2E Martial Arts Rules for the 3.5 Monk

[TopCheese]

I have been reading up on some of my old 2e books and I came across something that could be fun to add onto the 3.5 Monk.

Don't get me wrong this isn't a "fix" but more of an inquiry.

In the "Complete Fighter's Handbook" from 2e there was a table (got I love tables) that have the following.

Martial Arts Attack Roll
Martial Arts Maneuver
DMG
%KO

The better the Martial Arts Attack Roll (MAAR) the better chance of knocking the creature out. Depending on the MAAR you hit a specific location (or graze) which determines your damage...

So why not add this over to the 3.5 Monk? Has anyone tried this? What could be the problem with porting this over?

I'm going to add this to the Homebrew section but I wanted to get some feedback from here since it gets more traffic.

[Amphetryon]

I have been reading up on some of my old 2e books and I came across something that could be fun to add onto the 3.5 Monk.

Don't get me wrong this isn't a "fix" but more of an inquiry.

In the "Complete Fighter's Handbook" from 2e there was a table (got I love tables) that have the following.

Martial Arts Attack Roll
Martial Arts Maneuver
DMG
%KO

The better the Martial Arts Attack Roll (MAAR) the better chance of knocking the creature out. Depending on the MAAR you hit a specific location (or graze) which determines your damage...

So why not add this over to the 3.5 Monk? Has anyone tried this? What could be the problem with porting this over?

I'm going to add this to the Homebrew section but I wanted to get some feedback from here since it gets more traffic.
Specific hit locations were and are the biggest problem. D&D's abstraction of combat REALLY strains once you add in the ability to hit a particular limb.

[ArcturusV]

I never used that. I do remember using the Martial Arts rules from Combat and Tactics in 2nd edition. Worked well enough. Might be some good ideas to salvage from there. Though I doubt the two system are compatible. Always was a problem with 2nd edition. No series of modules/expansions played nice with any other series.

[TopCheese]

Specific hit locations were and are the biggest problem. D&D's abstraction of combat REALLY strains once you add in the ability to hit a particular limb.

I would see this as an attempt to add it in as a class feature for one class (Monk).

We already have maneuvers that target specific parts. Bull Rush (body), Trip (legs), Disarm (hands), Sunder (items), and whatever else I'm missing. Heck you even get to target a Hydra's head.

I'm sure body parts wouldn't be that hard to incorporate... Or would it?


I never used that. I do remember using the Martial Arts rules from Combat and Tactics in 2nd edition. Worked well enough. Might be some good ideas to salvage from there. Though I doubt the two system are compatible. Always was a problem with 2nd edition. No series of modules/expansions played nice with any other series.

I don't think they fixed that problem till 4e came out and even then some of the stuff is pretty iffy (psionics and core works but.. it is a bit odd having them side by side).