I’ve started creating this rules couple of years ago. I’ve started off with 20 or 25 martial arts. I was using then Shadowrun 2nd Edition. Since then this rules have changed in the form you can see now. Altough it is called ‘Martial Arts System’ you can find here more than only Martial Arts, thre are many ‘fighting styles’ or just skills that can be used in combat.
This Martial Arts System is quite big, there are a lot of styles and rules. Each GM have to decide himself which ones he want and which ones he don’t want to use in his games. There is a greate choice, so I think that each of you can pick a set of styles that he and his group find good for them. I personally, allow use of all the styles, and I use most of the rules. Have fun with this Martial Arts System!
To Learn Martial Arts you
usually need to have a teacher, with some Martial Arts its quite easy
(Aikido, Karate), with others its extremely difficult (some Kung Fu
styles, Kailindo, Do), but it is always very difficult to find someone
with skill rating above 10. It is possible however (if GM allows) to
develop Martial Art above the rating 10 without master but the cost would
be greater (GM decision).
Every Martial Art has a cost indicated next
to its name [ex.: Aikido (x2.5/3/3.5)], it is the skill improvement cost
(see p. 245 SR3).
For example, using SR3 rules, Aikido would
cost:
| Less than or equal to attribute rating |
X2.5 |
| Less than or equal to (2xattribute rating) |
X3 |
| More than (2xattribute rating) |
x3.5 |
Each Martial Art is harder to
learn than normal brawling, and that's why improvement cost is higher than
normal. But Martial Arts are also a way better and the fellow with for
example 8 rating in brawling don’t stand a chance with character having 8
rating in Martial Art.
When creating your character Martial Arts cost
more too. To calculate the starting cost use the following
table:
| Skill improvement cost (first number) |
x1.5 |
x2 |
x2.5 |
x3 |
| Less than or equal to attribute rating |
x1 |
x1.5 |
x2 |
x2.5 |
| More than attribute rating |
x2 |
x2.5 |
x4 |
x5 |
>>>>>Master, why
do I have to study all this stupid things, can’t you just teach me how to
fight?<<<<<
- Blazer
(16:36:11/12-01-2053)
Linked Attributes for Martial Arts
Martial Arts have various linked attributes not only strength like unarmed combat have. In general, soft styles have Quickness as linked attribute (Aikido) and hard styles Strength (Karate Kyokushinkai). Mostly there is only one linked attribute for each martial art but some very difficult of them have more than one, in case of the styles that combine both soft and hard techniques. Sometimes, there is alsow Willpower or Intelligence used as linked attribute in case of styles that include some kind of ‘mind training’.
Buying extra dices, special modifiers and abilities
All Martial Arts have extra
dices, modifiers or special abilities. This additional bonuses have to be
purchased by spending MA points. The character MA points are equal
characters Martial Art rating.
The cost of each ability is given next
to it [ex.: +1 Hand attack strength (1); this ability costs one
point].
When it is possible buy the same bonus more than once the cost
of next bonus is given after slash [ex.: +1 die (1/2/4/6), it means that
first die cost one point, second additional two, third next four and
fourth, six points, so to get +4 dice bonus you have to have 13 rating of
Martial Art)
When next to a rule lack cost, it means that these rule
apply always, (ex. standard damage code (M stun) or
requirements).
Armed martial arts can often be used with more than one
weapon. But actually beginner in Martial Art don't know how to use all
these weapons. Only Masters do. That's why, for every level of your
Martial Art skill you can chose one weapon you are familiar with from
weapons list in this Martial Art (descriptions and statistics of all
weapons are in gear
section). So at skill level of 4 you can use 4 weapons and so
on...
Target Number Modifiers (optional rule)
In this Martial Arts System there
are many TN modifiers. It makes sense that difficult actions have negative
modifiers. Physical adepts have special ability of Centering and they can
lower these negative modifiers even to zero. It makes them extremely
dangerous and can ruin game balance that these modifiers try to guarantee.
This optional rule makes to adepts impossible to use centering on some of
the modifiers.
All modifiers
from special maneuvers change the base number of the roll not the target
number. Because with centering skill you can lower modifier only to base
target number the maneuvers will remain as difficult as they should and
game balance will be kept. All other modifiers (like injury, terrain, and
so on), can be lowered with centering skill normally, only maneuver
modifiers are affected.
