suburbaknght
First Post
I've been a bit disapointed by the Martial Artist in d20 Modern; it's a good class and allows customization for different martial arts with the feats but it doesn't really define existing martial arts in d20 terms. To that end I have written "Martial Arts Styles" in the same format as Oriental Adventures for existing martial arts. Opinions would be appreciated.
Note: This uses feats from Oriental Adventures.
The Martial Artists described in the D20 Modern book are the principal practitioners of unarmed martial arts in D20 Modern, while Soldiers (and to an extent Body Guards) are the experts in armed martial arts. Characters of all classes (and advanced classes), however, can learn at least some of the techniques of martial arts – and in a D20 Modern campaign, they do so in the context of well-defined schools and traditions. Learning a martial art is more than selecting a couple of interesting feats. It involves commitment to a particular style of fighting – one that emphasizes kicks over blows with the hand, for example, or one that teaches throws rather than strikes.
A martial arts style is a collection of feats that practitioners of that style learn to enhance their prowess in combat – armed or unarmed. The class-based selection of bonus feat that may be learned are broad martial arts styles, generally emphasizing certain techniques of armed combat. The Strong Hero, for example, emphasizes physical strength and stamina by teaching feats such as Brawl and Power Attack. The Fast Hero, by contrast, emphasizes speed and skill by teaching the Dodge and Combat Expertise feats.
Similarly, schools of unarmed combat have certain styles reflected in the specific feats they teach. One fundamental difference between styles is the distinction between hard forms and soft forms. Hard forms emphasize the use of muscles and bones for power, relying on direct movements and offensive focus. Hard styles often build on the Power Attack feat. Soft forms rely more on inner power, utilizing fluid and circular motions and redirecting an attackers movements with a more defensive approach. Soft styles often build on the Combat Expertise feat. Many styles use a combination of hard and soft forms, and may or may not make use of Power Attack and Combat Expertise.
Within each form, styles make use of certain methods of attack and defense. These methods, and the feats associated with them, are listed in Table 2: Martial Arts Styles.
No style makes use of only one method. Table 2: Martial Arts Styles illustrates sample styles for the world of D20 Modern based on real life martial arts styles (such as Aikido, Mai Tai kick boxing, and Kung Fu) including armed styles (such as Kenjitsu and Kung Fu). The feats of a style can be learned in any order, except in the case of feats with prerequisites.
Following the path of a martial arts style has certain benefits. A character who masters the feas with a style gains a mastery ability related to the techniques of that style. Some styles have one mastery ability; others have multiple abilities that a character gains as she masters different aspects of that style. Mastery abilities are a bit like the synergy bonuses a character gains if she has several ranks in certain skills: characters who learn certain combinations of feats gain an extra edge for doing so.
A Martial Artist may select a feat instead of a class ability in order to continue progressing towards a style mastery. If a Martial Artist selects a feat instead of a class ability and the class ability is a higher die of damage, the next time she gains increased unarmed damage as a class ability it is only one die increase (i.e. if Roxanne chooses Combat Throw instead of Living Weapon d6, when she gets Living Weapon d8 she only gains the benefit of Living Weapon d6). A Martial Artist may also select any feat from Table 1 as a bonus feat.
Martial Arts Styles
Mastery Ability Name
Basic description of the style.
Prerequisites: Feats and (in some cases) skills or other abilities required for a character to master the style.
Benefits: The benefit a character gains for mastering the style.
Aikido
You have mastered Aikido (IE-kee-doe), a soft style which aims to disable attackers rather than hurting them. To this end Aikido utilizes a series of throws, trips, and disarming techniques.
Prerequisites: Agile Riposte, Combat Throw, Dodge, Defensive Martial Arts, Grappling Block, Improved Disarm, Improved Grapple, Unbalance Opponent, 6 or more ranks in Balance and Tumble.
Benefits: Once per day, you can make yourself unmovable. You automatically win an opposed Strength check when an opponent attempts to bull rush you. A creature with the improved grab ability must move into your space to grapple you, since it cannot pull you into its space. No spell or other effect can force you to move. If you become frightened or panicked, you suffer the full effect of the feat but do not run away. You cannot move, even to make a 5-foot step, while this ability is in effect. T his ability lasts for 1 round per level, but you can end it at any time.
