by Eloy Lasanta (World of Darkness | Resources)
The World of Darkness… The World of Secrets… The World of Things That Go Bump in the Night… There are many names for the world our characters exist in and everyone uses something different. Everyone has demons to fight, personal or otherwise and it is best to always be equipped to do so. There are those in this world that perfect their minds and bodies to the point where they are safe from almost any threat out there. Well, safer than normal anyway.
This article will take a look at the role of Martial Artists in the World of Darkness. Their role is important to the history of so many areas of the world, but has most of its influence coming from China. There are many forms as well, ranging from the Brazilian style, Capoeira, which focuses on seemingly wild flips ad kicks, to Tiger Style Kung Fu which emphasizes strong claw attacks to cause the most pain possible to your opponent. While many of the styles have common aspects with the Fighting Style: Kung Fu presented in the World of Darkness Corebook, there are important differences that must be presented.
It would be impossible to compile all of the different martial art styles into one comprehensive history. They come from different cultures and different points in time. But there are a few things that stand true for just about every martial art style out there.
While many of styles are truly deadly to opponents, most martial arts were created as a way to defend one’s self from attackers. Whether it was to defeat the rival tribe in the jungles of Africa or to make sure the emperor was kept safe in China, it is all about protection. The institution of martial arts training leaked from militaries into the schools that taught the average person on the instruction of self defense, until most everyone, from soldier to shopkeepers to farmers, knew some sort of martial art and could defend themselves and their families from harm.
There are many stories of self-discovery around this principal. The rogue martial artist fighting against his urges to take the fight to the enemy, only to die in the end for such heroic, yet stupid, actions. There are, of course, other stories which contradict the first. Every student is taught to use his or her own judgment and see what comes from it.
There is a reason why they are called the martial arts. For centuries, masters of the various forms would perform before their betters in exhibitions against equally talented fighters or simply execute kata that showed how focused they had become through their practice. There are even some forms, like Capoeira, that were developed as entertainment and dancing first and a combat method second. There is a quality in every martial art that is ritual, ceremonial and pleasant to behold and these skills are often coupled with traditional dancing and other art forms.
Likewise, many of the different styles have been turned into sport. While this defies the traditions of many of the more passive forms, it fits right in with the more aggressive styles like Muay Thai, Tae Kwon Do, or Tiger Kung Fu. The sport style and traditional style of the martial art will often differ in execution as the sport style will have accompanying rules and regulations to follow. Many more conventional practitioners stay away from sports as it waters down the art’s awesome power and spirituality.
While we are talking about hand-to-hand fighting in this article, we cannot forget about weapons all together. Most schools will teach their students the basics of fighting with weapons, be it a knife, sword, staff, or less obvious implements. There are just too many situations when a weapon would be better than your hand. Each school will teach a different style, often coming together with the hand-to-hand style, but keep in mind that your Fighting Styles Merit does not count when wielding a weapon. However, your character should still have a descent rating in Weaponry to reflect his training.
Martial arts teach that the artist should focus his body and his mind together, allowing him to go beyond himself and let the soul take over. The principles of Yin and Yang are taught in Asia, of course, but meditation is a universal lesson that runs parallel to the concept. Through meditation, they can clear their minds of everything except their intended purpose, whether it be to defeat their opponent or finish their school exam, it is a truly useful skill and one that is at the heart of all martial art forms.
This training in the mystical arts puts some masters of martial arts into a whole other realm of power. They have gone past the pinnacle of martial arts training and have become truly magical beings, capable of fantastic techniques. This also puts them closer on the radar of supernatural beings and usually makes them targets. Vampires hate the competition, especially when food fights back.
While martial arts styles are generally the same from place to place, there are some schools that place specific focus on certain aspects of the style above others. For example, there are recognizable differences between Northern Black Tiger Kung Fu and Southern Black Tiger Kung Fu, as well between White Crane Kung Fu and Tiger Crane Kung Fu. While the styles themselves are similar enough to have the same name (or close to the same name), they are taught in different areas by different masters in different schools, which makes them different.
Students keep their school in high regard and most become as family. Your teacher is you father and the other students your siblings. It becomes the cornerstone of the student’s lifestyle, especially if they started young. This is how rivalries begin. If some grievous disrespect is shown to a school, its students and master will usually strike enmity against the aggressive school. Some of these rivalries have lasted for centuries, the true reason behind them lost to history, while others are settled quickly, usually by ritual combat. The grievance must be considerable to warrant something of this
magnitude, but it does happen.
The teachers, the sensei, the sifu, are expected to be masters in their fields. There are stories of imposters, pretending to be the foremost in their field, only to be beaten by their little-learned students. They live the rest of their lives as jokes in their communities.
True masters, of course, have nothing to fear of their reputations. They are usually either hermits, totally withdrawn from civilization (these men are commonly called hsien, which means "men of the mountain") or are the pillars of their villages and towns, being role models for the young. They usually stray from large cities, as the environment lends itself to more aggressive behavior. Most have given their lives to the study of their art, believing totally in the forces of the universe and their place in it, totally content to exist in any way the universe sees fit.
It is tradition to pass along your gifts to the next generation, so no knowledge is lost. You are not a teacher without a student and you can rarely be as great as you claim if you cannot duplicate your techniques through training another. Masters are known to take up to 3 students at a time, trying their hardest to stay within this limit, except for extraordinary circumstances. While there are schools with larger classes, they don’t tend to give as detailed and personal an experience and are avoided by Masters.
The question stands, then: What makes a True Master. Many would think that it comes from simply knowing a martial art form to its fullest. This is true. Some say that it comes from intense spirituality. This is true. Others speak of masters being so simply from knowing many different styles. This is true, as well. All of these ring true, because masters are expected to match these characteristics. A True Master is one that knows the secrets of the universe and teaches them only to worthy. A sinister sifu, teaching death techniques to beggars on the street, is not a true master, but an enlightened master who teaches only to
students who have gone through the trials he has set forth can be called as such.
