Mystic Kung-Fu Warriors

[hcobb]

Heroes with UC levels starting with level two would unlock Mana stats as per the staff spells, but this mana reserve is stored inside the warrior's own body or soul. (The twist is that as heroes, not wizards, they can't recharge mana from fatigue and instead have to do a half-day meditation per point regained.)

They may then buy spell-like abilities for one skill point each (instead of 3), but these abilities can only be powered by mana, not fatigue or external sources.

The spell lists would vary by martial arts schools and generally include "lost scrolls" (i.e. books) for instruction in the spells.

Certain of these spell-like abilities may be combined with UC techniques.

[larsdangly]

Sounds like a cool set of ideas. My 'default' way to approach such characters is to just write up a hero with UC, perhaps a crazy, fun kung fu weapon, and then pay 3 pts each for a couple of spells.

[platimus]

I like it...except the reduction of cost to learn spells (spell-like abilities). I'd keep it at 3/1500XP. Then again, you could just as easily make him a "Wizard" with the UC talents. That seems fair/fitting to me. Will martial skills be easier to learn (cheaper) or mystic skills? Grasshopper must choose his path wisely.

[hcobb]

Since wizardry is all about training, what if they were trained a different way from early childhood?

The monks are wizards, but they are taught spells as martial arts rituals.

They learn spells at 1 point each and they pay heroic costs for the unarmed combat talents, but they require various UC levels in order to learn or use their spells: The maximum IQ spell they can learn is their UC level times 4. (And no higher than their actual IQ.) So UC II to learn any spells at all. UC III for spells of IQ 9 to 12, UC IV for IQ level 13 to 16 and UC V for IQ levels 17+

They have the Staff spells, but these are cast on their own bodies rather than some external focus and don't include the drop and break protections of course.

They can learn spells in their own school of arts (where are those lost scrolls?) or they can learn conventional spells for 1500 XP each.

So in order to learn an IQ 8 spell from their own school they need DX 11, IQ 11 and UC II. To learn a IQ 9 spell from their own school they need DX 12, IQ 12 and UC III. And so on.

[Terquem]

That is a great way of introducing this kind of character. Well done!