting, Flying Leap, Kiai,
Mental Strength, Power Blow, Precognitive Parry, Pressure
Points, Sensitivity, Throwing Art, and Zen Archery, as long
as they belong to one of the martial artist’s armed combat
styles.
•Weapon techniques and perks marked as cinematic (*),
provided they’re found among the martial artist’s armed
styles.
• Several advantages that are usually forbidden to nor-
mal characters, such as Altered Time Rate (p. 42), Gizmos
(p. 45), certain Innate Attacks (pp. 45-47), and chi powers
(see Chi Powers for Martial Artists, p. 46).
• Exemption from the usual restrictions on Enhanced
Defenses (pp. 43-44) and Extra Attack (p. 44).
Those with Weapon Master also have wider options in
combat. When using weapons covered by their advantage,
they receive half the usual penalties for Multiple Fast-Draw
(p. 103), Quick-Shooting Bows (pp. 119-120), Rapid Strike
with Thrown Weapons (pp. 120-121), and Multiple Blocks
(p. 123). At the GM’s option, they can use Chambara Fighting
(pp. 128-130) and Bullet Time (p. 133), too. They can gener-
ally attack more than twice using a Rapid Strike (see Rapid
Strike, p. 127) and employ extra effort in battle (see Extra
Effort in Combat, p. 131) – even if ordinary fighters cannot.
As the Basic Set indicates, if you have Weapon Master,
you may halve the penalties for Rapid Strike (p. B370) and
multiple parries (p. B376). Those who also have Trained by
a Master do this once – they don’t divide by 4. However, the
halving of penalties for quick-shooting bows does “stack”
with the effects of Heroic Archer (p. 45), for Weapon Master
specialties covering bows.
48 CHARACTERS
Inigo: You’re using Bonetti’s defense against me, ah?
Man in Black: I thought it fitting, considering the rocky terrain.
Inigo: Naturally, you must expect me to attack with Capo Ferro . . .
Man in Black: . . . naturally – but I find Thibault cancels out Capo Ferro,
don’t you?
Inigo: Unless the enemy has studied his Agrippa – which I have.
– The Princess Bride
These benefits apply when using any weapon covered by
your advantage – whether in melee or ranged combat, and
whether defending against melee attacks or using the Parry
Missile Weapons skill (p. B212) against missiles – as long it’s
capable of what you wish to attempt.
Wild Talent
see p. B99
This ability is especially suitable for individuals who’ve
achieved “harmony with the Tao” – the putative goal of
many Chinese martial arts. A warrior can use this advantage
to attempt unmastered techniques at full skill instead of at a
default penalty, if he knows the underlying skill. A martial
artist who also has Trained by a Master or Weapon Master
can even attempt unknown cinematic skills. If your Wild
Talent only works for these two purposes, add the -20% lim-
itation “Focused, Martial Arts.”
PERKS
Three new types of perks are important in Martial Arts
games. All can be gained in play. Each perk costs a point.
For more on perks, see pp. B100-101.
Style Familiarity
Style Familiarity means you’ve studied and/or practiced
a martial-arts style. You must pay a point for familiarity
with any style you know. (Exception: The “Self-Defense”
lens, p. 145, lets you ignore this requirement . . . but you
won’t enjoy the allowances below.) Its effects are as follows:
• You can acquire the style’s Style Perks, learn its cine-
matic skills (provided you have Trained by a Master or
Weapon Master), improve its techniques whenever you
have the points, and buy abilities listed among its
“Optional Traits” – even ones that are generally off-limits to
PCs, if the GM agrees. Style Familiarity acts as an Unusual
Background that gives you access to these things. See
Components of a Style (pp. 141-143).
• You’re familiar with the style’s culture and don’t suffer
the -3 for lack of Cultural Familiarity when using such
skills as Connoisseur (Weapons), Games, Savoir-Faire
(Dojo), or Teaching to interact with co-stylists.
• In most settings, you have the equivalent of a 1-point
Claim to Hospitality (p. B41) with a school or instructor.
• If your opponent has studied one or more styles and
you have Style Familiarity with them all, you may reduce
the defense penalty from his feints and Deceptive Attacks
by -1. You’re aware of his styles’ tricks and tactics! If the
technique he uses with Deceptive Attack or to follow a feint
isn’t an orthodox part of any of his styles, ignore this effect.
In some campaigns, the GM may let you learn Style
Familiarity for styles so secret that they lack style descrip-
tions. For these, ignore the rules above and use Shout It
Out! (p. 132).
Style Perks
Style Perks are minor advantages or rules exemptions
for veteran warriors. The best way to learn them is to study
a martial art, as most styles offer them as advanced train-
ing. Anyone may buy one Style Perk per 20 points in com-
bat skills. A
,martial artist who has Style Familiarity may
further buy one of that style’s perks per 10 points he has in
its techniques and required skills; see Components of a
Style (pp. 141-143). For example, 40 points in style abilities
would allow two general perks plus four style-specific ones.
Those with Style Familiarity for multiple styles and the
minimum investment in each style (see Combining Styles,
pp. 147-148) may count points in skills and techniques as
part of each style that shares them.
Below, an asterisk (*) indicates a cinematic perk that
requires Trained by a Master or Weapon Master. Perks with
a † require specialization by skill, technique, weapon, etc.,
as noted. A style may offer a more restricted perk, but it
still costs a point. The Style Perks for specific styles appear
in Chapter 5 – and if they aren’t listed here, they aren’t
available to non-stylists.
Armor Familiarity†
You’re accustomed to fighting in armor. You may ignore
-1 in encumbrance penalties to attack or parry with Judo,
Karate, or a fencing skill. You have no penalty at Light
encumbrance, -1 at Medium, and so on. You must special-
ize by skill: Armor Familiarity (Judo), Armor Familiarity
(Rapier), etc. The GM may permit multiple levels to negate
greater encumbrance. Each level is an additional Style
Perk.
Biting Mastery
You’ve learned a highly developed body of effective bites
for use in close quarters. You may use Karate skill to attack
with a bite and add the Karate damage bonus to biting
damage. Styles for fanged nonhumans often have this
perk!
CHARACTERS 49
Extra Hit Points
The GM may let martial artists with appropriate
Style Perks increase Hit Points by up to 100% instead
of the usual 30%. Hulking TV wrestlers, heavyweight
boxers, and massive sumotori traditionally enjoy this
benefit. Such giants should use the Build Table
(p. B18) to find weight from HP instead of ST. Use the
“Overweight” column for HP up to 130% of ST, the
“Fat” column for HP up to 150% of ST, and the “Very
Fat” column for HP up to 200% of ST.
Extra HP can also represent an unrealistic
damage-taking capacity for ordinary-sized people; see
Cinematic Injury (p. 139). In that case, anyone might
be able to buy lots of HP. Hit points in excess of ST
don’t affect the weight of such characters, or increase
the damage they take or inflict in falls and slams.
Remember that major wounds, crippling, and
death all depend on thresholds calculated from HP.
Those with 20+ HP also benefit from High HP and
Shock (p. B419) and High HP and Healing (p. B424).
Chi Resistance*†
You can rally your chi against a particular chi-based
attack form, giving you +3 to resist. Examples include Chi
Resistance (Hypnotic Hands) and Chi Resistance (Pressure
Points). For details and more examples, see Resistant
(p. 47).
Cotton Stomach*
You’ve learned to catch attackers’ hands and feet using
your abdominal muscles (or rolls of fat!). Once per turn, you
can attempt a standard unarmed parry against a punch or
kick to your torso, but using your body instead of a limb.
Success lets you use any follow-up technique capable of
trapping an attacker – e.g., Arm Lock or Leg Grapple –
“hands free.”
Drunken Fighting*
You’ve mastered the mythical art of fighting while intox-
icated (see pp. B439-440). When you’re tipsy or drunk
(p. B428), treat the -1 or -2 to DX as a +1 or +2 bonus in a
fight. Penalties to IQ and self-control rolls apply normally!
Exotic Weapon Training†
Certain weapons have a built-in skill penalty due to their
unusual balance relative to other weapons used with the
same weapon skill. These include the chigoridani, three-part
staff, and trident (see Chapter 6). You’ve trained enough
with such a weapon that you no longer suffer this penalty.
You must specialize by weapon.
Form Mastery†
When using a weapon that works with multiple skills,
you must normally specify the skill you’re using at the start
of your turn (see Switching Weapon Skills, p. 104). You’ve
practiced fluid shifts between forms and can change skills
freely during your turn. For instance, you could start your
turn using a spear with the Staff skill, switch to the Spear
skill to attack, and then return to Staff for parrying. You
must specialize in a weapon: Form Mastery (Naginata),
Form Mastery (Spear), etc.
Grip Mastery†
Switching between one- and two-handed grips, or a reg-
ular grip and a Defensive Grip (p. 109-111), usually takes a
Ready maneuver – but you’ve practiced until this has
become second nature. You can do either grip change (or
both) as a free action once on your turn, before or after your
maneuver. For instance, you could make a one-handed
katana cut and end your turn in a two-handed Defensive
Grip. Next turn, you could shift to a regular two-handed grip
and attack. You must specialize by weapon; Grip Mastery
(Katana) is the most common version.
Ground Guard
You know a body of tactics for use when you and your
opponent are both on the ground. In that situation only, you
get +1 in all Regular or Quick Contests to do with grappling
– pins, chokes, attempts to break free, etc. If your foe knows
Ground Guard, too, your bonuses cancel out. This perk is
named for a fighting position used when lying face-up, com-
monly called the “guard,” but encompasses many related
positions and also works when crawling or lying face-down.
Improvised Weapons†
You’ve practiced fighting with everyday items. These
weapons might be improvised for others but they’re familiar
to you. Ignore skill penalties (only) when wielding them; see
Improvised Weapons (p. 224). You must specialize by com-
bat skill. You can learn Improvised Weapons (Brawling) or
Improvised Weapons (Karate) to use improvised fist loads
effectively.
Iron Body Parts *†
You’ve toughened a body part through exotic exercises.
This provides resistance to injury – either a bonus to resist
harm from breaks and locks (see Resistant, p. 47) or DR
against strikes (see Damage Resistance, p. 43) – and the right
to buy optional abilities. Details depend on the body part,
each of which is its own specialty:
Iron Arms: You have +3 to ST and HT rolls to resist injury
from Arm Lock, Wrench Arm, and the like. You may opt to
purchase DR 1 or 2 (Partial, Arms, -20%; Tough Skin, -40%)
[2 or 4] or Striker (Crushing; Limb, Arm, -20%) [4].
Iron Hands: This is simply DR 1 (Partial, Hands, -40%;
Tough Skin, -40%) [1]. Once you’ve acquired this perk, you
may elect to buy a second level of DR [1] and/or Blunt Claws
[3]. See Claws (p. 42) for possible drawbacks to the latter
option.
Iron Legs: You have +3 to ST and HT rolls to resist injury
from Leg Lock, Wrench Leg, and similar techniques, and
may optionally acquire DR 1 or 2 (Partial, Legs, -20%;
Tough Skin, -40%) [2 or 4].
Iron Neck: You have +3 to ST and HT rolls to resist injury
from chokes, strangles, and Neck Snaps, and may buy DR 1
or 2 (Partial, Neck, -50%; Tough Skin, -40%) [1 or 2], if you
wish.
Naval Training
You’ve trained at fighting on a rocking ship or boat. You
may ignore the -2 to attack and -1 to defend for bad footing
under those circ*mstances.
Neck Control†
You’re adept at striking from the clinch. You must spe-
cialize in one unarmed striking skill. Whenever you’ve grap-
pled a standing opponent’s head, neck, or torso (only), you
get +1 to hit when you strike that foe with your skill.
Off-Hand Weapon Training†
You’ve practiced a particular skill enough with your “off”
hand that you can ignore the -4 for using that hand (see
Handedness, p. B14). This extends to all active defenses and
techniques based on that skill. You must specialize by skill;
any one-handed Melee Weapon, ranged weapon, or Fast-
Draw skill qualifies.
This perk completely replaces the Off-Hand Weapon
Training (OHWT) technique on p. B232. This is because the
cost to buy off -4 as a Hard technique for even one skill is 5
points – the same as Ambidexterity, which eliminates the
penalty for all skills – and in a Martial Arts campaign, fight-
ers may need several versions of OHWT to be proficient in
their style.
,As a perk, OHWT is cheaper than Ambidexterity
for those with fewer than five specialties . . . and if someone
is that dedicated, the GM should let him replace his five
perks with Ambidexterity for the same points!
50 CHARACTERS
Power Grappling
You’re adept at applying force precisely when wrestling.
Except when rolling to hit or for an active defense, you may
opt to base normally DX-based grappling rolls on ST.
Moreover, whenever you make a ST roll that usually enjoys a
ST bonus from Sumo Wrestling or Wrestling – e.g., the roll to
break free – you may waive your bonus and attempt a ST-
based Judo, Sumo Wrestling, or Wrestling roll instead.
Quick-Sheathe†
You’ve practiced sheathing your weapon quickly. After
switching to a Reversed Grip (pp. 111-112) using a Ready
maneuver, you can try a Fast-Draw roll to scabbard your
weapon on the same turn. You can even attempt rolls against
both the Reverse Grip technique (p. 78) and Fast-Draw to
sheathe the weapon as a free
action; see Quick Sheathing
(p. 102). Specialties match
those for Fast-Draw (pp. 56-
57): Quick-Sheathe (Sword),
Quick-Sheathe (Tonfa), etc.
Quick-Swap†
You’ve perfected the art of
juggling a one-handed
weapon between hands.
Once per turn, on your turn,
you can switch hands as a
free action. The receiving
hand must be empty. You must specialize by weapon skill:
Quick-Swap (Knife), Quick-Swap (Rapier), etc.
Rapid Retraction†
You punch or kick so quickly that it’s difficult for your
opponent to trap your limb. You get +1 on all rolls to avoid
such techniques as Arm Lock and Leg Grapple when they fol-
low an enemy parry. You must specialize in Rapid Retraction
(Punches) or Rapid Retraction (Kicks). The GM may allow
Rapid Retraction (Bites) for nonhumans.
Shield-Wall Training
You’ve drilled extensively at fighting from behind a shield
wall. You can sacrifice your block defense to block an attack
on an ally standing beside you. Furthermore, you may ignore
the -2 to attack when holding a large shield (see p. B547).
Shtick†
As noted under Shtick (p. B101), a “cool move” that pro-
vides no combat bonuses is a valid perk if it might occasion-
ally be useful. Styles with Combat Art skills often teach such
flourishes. An example is chiburi: flicking blood off a sword
blade. Such Shticks require a combat skill roll to perform.
Most either allow an Intimidation attempt as a free action
(chiburi works this way) or give the maximum +4 for “dis-
plays of strength” listed for Intimidation (p. B202) if you use
your entire next turn to make a deliberate attempt.
Skill Adaptation†
A style’s skills represent its basic “subsystems.” The tech-
niques that normally default to each skill are that subsystem’s
core moves – but you know some less-orthodox tactics. You
can learn techniques that don’t default to a skill as if they did,
at the usual default penalties. If a technique notes several
penalties, use the easiest; e.g., Drop Kick defaults to Brawling-
1, Sumo Wrestling-1, or Wrestling-2, so adapting it to Karate
makes your default Karate-1. The GM sets the scope of each
specialty. It may be as sweeping as Skill Adaptation (Brawling
techniques default to Karate) or as narrow as Skill Adaptation
(Breakfall defaults to Karate). A few examples important
enough to get special names:
Acrobatic Feints: You’ve practiced using gymnastics to
catch enemies off-guard. You may use the Acrobatics skill to
feint and may improve the Feint (Acrobatics) technique.
Similar perks might exist for other skills (e.g., “Dancing
Feints” for the Dancing skill); see Feints Using Non-Combat
Skills (p. 101).
Acrobatic Kicks: You’ve learned to kick as a natural exten-
sion of flips, jumps, and spins. You
can default kicking techniques to
Acrobatics instead of to Brawling or
Karate. Acrobatic kicks never receive
Brawling or Karate damage bonuses.
Clinch: You’ve integrated limited
grappling moves into your Boxing,
Brawling, or Karate skill – choose one.
Whenever you grapple a standing
opponent’s head, neck, or torso (only),
use your striking skill for the attack
roll. This is rarely worth the point if
you already know a grappling skill!
Special Exercises†
You pursue an exercise regimen that grants access to a
capability that’s normally cinematic or off-limits for your
race. This is a perk-level Unusual Background – the ability
itself has its own cost. Each trait requires its own perk:
Special Exercises (DR 1 with Tough Skin), Special Exercises
(Striking ST +1), Special Exercises (Arm ST +1), Special
Exercises (HP can exceed ST by 100%), and so on.
Special Setup†
Certain techniques require a specific “setup” before you
can execute them. You’ve learned an alternative setup. Your
specialty must name one technique and spell out the change.
For instance, if you can use Arm Lock after a Karate parry
instead of after a Judo parry, you have Special Setup (Karate
Parry > Arm Lock).
Strongbow
You’ve learned how best to draw a heavy bow. If you know
Bow at DX+1, you can shoot a bow of your ST+1 instead of
your ST. Bow at DX+2 or better lets you use a bow of your
ST+2. You need a strong bow to see range and damage
improvements; there’s no effect when shooting a bow of your
ST or less.
Style Adaptation†
You’ve adapted other styles’ techniques for use with your
style. Merge the techniques lists of all the styles involved,
including yours. You may improve any technique on the com-
bined list, provided it defaults to one of your style’s skills. The
GM specifies the styles adapted, which might be one or many;
the number doesn’t affect point cost. Style Adaptation (All) is
legitimate for modern mixed styles.
CHARACTERS 51
Suit Familiarity†
You’ve learned special moves that offset the limitations
of a bulky environment suit. You may ignore the DX penal-
ties for such a suit. The Environment Suit skill (p. B192) still
sets an upper limit on effective combat skill – you just don’t
suffer any extra DX penalties. You must specialize by
Environment Suit skill: Suit Familiarity (Diving
Suit), Suit Familiarity (Vacc Suit), etc.
Sure-Footed†
You’ve studied low, stable stances for fighting
on shaky ground. This lets you ignore the -2 to
attack and -1 to defend for a specific type of bad
footing. You must specialize. Sure-Footed
(Slippery) covers mud, oil, and blood, but not
grappling an opponent with the Slippery advan-
tage or an oily coating. Sure-Footed (Uneven)
covers hills, piles of corpses, etc. The GM may
allow other versions, such as Naval Training
(p. 50).
Teamwork†
You’ve practiced fighting in a team. To use this
perk, everyone in the squad must take a Ready
maneuver to “form up.” After that, the entire group acts at
the same point in the combat sequence as its slowest mem-
ber. On the team’s collective turn, each member may select
any maneuver he likes. The only requirement is that after
everyone in the original formation has taken his turn,
they’re all still adjacent to one another (in adjoining hexes).
If anyone gets separated, the team must form up again –
with or without the straggler. A fighter who’s formed-up
may:
• Brace a teammate in front of him and within a yard,
adding 1/5 (round down) of his ST or HP, as applicable, to
his ally’s score when his friend resists a slam (p. B371), exe-
cutes a shove (p. B372), or suffers knockback (p. B378). This
is a free action.
• Feint or make a Ruse and transfer the benefits to
another teammate who can reach the same foe.
• Ignore the -2 to attack enemies in close combat with
teammates (p. B392).
•Sacrifice a parry or block to defend a teammate behind
him from a long weapon or missile that passes within a yard
(through his hex).
You must specialize by style or in working with a partic-
ular small group (such as an adventuring party). Only those
with the same perk can form up and enjoy these benefits.
Technique Adaptation†
You’ve internalized your style’s methodology so com-
pletely that you can adapt one of its techniques to skills it
doesn’t teach. You must specialize by technique: Technique
Adaptation (Feint), Technique
,Adaptation (Ground
Fighting), and so on. Once you’ve spent at least a point to
improve that technique for a skill that’s part of your style,
you can buy that technique for other combat skills you
know, provided it normally defaults to them. For instance, if
you’ve learned Technique Adaptation (Feint) and bought up
Feint (Karate) as part of your style, and studied Shortsword
on your own, you could raise Feint (Shortsword).
Technique Mastery†
You’ve trained so intensively at a technique that you
enjoy a higher maximum level. You must specialize in a
technique – commonly a kick or a throw – that’s part of your
style and that appears in Chapter 3 (the GM may make
exceptions). It must have a normal maximum of full skill or
better, which disqualifies
techniques based on active
defenses and those that
“cannot exceed prerequi-
site skill-x.” A skill’s core
uses aren’t eligible; e.g.,
Technique Mastery (Judo
Throw) and Technique
Mastery (Kicking) are fine,
but Technique Mastery
(Judo Grapple) and Tech-
nique Mastery (Karate
Punch) aren’t. If the stan-
dard maximum is skill,
yours is skill+4. If the limit
is ordinarily greater than
skill, your maximum is
two levels higher than usual (e.g., skill+6 with Arm Lock).
Unique Technique†
You can use and improve a technique that’s otherwise
forbidden by Creating New Techniques (pp. 89-95). All such
techniques are Hard. Each exemption requires its own perk.
This is a perk-level Unusual Background.
Unusual Training†
With sufficient training, certain cinematic skills and
techniques might work in reality. You’ve studied one of
these. Unusual Training is an Unusual Background that lets
you buy a cinematic capability without Trained by a Master
or Weapon Master. Since what’s “cinematic” is often not the
feat but the ability to perform it unrestricted, the perk might
specify a set of “believable” circ*mstances that must be true
to use the skill or technique. For instance, Unusual Training
(Dual-Weapon Attack, Both attacks must target the same
foe) permits a fighter to improve Dual-Weapon Attack for
use on one opponent; he still has the full -4 if he attacks adja-
cent adversaries simultaneously, because he lacks Trained
by a Master and Weapon Master. Tameshiwari – realistic
breaking techniques – is Unusual Training (Breaking Blow,
Only vs. well-braced objects out of combat).
