Blood & Fists: Cool!

[Vigilance]

Here's the table of contents.

Introduction
New Advanced Classes
Bad-Ass Barroom Brawler
Contemplative Master
Martial Arts Master
New Skills
Meditation
Pressure Points
Zen Mastery
New Feats
General Feats
Archaic Weapons- Chinese
Archaic Weapons- Indian
Archaic Weapons- Indonesian
Archaic Weapons- Korean
Archaic Weapons- Japanese
Archaic Weapons-Samurai
Banter
Improvised Weapons
Kata
Kata Lore
Kata Mastery
Kata Specialist
Know Your Enemy
Knowledge is Power
Poise
Martial Arts Styles
Creating New Styles
Aikido
Arnis
Boar
Boxing
Capoeira
Cat
Cobra
Commando Training
Dragon
Drunken Master
Eagle
Fencing
Gatka
Hapkido
Jeet Kune Do
Jujutsu
Karate
Kendo
Kobujutsu
Kung Fu
Kyudo
Leopard
Lua
Monkey
Naginato-do
Ninjutsu
Panther
Pentjak Silat
Praying Mantis
Python
ROSS
Savate
School of Hard Knocks
Scorpion
Shao-Lin
Sojitsu
Sumo Wrestling
TaeKwonDo
Thai Kickboxing
Tiger
White Crane
Wing Chun
Martial Arts Maneuvers
Designing new maneuvers
Axe Kick
Back Kick
Bear Hug
Block
Block-Disarm
Block-Improved
Block-Lock
Body Blow
Box Ears
Choke Hold
Circle Kick
Combination
Combination-Improved
Combination-Advanced
Counterstrike
Counterstrike-Improved
Dodge Roll
Elbow Slam
Eye Gouge
Flying Kick
Ground Fighting
Ground Fighting-Advanced
Haymaker
HEad Butt
Heart Punch
Heel Kick
Hip Throw
Hook
Iaijutsu
Immovable
Instant Stand
Jab
Jump Kick
Kidney Punch
Leg Sweep
Momentum Throw
Nerve Strike
Numbing Strike
Ridgehand
Rush
Rush-Advanced
Silencing Strike
Snap Kick
Thigh Kick
Uppercut
Signature Maneuvers
Angry Monkey
Antari
Ashi-Sokuto
Chasse Tournant
Cradle Pin
Crane Kick
Crane Stance
Deai
Double Eagle
Eagle Claw
Fall-Down Drunk
Float like a Butterfly
Fouette Figure
Ginga
Iaijutsu Strike
Iaijutsu Strike-Improved
Leopard Crouch
Leopard Punch
Meia Lua de Fuente
Nukite Zuki
Pak Antari
Pounce
Sahblet
Shuto-Uchi
Siku Perisai
Stagger
Stalking Panther
Sting like a Bee
Tall Monkey
Teisho
Zen Archery
Ki Feats
Bushido
Hypnotic Gestures
Inner Peace
Inner Power
Inner Strength
Ki
Kiai
Kiai-Great
Martial Arts Mastery
Mastery abilities for each Martial Art Style
Mastery Abilities Definitions
Martial Arts Weapons
Chinese Weapons
Gatka Weapons
Indonesian Weapons
Japanese Weapons
Samurai Weapons
Exotic Weapons
The Martial Arts Campaign
The Hanmei

 

[Vigilance]

To answer your query, I would say that Blood and Fists is cinematic, but not as fantastic as what you see in Street Fighter.

It gives you a lot of new options and abilities, grounded in reality, and some mild FX-based ki abilities, but no fireballs

Chuck

 

[Psion]

What all kinds of feats and martial arts are in this book? Saying it's great is fine and dandy, but it doesn't give any specifics as to what is actually in this book.

Well this is a quick take, not a review, so don't be so snarky. Just asking the question would have been sufficient.

To answer you question (providing that vigilance's post wasn't sufficient.): all types, if you speak of the variety of martial art styles that exists in the world. There are a few missing favorites that I noticed (like Hwarang-Do), but since the system lets you build martial arts styles, that's not a huge issue.

Does this book simulate Street Fighter, with fireballs and super cool martial maneuvers, or is it more realistic with leanings towards real martial arts and implementing them into normal modern games?

It's a bit cinematic, but more like what you would see in a Van Damme or Bruce Li movie than street fighter. It does have ki powers for a touch of the mystical.

