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Originally Posted by tbone
1) Cost of rations
Is that the game's intent? Or should this be generalized to "+$6/day"?
(FWIW, I think a flat cost for MAs' special requirements makes more sense, given that the expense includes things unrelated to food, like incense and ointments. A flat cost could even be made something really simple like "+$50/week".)
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Yeah, there's a Kromm or PKitty quote floating around that backs up the "6$/day", so that's how I run it. I see nothing wrong with giving MAs a weekly price break, I wish my GM would give me one.
In my games I also allow for "if miss one type, may substitute the other", in this case if they have to forego the Special Exercises, they may partake of double Chi Rations, if they run out of Chi Rations (or are being frugal) their Special Exercises are 2d6 hours per day. This also keeps the "not spending extra in town" in line with expectations and rules, and means if the MA wants to guarantee they have time to do things in town, they'll spend $$ on Chi Rations for a week...
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2) Keep moving
Does Light Walk work only while the MA is on the move? Getting literal with the "Walk" part of "Light Walk", and noting the words "when you walk" contained in the description, I assume that that's exactly how it works: your Stealth bonus or your ability to glide over thin ice requires movement; if you hold still, you breathe as noisily as anyone else, you break through the thin ice, etc. Does that sound right?
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If you want. I've never bothered. MAs are already limited and constrained in comparison to the other skirmishers, so I don't feel like reducing their abilities.
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3) "Caltrops? No problem, I run across them."
Has anyone used Light Walk as the skill to move over hazardous surfaces with no (or lessened) harm? If so, what penalties would you suggest for traipsing safely over caltrops, hot coals (fire walking!), lava, or slime?
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Yes. For 'pressure' damage/hazards (like caltrops, lava, fungus spores, etc) it's just a straight roll. For 'sticky' hazards I might assess a -1 or -2. For 'environment' damage/hazards (where just contacting it can be damage, like hot coals, acid, slimes) I assess a penalty and allow the Light Walk MoS to reduce damage as though it were DR versus that hazard.
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4) Mental Strength vs Mind Shield
I think I'm missing something.
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Your GM may limit how many levels of Mind Shield you can take.
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(Side note: The cleric, druid, wizard, and MA all have access to Mind Shield. Seems to me it'd be a fair addition to the holy warrior template, too; spiritual warfare is part of their gig.)
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Agreed. In fact I don't bar anyone from learning it post-Character Creation. However note, HWs have Willpower* and at a mere 1 point more, it's honestly all around better to buy it than Mind Shield, unless you specifically want the "hide from enemy's mind searching".
* By which I mean if you're using DF 11 Power-Ups and Holy Warriors can take Willpower to 25.
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5) Resisting Terror
Do Mental Strength and Mind Shield work against monsters' Terror ability?
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Yes.
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6) Self-treatment
Can an injured MA benefit from both Body Control's self-treatment and other healing, including self-use of Esoteric Medicine? GURPS suggests no, on MA p54: "If you also receive external medical care, you must choose between it and this skill’s benefits; the two don’t “stack.”"
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I ignore that rule as it wasn't ported over to
DFRPG. If Kromm wanted it in, he should have made room for it.
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Comparing the merits of Body Control vs Esoteric Medicine (Chi) for healing purposes, my understanding is as follows:
Body Control: Good: Don't need a healing kit; skill has uses other than self-treatment. Bad: Only works on self.
Esoteric Medicine (Chi): Good: Works on self or others. Bad: Need a healing kit for some applications.
Does that sound right?
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Yes.
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(Side note: For the MA who spends points on both skills, it seems fair to me to allow one skill to aid the other as a complementary skill for self-treatment.)
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Agreed.
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7) TbaM + WM
Trained by a Master and Weapon Master are a legal combo, right? The combination would offer improved weapon damage and improved weapon skill defaults from Weapon Master, access to chi skills thanks to Trained by a Master, and a halving of the Rapid Strike penalty thanks to either advantage – or should that be a quartering of the penalties thanks to the two advantages?
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Halving. As per
Exploits pg 38 and 48 it's "or".
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I take it from the pre-gen character Glint that the combination is perfectly kosher, and that the penalty reductions aren't doubled.
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Correct. I overruled this, afterall we're building Munchkins not balanced characters...
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8) One punch or two?
Breaking Blow or Power Blow must be readied for "each attack". Does that mean a prepared Breaking Blow or Power Blow affects only the first blow when two blows are made using AoA (Double) or Rapid Strike?
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"Each attack requires a separate use of this skill." A good reason for MAs to get Power Blow and Breaking Blow high enough to soak that -10 for instant use.
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9) Wait for it...
Are there any rules for time and other conditions for "holding" a prepared Breaking Blow or Power Blow?
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I require continued Concentrate Maneuvers.
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10) Cost of Seven Secret Kicks
All that's fine. But shouldn't this Striker be bought twice (for two legs)? And shouldn't the Strikers also get a cost reduction from No Parry [-40%] (unless the legs are explicitly defined as good for parrying)?
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Legs can Parry, not only as per
Martial Arts, but there's no ruling against it in DFRPG. And it's not really worth it to charge for it twice, as the low price keeps it in line other similarly useful abilities.
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14) Bringing back skills
MAs in DFRPG have plenty of cool skills, though they miss out on a few that their GURPS counterparts enjoy (maybe just for reasons of saving space). Zen Archery and Pressure Secrets seem a nice fit for MAs (and scouts, for the former skill). Has anyone introduced these to a DFRPG game? Or is there something in those skills that's not quite right for the game?
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I've added all of them back in, and removed Powers when they overlapped (Lizard Climb versus Spider Climb frex), and changed Precognitive Parry to actually being
Precognitive (I have Precog Parry allow Parries versus attacks you did not sense).
The only one that got a real write up change was Invisibility Art to bring it in line with Light Walk:
Invisibility Art
IQ/Very Hard
Defaults: None.
This is the fabled skill, often attributed to Ninja and Martial-arts masters, of being able to stand in plain sight without being noticed.
It requires one second of concentration to activate. After that time, you gain the following benefits for the scene:
Move stealthily. Invisibility Art can give a bonus to Stealth against enemy Vision. Roll vs. Invisibility Art. If you succeed, add half your margin of success (round down, but minimum +1) to Stealth.
Light beam avoidance. Some traps depend on beams of light, or shadows, passing across a spot on the floor. While you do not actually bend light around or let it pass through you, you have learned to move in a manner that minimally disturbs how light plays across surfaces. Maximum Move under such circumstances is 1/3 normal (round down), you automatically avoid light based traps if successful. You may be penalized based on how many or how bright the light traps are, for instance a single beam of light, no penalty; a beam that fills the entire area that if blocked in the slightest sets off the trap, -10.
Unnoticed in the crowd. A successful Invisibility Art roll lets you leave no strong impressions in the memory of those observing you, you look you you belong there, or just go unnoticed as though you were a servant. If you succeed, add half your margin of success (round down, but minimum +1) to skills like Shadowing, or Savior-Faire (Servant), to go unremarked. You may face penalties for being inappropriately dressed.
Finally this skill allows you to vanish in plain sight, use Invisibility Art in place of Stealth to allow Backstabbing (
Exploits pg 57) when you have
no diversions (no party, more than half your party is hidden, etc).
Note that while this skill works in combat, if you attack anyone, you will immediately become visible to everyone!