In addition, martial arts masters, while being a popular staple to attach to Asia and that Far East, exist all around the world. There are masters of every style, everywhere, capable of teaching their students in the ways of their art. So while Zheng Xia of China could teach you the intricacies of White Crane Kung Fu, you could also find Nisa Amando, master of Capoeira, in Brazil.
Every master is different in their tutelage, depending on their temperament. While some masters focus on training the mind and so are very gentle in their approach, there are others who teach with a stick at the back of the student’s head. Students must do everything the teacher asks without question or suffer grave consequences. Some students are tasked with carrying water up and down stairs all day or punching a wall for hours on end. The list of potential training tasks goes on and on. Most of the time, the student doesn’t realize that they are even being trained (the Karate Kid is a good example of this principle). No matter the training style, the way the student turns out later on in life has a direct bearing on the way they were trained. Those students trained with compassionate discipline go on to be benevolent to their villages, while those taught through self mortification and torture tend to lose their morality and become villains in the eyes of the people.
It has been tradition for centuries upon centuries for great warriors to compete to be the best. In the martial arts community, though, there is more to the process than beating your opponent to a bloody pulp. It is a matter of honor. There are times when group combat is acceptable, but the vast majority of battles are composed of only two combatants, usually from rival schools and usually with a score to settle with one another. It is important for these martial artists to remember the rules of combat.
Rules like "Never strike your opponent in the back" or "Never strike an opponent when he’s down" are two important ones. Doing one of the two above will lose the artist a mass of reputation. If no one is watching, he will usually look down upon himself, knowing the wrong he has made. The actual rules of combat do vary from region to region, however. The Storyteller should take this into consideration when running his game.
In today’s increasingly modern world, many of the old secrets have been lost. Many of the world’s great martial artists have started to come from intense training from the numerous military academies, not from a martial arts school or from the instruction of a True Master. While this is just as viable an option, access to Master Techniques are virtually null.
It is important to think about the personality of your character when deciding which martial arts form he chooses to be his field of study. Tall, burly men are not prone to practicing White Crane Kung Fu as it lends itself more to petite persons. The same say that a pacifist wouldn’t choose Tiger Kung Fu as his style, as it is very aggressively violent. Choose wisely.
Another tip to Storytellers would be to not do work that’s not needed. After careful consideration, many martial arts styles were skipped in the following write-ups. This is because many styles can simply use the existing rules for other fighting styles. Savate, a kick boxing style from France, would fall under Fighting Style: Boxing. Karate or Tae Kwon Do would simply fall under simple Fighting Style: Kung Fu. You should really do your homework before determining if that style really needs its own write up. Most will either use the two in the World of Darkness Corebook or can be duplicated by any of the write-ups in this article.
After mastering a style of martial arts, many students go on to learn other forms. This is encouraged by most teachers, as it shows the students commitment to their martial studies. But there are a few things that need to be remembered when practicing two separate styles.
Experience costs: The cost for the learning any style after your first is x3, instead of x2. Only the style that the character has deemed his Primary style is x2. The Experience cost for levels that duplicate a skill from the style you already know, are reduced by 1 Experience point. The reason behind this is that they have to relearn another complete style, with its own movements and teachings, trying to forget most of what they learned before. Teachers keep the students in line, though, saying things like "This is Tiger Kung Fu, not that whiny Praying Mantis, stop going to that!" So, if you already know Iron Skin from one martial art form, you will still need to learn it with the other, but with a slightly reduced cost since you know the foundations of it already. For example: Learning
Iron Skin in your second form would normally cost 6 Experience points. But if the character already knew it from their primary style, it would only cost 5 Experience points. This rule flows into #2.
You cannot use two styles at once: A master of Tiger Kung Fu and Hapkido cannot use the two styles simultaneously. At the beginning of combat, the character must choose which style he wishes to use. If the character wishes to change styles mid-combat, they can. However, they cannot switch back to their original style for at least 2 rounds. Any bonuses gained from Tiger Style would be lost when the character switches to Hapkido and vice versa (this includes bonuses gained from Iron Skin).
While interpreting the use of each merit is quite elementary, listed here are a few that are recommended above others. They are listed along with suggestions to how the character could have learned them, as well as ways they can affect a martial artist directly.
There aren’t any newly created merits below, simply explanation on how to use existing ones. In my own humble opinion, there isn’t any need to create new martial arts merits, beyond the increased variety of styles presented below. However, Storytellers could always make up a few more to reflect useful merits for their martial artists. For example: a Merit which duplicates Fighting Finesse, could also work for those martial artist who use their speed
instead of strength to strike at their opponents.
Danger Sense: Through their situational training, martial artists learn to work more off of instinct than anything, which makes them very prone to having this merit. They just feel that something just isn’t right.
Holistic Awareness: Many martial artists know ancient holistic remedies that have been lost throughout history. They will teach these to some students, who deem themselves worthy.
Meditative Mind: This is definitely suggested for any martial artist who wants to learn the more meditative Master Techniques. It helps them focus their mind, allowing them to execute their techniques much more steadier.
Unseen Sense: Many martial artist, using meditation to wake up their mind, become open to things they’ve never seen before. This merit is the reason why only those who are loyal to their studies should embark on the road of becoming a Martial Arts master.
Fast Reflexes or Fleet of Foot: Either of these two merits can be useful in portraying quickness training that a character may have been put through.
Quick Healing: Learning the proper breathing and meditation exercises can help a character heal much quicker than normal. While many are simply born with this or develop it on their own, most need to be taught by a master.
Strong Back: usually the result of intense strength training.
Strong Lungs: while not typical in most schools, many secluded masters teach their students through submersion to help them with their breathing exercises and to protect them from toxins in the air.
Toxin Resistant: Many schools, particularly those of Snake Kung Fu, help their students build up a resistance, and sometimes immunity, to venoms of all kinds.
