10-03-2012, 07:35 PM | #21 |
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Iceland*
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Re: [MA] Southern Kung Fu, the Common Folk and Tong Hatchetmen
I've altered Armed Aggressive Parry again, this time to ensure that unarmed attacks on armed defenders remain appropriately dangerous and also to incorporate a feature that I've always thought that Aggressive Parry ought to have had from the start.
I've added a damage bonus against unarmed attacks, a +2 or +1/per die. Justified, in that unarmed attackers have to get very close, usually evading your weapon on the way in, and it is therefore particularly convenient to meet their attacks by striking into their blow. There's also this new rule, which applies to both Aggressive Parry and Armed Aggressive Parry*: "Against a Defensive Attack, the damage you do with this technique has a further -2 or -1/per die penalty, whichever is worse. When used to defend against a Committed Attack (Strong), however, you get a +1 (or +1/per two dice) to damage and against All-Out Attack (Strong) you do +2 (or +1/per die) to damage." *And normal armed Parries against unarmed attacks, too.
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10-03-2012, 09:13 PM | #22 |
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Iceland*
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Punching Techniques
Just because most punches are a matter of combat options rather than techniques, that doesn't mean that there's any need for all punches to be the same.
Jabs are archetypical Defensive Attacks, yes, but there are varieties of Jabs that are designed to do something other than merely allow you to keep up your defences while launching a probing attack. They remain based off Defensive Attack, but may have other, minor effects as well. And while the spectrum of Defensive Attack through Attack, Committed Attack (Strong) and All-Out Attack (Strong) provides a neat way to pack more or less power into a punch, a defensive focus isn't the only reason to deliver a less than full power punch. Here are three punching Techniques appropriate for some styles of CMA as well as the Sweet Science of our West.* *One of them can actually work with weapons as well as bare hands. Defensive Jab Fast Strikes Set-Up JabComments? Suggestions?
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Za uspiekh nashevo beznadiozhnovo diela! Last edited by Icelander; 10-05-2012 at 03:44 PM. |
10-03-2012, 10:02 PM | #23 |
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Iceland*
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Wing Chun variant for my campaign
(Haihu) Wing Chun
__________________________________________________ _____________________________________5 points Wing Chun is described on MA p. 203. This is a write-up for a version of it that is practised by Shou (Chinese-equivalent) emigrants living in Western cities after an invasion by steppe nomad horsemen devastated parts of their native land. It is a practical, combative style, even more so than modern Wing Chun. It includes a full body of knife techniques in addition to the butterfly sword forms of Wing Chun. The nomenclature is inspired by the mythological beast representing the cardinal direction of their new home in relation to the Eternal Empire of Shou Lung; Xi Fang Bai Hu, the White Tiger of the West. As with all the White Tiger forms of traditional styles, the emphasis is on street-readiness and survival, for people who are at the very least perceived as outsiders and may be actively persecuted. Weapons are easily concealable or explainable as something else and situational awareness is as important as martial skill. Both armed and unarmed techniques rely heavily on rapid and exhausting chains of attacks meant to overwhelm the foe's defences. Spending FP on Rapid Strikes is very much in character and Combinations, Dual-Weapon Attack and Fast Strikes are frequently used to increase the number of attacks launched per turn. Engagement distance is usually short, even when armed. Parries or strikes often set up grapples or locks, which in turn serve to enable crippling or lethal strikes with a fist or weapon. Fighting knives are usually single-edged and range in size from Small Knife hold-out weapons to Large Knives or chopping blades similar in design to smaller butterfly swords, which use the stats for a Kukri. Except when using