British Bareknuckle Boxing
Oft neglected as a fighting style, Bareknuckle Boxing is a seamless blend of finesse and brutal, dirty fighting techniques
Prerequisites: Brawl, Combat Martial Arts, Improved Brawl, Improved Combat Martial Arts, Improved Feint, Improved Knockout Punch, Knockout Punch, Street Fighting.
Benefit: The bonus die of damage from Streetfighting is increased to a d6. Also, you can use brawl and martial arts techniques together without penalty.
Choy Li Fut
You have mastered Choi Li Fut (chow lee fue), also known as “Drunken Boxing.” By moving around as if half drunk you are able to dodge attacks with greater – and often unexpected – precision and launch attacks from seemingly awkward stances.
Prerequisites: Combat Expertise, Defensive Martial Arts, Dodge, Elusive Target, Mobility, Spring Attack, Unbalance Opponent, Dex 14+.
Benefits: When using Combat Expertise gain an additional +1 bonus to Defense (i.e. if you take a –2 penalty to attack you get a +3 bonus to Defense). You must take at least a –1 penalty to attack to use this ability.
Judo
You have mastered Judo (JUE-doe), a modern version of the ancient Japanese martial art Jujitsu developed by Dr. Jigoro Kano in 1882. Judo is most well known for its throwing, grappling, and wrestling techniques.
Prerequisites: Brawl or Combat Martial Arts, Choke Hold, Combat Throw, Defensive Martial Arts, Earth’s Embrace, Improved Combat Throw, Improved Grapple, 5 or more ranks of Escape Artist.
Benefits: When you deal damage while grappling, if you choose to deal non-lethal damage you may add your wisdom modifier to the damage.
Karate
You have mastered Karate (kah-rah-TAE), a hard form fighting method involving a variety of techniques, including blocks, strikes, evasions, throws, and joint manipulations. Karate masters are most well known for their Karate shouts and katas (forms).
Prerequisites: Combat Martial Arts, Combat Throw, Defensive Martial Arts, Fists of Iron, Flying Kick, Greater Ki Shout, Ki Shout, Stunning Fist.
Benefits: Your Ki shouts can effect opponents with Hit Dice equal to or less than your level (normally Ki shouts can only effect opponents with fewer hit dice than you have levels). Also, if before entering combat you spend an hour practicing your katas you gain a +1 to attack rolls and to your defense for the first 3 rounds of combat.
Kenjitsu
You have mastered Kenjitsu (ken-jet-SUE), the direct descendant of samurai katana techniques. It has been made into kendo – a sport using wooden bamboo swords (called shinai) to practice the martial techniques used hundreds of years ago. Kendo students may gain the benefits of Kenitsu.
Prerequisties: Archaic Weapon Proficiency, Combat Expertise, Exotic Melee Weapon Proficiency (Katana), Power Attack, Superior Combat Expertise, Weapon Focus (Katana)
Benefits: You are adept at wielding a weapon for both attacking and defense. When you wield a melee weapon you have selected as the beneficiary of Weapon Focus you gain an additional +1 to attacks and gain a +1 dodge bonus to Defense against melee attacks.
Krav Maga
You have mastered Krav Maga, a modern hard martial art stressing combat preparedness and physical fitness was developed in the 1940’s for use by the Israeli Defense Force (I.D.F.). Krav Maga includes techniques utilized in Aikido, Karate, boxing, Judo, and Jujitsu, adapted for use in modern combat situations.
Prerequisites: Athletic, Combat Martial Arts, Defensive Martial Arts, Combat Expertise, Improved Combat Martial Arts, Improved Disarm, Improved Initiative, Streetfighting, Base Attack Bonus +6 or higher.
Benefits: For the first round of combat you gain a +20 to your initiative check. After the last person has gone recalculate your initiative for the rest of combat.