Fame: For the purposes of a martial arts game, Fame can be replaced with Reputation. Word travels fast of rebellious students using forbidden death moves or of the bravest warriors ever to grace the village. This can work for you and against you, of course. If you’ve made up a reputation for yourself to be a slayer of demons, there may just be a village in need of such services.
Mentor: In the martial arts community, this merit is your best friend. Most students can recite, and are trained to recite on command, their entire lineage of teachers and pupils. It usually comes out as, "I am Zheng Xia, the student of Choo Xue-Xue, the student of Li Xi-Xao, the student of…", until it gets to the founder of either that martial arts style or the founder of that particular school. You represent yourself as well as your master in all of your actions. All martial artists must have at least 2 dots in Mentor before learning any Master Techniques, as the student always needs someone to teach them. Storytellers keep in mind that a Level 2 Mentor may only have one Master Technique to teach, where a Level 5 Mentor may have plenty more.
There are so many possibilities for playing a martial arts game. Below, are some story ideas and plot hooks that may make it easy when starting out.
Quest for the Master: Not every master lives within a simple town or village and is easy to find. This type of quest begins with the student’s present master letting him know that he cannot teach him any more. The character must then, with precious clues and koans from his now former master, seek out this new master to continue their training.
Quest for the Artifact: Done to death in many games, yes. But in a martial arts game, it can be most gratifying. Say that a master swordsman’s blade turns up missing and he has been slain. This blade has the blood of many on it and anyone who wields it becomes nigh invincible. How can the characters defeat an enemy that wields a legendary blade? This scenario can work with non-weaponry too.
Quest for the Spirit: The character may be faced with many trials throughout his training. The character’s own mind it not the least dangerous of them all. The martial artist may be called upon by his ancestors for a quest or he may simply travel into his own (or someone else’s) consciousness in search of answers to questions of the universe.
Quest for Revenge: What if someone important to the character has been slain? This can be a true testament to the character of the martial artist. Does he simply calm himself, keeping to his normal routine, mourning in silence? Does he take to the streets, ready to bring the culprit to justice? Does he go on a blood rampage, waiting for his chance to strike and kill his enemy to avenge the wrong? The choice belongs to the character.
Quest for Rivalry: True acts of atrocity happen in the wars between rival schools. There are several cases in history that these feuds have survived to the present day, especially prevalent in Asian countries, as they hold honor and family above all else. What school do the characters belong to and what are they willing to do for the honor of their school.
Quest for a Role: The other scenarios play heavily on the thought that your entire group is composed of martial artists. But, what if your martial artist is the only one in the group? Many would think he would be "just the muscle", but this could not be farther from the truth. Most martial artists excel in stealth and investigation, as well as being a mediator for disputes. It is important to emphasize, once again, that martial arts is about toning the body and mind, not just the body.
Now that you are ready to play, here are the breakdowns of the different styles of martial arts. Once again, some styles may not need their own rules, being represented just fine by those in the World of Darkness Corebook or on the following list. But whatever you choose to do, have fun with it.
Prerequisites: Strength ••, Dexterity •••, Stamina ••, Brawl •••
The Praying Mantis Style was developed by Master Wang Lang. He lived during the Ming Dynasty 1368-1644 AD. One day the Wang Lang observed a battle between a praying mantis and a larger insect. The monk was amazed at the skill of the smaller insect, using its long limbs and small body to defeat a much larger enemy. He incorporated the moves of the praying mantis into his style of Shaolin Kung Fu and the Praying Mantis style was born. This style uses the hands and feet to develop great speed and agility to defeat an opponent.
Focused Attack (•)
Defensive Grapple (••): Instead of using their Defense score to lower the attacker’s dice pool, the martial artist can opt to also roll their Strength + Brawl to grapple as a defensive action. They must make equal to or more successes than their attack. This does count for their action and their opponent’s action. Meaning the results of any grapples need to be settled in the following round.
Duck and Weave (•••)
Deceptive Form (••••): Being hard to read is important to the Praying Mantis. Per Defensive Action, except that it is +3 Defense and –3 penalty to their attack.
Whirlwind Assault (•••••): per Whirlwind Strike, but can make an extra attack for every dot of Dexterity above 1 (instead of 2).
Prerequisites: Strength ••, Dexterity •••, Stamina •••, Brawl ••, Athletics •••
Monkey Kung Fu was created by Wang Lang, who also created Praying Mantis Kung Fu. The way the monkeys advanced, retreated, dashed, jumped and turned, proved to be more alive than all the big steps and broad stances used in all the other martial arts of that time. From these observations, he designed the "Monkey steps" which are characterized by narrow paces and quick legs. This would enable better speed and spirit in moving. It emphasizes jumps, flips, quick attacks, and lots of acrobatic dodging.
Quick Recovery (•): if ever the victim of a Knock-down action, the martial artist can get back up without it costing him his next action, but he receives a -3 penalty to initiative for the next 3 rounds of combat.
Acrobatic Dodge (••): Due to their tumbling training, the character can add his Athletics dots to his Defense for the use of Dodging, instead of doubling their Defense.
Defensive Attack (•••)
Flipping Attack (••••): the martial artist can make a forward flipping attack, adding +1 to his dice pool or can make a backwards flipping attack with –1 dice pool, but makes a gap between the two combatants. The Character cannot make two flipping attacks in consecutive turns.
Knock Down Attacks (•••••): most of the Monkey Kung Fu attacks are low strikes at the legs and lower region of the opponent’s body. If an attack roll comes up with at least 3 successes on a strike, the opponent is must resist a Knock down effect at a -3 dice penalty.
Prerequisites: Strength ••, Dexterity •••, Stamina ••, Brawl •••
There is no ONE style of Snake Kung Fu. Instead there are several versions of it, adapting to different species of snake, such as cobra, python or rattlesnake. While these styles may differ slightly, they are condensed into one style below, for convenience.
