Femme Fu

[Wavefunction]

Originally Posted by Wavefunction

Possibly, though I'm more inclined to add a Perk that allows the individual to count as 1 SM larger for the purposes of Lower-Body Grapples.

Would that be balanced do you think?

If so, what name to go for, I'm currently considering Gargantuan Gams or Prodigious Pins.

[Randyman]

Originally Posted by Icelander

NineDaysDead, that very quote implies that to perform the same feats in high heels as without them requires higher skill.

Plus, she did it by following his lead...

[NineDaysDead]

Originally Posted by Icelander

NineDaysDead, that very quote implies that to perform the same feats in high heels as without them requires higher skill.

What "higher skill" in reality means when translated into GURPS can be interpreted in different ways; one way would be by adding perks to an already high skill, such as High-Heeled Heroine.

[Mailanka]

Originally Posted by NineDaysDead

This message is too short

Okay, as a dancer: Dancing is very different from combat or chase-scenes. Dancing takes place on specialized surfaces using specialized footware, while combat and chase-scenes take place on surfaces that you have no control over. It's like arguing that racing cars are just as good as off-road vehicles for military purposes because of how well a formula one car driver drives.

Heels are great for certain dances. They bring you closer to your lead's height, and at least in tango, push you forward which is the ideal sort of posture because it creates an imbalance that is fixed by leaning on your partner. Dance shoes, specifically, have smooth (or even suede) soles, which facilitate turning.

Dancing in sneakers or combat boots would hard, bordering on impossible, for a variety of reasons, and I certainly wouldn't try it. Watching first-time students try it on sneakers is hilarious. But that doesn't mean that heels are perfectly good footwear for combat. Rather, the take-away is: Wear the shoe for the job. Dancing is best in a certain kind of heel, and combat is best done in a certain kind of boot.

[evileeyore]

Originally Posted by Mailanka

Dancing in sneakers or combat boots would hard, bordering on impossible...

Depends on the style of dance.

[David Johnston2]

Originally Posted by Wavefunction

I was wondering about this for a character who likes the idea of being a femme fatale, and would wear heels when possible. If it turned out it was completely inefficient to wear heels, she'd probably eventually and begrudgingly switch to flats. So a realistic setting, but a character with a cinematic mindset, call it a Quirk-level Delusion.

In a realistic setting a femme fatale who wears high heels would simply shuck them at the first opportunity when faced with the need to fight, and probably use them as weapons if she didn't have a gun.

[Wavefunction]

Originally Posted by David Johnston2

In a realistic setting a femme fatale who wears high heels would simply shuck them at the first opportunity when faced with the need to fight, and probably use them as weapons if she didn't have a gun.

Wait, so you mean thigh length leather boots with 5'' heels aren't a practical solution?

[jason taylor]

Originally Posted by Mailanka

Well, it's actually pretty reasonable to expect spies and such to dress appropriately for one set of circumstances, while actively preparing for another. For example, an assassin might know she's going to do some killing at the grand ball, and she can't afford to show up in combat fatigues and boots, but in a smashing dress and heels. She'd need to know how to either fight/run in them, or how to transition quickly out of them ("Never wear straps.") and handle herself on bare feet.

A realistic assassination attempt might involve poison in the wine, or a sniper on the roof, or both, rather than expecting the female agent to smuggle in, I don't know, a knife or a pistol and then actually fight the target, but there's always the chance that something is going to go awry, and she needs to be ready in case they do.

But this doesn't really disprove your point, just puts an asterisk on it. The real reason we have heroines fighting in heels is because heels are hot and we want hot heroines in our cool action movies.

She might be a spotter for a shooter across the street.

A spy of course would just be there to cultivate an asset or otherwise steal information. She could be in any cover that might be expected at a Grand Ball. A servant might be best.

In either case she has to be there with the host's knowledge. Anyone who gives a VIP party without vetting everyone there doesn't know their business and deserves to have a mess up on their watch. Which means the agent is probably working for the host or an ally thereof.

Another possibility you didn't account for is as undercover security. Instead of being an assassin she could be a counter-assassin.

[Kromm]

You train as you fight and fight as you train. I find it quite plausible that a person who trains in combat boots, cowboy boots, high heels, sandals, sneakers, or any other footwear that real-life people manage to function in for 16+ hours a day will – after hundreds of hours spent finding their balance in that gear, and learning to find its advantages and compensate for its disadvantages – be at her best when wearing that footwear.

This is true for dance, which isn't always done on perfect floors with perfect shoes – not if you're a pro. Some excellent tangueras dance in heels on not just wooden floors and smooth concrete, but also tiled floors and even cobbled streets. Some of the best younger tangueros prefer athletic shoes (the same ones used for B-boying), despite the grippy rubber. These are the people you see performing flashy demos at malls, in the street, and so on. They're actually not as good at their fancy footwork when wearing the wrong footwear; women used to heels are at a disadvantage in flats, and men used to grip find suede or leather far too slippery.

I'm fairly sure, given the similarity of the movements, that this would extend to unarmed combat. Indeed, we have a kung fu class between two of our advanced tango classes at the studio, and the students of one often observe the other. Many times, the kung fu master and tango professor have pointed out the major similarities in grounding, balance, rapid stepping, etc., not to mention the kicks.

I'd go with the premise that everybody gets familiarity with one broad set of training garments for free and can buy familiarity with others as a perk. You can have heels for free and be penalized in flats, or vice versa – or you can pay a point to be good in both. And heavy boots would be a separate thing again. If we're being hyper-realistic, the same would go for tight-fitting vs. loose garments. All this goes equally for dance, fighting, sports, and almost anything else, though a few familiarities might be specific to the activity; e.g., gi vs. no-gi for grappling.

[wellspring]

Originally Posted by David Johnston2

In a realistic setting a femme fatale who wears high heels would simply shuck them at the first opportunity when faced with the need to fight, and probably use them as weapons if she didn't have a gun.

For a gritty realistic example of this, see the superhero American Maid, in The Tick.

;)

Originally Posted by Wavefunction

Fiddling with this for a female character who would love to learn it.

Let me know if I've missed anything. Also let me know if this is horribly sexist, it wasn't intended to be, it's meant to simply be a representation of the style found in most action flicks.

Honestly, this begins and ends with a player who would love to learn it. If it makes them happy, doesn't disrupt the game, and doesn't clash with the setting, then my inclination is to go for it. I love this martial art. It's flavorful as all get-out, balanced, and is a perfect fit for players with that concept.

My one critique is the number of Perks. It's adequate, but I think you'll want more so the player will have some choices. I'd drop Extreme Sexual Dimorphism. It might or might not be appropriate to the character, but it isn't something you'd learn in a dojo. At best you'd have to go under the knife. You've already accounted for the appearance requirement.

Perhaps you could move Sexy Pose to the core style. For other perks, you could add: Acrobatic Kicks, Ground Guard, Improvised Weapons (David's right about the high heels), Sure Footed (Crowds), and Standard Operating Procedure (Hair and Makeup).

Getting even more cinematic, don't forget Trademark Moves and Teamwork for sexy operator teams (and if you're going for that kind of game, each player should have to buy Teamwork, plus each take a different trademark move, in keeping with the genre), and sexy Combat Shticks. Perhaps also Permit (Night Life), granting you backstage passes, invitations to major social events, and the right to cut the line to enter exclusive nightclubs.

If you don't mind, I'd like to steal this idea. I'm starting a campaign in the next month or two and at least two of my female players will go nuts when they see this.