Special: Soldiers may take any of the prerequisite feats for Krav Maga as bonus feats or in place of Soldier special abilities if a member of a military force that teaches Krave Maga (i.e. I.D.F., Mosad, Israeli Police Forces, and various allied military forces).
Kung Fu
You have mastered Kung Fu – a hard/soft form emphasizing weapon use and strikes to pressure points.
Prerequisites: Archaic Weapon Proficiency, Combat Martial Arts, Falling Star Strike, Fists of Iron (or the Martial Artist’s Iron Fist ability), Freezing the Lifeblood, Improved Combat Martial Arts, Stunning Fist, 6 or more ranks in Jump and Tumble.
Benefits: The saving throw DC of your stunning attack and other pressure point attacks is increased by 2. You also gain Weapon Focus as a bonus feat; you must already have proficiency with the weapon and you must select one of the following weapons for the feat to apply to: chain, cleaver, club, knife, nunchaku, quarterstaff , shortsword, spear, three section staff tonfa, unarmed strike.
Mai Tai Kickboxing
You have mastered Mai Tai (MIE-tie), a hard form emphasizing empty strikes with the hand and quick kicks.
Prerequisites: Advanced Combat Martial Arts, Combat Martial Arts, Fists of Iron (or the Martial Artist’s Iron First ability), Flying Kick (Or Martial Artist’s Flying Kick Ability), Improved Combat Martial Arts, Roundabout Kick, Weapon Focus (Unarmed Strike), Living Weapon d6.
Benefits: Your unarmed damage increases by one die type, as if you were one size category larger than you are.
Old Damage (each) New Damage
1d2 1d3
1d3 1d4
1d4 1d6
1d6 1d8
1d8 1d10
1d10 2d6
1d12 2d8
1d20 4d6
Tai Chi Chuan
You have mastered Tai Chi Chuan (tie chee chwan), an ancient Chinese martial art known for its health benefits and high level of effectiveness in combat.
Prerequisites: Alertness, Combat Throw, Defensive Martial Arts, Dodge, Endurance, Focused, Great Fortitude, Improved Initiative, 6 or more ranks of Concentration.
Benefits: Every time you gain a level you gain +1 hit points.
If people have suggestions or other martial arts forms I'd appreciate their sharing.
Note: This uses feats from Oriental Adventures.
The Martial Artists described in the D20 Modern book are the principal practitioners of unarmed martial arts in D20 Modern, while Soldiers (and to an extent Body Guards) are the experts in armed martial arts. Characters of all classes (and advanced classes), however, can learn at least some of the techniques of martial arts – and in a D20 Modern campaign, they do so in the context of well-defined schools and traditions. Learning a martial art is more than selecting a couple of interesting feats. It involves commitment to a particular style of fighting – one that emphasizes kicks over blows with the hand, for example, or one that teaches throws rather than strikes.
A martial arts style is a collection of feats that practitioners of that style learn to enhance their prowess in combat – armed or unarmed. The class-based selection of bonus feat that may be learned are broad martial arts styles, generally emphasizing certain techniques of armed combat. The Strong Hero, for example, emphasizes physical strength and stamina by teaching feats such as Brawl and Power Attack. The Fast Hero, by contrast, emphasizes speed and skill by teaching the Dodge and Combat Expertise feats.
Similarly, schools of unarmed combat have certain styles reflected in the specific feats they teach. One fundamental difference between styles is the distinction between hard forms and soft forms. Hard forms emphasize the use of muscles and bones for power, relying on direct movements and offensive focus. Hard styles often build on the Power Attack feat. Soft forms rely more on inner power, utilizing fluid and circular motions and redirecting an attackers movements with a more defensive approach. Soft styles often build on the Combat Expertise feat. Many styles use a combination of hard and soft forms, and may or may not make use of Power Attack and Combat Expertise.
Within each form, styles make use of certain methods of attack and defense. These methods, and the feats associated with them, are listed in Table 2: Martial Arts Styles.
No style makes use of only one method. Table 2: Martial Arts Styles illustrates sample styles for the world of D20 Modern based on real life martial arts styles (such as Aikido, Mai Tai kick boxing, and Kung Fu) including armed styles (such as Kenjitsu and Kung Fu). The feats of a style can be learned in any order, except in the case of feats with prerequisites.