Example: John, physical adept, is trying
Killing Strike level 2 special attack from his Commando Training. He
receives +1 TN modifier, this means that he’s base TN=5. He can still try
to lower all other modifiers with his centering skill, but the lowest TN
will be 5.
Learning Martial Arts takes a lot of time. Every time when character wants to raise his martial art skill he have to spend some time training it. To calculate this bace time in training days consult the table below. Training day means 4 hours of training (see Shadowrun Companion p. 50 for details).
|
Skill Improvement Table | |
| Skill Type |
Base Training Time to Improve Skills (in training days) |
| Martial Art |
Required Karma Points spent x 10 |
GM may allow to decrease the time needed to be spend on training if character often uses Martial Art (and runners do it quite often). I’ll leave it to GM’s discreetion.
Jane wants to increase her Aikido skill from 6 to 7. Her linked attribute is 6. The Karma cost will be 7x3=21. So she will have to train for 210 days, 4 hours daily. Or any combination of this two.
Improved Ability Adept Power and Martial Arts (Optional Rule)
Most of fighting styles listed here have greater improvement costs than standard unarmed combat skill because they are more powerful and harder to learn. To keep the game ballance, you can increase the cost of ‘Martial Arts’ for physical adepts, alsow when improving it with magic (Improved Ability Adepr Power). Consult the table below to calculate the new cost of this power.
|
Improved Ability Adept Power Cost Table | ||||
|
Skill Improvement Cost |
x1.5 |
x2 |
x2.5 |
x3 |
|
Improved Ability Cost |
0.5 |
0.75 |
1 |
1.25 |
When calculating Improved Ability Cost use the cost multiplier for skill level less or equeal to attribute rating (the first one in the brackets).
(Martial Art Name) (skill imp. Cost)
Attack (attack types): +1 die
(1st dice cost/2nd dice cost); damage code
Defense (defense types): +1
die (1st dice cost); -1 TN (1st modifier cost)
Linked Attribute:
attribute or attributes
Special abilities:
- ability text (ability
cost)
No Martial Art can be used from default, and you can’t use Martial Art as default for another Martial Art or any other skill unless that Martial Art special rules state different.
When using Martial Arts in play, when Martial Art student wins initiative and attacks, he has to use one of his attack techniques, and when he wins he use damage of adequate attack.
Rig knows Karate Shotokan at rating 8 and has bonuses: Attack: +1 die; Defense +2 die; and one special ability “when blocking subtract one from attackers strength”, he’s quite good. He wins initiative and attacks his opponent with kick, he rolls 9 dices (8 dices skill +1 die bonus) plus some dices from combat pool, his opponent is in big trouble...
When the opponent attacks in his initiative, Martial Art student can only use defense techniques, if he wins he can chose attack and using its damage code and successes deal damage. Of course the chosen attack can’t be the same as defense, like throw as defense and then throw. Here are some examples of defense and following attack: Block+all, Throw+Punch,Kick,Hold, Dodge+All, Hold+nothing (sorry Chummer, Hold is Hold). Other combinations are up to GM, just use common sense.
Somehow Rig’s opponent survived his Kick, and now is trying to hit back, Rig chose to Block his attack rolling 10 dices (8 skill +2 bonus) and having 6 successes, Rig has blocked incoming attack and counterattacked, using Kick (Str)M damage code and had 6 successes. Rig’s opponent has to roll damage resistance test in spite of he was attacking, he gathered 2 successes what means that he is going down with Deadly damage.
There are armed and unarmed martial arts, unarmed martial arts use
unarmed techniques and armed martial arts use armed techniques. Sometimes
it is possible to use some weapons with unarmed martial art skill and
unarmed techniques with armed martial art skill, when this martial art
rules say so.
Armed attack techniques:
- Thrust: this attack is
very dangerous and painful, it is said that thrust attack is the one which
kill, usable only with pointed weapons (sword, rapier etc.)
- Sweep,
Slash: most typical attack for edged weapons, this attack is very powerful
and skillful fighter can even cut off opponents extremity or head with it,
usable with edged weapons (sword, axe etc.)
- Bash, Smash: this
technique can be used to crush opponents bones as well as to stun victim,
this attack is usable only with blunt weapons
Armed defense techniques:
- Dodge: just like in unarmed combat
dodge's purpose is to get out of the way or range of incoming attack,
unfortunately when using dodge against armed opponent modificators for
inferior reach apply, dodge can be used against all attacks
- Parry:
this technique have in purpose to change the direction of incoming attack
in order to neutralize it, usable against all types of attacks, but GM
should add special modificators when paring weapons potentially hard to
parry like axe, halberd etc.
