Martial Arts Abilities for Storyteller

By Blake 1001, Virtual Adept, Disciple (blake1001@technologist.com)

Introduction

Martial Arts already exist in some Storyteller games (Kailindo in Werewolf, and Do in Mage, for instance). And, there are extensive and very complex rules in WoD: Combat for Martial Arts. Unfortunately, the WoD: Combat rules require you to adapt a very different combat system in order to be of use. These rules are an attempt to put detailed, worthwhile, martial arts systems into the standard Storyteller framework. They should be fully compatible with any core Storyteller system; the only concession is the use of 'Stun Levels' to represent 'bashing damage' as in WoD: Combat, Trinity, and the Vampire Revised Edition.

Stun Levels

Stun Levels are very simple: they work just like regular HLs except that they lead to unconsciousness instead of death, and that they take scenes or hours to heal instead of days or weeks. Normally, unarmed combat inflicts SL damage but, you can inflict lethal damage by spending a point of temporary Willpower on the attack. Also, once a character is Incapacitated by SL damage, further SL damage counts as HLs, instead - so you can beat people to death if you really want to.

Martial Arts: Hard/External Styles [full cost Skill]

This skill represents the abilities of a fighter who concentrates on brutal strength and speed training and on techniques to increase force and power. Unlike most skills, it is a supplemental ability; you're not really meant to make rolls against it. Instead, you will generally make Brawl or Melee rolls to use Martial Arts techniques. When you do, add the lower of your Brawl/Melee or Martial Arts to the relevant attribute when determining your dice pool.

Since this is a skill, it is possible to use its basic maneuvers without formal training, though at a +2 difficulty. By the same token, a character with a dot in the skill could attempt Advanced Maneuvers he hasn't yet been able to master. Failing an untrained use of one of these maneuvers will generally cause the character to hurt himself (take your own STR damage).

For each dot in Hard/External Style Martial Arts, you can pick one basic maneuver. For the 4th and 5th dots, you have the option of taking an Advanced Maneuver, instead. You can buy additional Basic Maneuvers for 10 exp each and additional Advanced Maneuvers for 15 exp. Note that Advanced Techniques border on the legendary and may not be suitable for many Chronicles.

*	You can throw a hard punch without flinching - at a practice bag, anyway.
**	You've learned all the katas and stances. Boards fear you.
***	You can use some nasty maneuvers and really hurt people in a fight.
****	You are an expert martial artist and can probably kill with your bare hands.
*****	Bruce Lee -- or the characters he portrayed, at any rate.

Specialties: Specific art (Boxing, Kempo, Muay Thai, Karate, Savat), Individual maneuver, duels, multiple attackers, demonstrations.

Stunning Blow: If you have this technique, you can add your successes on any brawling attack to the number of SL of damage you do.

Killing Blow: If you have this technique, you can choose to have any brawling attack you make inflict HL damage instead of SL.

Breaking Blow: You can add your dots in Hard Style to your Strength to break any braced, inanimate object (like a board or a door, for instance). You can also use this 'extra Strength' to harm helpless opponents.

Disarm: You can use a brawling attack to disarm an opponent. Make the attack as usual and roll normal damage. If the victim fails to soak the damage completely, he has been disarmed.

Toughness: Your training includes exercises to help you resist physical damage (sometimes this involves learning to keep certain muscles tense, to roll with a punch, or simply enduring lots of punishment in practice sessions). You add your dots in Hard Style to your soak against normal (SL) brawling damage. You can also add your dots over 3 to all your soak rolls (ie +2d at Hard Style *****). Neither use of this technique is cumulative with actual armor.

Lighting Strike: You can throw a punch so fast that your opponents can't see it coming. You can make a regular brawling attack, stunning blow, killing blow, or disarm attempt that your opponent cannot attempt to dodge or block, unless they have a Martial Arts skill equal to your own. Alternately, you can launch a flurry of blows: add your dots in Hard Style to your Dex+Brawl pool, but only for purposes of splitting that pool (at least in half) for multiple attacks. For instance, if you had Dex, Brawl, and Hard Style at 4 each, your normal dice pool is 8, but if you split it, you have 12d to distribute, though no more than 6d to any one attack. In either case, you can add your dots in Hard Style to your Initiative dice pool.

Power Focus: You can strike with superhuman force. Add your success on any brawl attack (except Stunning Blow or a Soft Style attack) to your damage dice.

Knife Hand/Tiger Claw: You can actually cut or rend flesh with your bare hands. This maneuver inflicts STR+2 dice of HL damage, and is truly terrifying to most opponents. You can use Power Focus or Atemi (but not both) in conjunction with this maneuver. (Alternately, your ST may allow you to make a special brawling attack at difficulty 8, which inflicts your STR (no modifiers) in dice of Aggravated Damage.)

Martial Arts: Soft/Internal Styles [Knowledge]

This Knowledge represents the understanding of special techniques that give you a particular advantage in hand to hand combat. It is a Knowledge, rather than a Skill, because the untrained have no chance of imitating its techniques. Likewise, a basic (1-3 dots) student of Internal Styles cannot attempt Advanced Techniques. Also, though classed as a Knowledge, it costs as much to advance as a Skill (in those games where Abilities have different costs).

When using any Martial Technique, use the lower of the character's Martial Arts or other appropriate Ability when determining his dice pool. For instance, a character with Brawl **** and Internal Style ** using a Throw maneuver would have his Dex + 2 dice in his pool.

For each dot in Soft/Internal Style Martial Arts, you can pick one basic maneuver. For the 4th and 5th dots, you have the option of taking an Advanced Techniques, instead. You can buy additional Basic Maneuvers for 10 exp each and additional Advanced Techniques for 15 exp. Note that Advanced Techniques border on the legendary and may not be suitable for many Chronicles.