Following the path of a martial arts style has certain benefits. A character who masters the feas with a style gains a mastery ability related to the techniques of that style. Some styles have one mastery ability; others have multiple abilities that a character gains as she masters different aspects of that style. Mastery abilities are a bit like the synergy bonuses a character gains if she has several ranks in certain skills: characters who learn certain combinations of feats gain an extra edge for doing so.
A Martial Artist may select a feat instead of a class ability in order to continue progressing towards a style mastery. If a Martial Artist selects a feat instead of a class ability and the class ability is a higher die of damage, the next time she gains increased unarmed damage as a class ability it is only one die increase (i.e. if Roxanne chooses Combat Throw instead of Living Weapon d6, when she gets Living Weapon d8 she only gains the benefit of Living Weapon d6). A Martial Artist may also select any feat from Table 1 as a bonus feat.
Martial Arts Styles
Mastery Ability Name
Basic description of the style.
Prerequisites: Feats and (in some cases) skills or other abilities required for a character to master the style.
Benefits: The benefit a character gains for mastering the style.
Aikido
You have mastered Aikido (IE-kee-doe), a soft style which aims to disable attackers rather than hurting them. To this end Aikido utilizes a series of throws, trips, and disarming techniques.
Prerequisites: Agile Riposte, Combat Throw, Dodge, Defensive Martial Arts, Grappling Block, Improved Disarm, Improved Grapple, Unbalance Opponent, 6 or more ranks in Balance and Tumble.
Benefits: Once per day, you can make yourself unmovable. You automatically win an opposed Strength check when an opponent attempts to bull rush you. A creature with the improved grab ability must move into your space to grapple you, since it cannot pull you into its space. No spell or other effect can force you to move. If you become frightened or panicked, you suffer the full effect of the feat but do not run away. You cannot move, even to make a 5-foot step, while this ability is in effect. T his ability lasts for 1 round per level, but you can end it at any time.
British Bareknuckle Boxing
Oft neglected as a fighting style, Bareknuckle Boxing is a seamless blend of finesse and brutal, dirty fighting techniques
Prerequisites: Brawl, Combat Martial Arts, Improved Brawl, Improved Combat Martial Arts, Improved Feint, Improved Knockout Punch, Knockout Punch, Street Fighting.
Benefit: The bonus die of damage from Streetfighting is increased to a d6. Also, you can use brawl and martial arts techniques together without penalty.
Choy Li Fut
You have mastered Choi Li Fut (chow lee fue), also known as “Drunken Boxing.” By moving around as if half drunk you are able to dodge attacks with greater – and often unexpected – precision and launch attacks from seemingly awkward stances.
Prerequisites: Combat Expertise, Defensive Martial Arts, Dodge, Elusive Target, Mobility, Spring Attack, Unbalance Opponent, Dex 14+.
Benefits: When using Combat Expertise gain an additional +1 bonus to Defense (i.e. if you take a –2 penalty to attack you get a +3 bonus to Defense). You must take at least a –1 penalty to attack to use this ability.
Judo
You have mastered Judo (JUE-doe), a modern version of the ancient Japanese martial art Jujitsu developed by Dr. Jigoro Kano in 1882. Judo is most well known for its throwing, grappling, and wrestling techniques.
Prerequisites: Brawl or Combat Martial Arts, Choke Hold, Combat Throw, Defensive Martial Arts, Earth’s Embrace, Improved Combat Throw, Improved Grapple, 5 or more ranks of Escape Artist.
Benefits: When you deal damage while grappling, if you choose to deal non-lethal damage you may add your wisdom modifier to the damage.
Karate
You have mastered Karate (kah-rah-TAE), a hard form fighting method involving a variety of techniques, including blocks, strikes, evasions, throws, and joint manipulations. Karate masters are most well known for their Karate shouts and katas (forms).
