Combat Martial Arts in D&D

[wingsandsword]

Okay, I've been thinking about the subject of unarmed combat in D&D.

As the rules currently stand in D&D 3.x, the only way to be an effective unarmed combatant is to be a Monk (funky PrC's excluded). The Improved Unarmed Combat feat is a joke it's so poor, and Monks don't meet many peoples character concepts. Personally, I like monks in D&D and don't want them watered down into a general "unarmed fighter" class, I like my wuxia-style monks, but there should be a way to model effective unarmed combat in D&D with any class without removing the benefit that the Monk is the best Unarmed fighter.

The Combat Martial Arts feat tree from d20 seems to present an option for this. This improves upon Improved Unarmed Combat, making unarmed strikes usable by other classes, while not giving them clearly an advantage, since they start at 1d6 damage, while the feat just gives 1d4. Presumably some language may be added to change the damage for smaller/larger characters.

Combat Martial Arts
Prerequisite: Base attack bonus +1.
Benefit: With an unarmed strike, the character deals lethal or nonlethal damage (the character’s choice) equal to 1d4 + the character’s Strength modifier. The character’s unarmed attacks count as armed, which means that opponents do not get attacks of opportunity when the character attacks them unarmed. The character may make attacks of opportunity against opponents who provoke such attacks.
Normal: Without this feat, a character deals only 1d3 points of nonlethal damage. Unarmed attacks normally provoke attacks of opportunity, and unarmed combatants cannot normally make attacks of opportunity.

Improved Combat Martial Arts
Prerequisites: Combat Martial Arts, base attack bonus +4.
Benefit: The character’s threat range on an unarmed strike improves to 19–20.
Normal: A character without this feat threatens a critical hit with an unarmed strike only on a 20.

Advanced Combat Martial Arts
Prerequisites: Combat Martial Arts, Improved Combat Martial Arts, base attack bonus +8.
Benefit: When the character scores a critical hit on an opponent with an unarmed strike, the character deals triple damage.
Normal: An unarmed strike critical hit deals double damage.

I'd make them all Fighter Bonus Feats, and the Monk Unarmed Strike ability count as Combat Martial Arts for prereqs (buying Improved and Advanced, since they don't get anything to improve their critical range). Also, the name might be changed a little for flavor purposes.

But, what do people think of the idea in general?

 

[Plane Sailing]

I think that it sounds like House Rules is a better forum to think about this

(and by that I mean that you are more likely to get positive feedback for longer here than in Rules!)

Regards,
Plane Sailing (mod)

 

[Jeph]

The only problem that I can see is that, as you have it written, Improved/Advanced CMA are complete, total, absolute, badass must-buys for any monk. In order to balance this, I'd simply say that the Monk's unarmed strike ability does not count as Combat Martial Arts, thus making not taking this feat chain a viable decision.

Unless, of course, you think that monks need a bit of a power boost, anyway, in which case you're killing two birds with one stone.


--Jeff

 

[Doctor Bomb]

IMPROVED UNARMED STRIKE [GENERAL]
Benefit: You are considered to be armed even when unarmed —that is, you do not provoke attacks or opportunity from armed opponents when you attack them while unarmed. However, you still get an attack of opportunity against any opponent who makes an unarmed attack on you.
In addition, your unarmed strikes can deal lethal or nonlethal damage, at your option.
Normal: Without this feat, you are considered unarmed when attacking with an unarmed strike, and you can deal only nonlethal damage with such an attack.
Special: A monk automatically gains Improved Unarmed Strike as a bonus feat at 1st level. She need not select it.
A fighter may select Improved Unarmed Strike as one of his fighter bonus feats.

The only difference between Improved Unarmed Strike and Combat Martial Artist is the BAB +1 prereq and the increase in die type damage.

That being said, I think pulling those feats into the fighter bonus list is a great idea, and I would go as far as replacing the Improved Unarmed Strike text* with that of the Combat Martial Artist in my campaign. (I think I already did that, but it's been about a year and a half since I had a monk in my game group....)

I am adding these to my campaign, replacing the "Combat Martial Artist" labels with "Precise Unarmed Strike" for the Improved CMA feat, and "Greater Unarmed Strike" for the Advanced CMA feat.

HMMM, fighters wearing a Cestus count as armed but are carrying no weapon, could they benefit from this as well?

*If you don't want your experts, rogues, etc. to wait a level before starting as martial artists, leave both in game, and add "Improved Unarmed Strike or" in front of the Combat Martial Artist prereq in the follow on feats. Sneak attack unarmed damage is TASTY!

 

[Andor]

If you want a more fully fleshed Martial arts feat chain, check out the Spycraft base book from AEG. As I recall (I can't check, a friend has them) there are three seperate chains and a couple of mastery feats where you can synch them up. Even if you somehow managed to take all the feats you still wouldn't have a monks damage, but you would have a lot of cool combat options.

 

[Primitive Screwhead]

Other Martial Arts..

I use Kenneth Hood's Skills-n-Feats martial arts.

The short version: it provides a mechanic that allows you to take a core class and add 'monkish' abilities in a balanced way...
ahem... when I say balanced, I mean balances assuming the rest of the world also uses the system. IMC I have assigned a +1 LA for use of the skill as it does tend to boost the power level a bit.

I also use his Psionic system, also with a +1 LA. His version of the monk uses both systems.

What I like most about it is the ability to have a character train in a style that can be used while in plate armor and weilding a halberd...

 

[Greg K]

I use Brawling, CMA, and DMA. If you go this route, I say get Blood and Fist from RPGobjects if you want to MA styles

 

[warlord]

You could just update the Martail Arts system from the old Dragon Mags. It is also great for a good wrestling & Boxing system too.