Emphasizing light, fast, highly mobile movements and quick penetrating strikes to vital points can take out an attacker regardless of his size. Snake style does not directly oppose his adversary’s strength. Instead he relies on deception and indirection to get the upper hand, utilizing numerous feints against his opponents. You need to go in with a fluid manner. Many students also build up a tolerance to poisons during their training.
Focused Attack (•)
Duck and Weave (••)
Coil and Strike (•••): the methods of the snake are to wait for just the right time to strike. The martial artist may hold his action for one round to gain a +4 dice bonus to their strike in the following round. The character cannot make a Dodge action while he is "coiled", but gains a +1 bonus to his natural Defense score for that round. Likewise, during the round of the Strike, he suffers a –2 to his defense score.
Pressure Points (••••): Through intense training in pressure points, the character can increase the amount of damage dealt with a single attack. All brawl attacks the martial artist makes, except for grappling, gains a +1 bonus to their dice pool.
Multiple Fang Attack (•••••): per Whirlwind Strike, but each strike can be directed to a different opponent if within close range.
Prerequisites: Strength •••, Dexterity ••, Stamina ••, Brawl ••••, Strong Back
Also known as "The Emperor’s Art," White Tiger Kung Fu has been passed down through the Doo family for nearly 400 years. The Doo family served as the right hand to Chinese emperors, and their security force protected the emperor during feudal times. They were responsible for both the emperor’s physical safety as well as his health and well-being. This style is an offensive style that focuses on claw attacks and palm strike above all else.
Sharpened Claws (•): Through intense training in conditioning their hands, the Tiger can increase the amount of damage death with a single blow. All brawl attacks the martial artist makes, except for Grappling, gain a +1 bonus to their dice pool.
Iron Skin (••)
Double Claw (•••): As per Combination Blows.
Lethal Strike (••••)
Painful Strikes (•••••): For each successful strike the Tiger strikes his target with, the opponent suffers a –1 penalty to all combat dice pools from the sheer pain of the attacks. These attacks are responsible for many of the more prominent scars gained in battle. This effect is cumulative with wound penalties and last for the next full day.
Prerequisites: Strength ••, Dexterity •••, Stamina ••, Brawl •••
White Crane Kung Fu is a rare system of self-defense which combines foot techniques, hand techniques and chin na (seizing and controlling). Although rare in the western world, the art is a famous fighting style in Southeast Asia. The style is renowned for its rapid hand techniques; its strikes executed in conjunction with grabs and its devastatingly effective pressure point attacks. The founder of the style, Fang Chi-Niang, was a petite woman who lived in violent times. Most men were comparatively larger and more physically powerful than her. Fang Chi-Niang reasoned that certain vulnerable areas of the body could not be hardened or conditioned to resist injury. Powerful strikes to the temples, eyes, throat, solar plexus, floating ribs, kidneys, groin, knees, etc., could successfully debilitate even the most determined attacker. Consequently, attacking pressure point targets with specialized hand strikes became a trademark of White Crane.
Focused Attack (•)
Acrobatic Dodge (••): Due to their tumbling training, the character can add his Athletics dots to his Defense for the use of Dodging, instead of doubling their Defense.
Pressure Points (•••): Through intense training in pressure points, the character can increase the amount of damage dealt with a single attack. All brawl attacks the martial artist makes, except for grappling, gains a +1 bonus to their dice pool.
Focused Fury (••••): intense attention to pressure points is needed to be a master of White Crane. The penalty to strike "Specific Targets" is reduced by 2. This bonus replaces Focused Attack.
Whirlwind Strike (•••••)
Prerequisites: Strength ••, Dexterity ••, Stamina ••, Brawl •••
Jujitsu, or gentle technique, includes not only limb twisting and joint locking, but also a vast arsenal of techniques including attacking vital points, choking, and kicking. American schools such as Danzan Ryu, based out of the Hawaiian islands, teach variations of this style. Jujitsu is considered to have originated in the 15th century as a grappling martial art for samourai.
The most obvious aspect of Jujitsu is that it is not reliant on muscular skill and strength. Rather, it relies on balance, speed and leverage. It is because these factors are so important, that Jujitsu tends to "level the playing field" regardless of opponent size. Jujitsu is open equally to men and women and is a far more devastating art than its modern sporting form known as Judo.
Throw (•): As "Grapple-Damage Opponent", but also throws opponent 2 yards per success.
Hands-On (••): The character learns early on how to best grapple their opponent, as well as getting free from grappling, and gains a +1 dice bonus for any and all Grapple related rolls.
Pressure Points (•••): Through intense training in pressure points, the character can increase the amount of damage dealt with a single attack. All brawl attacks the martial artist makes, except for grappling, gains a +1 bonus to their dice pool.
Whirlwind Strike (••••)
Soto Makikomi (•••••): Masters of Jujitsu learn to subdue their opponent quickly. After spending a Willpower Point, the character may automatically use an Overpowering Maneuver on his opponent upon a successful Grapple attack. Drawback: character cannot use his defense against any attack in the same round he used this technique.
Prerequisites: Strength ••, Dexterity •••, Stamina ••, Brawl ••
Ninjitsu is known by many as the art of stealth or the art of the shadow. Much of the training in the Ninjitsu school centers on close range combat and the art of invisibility and espionage. Some of the special skills learned by Ninjitsu practitioners have historically given the ninja a reputation of possessing magical powers. Climbing walls and swimming while clad in armor are two skills that have earned this reputation. Other skills taught to the ninja included map making, disguise, silent entry and escape, leaping, high endurance, sabotage, and the use of available surroundings as weapons.
The history of the ninja is shrouded in secrecy. Ninja often hold the incorrect reputation of having all been assassins. This was not the case. Though no single origin can be proven, most common beliefs surrounding the origins of Ninjitsu attribute it as a fighting method taught within mountain families as a means for self-defense during feudal Japan against territory claimants. In order to defend themselves against powerful foes such as the samourai class of warriors who had strength in numbers, the ninja developed stealth capabilities and unorthodox combat techniques. The fighting tactics employed by the ninja
were often seen as cowardly by the samourai. However, they were often very effective.
