Martial Artist

[PhoenixRising]

The idea I'm bandying about now comes from my experience with Tae Kwon Do (I'm testing for a 2nd-Dan Black Belt come October, wish me luck[!!!]). In TKD, there are certain forms or poomses (there's no good way to spell it), which are most useful against enemies in certain positions. What I started thinking about, however, was how you could apply the concept of a combo to a martial arts class to give them unique powers without making them too strong.

Assume a character (I'm bad with stats, so I'll post them when I have them) who is a Martial Artist. They have five 'slots' A-B-C-D-E. They could do punch-punch-punch-punch-punch, kick-kick-kick-punch-punch, punch-kick-punch etc.

They have at their disposal:
a punch (d3)
a kick (d3)
a flying kick (d8 and requires opposed STR check for target to remain standing, but requires space for a 10 foot running start and occupies 2 attack slots, say A and B)
a 5-foot step
a push (no damage, knocks enemy prone or back 5 feet)
a stomp (d6 against prone targets only)

The martial artist is facing one enemy. He takes a move action to run forward, then transfers to a flying sidekick (d20 Atk, d8 damage, d20 knock enemy down), which he follows with two punches and a kick. He inflicts d8 and 2d3 points of damage, which is high but not obscenely, and can influence the shape of combat: Use a push to drive an enemy away from the spellcaster. The other advantage of the form is that it allows for the attacking of multiple targets: Deliver a flying kick against one, then kick a second opponent in the chest.

This is still a very early draft, let me know what you think!

[EvilElitest]

If this is just one style of materail arts (good luck getting you belt by the way) shouldn't it have a different name? I mean a master of Kung Fu and a master of Karate are both martial Artists, you see what i mean
from,
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[SurlySeraph]

This takes me back to when I did TKD. Never got my black belt, though. I like the idea, and how you've worked it out definitely looks reasonable. Maybe you could add in blocks, so that the martial artist can use one of his actions to protect himself or an ally. Also, maybe the martial artist should gain improved versions of the attacks as his level increases (e.g. push -> push kick -> sweep kick).

[Arakune]

The idea I'm bandying about now comes from my experience with Tae Kwon Do (I'm testing for a 2nd-Dan Black Belt come October, wish me luck[!!!]). In TKD, there are certain forms or poomses (there's no good way to spell it), which are most useful against enemies in certain positions. What I started thinking about, however, was how you could apply the concept of a combo to a martial arts class to give them unique powers without making them too strong.

Assume a character (I'm bad with stats, so I'll post them when I have them) who is a Martial Artist. They have five 'slots' A-B-C-D-E. They could do punch-punch-punch-punch-punch, kick-kick-kick-punch-punch, punch-kick-punch etc.

They have at their disposal:
a punch (d3)
a kick (d3)
a flying kick (d8 and requires opposed STR check for target to remain standing, but requires space for a 10 foot running start and occupies 2 attack slots, say A and B)
a 5-foot step
a push (no damage, knocks enemy prone or back 5 feet)
a stomp (d6 against prone targets only)

The martial artist is facing one enemy. He takes a move action to run forward, then transfers to a flying sidekick (d20 Atk, d8 damage, d20 knock enemy down), which he follows with two punches and a kick. He inflicts d8 and 2d3 points of damage, which is high but not obscenely, and can influence the shape of combat: Use a push to drive an enemy away from the spellcaster. The other advantage of the form is that it allows for the attacking of multiple targets: Deliver a flying kick against one, then kick a second opponent in the chest.

This is still a very early draft, let me know what you think!