Weapon Adaptation†
You’ve adapted the moves used with one group of melee
weapons to another class of weapons. This lets you wield the
weapons covered by one weapon skill using a different skill
and its techniques, with all of the benefits and drawbacks of
that skill, provided the replacement skill defaults to the
usual one at no worse than -4 and uses the same number of
hands. Each adaptation is a separate perk; e.g., Weapon
Adaptation (Shortsword to Smallsword) lets you use the
Smallsword skill to fight when equipped with a Shortsword
weapon – complete with fencing parries, superior retreats,
and encumbrance penalties. The GM may permit silly adap-
tations, such as Knife to Halberd, as cinematic perks.
52 CHARACTERS
Hungamungas
Weapon Bond
You own a weapon that’s uniquely suited to you. Its qual-
ity might be no better than normal, but when you use it,
you’re at +1 to effective skill. This isn’t a mystical attune-
ment but a physical matter of balance, fit to your hand, and
the like. If the weapon is lost or destroyed, the bond doesn’t
transfer to a new weapon, but you can acquire a new
Weapon Bond in play.
You can have a bond to a weapon of any quality. The
price paid for the weapon reflects the quality but not your
special bond with it.
DISADVANTAGES
Martial artists will find physical disadvantages unusual-
ly crippling – especially such things as Bad Back, Blindness,
Lame, Neurological Disorder, One Arm, One Eye, One
Hand, Quadriplegic, and Wounded. These problems do suit
veterans who’ve suffered injuries, but they’re best avoided
when creating warriors as new PCs. Other traits that can
make life difficult for fighters are Cannot Learn, Combat
Paralysis, Hemophilia, Low Pain Threshold, Pacifism (Total
Nonviolence), and Post-Combat Shakes.
The availability of cinematic abilities can alter what’s
truly “crippling,” however. For instance, Blind Fighting
(p. B180) can mitigate Blindness, while those with Flight
thanks to the Chi Projection power (p. 46) won’t be tied
down by Lame. Only Cannot Learn and Quadriplegic
make it genuinely impossible to be a martial artist.
Below are new forms of existing disadvantages that
won’t cripple martial artists but that can influence com-
bat in interesting ways. They’re ideal for Martial Arts
campaigns.
Code of Honor
see p. B127
Three Codes from the Basic Set – Gentleman’s,
Soldier’s, and Chivalry – suit martial artists well. Two
additional Codes are important for historical
campaigns:
Code of Honor (Bushido): The Japanese warrior code
(see The Samurai, pp. 12-13). You must be absolutely
loyal to your master and single-minded in the execution
of his orders or those dictated by your station. You’re
expected to die rather than to fail in your task, and to
commit ritual suicide without hesitation if so ordered.
You must answer any challenge or insult to your lord.
You must face pain, discomfort, and even death stoical-
ly. You must always be polite to your equals and superi-
ors, and never overlook disrespect from social inferiors;
such disrespect is usually punished by death. -15 points.
Code of Honor (Xia): The way of the Chinese knights-
errant (see Xia, p. 8). You must be skilled at arms. You
must keep your word, honor your pledges, be humble,
and uphold justice for those in need. You must be brave
and not spare yourself harm to help others. You must be
willing to use force but also to show restraint when
force isn’t needed. You must respect and honor your
teacher. -10 points.
Delusions
see p. B130
Martial artists occasionally harbor Delusions about their
own or others’ skills. Except when such problems lead one
fighter to insult another, though, it’s unrealistic for them to
cause reaction penalties. Non-fighters tend to ignore war-
riors’ braggadocio unless they’re being threatened – they’re
likely to assume that’s simply how fighters behave! Such
Delusions have other effects instead.
On any turn in combat when such a Delusion would
apply (GM’s decision), you must attempt a self-control roll;
see Self-Control Rolls (p. B121). Delusions don’t usually have
a self-control number, so use the “default” value of 12. The
GM may permit other self-control numbers for combat-
related Delusions, with the usual effect on point value.
Success lets you take your turn normally. Failure means
you must do something risky – much as if you were suffer-
ing from On the Edge (p. B146). You might All-Out Attack,
try an elaborate move that reduces effective skill to 3 (mak-
ing any roll of 13+ a critical failure), or turn your side or
back to an enemy in order to fight a more worthy foe. On a
critical failure, you must do something that will affect the
rest of the combat; e.g., discard a perfectly good weapon or
piece of armor to show derision, or cut yourself for at least
1 HP of injury to demonstrate your toughness.
CHARACTERS 53
Common
Disadvantages
Many martial artists are honorable warriors, dedicated
athletes, or respectful traditionalists. These individuals fre-
quently have such disadvantages as Code of Honor
(p. B127); Disciplines of Faith (p. B132), typically
Asceticism in historical settings; Pacifism (p. B148), most
likely Reluctant Killer or Self-Defense Only; Sense of Duty
(p. B153), to fellow students or a master; and Vow
(p. B160).
The martial arts also attract more than their share of
intemperate, obsessed, vengeful, and violent people who
want to learn to maim or kill – or who believe in victory at
any cost. These individuals often have some combination
of Bad Temper (p. B124); Berserk (p. B124); Bloodlust
(p. B125); Bully (p. B125); Callous (p. B125); Fanaticism
(p. B136); Intolerance (p. B140); Obsession (p. B146); and
Sadism (p.
,B152).
Either kind of fighter might find his confidence in his
training blossoming into Overconfidence (p. B148). From
an outsider’s perspective, the dedication of a career martial
artist looks like Workaholic (p. B162). Both disadvantages
are almost universal among movie action heroes!
Finally, a few disadvantages are actually desirable for
certain martial artists. Overweight, Fat, and Very Fat
(p. B19) benefit those who practice Sumo (pp. 198-199), by
reducing knockback from shoves and slams. Gigantism
(p. B20), by granting +1 SM, gives a discount on the point
cost of ST and a bonus to pin attempts (p. B370), making it
valuable to grapplers.
Minor Delusions affect combat against a rare category of
foes, apply just once per battle, or only come up under
uncommon circ*mstances. Examples: “Western boxers are
pansies, and no match for my karate.” “If I start the bout
with my secret technique, I’ll almost certainly win.” “I’m
invincible if I fight in a temple.” -5 points.
Major Delusions affect combat against a large category of
foes or concern situations that might arise in almost any
fight. Examples: “My skill at Asian martial arts makes me
more effective than any Westerner.” “Fighters who kick are
weaklings and cowards.” “Wounding me only makes me
more dangerous.” -10 points.
Severe Delusions affect almost all combat, all of the time.
Examples: “I’m the best brawler in the world.” “Being of
good breeding, I can defeat any lower-class foe.” “My style is
the ultimate martial art.” -15 points.
Reputation
see p. B26
You can have a Reputation for always targeting a certain
hit location, overusing a combat option or technique, play-
ing dirty tricks, and so forth. Price this as you would a bad
Reputation – but the effect is to make you predictable rather
than to cause others to react poorly. “Foes in combat” is a
small class of people; multiply point value by 1/3. Frequency
of recognition further modifies cost, as usual.
An opponent who recognizes you is ready for your “sig-
nature move,” making it less likely to work. If this move
requires a Quick Contest (like a feint, or the Quick Contest
of IQ discussed under Dirty Tricks, p. B405), apply your
Reputation level to your roll as a penalty. If it involves an
uncontested attack roll, add your level to your rival’s defense
roll as a bonus instead. This is cumulative with the benefits
your enemy gets from Style Familiarity (p. 49) and Evaluate
(see Countering Feints and Deceptive Attacks, p. 100) against
your feints and Deceptive Attacks, and with the +1 he has to
defend against repeated uses of Targeted Attack (p. 68).
Example: Louis Lafouine is notorious for stabbing at the
eyes – so much so that what would be a surprising tactic
from anyone else is expected from him. He buys four levels
of Reputation for this. He gets ¥1/3 for “foes in combat” and
he’s recognized on a 10 or less – about half the time – for a
further ¥1/2. His Reputation is worth -3 points. Those who
recognize Louis get +4 to defend against blows to the eyes.
If you don’t attempt your “signature move” in every fight,
the GM is within his rights to require you to buy off your
Reputation with earned points. If you always do the same
thing in combat (and leave witnesses), the GM might assign
you this kind of Reputation!
SKILLS
Obviously, the most important skills for martial artists
are combat skills (see Combat Skills, p. 55). The skills dis-
cussed here are mainly non-combat skills that merit addi-
tional notes for Martial Arts games. For combat techniques,
see Chapter 3. To learn which skills are associated with a
particular fighting style, see Chapter 5.
Skills marked with an asterisk (*) are cinematic, and
unavailable in most realistic settings. In worlds where they
exist, you need Trained by a Master or Weapon Master to
learn them. Skills with a † require you to select a specialty.
Acrobatics
see p. B174
Acrobatics is as important as any combat skill for
capoeiristas, action heroes, and other flashy fighters. It’s
required to use combat rules such as Acrobatic Attack
(p. 107), Acrobatic Dodge (p. B375), Acrobatic Movement
(pp. 105-107), and Acrobatic Stand (p. 98), which are at least
semi-realistic, and Chambara Fighting (pp. 128-130), which
is cinematic. Some fighting styles allow an “Acrobatic
Feint,” too; see Feints Using Non-Combat Skills (p. 101).
Autohypnosis
see p. B179
This skill is valuable to martial artists who wish to “fight
through” pain and fatigue. In a cinematic campaign, the
GM may want to replace the mandatory (20 - skill) seconds
of concentration with a variable concentration time and
apply the time-based modifiers used for Breaking Blow and
Power Blow: -10 if used instantly, dropping to -5 after a turn
of concentration, -4 after two turns, -3 after four turns, -2
after eight turns, -1 after 16 turns, and no penalty after 32
turns.
Blind Fighting*
see p. B180
Those who have Inner Balance (p. 47) and ESP Talent
(p. B256) or Telepathy Talent (p. B257) may add only the
highest of the three Talents to their roll. These bonuses don’t
“stack.”
Body Control*
see p. B181
Body Control can replace HT when resisting Pressure
Points (p. B215), Hand of Death (see Innate Attack, pp. 45-
47), or chi powers (see Chi Projection, p. 46). Because it’s
also effective against the Affliction advantage and poisons,
as stated in the Basic Set, and can resist chi-based afflic-
tions, the GM might find it simpler to let it replace HT for
all rolls to resist the afflictions on pp. B428-429, regardless
of origin. Use the rules for flushing poisons to end enduring
effects. The skill for identifying chi-based ailments is
Esoteric Medicine (p. B192).
In fiction, Body Control is often used to manage injury.
It can replace First Aid and Physician when you treat your-
self (only) under the rules on pp. B423-425. Effective TL is
that of Esoteric Medicine in the campaign – TL3, unless
specified otherwise. Body Control serves as First Aid for
bandaging and treating shock. If your level is HT+2 or bet-
ter, you’re considered to be in a physician’s care when figur-
ing long-term recovery. If you also receive external medical
care, you must choose between it and this skill’s benefits; the
two don’t “stack.”
54 CHARACTERS
Boxing
see p. B182
This skill isn’t specifically associated with the Boxing
style (pp. 152-153). Any fighting style that teaches a
“scientific” approach to punching – but not other unarmed
strikes – might include it.
There’s rarely a reason to learn Boxing if you know
Karate. However, encumbrance penalizes attacks and par-
ries with Karate but not with Boxing. Karate-users who
believe that they could end up fighting unarmed while clad
in heavy armor might therefore wish to invest in Boxing as
well (but see Armor Familiarity, p. 49).
The damage bonus for Boxing only applies when attack-
ing with that skill. It doesn’t “stack” with Brawling or Karate
bonuses.
Brawling
see p. B182
The Brawling skill has a more modest damage bonus than
Boxing and Karate, doesn’t grant the improved retreating
bonus that those skills provide when parrying, and (unlike
Karate) is at -3 to parry weapons. It also gives no defaults to
“fancy” techniques such as high kicks, exotic hand strikes, and
lethal cinematic attacks. Point for point, though, it can be just
as deadly as Boxing or Karate . . . under the right
circ*mstances.
First, Brawling is Easy, which means that the same invest-
ment in points buys +1 or +2 to hit relative to Boxing (Average)
or Karate (Hard). This lets the brawler more easily target vul-
nerable body parts. Second, Brawling includes the ability to
use a blackjack or sap, which largely equalizes damage. Third,
Brawling is one of the few ways to improve one’s skill and
damage with biting, which can be a potent attack in close
combat (see Teeth, p. 115), and can replace DX in a slam or
when smashing foes into walls (see Grab and Smash!, p. 118).
Finally, Brawling gives defaults to several vicious techniques
that Boxing and Karate don’t cover, including Drop
,Kick
(p. 70), Elbow Drop (pp. 70-71), Eye-Gouging (p. 71), Knee
Drop (p. 76), and Two-Handed Punch (p. 81). The last two
points in particular mean that fighters with Boxing or Karate
might want to invest in Brawling to expand their close-combat
options.
The damage bonus from Brawling only applies when using
that skill to attack. It doesn’t “stack” with Boxing or Karate
bonuses.
Breaking Blow*
see p. B182
Breaking Blow normally only affects unarmed attacks.
However, legendary warriors routinely use massive axes,
mauls, and swords to lay waste to castles and splinter mighty
trees. In a high-powered cinematic game, the GM may permit
those who know Breaking Blow and Forced Entry (p. B196) to
use this skill when attacking inanimate objects with melee
weapons (and even battering rams!).
Combat Art or Sport†
see p. B184
In a real fight, martial artists with Combat Art or Sport
skills function as if their skill were three levels lower. This is
because of the -3 default penalty between Art/Sport skills and
combat skills. If a combat skill enjoys special benefits – such
as the +3 for a retreat when parrying with Boxing, Judo,
Karate, or a fencing skill – these do apply to its Art and Sport
forms. When these benefits depend on skill level, though, use
the level after the -3 default penalty. For instance, to claim +1
damage for knowing Karate at DX level, a karateka with
Karate Sport would need DX+3 level.
The reason why Combat Art skills aren’t as effective as
combat skills in a real fight isn’t always that they “emphasize
graceful movements and perfect stances,” however. Just as
often, these skills teach techniques that look impressive in a
staged fight without regard for combat effectiveness or tradi-
tional aesthetics! Stunt fighters learn such Combat Art skills to
put on an entertaining show for the camera or a live audience.
CHARACTERS 55
Combat Skills
Where rules in Martial Arts refer to “combat
skills,” they mean skills that let you attack or defend
in melee combat (but not necessarily both – Garrote
and Lance can only attack, and Parry Missile
Weapons can only defend), or strike from afar using
an innate or muscle-powered ranged weapon. The
complete list appears below, sorted into subcate-
gories commonly used by the rules. Combat Art and
Sport skills (p. B184) aren’t combat skills.
Melee Combat Skills
Axe/Mace (p. B208), Broadsword (p. B208), Cloak
(p. B184), Flail (p. B208), Force Sword (p. B208),
Force Whip (p. B209), Garrote (p. B197), Jitte/Sai
(p. B208), Knife (p. B208), Kusari (p. B209), Lance
(p. B204), Main-Gauche (p. B208), Monowire Whip
(p. B209), Net (p. B211), Parry Missile Weapons
(p. B212), Polearm (p. B208), Rapier (p. B208), Saber
(p. B208), Shield (p. B220), Shortsword (p. B209),
Smallsword (p. B208), Spear (p. B208), Staff
(p. B208), Tonfa (p. B209), Two-Handed Axe/Mace
(p. B208), Two-Handed Flail (p. B208), Two-Handed
Sword (p. B209), Whip (p. B209), and all unarmed
combat skills.
Unarmed Combat Skills:
•Grappling Skills: Judo (p. B203), Sumo Wrestling
(p. B223), and Wrestling (p. B228).
• Striking Skills: Boxing (p. B182), Brawling
(p. B182), and Karate (p. B203).
Ranged Combat Skills
Thrown Weapon Skills: Bolas (p. B181), Dropping
(p. B189), Lasso (p. B204), Net (p. B211), Spear
Thrower (p. B222), Throwing (p. B226), and Thrown
Weapon (p. B226).
Missile Weapon Skills: Blowpipe (p. B180), Bow
(p. B182), Crossbow (p. B186), Innate Attack
(p. B201), and Sling (p. B221).
Even so, stunt fighters are still fighters. They may use
combat and Combat Sport skills at the usual penalty (-3). To
create an actor who knows nothing about fighting but who
can simulate a fight by following directions, take Stage
Combat (p. B222). This gives no default to combat skills. For
more on simulated combat, see
Faking It (p. 130).
The distinction between
combat, Combat Art, and
Combat Sport skills is a real-
istic one. It doesn’t always
suit fantastic and cinematic
settings. The GM is free to
waive the -3 default penalty
between these skills and
allow martial artists who
know one skill to use the
other two at the same level.
This is suitable for action
heroes, who use the same
moves to pose and show off
(Combat Art), compete in
tournaments (Combat
Sport), and wipe the floor with the bad guys (combat skills).
See Techniques and Combat Art/Sport Skills (p. 64) and
Untrained Fighters (p. 113) for other important rules
pertaining to Art/Sport skills.
Connoisseur†
see p. B185
A specialty of importance in Martial Arts games is
Weapons. This skill defaults to any Armoury or armed-
combat skill at -3. A successful roll lets you estimate a
weapon’s quality and value, identify a legendary weapon, or
impress martial artists (may give +1 on Savoir-Faire (Dojo)
or reaction rolls, at the GM’s option). Craftsmen and fight-
ers generally rely on their defaults unless they’re also
collectors.
Esoteric Medicine
see p. B192
In a realistic setting, the chi-based attacks of martial-arts
myth are so much mumbo-jumbo. They’re normal strikes
and grapples, and the injury they inflict is treatable with
mundane medical skills. A Psychology roll might be needed
to convince the patient that he’s suffering from a bruised
kidney and not the dreaded dim mak, of course!
In a cinematic setting where such abilities as chi powers
(see Chi Projection, p. 46) and the Pressure Points and
Pressure Secrets skills (p. B215) exist, though, only Esoteric
Medicine can recognize these things and treat their effects.
Mundane medicine can heal lost HP, but it can’t halt further
injury from an ongoing effect or alleviate its symptoms. At
the GM’s option, Esoteric Medicine might rival mundane
medicine when it comes to treating ordinary illness and
injury, too. If so, it can do everything that Physician can do,
and any skill with a Physician default (e.g., Diagnosis, First
Aid, Pharmacy, Physiology, Poisons, and Surgery) defaults
to Esoteric Medicine at the same penalty.
Expert Skill†
see p. B193
For general rules governing Expert Skills, see the Basic
Set. A new Expert Skill is important in Martial Arts games:
Hoplology: This is the study of how people
fight, invented by explorer Sir Richard F.
Burton in the 19th century and championed
by martial artist Donn F. Draeger in the 20th.
Its goals are to classify weapons and fighting
styles by their origins and capabilities, and
understand why they evolved. Hoplology can
stand in for Anthropology, Psychology, or
Sociology to identify known types of ritual
combat or combative behavior; Archaeology,
Geography, or History to answer questions
about who used a weapon or style, where,
and when; and Armoury or Connoisseur
(Weapons) to identify a weapon. A successful
roll while watching a fight will identify the
combatants’ styles (but to identify secret styles,
you’ll need Hidden Lore, p. 57) and give an
idea of what techniques to expect.
Fast-Draw†
see p. B194
In combat-heavy campaigns – like Martial Arts games –
it’s crucial to know exactly what weapons each Fast-Draw
specialty covers. This list isn’t exhaustive, but it’s a start:
Force Sword: Any ultra-tech weapon that retracts into its
hilt and requires the user to toggle a power switch to ready
it. Includes all Force Sword, Force Whip, and Monowire
Whip weapons.
Knife: All Knife and Main-Gauche weapons, and any
weapon hurled using Thrown Weapon (Dart) or Thrown
Weapon (Knife).
Sword: Weapons that call for Broadsword, Jitte/Sai,
Rapier, Saber, Shortsword, or Smallsword skill – including
sticks covered by those skills. The GM may extend this to
such sticks as boomerangs and spear throwers, which use
Thrown Weapon (Stick) and Spear Thrower, respectively.
Two-Handed Sword: All Two-Handed Sword weapons,
plus any 1- or 2-yard Spear or Polearm weapon carried tip-
down in a back sheath, like a naginata.
The GM may allow these new specialties for exotic
weapons:
Balisong: Used to open or close a balisong (p. 213) that’s
already in hand. Roll against skill to do either. Critical fail-
ure causes a point of cutting damage to the hand;
,critical
success gives +1 to Intimidation. Use Fast-Draw (Knife) to
draw a balisong. If you use Fast-Draw (Balisong) on the
same turn, it’s at -2; see Multiple Fast-Draw (p. 103).
Flexible: Any chain, rope, or thong used as a weapon,
including all Kusari and Whip weapons, and slings (use
Sling skill). In cinematic campaigns, add nunchaku (use
Flail skill) to the list.
Shuriken: Any weapon hurled using Thrown Weapon
(Shuriken).
56 CHARACTERS
Qian Kun Ri Yue Dao
Stone: Sling ammo and throwing stones, when carried in
a container. Works like Fast-Draw (Arrow).
Tonfa: Any baton with a protruding side handle, for use
with Tonfa skill.
For special Fast-Draw rules, see Multiple Fast-Draw
(p. 103), Fast-Draw from Odd Positions (pp. 103-104), Who
Draws First? (p. 103), and Quick-Readying Nearby Weapons
(p. 104).
Flying Leap*
see p. B196
Flying Leap is vital for chambara or wuxia fighters! See
Special Feats for Cinematic Skills (p. 129) for optional rules
that greatly enhance this skill in highly cinematic games.
Games†
see p. B197
Judges of competitive martial-arts events must know
Games, unless the standards are very low. Most contenders
get by with IQ-based rolls against Combat Sport (p. B184).
Any style with a sport version in Chapter 5 has its own
Games specialty – or several, if there are multiple competi-
tion types in the setting.
All-in fighting championships are a special case. Some
have a Games specialty that’s unassociated with a style.
Others have no rules . . . and no Games skill.
Group Performance†
see p. B198
See Faking It (p. 130) for rules for using the Fight
Choreography specialty with Stage Combat. This skill also
lets you coordinate demo bouts between fighters using
Combat Art or Sport skills.