Unarmed attack techniques:
- Punch:
this is hand attack, normally the damage done is (str)M, but many Martial
Arts have special attacks allowing to do greater damage, reach of this
attack is 0
- Kick: this is leg attack, normally the damage done is
(str)M, but many Martial Arts have special attacks allowing to do greater
damage, reach of this attack is 0
- Sweep: this is usually leg attack,
low kick which purpose is to bring the opponent on the ground, it deals no
damage unless special conditions occur but successful attack leaves enemy
lying down, enemy need simple action to get up and till then have +2
modifier to attack and defense tests, against this attack cannot be used
throw and hold, reach of this attack is 0
- Throw: This is an offensive
action, in which attacker uses his own strength to throw his opponent,
damage code of this attack is (1/2 opponent Body + 1/4 own Strength) M
stun, attack leaves enemy lying down, enemy need simple action to get up
and till then have +2 modifier to attack and defense tests, block cannot
be used against this attack, reach of this attack is 0
- Hold: this is
an action which have in purpose to immobile opponent, each two successes
on attack test increase strength opponent is Held with (maximum is Martial
Art skill rating), when after the successful Hold opponent want to get
free he must make strength opposed test, if he wins, he breaks free, but
if he lose every two successes increase strength opponent is Held with by
one(maximum is Martial Art skill rating), Hold cannot be blocked, reach of
this attack is 0
Unarmed defense techniques:
- Block: this technique is used to stop
incoming attacks with hand or leg, it is impossible to block weapon
attacks and attacks with strength is four times greater than defenders
strength and body, Throw and Hold cannot be blocked
- Throw: when using
throw as defense technique, character uses strength of his enemy with
damage code (1/2 opponent Body + 1/4 enemy attack strength) M stun, attack
leaves enemy lying down, enemy need simple action to get up and till then
have +2 modifier to attack and defense tests, you can use throw against
all attacks
- Dodge: this technique is very basic, its purpose is to
get out of the way or range of incoming attack, dodge can be used against
all attacks
Special Rules
for Armed Attack Techniques (Optional Rule)
Each
type of attack has different effects on hit target. To indicate that you
can use this optional armed attack techniques:
- Thrust: this attack is
very dangerous and painful, it is said that thrust attack is the one which
kill, when opponent is hit add 2 to his knockdown test target number and
subtract one from opponents armor, usable only with pointed weapons
(sword, rapier etc.)
- Sweep, Slash: most typical attack for edged
weapons, this attack is very powerful and skillful fighter can even cut
off opponents extremity or head with it, add 1 to attacks strength, usable
with edged weapons (sword, axe etc.)
- Bash, Smash: this technique can
be used to crush opponents bones as well as to stun victim, add one to
opponents knockdown test target number and to attacks strength,
this
attack is usable only with blunt weapons
Using Martial Arts in Astral Combat
Martial arts are used in Astral Combat like unarmed skill is. Special
bonuses or special abilities that martial art guarantee cannot be used in
Astral Combat unless style special abilities state diffrient. It is
beacouse in Astral Plane phisical ability doesn’t cout so much as power of
mind and magic.
If special abilieties for use of fight style in Astral
don’t state diffriend, use the damage codes from the table
below.
|
Astral Damage Codes | |
|
Attack Type |
Damage Code |
|
Unarmed Attack |
(Charisma) M |
|
Armed Attack |
(Charisma) + Weapon Focus Damage |
|
Dual Being |
(Strength) M |
|
Spirit, Focus or Barrier |
(Force) M |
Alsow, not all techniques can be used in astral space. There are alsow
diffriences in the use of this techniques.
Armed attack
techniques:
- Thrust, Sweep, Slash, Bash, Smash: no specjal bonuses
apply but all this attack techniques can be used in Astral Combat with
weapon focus
Armed defense techniques:
- Dodge, Parry: both this
defence techniques can be used in Astral combat
Unarmed attack
techniques:
- Punch, Kick: both this attack techniques can be used in
Astral combat
– Sweep, Throw, Hold: this attack techniques cannot be
used in Astral Combat
Unarmed defense techniques:
- Block, Throw:
this defence techniques cannot be used in Astral Combat
- Dodge: this
technique can be used in Astral Combat without change