Opinions on cinematic martial arts skills?

[Arcanjo7Sagi]

Originally Posted by Tyneras

Most of them would be much better if they were given the Psionic Powers treatment, converted into an advantage package with a controlling skill. GURPS Wuxia would be a cool supplement if it took a full replacement and expansion route with these skills.

The problem for me with this line of argument is that it would turn GURPS into something like D&D 4E: everyone does the same things, just change the fluff. Nothing is really unique.

But I understand the complaint: you need to have both DX and high IQ for certain character types to work (like ninjas). You can try Talents, yes, but for some, the problem will remain. Not to mention the part that is a very different mechanic from the normal rest of the system.

[JulianLW]

I like that the cinematic skills give a different mechanic for achieving low-scale superheroic feats, but at a pretty high price. Lots of character concepts depend on having two different attributes at somewhat high levels. I think there have been a number of threads, for example, about the importance of high Will (in addition to high ST and DX) to accurately model characters like Conan.

If there was one fix I think would help the cinematic skills work better in a game, however, I think it would be more targeted talents such as Diestro from Dungeon Fantasy. Paying 30 CP for Trained By a Master and then 15/level for Chi Talent is a pretty steep hill to climb. Instead, you might just let a player pick the 5 or 6 cinematic skills she wants her ninja/xia/super archer/iron fist to do and make a 5/level talent and let her buy it up to 6, as in Dungeon Fantasy. After that, pay the extra 4/level to get really fast at delivering the x3 ST smackdown - and buy up FP to be able to do it more than a few times a fight....

That said, there are a couple of cinematic skills that seem a little pointless, especially compared to Imbuement versions of the same trick.... But Imbuement has a pretty high buy-in cost, too....

[Black Leviathan]

I don't think we've ever used Power Blow or Breaking Blow just because the -10 makes them effectively pointless except in very extreme contexts. The CP investment to make those skills work would work so much more effectively buying an innate melee attack. We have had characters us Pressure Secrets and Pressure Points to great effect.

[johndallman]

Originally Posted by Black Leviathan

I don't think we've ever used Power Blow or Breaking Blow just because the -10 makes them effectively pointless except in very extreme contexts. The CP investment to make those skills work would work so much more effectively buying an innate melee attack.

I have a character in my archive who used Power Blow effectively, because he had it at Will+4, making skill 24. He is a 918 point character, one of the Infinite Cabal PCs. I'd have required a good justification for an Innate Attack, but I find the esoteric martial arts skills quite acceptable.

[Michael Thayne]

Originally Posted by johndallman

I have a character in my archive who used Power Blow effectively, because he had it at Will+4, making skill 24. He is a 918 point character, one of the Infinite Cabal PCs. I'd have required a good justification for an Innate Attack, but I find the esoteric martial arts skills quite acceptable.

I think this points to another if not problematic at least odd feature of esoteric skills, that they can be really powerful in high-powered games, and in those contexts seem to favor Reinsurance Man type builds (referring to the template in Supers) with both high DX and high IQ.

[Michael Thayne]

This thread has me thinking: what is the best way to represent "wire-fu" abilities? Part of me is tempted to go with Flight (Gliding), which could get quite cheap when combined with other limitations. Adding the Slow limitation from Psionic Powers is tempting but I'm unclear on how it would interact with Gliding.

[Fred Brackin]

Originally Posted by Michael Thayne

This thread has me thinking: what is the best way to represent "wire-fu" abilities?

Go to p.80 of Powers and get the Maneuverable Enhancement for Super Jump. It's a much more direct path to what you want than any modified Gliding.

[Varyon]

Originally Posted by Michael Thayne

This thread has me thinking: what is the best way to represent "wire-fu" abilities? Part of me is tempted to go with Flight (Gliding), which could get quite cheap when combined with other limitations. Adding the Slow limitation from Psionic Powers is tempting but I'm unclear on how it would interact with Gliding.

I believe the Requires Surface Limitation for Flight was designed with wire-fu in mind.

Originally Posted by awesomenessofme1

I find that a little questionable. Walk On Air and Clinging cost the same amount. You shouldn't be able to totally subsume the latter with the former.

I hadn't noticed this. It seems odd, as Walk on Air seems like it does everything Clinging does and more (you don't need to climb a wall when you can use air-stairs for the same effect), although I think Clinging may allow you to climb a bit faster.

[johndallman]

Originally Posted by Michael Thayne

I think this points to another if not problematic at least odd feature of esoteric skills, that they can be really powerful in high-powered games, and in those contexts seem to favor Renaissance Man type builds (referring to the template in Supers) with both high DX and high IQ.

I don't see a serious problem with characters who've bought both DX and IQ having a few ways to make use of them in combination. There are plenty of ways to use very high IQ or very high DX alone.

[weby]

Originally Posted by Black Leviathan

I don't think we've ever used Power Blow or Breaking Blow just because the -10 makes them effectively pointless except in very extreme contexts. The CP investment to make those skills work would work so much more effectively buying an innate melee attack. We have had characters us Pressure Secrets and Pressure Points to great effect.

That depends a lot on the point levels. The super tank at the end of the long fantasy campaign had several of the skills to very useful levels and used them often. But then again he was a 4000+ point character..