[Martial Arts, Supers] Kryptonian Martial Arts styles

[Prince Charon]

The old Superman comics, and a few of the modern ones, told us a little about Kryptonian culture, including three or four named martial arts styles I've been able to find:

Torquasm Rao and Torquasm Vo are supposedly separate-but-related styles, the names of which are unfortunately used interchangeably. One seems to be an internal/soft style like T'ai Chi Chuan or Aikido, and the other a related meditative discipline kind of like yoga, but more mental. Kal-El is a master of both (at least in the Silver Age), and it occasionally comes up, even in more recent comics. As far as I can tell, Torquasm Rao is the physical style, which was developed from Torquasm Vo, the mental discipline.

Klurkor is a hard style described as 'Kryptonian Karate', practiced by modern age (pre-nu52) Kara Zor-El (trained in the first level, which probably means 'beginner' or 'just above beginner'), and Silver Age Lois Lane (who used it to, among other things, defeat an evil roller-derby team... because it was the Silver Age). Silver Age Lois describes herself as a master of Klurkor, and I have no reason to doubt her.

Horu-Kanu (Also written as 'Horo-Kanu' and 'Horu-Karu') is the Crazy Bitch Style practiced (and possibly invented) by Kryptonian serial killer Faora Hu-Ul. The style is apparently distinctive enough that in Faora's first appearance, Lois recognized the style immediately (presumably, Ms. Lane's training with the Klurkor Masters of Kandor included a few Style Familiarities). According to Faora's Superman Wiki article, Horo-Kanu involved pressure points (which Faora called 'reflex points'). May be similar to Chin Na (Martial Arts p154) and/or some of the numerous Kung Fu styles (Wing Chun, perhaps?).


Since it could eventually become relevant to someone's DC-related game, or maybe my Five Earths setting (see link in .sig), I decided to start this thread to develop write-ups for them. I'm currently working on a write-up for Torquasm Vo, but so far it's just a possible skill-list: Meditation, Mental Strength (probably in the Cinematic Skills section), Mind Block, and Mind Sense*. Autohypnosis and Breath Control would be either Required or Optional Skills, and I'd probably put Dreaming and maybe Hypnotism under Optional Skills.

*Mind Sense [Per/A] is the skill of detecting mental interference. Noticing Psi Use (Psionic Powers p11) suggests using a Per-based Expert Skill (Psionics) roll to recognize that Psi is being used on or near you; this would be something like a telepathy-specialized version of it. In a Harry Potter game, it might be called Professional Skill (Occlumens).


Thoughts?

[Prince Charon]

No opinions, yet?

Anyway, first draft of Torquasm Vo:

Torquasm Vo, # points

Skills: Meditation, Mind Block, and Mind Sense.

Techniques: ???

Cinematic Skills: Mental Strength

Cinematic Techniques: ???

Perks: Chi Resistance (any), Style Familiarity (Torquasm Rao)

Optional Traits

Secondary Characteristics: Improved Per and Will.

Advantages: ???

Skills: Autohypnosis, Breath Control, Dreaming, and Hypnotism

Wondering if Autohypnosis and/or Breath Control should be moved to Required Skills. Also wondering whether Mind Shield or possibly Mental Blow should be included in Optional Traits (in which case some Special Exercises perks should probably be added).


Thoughts? Suggestions? Waffles?

[whswhs]

Originally Posted by Prince Charon

Anyway, first draft of Torquasm Vo:

Torquasm Vo, # points

Skills: Meditation, Mind Block, and Mind Sense.

Techniques: ???

Cinematic Skills: Mental Strength

Cinematic Techniques: ???

Perks: Chi Resistance (any), Style Familiarity (Torquasm Rao)

Optional Traits

Secondary Characteristics: Improved Per and Will.

Advantages: ???

Skills: Autohypnosis, Breath Control, Dreaming, and Hypnotism

I'm not familiar enough with Silver Age Kryptonian lore to offer suggestions based on it. But looking at this list, I'd note that GURPS Supers has several techniques based on Mind Block: Camouflaged Mind Block, Coded Thoughts, and No-Mind. Camouflaged Mind Block in particular might be appropriate: You memorize a long string of thought associations that seems like random mental noise and anyone who reads your mind gets those and not what you're concealing.

I don't recognize Mind Sense as a skill.

You might want to think about Autohypnosis as a required skill; everything it allows looks like something that might fit this art and make it really useful.

[Prince Charon]

Originally Posted by whswhs

I'm not familiar enough with Silver Age Kryptonian lore to offer suggestions based on it. But looking at this list, I'd note that GURPS Supers has several techniques based on Mind Block: Camouflaged Mind Block, Coded Thoughts, and No-Mind. Camouflaged Mind Block in particular might be appropriate: You memorize a long string of thought associations that seems like random mental noise and anyone who reads your mind gets those and not what you're concealing.

I don't recognize Mind Sense as a skill.

You might want to think about Autohypnosis as a required skill; everything it allows looks like something that might fit this art and make it really useful.

Thank you.

Mind Sense is in the OP, after the asterisk, if that's what you're asking. It's shorter than typing it up as a Professional Skill, especially as a lot of people miss that those don't necessarily need to be associated with a specific profession.

Going to go have a look at Supers in a bit.

[Phantasm]

I agree with everything Bill said.

To make it "Torquasm Rao", I'd use Torquasm Vo as the base and add in the Judo skill. Internal soft styles, at least the ones described in Martial Arts, are usually about avoiding and deflecting blows. (In fact, I'd probably just use what you have and adapt Tai Chi Chu'an to fit the rest).