Hidden Lore†
see p. B199
A new specialty is available in Martial Arts games:
Secret Styles: You know about styles not widely taught in
your world – their legends, living masters (and where to
find them), techniques, and cinematic abilities, if any. This
doesn’t mean you know how to use them.
Hobby Skill†
see p. B200
The following skill is DX/Easy and often learned by mar-
tial artists in settings where they moonlight as fakirs and
strongmen:
Feats of Strength: You collect tricks that show off your
physical grit. Base the skill roll on the score that suits the
feat (see p. B172): ST to tear a phone book in half or lift in
a showy way (e.g., using teeth or a body piercing), DX to
“punch out” a candle flame, Will to walk on hot coals or rest
on a bed of nails, and so on. A -4 for lack of familiarity
applies to tricks you haven’t practiced. This skill doesn’t
improve your capabilities. You can only lift what your ST
allows – and while a roll might mean you don’t flinch when
punched, you’re still hurt. Also, while you know the secrets
of hot coals and beds of nails, you suffer injury if you fail. In
a cinematic game, Body Control, Power Blow, etc., replace
this skill and do add new capabilities.
Judo
see p. B203
Judo is the generic skill of “advanced” unarmed grap-
pling. It’s part of any style that incorporates a systematic
body of grabs, grapples, sweeps, and throws, regardless of
the style’s provenance. It isn’t uniquely associated with the
Judo style (p. 166); in fact, that art teaches the Judo Sport
skill, not Judo!
Sumo Wrestling and Wrestling don’t lend their ST bonus-
es to Judo techniques – even techniques that also default to
those skills. Unless a rule explicitly states otherwise, you
only receive these bonuses when using Sumo Wrestling or
Wrestling, or their techniques.
Jumping
see p. B203
Jumping is necessary to get the most out of several
optional combat rules, including Acrobatic Movement
(pp. 105-107) and Flying Attack (p. 107) in any campaign,
and Chambara Fighting (pp. 128-130) in cinematic games.
Karate
see p. B203
Despite its name, the Karate skill isn’t exclusively associ-
ated with Karate styles (pp. 169-172). It’s the generic skill of
“advanced” unarmed striking. It constitutes part of any art
that teaches a complete system of strikes with hands,
elbows, knees, and feet – whether that style comes from
Okinawa, ancient Greece, or Alpha Centauri.
The damage bonus from Karate only applies when
attacking with the Karate skill or one of its techniques. It
never “stacks” with damage bonuses from Boxing or
Brawling. At the GM’s option, though, martial artists who
gain Claws or Strikers as part of their training – or who
belong to races with natural Claws or Strikers – may wield
them with Karate to further enhance damage. To be able to
apply Karate bonuses to biting damage, take the Biting
Mastery perk (p. 49).
CHARACTERS 57
Though we cannot make it
possible to fly to the heavens like
Superman or to make your body
transparent like the Invisible Man,
we can make things that are impos-
sible for ordinary people possible, if
you practice diligently.
– Mas Oyama, This Is Karate
Kiai*
see p. B203
This skill has a Japanese name but isn’t restricted to
practitioners of Japanese styles. It can represent any kind of
war cry, and suits cinematic warriors of all stripes. The GM
may want to waive the Trained by a Master or Weapon
Master prerequisite. He might even allow those with
Musical Instrument skills to gain the Intimidation bonus
(but not stun enemies) at fairly long distances by playing
instruments such as bagpipes.
Knot-Tying
see p. B203
Use Knot-Tying to tie up a foe after entangling him with
a whip (p. B406) or a lariat (p. B411). You must enter close
combat with him and roll a Regular Contest of Knot-Tying
vs. his DX or best grappling skill each turn. This counts as
an Attack. If you win, you bind his arms to his sides. If you
lose, he’s free of your weapon.
See Binding (pp. 82-83) for a more cinematic way to tie
someone up with this skill.
Light Walk*
see p. B205
This skill offers additional combat options in highly cin-
ematic chambara- or wuxia-style campaigns. See Special
Feats for Cinematic Skills (p. 129).
Main-Gauche
see p. B208
It’s permissible to use Main-Gauche with your master
hand to receive the benefits of a fencing parry while wield-
ing a knife. Armed this way, you can also attack at your full
Main-Gauche level. If you just want to attack with a knife,
you can save a few points by learning Knife (DX/Easy)
instead of Main-Gauche (DX/Average).
Mental Strength*
see p. B209
In addition to helping resist the abilities mentioned in
the Basic Set, Mental Strength can replace Will when
resisting chi powers (see Chi Projection, p. 46) or the
Hypnotic Hands skill (p. 61). It’s also good against mental
effects contested by a score other than Will, such as Mind
Control spells and truth drugs that target HT – make a
DX-, IQ-, HT-, or Per-based Mental Strength roll to resist,
as appropriate. Finally, Mental Strength can substitute for
Will to “stare down” a foe or resist the same; see The
Contest of Wills (p. 130).
Parry Missile Weapons
see p. B212
Parry Missile Weapons isn’t a cinematic skill, but it’s far
more effective in the hands of martial artists who enjoy cin-
ematic abilities. For one thing, since fighters with DR 2+ on
the hands can use this skill to parry with their hands, those
who have DR 2 or more from “iron hands” (see Damage
Resistance, p. 43) don’t need weapons or armor to parry pro-
jectiles. Other “iron body parts” may parry, too, at the GM’s
discretion.
Warriors with both Enhanced Parry and Weapon Master
for a weapon gain their Enhanced Parry bonus when using
Parry Missile Weapons with that weapon. Those with
Trained by a Master and “iron hands” likewise get a bonus
for any Enhanced Parry that includes bare hands. The GM
may also permit an Enhanced Parry variant that benefits
attempts to parry ranged weapons by any means; see
Enhanced Defenses (pp. 43-44).
Those with Enhanced Time Sense (ETS) can actually
parry bullets, blaster bolts, and other slower-than-light
firearms attacks; see Enhanced Time Sense (p. 44). Such par-
ries are at -5. ETS doesn’t normally allow parries against
light-speed weapons such as lasers
,that it’s older than the next. Martial Arts
makes no attempt to settle such debates. It takes the
stance that all cultures have their own martial-arts
styles and that although they’ve often influenced each
other, no one culture or style can truly claim to be the
wellspring of all martial arts. There are only so many
ways to use hands, feet, and weapons to defeat a
rival, after all. (In a cinematic or mythic game, of
course, all martial arts might truly have a common
genesis; see Ultimate Styles, p. 144.)
Still, the world’s many cultures have trained and
continue to train in ways fascinating as much for
their similarities as for their differences.
6 HISTORY
What Is a Martial Art?
Broadly, a “martial art” is any system of physical, mental,
and sometimes philosophical and spiritual training intended
as preparation for combat or a combative sport, or a related
form of self-improvement. The details vary widely. All such sys-
tems are “martial” in that their core physical training is at least
modeled on man-to-man combat. Some go further, focusing on
actual combat skills to the exclusion of sport, religion, and aes-
thetics. Others emphasize the “art,” perhaps going so far as to
be strictly noncompetitive and noncombative.
Martial Arts defines a “martial art” as any systematically
taught fighting style used for any purpose – combative or oth-
erwise. Geography and ethnicity don’t enter into it. Boxers,
knights, samurai, African stickfighters . . . they’re all martial
artists. This book covers all kinds of martial arts, but empha-
sizes combat styles over sportive ones and sports over artistic
systems. This isn’t because combat styles are “real” martial arts
and others aren’t, but because the heroes in RPGs are more
likely to be steely eyed warriors than pacifistic monks!
TIMELINE
To help put everything in perspective, we’ll start with a
brief timeline of the martial arts and related history. Items
marked with an asterisk (*) are mythical or legendary. Some
contain elements of truth while some verifiable entries are
colored by legend – read the entry! For more on the individ-
ual styles mentioned, see Chapter 5.
*2697 B.C. – According to later documents, Yellow Emperor
Huang Di ruled China and invented wrestling, swords-
manship, archery, and Taoism. Huang Di probably existed,
but claims of his inventions are of early 20th-century
origin.
*c. 2000 B.C. – According to legend, the now 700-year-old
Yellow Emperor of China defeats a fabulous monster in a
head-butting contest. Similar head-butting games continue
into the modern era.
c. 1950 B.C. – Tomb friezes in Beni Hasan, Egypt depict the
first wrestling manual, showing over 400 holds and
counters.
c. 1520 B.C. – Wall frescos in Thera show boys boxing.
*c. 1500 B.C. – According to the Bible, the Hebrew Jacob
wrestles a spirit at the ford of Jabbok and defeats it.
*c. 1250 B.C. – According to the legend of the Argonauts,
Polydeukes (a Spartan) defeats the foreign boxer Amykos.
Amykos uses brute strength while Polydeukes uses his skill
to avoid Amykos’ blows and pound him into submission.
*c. 1200 B.C. – Fall of Troy. Later accounts of Greek funeral
games mention boxing, wrestling, and pankration.
1160 B.C. – Egyptian tomb friezes depict wrestling and stick-
fighting matches for the pharaoh’s coronation.
*1123 B.C. – Traditional date for the writing of the I Ching.
Its three-line trigrams form the basis of Pa Kua Chuan
(pp. 187-188), developed much later.
*776 B.C. – Traditional date of the first Panhellenic games
at Olympia, Greece.
722-481 B.C. – Spring and Autumn Period in China.
According to chronicles attributed to Confucius, this
period was the heyday of the xia (p. 8).
628 B.C. – First statue of an Olympic wrestling champion
erected.
544 B.C. – First statue of an Olympic boxing champion
erected.
*544 B.C. – Buddha, himself a champion wrestler and
archer, achieves enlightenment. Buddhism goes on to
inform many martial-arts styles.
536 B.C. – First statue of an Olympic pankration champion
erected.
c. 440 B.C. – Spartans practice the pyrrhiche, a war-dance
involving shields and swords. The dancers executed
blocks and strikes, and learned to fight in rhythm with
their companions.
348 B.C. – Plato’s Laws describes boxers and pankrationists
wrapping their hands with padded gloves and thongs in
order to strike at full force “without injury” (presumably
to their hands) during practice – and using shadow-
boxing and punching bags when no partner was
available.
264 B.C. – First recorded Roman gladiatorial matches:
three pairs of slaves fight to the death at a funeral.
209 B.C. – Emperor Qin Shi Huang of China is buried in a
massive underground tomb filled with terra-cotta statues
of warriors, horses, chariots, and more. Some warriors
are depicted in unarmed-combat poses that match tradi-
tional kung fu postures.
22 B.C. – Emperor Augustus of Rome bans the use of glad-
iators as private bodyguards.
*141 – Birth of Hua Duo, a Chinese physician later credited
with inventing Wu Chin Hsi or “Five Animals Play,” exer-
cises based on animals’ movements. Performing them
supposedly strengthened the body and improved health,
giving long life.
c. 400 – Kama Sutra is written. Among other things, it advis-
es women to practice stickfighting, staff, archery, and
sword in order to win the affections of men.
*530 – The monk Bodhidharma comes to China from India
and teaches the Shaolin monks exercises to strengthen
them for their long meditation. This is said to be the
basis of all kung fu. (Realistically, even if Bodhidharma
did introduce these skills, combative martial arts pre-
dated his arrival by more than a millennium!)
747 – Traditional date of the first sumo match. Early
matches permitted striking and many holds not used in
later matches.
778 – Frankish knight Roland and his companions are
defeated by the Moors, according to a 12th-century man-
uscript. This battle played an important role in the devel-
opment of romantic chivalric ideals.
780 – Charlemagne, king of the Franks and later the first
Holy Roman Emperor, grants lands to his subjects in
return for oaths of loyalty, marking a crucial develop-
ment in European chivalry.
792 – Government of Japan begins to rely more on feudal
cavalry armed with bows than on conscript infantry. This
leads to the rise of feudal lords – and the samurai.
960 – Chinese emperor T’ai Tsu sponsors a martial art
known as “long boxing.” The details are long lost, but it’s
often claimed as the origin of modern kung fu forms.
10th century – Japanese kyuba no michi or “bow and horse
path” takes form. This would later become the code of
bushido.
Late 10th century – Normans adopt high-backed saddles
that allow the use of couched lances, as well as kite-
shaped shields to protect their legs during mounted
fighting.
1066 – Battle of Hastings. Saxon King Harold Godwinson is
killed, perhaps by an arrow in the eye. The Normans con-
quer England, bringing with them their feudal system
and martial styles.
c. 1300 – An unknown German author pens the manuscript
later known as the “Tower Fechtbuch” (after the Tower of
London, where it was kept) – the earliest surviving man-
ual of European swordsmanship.
1346 – Battle of Crécy. The English slaughter the French, a
victory attributed to the power and distance of the
English longbow.
1443 – Hans Talhoffer produces his Fechtbuch (“Book of
Fighting”), which depicts a variety of armed and
unarmed fighting techniques. Its name is eventually
applied to all earlier and later books of its type.
1478 – According to tradition, King Sho Shin of Okinawa
bans the possession and use of weapons by civilians.
Unarmed combat forms flourish and techniques for
fighting with household tools appear. Modern historical
research points to the decree being not a ban on weapons
but an order to stockpile them.
1521 – An overwhelming force of Filipinos attacks
Magellan’s expedition on the island of Cebu. After a
fierce fight, they drive off the Spaniards and kill
Magellan. Modern Filipino
,. . . but the GM may
allow this, still at -5, if the defender also has Precognition
(p. B77). For another option, see Precognitive Parry (p. 62).
The penalties for multiple parries in a turn are halved as
usual for those with Trained by a Master or Weapon Master;
see Parrying (p. B376). Don’t roll separately to parry each hit
from a rapid-fire attack, though. Roll just once. Success
means you deflect one hit plus additional hits equal to your
margin of success. Critical success parries all the hits!
Power Blow*
see p. B215
At the GM’s option, those who know Power Blow at
Will+1 or better may use it in lieu of Will when attempting
extra effort with physical feats or chi powers. Use Extra
Effort (p. B356), not the usual Power Blow rules. The only
change is that Power Blow replaces Will.
Pressure Points*
see p. B215
The GM might want to let martial artists who know this
skill attack pressure points that produce some of the effects
under Realistic Injury (pp. 136-139), even in a cinematic
game that doesn’t otherwise use those rules. All of these
attacks work as usual for Pressure Points: the attacker must
strike the target hit location at an extra -2, inflict at least a
point of injury, and win a Quick Contest of Pressure Points
against the victim’s HT.
•Arm or Leg: You can stop short of fully crippling a limb,
inflicting any of the three levels of lesser effects under Partial
Injuries (p. 136) – the most severe of which counts as torture
for the purpose of Interrogation (p. B202). Duration is still
5d seconds. You can also target joints, as explained under
New Hit Locations (p. 137). This gives the victim -2 on his
HT roll to resist but otherwise produces the usual effects of
a limb hit.
• Neck, Skull, or Vitals: You can temporarily induce any
of the unpleasant effects on the table give for the targeted hit
location under Lasting and Permanent Injuries (pp. 138-
139). (Exception: You can’t inflict Wounded.) Duration is 2d
seconds, making attribute and Basic Speed penalties the
most useful effects.
58 CHARACTERS
•Other Hit Locations: You may target a few of the other
body parts discussed in New Hit Locations. Striking the
ear causes Deafness (p. B129); the jaw, Mute (p. B125);
and the nose, No Sense of Smell/Taste (p. B146).
Disadvantage effects last 2d seconds. A successful attack
on the spine causes immediate knockdown and stunning,
regardless of injury. The victim gets the usual HT roll each
turn to recover.
Pressure Secrets*
see p. B215
In a cinematic game that generally ignores Realistic
Injury (pp. 136-139), the GM may opt to apply those rules
selectively to Pressure Secrets attacks. For instance,
Pressure Secrets might be able to target the hit locations
defined under New Hit Locations (p. 137) and count as an
impaling weapon where favorable – notably, when attack-
ing veins and arteries. The GM might even rule that if a
Pressure Secrets attack inflicts twice the injury needed to
cripple an ear or a nose, it plucks off the body part, much
as a cutting attack would. To make Pressure Secrets truly
frightening, the GM could ignore Lasting and Permanent
Injuries (pp. 138-139) for most attacks, even deadly high-
tech weapons, but enforce those rules when Pressure
Secrets inflicts a major wound on the neck, skull, veins
and arteries, or vitals.
Push*
see p. B216
You may opt to substitute Push for ST (not skill) when-
ever you attempt an unarmed technique intended to
knock an opponent down or back without grappling or
injuring him. For shove-like techniques, use Push’s special
knockback-only “damage” instead of the usual roll. These
benefits affect Push Kick (p. 78), Sweep (p. 81), Trip
(p. 81), and any shove- or sweep-based technique (see
Basic Attacks, p. 59).
Savoir-Faire†
see p. B218
Most formally trained martial artists know Savoir-Faire
(Dojo). The effectiveness of this skill depends greatly on
Style Familiarity (p. 49) and Cultural Familiarity (p. B23).
A martial artist who has Style Familiarity with a style
has no penalty to use Savoir-Faire (Dojo) to show proper
respect, issue challenges, or otherwise interact with
the style’s practitioners as martial artists – even if he’s
unfamiliar with their culture. If he lacks Style Familiarity,
he rolls at -1. If the unfamiliar style is from an unfamiliar
culture, he suffers an additional -3.
Sports†
see p. B222
Competitive martial arts use Combat Sport skills
(p. B184), not Sports. A lot of sports are essentially
“bloodless” gladiatorial contests, though. Team sports in
particular often involve violent contact. Sometimes, it’s
even legal.
Optionally, the GM may permit Sports rolls in combat;
e.g., Sports (Rugby) to connect with a slam or Sports
(Hockey) to attack with a two-handed stick. He might
even allow techniques to default to Sports, where logical:
Evade (p. 71) might default to Sports (Rugby), Hook
(p. 74) might default to Sports (Hockey), and so on. Sports
and techniques based on them are at -3 in a real fight –
just as Combat Sport skills default to combat skills at -3.
For a related topic, see Techniques and Combat Art/Sport
Skills (p. 64).
Stage Combat
see p. B222
This skill has nothing to do with knowing how to fight
– for real or for show. It’s the ability to fake a fight by per-
forming specific, rehearsed moves according to a script.
To be a stunt fighter, learn Combat Art skills. For more on
simulated combat, see Faking It (p. 130).
Sumo Wrestling
see p. B223
This skill is named after a traditional Japanese form of
ritual combat (see Sumo, pp. 198-199) but could be part
of any style that alternates shoves, slams, and sweeps to
unbalance the enemy. In the real world, this combination
is uncommon but not unknown – see T’ai Chi Chuan
(pp. 200-201). Sumo Wrestling also suits practitioners of
synthetic “strong man” styles (sumotori have competed at
no-holds-barred fighting, and other contenders have no
doubt adopted their best techniques), rugby players-
turned-action heroes, and super-strong comic-book
characters.
The ST and damage bonuses from Sumo Wrestling
only apply when using the skill. They don’t “stack” with
Brawling or Wrestling bonuses in situations where more
than one skill could apply.
CHARACTERS 59
Forget about winning and
losing, forget about pride and
pain: let your opponent graze
your skin and you smash into his
flesh; let him smash into your
flesh and you fracture his bones;
let him fracture your bones
and you take his life! Do not be
concerned with your escaping
safely – lay down your life before
him!
– Bruce Lee
Tactics
see p. B224
Tactics is a martial-arts skill, but it works
before the action starts. Below are two options
for the GM to use in place of the rules on
p. B224.
Abstract: If not using a map, roll a Quick
Contest of Tactics between the leaders of the two
sides before the battle. The winner receives
“rerolls” equal to his margin of victory. If his side
has 10+ fighters, multiply this by 10% of the size
of his force and round down; e.g., for 15 war-
riors, victory by four gives six rerolls.
In battle, a leader may grant his rerolls to any
ally who has just attempted a combat-related die
roll. The recipient rolls twice more and selects
the best result. The leader’s player must describe
how such tactical factors as cover and formation
altered the outcome. If the GM disagrees, the
reroll is wasted. Unused rerolls disappear at the
end of the fight.
Mapped: This method is intended for tactical
combat (pp. B384-392) in which the plot doesn’t
dictate force placement. The GM must first des-
ignate what part of the battlefield each side con-
trols when hostilities begin. It’s fairest to bisect
the map – north/south, left/right, etc. – unless
the story demands otherwise. In player vs. play-
er conflict, any division that both sides agree on
is acceptable.
Next, roll a Quick Contest of Tactics between
the leaders, recording the margin of victory. The
winner chooses whether he or his rival puts war-
riors on the map first. In a tie, flip a coin or roll
a die. The leaders then take
,turns placing one
man – or 10% of their forces, if larger – on their
side of the map.
Once everyone is on the map, the winner may
move one ally (or 10% of his men, if larger) to a
more favorable position on the “friendly” side of
the map or one opponent (or 10% of the enemy,
if larger) into adverse circ*mstances on the “hos-
tile” side per point of victory. He may move fighters toward
or away from bad footing, cover, concealment, support, etc.
He may not move his warriors behind the foe or turn ene-
mies to face the wrong way.
Throwing Art*
see p. B226
The damage bonus for Throwing Art only applies to
purpose-built throwing weapons and doesn’t “stack” with
the damage bonus for Weapon Master. Neither bonus
improves the damage listed for improvised weapons in the
Basic Set. Martial artists with Throwing Art may find this
expanded list of improvised weapons helpful:
Thrust-4 – Crushing: BB*, bottle cap, button, matchstick*,
or wadded cigarette foil*. Cutting: Business card, creased
cigarette foil, or folded dollar bill. Impaling: Paper dart
(“airplane”), sewing needle*, straightened paperclip*, or
1” finishing nail*.
Thrust-3 – Crushing: Egg, ice cube*, pebble, small die, or 1”
bolt. Cutting: Credit card, playing card, poker chip, or
small coin (penny). Impaling: Blowgun dart*, chopstick,
hairpin, hypodermic syringe, knitting needle, lockpick,
pencil, or 2”-3” nail*.
Thrust-2 – Crushing: Large die, pistol cartridge, small tree
nut, wristwatch, or 2”-3” bolt. Cutting: Large coin (silver
dollar), pizza cutter, potsherd, or razor blade. Impaling:
Dart (from the pub, not a war dart), fork, penknife,
scalpel, or 4”-5” spike.