Let's do it. just give me some time. Also, I did (stoped for the colledge) Hapkido before, and it's almost the same (some cosmetic changes here and there in the kicks, more grapple/counter attacks).
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PhoenixRising
Medium Humanoid (Human)
Fighter 12 , True Neutral or Lawfull Good
HD: 12d10
AC: 13 (10, +3 Dex); touch 13; flat-footed 10;
Speed: 30 ft
Base Attack/Grapple: +12/+13
Iniciative: +7
Attack: +15/+10/+5 Unarmed Attack (1d3+1, 20x2)
Full Attack: +15/+10/+5 Unarmed Attack (1d3+1, 20x2)
Abilities: Str 13 (+1), Dex 16 (+3), Con 13 (+1), Int 12 (+1), Wis 13 (+1), Cha 14 (+2)
Saves: Fort +7(+1), Ref +5 (+3), Will +3 (+3)
Feats: Improved Iniciative (1st), Improved Unnarmed Attack (Human), Combat Expertise (1st, fighter), Weapon Finese:Unnarmed Attack (2nd, fighter), Dodge (3rd), Combat Reflexes (4th, fighter), Improved Trip (6th), Power Attack (6th, fighter), Mobility (8th, figther), Lightning Reflexes (9th), Improved Overrun (10th, fighter), Stunning Fist (12th, fighter), Cleave (12th).
Skills [ ((2+1)*4 + 4)+(11*3)]: Jump 16 (+1), Tumble 8 (+4), Concentration X, Knowledge X, Swin X, Craft X, Bluff X, Profession X
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Or, you can use any Martial Arts variant instead of Improved Unnarmed attack. Here's my aproach:

Feats: Improved Iniciative (1st), *Martial Arts (Human), Combat Expertise (1st, fighter), Weapon Finese:Unnarmed Attack (2nd, fighter), Dodge (3rd), Combat Reflexes (4th, fighter), Improved Trip (6th), Power Attack (6th, fighter), Mobility (8th, figther), *Improved Martial Arts (9th), Improved Overrun (10th, fighter), *Stunning Fist (12th, fighter), *Greater Martial Arts (12th).

Attack: +15/+10/+5 Unarmed Attack (1d4+2, 20x3).

[elliott20]

I don't get it. Is this supposed to be a feat, a PrC or just a general approach to implementing martial arts?

In any case, there have been a large number of PrCs that try to emulate that very thing. A lot of them suffer from customizability.

[Devouring Rage]

Recently I wanted to try out making a Martial Artist class that worked similar to how ToB works, but different also. Stances would be like ToB sort of, and possibly grouped into generic fighting styles. There would be different combat maneuvers available that would allow for interesting attacks.

Sadly, I do not know a whole lot about martial arts and doubt I would do a good job portraying it.

Nonetheless, ToB does a pretty good job with it.

[PhoenixRising]

Wow, thanks for the support.

EvilElitest: There are many styles of martial arts, but from a purely rules point of view, many of them are similar: Karate & Tae Kwon Do have fundamentally the same movements (they both use the human body) but TKD is faster, more brutal, and more direct.

Surly: I thought about that, but a block is really only powerful in the moment of contact, so it would have to be an AoO type thing: Block (roll opposed Atk rolls, then counter-attack). Maybe the block sets him up for a 3-hit AoO: He blocks, then punch the guy then a push to knock him over. Also, I like the ability rank up, but the basic middle punch is used from white belt to black belt, so some abilities must just level up with him.

ryuan, you are brilliant.

Elliot, how do you mean they "suffer from customizability?" Also, this would probably be a mechanic that monks and PrCs could use, with a base PrC to start with.

Devouring: I hadn't looked at ToB recently. I'll check it out.


I think this forum is just about one of the web's best. :xykon: :elan:

And not just for the awesome smileys. No, really.

[Harold]

I like it but isn't it alot like a monk

[PhoenixRising]

I like it but isn't it alot like a monk

Yes and no. I'm trying to cut away the somewhat generic martial arts of the monk and replace them with something that better represents the power of hand to hand combat: It doesn't do a lot of damage (punching someone) but it can do other things a weapon can't (throws, momentum tricks, the fact that you have four attack patches at least, more if you can/will headbutt), and the versatility that a human weapon has.

[ForzaFiori]

I like it, but think there should be a few more moves, such as trips, throws, etc. I've never taken TKD, but i'm a 4th Dan in Gojuryu and Kobudo, and one of their main things is throws/trips (along with the obvious punches and kicks)

[PhoenixRising]

I like it, but think there should be a few more moves, such as trips, throws, etc. I've never taken TKD, but i'm a 4th Dan in Gojuryu and Kobudo, and one of their main things is throws/trips (along with the obvious punches and kicks)

I second, but I would view those more as decisions by the player than framework rules (there's a rule for knocking somebody prone included, so adaptations of that combined with the normal Trip rules would be the cleanest implementation.