Martial Arts and Styles

[TaranTheWanderer]

I’m playing a martial artist in a game. Primarily a swordsman. Kind of a samurai.
Levels in Barbarian. Rages are stances that use ki.
-took eagle totem to get that kung fu vibe of running all over the map.
- will take levels in battle master to get maneuvers
-took tavern brawler to give him the option for unarmed combat and grappling. This was mostly rp but the +1 con was nice and I’ve used it quite a bit to pin opponents down, especially when I don’t want to hack them up with a sword. (In our games, it’s illegal to draw a sword in town)

 

[doctorbadwolf]

To me, what’s missing from martial arts in 5e is the idea of learning individual maneuvers and styles and stuff like that from a master, and developing new ones through experience and practice.

If I’m going to play a martial artist, and that is my focus, I want to go out and train with others to learn new techniques.

and there is no reason the Wizard should be the only one that can learn new techniques out in the world during play, tbh.

 

[Minigiant]

To me, what’s missing from martial arts in 5e is the idea of learning individual maneuvers and styles and stuff like that from a master, and developing new ones through experience and practice.

If I’m going to play a martial artist, and that is my focus, I want to go out and train with others to learn new techniques.

and there is no reason the Wizard should be the only one that can learn new techniques out in the world during play, tbh.

To me, a monk or fighter should be able to learn combat forms. Each form has it's own calculation for AC and its own suite of Ki feature. And at each tier change (level 5, 11, and 17), you can get a new one.

Monks choose a form at level 1.
Fighters can take a form as a fighting style

In my setting, the Dex+Wis striker is Central Form
Eastern Form Dex + Str striker
Western Form is Dex + Con striker
Downward is Str + Con grapplers
Upward is pure Dex high fliers
Northern Form is Str + Wis strikers
Southern Form is Dex + Chr strikers

The monk in my game knows Central and Western forms and is hunting a former classmate who learn Southern.

 

[SkidAce]

To me, what’s missing from martial arts in 5e is the idea of learning individual maneuvers and styles and stuff like that from a master, and developing new ones through experience and practice.

If I’m going to play a martial artist, and that is my focus, I want to go out and train with others to learn new techniques.

and there is no reason the Wizard should be the only one that can learn new techniques out in the world during play, tbh.

Hence my use of feats, they can go to a master and learn the maneuvers gained by the feat.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

Hence my use of feats, they can go to a master and learn the maneuvers gained by the feat.

That is very unsatisfying for me, in terms of the specific fiction I’m talking about, unless you’re talking about being able to gain a feat via gameplay?

To me, a monk or fighter should be able to learn combat forms. Each form has it's own calculation for AC and its own suite of Ki feature. And at each tier change (level 5, 11, and 17), you can get a new one.

Monks choose a form at level 1.
Fighters can take a form as a fighting style

In my setting, the Dex+Wis striker is Central Form
Eastern Form Dex + Str striker
Western Form is Dex + Con striker
Downward is Str + Con grapplers
Upward is pure Dex high fliers
Northern Form is Str + Wis strikers
Southern Form is Dex + Chr strikers

The monk in my game knows Central and Western forms and is hunting a former classmate who learn Southern.

Definitely more than what I’d put in such a system, but that is an interesting idea.

 

[Cap'n Kobold]

Hence my use of feats, they can go to a master and learn the maneuvers gained by the feat.

To me, a monk or fighter should be able to learn combat forms. Each form has it's own calculation for AC and its own suite of Ki feature. And at each tier change (level 5, 11, and 17), you can get a new one.

I believe that DBW was talking more about for example, a battlemaster that learns X maneuvers from class abilities, but can also freely learn additional maneuvers during play that are not connected with the gains from levelling.
Like, as they say, a wizard gets to learn spells as they level, but also additional spells from scrolls unconnected with level advancement.

I'd probably allow this as a downtime activity. Its not an uncommon trope in some types of media "You can't beat X until you leant secret technique Y!" In a D&D game where the rest of the party are more than just a cheering section to the protagonist it isn't going to be the focus of the campaign, but it seems like the kind of thing that could be learned.
I don't think its a power issue since the limitation is generally the number of times maneuvers can be used (SD), not the number of maneuvers known.

Monks choose a form at level 1.
Fighters can take a form as a fighting style

In my setting, the Dex+Wis striker is Central Form
Eastern Form Dex + Str striker
Western Form is Dex + Con striker
Downward is Str + Con grapplers
Upward is pure Dex high fliers
Northern Form is Str + Wis strikers
Southern Form is Dex + Chr strikers

The monk in my game knows Central and Western forms and is hunting a former classmate who learn Southern.

I remember reading that in another thread. How do your forms interact with attacking with Strength? (For example Central or Upward?)

 

[Minigiant]

Definitely more than what I’d put in such a system, but that is an interesting idea.

How would you have martial artists collect martial arts without adding a lot?

I believe that DBW was talking more about for example, a battlemaster that learns X maneuvers from class abilities, but can also freely learn additional maneuvers during play that are not connected with the gains from levelling.
Like, as they say, a wizard gets to learn spells as they level, but also additional spells from scrolls unconnected with level advancement.

I'd probably allow this as a downtime activity. Its not an uncommon trope in some types of media "You can't beat X until you leant secret technique Y!" In a D&D game where the rest of the party are more than just a cheering section to the protagonist it isn't going to be the focus of the campaign, but it seems like the kind of thing that could be learned.
I don't think its a power issue since the limitation is generally the number of times maneuvers can be used (SD), not the number of maneuvers known.

It works like that. You can learn or create 1-4 forms for free via levels.

However a fighter or monk can learn another style by finding a master or a monastery and spending downtime.

I remember reading that in another thread. How do your forms interact with attacking with Strength? (For example Central or Upward?)

The fighter or monk attacks with strength.

Noted none of the STR styles get Flurry of Blows.
Tsunami Slam, Sky Jump Kick, and Dragon Punch replace the 2 bonus attacks or single sup die roll with a a single triple damage attack.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

How would you have martial artists collect martial arts without adding a lot?

They’d be collecting techniques, not whole styles that replace ki features. Your idea is good, just more stuff per “thing learned” than I’d use.