Martial Arts: Advantages, Disadvantages, and Skills

The martial arts are ultimately about personal capability. Dedicated fighters train hard, and the most successful tend to be fit, talented people to begin with. These realities make the PCs' advantages, disadvantages, and skills remarkably important in a Martial Arts campaign – worthy of the same attention as exotic powers in a superhero game or magic in a fantasy setting.

Even if the martial arts are "background color" in another type of campaign – fantasy, historical, military, etc. – the GM should realize that martial artists are popular as PCs. To those who like to play them, their aptitudes and training are as vital as their weapons and background. If the GM wants such heroes to be viable and fun, he should lend some thought to how he plans to handle their capabilities. It's crucial to let the players know in advance which traits are allowed, which are off limits, and which work differently.

Advantages

Desirable Advantages

Below are lists of advantages particularly valuable to martial artists, split into categories that reflect common fictional archetypes. Anybody can have the mundane traits, but only cinematic or super-powered characters are likely to have the exotic or supernatural ones.

• Agility and coordination. Fighters who put precision before power and feel that evading blows is more useful than being able to take lumps often have some of these traits, plus good DX, Basic Speed, and/or Basic Move. Mundane: Ambidexterity; Combat Reflexes; Enhanced Defenses; Extra Attack; Flexibility; and Perfect Balance. Exotic & Supernatural: Altered Time Rate; Arm DX; Enhanced Move; Enhanced Time Sense; Slippery; and Super Jump.
• Endurance and toughness. Some martial artists pride themselves on being able to take a few hits. This calls for high HT, FP, Will, and/or HP, along with an advantage or two from this list. Mundane: Fit; Hard to Kill; Hard to Subdue; High Pain Threshold; Rapid Healing; and Resistant. Exotic & Supernatural: Damage Resistance; Injury Tolerance; Recovery; Regeneration; Regrowth; Supernatural Durability; and Unkillable.
• Power and strength. Heavy hitters require ST – as much as they can afford. In some campaigns, advantages that improve damage are available. Exotic & Supernatural: Arm ST; Claws; Striker; Striking ST; and Teeth.
• Situational awareness. Tactical and streetwise warriors try to pick their fights carefully and avoid danger. These traits help, and work best with decent IQ and Per. Mundane: Acute Senses; Danger Sense; Fearlessness; Peripheral Vision; and Unfazeable. Exotic & Supernatural: 360° Vision and Vibration Sense – although any superhuman sense could come in handy.

Finally, anyone who routinely goes on dangerous adventures would benefit from Daredevil and Luck!

Extra Hit Points

The GM may let martial artists with appropriate Style Perks increase Hit Points by up to 100% instead of the usual 30%. Hulking TV wrestlers, heavyweight boxers, and massive sumotori traditionally enjoy this benefit. Such giants should use the Build Table (p. B18) to find weight from HP instead of ST. Use the "Overweight" column for HP up to 130% of ST, the "Fat" column for HP up to 150% of ST, and the "Very Fat" column for HP up to 200% of ST.

Extra HP can also represent an unrealistic damage-taking capacity for ordinary-sized people; see Cinematic Injury. In that case, anyone might be able to buy lots of HP. Hit points in excess of ST don't affect the weight of such characters, or increase the damage they take or inflict in falls and slams. Remember that major wounds, crippling, and death all depend on thresholds calculated from HP. Those with 20+ HP also benefit from High HP and Shock and High HP and Healing.

Common Disadvantages

Many martial artists are honorable warriors, dedicated athletes, or respectful traditionalists. These individuals frequently have such disadvantages as Code of Honor; Disciplines of Faith, typically Asceticism in historical settings; Pacifism, most likely Reluctant Killer or Self-Defense Only; Sense of Duty, to fellow students or a master; and Vow.

The martial arts also attract more than their share of intemperate, obsessed, vengeful, and violent people who want to learn to maim or kill – or who believe in victory at any cost. These individuals often have some combination of Bad Temper; Berserk; Bloodlust; Bully; Callous; Fanaticism; Intolerance; Obsession; and Sadism.

