New martial art build think tank

[aesir23]

I should note that, per the Subduing a Foe box on Basic pg 401, there is no penalty for pulling your punches. You can simply choose to hit with strength less than your own. You could reasonably house rule, however, that it's not that simple and require a skill roll or something.

Additionally, Shoves allow you to do zero damage and X2 Knockback, which is a great option for super-strong characters, but might often end up being as lethal as throwing punches, if you're not fighting on a featureless plane.

Originally Posted by Libertine

As for parries, they could be executed with less effort if the individual is significantly stronger than the attacker, so instead of a focused block, they only need to casually put their arm in the way and tense up a little at the moment of impact.

Meh, parries don't really require much in the way of strength.

Personally, I'd accomplish your goals using the technique design rules in MA.

Light Slap Average
Defaults to Brawling +2, Karate +2, Sumo Wrestling +2, or Stage Combat +0.
Cannot Exceed Default Skill +4.

This attack does Thrust -6 Crushing damage or Thrust -2 with an additional -2/Die beyond the first. Additionally, if you are using Pulling Punches to hit with 1/2 your strength or less, you get +2 to hit with this technique. If Hurting Yourself would apply, damage is 1/10 of what you roll rather than 1/5.

You receive +1 Parry or Block this round.

Light Slap is an option for Defensive Attack, therefore it cannot be used as a Committed or All-Out Attack.

In every other way, treat a light slap as a punch.

Originally Posted by Under the Hood

Start with Defensive Hammer Fist ((-1 to Skill, A Thrust-2 Attack, Hurting Yourself does less damage, -2 Dmg or -1/die, +1 Active Defense).

Special Benefit:
If Pulling Punches, +2 Skill = -1 Default
Special Drawbacks:
Less Damage: -2 Damage or -1/Die = +4 default.

Poke Hard Technique
Defaults to Karate +1
Cannot Exceed Karate +4

This attack does Thrust -6 Piercing damage or Thrust -2 with an additional -2/Die beyond the first. If you are using Pulling Punches to hit with less than 1/2 your strength, you get +2 to hit with this technique. Hurting yourself applies if you strike ANY DR - not just 3+.

You receive +1 Parry or Block this round.

Poke is an option for Defensive Attack, therefore it cannot be used as a Committed or All-Out Attack.

In every other way, treat a Poke as a Punch.

Originally Posted by Under the Hood

Start with Defensive Lethal Strike (-2 Skill, Thrust -2 Damage, -1/Die, +1 Active Defenses.)

Special Benefit:
If Pulling Punches, +2 Skill = -1 Default
Special Drawbacks:
Less Damage: -2 Damage or -1/Die = +4 default.

Note that these attacks ALWAYS do Zero damage if your strength is less than 15.

[aesir23]

Originally Posted by Maz

The problem is that allowing a bonus to hit for lower dam doesn't mesh well with GURPS hit-location rules. If I can get a +3 bonus to hit by dealing half dam, that just means I can hit your vitals and still deal better damage.
So I would be wary of allowing it. Unless you do not use hit-locations then there is no trouble.

This is a good point that hadn't occurred to while writing the above techniques.

[Maz]

Originally Posted by aesir23

This is a good point that hadn't occurred to while writing the above techniques.

I think your techniques are pretty awesome, and my points doesn't have to be a problem if;

1) It's a style only supposed to be used unarmed. The locations you can target with unarmed blows exclude eyes and vitals, the two "BIG" targets for low damage high-skill fighters. Yes you can also hit the skull much easier but it has 2 DR so the -6 dam is actually going to matter, even more so if using half ST. And its still easier to go for default locations. However if you can use it with a punching knife or other "use unarmed skill for impaling dam" weapon, then it's going to be an issue.
But since the point of this style is to avoid injuries I except that's going to be controlled.

2) Don't allow a poke to do piercing damage! Allowing an unarmed attack to do piercing damage is extremely lethal (for the above mentioned reasons) suddenly you can target eyes and vitals. See Lethal Strike technique in MA. It's a Cinematic technique for a reason apart from realism; it's really powerful!

3) The bonus to hit is still going to help you target stuff like elbows, neck, face and knees. Which will help you quicker disable folks. But people with that amount of ST can disable you on any hit anyway.

[Libertine]

.
2) Don't allow a poke to do piercing damage! Allowing an unarmed attack to do piercing damage is extremely lethal (for the above mentioned reasons) suddenly you can target eyes

I don't understand this, certainly eye gouges are possible to do in an unarmed combat situation, Is there rules for it in MA?

[Fred Brackin]

Originally Posted by Libertine

I don't understand this, certainly eye gouges are possible to do in an unarmed combat situation, Is there rules for it in MA?

