[HR] Making Techniques Viable (as more than "one-trick" specialists)

[Trachmyr]

I love the system of techniques, however I find that their costs makes them an exceptionally bad investment except for the occasional “One-trick wonders” (notably Arm Lock and Feint). I’ve been looking for a way to allow a player to incorporate more techniques into their character design without (A) weakening them in the long-run, (B) over-powering the character or making taking techniques a “no-brainer” and (C ) without completely rewriting or diverging significantly from the current system. After trying out a number of methods, this is what my most recent House Rule consists of… only tried it out for a few sessions, but so far seems quite balanced.

Thought I’d share for those who are interested and perhaps get some feedback as well!

------------------------------------

Techniques are no longer increased with Character Points, instead their default can be improved by one of the following perks: Skill Techniques or Style Techniques. The difficulty of the technique influences the number of techniques that you may train simultaneously. Targeted Attacks are treated just as any other Hard technique, but Combinations require a separate perk to improve them from default.

------------------------------------

New Perks

Skill Techniques (1/level) - Increase the default by one for four Average techniques based on this skill. Multiple levels of this perk allow you to increase defaults for four more Average techniques, either new ones or ones previously improved. A Hard Skill counts as two Average Skills in all cases. Increased defaults stack from all sources, but the total cannot exceed the technique’s maximum level.

Style Techniques (1/level) - As Skill techniques but requires Style Familiarity. Techniques improved must come from the listed techniques for the associated style, but do not need to share a single skill. Increased defaults stack from all sources, but the total cannot exceed the technique’s maximum level. This is a Style Perk, and should always be considered part of a style’s available perks, however it counts towards the maximum number of style perks allowed.

Combination (1/level) - This allows you to create a combination consisting of two or three maneuvers and buy off the default penalty by one step per level of this perk.

---------------------------------

Example:

Kempo Instructor [150 Points]

Attributes [100]
ST 11
DX 13
IQ 10
HT 12
HP 11, Wil 12, Per 10, FP 12
Speed 6.25, Move 6
Thr 1-1, Swg 1+1, BL 24
Punch 1+0 cr, Kick 1+1 cr

TL8, Native Language (English), Native Culture (U.S.)

Advantages & Perks [37]
Ally (Best Friend in Military, same points, 6-; 3)
Attractive (4)
Charisma +2 (10)
Claim to Hospitality (old friends and past students; 5)
Contacts (Cop buddy, Ususally reliable, Skill 12, 9-; 2)
Fit (5)
Reputation +2 (Helpful & Reliable, Students and past Students, Sometimes; 1)
Dabbler (Baseball at +2, Football at +2, Soccer at +3; 1)
Style Familiarity (Kempo; 1)
Special Setup (Karate Parry > Judo Throw; 1)
Style Techniques 3 (Kempo; 3)
Skill Techniques 1 (Karate Art; 1)

Disadvantages & Quirks [-50]
Debt (-11)
Pacifism (Cannot Harm innocents; -10)
Enemy (Ex, less powerful, rival, 9-; -2)
Sense of Duty (to his Ex; -2)
Charitable (SC12; -15)
Stubbornness (-5)
Distractible (-1)
Humble (-1)
Takes Savoir-Faire(Dojo) very seriously (-1)
Gotta have his coffee in the morning (-1)
Delusion (thinks he can work things out with his Ex; -1)

Skills & Techniques[63]
Accounting (His Dojo) 9 [1]
Area Knowledge (Local Neighborhood) 10 [1]
Carpentry 10 [1]
Cooking (Coffee Making) 11 [2]
Computer Operation 10 [1]
Current Affairs (Sports) 10 [1]
Driving (Auto) 12 [1]
Driving (Motorcycle) 13 [2]
First-Aid 11 [2]
Housekeeping 10 [1]
Leadership 13 [4]
Teaching 13 [12]
-----------
Breath Control 11 [2]
Judo 13 [4]
Karate 14 [D]
Karate Art 17 [20]
Philosophy (Buddhism) 8 [1]
Savoir-Faire (Dojo) 12 [4]
Short Sword 13 [1]
Staff 14 [2]
-----------
Arm Lock 13
Back Kick 12 (15 for Karate Art)
Break Fall 14
Elbow Strike 14 (17 for Karate Art)
Kicking 14 (17 for Karate Art)
Knee Strike 14 (17 for Karate Art)
Spinning Kick 13 (16 for Karate Art)

-----------------------------------

In comparison to RAW, to make this character would have required 10 additional character points (14 for techniques minus the 4 points spent on the Technique perks)…

However, if this character was RAW, the 4 points spent in Style/Skill perks would have been siphoned into Karate Art (and thus improving Karate and all Karate based techniques by 1 as well). While overall skill would have been higher, every technique except Arm Lock & Knee Strike would have been 1 level lower than this build.

Gaining +1 to five techniques in trade for +1 to base skill seems to me like a acceptable trade without it being over-powered. And remember that the Style techniques require that the points be spread out amongst multiple skills, limiting individual techniques so that they can’t be improved higher than +1 per character point spent.

------------------------

So your thoughts, questions & criticisms would be most welcomed… as would sharing any house rules you use to make techniques more viable than as one-trick wonders.

Thanks,
Trachmyr

[vierasmarius]

I like it, and may try it out. I've long thought the technique system discouraged having a variety of techniques, but my only thought was cutting the point cost in half. I think your house rule better addresses the emphasis on variety. And for people who do want a one-trick pony, you could include a "Technique Specialization" perk that gives +2 in a single technique, or something of the like...