Thrust-1 – Crushing: Handball, pocket watch with chain,
large tree nut, rifle cartridge, or 4”-5” bolt. Cutting: Metal
ruler, paint scraper, or spatula. Impaling: Crossbow bolt,
fondue fork, kebab skewer, screwdriver, table knife, or 6”
spike.
60 CHARACTERS
Wildcard Skills
for Styles
In a silly or highly cinematic game, the GM may want to intro-
duce wildcard skills (see p. B175) that encompass entire fighting
styles. A “Style!” skill replaces all the skills of a single style – includ-
ing optional skills that the GM believes every student should know.
If the martial artist has Trained by a Master or Weapon Master, this
includes the style’s cinematic skills. Style! skills are DX-based, but
allow IQ-, HT-, Per-, and Will-based rolls for skills controlled by
those scores.
A Style! skill removes the need to learn individual techniques.
The stylist may roll against the maximum level allowed for any
technique his style offers, using his Style! skill as the underlying
skill. If the technique has no maximum, use skill+3. Techniques
that aren’t part of the style but that default to the style’s core skills
default to Style! at the usual penalties. To improve such techniques
above default, learn a new Style! skill that covers them.
Even DX-3 level in a Style! skill grants Style Familiarity with
that style. Don’t buy it separately. The stylist may purchase his
style’s Style Perks for a point apiece without regard for total points
in the style. If a perk requires specialization by skill, the Style! skill
is a valid specialty and the perk works with all applicable skills of
the style.
Example: Escrima (pp. 155-156) requires students to learn
Karate, Main-Gauche, and Smallsword. It has many optional skills
– the GM might rule that all but Bow, Shield, and Tactics suit
modern-day fighters. Escrima! would replace all of these skills.
With Trained by a Master or Weapon Master, it would replace
Mental Strength, Power Blow, and Pressure Points, too. A stylist
with Escrima! could use any of his style’s techniques at its maxi-
mum level; for instance, he could try Dual-Weapon Attack at
Escrima! or Feint at Escrima!+4 when using Escrima weapons.
A martial artist with Escrima! gains the benefits of Style
Familiarity (Escrima) without having to buy it. He may ignore lim-
its on points in style when he takes Style Perks, buying as many as
he wants for a point apiece. If he selects the Off-Hand Weapon
Training perk, it’s for Escrima! and lets him ignore the off-hand
penalty whenever he uses that skill.
Thrust – Crushing: Baseball, flashlight battery, machine gun
cartridge (.50 or larger), or roll of coins. Cutting: Broken
bottle, hand spade, hubcap, or metal plate. Impaling:
Arrow, barbecue fork, marlinspike, piton, or railroad
spike.
Thrust+1 – Crushing: Beer can or bottle (full), coconut,
flashlight, horseshoe, purse of coins, rolling pin, tele-
phone, or whetstone. Cutting: Cleaver, metal serving tray,
or rotary saw blade. Impaling: Hedge trimmer, lawn dart,
or pool cue (javelin-style).
Swing+1 – Crushing: Baseball bat, golf club, ham (whole),
pistol, pool cue (end over end), small household appli-
ance (swung by power cord), or tire iron.
* At the GM’s option, these items can also be blown from
the mouth at full skill.
Tonfa
see p. B209
Learn this skill only if you want to be able to switch
quickly between a regular grip (to swing a tonfa like a club)
and a Reversed Grip (to strike and parry with a tonfa in
close combat), or if you plan to buy an Arm Lock technique
(p. 65) for use with a tonfa. If you carry a tonfa merely to
enhance “unarmed” strikes and parries, Brawling or Karate
will suffice. For more information, see Reversed Grip
(pp. 111-112).
Wrestling
see p. B228
This skill is part of any style that teaches grapples, pins,
and takedowns – many of which don’t have “wrestling” in
their name (see Wrestling, pp. 204-206). It represents a com-
bat skill, not a sport, and offers defaults to many damaging
techniques for knocking down or crippling foes:
Backbreaker (p. 82), Drop Kick (p. 70), Elbow Drop (pp. 70-
71), Knee Drop (p. 76), Piledriver (p. 85-87), and Wrench
Spine (p. 82). These feats of strength nicely complement the
sweeps and throws of Judo. Fighters who know one skill
would certainly benefit from the other.
Wrestling and Sumo Wrestling differ, too. Wrestling can’t
substitute for DX in a shove or a slam – and doesn’t include
sweeps – but makes up for this by giving a ST bonus that
extends to chokes, locks, neck snaps, pins, and wrenches
(unlike that of Sumo Wrestling). A fighter with both skills
could slam or sweep a foe to the ground and follow up with
a pin . . . or an elbow drop!
Like the bonus for Sumo Wrestling, Wrestling’s ST bonus
becomes a damage bonus when making an attack that
inflicts damage: +1 per die at DX+1, increasing to +2 at
DX+2 or better. The ST and damage bonuses for these skills
never “stack.” You only receive the bonus of the skill you’re
using.
Zen Archery*
see p. B228
Those who have the Heroic Archer advantage (p. 45) and
Bow at 18+ may learn this skill without having Trained by a
Master, Weapon Master, or the Meditation skill.
NEW SKILLS
Some additional cinematic skills may be available to
those with Trained by a Master or Weapon Master in
Martial Arts games.
Hypnotic Hands*
IQ/Hard
Defaults: None.
Prerequisites: Trained by a Master and Hypnotism at 14+.
You can induce a trancelike state in others through hyp-
notic hand motions. You can only affect a single victim, who
must see your hands. Hypnotic Hands doesn’t work on those
who are blind, facing away, etc., and is
affected by any defense effective
against hypnotism or chi-based mind
control.
To use your skill, take a
Concentrate maneuver. At the end of
your turn, you can either roll to influ-
ence your target or opt to continue the
motions. If you continue, take another
Concentrate maneuver . . . and so on,
until you decide to attempt your skill
roll. The total focus and complex
motions required by this skill give you
-2 to all active defenses while
concentrating.
Once you decide to project your chi
to influence your victim, spend 1 FP
and roll a Quick Contest of Hypnotic
Hands against his Will.
Modifiers: -1 per two full yards of distance between you;
any visibility penalties (for darkness, smoke, etc.); +1 after
two turns of concentration, +2 after four turns, +3 after
eight
,turns, +4 after 16 turns, and a further +1 per doubling
of time, with no upper limit.
If you win, your opponent is mentally stunned (see
p. B420) for seconds equal to your margin of victory. After
that, he may roll against IQ each turn to recover. Until he
does, you can use your Hypnotism skill on him – even in
combat! This takes the usual five seconds, but your subject
resists at Will instead of at Will+5. See Hypnotism (p. B201)
for effects. If you know Invisibility Art (p. B202) and choose
to use it, your victim is at -5 in the Quick Contest to notice
you.
Lizard Climb*
DX/Hard
Defaults: None.
Prerequisites: Trained by a Master, and both Acrobatics
and Climbing at 14+.
This skill lets you scale vertical or near-vertical surfaces –
walls, steep hills, large tree trunks, etc. – like a gecko. You
must climb facing the surface, using (empty) hands and
feet, or with your back to it, using elbows and heels. Roll
once per second of climbing.
CHARACTERS 61
Tetsubo
Modifiers: A penalty equal to encumbrance level (e.g., -1
for Light). The type of surface matters: +2 for rough natural
materials (bark or a rock face), +0 for most walls (wood,
brick, or stone), or -2 for smooth surfaces (glass or steel); +2
if sloped rather than vertical. Add -1 if wet, -3 if icy or slimy,
or -5 if greased. Freeing a hand or foot gives -2 per extremi-
ty less than four (minimum one) in contact with the surface.
Claws (p. B42) or artificial claws (neko-de) give +2 when
climbing any surface but a smooth one – but only when fac-
ing it.
Success lets you travel half your Move up, down, or
across the surface, or simply cling to it without moving. For
instance, with Move 7, you could climb 3.5
yards – about one story – up a sheer wall in
a second! Lizard Climb isn’t Clinging
(p. B43), though. In particular, you can’t
move along ceilings.
Failure means you fall, but you can try
to catch yourself (see below). On a critical
failure, you fall away from the surface and
can’t reach it in order to stop your fall.
If falling past a surface close enough
that you can reach it, you can try to break
your fall. Make a DX roll to touch the sur-
face, and then a Lizard Climb roll at -1 per
5 yards already fallen, plus the above mod-
ifiers. Success stops your fall. Failure
means you continue to fall; you can’t make
a repeated attempt.
You can dodge normally while climbing and retreat by
skittering up the wall. If you make a skill roll at a suitable
penalty to free a limb, you can even attack and parry at no
penalty. However, any combat result that causes a fall –
knockback, knockdown, critical miss, etc. – knocks you off
the wall. You can try to stop yourself if you’re not stunned,
but shock penalties (if any) apply.
When climbing something other than a flat surface (e.g.,
a rope), a successful Lizard Climb roll gives a bonus to
Climbing. This equals half your margin of success, rounded
down. Minimum bonus is +1. In a chambara- or wuxia-style
campaign, other stunts are possible – see Special Feats for
Cinematic Skills (pp. 129-130).
Precognitive Parry*
IQ/Hard
Defaults: None.
Prerequisites: Trained by a Master or Weapon Master;
Danger Sense or Precognition; and one melee combat skill
at 18+.
This skill allows you to parry attacks that normally come
in too fast to parry – bullets, beams, etc. – without having
Enhanced Time Sense. You must be aware of your attacker
for Precognitive Parry to work; it’s worthless against true
surprise attacks. Whenever an attack that satisfies these cri-
teria would hit you, make a Precognitive Parry roll.
Modifiers: Add the higher of your ESP Talent (p. B256) or
Forceful Chi (p. 47).
On a failure, you can’t parry. You may still dodge, if the
attack is one that permits a Dodge roll. On a critical failure,
though, you believe that the attack will miss and don’t even
bother to dodge!
On a success, you’re alerted to the attack far enough in
advance that you can move a weapon or limb to intercept it.
You may attempt to parry just as if you were defending
against a melee attack. Combat Reflexes and Enhanced
Parry give their usual bonuses.
Failure on the parry means you’re hit. Success means
you interpose your weapon or limb in time. The attack
inflicts its damage on whatever you’re using to parry. If
using a weapon, it’s destroyed if reduced to -5¥HP
after DR (see Damage to Objects, p. B483) –
but only damage in excess of this affects
you, and your DR protects normally. If
using a limb, you’re simply hit in the limb
instead of in the attack’s original hit loca-
tion. Success by five or more on the parry,
or critical success, deflects the attack with-
out harm to your weapon or limb.
A force sword or force whip doesn’t have
DR or HP – it’s made of energy. A success-
ful parry with such a weapon deflects an
energy attack harmlessly and burns up a
projectile. Against a really big projectile, the
GM may want to roll damage for the force
weapon and compare it to the projectile’s
DR and HP.
Knowing when and where a melee attack, thrown
weapon, or slower missile will hit is also useful. You may opt
to try a Precognitive Parry roll before an active defense
against such an attack. Success gives +1 to your defense.
Failure means you misjudge, giving -2. As usual, critical fail-
ure means you believe the attack will miss and don’t even
bother to defend.
Sensitivity*
Per/Very Hard
Defaults: None.
Prerequisites: Trained by a Master or Weapon Master.
Sensitivity represents skill at being hyperaware of a near-
by enemy’s stance and intent. Choose one opponent – who
must be in close combat with you and either touching you,
visible, or detected with Blind Fighting – and roll against
Sensitivity. This is a free action on your turn.
Modifiers: +2 for Sensitive Touch; +2 for Vibration Sense;
the higher of Telepathy Talent (p. B257) or Inner Balance
(p. 47); -1 per failed attempt against the subject this combat.
Success gives +1 to all close-combat attacks and defens-
es against that opponent, and to Blind Fighting, Immovable
Stance, Precognitive Parry, and Push rolls made to combat
him. Success by 3 or more, or critical success, gives +2.
These benefits last for as long as you and your rival stay in
close combat. If you leave and return, roll again. You may
opt to reroll each turn. You must reroll if you change
subjects.
62 CHARACTERS
Katar
The big American lunged, but his attack was off-target
thanks to Kai’s jab. Kai saw where the punch was going and
sideslipped. It was suddenly clear to Kai why Americans had
invented the telegraph: they insisted on advertising everything
– even a punch.
The thug yelled, “My name is Boris Howard Fine. I’m the
bare-knuckles champ ’round here. No GIRL is gonna get the
better of me!” He emphasized his point by launching another
all-out punch.
Kai deflected it with her hand and followed through with a
lightning-fast riposte. “Whipping Branch Strikes Ape!”
“Who you callin’ an ape?” Boris took the hit and swung
again.
Kai evaded by tumbling acrobatically between Boris’ legs,
striking as she went. “Cunning Rat Picks Grapes!”
“Gah!” Boris looked startled and then fell over.
Kai turned to the growing crowd with a slight bow.
“Excuse me, which way to San Francisco?”
A technique is any feat of skill that one can improve inde-
pendently of the governing skill. The techniques in this sec-
tion, being intended for martial artists, depend mainly on
combat skills. They represent attacks, defenses, weapon-
handling routines (grip changes, weapon retention, etc.),
and strategies for coping with less-than-ideal circ*mstances
(for instance, fighting from the back of a galloping mount).
Martial-arts techniques obey all of the rules under
Techniques, pp. B229-230. Their properties in brief:
Specialties: The buyer of a technique must
specify the combat skill he’s learning it for.
(Exception: This isn’t necessary for a tech-
nique associated only with Dodge or an
attribute.) This is the technique’s special-
ty. Most techniques offer a limited selec-
tion of specialties – perhaps
,one of the
subcategories under Combat Skills
(p. 55), often an even shorter list. A war-
rior can learn a given technique for sever-
al different skills, but he must study and
pay for each specialty separately.
Defaults: A technique defaults – typi-
cally at a penalty – either to the skill cho-
sen as its specialty or to an active defense
or another technique based on that skill.
(Exception: A technique associated with
Dodge or an attribute defaults to that
score.) The penalty occasionally differs
from specialty to specialty. A warrior who
hasn’t spent points to improve a technique
can still attempt it at default.
Prerequisites: To improve a technique
above default, the buyer must have at least
one point in any skill listed as a prerequisite.
This always includes the chosen specialty
skill and may include others.
Difficulty: Techniques come in two diffi-
culties: Average and Hard. This affects only
the point cost to improve the technique; see
the Technique Cost Table (p. B230).
Maximum: Nearly every technique has an
upper limit relative to the parent skill. Once
the martial artist reaches this level, he must
raise the underlying skill to improve further.
TECHNIQUES 63
CHAPTER THREE
TECHNIQUES
Description: Some techniques raise or lower the attack-
er’s defenses, or those of his target. Others affect damage.
Many require a skill roll and/or specific action for setup or
recovery. Several are new versions of such maneuvers as All-
Out Attack and Move and Attack, and replace the usual rules
for those maneuvers. A few have unique effects. Read the
entire entry to learn the technique’s strengths, weaknesses,
and peculiarities.
Techniques and
Combat Art/Sport Skills
A technique that defaults to a combat skill also defaults
to the related Combat Art and Combat Sport skills at the
same penalty. The Art version is for exhibition, the Sport
version is for competition. If you improve the technique,
however, you need only buy it once. Your level relative to the
controlling skill – default, default+1, etc. – applies when
using the technique with any of these skills. On your char-
acter sheet, you can note the specialty and associated skill
level for any of the three skills.
Example: Kanjo Tosho knows Karate Art at 16 and learns
Jump Kick (p. 75). Jump Kick defaults to Karate-
4, so it also defaults to Karate Art-4. His default
is 12. He improves this to default+3, giving
him Jump Kick (Karate Art) at 15. This is
mainly for show – it looks great! However,
Tosho also has Karate at 15, so default+3
means he could use Jump Kick (Karate) at 14
in a real fight. And with Karate Sport at 14, he
could even try Jump Kick (Karate Sport) at 13
in competition. Tosho’s player decides which
one of the three appears on his character
sheet, but he only pays points to improve one
technique.
This is a special case! Normally, when Skill
A defaults to Skill B, Skill A’s techniques don’t
default to Skill B’s techniques. For instance,
Shortsword defaults to Broadsword-2, so a
fighter with Broadsword at 20 has Shortsword
at 18 by default. Back Strike (p. 67) defaults to
skill-2; therefore, if he improves Back Strike to
default+2 for Broadsword, he gets Back Strike
(Broadsword) at 20. But this doesn’t give him
Back Strike (Shortsword) at default+2, or 18.
He only gets his usual default, or 16.
Using Techniques Together
Some techniques can be used together in a way that
combines all of their effects in a single success roll. For
instance, you could use Ground Fighting (p. 73) with
Kicking (pp. 75-76) to kick from the ground, rolling only
once to attack. In such situations, determine the relative level
of each technique by taking the difference between its level
and that of its parent skill. Like relative skill level (p. B171),
this is helpful information to note on your character sheet.
To calculate your level with the combined technique, sum
the relative levels of all the techniques involved and add the
total to the underlying skill.
Example: With Karate at 14, Kicking at 13, and Ground
Fighting (Karate) at 12, your relative level with Kicking is 13
- 14 = -1. Your relative level with Ground Fighting is 12 - 14
= -2. When kicking from the ground, add relative levels and
roll at Karate-3, or 11.
LEARNING TECHNIQUES
Each style in Chapter 5 emphasizes specific techniques
that those who know it (see Components of a Style, pp. 141-
143, and Buying a Style, pp. 146-148) may elect to study and
improve. A fighter can attempt any technique that defaults
to any of his skills, regardless of what style he practices or
whether he even studies a style. Instruction in a martial art
is simply a justification for buying the art’s techniques above
default, if the martial artist wishes.
It’s fairest if individuals who receive systematic training
learn fastest, although the GM may make exceptions. If
using the rules on p. B292, dedicated training at a style
counts as Intensive Training. Martial artists who receive
instruction outside their style (e.g., from friends or visiting
masters) advance according to Education, or half as fast.
Those who learn from books, videos, etc.,
improve as per Self-Teaching, or 1/4 as fast.
Studying opponents’ techniques in bouts
is Learning on the Job and 1/8 as fast – but
the entire duration of the tournament
counts, not just time spent competing.
The GM decides whether adventurers
can use earned points to improve tech-
niques outside their style. This is proba-
bly fair if a warrior routinely attempts a
technique at default in mortal combat.
See Quick Learning Under Pressure
(p. B292) for rules.
Whatever the justification for improv-
ing a technique, find the point cost using
the Technique Cost Table (p. B230). It’s
sometimes tempting to invest in many
techniques, but it’s rarely cost-effective to
spend points on more than a few – per-
haps only a single Hard one – per skill.
Players on a budget should check
whether improving the underlying skill
would be better, particularly at low skill
levels where 1 or 2 points could buy up
the entire skill. It’s most efficient to work
on the skill until it costs 4 points/level,
then pick one or two techniques as “signature moves” and
raise them until they’re at or near the maximum. A fighter
can end up with a sizeable list of techniques if he does this
for several skills.
Example: Bridget has DX 13 and Karate-15 [12]. She gets
Feint-15 and Kicking-13 by default. Buying Feint-16 [2] and
Kicking-14 [2] would cost 4 points, but it would be more
effective to invest those points in Karate. Karate-16 [16]
would give Feint-16 and Kicking-14 by default, and improve
every other use of Karate, too. Of course, Feint-18 [4] would
give the highest Feint for 4 points and be the best choice if
Bridget wanted Feint as a signature move!
64 TECHNIQUES
Sodegarami
REALISTIC TECHNIQUES
TECHNIQUES 65
Many of these techniques are difficult – and some are
dangerous to the user – but all are realistic. The GM could
allow even the flashiest of them in a high-realism
campaign.
Acrobatic Stand
Average
Default: Acrobatics-6.
Prerequisite: Acrobatics; cannot exceed Acrobatics skill.
This represents training at quickly regaining your feet
in a fight; see Acrobatic Stand (p. 98) for details. A suc-
cessful roll lets you go from lying down to standing as a
single Change Posture maneuver; on a critical success, you
do so as a “step.” Failure means you go to a sitting posture.
Critical failure leaves you lying down, wasting your turn.
You can also use Acrobatic Stand to go from crawling
or sitting to standing as a step. In this case, failure means
you stand as a Change Posture maneuver, not as a step.
Critical failure means you fall down!
Modifiers: A penalty equal to your encumbrance level.
Aggressive Parry
Hard
Default: prerequisite skill Parry-1.
Prerequisite: Boxing, Brawling, or Karate; cannot
exceed prerequisite Parry.
Only a few “hard” styles teach this tactic. Instead of
merely deflecting a blow, you attempt to injure your attack-
er with an especially forceful parry.
,This is incompatible
with Cross Parry (p. 121).
Roll against Aggressive Parry to defend, at the usual -2
for Boxing vs. a kick, or -3 for Boxing or Brawling vs. a
swung weapon. You cannot retreat. Failure means you’re
hit; your attacker may choose to hit his original target,
your parrying arm, or your parrying hand. Success means
you parry and may roll against the underlying skill to
strike the attacking body part or weapon, modified as
follows.
Modifiers: Against unarmed, -2 to hit an arm or leg, -4
to hit a hand or foot; -2 for Boxing vs. a leg or foot; -1 if
your foe knows Rapid Retraction (p. 51). Against armed, a
basic -3; another -3 to -5 for weapon size (see p. B400); a
further -3 for Boxing or Brawling vs. a swung weapon.
Success on this skill roll inflicts thrust-4 crushing dam-
age or thrust-2 at -1 per die, whichever is worse, on the tar-
geted weapon or body part. Skill bonuses apply normally.
Failure means you didn’t parry forcefully enough to inflict
damage.
Weapon parries against unarmed attacks are essential-
ly aggressive “for free”; see Parrying Unarmed Attacks
(p. B376).
Arm or Wrist Lock
Average
Default: prerequisite skill.
Prerequisite: Judo, Wrestling, or appropriate Melee
Weapon skill; cannot exceed prerequisite skill+4.