The martial arts here are more potent than the martial artist in d20 modern (which the author confesses up front).

 

[Pagan priest]

I just finished reading my copy. I like it. One of the things that I like is that there are dates associated with the newer martial arts. Since some of the newer arts came about at various times during the 20th century, it is nice to know which would not be available in the 1920's. I am planning to run a Pulp Heros adventure soon, and now I am planning to have the party sidetracked by a NPC crewman, a savateur wanting to try his luck in the hanmei.

Only two "complaints". I did not see a write up for Krav Maga, even though it is mentioned. It would be nice to be able to see at a glance what signature maneuvers are available to a particular style (if any). Reading through, it looks like Cobra has no signature maneuvers... or did I miss seeing one?

Finally, is the gou the same as a tiger hook sword? There was no illustration and from the description, I am not sure.

 

[Vigilance]

Hey Pagan, thanks

Krav Maga always slipped through the cracks somehow- and I eventually decided to leave it out, but we missed the references in the edit- so that's my bad

Cobra has no signature maneuvers (as far as I can recall), and in some cases I left them out rather than make one up, because there wasn't much information to go on.

The Gou might not be *the* tiger hook sword, I dont have any references for that, but it is a hooked sword, and you could use its stats to approximate hooked swords in general.

Chuck

 

[Pagan priest]

A couple of more questions that occured to me:

Didn't the Chinese use something like shiruken? I remember the opening sequence of Kung Fu very well...

Do any of the styles use the three section staff? One of my favorite weapons, even if I personally have no clue how to use it without hitting myself. (Especially with the over powered stats it has in D20 Modern!)

I could find no mention of the Flying Guillotine! Surely this grave oversight will be corrected in a web enhancement of some sort?

In any event, I will certainly be looking for other stuff of yours as it reaches my FLGS, keep up the good work!

(If the attachment works, it is an image of a pair of tiger hook swords, since I could not seem to place an image in here. It comes from here:
http://www.wle.com//products/w056.html
a niffty site with oodles of wacky weapons and stuff)

 

[Vigilance]

The image you have of the hook swords is pretty much identical to what I have in my research for the Gou.

We wanted to include images for the weapons, but could not find a public domain image in time, and having drawings made would have made the art budget too high.

And if I knew what the Flying Guillotine was, I certainly would have included it

Thanks again for the Kudos

Chuck

 

[takyris]

Hey, Pagan! As somebody who's been swinging those bad boys for a few years, I am egregiously offended at the term "wacky weapons". I prefer "nontraditional combat implements", "first-run warcraft utilities", or "inventive whoopass-enabling devices".

 

[Pagan priest]

Allow me to enlighten you about the flying guillotine. It is a metal bird-cage like device with an open bottom. It is thrown at your enemy so that it settles over his head. A careful pull of the attached chain causes several blades to close off the bottom, severing the head of your target. Yanking the chain again returns the flying Guillotine to your hands, ready to kill again. I believe that there are several movies (like Master of the Flying Guillotine) showing this weapon in operation.

On a less serious note, I noticed several references to Xena, Warrior Princess (usually while discussing the chakram). Any idea what style she was allegedly using in the show? I am curious because several years ago, a friend forced me to watch numerous episodes so I could write up the style using the 1st Ed Oriental Adventure rules.

And, to close, a question with real impact on the game: For the skill Zen Mastery, can you only count ranks in the skill, or do you use total bonuses (possibly adding WIS modifier, Skill Focus, circumstance bonuses, etc.)?

(And by the way, thanks for your attention to all the various posts that have been on these boards.)

 

[Vigilance]

Always my pleasure to respond to posts, I spend *way* too much time on the boards anyway

I am not sure what style Xena was fighting under- the Chakram is a traditional weapon of the Indian Sikh Gatka style- which might have been how Xena was fighting, since other weapons used in the style are the broadsword, and she also used a sword.

My actual guess would be that her real style was "schlock B-pulp TV-fu".

And no, I am not insulting the integrity of Xena, she is an honorable Warrior Princess, quite possibly the finest amazon Warrior I ever witnessed at 1 in the morning on TV, so don't email me to defend her

The Flying Gillotine sounds hilarious, was this a real weapon or just in movies?

I am a big fan of hong kong movies but that one slipped by me

Chuck