One question I do have though: the Combination perk. The way I read it it charges the same amount to improve a two or three-move combination by one level... that doesn't seem particularly balanced. Unfortunately, I don't have an alternative suggestion right now.

[Trachmyr]

In regards to one trick ponies... I had beeen considering a Technique Specialization Perk that allows you to improve one technique for all of your improved skills if Average difficulty, or for upto three improved skills if Hard.


In regards to Combinations... remember that the default penalty is -6 for two part combos, and -12(!) for three part combos. It costs twice as much to fully improve a 3-part as a 2-part. That seems fair.

Even by RAW, a 2-part combo would cost 9 points to fully improve, while a 3-part combo costs 16 points... my version simply reduces the cost a bit, but actually retains a higher percentage of the RAW cost for 3-parters than anything else.

Even with that, does it still seem that 3-part combos are priced too low?

[aesir23]

I like the concept. Somewhere on these boards someone else proposed a different system for reducing the cost of techniques that also looked interesting.

Personally, I think I'm just going to do the following in my next campaign: Style Familiarity increases all the Techniques in that style by 1.

[OldSam]

Nice ideas! With the RAW it seems that most characters tend to have only 1-3 techniques and are rarely using something different...

[Trachmyr]

Originally Posted by aesir23

I like the concept. Somewhere on these boards someone else proposed a different system for reducing the cost of techniques that also looked interesting.

Yeah... I think that was me actually. But that system used a convolted "Technique Points" which worked kinda like character points and had some other funkyness to it. The system above is much more streamlined, and based on the Dabbler Perk.

Personally, I think I'm just going to do the following in my next campaign: Style Familiarity increases all the Techniques in that style by 1.

Now that's streamlined! But it certainly benefits styles with large numbers of techniques, and might make players shy away from more "tightly focused" styles. Perhaps charge for style familiarity a number of points per level based on the number of techniques in the style, kinda the way Talents work.

For instance 5 or fewer techniques is 1/level... 2/level for upto 10 techniques, 3/level for 15 techniques, etc. Perhaps counting Hard techniques as double.

But what about improving non-style techniques? Same as normal, or at a reduced cost? Often I'd want a few TA's (and maybe a combo) in addition to what the style offers.

--------------------

Thanks for you feedback folks!

Anyone else with ideas or comments?

[mlangsdorf]

I've tried some games in which any Technique can be improved by +3 as a Perk, but your system seems a little more elegant for producing generalists.

[Dinadon]

Originally Posted by Trachmyr

Anyone else with ideas or comments?

Having gone and had a look at your previous idea, I have to say that was similar to an idea I had. However instead of making a new advantage, I decided to simply base it off of relative skill level. So someone with a high Knife skill could have many knife techniques, but wouldn't have any for that solitary point in Axe/Mace. It uses bonus points, and it always starts when you get the weapon skill to DX+1, so the relative level above DX would be used to calculate the number of bonus points. I haven't decided if it would be 2 or 3 points per level, but I did decide the a 1-3-6-10-... progression provided to few points at the low end, too many at the high end. In all, I expect one technique per two levels above DX with this scheme. I have to decide how it interacts with Styles though.

Perhaps counting Hard techniques as double.

I wouldn't, firstly because most techniques are hard and thus would make a better baseline. Secondly because the difference in difficulty is all about buy in. Once you have that first level in a technique the difficulty has no effect on subsequent levels

And to be honest, given that it's a point per +1 to a technique, a Dabbler style default improver seems overkill. You're exchanging things on a one for one basis either way.

[Refplace]

Originally Posted by Trachmyr

Now that's streamlined! But it certainly benefits styles with large numbers of techniques, and might make players shy away from more "tightly focused" styles. Perhaps charge for style familiarity a number of points per level based on the number of techniques in the style, kinda the way Talents work.

For instance 5 or fewer techniques is 1/level... 2/level for upto 10 techniques, 3/level for 15 techniques, etc. Perhaps counting Hard techniques as double.

But what about improving non-style techniques? Same as normal, or at a reduced cost? Often I'd want a few TA's (and maybe a combo) in addition to what the style offers.

--------------------

Thanks for you feedback folks!

Anyone else with ideas or comments?

Actualy what about a talent?
Talent: Boxing or whatever your style is?
That already is practically RAW. modified so it doesnt affect skills direct just techniques maybe? So no double dipping and only helps when you fight using techniques rather then generic moves.

[OldSam]

Originally Posted by aesir23

Personally, I think I'm just going to do the following in my next campaign: Style Familiarity increases all the Techniques in that style by 1.

Originally Posted by Trachmyr

Now that's streamlined! But it certainly benefits styles with large numbers of techniques, and might make players shy away from more "tightly focused" styles.

True, but on the other hand, styles with more techniques cost more points for different skills... At the moment one could say that focussed styles have a little edge because pointwise it is more effective to take only 1-2 techniques, thus having access to more, isn't worth that much.
All in all, I'd say this little benefit for more comprehensive styles wouldn't be a real problem. Professional Martial Artists will of course go for the "big set" (which is plausible IMHO), but the fighter just needing some efficient hand-to-hand-techniques as backup at times is better off taking a focussed style, anyway.
Also giving a bonus to all techniques of a style would at least give a slight edge for the "consistency" of the chosen art. ATM one can just mix two styles as a "complete art", if e.g. one is based primarily on Karate and the other on Judo or Wrestling and it would be absolutely as good as a "rounded" style (rules-wise). [Of course course cross-training is a very good option, but IRL it includes some small mismatches, which need to be fixed manually - though the rules don't address this problem AFAIK]