An arm (or wrist) lock is an attempt to restrain or crip-
ple an opponent by twisting his arm. It normally uses Judo
or Wrestling skill. This technique lets you improve effective
skill for this purpose only.
To use Arm Lock, you must have two hands free and
make a successful barehanded parry with Judo or Wrestling
against your opponent’s melee attack. On your first turn fol-
lowing the parry, you may attempt to capture your attacker’s
arm if he’s still within one yard. This is an attack: step into
close combat and roll against Arm Lock to hit. Your foe may
use any active defense – he can parry your hand with a
weapon! If his defense fails, you trap his arm.
Your foe may attempt to break free (p. B371) on his next
turn, but you’re at +4 in the Quick Contest. If he loses, he
has a cumulative -1 on future attempts to break free.
On your next turn – and each turn thereafter, until your
foe breaks free – you may try to damage the trapped arm.
Roll a Quick Contest: the higher of your ST (including your
Wrestling bonus) or Arm Lock vs. the higher of your victim’s
ST or HT. If you win, you inflict crushing damage equal to
your margin of victory. The target’s rigid DR protects nor-
mally. Flexible armor, including natural DR with the
Flexible or Tough Skin limitation, has no effect.
If you cripple your victim’s arm, he drops anything in
that hand. You can inflict no further damage on a crippled
limb but you can continue to roll the Contest each turn. If
you win, your target suffers shock and stunning just as if
you had inflicted damage.
Rolls to inflict damage are completely passive and don’t
count as attacks. You can simultaneously make close-
combat attacks on your opponent, who defends at -4 in
addition to any penalties due to injury caused by the lock
itself. If you decide to throw him using the lock, this does
count as an attack; see Throws from Locks (pp. 118-119).
You can use this ability offensively as well. Instead of
waiting to parry an attack, grapple your foe normally with
Judo or Wrestling. If he fails to break free on his next turn,
you may try Arm Lock on your next turn, just as if you had
parried his attack.
You can also apply this lock with a weapon. Default and
prerequisite skills become a weapon skill. To initiate the
lock requires a weapon parry or an Armed Grapple (p. 67).
A reach C weapon gets +1 in the Quick Contest to cause
damage; anything longer gets +2. Edged weapons can inflict
crushing or cutting damage, but you must make a DX roll
when you roll to inflict injury. Failure does thrust cutting
damage to your off hand (DR protects normally). Otherwise,
use the rules above.
Arm Lock uses precision and skill to cripple a foe’s limb.
For a brute-force technique, see Wrench (Limb) (p. 82).
66 TECHNIQUES
Martial artists practice dozens of distinct attacks and
defenses that they call “techniques.” The majority of these
aren’t techniques in the sense of pp. B229-233. GURPS lets
fighters use their combat skills to try hundreds of permuta-
tions of maneuvers, movement, and combat options; e.g., a
swordsman can use Attack to turn in place and stab to the
face, which is nothing like using All-Out Attack to dart for-
ward and hack at a foot. Most “techniques” that martial
artists study are simply variations of this kind. To underline
this, the GM may opt to deny certain actions to the
relatively untrained (see Limited Maneuver Selection, p. 113).
Below are examples of “non-techniques.” Warriors gen-
erally can’t improve these independently of skill – although
highly optional Targeted Attacks (p. 68) and Combinations
(p. 80) can remove hit location and Rapid Strike penalties.
Stances
Every martial art has specialized stances, many of which
bear interesting names: “cat stance” (from Karate), “boar’s
tooth” (from Longsword Fighting), and so on. Defensive
stances allow the Defensive Attack (p. 100) and All-Out
Defense maneuvers. Forward-leaning, aggressive stances
justify All-Out Attack (Long) (pp. 97-98). Low, broad stances
are less vulnerable to takedowns, and explain why high grap-
pling skills help resist such attacks. Knowledge of effective
fighting stances isn’t an independent technique – it’s one of
the most basic elements covered by any combat skill.
Punches
Any straight or crossing blow with a closed fist is a basic
punch at Boxing, Brawling, or Karate skill. The name for
such a strike depends on the style and the combat maneuver.
Crosses, hooks, and reverse punches are typical Attacks; a
jab is the archetypal Defensive Attack; and a lunge punch,
roundhouse, or haymaker is a Committed Attack (pp. 99-
100) or All-Out Attack.
Many famous punches from sports and cinema are noth-
ing more exotic than punches that use specific combat
options. For instance, a “rabbit punch” is a punch to the
back of the head or neck; the opening strike of Bruce Lee’s
“straight blast” is a Deceptive Attack that relies on sheer
speed (see Jeet Kune Do, pp. 164-165); and the classic two-
jab combination favored by boxers is a Rapid Strike.
Only punches that use unorthodox striking surfaces – the
side of the hand, an open hand, an extended finger, two
clasped hands, etc. – or that deliver extra damage without
going “all-out” merit distinct techniques. These strikes are
tricky without extra training. Examples include Exotic Hand
Strike, Hammer Fist, Two-Handed Punch, and Uppercut.
Kicks
Almost every standing kick to a frontal target – including
crescent, rising, side, and snap kicks – is a straight kicking
attack at Karate-2 or Brawling-2. Short, jabbing kicks are
Defensive Attacks. Hard-hitting hook and roundhouse kicks
are Committed Attacks or All-Out Attacks. Combat options
often enter the equation, too. For instance, the “double side
kick” of Tae Kwon Do is a Rapid Strike – and also a
Telegraphic Attack (p. 113).
To improve all of these kicks, raise Kicking (pp. 75-76) –
or increase Karate or Brawling. Only kicks from unusual
positions (Back Kick), those with limited target selection
(e.g., Axe Kick and Stamp Kick), and those that require the
attacker to hop, spin, or jump (such as Jump Kick, Spinning
Kick, and Drop Kick) can justify distinct techniques. The
additional training is needed to work around the risk or
awkward angles involved.
Weapon Strikes
Armed stylists – especially swordsmen – often name or
number their art’s basic guard positions, thrusts, and
swings. These are by definition standard attacks and parries,
not explicit techniques. Most “advanced” methods add in
maneuvers other than Attack. Draw cuts, flicking blows
from the wrist, and so on are Defensive Attacks. Aggressive
tactics – flèche, lunge, pass, stab-and-twist, etc. – are
Committed Attacks or All-Out Attacks. The “floor lunge” is
an All-Out Attack (Long).
Even some
,unusual modes of attack are normal blows
combined with combat options. A dramatic, circular sword
cut (called a moulinet by saber fighters) is a Telegraphic
Attack. Sliding a weapon along the enemy’s to bypass his
guard (a “glide” or coulé) is a Deceptive Attack. Using the tip
of a blade to cut is a Tip Slash (p. 113). Striking a two-
handed blow using a one-handed weapon is an application
of Defensive Grip (pp. 109-111). Attacking with an inverted
blade is an example of Reversed Grip (pp. 111-112).
Weapon techniques are mainly for difficult combat con-
ditions (horseback, close combat, etc.) or non-striking
attacks (especially sweeping and grappling).
Grappling
Grapples, takedowns, and pins – and many follow-ups,
such as strangling and the options in Grab and Smash!
(p. 118) – are possible even for average, untrained people.
The Judo, Sumo Wrestling, and Wrestling skills teach moves
that make such actions more effective, but these are left
abstract, not bought as techniques. Grappling the arms
from behind is called a “full nelson” and a takedown made
by hooking your leg around your opponent’s, a “reap” . . . but
Full Nelson and Reap aren’t techniques. The same applies to
so-called “sticking hands”: situational awareness is simply
part of basic skill, and explains why more skilled fighters
have a higher Parry and better odds in Quick Contests.
Grappling techniques are reserved for locks, breaks, and
throws that require precise body positioning to be effective.
Anyone can grab a foe, but it takes training to apply an arm
bar. Examples include Arm Lock, Neck Snap, and Piledriver.
Setup Tactics
Attacking into an adversary’s attack is a Stop Hit
(p. 108), and a standard option for anybody who takes a
Wait maneuver. Converting a parry into an attack is a
Riposte (pp. 124-125), and possible for any fighter who can
parry. To be successful at either, one must be good at
attacks and parries in general. It makes little sense to train
at these things exclusively!
Techniques That Aren’t
Armed Grapple
Hard
Defaults: Cloak, or other prerequisite skill-2.
Prerequisite: Cloak or appropriate Melee Weapon skill;
cannot exceed prerequisite skill.
Many armed styles teach how to step close to a foe,
maneuver a weapon past him, and then pull it in tightly to
restrain him. This results in an actual grapple of his body in
close combat. To snag an opponent at full reach, use
Entangle (p. 71) for a flexible weapon or Hook (p. 74) for
one with a hook or other projection. To lock blades with
him, use Bind Weapon (see below).
To initiate an armed grapple, roll against weapon skill at
-2 – this is an awkward and unconventional attack for most
weapons. It’s a standard move with a cloak, however, and
uses your unpenalized Cloak skill (see p. B404). Use the hit
location penalties for grappling, not those for striking.
Your opponent may use any normal defense. If he fails to
defend, you’ve successfully grappled him with your weapon.
While using your weapon to grapple, you can neither attack
nor defend with it. On your turn, you can follow up with a
takedown, pin, choke, or Arm Lock (options depend on the
body part grappled). Releasing the grapple is a free action.
A one-handed weapon other than a cloak can only grap-
ple if you grip it in two hands first. This requires a Ready
maneuver.
Attack from Above
Average
Default: prerequisite skill-2.
Prerequisite: Any unarmed or Melee Weapon skill; cannot
exceed prerequisite skill.
Some styles teach techniques for pouncing on a foe from
above. This technique lets you buy off the -2 to attack
described in Attack from Above (p. B402). It’s particularly
suitable for cinematic ninja!
Axe Kick
Hard
Default: Karate-4.
Prerequisite: Karate; cannot exceed Karate skill.
This kick involves lifting a leg and smashing it down onto
the target heel-first. It’s a special option for Committed
Attack (pp. 99-100) and All-Out Attack (p. B365). Use the
rules below instead of the normal rules for those maneuvers.
An Axe Kick has reduced vertical reach. If your foe’s SM
exceeds yours by +1, you can’t target his head while he’s
standing. If he’s larger, you can’t hit his head unless he’s
crawling or on the ground. Resolve an attack to the foot as
a Stamp Kick (pp. 80-81) rolled at your Axe Kick level.
As a Committed Attack, an Axe Kick does thrust+1 crush-
ing damage – or thrust at +1 per two dice, if better – plus
skill bonuses. Roll against Axe Kick to hit. Afterward, you
can’t dodge or retreat until your next turn, and are at -2 on
all remaining active defenses.
As an All-Out Attack, an Axe Kick does thrust+2 – or
thrust at +1 per die, if better – plus skill bonuses. Hit or
miss, you have no defenses until your next turn!
An Axe Kick is difficult to back away from. If your oppo-
nent’s retreat bonus makes the difference between a hit and
a miss for an attack aimed above the foot, the kick still hits
a lower body part. Head or neck shots strike the torso; torso,
arm, or hand blows hit a leg; and kicks to the groin or leg
stomp a foot.
This move also beats down the target’s guard. A success-
ful attack roll gives the defender -1 to parry any attack fol-
lowing the Axe Kick until his next turn – even if his defense
against the kick succeeds. Axe Kick is a good opener for a
Rapid Strike or Combination!
Back Kick or Back Strike
Hard
Defaults: prerequisite skill-2, or -4 for a kick.
Prerequisite: Karate or any Melee Weapon skill; cannot
exceed prerequisite skill.
This technique lets you kick or use a melee weapon
against a foe to your rear without making a Wild Swing or
changing facing – although your legs must be free in order
to change stance. Back Kick defaults to Karate-4. Back
Strike defaults to Melee Weapon-2 and you must specialize;
e.g., Back Strike (Staff). To throw a “back punch,” use
Elbow Strike (p. 71).
To use this technique, you must know that your adver-
sary is behind you! Roll against Back Kick or Back Strike to
hit, at an extra -1 if you target a specific hit location.
A Back Kick has standard reach and damage for a kick.
A Back Strike can only reach an enemy within one yard,
regardless of weapon length. Thrusting attacks do their
usual damage; swinging attacks have -2 damage or -1 dam-
age per die, whichever is worse. A Back Strike from a
Reversed Grip (pp. 111-112) uses the reach and damage
effects of that grip instead of those given here.
In all cases, you’re at -2 to all active defenses until your
next turn. This is cumulative with the -2 to parry with a
weapon in a Reversed Grip!
Bind Weapon
Hard
Default: prerequisite skill-3.
Prerequisite: Jitte/Sai or any fencing weapon skill; cannot
exceed prerequisite skill.
Fencers with swords that have crosspiece hilts can lock
blades or hilts in a so-called bind. With a pronged weapon
such as the jitte (p. 217), it’s possible to bind any weapon.
This technique covers all such tactics.
To bind, you must first successfully parry your oppo-
nent’s fencing blade with your own such sword – or use a
Jitte/Sai weapon to parry any weapon. On your first turn
after the parry, roll against Bind Weapon to try to bind the
weapon you parried; this is an attack. If you’re using a fenc-
ing weapon, your adversary must be within a yard and you
must step into close combat. With a Jitte/Sai weapon, the
target weapon must merely be in reach (see p. B400).
TECHNIQUES 67
Your foe’s only legal defenses are a dodge or a parry with
the targeted weapon. He may retreat for the usual bonus. If
his defense fails, you bind weapons – and if he tried to
retreat, he can’t step back.
You can use Bind Weapon offensively rather than after a
parry. Step into range (see above) and roll against Bind
Weapon to hit. The only difference is that your foe may try
any defense, not just a dodge or a parry with the target
weapon.
While a bind is in effect, neither fighter can use the
weapons involved to attack or defend. All other actions
taken by defender and attacker alike are at -2 DX.
Your foe may attempt to free his weapon on his turn.
This counts
,as an attempt to break free (p. B371), and
requires a full turn and a Quick Contest of his weapon skill
against your Bind Weapon technique. If he uses finesse to
disengage, make DX-based rolls. If he uses brute force, the
rolls are ST-based. If he wins, the bind ends – and if he used
ST, you must make a skill or Retain Weapon roll or drop the
weapon you used to bind!
Either of you can escape by dropping the weapon in the
bind. This is a free action at any time. You can end the bind
without losing your weapon. This, too, is a free action – but
only on your turn.
This tactic is common for two-weapon fencers – espe-
cially those with a main-gauche. The objective is to bind the
enemy’s blade and attack with a secondary weapon. Jitte/Sai
fighters use paired weapons to similar effect.
Breakfall
Average
Defaults: Acrobatics, Judo, or Wrestling.
Prerequisite: Acrobatics, Judo, or Wrestling; cannot
exceed prerequisite skill+5.
68 TECHNIQUES
Attacks on “high-value” targets – face, chinks in armor,
weapons, etc. – are effective fight-stoppers, which is why
so many fighting styles teach them. These rules let war-
riors study such moves as Hard techniques called Targeted
Attacks. For each Targeted Attack (TA), the martial artist
must specify three things:
Skill: The Melee Weapon or unarmed combat skill
used.
Attack: The specific strike or grapple involved. For
weapon skills, this is either “Swing” or “Thrust.” For
unarmed striking skills, this is generally “Punch.” Either
can instead name a striking technique such as Disarming,
Kicking, Lethal Strike, or Return Strike. For grappling
skills, options are “Grab,” “Grapple,” and – for Judo –
“Throw.”
Target: This can be a hit location other than the torso
(Eye, Face, Arm, etc.), chinks in armor at a specific hit
location (Torso Chinks is valid, although the GM may rule
that some hard armor isn’t vulnerable), or Weapon. The
attack must be able to target the location in the first place
– a condition that most often affects attacks to the vitals,
eye, or chinks in armor (see pp. B399-400).
The default penalty equals the modifier to hit the tar-
get. For strikes, this is -2 for Arm or Leg, -3 for Groin or
Vitals, -4 for Hand or Foot, -5 for Face or Neck, -7 for
Skull, or -9 for Eye. It’s -10 for chinks in armor on any of
these locations (this replaces the usual penalty), but only -
8 for chinks in torso armor. All strikes at weapons default
at -4. Blows (Swing, Punch, etc.) intended to break a
weapon have no extra penalty; attempts to disarm must
specify Disarm as their attack and have a further -2 except
with a fencing weapon (see p. B400).
Grapples use half the usual hit location penalty: -1
for Arm or Leg, -2 for Hand or Foot, -3 for Face or
Neck, etc. Grabs for weapons are at -4. Judo throws can
target any body part but the Eye, Vitals, or Groin, at
the penalties given for strikes. Such throws damage the
targeted location and require a HT roll to avoid stun
(see Judo Throw, p. 75).
If defaulting from a skill, add the penalty for any spe-
cial attack: -1 for Knee Strike; -2 for Elbow Strike,
Kicking, or Lethal Strike; -4 for Lethal Kick; and so on. If
defaulting from a technique, don’t apply this penalty – the
technique’s default already includes it! Disarms default to
skill and Disarming at the same penalty.
By improving Targeted Attack, the fighter can buy off
up to half of his default penalty (round up) for a strike,
grab, or throw, or the whole penalty for a grapple. Write
the TA as “TA (Skill Attack/Target).” Some examples:
TA (Boxing Punch/Face): Defaults to Boxing-5; cannot
exceed Boxing-2.
TA (Broadsword Disarm/Weapon): Defaults to
Broadsword-6 or Disarming (Broadsword)-6; cannot
exceed Broadsword-3 or Disarming (Broadsword)-3.
TA (Broadsword Swing/Neck): Defaults to Broadsword-
5; cannot exceed Broadsword-2.
TA (Judo Throw/Skull): Defaults to Judo-7; cannot
exceed Judo-3.
TA (Karate Knee Strike/Groin): Defaults to Karate-4 or
Knee Strike-3; cannot exceed Karate-2 or Knee Strike-1.
TA (Rapier Thrust/Vitals Chinks): Defaults to Rapier-
10; cannot exceed Rapier-5.
TA (Wrestling Grab/Weapon): Defaults to Wrestling-4;
cannot exceed Wrestling-2.
TA (Wrestling Grapple/Arm): Defaults to Wrestling-1;
cannot exceed Wrestling.
Roll against Targeted Attack to hit. A TA against a
weapon assumes -4 to hit; roll at +1 vs. large weapons (-3
to hit), -1 vs. small ones (-5 to hit).
Repeating a Targeted Attack makes you predictable. If
you use the same TA twice on a foe in a fight, he defends
at +1 against your third and later uses!
Targeted Attacks are realistic but complex. The GM is
welcome to forbid them if they seem too fussy.
Optional Rule: Targeted Attacks
This technique covers ways of controlling or absorbing
the shock of a fall: shoulder rolls, slapping the ground, and
so on. When you’re thrown for damage (see Judo Throw,
p. 75), a successful Breakfall roll deducts one plus your mar-
gin of success from damage. If this prevents all damage, you
may opt to end up crouching instead of lying down. You can
also try to end up crouching after a non-damaging throw,
but the lack of momentum makes it tricky: roll at Breakfall-
3. Finally, you may substitute Breakfall for Acrobatics when
rolling to reduce the effective distance of a fall (see Falling,
p. B431); any success lets you end up crouching, if you wish.
Cavalry Training
Hard
Default: Melee Weapon skill-2.
Prerequisites: Riding and any Melee Weapon skill; cannot
exceed Melee Weapon skill.
This technique lets a mounted warrior buy off the -2 for
attacking on the same turn as his mount (see Attacks by
Mounts, p. B397). It also helps when he attacks while his
mount’s velocity is 7 or more relative to his target. Such an
attack is normally at +1 to damage and -1 to skill (see
Cavalry Weapons, p. B397), but improving Cavalry Training
to Melee Weapon skill-1 eliminates this -1. Raising Cavalry
Training to full skill eliminates both penalties. Remember
that skill with a mounted attack can’t exceed Riding skill –
or Combat Riding (see below), if better.
Choke Hold
Hard
Defaults: Judo-2, Wrestling-3, or appropriate weapon
skill-3.
Prerequisite: Judo, Wrestling, or appropriate weapon
skill; cannot exceed prerequisite skill.
This close-combat attack involves locking the target’s
neck and applying pressure. It requires two hands. Roll
against Choke Hold to hit. If you come from in front of your
victim, you’re at -1.
Your victim may try any legal defense. If he
fails, you apply the hold, which counts as a grap-
ple. If you struck from behind, he can only
defend if he knew you were coming (see
p. B391). Otherwise, all he can do is attempt to
tuck his chin to counter your hold. This is a
parry at -2 with a grappling skill. He can’t
retreat. If he succeeds, you grapple him but get
no hold; critical success means he completely
ducks your attack.
On your foe’s next turn and on subsequent
turns, he may try to break free. You’re at +5 in
the Quick Contest for using two hands. You con-
trol only his neck and head, not his arms and
legs. He can attack you at the usual -4 for being
grappled. If you came from behind, he may only
try the strikes detailed under Pain and Breaking
Free (p. 119) or attempt to grapple your arm,
which allows the usual follow-up techniques on
later turns.
On your next turn – and on each turn thereafter, until your
prey breaks free – you may apply pressure to your victim’s
carotid arteries to subdue him or to his trachea to choke him.
This counts as an attack. Roll the Quick Contest described in
Choke or Strangle (p. B370). Your hold gives you +3 ST. A
carotid (“blood”) choke inflicts fatigue damage. A tracheal
(“air”) choke delivers crushing damage.
You can apply this hold using a weapon. Default and pre-
requisite skills become a weapon skill. The lever gives a fur-
ther ST bonus to restrain or injure your victim: +1 if reach C,
+2 if longer. You can choke with the flat or the edge of a
sword; if using the edge, you may only choke for cutting dam-
age. You must grasp a
,sword with one hand on the handle,
one on the blade. Make a DX roll when you roll to inflict
injury. Failure does thrust cutting damage to your off hand
(DR protects normally).
Close Combat
Hard
Defaults: prerequisite skill-4, -8, or -12.
