[MA] Southern Kung Fu, the Common Folk and Tong Hatchetmen

[aesir23]

Originally Posted by Icelander

On the other hand, I find more detail good, less detail bad.

Different philosophies then. I tend to think that since you can always attempt any technique for your Skil anyway, Styles should only present a few specialties. I also think that fewer techniques in a style make those specialties and fight philosophies clearer and the style write-up less cluttered.

But that obviously doesn't mean that my way is right and yours is wrong, of course, just clarifying my different position.

Originally Posted by Icelander

It does look rather cluttered, however. So I've broken Targeted Attacks away from the main Technique list and into their own sub-heading. Hopefully, it now looks cleaner and nicer.

This is cleaner, I think.

Originally Posted by Icelander

Agreed and changed to grant the same +1 to Parry as Defensive Attack, with the +2 Parry only applying to attacks from the foe targeted by your Defensive Jab.

That's better, but I would go even further: you get +1 to Parry (as a defensive Attack), and he gets -2 to attack you if you succeed (which amounts to another +1 Parry if he was planning to use Deceptive Attack). That seems to be reason enough to learn the technique (especially since it's so cheap and easy to learn.)

I might even give it an alternative use (that fits with how it is used in boxing): Instead of the above bonus to parry and penalty to attack, you may choose to Evaluate on the same turn that you use a Defensive Jab.

Originally Posted by Icelander

I wouldn't want there to be no trade-off for the +1 thr damage granted by Reversed Grip.

On the other hand, a -2 to Parry and a -2 to swing damage is enough to make an ice-pick grip mostly useless to a knife-fighter duelling another knife-fighter. It's not unreasonable that training in a style that emphasises that grip could at least give you a fighting chance in a duel. After all, even if you improve both techniques, you're still at Reach C vs. his Reach C,1 on cuts and you have a -1 to swing damage to pay for your +1 to imp. For 5 points, you've made your chosen grip competative, but not clearly superior.

And assuming equal skill, your foe can have spent his 5 points on Enhanced Parry (Knife) or be using Main-Gauche instead of Knife skill, thus retaining a relative advantage in Parries for his sabre-grip.

Okay, I've read these over another time, and I've decided that i really like Forearm Parry as a technique, and will probably borrow that. [EDIT] Come to think of it, I'll probably just make it a Style Perk.

The only one that really bothers me is Underhand Slash which seems to me to be an irreversible feature of (for lack of a better word) ergonomics.

A couple of points to keep in mind: +1 Thrust isn't the only benefit of Reversed Grip, you also get +1 to Feints and Deceptive Attacks (!) (MA 112).

Also consider that it costs 6 points currently to buy the Reverse Grip Technique up to full skill in order to be able to switch as a free action. This grants the benefits of both Reversed Grip Parry and Underhand Slash, plus the ability to get that extra reach when you need it, BUT it requires a skill roll every time you want to do it.

Just food for thought, I'm not really sure where I stand on the issue now, after more consideration.