the larger chopping blades (which might use adapted butterfly sword techniques), the knife is held in an underhand grip. Both one- and two-knife forms are taught. In either case, strikes are usually adapted punches and like punches may follow a grapple or lock. Common targets of armed attacks are along the centerline of the opponent, i.e. the torso, neck, head and the upper arms and legs (specifically the Vein/Arteries). If given an opening, stylists frequently aim Karate and Knife strikes at the Vitals or Neck. Whether armed or unarmed, stylists often combine high-line strikes against an upper body target with a low-line kick against the legs or feet. With the butterfly swords, this may instead take the form of an attack against the neck combined with one against the thigh (Vein/Arteries). Any such attempt to divide the attention of the defender and require him to assume two contradictory defensive stances at the same time are best modelled as Deceptive Attack applied to both attacks, whether they are made using Dual-Weapon Attack, Rapid Strike or by some other method. Skills: Karate; Knife; Shortsword; Wrestling. Techniques: Arm Lock; Armed Grapple (Knife or Shortsword); Beat; Bind Weapon (Shortsword); Close Combat (Knife or Shortsword); Counterattack; Disarming (Shortsword); Elbow Strike; Fast Strikes (Karate or Shortsword); Feint (Karate, Knife or Shortsword); Forearm Weapon Parry; Hammer Fist; Jam; Knee Strike; Leg Grapple; Leg Lock; Retain Weapon (Knife or Shortsword); Reverse Grip (Knife or Shortsword); Sweep (Karate); Targeted Attack (List below); Underhand Slash (Knife or Shortsword). Targeted Attacks: Targeted Attack (Karate Kick/Leg); Targeted Attack (Karate Kick/Leg Joint); Targeted Attack (Karate Punch/Neck); Targeted Attack (Karate Punch/Vitals); Targeted Attack (Karate Stamp Kick/Foot); Targeted Attack (Knife Thrust/Face); Targeted Attack (Knife Thrust/Neck); Targeted Attack (Knife Thrust/Vitals); Targeted Attack (Knife Underhand Slash/Face); Targeted Attack (Knife Underhand Slash/Neck); Targeted Attack (Karate Stamp Kick/Foot Joint); Targeted Attack (Shortsword Swing/Face); Targeted Attack (Shortsword Swing/Leg Veins/Arteries); Targeted Attack (Shortsword Swing/Neck); Targeted Attack (Shortsword Swing/Neck Vein/Arteries); Targeted Attack (Shortsword Swing/Skull). Combinations: Karate Fast Strikes Punch/Torso + Karate Fast Strikes Punch/Torso + Karate Kick/Leg Joint; Karate Dual-Weapon Attack Fast Strikes Punch/Torso + Karate Dual-Weapon Attack Fast Strikes Punch/Torso + Karate Dual-Weapon Attack Fast Strikes Punch/Torso + Karate Dual-Weapon Attack Fast Strikes Punch/Torso + Karate Punch/Neck; Shortsword Arm Lock + Karate Sweep; Shortsword Beat + Shortsword Dual-Weapon Attack Swing/Leg Vein/Arteries + Shortsword Dual-Weapon Attack Swing/Neck; Shortsword Swing/Torso + Shortsword Swing/Torso + Karate Kick/Leg Joint); Wrestling Arm Lock + Karate Punch/Arm Joint; Wrestling Leg Grapple + Karate Sweep; Wrestling Arm Lock + Knife Reverse Grip Thrust/Neck; Wrestling Arm Lock + Knife Reverse Grip Thrust/Vitals. Cinematic Skills: Blind-Fighting, Immovable Stance; Mental Strength; Power Blow; Sensitivity. Cinematic Techniques: Dual-Weapon Attack (Karate, Knife or Shortsword); Dual-Weapon Defence (Karate, Knife or Shortsword). Perks: Improvised Weapons (Karate, Knife or Shortsword); Mobile Parry (Shortsword); Off-Hand Weapon Training; Special Set-Up (Karate Parry > Arm Lock); Technique Adaptation (Counterattack); Unusual Training (Bind Weapon defaults to Shortsword). Optional Traits Advantages: Ambidexterity; Combat Reflexes; Enhanced Parry (Barehanded, Shortsword or All). Disadvantages: Overconfidence; Reputation (Thug); Social Stigma (Criminal or Second-Class Citizen). Skills: Boating (Sailboat or Unpowered); Fast-Draw (Knife or Shortsword); Holdout; Judo; Observation; Seamanship; Staff; Streetwise; Two-Handed Sword. Perks: Naval Training.
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Za uspiekh nashevo beznadiozhnovo diela! Last edited by Icelander; 10-05-2012 at 01:17 PM. |
10-04-2012, 10:59 AM | #24 |
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Iceland*
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Summary of Thread
To perhaps narrow down what it is I want forumites to do with the information presented in this thread so far, I thought I'd collect my still-unanswered questions together with solicited-areas-for-comment.