Prerequisite: Any Melee Weapon skill; cannot remove more
than half the default penalty.†
In close combat (p. B391), a weapon without “C” in its
Reach statistic gives a skill penalty based on its reach: -4 for
reach 1, -8 for reach 2, or -12 for reach 3. In addition, swing
damage is at -1 per yard of reach; e.g., a broadsword does -1
damage, a greatsword gets -2, and a full-sized halberd has -3.
Thrusting attacks do normal damage. Calculate skill and
swing damage penalties using the weapon’s longest reach, not
the reach at which it’s currently ready.
This technique lets you buy off half the skill penalty. You
may buy it up to skill-2 for a reach 1 weapon, skill-4 for a
reach 2 weapon, or skill-6 for a reach 3 weapon.
All of this assumes a normal grip. See Reversed Grip
(pp. 111-112) for an alternative. Hilt punches and the like use
Pummeling (p. 111) instead of these rules; this technique
doesn’t apply.
† Close Combat is also available for ranged weapons. This
lets you buy off the entire Bulk penalty for close-combat pur-
poses only; see Weapons for Close Combat (p. B391). Those
with Heroic Archer (p. 45) don’t need this technique.
Combat Riding
Hard
Default: Riding.
Prerequisite: Riding; cannot exceed Riding+4.
This technique represents training at riding under
combat conditions. Use it instead of Riding whenev-
er you roll to control your mount in battle. It doesn’t
cover fighting – for that, learn Cavalry Training (see
above) or Mounted Shooting (p. 77) – but where the
rules limit weapon skill to Riding, your limit is
Combat Riding instead. Combat Riding never aids
Riding rolls to mount up, stay mounted, or direct
your mount hands-free – see Hands-Free Riding
(p. 73), Quick Mount (p. 78), and Staying Seated
(p. 81) for those tricks – or for such non-
combat activities as dressage, racing, and travel.
TECHNIQUES 69
Jian
Counterattack
Hard
Default: prerequisite skill-5.
Prerequisite: Any unarmed combat or Melee Weapon
skill; cannot exceed prerequisite skill.
Counterattack represents attacking as soon as possible
after defending in order to take advantage of the momentary
“hole” an attacker must leave in his defenses. You can only
attempt it on your turn immediately following a successful
active defense – and only vs. the foe against whom you
defended. If you blocked or parried, the Counterattack does-
n’t have to use the hand(s) you used to defend, although it
can if you wish.
Roll against Counterattack to hit. Your foe is at -2 to
Parry, or to his resistance roll if you tried a grappling move
that uses a Quick Contest (e.g., takedown), or at -1 to Block
or Dodge. If you hit, your attack inflicts its usual damage.
You can use another technique as your counterattack; see
Using Techniques Together (p. 64) to find effective skill level.
Crack
Average
Default: Whip-4.
Prerequisite: Whip; cannot exceed Whip skill.
You can “crack” any ordinary whip – this is the sound
of the tip breaking the sound barrier! Such an attack is at
-4 to skill but +2 to damage. Crack lets you buy off the skill
penalty. In a cinematic (or silly) campaign, Crack might
work with anything whip-like: ropes, belts, long braids,
wet towels . . .
Disarming
Hard
Default: prerequisite skill.
Prerequisite: Any unarmed combat or Melee Weapon
skill; cannot exceed prerequisite skill+5.
If you know this technique above default, you may use it
instead of the underlying skill whenever you attack to dis-
arm (see Knocking a Weapon Away, p. B401) – both for the
roll to hit and in the ensuing Quick Contest. For instance, if
you have Broadsword-14 and Disarming (Broadsword)-17,
you disarm as if you had Broadsword-17. Penalties to hit the
target weapon, including the -2 for using a non-fencing
weapon, and modifiers in the Quick Contest (such as the +2
for Jitte/Sai and Whip weapons) apply normally.
Drop Kick
Hard
Defaults: Brawling-1, Sumo Wrestling-1, or Wrestling-2.
Prerequisite: Brawling, Sumo Wrestling, or Wrestling;
cannot exceed prerequisite skill.
This attack uses two feet in an attempt to injure and
knock down an opponent. It’s a special option for Move and
Attack. Use the following rules instead of the normal rules
for that maneuver.
A Drop Kick is a type of slam (p. B371). You must move
at least a yard towards your target. The kick itself has a reach
of 2 yards. Roll against Drop Kick to hit. Damage is as for a
slam, at +2 for going feet first (or +3 if wearing heavy boots).
Brawling, Sumo Wrestling, or Wrestling adds its usual dam-
age bonus. Succeed or fail, you immediately fall down. Until
your next turn, you may block or parry from the ground at
the usual penalties, but you can’t dodge or retreat.
In a cinematic game, GMs may allow an Acrobatics-5 roll
for the attacker to land on his feet after a successful Drop
Kick. A miss results in a fall!
Ear Clap
Average
Defaults: Boxing-3, Brawling-3, or Karate-3.
Prerequisite: Boxing, Brawling, or Karate; cannot exceed
prerequisite skill-1.
This is an attack on your foe’s ear using a cupped or open
hand. The goal is to pop his eardrum, stunning and deafen-
ing him. You must be in close combat and have at least one
free, empty hand.
Roll against Ear Clap to hit. Your opponent may use any
active defense. If the attack succeeds, it does thrust-3 crush-
ing damage plus skill bonuses. In addition, roll a Quick
Contest: Ear Clap vs. the victim’s HT. If you win, your target
is physically stunned (p. B420); he’s also at -1 DX and deaf in
one ear (treat as Hard of Hearing) for 1d seconds. On a crit-
ical failure on the HT roll or critical success on Ear Clap, the
victim must roll as if for a crippling injury to see how long
he’s partially deaf; see p. B422. Permanent harm is possible!
Ear Clap works best if you box both ears simultaneously.
To do a double Ear Clap, you must have two free, empty
hands and use All-Out Attack (Double) or another form of
multiple attacks. Dual-Weapon Attack with the appropriate
unarmed combat skill is one option; add the penalties for
that technique to Ear Clap to determine effective skill. If only
one hand hits, resolve it as above. If both hit, roll one Quick
Contest. If you win, your victim is deaf in both ears (treat as
Deafness) for 2d seconds. Once again, a critical failure on HT
or critical success on Ear Clap indicates a crippling injury
that could become permanent.
Elbow Drop
Hard
Defaults: Brawling-4 or Wrestling-5.
Prerequisite: Brawling or Wrestling; cannot exceed pre-
requisite skill.
This is a devastating elbow strike delivered using the
whole body. It’s normally done by dropping from a standing
posture, driving an elbow into the victim and landing on top
of him. You can use it against a kneeling, sitting, or lying foe,
making it an ideal follow-up to a takedown. Elbow Drop is a
special option for Committed Attack or All-Out Attack. Use
the rules here instead of the usual ones for those maneuvers.
Roll against Elbow Drop to hit. The victim may dodge or
block, or parry at -2. If he parries, your body counts as a
weapon with weight equal to your ST; see Parrying Heavy
Weapons (p. B376).
70 TECHNIQUES
As a Committed Attack, Elbow Drop inflicts thrust+2, or
thrust at +1 per die if better. Brawling adds its usual damage
bonus; Wrestling adds damage equal to its ST bonus (+1 at
DX+1, +2 at DX+2 or better) instead. As an All-Out Attack,
damage is thrust+3, or thrust-1 at +2 per die if better, plus
skill bonuses. If an Elbow Drop causes knockback, the tar-
get goes nowhere – but if he’s sitting or kneeling, he must
make the usual DX roll or be knocked down.
If you miss, you hit the ground and suffer the damage
you would have inflicted. The same thing happens if your
opponent blocks with a shield.
Succeed or fail, you end up lying face-up on the ground.
After a Committed Attack, you’re
,at -2 to defend and unable
to retreat. After an All-Out Attack, you’re defenseless!
Elbow Strike
Average
Defaults: Brawling-2 or Karate-2.
Prerequisite: Brawling or Karate; cannot exceed prereq-
uisite skill.
You can jab an elbow into an enemy behind you in close
combat. Roll against Elbow Strike to hit. There’s no modifi-
er for not facing him, but add an extra -1 if you target a spe-
cific hit location. A hit inflicts thrust-1 crushing damage,
plus skill bonuses. Treat an elbow to someone in front of you
as a punch.
Elbows are short-ranged and hard to hurt. You may not
select All-Out Attack (Long) (pp. 97-98). Hurting Yourself
(p. B379) applies, but damage is 1/10 of what you roll – not
1/5 – and both it and injury from enemy parries affects the
arm, not the hand.
Entangle
Hard
Defaults: Kusari-4 or Whip-4.
Prerequisite: Kusari or Whip; cannot exceed prerequisite
skill.
You can use a flexible weapon such as a whip or a kusari
to entangle a foe. Roll against Entangle to hit. If your oppo-
nent fails to defend, the weapon wraps around him.
If you hit your victim’s arm or torso, you ensnare it. On
subsequent turns, you must take a Ready maneuver to keep
your opponent snared. Roll a Quick Contest of ST each turn.
If you win, you immobilize your foe. If you lose, he pulls
your weapon from your grasp. On a tie, he immediately
breaks free without disarming you.
If you entangle the neck, use the same rules but your
opponent has -5 in the Contest. If you win, the whip or
kusari cuts off the victim’s breathing – see Suffocation
(p. B436).
If you entangle a foot or a leg, the target must make a DX
roll to remain standing (this is instead of the Contest above).
He’s at -4 if he was running. If he falls, he takes 1d-4 crush-
ing damage – or 1d-2 if running. On subsequent turns, use
the rules above to keep him entangled.
You must keep your weapon taut at all times to immobi-
lize or suffocate your victim. This requires a Ready maneu-
ver each turn. If you’re mounted and your mount is trained
to do this for you, substitute its ST for yours in the Quick
Contest.
To escape from a taut whip or kusari, you must attack
and cut it (the damage required depends on the weapon). To
escape from a limp weapon – including one pulled from the
attacker’s grasp – you need a free hand and must make three
successful DX rolls. Each attempt counts as a Ready maneu-
ver, during which you may take no other action.
Evade
Average
Defaults: Acrobatics or Judo.
Prerequisite: Acrobatics or Judo; cannot exceed prerequi-
site skill+5.
This technique represents training at avoiding opponents
who wish to obstruct your movement. Evade (Acrobatics)
lets you flip over, tumble under, or twist around your foe,
while Evade (Judo) allows you to ward off your enemy’s
hands as you run past. Either replaces DX when trying to
evade (see Evading, p. B368). All normal penalties apply.
Exotic Hand Strike
Average
Default: Karate-1.
Prerequisite: Karate; cannot exceed Karate skill.
Certain hand strikes use unusual striking surfaces: the
edge of the hand, a single protruding knuckle, a claw-
shaped fist, etc. These do extra damage to fleshy or fragile
targets at the cost of being much more vulnerable to injury
when striking a hard surface such as armor or bone. Roll
against Exotic Hand Strike to hit. Standard hit location
penalties apply. Damage is thrust crushing plus Karate
bonuses. Hurting Yourself (p. B379) applies if your target has
any DR – not just DR 3+.
Eye-Gouging
Hard
Defaults: Brawling-5, Judo-5, or Wrestling-5.
Prerequisite: Brawling, Judo, or Wrestling; cannot exceed
prerequisite skill.
This close-combat attack consists of grabbing someone’s
head and pressing your thumbs into his eyes. It usually
requires two empty hands. Roll against Eye-Gouging to hit.
Your foe may defend normally. If he fails, you grapple
him and he cannot see! He can try to break free (p. B371) as
usual on his turn.
Until your victim breaks free, you can drive your thumbs
into his eyes on subsequent turns. This counts as an attack
but doesn’t require an attack roll. Each eye takes thrust-4
crushing damage. This can cripple and blind the eyes but
never gets the ¥4 wounding modifier for the skull – the
thumbs are too short! (Exception: The GM may give some
nonhumans the perk “Long Thumbs,” in which case the
wounding modifier does apply. The same goes for fighters
with Talons or Long Talons.)
You can gouge one-handed. The attack roll is against
Eye-Gouging-4. Only one eye takes damage on later turns.
TECHNIQUES 71
72 TECHNIQUES
Blinding your foe is an effective tactic – but while the
eyes are fragile, they’re also too small for most strikes to
get at them effectively. Eye-Gouging (p. 71) is one solution
but hardly the only one!
All of these close-combat strikes require an empty
hand. If one of them hits and the target fails to defend, the
victim must roll vs. Will. Any failure means he flinches
and has -1 to attack and defense rolls until the end of his
next turn, in addition to the technique’s other effects.
Eye-Pluck*
Hard
Defaults: Brawling-10 or Karate-10.
Prerequisite: Brawling or Karate; cannot exceed pre-
requisite skill-4.
This cinematic technique involves using the clawed
fingers of one hand to grab an enemy’s eye and pull it out.
It’s a strike, not a grapple. You can try it repeatedly but
you can’t “hold onto” your enemy’s eye. Roll against Eye-
Pluck to hit.
Damage is thrust-3 crushing, plus your Brawling or
Karate bonus. Injury over HP/10 cripples the eye. Any
excess is lost. The difference between this and Eye-Poke
is that if you cripple the eye, your victim must make an
immediate HT roll. Failure means you pluck out his eye –
a permanent crippling injury! See p. B422.
If your foe’s Size Modifier exceeds yours by +5 or
more, his eye is too big for you to grab and your Eye-
Pluck counts only as an Eye-Poke.
Eye-Poke
Hard
Defaults: Boxing-9, Brawling-9, or Karate-9.
Prerequisite: Boxing, Brawling, or Karate; cannot
exceed prerequisite skill-4.
This is a jab to the eye using an extended finger. It can
blind but it never gets the ¥4 wounding modifier for the
skull (compare Lethal Eye-Poke, below). Roll against Eye-
Poke to hit.
A hit inflicts thrust-3 crushing damage. Injury over
HP/10 cripples the eye. Any excess is lost. A miss by 1
strikes the protective bone around the eye, damaging
the face instead – but as you’re hitting bone, skull DR
(usually DR 2) protects. Hurting Yourself (p. B379) applies
if your target has any DR, not just DR 3+, or if you hit
bone.
Due to the risk of finger injury, many fighters pull this
blow (see Subduing a Foe, p. B401). Little damage is need-
ed to cripple an eye in any event!
Eye-Rake
Hard
Defaults: Brawling-5 or Karate-5.
Prerequisite: Brawling or Karate; cannot exceed pre-
requisite skill.
This technique attempts to blind the foe by scratching
a clawed hand across his face and eyes. It’s easier than
most strikes to the eyes because you’re using a broad
striking surface against a large target (the upper face), but
actual injury is superficial at best.
On a successful hit, roll thrust-1 crushing damage.
However, this isn’t a hard strike and normally inflicts no
injury. Instead, the victim must make a HT roll at a penal-
ty equal to the damage that penetrates DR. Failure means
he’s blinded for 1 minute times his margin of failure.
Critical failure means one eye suffers HP/10 of real injury
(round down) and is crippled!
Lethal Eye-Poke*
Hard
Default: Karate-11.
Prerequisite: Karate; cannot exceed Karate-5.
This is an attempt to drive an extended finger through
an eye socket and into the brain. Treat it as Targeted
Attack (Karate Lethal Strike/Eye) for all purposes. It
inflicts thrust-2 piercing damage, plus Karate bonuses. It
can blind and gets the ¥4 wounding modifier for the skull
– just like any other piercing attack. With sufficient dam-
age, it can kill.
“Go for the eyes!”
Feint
Hard
Default: prerequisite skill.
Prerequisite: Any unarmed combat or Melee Weapon
skill†;
,cannot exceed prerequisite skill+4.
Feints aren’t always phony attacks. They include breaks
in rhythm, false steps, head fakes, and other ploys to misdi-
rect the foe. This technique represents training in all such
methods. If you know it above
default, use it instead of the
underlying skill whenever you
feint (p. B365) or someone
tries to feint you. For
instance, with Broadsword at
14 and Feint (Broadsword) at
16, you would make and
resist feints at 16.
Feint includes knowledge
of Beats (pp. 100-101) and
Ruses (p. 101). Make a ST-
based roll to attempt a Beat or
to use ST to resist one, an IQ-
based roll to try a Ruse, or a
Per-based roll to use Per to
resist a Ruse. To find your
level, add the difference between the relevant score and DX
to Feint; e.g., DX 12, IQ 14, and Feint at 16 would allow a
Ruse at 18.
† Some styles include a Style Perk that permits a default
to Acrobatics, Dancing, or another non-combat skill; see
Feints Using Non-Combat Skills (p. 101).
Finger Lock
Hard
Default: Arm Lock-3.
Prerequisite: Arm Lock; cannot exceed Arm Lock
technique.
This technique lets you grab fingers and twist them
painfully. Use the rules under Arm or Wrist Lock (p. 65),
except that damage is to the hand – which is easier to crip-
ple than the arm.
Ground Fighting
Hard
Default: prerequisite skill-4.
Prerequisite: Any combat skill; cannot exceed prerequi-
site skill.
This technique lets you buy off the -4 to attack while
crawling, lying face-up, or lying prone. Roll against Ground
Fighting instead of the prerequisite skill when you use that
skill to attack from the ground. For instance, if you had
Wrestling at 14 and Ground Fighting (Wrestling) at 13, you
could grapple from the ground at skill 13.
For every two points invested in Ground Fighting, you
may also ignore -1 of the -3 to defend from the ground.
Ground Fighting at skill-3 or skill-2 means you’re at -2,
while at skill-1 or full skill, you have only -1. This replaces
the rule on p. B231.
Hammer Fist
Average
Defaults: Brawling-1 or Karate-1.
Prerequisite: Brawling or Karate; cannot exceed prereq-
uisite skill.
A “hammer fist” is a punch using the side of a clenched
fist. This technique includes both the true hammer fist and
similar attacks meant to prevent injury to the attacker at the
cost of less damage to the target: forearm smashes, punch-
es with the palm or heel of an open hand, etc. In all cases,
the striking surface is larger and less rigid than for a normal
fist, reducing damage – but it’s much harder to injure your-
self, making this strike ideal for hard targets.
Roll against Hammer Fist to hit. Damage is thrust-2 plus
skill bonuses. If Hurting Yourself (p. B379) would apply,
damage is 1/10 of what you roll, not 1/5. Furthermore, you
suffer a point less damage if your hand is parried aggres-
sively or with a weapon, or otherwise stopped painfully.
If your hand is crippled, you may use Hammer Fist to
deliver a forearm smash. Use the above rules, but any self-
inflicted injury affects the arm instead of the hand.
Handcuffing
Average
Defaults: Binding, DX-2, Judo-1, or Wrestling-2; cannot
exceed Binding, DX, Judo, or Wrestling.
This is a limited, realistic version of Binding (pp. 82-83)
for handcuffing a target quickly. It only works in close com-
bat – and only if you grappled your target on a previous turn
or parried his melee attack immediately prior to your turn.
On your turn, roll a Quick Contest: Handcuffing vs. the
higher of your victim’s DX or best grappling skill. This
counts as an attack. Victory means you’ve handcuffed a limb
of your choice. On later turns, you can repeat the process to
cuff another limb or make an uncontested Handcuffing roll
to attach the cuff to an inanimate object (pole, car door,
bomb . . .) within a yard.
You can handcuff a pinned opponent automatically in 2d
seconds. A successful, unopposed Handcuffing roll reduces
this to two seconds (one second on a critical success).
Escape attempts use the Escape skill (p. B192) or Slip
Handcuffs technique (p. B233). This takes a minute. Time
reductions give the usual penalties; see Time Spent
(p. B346). The GM may permit cinematic heroes one
attempt at -10 to escape in a turn – effectively instantly.
Hands-Free Riding
Hard
Default: Riding-3.
Prerequisite: Riding; cannot exceed Riding skill.
Using only one hand to control your mount gives -1 to all
Riding rolls, while using no hands at all gives -3; see
Mounted Combat (p. B396). This technique represents train-
ing to buy off these penalties. Roll against Hands-Free
Riding instead of Riding to control your mount using no
hands. If you’ve improved this technique at all, you may
ignore the -1 for using only one hand.
TECHNIQUES 73
Hook Swords
Head Butt
Hard
Defaults: Brawling-1 or Karate-1.†
Prerequisite: Brawling or Karate; cannot exceed prerequi-
site skill.†
This is a close-combat strike using the forehead. Natural
targets are the face (-5) and skull (-7) of a standing adversary,
but you can attack anything! However, while the skull is hard,
it has poor reach and leverage for striking.
Roll against Head Butt to hit. Damage is thrust-1 crush-
ing. Your victim may defend normally; if he parries, any dam-
age this causes affects your face. Self-inflicted injury for a tar-
get with DR 3+ applies to the skull; however, your skull’s DR
2 protects normally. If you have rigid head protection – e.g., a
metal helm – add +1 to damage and apply your armor’s DR
against self-inflicted injury.
† Head Butt requires practice to be effective; fighters with-
out Brawling or Karate strike at DX-2 and do only thrust-2
damage. This move is sometimes used while grappling and
(illegally) in boxing matches, but it doesn’t benefit from
Boxing, Judo, Sumo Wrestling, or Wrestling. Races with
Strikers (p. B88) on their head don’t need Head Butt – they
attack at full skill and do superior damage.
Head Lock
Hard
Defaults: Judo-3 or Wrestling-3.
Prerequisite: Judo or Wrestling; cannot exceed prerequisite
skill.
This attack involves controlling an enemy’s head and neck
using two arms. It targets similar body parts to Choke Hold
(p. 69). However, the goal is to lock your victim’s neck in a
way that lets you injure it or his throat – not to cut off his
blood or air supply.
To apply this lock, you must first grapple your opponent
by the neck; see Grappling (p. B370). Your victim may attempt
to break free on his turn. If he fails, then on your next turn,
you have two ways to injure him: you may attempt to choke
him as described under Choke or Strangle (p. B370), substi-
tuting Head Lock for ST if better, or you may try to throw him
as explained in Throws from Locks (pp. 118-119). You can
alternate between these attacks for as long as you maintain
the lock.
Treat sports-wrestling locks that seek to avoid causing
injury as simple head or neck grapples. The same goes for the
so-called head lock seen on the street (an arm around the
neck).
Hook
Hard
Default: prerequisite skill-5.