Either kind of fighter might find his confidence in his training blossoming into Overconfidence. From an outsider's perspective, the dedication of a career martial artist looks like Workaholic. Both disadvantages are almost universal among movie action heroes!

Finally, a few disadvantages are actually desirable for certain martial artists. Overweight, Fat, and Very Fat benefit those who practice Sumo, by reducing knockback from shoves and slams. Gigantism (p. B20), by granting +1 SM, gives a discount on the point cost of ST and a bonus to pin attempts, making it valuable to grapplers.

Combat Skills

Where rules in Martial Arts refer to "combat skills," they mean skills that let you attack or defend in melee combat (but not necessarily both – Garrote and Lance can only attack, and Parry Missile Weapons can only defend), or strike from afar using an innate or muscle-powered ranged weapon. The complete list appears below, sorted into subcategories commonly used by the rules. Combat Art and Sport skills aren't combat skills.

Melee Combat Skills

Axe/Mace, Broadsword, Cloak, Flail, Force Sword, Force Whip, Garrote, Jitte/Sai, Knife, Kusari, Lance, Main-Gauche, Monowire Whip, Net, Parry Missile Weapons, Polearm, Rapier, Saber, Shield, Shortsword, Smallsword, Spear, Staff, Tonfa, Two-Handed Axe/Mace, Two-Handed Flail, Two-Handed Sword, Whip, and all unarmed combat skills.

Unarmed Combat Skills

• Grappling Skills: Judo, Sumo Wrestling, and Wrestling.
• Striking Skills: Boxing, Brawling, and Karate.

Ranged Combat Skills

Thrown Weapon Skills

Bolas, Dropping, Lasso, Net, Spear Thrower, Throwing, and Thrown Weapon.

Missile Weapon Skills

Blowpipe, Bow, Crossbow, Innate Attack, and Sling.

The advantages discussed below either work differently in a Martial Arts game or require additional interpretation for martial artists. Consult with the GM before taking any trait described as "cinematic." Such abilities may have additional prerequisites (typically Trained by a Master or Weapon Master) and are likely off-limits in a realistic campaign.

Martial Arts -specific notes are included in the descriptions of these advantages:

Altered Time Rate Body Control Claws Damage Resistance Enhanced Defenses Enhanced Time Sense

Extra Attack Extra Hit Points Fearlessness Flexibility Gizmos

Gunslinger | Heroic Archer Injury Tolerance Innate Attack Regeneration Resistant

Striker Talent Trained by a Master Weapon Master Wild Talent

Chi Powers for Martial Artists

Martial Arts mostly treats passive chi abilities as advantages (e.g., Resistant to Chi Abilities) while modeling active ones as cinematic skills – Lizard Climb, Power Blow, etc. – in order to make them easier to tie into the styles in Chapter 5. Comic books and video games, however, often depict all such capabilities as something akin to psi powers or super-powers. They might be evident at birth, awakened by initiation or ordeal, or even learned (see Learnable Advantages).

Like a psi power, a chi power consists of a set of advantages that must be bought with a power modifier (see Power Modifier). Adept users may purchase levels of a Talent that aids die rolls to use those abilities, comparable to a psionic Talent (see Psionic Talents). Below are two examples.

Body Control

The Body Control power lets you channel your chi internally in order to heal injury, perform amazing athletic feats, purge your body of poison, and so on.

Body Control Talent: You get +1 per level to use any Body Control ability, and can use earned points to acquire new abilities. In some worlds, Inner Balance replaces Body Control Talent and benefits both Body Control abilities and the skills listed for Inner Balance. 5 points/level (15 points/level for Inner Balance).