*	You've shown up for Aikido class every week for a while now and some of it's starting to make sense.
**	You have learned a few tricks that might help you in a fight, if you remember to use them.
***	You can defend yourself against armed and unarmed attackers with an excellent chance of success.
****	Your knowledge makes you a dangerous, almost uncanny opponent. Untrained fighters have no chance against you.
*****	O Sensei (Mori Ueshiba, the founder of Aikido). The Akashics are looking to recruit you . . . or learn from you.

Specialties: Specific art (Aikido, Tai Chi Chuan), Individual maneuver, philosophical aspects, multiple attackers, demonstrations.

Throw: Make a brawling attack or block against an opponent; if you score at least one extra success, he also falls.

Disarm: Block or grab an opponent; if you score at least one extra success, he drops his weapon.

Lock: Add dots in Soft/Internal Styles to your STR to immobilize an opponent (use Brawl to grab him). If the Lock isn't broken, the victim takes his own Strength in dice of SL damage from struggling.

Enhanced Dodge: When facing more than one opponent, you can add your dots in Soft/Internal Styles to your Dex+Dodge pool for purposes of splitting your dice pool (at least in half) only. Thus if you have DEX 3, Dodge 5, and S/I Styles at 4, you can have a total Dodge pool of 12 dice, so long as you assign no more than 6d to any one dodge attempt. This bonus can also apply to splitting between dodge and another action. If the above character also had Brawl 2, for instance, she could have a pool of 9d to split between Brawl and Dodge (with no more than 4d (9/2) in Brawl, and no more than 6d in Dodge)

Nerve Touch: Inflict 2 SL + 1 SL (not dice) per success with a Dex+Brawl roll.

Atemi: Add 1d of damage per success to any brawl or melee attack. This does not combine with the Advanced 'Hard' Technique, Power Focus.

Chi-Flow/Root: You can direct your internal energies to exert great force or hold yourself immobile. Add your dots in Soft/Internal Styles to your STR for purposes of moving great weights, pushing opponents or resisting being pushed or pulled in any direction.

Martial Arts: Legendary Techniques

If your ST allows, you may be able to learn one of the following. Learning a Legendary Technique costs 7 freebie points, or 30 exp. Legendary Techniques are almost magickal themselves, and cannot be combined with any other sort of supernatural power.

Dim Mak: This is the infamous 'Death Touch,' and should probably be simulated by appropriate supernatural techniques, like Akashic Sphere Magick. However, if the ST wants normal humans to be able to learn such things, a character who has already learned the Advanced Techniques of Atemi, Nerve Touch, and Power Focus, can attempt to learn Dim Mak. Dim Mak inflicts 1 HL of damage per success on a difficulty 8 Dex+Brawl roll. This requires only a touch, so the victim may not even be aware of it. Damage can be caused to occur immediately, or at a set time, hours, or even days hence. Dim Mak cannot be soaked, and can be made Aggravated with the expenditure of a Willpower point. Most Supernaturals can resist Dim Mak (Vampires and Wraiths are immune; Werewolves soak with Gnosis, Mages with Arete and Changelings with Banality).

No-Touch Technique: This is the reputed ability of some Martial Artists to affect opponents or objects without even touching them. Some Aikido masters can pull this off in demonstrations, mainly because their students expect it, but the true ability is much more impressive (if it exists at all in the Chronicle). Mori Ueshiba, for instance, was said to have flipped over a trolley car with a single Ki shout. A character who has already learned Throw, Enhanced Dodge, Chi-Flow/Root, and Power Focus can attempt to develop the No-Touch Technique. This technique allows the character to use Martial Techniques and brawling attacks on opponents up to one meter/success away (this uses up successes, so a Nerve Touch that would have done 6 SLs at HTH range, would do only 4 at 2m and would fail completely beyond 4) or to use them at normal hand-to-hand distances with a -2 difficulty.

Zanshin: This is a mystical state of mind that reputedly renders the Master invincible. Whether it exists is, of course, highly debatable. To learn Zanshin, the character must first master Enhanced Dodge, Chi-Flow/Root, and Lightning Strike. Zanshin allows the master to fight with deceptive grace and inhuman speed. He can add his dots in the lower of Hard or Soft Styles to his combat dice pools for all purposes.

Flowing Water: This legendary ability allows the master to avoid any attack directed at him -- Aikido-ka explain it as becoming one with the universe, and to attack the universe is an absurdity. A character must have already learned Escape, Enhanced Dodge, Chi-Flow/Root, and the No-Touch Legendary Technique, in order to possibly develop Flowing Water. Mastery of the Flowing Water Technique allows the character to make a free (without splitting dice pools, and in addition to any other actions) Dex+Dodge roll against any number of attacks or attackers in a given turn, even those he may not be consciously aware of. Though it requires it as a prerequisite, Flowing Water cannot be used in conjunction with Chi-Flow/Root, nor can any Hard/External Techniques be used in conjunction with it.

Iron-Skin Protection: This is the legendary power supposedly held by the Shao-lin priests and the fighters of the Boxxer Rebellion. It is unlikely to work in front of skeptical witnesses, especially when firearms are involved -- much like Hedge Magick. To learn this Technique, the master must have already learned Toughness, Knife Hand/Tiger Claw, Power Focus, and Chi-Flow/Root. Iron-Skin Protection adds one die to the character's soak roll per dot in the lower of his Hard or Soft Styles. Iron-Skin soaks all attacks, including firearms and aggravated damage. It is well known that the Boxxers (at least the vast majority of them) did not really possess this ability; it was merely a ploy by their leaders to bolster their courage. It is entirely possible that the same would be true of any character buying the technique.