Prerequisite: Any appropriate Melee Weapon skill; cannot
exceed prerequisite skill.
This is the technique of using a weapon with a projection
– usually a hook – to snag a foe’s head, limb, weapon, or
shield in order to pull him off-balance. You can learn it for
any Melee Weapon skill, but you’ll need a suitable weapon to
use it.
Hook is a common technique for Axe/Mace, Polearm,
and Two-Handed Axe/Mace, but while picks and most axes
can hook, maces and knobbed clubs can’t – and only a few
polearms sport hooks. It’s possible to add hooks to weapons
that normally lack them, such as spears and staffs. Some
swordfighting schools even taught (gauntleted!) fighters to
grab their weapon by the blade and hook with the pommel
and crosspiece. Swords wielded this way use the Axe/Mace
or Two-Handed Axe/Mace skill, and are unbalanced. See
Chapter 6 for more on suitable weapons and the associated
skills.
Roll against Hook to hit, modified for the target as noted
below. Your adversary may defend normally. Hook doesn’t
usually inflict damage, but
,martial artists often credit
this victory to the strength of local escrimadors, but
arrows, spears, and machetes were the weapons of the
day.
1540 – Former soldier Ignatius of Loyola founds the Jesuits,
whose exercises include fencing and meditation. Henry
VIII of England incorporates the Masters of Defence of
England, giving them royal patronage.
1543 – Portuguese merchant adventurers introduce guns
into Japan. They’re soon in mass production.
1559 – King Henry II of France dies of a lance wound
received in a tournament joust, simultaneously reducing
the popularity of the sport and showing that even the
King took his chances with potentially lethal matches.
*1560s – Selected Chinese soldiers are sent to the Shaolin
Temple to learn unarmed and staff-fighting arts. Some
scholars suggest that certain troops received training in
other Chinese martial arts and even in Japanese
swordsmanship.
1568 – Camillo Agrippa of Milan publishes his fencing man-
ual, Trattato di scientia d’arme (“Treatise on the Science of
Arms”). This work advocates the thrust over the slash,
the use of the sword as the primary defense, and a more
side-facing stance with one hand held back and high.
1576 – Rocco Bonetti opens a rapier school in Oxford,
sparking both an immediate rivalry with local Masters of
Defence and a fashionable trend toward rapier fencing.
1578 – Japanese warlord Oda Nobunaga organizes a major
sumo tournament, or basho. First use of the tatami-
edged clay ring (dohyo) and the beginning of modern
sumo.
1609 – Japan conquers Okinawa, disarms the population,
and bans unarmed fighting techniques. This drives train-
ing underground. Teachers instruct selected pupils in
secret.
1721 – James Figg starts holding fighting exhibitions in
England. Brawling, weapon play, and wrestling were
already popular entertainment; Figg added women’s box-
ing, arranged international bouts, and vigorously pro-
moted the fights.
1728 – Donald McBane – soldier, pimp, gambler, and fenc-
ing master – publishes The Expert Sword-man’s
Companion; or the True Art of Self-Defence. This
smallsword manual gives advice on how to use and
counter dirty tricks, and deal with treacherous duelists.
1735 – A government army crushes the Shaolin Temple.
*1767 – According to legend, Thai prisoner Nai Khanom
Tom earns his freedom by beating several Burmese kick-
boxers in succession. (Modern Thailand marks March 17
as Nai Khanom Tom Day.)
1777 – In China, White Lotus rebels – relying on martial
arts, breathing techniques, and magical incantations to
protect them from bullets – fight Manchu soldiers. The
troops use guns to crush the rebels, but many kung fu
practitioners continue to believe that their art can make
them invulnerable to bullets.
1827 – Jim Bowie uses his eponymous knife to kill Norris
Wright at Sandbar, Mississippi. Newspapers widely
report the fight, making the bowie knife famous.
HISTORY 7
1835 – New Jersey outlaws prizefighting. Other states fol-
low. Arranging prizefights becomes an exercise in
bribery, secret locations, and last-minute publicity.
1859 – Sir Richard Francis Burton publishes his booklet on
bayonet fighting. Aided by his combat experience and
language skills, Burton recorded details about the many
weapons and fighting arts he encountered, making him
one of the first hoplologists.
1900 – Uyenishi Sadakazu arrives in England and begins
teaching Jujutsu (pp. 166-168). One of his students, Hans
Köck, goes on to introduce the art to Vienna in 1905.
1904 – Greco-Roman Wrestling (p. 205) becomes a modern
Olympic sport.
1920s – Chinese immigrants open Chinese-only kung fu
schools in Hawaii.
1930s – Judo (p. 166) clubs exist all over Europe, America,
and Australia – including U.S. Army Air Force teams.
Kendo (p. 175) spreads from Japan to the U.S. and Europe.
Japanese students routinely receive training in both sports
to “build character” and encourage physical development.
1940s – Allied commandos learn a stripped-down fighting
style based on Eastern martial arts, taught by W.E.
Fairbairn. German commandos learn an equivalent
style.
1946 – First Karate (pp. 169-172) school on the U.S. main-
land is established in Phoenix, Arizona.
1961 – Korean government orders the unification of all Tae
Kwon Do (p. 200) schools. Three years later, TKD
becomes an official Korean national sport.
1972 – Judo becomes an official Olympic sport.
1990 – Tae Kwon Do becomes an official Olympic sport.
1993 – In the U.S., the first Ultimate Fighting
Championship pits different martial-arts stylists against
one another with minimal rules, triggering the rise of
modern “mixed martial arts” in the U.S. Jiu-jitsu practi-
tioners from Brazil’s Gracie family dominate.
2005 – City of Mostar, Bosnia unveils a statue of Bruce Lee
as a symbol of peace.
8 HISTORY
For many people, Asia and the martial arts are insepara-
ble. Asian martial arts have a storied history stretching from
antiquity to the present. Today, many if not most martial-
arts schools teach styles with origins in China, Japan,
Thailand, and more exotic Asian locales.
CHINA
Chinese martial arts have a rich history that extends back
to a legendary origin almost 5,000 years ago. Tradition has
it that the Yellow Emperor, Huang Di, invented the first
martial arts in 2697 B.C. In 209 B.C., Emperor Qin Shi
Huang was buried in grand style with a life-sized terra-cotta
army, and some of the warriors were posed in stances seen
in Chinese martial arts even today. A continuous lineage is
difficult to trace, but it’s clear that China’s fighting styles
have a heritage dating back at least to Qin’s reign.
Most of the armed and unarmed arts of China don’t seem
to originate with one man, though – be he emperor or com-
moner. Traditions of wrestling, primitive head-butting
games, and (later) systematic training in combative arts
existed across China. Several periods of Chinese history are
especially interesting from a martial-arts perspective.
Spring and Autumn Period
The “Spring and Autumn Period” lasted from 722 to 481
B.C. During this time, China was blessed – some say plagued
– with martial artists known as the xia (see box). The period
was one of central rule, but most areas were the jurisdiction
of local governors appointed by a distant bureaucracy. Some
governors were just and fair; others, corrupt or cruel.
Overall, the period was one of stability, and China faced no
major menace from abroad. Bandits, local injustice, and
corruption thrived, however, and the xia felt they must
intervene.
The Shaolin Temple
Few places are the subject of as many myths and legends
as the Shaolin Temple. It’s credited with being the wellspring
of all martial arts. Its monks are reputed to be masters of
mystical powers, yet free of worldly desires and ambitions.
The Shaolin Temple was built at the end of the 5th cen-
tury A.D. There was more than one Buddhist temple in the
same geographical area; legends of the Temple likely borrow
from tales about all of these to some degree. All were occu-
pied and abandoned several times.
Xia
The xia were essentially Chinese knights-errant.
Unlike the knights of feudal Europe, though, they
were neither members of the aristocracy nor
required to uphold the social order. Instead, they
were wanderers who used their martial skills to
maintain justice and right wrongs according to their
personal philosophy.
Xia were as much like Robin Hood as like
Lancelot . . . in fact, the Chinese regard Robin Hood
as a xia! They weren’t always popular with the
bureaucracy. They could be useful, but the powerful
typically saw them as one of society’s plagues. The xia
were often as dangerous, scruffy, and poor as the ban-
dits and evildoers they battled, but regardless of their
conduct – which at times included gambling, wom-
anizing, and drinking – they fought for the common
good. Tales of their exploits formed the basis of the
wuxia genre of films.
In a historical game, xia PCs should take Code of
Honor (Xia) (p. 53). Without it, they aren’t xia –
they’re the ruffians
,some weapons have an edged
hook (see below). While using a weapon to hook a foe, you
can’t use it to attack or parry. You can always release or drop
it as a free action on your turn, however.
If hooking the head or a limb, apply standard hit location
penalties. If you succeed, then on subsequent turns you may
attempt to pull your victim off-balance or even to the
ground. Roll a Quick Contest of ST. If you win, you drag
your opponent into a kneeling posture; if he’s kneeling or
crouching, he falls down. He can’t stand until he breaks free
or you release him. If you lose or tie, nothing happens. If
you critically fail, you drop your weapon! Your foe may try
to break free normally on his turn.
Hooking a weapon is an attempt to disarm; see p. B401.
Apply the usual penalty to hit the weapon but ignore the -2
for a non-fencing weapon. You get +2 in the ensuing Quick
Contest, in addition to the usual modifiers. If you lose the
Contest, your opponent retains his weapon and escapes
from your hook.
If hooking a shield, roll to hit at -4 plus its DB. If you suc-
ceed, you may attempt to pull it out of line. Treat this as an
attempt to disarm, but your opponent gets +4 in the Quick
Contest if his shield is strapped to his arm. You get +2 if
hooking with a two-handed weapon. If you win, the shield
becomes unready – it’s still on your foe’s arm but he can’t
block with it or benefit from its DB until he breaks free and
takes a Ready maneuver to reorient it.
Certain weapons designed for hooking are sharpened on
the inside of the hook. These include the Chinese hook
sword and the European bill. Such weapons inflict the dam-
age listed for their hook in addition to the above effects. If
using the optional Pain and Breaking Free rule (p. 119), such
weapons are very effective against lightly armored foes!
Horse Archery
Hard
Default: Bow-4.
Prerequisites: Bow and Riding; cannot exceed Bow skill.
“Horse Archery” is shorthand for Mounted Shooting
(Bow/Horse). See Mounted Shooting (p. 77).
Jam
Hard
Default: prerequisite skill Parry-1.
Prerequisite: Brawling or Karate; cannot exceed prereq-
uisite Parry.
74 TECHNIQUES
A Jam is an attempt to parry a low-line attack – typically
a kick – by interposing a foot or leg aggressively enough to
injure the attacker. It’s only useful against attacks on your
lower body (feet, legs, or groin). You may attempt it instead
of a non-damaging leg or foot parry once per turn; see
Parries with Legs or Feet (p. 123).
Roll against Jam to defend, at the usual -3 for Brawling
vs. a swung weapon. You cannot retreat. Failure means
you’re hit; your attacker may choose to hit his original tar-
get, your parrying leg, or your parrying foot. Success means
you parry and may roll against the underlying skill to strike
the attacking body part or weapon, modified as follows.
Modifiers: The usual -2 for kicking. Against unarmed, +0
to hit a leg, -2 to hit an arm or foot, -4 to hit a hand; -1 if
your foe knows Rapid Retraction (p. 51). Against armed, a
basic -3; another -3 to -5 for weapon size (see p. B400); a fur-
ther -3 for Brawling vs. a swung weapon.
Success on this skill roll inflicts thrust-3 crushing dam-
age or thrust-1 at -1 per die, whichever is worse, on the tar-
geted weapon or body part. Skill bonuses apply normally.
Failure means you didn’t parry forcefully enough to inflict
damage.
Judo Throw
Hard
Default: Judo.
Prerequisite: Judo; cannot exceed Judo skill.
This is the primary attack of the Judo skill. On the turn
immediately after a successful Judo parry, you may attempt
to throw your attacker if he’s within a yard. You must have
at least one hand free to do so. This counts as an attack. Roll
vs. Judo to hit. (On an All-Out Attack, you can’t try two
throws but you can make one attempt at +4.) Your foe may
use any active defense – he can parry your hand with a
weapon! If his defense fails, you throw him.
A thrown foe falls where you please. On a battle map, he
lands in any two hexes near you. One of these hexes must be
his starting hex, your hex, or any hex adjacent to one of
those hexes. Your victim must roll against HT. Failure
means he’s stunned. If you throw him into someone else,
that person must roll vs. the higher of ST+3 or DX+3 to
avoid being knocked down.
The intent of Judo Throw is normally to put your rival on
the ground – not to injure him – but you can throw him in
a way that maximizes the impact of the fall on a specific
location, injuring it. This is frowned upon in sport matches!
Treat a damaging throw like any other, but at -1 to hit
plus any hit location penalty (not halved for grappling). Any
location but the eye, vitals, or groin is valid; common targets
are the skull, neck, and arm. Damage is thrust-1 crushing;
there’s no bonus for skill. The victim may attempt a
Breakfall (pp. 68-69) roll to reduce injury. Other effects are
as for a regular Judo Throw.
You may also throw a grappled foe. Instead of parrying
first, you must grapple your opponent. On a later turn, try to
throw him. This is an attack resolved as a Quick Contest:
Judo vs. the highest of your adversary’s ST, DX, or best grap-
pling skill. If you attempt a damaging throw, the extra penal-
ties do modify your roll. If you win, you throw your victim as
above. Otherwise, you don’t – but unless you critically failed,
you retain your grapple and may try again on a future turn.
Jump Kick
Hard
Default: Karate-4.
Prerequisite: Karate; cannot exceed Karate skill.
This showy, dangerous move lets you leap into the air to
increase range and damage with a kick. Some sources claim
it was used to unhorse riders! It’s a special option for
Committed Attack (pp. 99-100) and All-Out Attack
(p. B365). The rules below replace the standard ones for
those maneuvers.
As a Committed Attack, a Jump Kick involves a short
jump forward or sideways that ends in a sharp kick. You
must take two steps toward your foe; this effectively gives an
extra yard of reach. Roll against Jump Kick to hit. A hit does
thrust+1 crushing damage – or thrust at +1 per two dice, if
better – plus Karate bonuses. Afterward, you cannot dodge
or retreat until next turn, and have -2 on all other active
defenses. On a miss, make the usual DX roll to avoid a fall;
see p. B274.
An All-Out Attack involves hurling your body at your
opponent foot-first. You must move at least half your Move
(minimum 2 yards) forward. Roll against Jump Kick to hit.
Your target parries at -2. A hit inflicts thrust+2 – or thrust at
+1 per die, if better – plus skill bonuses. If you miss, or if
your target successfully defends, you fall down unless you
can make a DX-4 or Acrobatics-2 roll. Hit or miss, you have
no defenses at all until next turn!
These rules are intended for Martial Arts campaigns.
The GM is free to use the less-realistic version on p. B231 in
games that don’t focus on the martial arts.
Kicking
Hard
Defaults: Brawling-2 or Karate-2.
Prerequisite: Brawling or Karate; cannot exceed prereq-
uisite skill.
Kicking covers all kicks not defined as standalone tech-
niques: crescent kicks, hook kicks, rising kicks, roundhouse
kicks, snap kicks, etc. Knowledgeable players are free to
embellish, but in all cases, a kick requires an attack roll
against Kicking and inflicts thrust crushing damage. Use
Brawling or Karate skill – not Kicking – to determine the
damage bonus, and use only the highest bonus. If you miss,
roll vs. Kicking or DX to avoid falling down.
TECHNIQUES 75
Punches and kicks are tools to
kill the ego.
– Bruce Lee,
The Tao of Jeet Kune Do
Combine Kicking with Committed Attack (pp. 99-100) or
All-Out Attack for devastating kicks like roundhouses or
stepping side kicks, or with Defensive Attack (p. 100) for
close, jabbing kicks. Add in Deceptive Attack (p. B369) for
fast snaps and other tricky moves, or Telegraphic Attack
(p. 113) for slow kicks with big windups.
Knee Drop
Hard
Defaults: Brawling-3 or Wrestling-4.
Prerequisite: Brawling or Wrestling; cannot exceed pre-
requisite skill.
This brutal attack involves dropping
,and bandits the xia oppose!
ASIA
The most famous Shaolin monk was Bodhidharma, who
journeyed to the Temple from India. Tradition has it that he
noticed the monks lacked the fitness needed to meditate for
long periods, so he introduced martial arts to strengthen
them. While these events are the legendary origin of Chinese
martial arts, they actually would have post-dated many doc-
umented combative styles.
The military prowess of the Shaolin monks was first
noted in 728, when a small handful of them helped win a
war. A stele was erected to memorialize the staff-fighting
monks. Legends spread of their ability. The Temple became
a place to go and train, but spiritual development – not
schooling warriors – remained its focus.
After the rise of the Manchu, the Shaolin Temple became
famous as a symbol of resistance to government rule. It gave
sanctuary to rebels and revolutionaries, and the Temple as a
whole occasionally meddled in outside political events. This
involvement was sometimes pro-government: the Temple
was credited with aiding Manchu soldiers in several cam-
paigns. In the end, playing politics led to the Temple’s down-
fall. An army was dispatched to besiege the Temple. It fell in
1735, scattering the few survivors across China.
Legend claims that five masters survived the suppression
of the Shaolin Temple. They went their separate ways, train-
ing select students met during their travels in the secrets of
the Temple’s martial arts. Along the way, they also founded
cells of resistance to the Manchu Dynasty – the first Triads.
Monks reoccupied the Temple – and abandoned it or
were driven out – several times. In 1928, it was burned.
Later, the Communists came to regard it as reactionary and
shut it down. The People’s Republic of China eventually
realized its potential as a historical attraction and rebuilt it.
The modern Temple still offers training in the martial arts,
and is a popular destination for tourists and martial artists
alike.
Secret Societies
China has a long history of secret societies. Some of
these were fairly innocuous, even benign. Others were ded-
icated to overthrowing the Manchu and restoring the earli-
er dynasty. Many were also martial-arts schools (and vice-
versa), and students of the school would be recruited into
the secret society.
In some areas,
these secret societies
amounted to bandits
or organized crimi-
nals. In others, they
became a de facto
part of the local gov-
ernment, providing
police forces, charity
centers, and social
gatherings. In yet
others, they were the
government!
Ironically, secret
societies eventually
became an ally and
tool of the ruling
Manchu. During the 18th and 19th centuries, the world’s
colonial powers – primarily European nations, but also
Japan and America – were steadily carving up and tram-
pling down China. The secret societies came to oppose the
foreigners and to regard the Manchu as the lesser of two
evils, if not the legitimate government.
The most famous of these societies was the I Ho Chu’an,
or Righteous and Harmonious Fist, dubbed the “Boxers” by
the colonial powers. They claimed that kung fu could defeat
guns – that through special rituals and unblinking faith,
practitioners would be immune to bullets. This wasn’t a new
idea; the White Lotus and the Native American Ghost
Dancers also believed this. The Boxers rose up and mur-
dered Europeans and Christian Chinese. On June 17, 1900,
they besieged the hastily fortified foreign consulates in
Beijing. Despite their kung fu skills and magical rituals, the
boxers were unable to crack the consulates before a relief
force fought its way to Beijing. Modern firepower quickly
dispersed the Boxers. Shortly thereafter, the Imperial gov-
ernment fell.
In the chaotic post-Imperial period, secret societies such
as the Triads largely degenerated into criminal gangs. Drug
smuggling, gambling, extortion, and prostitution became
their main sources of income. Feuds between societies over
criminal territory were common. The societies’ martial-arts
skills became the weapons of gang warfare . . . alongside
modern firearms.
HISTORY 9
Monks and
Martial Arts
Japan’s warrior-monks and the monks of the
Shaolin Temple are at least as famous for their fight-
ing arts as for their faith. European monks are com-
monly remembered as pacifistic, but early medieval
monasteries only admitted members of the nobility –
many of whom took their vows after receiving mar-
tial training. By the 12th century, some dispensed
altogether with the veneer of pacifism and created
military orders, such as the Knights Templar. Later
monks penned several fechtbücher and appeared in
the illustrations of many more, demonstrating
sword-and-shield play and wrestling moves. The Far
East hardly had a monopoly on the fighting monk.
A monk might practice the martial arts for sever-
al reasons. One is that many traditions deem physical
exercise vital to spiritual health: a fit body helps a
monk spend hours meditating without discomfort.
As well, monks sometimes had to fight to protect
their monasteries from bandits, raiders, and unhap-
py governments that saw them as targets. And as pre-
viously noted, not every monk chose the monastic life
as a youth. Former members of the warrior class
often kept their martial skills sharp after taking their
vows – whether due to a desire to defend the
monastery, out of devotion to their art, or in antici-
pation of a return to the world of politics.
Three-Part Staff
Eventually, the links between secret societies, martial-
arts schools, and the Shaolin Temple led to all three being
tied to revolutionary and antigovernment activities. The
stigma remains to this day, and helps explain some of
the policies of the People’s Republic of China toward the
martial arts.
Communism
The Communists were eminently aware of the historical
link between the martial arts and revolutionaries – or in this
case, “reactionaries.” They denounced any martial art that
claimed mystical powers or an ancient lineage as being “con-
trary to Communist ideals.” Such thinking reached its peak
during the Cultural Revolution, when many styles were
labeled anti-Communist and their instructors deemed “coun-
terrevolutionaries” and ruthlessly marginalized or purged.
At the same time, the Communists saw the martial arts as
a source of physical fitness for the people and as a repository
of cultural heritage. They adopted the term wushu for
“acceptable” martial arts. The sports commission of the
People’s Republic of China went on to develop a unified style
known by the same name; see Wushu (pp. 206-207).
Modern China downplays the internal, chi-oriented
aspects of the martial arts, but these things haven’t disap-
peared. The whole world now enjoys Chinese wuxia films,
which feature acrobatic martial arts, improbable displays
of skill, and chi abilities that defy reality. Ironically, many
of these movies celebrate rugged individualists who use
their mystical martial-arts skills to right wrongs or root
out corruption – ideas not terribly popular with the
Communist Party.
INDIA
Like China, India has had martial arts since antiquity,
along with many myths tied to receiving and teaching them.