Focused Attack (•)
Adaptive (••): Adds +1 to Defense Score after the second round of combat; The character is able to adapt to any surroundings and use this to defeat his foes.
Master of Stealth (•••): Ninja receive +1 die bonus to all Stealth rolls. Additionally, victims of a Surprise attack from a practitioner of Ninjitsu suffer a –2 penalty to their Wits + Composure roll.
Whirlwind Strike (••••)
Lethal Strike (•••••)
Prerequisites: Strength •••, Dexterity ••, Stamina •••, Brawl ••
Sumo is one of the most popular professional sports in Japan and the image of two of these huge wrestlers grappling is one of the most famous images of Japan abroad. The colorful traditional costumes worn by the rikishi (wrestlers) and gyoji (referees), the distinctive oichomage (gingko leaf knot) hairstyle and the various rituals give the sport the exotic air that appeals to many foreigners. Over the years, several foreign hopefuls have tried to break into the ranks of sumo but few have succeeded.
There are 70 ways of beating an opponent listed by the Sumo Association, including such common ones as uwatenage (over arm throw) and shitatenage (underarm throw), but few methods of attack are banned. Wrestlers may trip or slap with an open hand, but eye gouging, hair pulling, and hitting with a closed fist are not permitted and will result in forfeiting the bout.
Out of the Ring (•): The Sumo tradition teaches wrestling as its first skill. Sumo get a +2 dice bonus for any and all offensive Grapple related rolls.
Iron Skin (••)
Big Chop (•••): as per Body Blow. But, the forceful attack of the Sumo warrior can be used to stun their opponent as long as he rolls at least 4 successes. If the rikishi took Merit: Giant at character creation, then they need only 3 successes. Drawback: character cannot use his defense against any attack in the same round he used this technique.
Invincible Skin (••••): adds +2 armor against bashing damage only. This bonus replaces Iron Skin.
Lethal Strike (•••••)
Prerequisites: Strength ••, Dexterity •••, Stamina ••, Brawl •••
Primarily a defensive style, Aikido focuses on subduing their opponents by using their own momentum against them. A character with this style has been trained in various throws and grapples, making him very adept at using his opponent’s strength to benefit his attacks, as well as using the surrounding area to aid him in combat. These are fierce warriors, yet their focus is on self-defense as opposed to outright offense.
Throw (•): As "Grapple-Damage Opponent", but also throws opponent 2 yards per success.
Defensive Grapple (••): Instead of using their Defense score to lower the attacker’s dice pool, the martial artist can opt to also roll their Strength + Brawl to grapple as a defensive action. They must make equal to or more successes than their attack. This does count for their action and their opponent’s action. Meaning the results of any grapples need to be settled in the following round.
Defensive Attack (•••)
Adaptive (••••): Adds +1 to Defense Score after the second round of combat; the character is able to adapt to any surroundings and use this to defeat his foes.
Whirlwind Defense (•••••): The master of Aikido can utilize his gifts to take on multiple opponents, using their own strength against them. The character takes a defensive stance and rolls his Strength + Brawl. Any Brawl or Weaponry attack toward the character that does not exceed the character’s successes on his roll, is flipped, tripped or thrown 2 yards for each success the attacker rolled. They also take their own successes in damage, minus 2.
Prerequisites: Strength ••, Dexterity ••, Stamina ••, Brawl •••
Hapkido Martial Arts is a complete art of self-defense. It combines aspects of Tae Kwon Do, Karate, Ju-Jitsu and Aikido. Hapkido has a powerful arsenal of spinning kicks, thrusts and sweeps combined with hard and soft fist attacks and defenses. As well as the use of kicks and punches, Hapkido uses nerve and pressure point attacks, wrist and joint locks, and many twisting and throwing techniques.
Focused Attack (•)
Pressure Points (••): Through intense training in pressure points, the character can increase the amount of damage dealt with a single attack. All brawl attacks the martial artist makes, except for grappling, gains a +1 bonus to their dice pool.
Combination Blows (•••)
Joint Lock (••••): The character may automatically make another roll to "Grapple: Immobilize" upon getting equal to or exceeding the target’s size on a Grapple attack.
Lethal Strike (•••••)
Prerequisites: Strength •••, Dexterity ••, Stamina •••, Brawl •••
Thai boxing, or Muay Thai, is a traditional art of self-defense of the Thais. It is different from international boxing in that in the Thai style of unarmed fighting, feet, elbows and knees are used as well as fists. Thus, it resembles more to a real free-for-all fight. A Thai boxing match lasts only five rounds of three minutes each, with a two-minute rest between rounds.
Body Blow (•)
Defensive Grapple (••): Instead of using their Defense score to lower the attacker’s dice pool, the martial artist can opt to also roll their Strength + Brawl to grapple as a defensive action. They must make equal to or more successes than their attack. This does count for their action and their opponent’s action. Meaning the results of any grapples need to be settled in the following round.
Extra Weapons (•••): Through intense training in conditioning their legs and hands, as well as their knees and elbows, the character can increase the amount of damage death with a single attack. All brawl attacks the martial artist makes, except for Grappling, gain a +1 bonus to their dice pool.
Whirlwind Strike (••••)
Brutal Blow (•••••)
Prerequisites: Strength •••, Dexterity ••, Stamina ••, Brawl •••
Krav Maga is the official self-defense system of the Israeli Defense Forces, and has been taught to hundreds of law enforcement agencies and thousands of civilians in the United States. Krav Maga is a simple, effective self-defense system that emphasizes instinctive movements, practical techniques, and realistic training scenarios.
Armor Training (•): They have had extension training on combat wearing all armor types. The Defense penalty for wearing different types of armor is reduced for students of Krav Maga.
