Martial Arts-Why isn't there a class for Martial Artists

[Jakathi]

does anyone have a martial-artist class?
one that isn't a monk? i mean we have martial-artists in the real world
so it stands to reason, there'd be some in fantasy type settings.
not just the standard ninja, monk type thing.
I mean there should be as many different martial art styles as there are mage styles. in fact, there are more in the real world.
They shouldn't be just constrained to one or two classes.
there should be a class for martial artistis period. make em a sub-class of fighters, just like rangers and paladins are.

 

[ConnorSB]

there are various Martial Arts styles scattered across Dragon Magazine, and Oriental Adventures as well. Basically they substitute some feats that the monk gets for others, or they allow a "super-move" to be done provided a monk meets certain requirements (feats, skill ranks, BAB, etc), and is taught by someone who knows the move.

 

[barsoomcore]

There already is such a class.

What do you think the Fighter is?

 

[Psion]

does anyone have a martial-artist class?
one that isn't a monk?

One of my recent reviews:
http://www.enworld.org/reviews/index.php?sub=yes&where=active&reviewer=Psion&product=BMTAotF

Enjoy!

 

[Jakathi]

fighters

a martial artist is someone who specializes in a type or types of martial arts such as kung fu, judo etc. they sometimes combine these styles with weapons, but mostly it's the concept of your body as a weapon.

 

[Oni]

A couple of new fighter feat chains I would think would adaquately meet your needs.

 

[MarauderX]

Someone go get hong "what you need to know about martial arts could fill a few web pages" oi.

Oriental Adventures is a good start if you don't have it, and I think you may be aiming for some prestige classes that already exist.

 

[Desdichado]

a martial artist is someone who specializes in a type or types of martial arts such as kung fu, judo etc. they sometimes combine these styles with weapons, but mostly it's the concept of your body as a weapon.

Sorry, bad definition there. A martial artist is anyone who develops martial skills to a certain level. The concept of body as weapon has nothing to do with it.

Also, I think it's be pretty silly to have kung fu or judo in a traditional fantasy setting. I already think the monk is silly enough.

But to address your real question, I like the Defender class in Midnight. It's flexible and encompasses the concept of a class that focuses on unarmed (mostly) combat without dictating a combat style of any type.

 

[Psion]

Sorry, bad definition there. A martial artist is anyone who develops martial skills to a certain level. The concept of body as weapon has nothing to do with it.

Come now, Josh. While I know that definition is technically correct, I thinking using the term with the conotation "unarmed" or referring to exotic fighting styles is rather common. Your really mincing definitions here, which is unproductive for anything but ivory tower ego massaging.

 

[FrankTrollman]

Chainmail Bikini Games has a very short book called Beyond Monks - that has a Martial Artist Class, which is passable (although built for 3rd edition rules, if that bothers you).

Making a "Martial Artist" core class is filled with design problems:

1> Fighters Suck. The jury is out on whether the single classed Fighter is the weakest viable build or one of the strongest non-viable builds, but the fact remains that the SC Fighter sucks. Alot. That means that any time you make a class which essentially just beats people up in combat you are forced to either invalidate a previously existing core class or make a class that itself sucks. Not a pleasant prospect - especially when you are doing something whose concept doesn't lend itself to multiclassing terribly well.

2> D&D "game balance" is predicated on equipment. This is a much more subtle point, but it keeps coming back to kick people. You see, Paladins and Barbarians are supposedly balanced against Wizards, Clerics, and Druids based on the concept that they have equipment. Magic Swords, Magic Pants, the whole thing. If characters don't have this sort of equipment, the warriors can pretty much go home while the druid doesn't even really notice. So a "martial artist" has to be balanced against a "knight" when the knight has a magic sword. Because if the game is balanced right now - the knight does have a magic sword.

So it's another damned if you do, damned if you don't design problem. If you write your Martial Artist so that he is actually balanced against a knight in shining armor with a magic sword - the class is unbalanced as he's just like the knight except he doesn't need the magic sword. But if you design the Martial Artist so that he is in any meaningful way weaker than the knight in shining armor with the magic sword - you've created a class which is ass, as in reality the knight in fact does have that sword.

---

Given those fundamental design problems - it is unsurprising that I've never been fully happy with any of the "martial artist" class concepts presented in any WotC or 3rd party supplement. It's simply not possible to build such a class which is balanced in light of the fundamental design mistakes made in the already existant warrior classes. Without overhauling the Fighter, you can't make a satisfying Martial Artist.

-Frank