What blocks Pressure Points skill?

[Gnomasz]

Originally Posted by Jasonft

What I want to know is about things like the Machine meta-trait which is specifically mentioned to stop use of the skill. Does Unliving cover it? Homogeneous? Fluid form?

I know nothing official.
If I were to make a ruling, I'd say:
Doesn't Breath or IT (No Vitals) – Pressure Points to the torso have no effect (as I understand it, vitals include lungs.
IT (No Brain) or (No Head) – PP to the face have no effect.
IT (No Eyes) or IT (No Head) – PP to the skull have no effect (it states quite explicitly, "you're immune to blinding attacks").
Homogenous includes No Brain and No Vitals.
IT (Diffuse) – invulnerable to Pressure Points, as it's immune to crippling.

As for use against zombies – it really depends on the setting. They might be considered anything between "exactly the same species" and "machine". Ask your GM.

[Anthony]

A lot of the problem is that the pressure points skill is cinematic and undefined. We know pressure points is 'art of striking pressure points in order to disable an opponent.' Thus, anything that lacks pressure points capable of disabling them is immune to the pressure points skill.

So, what are pressure points? Totally undefined. For a typical genre in which pressure points skills exist, they're your chi meridians and any creature that lacks chi will be immune. That would generally make robots immune; whether zombies would be immune depends on the details of how zombies are made, perhaps zombies are animated by reactivating the chi of a corpse, in which case pressure points would work fine and might even work better than it does on humans (e.g. disrupting the animating chi, causing the zombie to become de-animated or even fall apart). However, without further explanation (which likely involves the GM making a decision) it's not actually defined what makes things vulnerable or invulnerable; I mean, I can perfectly well see a robot fighting style that covers robot pressure points, though it would probably use Mechanics modifiers rather than Physiology modifiers.

[Flyndaran]

The basics are just nerve clusters like hitting the funny bone causing short term shock and paralysis of the limb, solar plexus for breathing, etc. Of course the skill adds lots more supernatural effects, but at its core it's not necessarily all hoodoo.

[malloyd]

Originally Posted by Anthony

A lot of the problem is that the pressure points skill is cinematic and undefined. We know pressure points is 'art of striking pressure points in order to disable an opponent.' Thus, anything that lacks pressure points capable of disabling them is immune to the pressure points skill.

I think what blocks Pressure Points skill is asking the wrong question. The question should be what allows it. It's not the only skill like that, nor is it an issue confined to borderline cinematic stuff like Pressure Points and Hypnotism. There aren't any specific rule defined traits that decide whether Mechanic (automobile) works on something either.

[Anthony]

Originally Posted by malloyd

There aren't any specific rule defined traits that decide whether Mechanic (automobile) works on something either.

Well, the required trait for being affected by Mechanic (automobile) is "is the target an automobile". If pressure points took a mandatory specialization, it would be clear what it applied to.

If we take the Physiology modifiers on B181 as standard, it's probably a zero point feature to be immune to all skills that take physiology modifiers, since it includes a bunch of medical skills.

[Tallor]

Originally Posted by Jasonft

If you use Pressure Points skill in conjunction with an attack, what traits in the target automatically block it? I understand Machine meta trait does, but what about (for example) unliving?

My fighter type has a chance to learn this skill in our high(ish) fantasy game. I'm pretty sure the zombies we just met would have ignored it, but I'd like to know what else would before deciding how many points to put into it.

Being able to smack something in the face and force it to make two stun checks per hit appeals to me. :)

Machine should block unless the martial artist knows the machine VERY well.
Unliving would block-- unless they're chi-powered zombies!
Rigid armor should always work, since the pressure isn't applied to a point anymore. :P

And I would say Immune to Pressure Points is worth 15 points or so. Best guess.

[Tallor]

Originally Posted by Anthony

A lot of the problem is that the pressure points skill is cinematic and undefined. We know pressure points is 'art of striking pressure points in order to disable an opponent.' Thus, anything that lacks pressure points capable of disabling them is immune to the pressure points skill.

So, what are pressure points? Totally undefined. For a typical genre in which pressure points skills exist, they're your chi meridians and any creature that lacks chi will be immune. That would generally make robots immune; whether zombies would be immune depends on the details of how zombies are made, perhaps zombies are animated by reactivating the chi of a corpse, in which case pressure points would work fine and might even work better than it does on humans (e.g. disrupting the animating chi, causing the zombie to become de-animated or even fall apart). However, without further explanation (which likely involves the GM making a decision) it's not actually defined what makes things vulnerable or invulnerable; I mean, I can perfectly well see a robot fighting style that covers robot pressure points, though it would probably use Mechanics modifiers rather than Physiology modifiers.

Well, I suppose I didn't need to comment. o-O

[dataweaver]

Originally Posted by malloyd

I think what blocks Pressure Points skill is asking the wrong question. The question should be what allows it. It's not the only skill like that, nor is it an issue confined to borderline cinematic stuff like Pressure Points and Hypnotism. There aren't any specific rule defined traits that decide whether Mechanic (automobile) works on something either.

True enough. That said, it also depends on the genre. In a recent Supers campaign I was in, I played a private detective with Gun Fu, Pressure Points and Pressure Secrets, and a pistol loaded with rubber bullets (to do crushing damage instead of piercing). It came as a shock to just about everyone the first time he shot at a Superman-type villain's arm and paralyzed it.