Hands-On (••): The character learns early on about the human body and how to best grapple their opponent, as well as getting free from grappling, and gains a +1 dice bonus for any and all Grapple related rolls.
Combination Blows (•••)
Quick Disarm (••••): The character may automatically "Disarm" his opponent upon getting equal to or exceeding the target’s size on a Grapple attack.
Lethal Strike (•••••)
Prerequisites: Strength ••, Dexterity •••, Stamina ••, Brawl ••, Athletics ••
Capoeira was created by various slaves brought over from Africa, and it’s a part of their culture. It is half a fighting style and half a dance - most of its moves are fluid, many rely on acrobatic stunts. It depends more of agility than of raw strength - the stereotypical Capoeira fighter is small and fast, being able to hit and flow away from the opponent’s reach. This style uses only kicking attacks, while the arms are used only as supports for their swift maneuvers. It’s usually fought to music, using a special instrument called a "berimbau" that is played by the watchers, who also sing while two fighters battle each other.
Defense of the Little Man (•): when fighting against someone with Dexterity equal or less than the fighter’s own, he gets a +1 modifier to his Defense. If attacked by more than one opponent in the same turn, this benefit is lost.
Acrobatic Dodge (••): Due to their intense acrobatic training, the character can add his Athletics dots to his Defense for the use of Dodging, instead of doubling their defense.
Trips and Sweeps (•••): by utilizing low attacks, the character can cause a knock down effect. If the character scores equal to or exceeds the targets size, the opponent must resist a knock down effect.
Flipping Attack (••••): the martial artist can make a forward flipping attack, adding +1 to his dice pool or can make a backwards flipping attack with –1 dice pool, but makes a gap between the two combatants. The Character cannot make two flipping attacks in consecutive turns.
Spinning Kick Strikes (•••••): per Whirlwind Attack, but each strike can be directed to a different opponent if within close enough range.
Prerequisites: Strength •••, Dexterity •••, Stamina ••, Brawl ••
The first truly American martial art form, Jeet Kun Do is the style founded by the legendary Bruce Lee. Through the combining of several different art forms and theory on the body and its connection to the ancient elements, Jeet Kun Do has become one of the most controversial, yet effective styles in existence. It teaches that martial arts doesn’t need katas and stances, you just need to be able to defend yourself to the best of your abilities.
Bruce’s Strength (•): Through intense training and conditioning on weak points, the character can increase the amount of damage death with a single blow. All brawl attacks the martial artist makes, except for Grappling, gain a +1 bonus to their dice pool.
Like Water (••): per Duck and Weave. The fluid movements of Jeet Kun Do are much adaptive to and harder to hit.
One-Inch Punch (•••): When at close range, the character can strike a target so hard that he will be propelled backward. For every point of damage done, the target is knocked back 3 yards. If more than the opponent’s size, they are also knocked down. If used against objects, it subtracts one from the item’s durability. Drawback: character cannot use his defense against any attack in the same round he used this technique.
Lethal Strike (••••)
Multiple Opponent Combat (•••••): per Whirlwind Strike, but each strike can be directed to a different opponent if within close range.
So, after you have mastered a martial art, what else is there to do? Many students of combat simply try their hand at another style, but there are those that go beyond this point of body and mind. There are many lost secrets and ancient techniques that are not taught to the average student. Below are a few of those techniques.
However, these are not abilities that can be taught without the proper teacher. Some students work diligently for a master for years to learn a single one. They are not cheap either conceptually or when referring to the cost of Experience points. Storytellers should make it hard to learn lost techniques, since only a precious few really wield their awesome power in this modern and cynical world.
These Techniques sometimes mimic powers that supernatural beings already possess. Although, even with years upon years of training, a martial artist still cannot replicate their level of power. As such, they cannot replicate any level 5 effects and techniques that would duplicate Level 4 effects would cost an arm and a leg in Experience points.
Note on Prerequisites: The character must have mastered at least 1 style of martial art and at least 4 dots in Brawl before even considering achieving this level of comprehension. Storytellers may want to consider making some techniques require a particular style as well, so not everyone can learn everything. A Tiger Style martial artist isn’t going to learn the same types of Master Techniques as a master of Capoeira, after all.
Cost: 35 experience points
Effect: This ability is similar to uses of Obfuscate, clouding the minds of those they wish not to see them. The martial artist must spend a Willpower point and make a Contested Wits + Stealth roll against the target’s Wits + Composure. The target number is generally double the target’s Willpower, but the Storyteller can apply penalties or bonuses based on the situation. If affecting a group, use the highest Wits + Composure of the group. If the roll succeeds, the martial artist cannot be seen by the target(s). The martial artist cannot act in any aggressive way toward anything (not even the wall or a door) while using this
technique or it instantly broken. Auspex can see through this normally and vampires receive a +2 dice bonus to resist the Art of Invisibility.
Cost: 30 experience points
Effect: Masters of the Chi Strike often hold life and death their hands. They have the power to force their yang chi into their limb to deliver startling and deadly blows to their opponents. By spending one willpower point, the character can add 6 dice instead of 3 to their next attack. An extra bonus to this ability: for every 2 points of Bashing damage, the martial artist may instead do one Lethal point of damage to the target.
Example: the martial artist has Strength 3 and Brawl 4 and so has 13 dice to roll with the additional 6 dice. He rolls 1, 2, 4, 4, 5, 8, 8, 9, 9, 10, 10, 8, 9 – 8 successes. He can then opt to do 8 levels of bashing or 4 levels of Lethal or 4 levels of Bashing and 2 Lethal or any combination; the player’s choice.
Cost: 30 experience points
Effect: A skilled combatant along the right path will come across a master that knows this lost art. It is a punch that debilitates the target, making it hard for them to even move. After spending one Willpower point, the martial artist will make a normal Strength + Brawl roll at a –3 penalty. Upon hitting, every 2 success can subtract one of the target’s points of Dexterity instead of doing damage to a minimum of one. The dexterity can be lowered to 0, but requires 4 successes.
