Commando nasty hand-to-hand, in D&D?

[barsoomcore]

Any thoughts on how to build a character with all those nasty HTH moves -- you know, SNAP goes the neck, CRACKLE goes the spine, POP goes the shoulder? I love that stuff and am wondering about what collection of classes and feats would send me down the path of black jumpsuits and commando fighting moves.

Ideas?

 

[Kyramus]

Be a Monk

Try to get the person helpless
use a full round action to do a coup de grace (you choose how, ie crack neck, etc). They either survive or die.

 

[Chun-tzu]

My gut response is that you're playing the wrong system. At mid and higher levels, you can't really cripple or kill someone with one attack or one move, unless magic is involved. In D&D, the character can take a truckload of damage and still operate at peak efficiency, and this works well in a heroic fantasy system.

The only other system I'm sufficiently familiar with to comment on is the Palladium one. You might like Ninjas and Superspies, which describes dozens of martial arts styles, many with their own special moves. It's an okay system, often confusing and vague, but there are tons of ideas in there.

I suspect there are a number of systems out there with combat systems that are more fun and exciting.

 

[Alejandro]

From Oriental Adventures:

Improved Grapple, Choke Hold

From Sword and Fist:

Expert Tactician, Death Attack

The process:

Hit someone, pull them into a grapple hold, pin them until they're unconscious, then Coup de Grace.

 

[Jeph]

Little homebreww skill I made up called Martial Arts. I don't have the specs write here in from of me, but basically it lets you trip, disarm, and bullrush people better, and has rules for breaking the arm, hand, leg, and foot. I deigned not to include neck, as that would just be toooooo powerful.

 

[Jeph]

My gut response is that you're playing the wrong system. At mid and higher levels, you can't really cripple or kill someone with one attack or one move, unless magic is involved. In D&D, the character can take a truckload of damage and still operate at peak efficiency, and this works well in a heroic fantasy system.

go to www.sleepingimperium.rpghost.com. It's got a dwonload called the Grim 'n' Gritty HP system, where every blow counts. I like this a lot, and use it in my campaign.

 

[mmadsen]

Any thoughts on how to build a character with all those nasty HTH moves -- you know, SNAP goes the neck, CRACKLE goes the spine, POP goes the shoulder? I love that stuff and am wondering about what collection of classes and feats would send me down the path of black jumpsuits and commando fighting moves.

A Rogue with Sneak Attack and Improved Unarmed Strike and Crippling Strike is just such a commando. An extra 5d6 Sneak Attack damage should snap guards' necks and spines easily enough. The single point of Str damage from Crippling Strike is pretty weak though -- not quite the shoulder dislocation we're looking for.

 

[barsoomcore]

Thanks, gang. Great ideas.

I'm thinking a rogue with Improved Unarmed Strike, Improved Grapple, Choke Hold, maybe Expert Tactician.

Would it be better to multiclass as a monk/rogue and save myself the need for Improved Unarmed Strike?

 

[Benben]

Ideas?

Other people have mentioned monks and rogues.

If you can use Oriental Adventures, you might want to track down the Rokugan Ninja, and the DMG Assassin. The former is a base class which will give you a lot of what you're looking for. You will probably need to tweak the class to make it appropriate for a Western European setting, but that shouldn't be too hard.

The assassin class definitely gives you Neck Breaking for fun and profit. The evil only aspect of the class is not a good thing, but again work with your DM to see if you can get something workable for the campaign.

 

[Ace]

I have a prestige class based loosly on Krav Maga (Israelie Martial Arts)
Do you want me to post it to house rules?