Why learn a martial art?

[Ulzgoroth]

Originally Posted by Peter V. Dell'Orto

Yes, and I don't think what I said contradicts that. It's something you pay for, really, and I've got no issue with that.

Then what is the issue exactly? I suggested paying for it back at the very beginning.

Originally Posted by Peter V. Dell'Orto

Page 49, and I know that. I chose a one-style example for ease of illustration of what I see was the abuse, not because I don't know how to figure out how many perks you can buy. ;)

Okay, but why is it an abuse to not separate your hypothetical 'style' and 'non-style' skill investment, but not an abuse to count the same investment several times over toward perks in different skills?

Originally Posted by Peter V. Dell'Orto

I'm not sure what you mean here. If a technique can be outside your style, then some "moves" can belong to a particular style.

There is no point in the rules where you'd need to or even be able to declare that you are using a particular style in your attack.

A punch is neither Goju Ryu nor non-Goju Ryu. It is a particular technique (or lack thereof) and is thrown by a character with particular style familiarities (or lack thereof)...but ascribing a particular style to it doesn't arise.

(Except maybe in secret techniques/calling your attacks type stuff? I don't remember those rules well.)

Originally Posted by Peter V. Dell'Orto

What is it you want Hypothetical Man to get for this? Figure that out and price it out.

If he doesn't get anything he doesn't already get (see the first thing you quoted), it costs zero and just don't worry about it. If it gets him the same as if he had another style that no one knew, and thus no one could ever get the effect of knowing all of his styles, it's working basically like a new and/or secret style. It's 1 point (Unorthodox Attacks, say?) and it's not any different than anyone else who did it via another style.

I did that 28 posts ago...

Originally Posted by Peter V. Dell'Orto

Which clearly isn't the intent. I'd argue that's twisting the letter of the rules, personally, but I agree we could have made it more explicit it's a version of "know your enemy" not "you fight like your enemy and you get the full benefits of his style, including all upsides and downsides of having another Style Familiarity, without the point investment." The intent is very much the former; you chuck 1 point into SF (Italian School) as one of the Style Perks of Masters of Defence and know their moves, unless they have some other style you haven't studied. Not that you're an Italian School stylist.

I figured as much. It's just that that's different in almost every respect from what a style familiarity perk as written does. Assuming, of course, that it's not supposed to grant the social benefits and no-questions-asked training and perks either.