Example: the martial artist has Strength 4 and Brawl 5 and so has 6 dice to roll, after applying the –3 penalty. He rolls 1, 2, 5, 8, 9, 10, 8 – 4 successes on a target with 2 Dexterity. The character could lower the target’s Dexterity to 1 for two of the successes and then also do 2 levels of Bashing with the other 2. He could not lower the Dexterity to 0 unless he had 6 successes (2 to bring it to 1, then 4 to bring it to 0), but would do no damage. The loss of Dexterity from his attack heals back as if it was lethal damage, meaning it would take a mortal 2 days to gain back each dot lost, but a vampire would only need to expend a Blood Point per point lost. ST NOTE: Other techniques exist that can take away the Strength or Stamina of the target as well. They are harder to come by, costing 40 experience points, but would work with the same mechanics.
Cost: 15 experience points, 20 experience points for rebuy
Effect: With a quick motion, the martial art can remove object from hands, pockets, etc. It gets its name from its most sinister use. A master can even use this lighting fast action to remove someone’s eye before they even have a chance to counter. After spending a Willpower point, penalties to actions involving "Specified Targets" is reduced by 2 (in addition to any reductions gained from Fighting Styles) and adds +5 Initiative allowing for the very quick motion of snatching the "object". Martial artists with a stake are a force to be reckoned with. This technique can be bought a second time, which reduces the penalty by 3, instead of by 2 and gives an additional +3 initiative bonus.
Cost: 15 experience points
Effect: From intense training, the martial artist becomes very resistant to the effects of adverse weather. The character can survive for a number of hours per dot of Stamina before feeling any adverse effects. As an extra note, when exposed to fire or cold damage, they can resist one point of damage on a successful Stamina roll. Character must have Iron Skin. Characters that are embraced into the Requiem after already knowing this technique cannot benefit from the reduced fire damage, since the weakness is supernatural in origin.
Cost: 12 experience points, 18 experience points for rebuy
Effect: Some martial artists are masters of flexibility, using this to their advantage during battle, for escaping, etc. The character can dislocate bones and contort in impossible ways. His adds 3 dice to any action that being flexible would be beneficial, without the use of a Willpower point. This technique can be bought a second time to double the dice bonus.
Examples: getting freed from cuffs, rope or getting free from a grapple.
Cost: 30 experience points
Effect: There are very few masters in the world who know this lost technique, even those that use to know it, have forgotten it after confrontations with their enemies. Using this ability on a victim, the martial artist can remove the thoughts and memories from his mind or create new ones through the use pressure points to the brain. For all intents and purposes, this duplicates level 3 Dominate, Forgetful Mind, including the rules for remembering lost memories. A Extended Wits + Persuasion – victim’s Resolve. Bonuses can be gained if the victim is fully restrained. An Exceptional success means the victim accepts
the new memories without thought.
Cost: 15 experience points, 20 experience points for rebuys
Effect: After spending 1 Willpower point to activate this technique for the scene, the character becomes light as a feather, being able to walk on walls and jump incredible lengths. This ability adds 2 dice to all athletics actions, such as climbing, jumping, etc. and lets the character ignore 1 point of damage from falling. It can be purchased up to 3 times, for a total of 6 additional dice and 3 avoided levels of damage from falling. Masters of this technique can even appear to be in flight, even though its just really long jumps with enough successes. Gravity still affects them, however. Walking on walls or balancing on tree branches are done by rolling Dexterity + Athletics at a –2 penalty, while walking on the ceiling is a –5. They can only stay on the surface unmoving for up to a number turns equal to their dots in Dexterity, before falling again. If the successes accumulate an Exceptional Success, the amount of turns is doubled.
Cost: 18 experience points
Effect: The martial artist, with enough training, can learn to strike through even the toughest armor. If the character spends a Willpower point before attacking, he can make a strike that passes through a number of points of Armor as he has dots in Wits.
Example: a martial artist with 3 Wits can ignore 3 points of armor protection. Note: this even ignores levels of armor gained from martial art training (such as Iron Skin or Ox-Body Technique).
Cost: 50 experience points
Effect: Whether called the Five-Finger-Method Strike or the Vemon-Heart Technique or the Double-Temple Kick or whatever, this is an ultimate attack that a martial artist can learn: the ability to kill someone with only a single strike. The character must spend a Willpower dot, then make a successful strike that equals or exceeds the target’s size. If the character succeeds in this attack, the opponent dies as if all by lethal damage, killing a mortal. A vampire subject to this attack, goes into torpor. If the attack does not accumulate the character’s size in successes, the attack deals damage per normal and the character still loses their Willpower dot. This reflects how killing strikes require exact precision that must be done exactly right. Regaining their lost Willpower dot costs 12
experience points.
Note: This attack ignores any additional health points earned from supernatural powers or any gained from enhanced stamina.
Cost: 20 experience points, 25 experience points for rebuy
Effect: This ability allows the character to attack a target from a distance. The character must spend a Willpower point and roll Dexterity + Brawl with a –3 dice penalty. The strike can be performed from a max distance of the character’s Strength + Brawl in yards, but can double this distance by taking an additional –2 penalty (for a total –5 penalty). This technique can be bought a second time, which removes the dice penalty.
Cost: 20 experience points, 30 experience points for rebuy
Effect: The character’s body becomes stronger and it is easier to resist damage. The character gets one extra health point and can resist 1 additional point of bashing damage. Character must have Iron Skin. This technique can only be bought twice.
