What's the best system to use?

[Pig Champion]

I would go with Savage Worlds for flexibility and it's easily anime adaptable. I've played in a Battle Royal meets Young and Dangerous meets Dragon Ball Z/Gungirl and it surpassed anything I could've hoped for that sort of mish-mash.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

My first instincts would be to use HERO or M&M, but I also have a great respect for GURPS' treatment of martial arts...and I don't particularly like GURPS.

I just think that martial arts is one area they've done fairly well.

 

[Reyemile]

Does GURPS actually do supernatural martial arts? My understanding of the system was that most martial arts talents were meant for Bruce Lee level fighters, not Anime level.

 

[Psychotic Jim]

Tri-Stat is low on my list of priorities, because its point-buy system requires more oversight than Hero or Mutants and Masterminds.

M&M is pretty flexible; it just came out with a fantasy setting using the same superhero engine. A number of powers would have to be ruled out for balance reasons, but I think it could work. The main worry I have is that since I'd be ruling out 75% of powers as too 'superheroey', that my players might feel restricted or end up with similar builds. It would definitely work, but I'm hoping someone will suggests a better fit.

If you go into M&M, you might consider the Mecha and Manga book. It has some discussion on martial arts (a whole chapter, and several fitting powers a Martial Arts Stance power that is akin to a Container) as well as other genre settings. I really consider its new mecha system to fix quite a few holes in the core's mecha/power armor Device rules.

The main strength I see for M&M is its Hero Points and Power Stunt stuff. It's really useful for all the one type moves you see anime characters throw about.

Edit: To your element of tactics, the main tactics and resource management would be hero points and their multiple use but finite number (withiin a session) nature. If your sorcerers have Ritualist or Artificer, there could be some pre-game strategy/tactics there in planning what rituals/devices to make.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

You'd get the best answer from a GURPS-guru like Jürgen Hubert.

However, it is my understanding that there are ways to overlay supers with martial arts.

 

[Filcher]

This will damn me forever in the eyes of the 4e haters but ...

... reskinning 4e powers would be perfect, imo. The shift/push/pull aspects especially. You could rewrite the fluff without the players ever knowing.

 

[coyote6]

You can do super-powered martial artists in GURPS. More low-key supernatural martial arts is supported by some advantages & cinematic skills (e.g., Trained by a Master, Zen Archery); more shoot-fireballs-from-my-hands levels of "martial arts" would involve using the power advantages.

I've done campaigns full of ninjas that could disappear from view & the like in GURPS (3e, anyways), so it's possible.

Ninja Hero, though, is also an awesome resource for that kind of game, and I played & ran Ninja Hero campaigns a back in the day.

There's a Superlink supplement for M&M that adds all kinds of martial artsy crunch; I wasn't particularly fond of some of it, so I didn't really explore it too much.

 

[Reyemile]

... reskinning 4e powers would be perfect, imo. The shift/push/pull aspects especially. You could rewrite the fluff without the players ever knowing.

Ninja Hero, though, is also an awesome resource for that kind of game, and I played & ran Ninja Hero campaigns a back in the day.

4e and Hero both lack the incentive for the players to be awesome, though; they're fun games, but combat often ends up being "I blast him with power X, then defend with power Y." M&M is on my list for the Hero Point mechanic, among others.

Savage World players, I'm not familiar with the game at all; does it have 'stunts'?

 

[Rechan]

There's always Fate. THe Dresden Files RPG, with a few tweaks, could easily give you sorcery, supernatural kung fu, etc.

And it has a big incentive for players to be awesome. Fate Points are the electricity that makes the game run, Fate points are used to make you more awesome in realms where your character is supposed to be awesome at. And you get Fate Points for making the plot complicated due to your character's flaws.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

4e and Hero both lack the incentive for the players to be awesome, though; they're fun games, but combat often ends up being "I blast him with power X, then defend with power Y."

Um, I'm not trying to be a HERO missionary, but that doesn't sound like HERO to me at all.

I've run all kinds of campaigns in that system, including a cinematic/arcade martial arts campaign or 2, and to my eye, things strongly resembled the feel of the characters everyone was trying to emulate.