ToB Maneuvers: self-taught or instructed? a question on martial art conventions

[elliott20]

one of the big staples in martial art novels is the acquisition of a secret tome or manual that outlines a style or move that is more powerful than anything in existence. Sometimes, the manual could dictate your entire development as a character as your whole style morphs with your personality. Sometimes, the manual may only contain a single move that allows you to gain more power by simply applying your existing strengths differently.

this convention, however, seems to be missing from the ToB. Best guess? people are leaving up to the GM to figure it out himself. But by the RAW, people will pretty much just level up and "PING" instant knowledge. (In the same way that clerics do not need to learn the new spell, just pray for it once they're capable of casting it.)

This convention, I'm sure, probably reminds you of the wizard spell list. And it's of no surprise to me. But the convention of martial arts learning in martial art literature can far more than just a single spell. It can be who you are.

The thing is, not ALL new maneuvers you learn are the result of reading some fancy book and practicing what is in it. Some of it could just be extension of your existing moves or perhaps you really DID just figure out a new trick with an old move.

Not really proposing a houserule or anything. But I do wonder how YOU handle your player's acquisition of martial maneuvers.

[NEO|Phyte]

I see it as varying by character. Reshar traveled the world seeking out the teachers of all 9 schools, but Joe Martial Adept might just have a few tricks he picked up from wherever that he tries to improve upon, possibly with outbursts like "Hey y'all, watch this!"

[Pie Guy]

ESPECIALLY things like teleport. That's just a wtf thing.

I personally like learning things on yourself, wizards being random scribes, ect.

[Yukitsu]

Let them backstory it how they want. We can't all be kung-fu geniuses with the buddha's palm technique, even if a crazy old man is giving them out like candy.

[Nerd-o-rama]

A character of mine is planning to get training to multiclass into Warblade from a Warblade party member. Of course, due to personality conflicts, their styles will probably turn out...rather differently.

Training with a master is even more common than training from lost tomes and writings, and there's no rules for that either.

[Keld Denar]

"Hey y'all, watch this!"

Famous red neck last words?

I thought the general consession was for a fighter to come across a wierd sensi who speaks crypically and makes the fighter do repetative mundane tasks. Then, it the fighters ultimate need, he remembers the crypic instructions of his master, gains a 2nd wind, and proceeds to kick the bad guys tail with his newfound wisdom?

See, Karate Kid (all) Rocky (all), and Star Wars (YODA!)

[Knaight]

Honestly I use all sorts, some characters are self taught(for instance me in real life), others have training(lots of other people in real life). So you might have Knaight's lunging half moon uppercut, which was totally improvised by figuring out a few effective things and it just evolved, or you might have the Secret Twin Dragon Kick that you learn from a book, or the Mighty River Bends Barrels around the Corner that your master teaches you because he thinks you need a more defenisve style(that saves your butt later as you remember it).

[elliott20]

well, there are several conventions in terms of power growth. Jin Yong novels typically show two types:

1. instructional: either from teacher or from manuscript. these type of instructions can include lessons on how to accumulate and mold your chi to lessons on pure technique and precision.

2. insta-growth: this is especially common in Jin Yong's later novels, as his protagonists started to get younger and younger. Basically, a person's power, or gongli (yes I know that's the name of that Cantonese actress. It's not the same thing), can be transferred in a variety of ways. These guys are basically the cheaters who somehow come upon their powers without putting that much effort into it. i.e. In the Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils, the main character Duan Yu learns a lot of his kungfu almost by accident, the most important being the skill that allowed him to drain other people's energy and make himself grow stronger from it. (vampiric touch, sigh...) Through this, he was able to very quickly becoming very powerful very quick. HAX!!!