Not Your Average Martial Arts PrC!

[Draxus the Tainted]

I was watching some of the Ultimate Fighting Championship stuff on Fox Sports Net, and I had the idea for a PrC.

I want to base it on the Gracie Jiu-Jitsu style. From looking into it, they work from the ground, and get position before they make an attack. So I figured I could make them have to make trip and grapple checks first before they can actually use some of the abilities, and they only get them, if they are in a grapple with someone.

I want them to have rogue attack bonus since they're not big on actually making direct attacks, as well as rogue saves.

I want their damage they do to be all subdual when using a hold/submission to keep realism. And I figured I could have the damage die increase as they gain levels in the PrC, but nowhere near that of a monk, maybe to a d10 max. And have the strength modifier counted in since you are applying pressure to joints. Maybe an ability in the later levels to add double your strength modifier to hold/submission damage. I figure have the damage applied each round the hold is kept.

As for other abilities I have no idea what to do. Maybe give them the ability to use their holds/submissions on larger size creatures as they advance in levels. Let's say they can only use their stuff on medium size creatures or smaller at first, but maybe around 5th level of the class, they get the ability to use it on large size creatures since someone using Gracie Jiu-Jitsu can take down people way bigger than they are.

As for the rest...that's what you guys/gals are for. Help me come up with some nifty abilities that make sense for the fighting style. Sorry if it's not typed out like a normal PrC, but I'm not finished with it, and I have only had the idea in my head for about 2 hours now.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Happiest_Sadist]

Let them be a monk and take the feats Improved Grapple, Choke Hold, and the other grapple feats from OA.

 

[hong]

By sheer coincidence, I was jotting down some ideas on this topic just last night.


Grappling Mastery [rename however you want, to fit your campaign]

Prerequisites: Improved Unarmed Strike or monk's unarmed attack, Stunning Fist or monk's stunning attack, Weapon Focus (grapple), Improved Grapple (OA), Earth's Embrace (OA), Unbalancing Strike (OA).

Benefit: When grappling, you do not lose your Dex bonus to AC.



Master of the Grapple

Prerequisites: Grappling mastery, BAB +5, must be trained by a master, blah blah.

BAB: as monk (level x3/4)
Good saves: Fort, Ref.
HD: d10.

Possible special abilities:
- Natural armor bonus to AC
- Dodge, superior Dodge (+2 AC vs one opponent)
- Grappling Block feat (OA)
- DR
- Bonus to unarmed damage when grappling
- Sneak attacks when grappling (!)

Arrange the special abilities to fit. I was thinking that this would probably be a 5-level prestige class, since it's hard to think of any super-powerful grappling abilities that would be suitable to fill out 10 levels.

 

[Valdier]

I was watching some of the Ultimate Fighting Championship stuff on Fox Sports Net, and I had the idea for a PrC.

I want to base it on the Gracie Jiu-Jitsu style. From looking into it, they work from the ground, and get position before they make an attack. So I figured I could make them have to make trip and grapple checks first before they can actually use some of the abilities, and they only get them, if they are in a grapple with someone.

I want them to have rogue attack bonus since they're not big on actually making direct attacks, as well as rogue saves.

I want their damage they do to be all subdual when using a hold/submission to keep realism. And I figured I could have the damage die increase as they gain levels in the PrC, but nowhere near that of a monk, maybe to a d10 max. And have the strength modifier counted in since you are applying pressure to joints. Maybe an ability in the later levels to add double your strength modifier to hold/submission damage. I figure have the damage applied each round the hold is kept.

As for other abilities I have no idea what to do. Maybe give them the ability to use their holds/submissions on larger size creatures as they advance in levels. Let's say they can only use their stuff on medium size creatures or smaller at first, but maybe around 5th level of the class, they get the ability to use it on large size creatures since someone using Gracie Jiu-Jitsu can take down people way bigger than they are.

Ok, having been taught by Royce for a couple of years before UFC came around I am going to comment purely from experience here.

To start, drop the entire idea that it is subdual damage, like a monk that should be optional. The damage done in a grapple can be extremely deadly. In UFC Royce wasn't required to maim his opponents to win, he simply had to make it hurt so much they couldn't take the pain, or... put them into a position where they realized they were about to lose an arm if they didn't give up.

I would tend to go with the idea of not being able to grapple a creature more than one size category larger than you, simply because, well you can't get the grips required to perform most of the holds. The leverage aspect when grappling a dragon also becomes a serious problem

Rogue attack bonus is fine also since most of their attacks will be touch attacks. I would also give them sneak attack progression like a rogue remembering that when they are in a grapple their opponent is denied dexterity and therefore they are subject to sneak attack damage. This would help to simulate extreme pressure on joints as well as partial chokes and broken limbs.

A special ability you might want to give is a bonus to grapple checks, maybe something along the lines of +1 per level.

You might just want to make it a prestige class of a monk or a fighter, they give up monk HtH damage to essentially be able to beat anyone once in the clinch through sneak attack damage.

 

[Draxus the Tainted]

Bump