Body Control Abilities: Breath Holding; Catfall; Damage Resistance, with Tough Skin; Enhanced Defenses (any); Enhanced Move (Ground); Extra Attack, with Multi-Strike; Lifting ST; Metabolism Control; Perfect Balance; Protected Sense (any); Radiation Tolerance; Reduced Consumption; Regeneration; Resistant, to any physical threat; Sensitive Touch; Silence; Striking ST; Super Climbing; Super Jump; Temperature Tolerance; and Universal Digestion.

Power Modifier: Body Control. The advantage is a chi ability within the Body Control power. To maintain it, you must spend a few hours a day exercising and meditating. Take a -10-point Disciplines of Faith or Vow disadvantage to cover this. If you fail to roleplay your disadvantage, your entire power fails the first time you call upon any of its abilities. Once it does, none of your abilities will work and you'll feel ill, suffering an affliction chosen by the GM from those under Irritating Conditions; e.g., coughing/sneezing, drowsy, nauseated, or pain. The only cure is to take 1d days out from other activities to rebalance your chi. -10%.

Chi Projection

The Chi Projection power lets you direct your chi externally in order to blast enemies, project force fields, fly, and so forth.

Chi Projection Talent: You get +1 per level to use any Chi Projection ability, and can use earned points to acquire new abilities. In some worlds, Forceful Chi replaces Chi Projection Talent and benefits both Chi Projection abilities and the skills listed for Forceful Chi. 5 points/level (15 points/level for Forceful Chi).

Chi Projection Abilities: Damage Resistance, with Force Field; Flight; Healing; Obscure (any); Rapier Wit, with Based on HT; Scanning Sense (Para-Radar); Terror, with Based on HT; and Vibration Sense. Chi Projection can justify nearly any Affliction or Innate Attack – and sometimes Telekinesis. The GM will usually restrict you to one or two "signature" attacks and set an upper limit on damage. Be sure to come up with elaborate names and special effects for your attacks! See Innate Attack for examples.

Power Modifier: Chi Projection. The advantage is a chi ability within the Chi Projection power. Otherwise, this is identical to the Body Control limitation. -10%.

Other Powers

The GM who wants to create additional chi powers will get a lot of use out of GURPS Powers. Body Control and Chi Projection (as "Bioenergy") are both there, and the Body Control power modifier appears as a generic -10% modifier – "Chi" – for use with many powers. For instance, Chi can replace the modifiers given for the Antipsi, ESP, Psychic Healing, and Psychokinesis powers, converting them from psi powers to chi powers.

Perks

Three new types of perks are important in Martial Arts games. All can be gained in play. Each perk costs a point. For more, see Perks.

Style Familiarity

Style Familiarity means you’ve studied and/or practiced a martial-arts style. You must pay a point for familiarity with any style you know. (Exception: The “Self-Defense” lens, lets you ignore this requirement...but you won’t enjoy the allowances below.) Its effects are as follows:

• You can acquire the style’s Style Perks, learn its cinematic skills (provided you have Trained by a Master or Weapon Master), improve its techniques whenever you have the points, and buy abilities listed among its “Optional Traits” – even ones that are generally off-limits to PCs, if the GM agrees. Style Familiarity acts as an Unusual Background that gives you access to these things. See Components of a Style.
• You’re familiar with the style’s culture and don’t suffer the -3 for lack of Cultural Familiarity when using such skills as Connoisseur (Weapons), Games, Savoir-Faire (Dojo), or Teaching to interact with co-stylists.
• In most settings, you have the equivalent of a 1-point Claim to Hospitality (p. B41) with a school or instructor.
• If your opponent has studied one or more styles and you have Style Familiarity with them all, you may reduce the defense penalty from his feints and Deceptive Attacks by -1. You’re aware of his styles’ tricks and tactics! If the technique he uses with Deceptive Attack or to follow a feint isn’t an orthodox part of any of his styles, ignore this effect.

In some campaigns, the GM may let you learn Style Familiarity for styles so secret that they lack style descriptions. For these, ignore the rules above and use Shout It Out!.