Cost: 20 experience points
Effect: There are certain ways of defeating your opponent; the least of them is incapacitating them. By spending a Willpower point and making a successful Strength + Brawl roll at a –3 penalty, the martial artist can paralyze their target for a number of turns equal to their dots in Strength, along with dealing 1 point of Lethal damage. An Exceptional success doubles the duration and raises the damage to 2 lethal. Vampires only suffer half of the effects (rounded down), so if the attacker had 3 Strength, a vampire would only be paralyzed for 1 turn, instead of 3. Damage done to a vampire with is technique deals bashing not lethal.
Cost: 25 experience points
Effect: Often seen as the opposite of Chi Strike, as it is forcing Yin Chi into your strike. The character must spend 1 Willpower on this attack. If the attack misses, then the Willpower is wasted. If hit, the victim then feels the poison course through his body, taking 1 Lethal damage in addition to any bashing done on the attack. They will continue receiving 1 automatic lethal damage each hour each dot of Strength the attack has from the mystic poison coursing through their veins.
Example: the martial artist has Strength 3 and Brawl 4 and so has 7 dice to roll. He rolls 1, 2, 5, 8, 8, 10, 9 – 4 successes. The target would receive 4 Bashing damage and 1 lethal damage at this time, then would take 1 additional Lethal damage per hour for the next 3 hours (the attacker’s Strength). This technique can be purchased up to 3 times, but only adds +1 to the lethal damage taken each hour. The attacker’s strength would need to be raised for the effect to last longer. Vampires will feel only half the effects of this technique (rounded down), but take full damage. Character must have Focused Attack.
Cost: 20 experience points
Effect: This technique is used in styles that promote skill and stealth above brute strength and power. By spending one Willpower point and making a successful Dexterity + Stealth roll, the sounds of the character’s movements are totally cloaked. Not only this, but any inanimate objects he may come in contact with will feel the effects as well. If he jumps into water, his splash is totally silent. If he knocks over a picture, it falls to the ground without a sound. Any animate being or creature that he touches during this effect, is able to hear him without a problem. Hence, if he goes into combat, his opponent will have no problem hearing him. If the successes accumulate an Exceptional Success, the martial artist receives +3 dice to any Stealth rolls for the rest of the scene. Vampires with Auspex can make a Contest Wits + Composure roll to hear through their mystic protection.
Cost: 45 experience points
Effect: Asian myths and legends teach that the human spirit is composed of the Hun, the intelligent and spiritual side, and the P’o, the bestial and physical side. Practitioners of this technique have also found this to be true. The character must spend 2 Willpower points and make a successful Meditation roll, at a –3 dice penalty. If the roll succeeds, his entire being is split into two different beings. One of these beings is the character’s Hun, which holds all his intelligence and wisdom. The Hun receives +2 dice all mental actions, but cannot enter physical combat, only mental. The P’o, the bestial side, gains +2 dice to all physical actions (including combat). His Defense also gains a +1 bonus, but he loses his ability to think logically, even how to speak. They can stay separated for a number of hours as the initial roll garnered and can be any distance away from each other. This ability is used to multitasking. Think of a scene where you are trying to pick a lock and a gang of guards come and try to stop you. If you could do both, wouldn’t you? Both sides have the character split its health points, but the Hun will always have 2. So, if your character had 6 health points, then your Hun would have 2 and your P’o would have 4. If your character had 8 health points, then your Hun would have 2 and your P’o would have 6. But if one of the side dies, the ability ends as the two halves are thrown back together; the character loses one Willpower dot and is knocked unconscious. The character must make an Extended Stamina roll with a target number of 30, each roll constituting an hour of being unconscious. If the character is ever embraced, the P’o becomes the beast and will attack anyone around it, even the Hun. So Kindred usually stay away from this ability for fear of their own unlives. Regaining their lost Willpower dot costs 12 experience points.
Note: this technique may be a little too much for some Storytellers, but it depends on just how fantastic" you want your story to be. Also notice that it is the most expensive of the Master Techniques, which reflects how powerful it really is.
Cost: 20 experience points
Effect: The mind is a fragile thing and many martial artists experience things they never wanted to. With a successful Meditation roll, the character can stabilize their thoughts. For each success, they are free from nightmares for one night. Also, the character has one Willpower point (2 on an Exceptional success) replenished with a successful roll; This can only be attempted once a week. They are also able to fend off degeneration easier with this specialized meditation, gaining a +3 to their roll (this bonus replaces the normal +1 bonus for meditation). This is especially good for assassins and accidental killers, helping to put all their thoughts into perspective, making it easier to get through life.
Cost: 40 experience points
Effect: This technique allows some martial art masters to defeat their worst enemy: mortality. Through this meditation, their life can be slowed down, explaining how some masters are over 100 years old. On a successful Mediation roll at a –2 dice penalty, the character can slow one year of his aging to the number of years per success gained. The character must also spend a Willpower dot for the effects to work.
Example: Sifu Zheng rolls 5 successes on his Surge of Life Mediation roll, which means that it will take him 5 years to age one year, but he will have to spend a Willpower dot. At the end of the 5 years, he may roll again. The first 5 times the character performs this technique, it counts for one year of his life, as above. Then for 2 years for the next 5 times. Then 3 years for the next 5 times. Until the magic has no more effect, as the number of years outweighs the character’s dice pool. Regaining their lost Willpower dot costs 12 experience points.
Cost: 30 experience points
Effect: This attack is often unexpected and very much feared among the martial arts community. After one round of contemplation (meaning one round of no attacking, but also no Dodge), the martial artist can launch a critical strike at his target, one that will knock him out for sure. The strike hits certain pressure points, but does no damage on the first hit (the character must still roll to hit). The strike will do 1 point the second round, then 2 points of damage the third round and 3 points the fourth and so on, until the target collapses. This is all bashing damage. This damage is continual, not stopping until the victim falls unconscious. So any supernatural beings are still susceptible, but do not fall unconscious after only Bashing damage. If left unhealed, this strike will upgrade all the bashing to lethal and can force a vampire into torpor. If the Vampire has the Blood Potency to spend enough blood to avoid falling unconscious for 6 rounds, then the effect wears off.