Some historians trace Indian martial arts back to the inva-
sion of northwestern India by Alexander the Great. This is
unlikely; Alexander might have brought Pankration (pp. 188-
189), but the warriors of the local princes already had a
strong tradition of armed fighting and unarmed wrestling.
According to myth, the gods handed down these arts to
humans so that heroes could defeat their demonic foes!
On the teaching side, Bodhidharma supposedly passed
along Indian martial arts to China; see The Shaolin Temple
(pp. 8-9). Prior evidence of the martial arts undermines this
theory, too. However, Indian religious beliefs probably con-
tributed the concept of prana, which is more commonly
known by its Chinese name, chi (see Religion, Philosophy,
and Fists, p. 11).
Whatever the truth, the Indian martial arts are ancient.
Kalaripayit
,(pp. 168-169) dates to the 9th century A.D. and
similar arts predate that. These early styles certainly covered
both unarmed combat (striking and grappling) and armed
combat (especially bow, sword, and two-handed mace).
Modern nationalists in India – like those in most places with
a martial tradition – espouse the idea that practicing these
historical arts makes one a better person, and push for their
continued study. Hinduism continues to play a strong role,
too; even today, Kalaripayit and Indian Wrestling (pp. 205-
206) expect students to be good Hindus.
Wrestlers
The most visible Indian martial art is wrestling (see
Indian Wrestling, pp. 205-206), which has been a revered or
at least royally patronized activity in India since ancient
times. Great wrestlers were sought after for the fame they
brought their patrons. In the 19th and early 20th centuries,
Indian wrestlers dominated the world’s grappling scene,
their remarkable size, skill, and endurance allowing them to
defeat all comers. The greatest of these was Gama (p. 23).
Their reign ended only after Greco-Roman Wrestling
(p. 205) and Professional Wrestling (p. 206) eclipsed tradi-
tional freestyle wrestling.
Today, traditional Indian wrestlers train much as they
did at the opening of the 20th century and in the centuries
before. The training isn’t based on Hinduism, but wrestlers
are expected to be paragons of the faith.
Other Indian Martial Arts
Martial arts of the Indian subcontinent also include the
Sikh sport of gatka (see Victorian Singlestick, p. 157) and a
brutal form of bare-knuckle boxing. India long regarded
archery as a sport of kings and warriors; the specifics vary,
but it’s game-mechanically similar to Kyujutsu (pp. 179-
180), although more commonly performed from a chariot
than from horseback. Many arts are lost to modern knowl-
edge, leaving behind only names and brief descriptions.
10 HISTORY
Northern vs.
Southern Kung Fu
The Chinese often claim that Northern martial
arts are “long” while Southern ones are “short” – a
stereotype that isn’t entirely unjustified. Many
Northern styles do feature deep stances, lunging
punches, and high kicks. Southern arts often favor
narrow stances, close-in punches, and low-line kicks.
Explanations offered for this include the greater
height of Northerners and the cramped quarters
aboard Southern houseboats.
Weapons constitute another division. Northern
stylists frequently encountered military and aristo-
cratic arms – spears, polearms, and swords – thanks
to their proximity to the capital (Beijing) and the
Mongolian border. Southern fighters, generally com-
moners, favored everyday tools: staff, knife, cleaver
(“butterfly sword”), etc.
As with most style splits, adaptations to specific
needs and cross-pollination between styles make the
divisions more traditional than actual. Nevertheless,
“North vs. South” might generate the dramatic ten-
sion that drives a cinematic or mythic campaign!
HISTORY 11
A traditional fighting art often has a philosophy that
augments its martial base or even constitutes the founda-
tion upon which it’s built. For instance, the strikes, foot-
work, and forms of Pa Kua Chuan (pp. 187-188) are all
founded on an interpretation of the I Ching. Stylists walk
circles to stay in harmony with the Tao and practice uti-
lizing chi (see below) to protect themselves and defeat
foes.
Many traditional styles have strong religious content,
too. The religion might be external to the art (like
Christianity for European knights or Islam for those who
practice Pentjak Silat, pp. 189-191); taught in conjunction
with the martial art; or form its underpinning, informing
how students are taught and which moves
are considered “proper” even if the fight-
er doesn’t practice the religion (e.g.,
Sumo, pp. 198-199, has close ties to
the Shinto faith). Rarely, the style
is the religion: Shorinjikempo is
officially a religion in Japan (see
Kempo, p. 172-173).
Only a purely combative or
sportive modern style is likely to lack
such traits. Mixed martial arts (p. 189)
and Greco-Roman Wrestling (pp. 205-
206) are examples of entirely sportive
arts; Krav Maga (p. 183) is a wholly
combative one. Styles like this don’t try
to make you a better person through a philosophy or set
of beliefs.
Yin and Yang
Traditional Chinese beliefs describe the universe in
terms of two fundamental principles: yin and yang. Yin
signifies the feminine, yielding, and soft while yang rep-
resents the masculine, forceful, and hard. Together they
form a harmonious, balanced state. A person who has too
much yin or yang isn’t in harmony with the universe and
is consequently limited in potential.
The ubiquitous yin/yang symbol is a visual representa-
tion of this concept. The swirling drops of yin and yang
form a circle, implying a perpetual cycle. Each color con-
tains a spot of the other, showing that yin isn’t complete
without yang, and vice versa. Only the two together form
a balanced whole.
Chi, Ki, and Prana
Chi (also qi) is the Chinese character for “breath.” The
Japanese and Koreans use this character, too, but pro-
nounce it ki. In traditional belief, chi is much more than
just breath: it’s an invisible force that pervades all living
things. Disciplined individuals can – with proper knowl-
edge and practice – control and manipulate it. Someone
with balanced, strong chi will live long and be capable of
great acts. One’s chi can become unbalanced, however.
Those with unbalanced chi must rebalance it or suffer ill
health (in game terms, adjusting chi is a form of Esoteric
Medicine, p. B192).
Proponents of traditional Chinese martial arts often
claim that masters can project their chi to control stu-
dents’ actions, move objects . . . even kill. Such masters
can also direct their chi internally to perform superhu-
man feats: mighty leaps, impossible lifts, running up
walls, shattering objects, and so forth. In modern China,
though, the concept of chi runs contrary to the state’s
atheistic Communist philosophy. Chi is seen as nothing
more than the vitality of a body in perfect health; it’s a
matter of fitness, not mystical forces.
Historical Japanese styles make fewer claims about
supernatural powers but still regard ki as something to
cultivate and project. Ki development
and the power of breathing medita-
tion became popular in Japanese
swordsmanship during the 18th
century. A Japanese warrior
with strong ki should have
great skill and high Will – not
use superhuman powers to
attack foes at a distance.
Modern Japanese anime hews
more closely to the Chinese
approach, however.
The Indian term for chi is prana.
Prana – like chi or ki – is an invisi-
ble, subtle, yet all-pervasive force that provides life to the
body. It causes respiration, keeps the heart beating, allows
speech, digests food, and equalizes bodily functions. It’s
possible to regulate prana through breathing, using a skill
called pranayama. Some believe that this allows superhu-
man feats of endurance, strength, and willpower.
The concept of “breath as life” and the importance of
deep breathing aren’t exclusively Asian. For instance, the
great Greek physician Galen held that something could
only be considered exercise if it increased respiration, and
that respiration was important to health and to success in
physical activities. Martial Arts refers to any such view of
life force and the powers that derive from it as “chi,”
regardless of its cultural origin.
Folk Beliefs
Many martial arts have an associated body of folk
beliefs. Pentjak Silat holds that the kris (p. 219) can kill
merely by pointing. Masters of Kalaripayit (pp. 168-169)
learn magical phrases to use in emergencies. Capoeira
(pp. 153-154) is sometimes linked with Candomblé, an
African-derived folk religion. Some adherents of Chinese
martial arts believed that incantations, willpower, and
proper kung fu would make them invulnerable to blades
and guns. The latter idea isn’t uniquely Chinese – corpo
fechado (Portuguese for “closed body”) is a magic ritual,
known to
,some Capoeira players, to become impervious
to knives and bullets . . .
Religion, Philosophy, and Fists
Rondel Dagger
INDONESIAN ARCHIPELAGO
The Indonesian Archipelago is a chain of hundreds of
islands – most of them tiny – over an area that includes
Borneo, Java, Sumatra, the Malay Peninsula, and the
Philippines. It has a diverse mix of cultures: the native
Malay (once feared for headhunting and ritual cannibal-
ism), plus Arab, Chinese, Dutch, English, Indian,
Portuguese, and Spanish, and their many religions.
Countless martial arts have emerged from this jumble –
most famously Pentjak Silat (pp. 189-191) and Kuntao
(pp. 178-179). It’s said that at least one form of Silat exists
for each island!
Indonesia
During the 1940s and 1950s, Pentjak Silat grew even
more prominent in Indonesia. The islands were Dutch pos-
sessions when they fell to the Japanese in World War II.
Many Indonesians resisted and fought alongside the Dutch
against the Japanese. After defeating the Japanese, the
Indonesians turned to their fight for independence. The
locals widely credited Pentjak Silat with giving them an edge
over their opponents. Its role in the fighting is debatable –
driving out the Japanese and the Dutch (and later defeating
the Communists) depended more on the gun than on the kris
(p. 219). Even the common claim that martial-arts training
gave the fighters warrior spirit is arguable – but it’s a theory
to which armies worldwide subscribe, and probably the real
reason why unarmed combat is taught in the age of auto-
matic weapons and grenades!
Philippines
Foreign powers have invaded the Philippines many
times. The most significant of these invaders were the
Spanish, who brought their language and fighting styles.
The extent to which this influenced indigenous martial arts
is the subject of vigorous debate. While Filipino styles use
largely Spanish terminology, their techniques little resemble
those of European fighting arts. The best-known local style
is Escrima (pp. 155-156), a system of armed and unarmed
fighting.
Filipino martial arts saw regular use in combat until rel-
atively recent times. During the American occupation, after
the Spanish-American War, the local resistance fought back
using martial-arts skills. The ferocious Moros inspired the
American military to beef up the service pistol from .38 to
.45 caliber in order to better stop fanatical warriors. During
World War II, resistance fighters against the Japanese used
Escrima and Pentjak Silat alongside firearms and explosives
to attack the Japanese garrison.
The Philippines have been relatively peaceful since
WWII, but some regions are still infested with pirates
and religious or political resistance groups. Escrima
remains popular, both for settling scores and in stickfighting
sporting events.
JAPAN
In the popular mind, Japan is the wellspring of the mar-
tial arts. The oldest verifiable Japanese martial art is a form
of combative wrestling that evolved into the sport of Sumo
(pp. 198-199). This and other early arts developed locally
but were influenced by the Chinese and later the Koreans.
Japanese martial arts would, in turn, go on to influence the
styles of both of these cultures – and the world at large.
The Samurai
The samurai, or bushi, were Japan’s warrior class. They
rose to prominence during the Yamato period (c. 300-710),
when the use of levied infantry gave way to warlords pro-
viding full-time mounted archers. This evolution weakened
central control, leading to long periods of internecine
warfare.
The appearance of the samurai marked the birth of
martial-arts schools, or ryuha. Each ryu taught both armed
and unarmed combat, often alongside such skills as horse-
manship and strategy. A samurai was expected to learn to
fight both mounted and dismounted with bow (yumi),
sword (tachi and later the katana), spear (yari), polearms
(naginata and nagamaki), and knife (tanto), and to wrestle
armored and unarmored. Different schools added other
weapons, including the shuriken (p. 223), kusarigama
(p. 219), axe, hammer, and flail.
12 HISTORY
Ryu
Ryu (plural: ryuha) is a Japanese term for a
school’s collected martial-arts teachings. A ryu might
be broad or extremely narrow. For example, Musashi
Miyamoto’s Niten Ichi Ryu contained one fighting
style – see Nito Ryu (pp. 174-175). By comparison,
the still-extant Toda-ha Buko Ryu teaches several
arts: Bojutsu (p. 192), Kenjutsu (p. 173-175),
Kusarigamajutsu (p. 180), Naginatajutsu (p. 186),
and Sojutsu (pp. 197-198).
Ryuha have a “public” and a “private” curriculum.
Outsiders are shown strictly the public techniques;
only the school’s students receive demonstrations of
the full style. Hidden techniques, called urawaza, are
a way to keep enemies from learning the ryu’s full
potential. They often deal with unusual weapons or
those that work better by surprise (e.g., shuriken or
improvised weapons). Some masters reserve
urawaza for a select few students or even a single
chosen successor!
In game terms, a ryu usually contains more than
one style. In a Japan-based campaign, the GM might
wish to assess Style Familiarity (p. 49) by ryu rather
than by style. For instance, familiarity with Toda-ha
Buko Ryu gives familiarity with its version of
Kenjutsu and all of its other component styles, but
not with the Kenjutsu of Katori Shinto Ryu.
Knowledge of slight differences between your ryu
and your opponent’s could spell the difference
between victory and death. The urawaza might be as
narrow as a single skill, technique, or Style Perk . . .
or as broad as an entire style. See the skills, tech-
niques, and perks under each style’s “Optional Traits”
for ideas. The PCs won’t necessarily have free access
to these abilities!
Initial emphasis was on mounted
archery, but the samurai evolved into
swordsmen as infantry tactics became
more important. Armor changed to match:
boxy o-yoroi, suitable when using and fac-
ing the yumi, gave way to suits that freed
the arms for swordplay. On foot, samurai
wielded spears, swords, and to a lesser
extent hammers, staves, polearms, and
other weapons. Firearms entered the arse-
nal with the arrival of the Portuguese, but
like Europe’s knights, the samurai
absorbed the gun into their fighting meth-
ods. To bulk out their armies, they raised
conscript light infantry called ashigaru.
These troops had sparse armor (typically a
helmet and inferior torso armor) and
lower-grade weaponry.
With the unification of Japan and the
ensuing Tokugawa Shogunate (1603-
1868), Japan entered a prolonged peace.
Only the Shogunate was allowed firearms.
Martial-arts schools became more wide-
spread but often more specialized – those
that taught only a subset of weapons or
skills (or one weapon) grew more com-
mon. Weapons suited to piercing armor,
such as the bow and spear, were overshad-
owed by the sword, which was ideal for
fighting unarmored foes.
With potential masters no longer
becoming battlefield casualties (or indeed,
needing to prove their skill in duels), the
number of ryuha boomed. Duels were for-
bidden and matches between schools were
discouraged. Use of kata as the core of skill
transmission became common. This status
quo inspired a backlash in favor of contact
training and led to the eventual develop-
ment of Kendo (p. 175).
The Ninja
Historically, ninja were the spies, assassins, and special
agents of the warrior clans – and later the Shogunate – of
Japan. They were famous for their pragmatism, using what-
ever methods could most efficiently accomplish the task at
hand. Given the nature of bushido (the Japanese warrior
code) and its embrace of victory at all costs, this made them
quite ruthless. They were noted for their disregard of social
norms, disguising themselves as monks, the opposite sex,
low-caste Japanese, and so on. They studied Ninjutsu, the
art of stealth and disguise. Included in this was the martial
art Taijutsu (pp. 202-203): an unarmed combat style used to
disable opponents.
The ninja probably originated with the use of specialist
spying
,troops (called shinobi) by an empress in 6th-century
Japan. Several clans of ninja existed, especially in the Iga-
Ueno region. A modern “Ninja Festival” is held in this area
– although it focuses on ninja more as depicted in folklore
than as they actually were.
Like China’s Shaolin monks, the ninja are awash in myth
and legend. Almost every improbable martial-arts feat
appears in ninja lore! They’re famous as masters of disguise,
weapon use, unarmed combat, acting, and technology.
Modern authors have expanded on the legend; many so-
called ninja tools, garments, and gadgets are actually 20th-
century inventions. Notable among these is the ninja sword,
or ninja-to (p. 221). The same authors have also wrongly
designated weapons often used by samurai – such as the
shuriken and kusarigama – “ninja weapons,” sometimes
going so far as to invent myths about samurai rejecting such
armaments as dishonorable.
The ubiquitous “ninja uniform” is another modern-day
creation. It looks as if it was inspired by the clothing that
puppeteers and stagehands wore to blend into the darkness
of a theatre. Historical ninja almost certainly disguised
themselves to fit in wherever they might be. They might not
have donned any disguise! Many were samurai in public
and agents of the Emperor in private, trained to spy on sub-
jects and root out conspiracy, or dispatched to solve special
problems.
HISTORY 13
Ninja: Legend vs. History
Folklore portrays ninja as peasants and outcasts, scorned by the samu-
rai. History doesn’t support this. It’s hard to uncover facts about such a
deliberately secretive group, but reliable evidence suggests that several
samurai clans were verifiably ninja or had members with ninja-like skills.
Historical ninja seem to have been spies more often than assassins, secret
police rather than outcasts.
The Chinese Connection?
Some sources claim that the ninja learned their arts from renegade
Chinese monks called the Lin Kuei, but there’s little evidence of this group
outside of folk tales. There’s no documentation of their supposed connec-
tion to the ninja, either. However, such a link might exist in a cinematic
campaign, in which case the Lin Kuei could be a source of opponents for
PC ninja – or of masters who can train non-ninja PCs to counter the nefar-
ious skills of NPC shinobi.
Other Ninja
Japan’s ninja – and possibly China’s Lin Kuei – weren’t the only ones
in Asia with training in disguise, stealth, and espionage. Many other
groups mixed these tactics with the martial arts to help deal with
enemies.
The 7th-century Korean kingdom of Silla had a group known as the
sulsa: commando-like warriors trained in irregular operations. Unlike
ninja, it appears that the sulsa were deployed alongside other forces and
used as an integrated part of the army. They were held in high esteem –
much like modern special-ops troops. Like the ninja, colorful and equal-
ly unverifiable legends about their skills and prowess abound. In a cine-
matic campaign, any claim that’s true for the ninja should also be true for
the sulsa.
In Thailand, groups of monks were trained in the art of stealth, sub-
terfuge, and survival, as well as in the martial arts. Their role is unknown,
but their potential to the Siamese kings as spies, irregular troops, and
scouts is obvious.
Okinawa
Okinawa has always had strong ties with China, its close
neighbor. Okinawan nobles sent their children to Fushin
province to study literature, writing, culture, and the martial
arts. Some believe that Okinawan martial arts originated in
China and were brought back by returning nobles. Others
claim that Okinawa had indigenous fighting systems which
were influenced by Chinese styles.
In local legend, weapons were banned at several points in
Okinawan history. One such instance, in the 15th century,
wasn’t so much a ban as a shortage. The native rulers, fearing
rebellion, monopolized weapons production in order to stock
their own armories. Depriving the population of weapons was
a side effect – albeit one that favored those in power! The 17th-
century Japanese conquerors imposed a genuine ban. The net
result in both cases was that the martial arts flourished.
The Okinawans turned their tools and farm implements
into weapons and developed fighting styles for using them
effectively. They also honed their unarmed martial arts, or Te
(pp. 169-170). The Japanese banned the practice of Te, but
instructors and students survived, even thrived in secrecy.
They trained to fight armed and unarmed opponents, parry-
ing the attack and then launching a devastating counterattack
with lethal intent.
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Japan recognized
the potential of Te as a form of military and fitness training.
Japan imported instructors from Okinawa – starting with
Funakoshi Gichin (p. 23) – and created the sport of karate-do.
Karate’s inventors soon changed the characters used to spell
its name from “China” and “hand” to “empty” and “hand”
(both pronounced “karate”), added a belt system based on the
sport of Judo (p. 166), and established a formal body of
instructors.
After World War II, the large U.S. military presence in
Okinawa helped spread Karate in the West. Many servicemen
studied karate-do in Okinawa and brought their skills home
with them. Today, a wide range of martial-arts schools exist in
Okinawa and many American servicemen still train while sta-
tioned there.
KOREA
Korea has a rich martial-arts history tied inextricably to
that of nearby China and Japan. Many martial arts passed
from China to Japan, and vice versa, by way of Korea. Prior
to the 20th century, China’s influence was dominant by virtue
of proximity, shared history, and the regular exchange of
ideas. In the 20th century, the Japanese conquest of Korea
lent Korean martial arts a strong Japanese flavor that’s still
evident today.
The Hwarang
Around 550 A.D., nobles known as the Hwarang
(“Flowering Knights”) rose to prominence as rulers, warriors,
and officials in the Korean kingdom of Silla. These knights
adhered to Hwarang O Kae, or “the Five Ethics,” which
stressed loyalty, filial piety, trustworthiness, valor, and justice
– much like bushido or chivalry. They studied fighting arts, lit-
erature, administration, and philosophy. In 668, Hwarang
general Kim Yu-shin completed the conquest of the region’s
other two significant kingdoms, Koguryo and Paekche, there-
by unifying Korea.
Elite among the Hwarang were the sulsa (“technicians”).
These warriors practiced am ja (“the art of shadows”) and un
ship bop (“invisibility methods”), and were used for special
missions. For details, see Other Ninja (p. 13).
Modern Korea
From 1910 to 1945, Japan occupied Korea and Japanese
martial arts displaced Korean ones. When World War II
ended, though, Korea asserted its proud martial heritage.
Traditional styles were resurrected or came out of hiding, and
new styles were formed with ancient names. Japanese influ-
ence was still great, as many Korean martial artists had train-
ing in Karate (pp. 169-172) or Jujutsu (p. 166-168).
Today, Korea is best known for Tae Kwon Do (p. 200), a
sport form cobbled together from numerous punching and
kicking styles. It takes its name from a much older combat
art. Tae Kwon Do has become popular worldwide and is now
an Olympic sport.
OTHER NATIONS
Many other Asian countries have martial-arts traditions
that extend from the distant past to the present day. Possibly
the best-known of these are Burma and Thailand.
Burma
Burma – now called Myanmar – is surrounded by India,
China, and Thailand. Like its neighbors, Burma is home to
many martial arts. The collective term for Burmese martial
arts is Thaing. This encompasses four major subgroups:
unarmed combat (Bando), armed combat (Banshay), boxing
(Lethwei), and wrestling (Naban). These arts date to around
the 11th century, when they played a role in local warfare.
Bando is a comprehensive system of unarmed combat. It
has deep historical roots, but the Japanese invasion in 1942
helped shape