Staff might be a good optional skill to add, given its general +2 to Parry. Parry Missile Weapons might also be a good optional skill. I doubt Superman would have studied those parts, though; his time in Kandor seems to have him relying more on Trained By the Batman. :)

In combat, practitioners seem like they'd rely mostly on All-Out Defense and Wait maneuvers, generally using a Judo Throw after a successful Parry.

[Prince Charon]

OK, new draft of Torquasm Vo, and first posted draft of Torquasm Rao, based on suggestions so far:

Torquasm Vo
5 points

Skills: Autohypnosis, Meditation, Mind Block, and Mind Sense.

Techniques: Camouflaged Mind Block, Coded Thoughts.

Cinematic Skills: Mental Strength.

Perks: Chi Resistance (any), Style Familiarity (Torquasm Rao).

Optional Traits

Secondary Characteristics: Improved Per and Will.

Advantages: ???

Skills: Breath Control, Cryptography, Dreaming, Hypnotism, Stealth.

Cinematic Skills: Invisibility Art

Cinematic Techniques: No-Mind.

Still wondering whether Mind Shield or possibly Mental Blow should be included in Optional Traits (in which case some Special Exercises perks should probably be added).



Torquasm Rao
5 points

Skills: Autohypnosis, Breath Control, Judo, Judo Art.

Techniques: Judo Throw

Cinematic Skills: Blind Fighting, Body Control, Body Sense, Sensitivity.

Cinematic Techniques: ???

Perks: Style Familiarity (Torquasm Vo)

Optional Traits

Secondary Characteristics: Improved FP and Will.

Advantages: ???

Skills: Body Language, Esoteric Medicine (Shreearr-flow), Meditation, Mind Block, Mind Sense, Parry Missile Weapons, and Staff.


Thoughts?

[whswhs]

Originally Posted by Prince Charon

Thoughts?

Given the way you're tying these two together, I'm going to suggest that you look at the perk Body Discipline (Skill), to be found in GURPS LTC1 (p. 16), if you have that. It lets you use a suitable DX-based skill in combination with Meditation to attain the benefits of Autohypnosis. That whole page of LTC1 may have things you can use.

[Prince Charon]

Originally Posted by whswhs

Given the way you're tying these two together, I'm going to suggest that you look at the perk Body Discipline (Skill), to be found in GURPS LTC1 (p. 16), if you have that. It lets you use a suitable DX-based skill in combination with Meditation to attain the benefits of Autohypnosis. That whole page of LTC1 may have things you can use.

It does. Thank you.

With that, Autohypnosis is moved back to Optional, since Judo Art can be used for that purpose.

New draft:

Torquasm Rao
4 points

Skills: Judo; Judo Art; Meditation.

Techniques: Arm Lock (Judo); Breakfall (Judo); Disarming (Judo); Evade (Judo); Judo Throw

Cinematic Skills: Blind Fighting; Body Control; Body Sense; Hypnotic Hands; Immovable Stance; Mental Strength; Push; Sensitivity.

Cinematic Techniques: Hand Catch (Judo); Hand-Clap Parry (Judo); Roll with Blow (Judo).

Perks: Body Discipline (Judo Art); Style Familiarity (Torquasm Vo)

Optional Traits

Secondary Characteristics: Improved FP and Will.

Advantages: ???

Skills: Autohypnosis; Body Language; Esoteric Medicine (Shreearr-flow); Mind Block; Mind Sense; Parry Missile Weapons; and Staff.

Cinematic Skills: Pressure Points; Pressure Secrets.

Cinematic Techniques: Pressure-Point Strike.


Still trying to work out which techniques best fit, as well as Cinematic skills & techniques.

EDIT: Rearranged per the two posts below.

[whswhs]

Originally Posted by Prince Charon

Torquasm Rao
4 points

Skills: Breath Control; Judo; Judo Art.

Techniques: Arm Lock (Judo); Breakfall (Judo); Disarming (Judo); Evade (Judo); Judo Throw

Cinematic Skills: Blind Fighting; Body Control; Body Sense; Hypnotic Hands; Immovable Stance; Mental Strength; Push; Sensitivity.

Cinematic Techniques: Roll with Blow.

Perks: Body Discipline (Judo Art); Style Familiarity (Torquasm Vo)

You do mean Style Familiarity (Torquasm Rao), yes?

Since the main function of Body Discipline is to let you (a) substitute Judo Art for Breath Control (b) as an aid to using Meditation to gain the effects of Autohypnosis,

It seems to me that eliminating Autohypnosis deprives you of important benefits if you don't take Meditation; and that if you have Judo Art and Body Discipline, Breath Control is redundant. So I would suggest taking Judo, Judo Art, and Meditation as the core skills.

[Prince Charon]

Originally Posted by whswhs

You do mean Style Familiarity (Torquasm Rao), yes?

I assumed that all styles automatically grant Style Familiarity with themselves, so that would be redundant. Given how closely-related Torquasm Vo and Torquasm Rao are said to be in the comics, I felt that each would have Style Familiarity for the other.

Originally Posted by whswhs

Since the main function of Body Discipline is to let you (a) substitute Judo Art for Breath Control (b) as an aid to using Meditation to gain the effects of Autohypnosis,

It seems to me that eliminating Autohypnosis deprives you of important benefits if you don't take Meditation; and that if you have Judo Art and Body Discipline, Breath Control is redundant. So I would suggest taking Judo, Judo Art, and Meditation as the core skills.

OK. Was going to edit it anyway, to add a couple cinematic techniques that I'm very sure I've seen Superman do in the comics.

EDIT: Done.