Yes, there are. Multiple types of unarmed attacks v. eyes/face.

[aesir23]

Originally Posted by Maz

2) Don't allow a poke to do piercing damage! Allowing an unarmed attack to do piercing damage is extremely lethal (for the above mentioned reasons) suddenly you can target eyes and vitals. See Lethal Strike technique in MA. It's a Cinematic technique for a reason apart from realism...

Yes, the technique is based on Lethal Strike. But, I should point out 2 things: 1. MA says the technique can be attempted in realistic games, just not improved. 2. The fact that you take damage to the hand, even when attacking a target with 0 DR is a pretty serious drawback in any case (Although many supers will circumvent this with high DR or the Striking Surface perk).

Personally, I find it pretty plausible that a being with super strength could push a finger into your brain (or chest cavity, or kidney.) But I can totally see how combining it with a bonus to hit could cause balance issues. It might be worth taking another look at the technique.

Originally Posted by Fred Brackin

Yes, there are. Multiple types of unarmed attacks v. eyes/face.

It's important to note, the strictly realistic ones (Eye Gouge and Eye Poke) don't allow you to penetrate to the brain through the eye. Unlike Lethal Strike.

[Maz]

Originally Posted by aesir23

It's important to note, the strictly realistic ones (Eye Gouge and Eye Poke) don't allow you to penetrate to the brain through the eye. Unlike Lethal Strike.

Yes when I say "target the eye" I mean "target the brain through the eye". Sorry for causing confusion.

Also I see your point about super beings pushing a finger through you. The problem is, that changing it to piercing allows you to "push through your eye into the brain" with just 1-2 points of damage.
You can target the vitals with crushing and there is also an eye-poke technique in MA.

However putting your hand or finger through someone (brains or vitals) falls, in my opinion, under the descriptive nature of a kill much like a decapitation or a pierced heart.

[aesir23]

Some more Techniques:

A less lethal version of Poke could be based on Exotic Hand Strike instead of Lethal Strike. it would look like this:

Poke Average Technique
Defaults to Karate +2
Cannot Exceed Karate +4

This attack does Thrust -4 or -2/Die Crushing damage. If you are using Pulling Punches to hit with less than 1/2 your strength, you get +2 to hit with this technique. Hurting yourself applies if you strike ANY DR - not just 3+.

You receive +1 Parry or Block this round.

Poke is an option for Defensive Attack, therefore it cannot be used as a Committed or All-Out Attack.

In every other way, treat a Poke as a Punch.

And here's a new, somewhat ridiculous one:

Flicking Average Technique
Defaults to Brawling +2, DX +2, Karate +2
Cannot exceed prerequisite +4.

This is an attack using only the muscles in the index finger (often using the thumb to build tension from which it can snap.) This attack does Thrust -4 Crushing, calculated at 1/5 your ST (or Striking ST)! Additionally, flicks don't gain any damage bonuses for high levels of Brawling or Karate.

This attack can still be somewhat painful, however, if applied to a sensitive enough hit location: flicks to the eye, nose, or groin are treated as doing a minimum of 1 damage for the purposes of calculating shock or knockdown only.

Additionally, since the flick uses so little of the body, it is easy to pull off even when restricted. Halve penalties for ground fighting, posture, or being grappled, unless the hand itself is grappled.

Although it doesn't grant any defensive benefits, flicking is an option for Defensive Attack. Flicks can't be Committed or All-Out Attacks.

Originally Posted by Under the Hood

Built as Defensive Punch.

Special Benefits:
Limited Posture Penalties: -4 Default
Limited Grappling Penalties: -2 Default

Special Drawbacks:
1/5th ST for Attack! =+6 Default.
-1 Parry or Block =+2 Default.

[Maz]

Originally Posted by aesir23

Flicking Average Technique
Defaults to Brawling +2, DX +2, Karate +2

IMO, flicking should be based on a shoved, as the most common way a flick by super strong people are depicted is to send people flying.
So I would rather say it should deal very limited damage and then deal a lot of knockback.
:)

[aesir23]

Originally Posted by Maz

IMO, flicking should be based on a shoved, as the most common way a flick by super strong people are depicted is to send people flying.
So I would rather say it should deal very limited damage and then deal a lot of knockback.
:)

I get the trope you're thinking of. Realistically, it's nonsense, of course--a single finger has a lot less momentum.

Shoves already do zero damage for X2 Knockback, so there's not much reason to change them for the OPs style.

Personally, I'm a big fan of giving super strong characters characters Imbuement 1 (Single skill only: Forceful Blow) to allow them to do extra knockback whenever they want.