Prerequisites: Combat Martial Arts, Combat Throw, Defensive Martial Arts, Fists of Iron, Flying Kick, Greater Ki Shout, Ki Shout, Stunning Fist.
Benefits: Your Ki shouts can effect opponents with Hit Dice equal to or less than your level (normally Ki shouts can only effect opponents with fewer hit dice than you have levels). Also, if before entering combat you spend an hour practicing your katas you gain a +1 to attack rolls and to your defense for the first 3 rounds of combat.
Kenjitsu
You have mastered Kenjitsu (ken-jet-SUE), the direct descendant of samurai katana techniques. It has been made into kendo – a sport using wooden bamboo swords (called shinai) to practice the martial techniques used hundreds of years ago. Kendo students may gain the benefits of Kenitsu.
Prerequisties: Archaic Weapon Proficiency, Combat Expertise, Exotic Melee Weapon Proficiency (Katana), Power Attack, Superior Combat Expertise, Weapon Focus (Katana)
Benefits: You are adept at wielding a weapon for both attacking and defense. When you wield a melee weapon you have selected as the beneficiary of Weapon Focus you gain an additional +1 to attacks and gain a +1 dodge bonus to Defense against melee attacks.
Krav Maga
You have mastered Krav Maga, a modern hard martial art stressing combat preparedness and physical fitness was developed in the 1940’s for use by the Israeli Defense Force (I.D.F.). Krav Maga includes techniques utilized in Aikido, Karate, boxing, Judo, and Jujitsu, adapted for use in modern combat situations.
Prerequisites: Athletic, Combat Martial Arts, Defensive Martial Arts, Combat Expertise, Improved Combat Martial Arts, Improved Disarm, Improved Initiative, Streetfighting, Base Attack Bonus +6 or higher.
Benefits: For the first round of combat you gain a +20 to your initiative check. After the last person has gone recalculate your initiative for the rest of combat.
Special: Soldiers may take any of the prerequisite feats for Krav Maga as bonus feats or in place of Soldier special abilities if a member of a military force that teaches Krave Maga (i.e. I.D.F., Mosad, Israeli Police Forces, and various allied military forces).
Kung Fu
You have mastered Kung Fu – a hard/soft form emphasizing weapon use and strikes to pressure points.
Prerequisites: Archaic Weapon Proficiency, Combat Martial Arts, Falling Star Strike, Fists of Iron (or the Martial Artist’s Iron Fist ability), Freezing the Lifeblood, Improved Combat Martial Arts, Stunning Fist, 6 or more ranks in Jump and Tumble.
Benefits: The saving throw DC of your stunning attack and other pressure point attacks is increased by 2. You also gain Weapon Focus as a bonus feat; you must already have proficiency with the weapon and you must select one of the following weapons for the feat to apply to: chain, cleaver, club, knife, nunchaku, quarterstaff , shortsword, spear, three section staff tonfa, unarmed strike.
Mai Tai Kickboxing
You have mastered Mai Tai (MIE-tie), a hard form emphasizing empty strikes with the hand and quick kicks.
Prerequisites: Advanced Combat Martial Arts, Combat Martial Arts, Fists of Iron (or the Martial Artist’s Iron First ability), Flying Kick (Or Martial Artist’s Flying Kick Ability), Improved Combat Martial Arts, Roundabout Kick, Weapon Focus (Unarmed Strike), Living Weapon d6.
Benefits: Your unarmed damage increases by one die type, as if you were one size category larger than you are.
Old Damage (each) New Damage
1d2 1d3
1d3 1d4
1d4 1d6
1d6 1d8
1d8 1d10
1d10 2d6
1d12 2d8
1d20 4d6
Tai Chi Chuan
You have mastered Tai Chi Chuan (tie chee chwan), an ancient Chinese martial art known for its health benefits and high level of effectiveness in combat.
Prerequisites: Alertness, Combat Throw, Defensive Martial Arts, Dodge, Endurance, Focused, Great Fortitude, Improved Initiative, 6 or more ranks of Concentration.
Benefits: Every time you gain a level you gain +1 hit points.
If people have suggestions or other martial arts forms I'd appreciate their sharing.