Style Perks

Style Perks are minor advantages or rules exemptions for veteran warriors. The best way to learn them is to study a martial art, as most styles offer them as advanced training. Anyone may buy one Style Perk per 20 points in combat skills. A martial artist who has Style Familiarity may further buy one of that style's perks per 10 points he has in its techniques and required skills; see Components of a Style. For example, 40 points in style abilities would allow two general perks plus four style-specific ones. Those with Style Familiarity for multiple styles and the minimum investment in each style (see Combining Styles) may count points in skills and techniques as part of each style that shares them.

Below, an asterisk (*) indicates a cinematic perk that requires Trained by a Master or Weapon Master. Perks with a † require specialization by skill, technique, weapon, etc., as noted. A style may offer a more restricted perk, but it still costs a point. The Style Perks for specific styles appear in Chapter 5 – and if they aren’t listed here, they aren't available to non-stylists.

List of Style Perks:

Armor Familiarity† Biting Mastery Chi Resistance*† Cotton Stomach Chiburi Drunken Fighting* Exotic Weapon Training† Form Mastery† Grip Mastery† Ground Guard Improvised Weapons† Iron Body Parts*†

Naval Training Neck Control† Off-Hand Weapon Training† Power Grappling Quick-Sheathe† Quick-Swap† Rapid Retraction† Shield-Wall Training Shtick† Skill Adaptation† Special Exercises† Special Setup†

Strongbow Style Adaptation† Suit Familiarity† Sure-Footed† Teamwork† Technique Adaptation† Technique Mastery† Unique Technique† Unusual Training† Weapon Adaptation† Weapon Bond

Disadvantages

Martial artists will find physical disadvantages unusually crippling – especially such things as Bad Back, Blindness, Lame, Neurological Disorder, One Arm, One Eye, One Hand, Quadriplegic, and Wounded. These problems do suit veterans who've suffered injuries, but they're best avoided when creating warriors as new PCs. Other traits that can make life difficult for fighters are Cannot Learn, Combat Paralysis, Hemophilia, Low Pain Threshold, Pacifism (Total Nonviolence), and Post-Combat Shakes.

The availability of cinematic abilities can alter what's truly "crippling," however. For instance, Blind Fighting can mitigate Blindness, while those with Flight thanks to the Chi Projection power won't be tied down by Lame. Only Cannot Learn and Quadriplegic make it genuinely impossible to be a martial artist.

In the descriptions of these existing disadvantages are suggestions that won't cripple martial artists but that can influence combat in interesting ways. They're ideal for Martial Arts campaigns.

• Code of Honor
• Delusions
• Reputation

Skills

Obviously, the most important skills for martial artists are combat skills (see Combat Skills). The skills discussed here are mainly non-combat skills that merit additional notes for Martial Arts games. For combat techniques,see Martial Arts: Techniques. To learn which skills are associated with a particular fighting style, see Martial Arts: Styles.

Skills marked with an asterisk (*) are cinematic, and unavailable in most realistic settings. In worlds where they exist, you need Trained by a Master or Weapon Master to learn them. Skills with a † require you to select a specialty.

Acrobatics Autohypnosis Blind Fighting* Body Control* Boxing Brawling Breaking Blow* Combat Art or Sport† Connoisseur† Esoteric Medicine

Expert Skill† Fast-Draw† Flying Leap* Games† Group Performance† Hidden Lore† Hobby Skill† Judo Jumping Karate

Kiai* Knot-Tying Light Walk* Main-Gauche Mental Strength* Parry Missile Weapons Power Blow* Pressure Points* Pressure Secrets* Push*

Savoir-Faire† Sports† Stage Combat Sumo Wrestling Tactics Throwing Art* Tonfa Wrestling Zen Archery* Wildcard Skills for Styles*

New Skills

Some additional cinematic skills may be available to those with Trained by a Master or Weapon Master in Martial Arts games.

• Hypnotic Hands*
• Lizard Climb*
• Precognitive Parry*
• Sensitivity*