Chi skills: what are they good for?

[Michael Thayne]

So... Throwing Art is wonderful if you like thrown weapons, and Power Blow can be pretty spiffy if you were going to buy a high Will score anyway. But the majority of the Chi skills don't seem all that appealing relative to simply buying an advantage to do the same thing. Oh, maybe the GM wants the only special abilities in his game to be Chi skills, but in, say, a Supers game where the advantages are totally allowed, what on Earth would make you take Flying Leap over Super Jump? Or invest the points to make the Blind Fighting/Zen Archery (or Marksmanship) combo work semi-reliably when you could just buy some form of Darkvision?

[Walrus]

They are cheap and this is their major advantage for munckinish approach. They are less reliable and costlier in game but they cost much less in points.

And, well, Supers scale is so Super so they rely mostly on advantages, chi skills aren't for them.

You can say the same e.g. about Imbuements - that IAs doesn't depend on FP, necessary item and it's quality, skill roll. But again, they are cheaper.

[vicky_molokh]

In many ways, cumulative effects are killer. Got ST100? Breaking Blow will turn that to 200-300 for the heroic moment (maybe throw in Extra Effort when appropriate). That sort of thing.

[Gnome]

I like Kiai: if you have a decent HT score, it's like having a 20-point Affliction for one point.
Mental Strength allows you to effectively have a higher Will for resisting mental attacks--in fantasy games, I find that this is most of the reason you want a high Will score anyway.
Parry Missile Weapons is nice if you're worried about arrows and don't want to carry a shield.
Autohypnosis is Will-based, but has a number of interesting uses.

Basically, these skills allow you to make a monk-type character who can achieve just about anything (think Caine from Kung Fu). With high attributes and a few points in chi skills, you can effectively turn invisible, see in the dark, break through any door, endure any hardship, withstand almost any attack, get past any obstacle...you get the idea. Yes you could do all this more reliably with powers, but it would cost way more CP. Caine might be a 400 point character; a superhero who can reliably pull off all of those tricks would likely cost 800 or more...

[Þorkell]

Originally Posted by Gnome

Parry Missile Weapons is nice if you're worried about arrows and don't want to carry a shield.

Parry Missile Weapons isn't a Chi skill. It doesn't have Weapon Master or Trained by a Master as a prequisite.

[Cheomesh]

Are these Chi skills expanded upon outside Basic?

M.

[aesir23]

Originally Posted by Þorkell

Parry Missile Weapons isn't a Chi skill. It doesn't have Weapon Master or Trained by a Master as a prequisite.

I assumed he meant Precognitive Parry.

OP: There are ways to make Chi skills worth while in a game with supernatural advantages. Particularly: High Will, Energy Reserve (Chi), and one of the Chi Talents.

One major advantage of Chi powers is that it makes a High IQ (and Will and Per) fighter a more viable option.

(FREX: a character with ST 10, DX 10, and IQ 15, Will 15, Per 15 can invest in Blind Fighting, Breaking Blow, Hypnotic Hands, Power Blow, Precognitive Parry, Pressure Points, Pressure Secrets, and Sensitivity to SIGNIFICANTLY improve their combat utility. Since it's cheaper to buy up Karate, Judo, and 1 Weapon then DX, a "Scholar/Warrior" becomes a viable character in cinematic campaigns. IQ based Imbuements round this strategy out nicely.)

[LemmingLord]

Chi skills: what are they good for? Absolutely nothing. Say it again! Huh!

[vicky_molokh]

Originally Posted by LemmingLord

Chi skills: what are they good for? Absolutely nothing. Say it again! Huh!

Reference?

[trooper6]

Originally Posted by vicky_molokh

Reference?

The song "War" by Edwin Starr 1970

Lyrics:
War! (Huh! Good God Y'all!)
What is it good for?
Absolutely Nothing!
Say it again! Huh!