1) Does anyone know what areas are usually targeted by armed attacks in Wing Chun or any other armed form of a Chinese Martial Art? Obviously, this would not include information already listed in GURPS Martial Arts. I'm rather looking for real-world knowledge, knowledge of theory or even knowledge from (at least quasi-)realistic-looking movies. I'm looking for this because the armed forms are often presented as optional, or at least addenda to an unarmed focus, for the CMA/Kung Fu styles as they appear in Martial Arts, so they do not receive the same detail of techniques and guidelines for roleplaying combat as the unarmed forms. Since I want to distinguish knife-fighters/hatchetmen/swordsmen/etc. coming from different cultural or style backgrounds from one another as much as possible, I'd like to know stuff like how choice of combat Maneuvers, combat options and target selection for a nanquan-inspired knife-fighter could differ from one with a background in kuntao, savate or the Dagger Fighting style presented in MA. 2) When using a horse bench in combat, what skills should one require? Striking with it at full power and extension is not a problem. That's Two-Handed Axe/Mace, with maybe -1 or -2 to skill as an improvised weapon and a damage in the neighbourhood of sw+4 (it weighs 15-20 lbs., even if it doesn't have striking surfaces as effective as a mace). Two-handed use for less-powerful strikes is an open question, however. Would one call it Polearm and give it lower MinST and lower damage, or would one just make use of Defensive Attacks with Two-Handed Axe/Mace skill? I'm inclined to allow both, as there is clearly some overlap between two-handed balanced use of a horse bench and some Staff/Polearm techniques. Also, since the typical grip isn't one where the weight of the bench is concentrated at the end of a lever, like the basic assumption for Two-Handed Axe/Mace is, the MinST would hopefully be lower. While it is a heavy weapon, it's not so heavy so to be unusable by everyone except the biggest men. Clearly, defensive work with it could often make use of the rules on LT p. 114 for 'Improvised Shields'. While it's common to hold it in two hands for defence, this is not required, and the legs of the bench probably qualify as improvised handgrips anyway. The problem I have is that Shield doesn't have any MinST requirement and so there is no reason for anyone to use the weapon in both hands instead of one. Even Defensive Grip doesn't apply with shields, so it can't be explained as that.* In the real world, of course, the bench weighs enough to make one-handed use difficult for most people. Training can help with that, but that might also be because the horse bench is often regarded as a tool for building arm and wrist strength as much as a traditional weapon. Used one-handed to bash and defend with Shield skill, anyone with ST from 8-10 (depending on bench weight) can handle it without penalties. That's way too easy. Granted, the damage from such bashes is limited, less than using the weapon as an Axe/Mace would be, but just managing to block at full skill with it one-handed ought to require above average ST (or appropriate Perks). Also, I suspect that one-handed use ought to be Axe/Mace, but as with two-handed use, the bench is rarely held in a way that has all the weight concentrated near the striking end. It's more usual to have the point of balance closer to the user, which weakens the blows you can launch with it, but ought to translate into a slightly more managable MinST than the monstrous ST 17-20 that it would require to use a 15-20 lbs. weapon in one-hand with typical mace techniques. 3) Does anyone have comments on the Techniques that appear in this thread? These are: Armed Aggressive Parry Defensve Jab Fast Strikes Forearm Weapon Parry Set-Up Jab Underhand Grip Defence Underhand Slash 4) Does anyone have comments on the two styles that appear so far? These are: Shuang Fu ('Double Axe'; an armed style designed as a body of weapon techniques taken in addition to an unarmed (sometimes including small weapons) style. Haihu Wing Chun ('White Tiger Wing Chun (Which in turn has various translations, most evocative 'Eternal Springtime', but more probable 'In Praise of Springtime'; a version of Wing Chun for emigrants in crime-ridden Western cities of my campaign, including more armed techniques and knife-fighting forms) style. *Though it's easy enough to house-rule that Defensive Grip can indeed apply to shields. It's just that with purpose-built ones, you rarely find yourself in a position where you'd want to be holding just the shield and no weapon.
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10-04-2012, 12:06 PM | #25 |
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Re: [MA] Southern Kung Fu, the Common Folk and Tong Hatchetmen
From my memories of the one time I took some Chinese martial arts classes, the three most common attacks were
1. Horizontal side to side slash at the abdomen (usually as a slash right to left, reverse, slash left to right . . . sometimes also done with two swords at the same time), usually from fairly close in with sword kept close to the body (actually more of a draw cut than a slash as usually were standing close enough to the target could punch it . . . goal being to try and get as much of the swords edge moving over the target as can) 2. Lunge and thrust at the abdomen involving dropping into a low stance and stabbing up as moving forwards . . . if done with a spear of Kwan Dao the second part of the move was to pull the tip back with a swat from the end of it. Also done with swords but don't remember any particular second part of move with a sword 3. From a distance slash at the leg from the knee up to the abdomen from side to side, reverse, and slash side to side again, using the last few inches of the sword or spear only The swords I remember using were like this http://www.blackbeltshop.com/new%20images/1817.jpg |
10-04-2012, 04:54 PM | #26 | |||
Join Date: Mar 2006
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Re: [MA] Southern Kung Fu, the Common Folk and Tong Hatchetmen
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Do you or anyone else recall some other targets? Maybe from wuxia movies?
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10-04-2012, 09:35 PM | #27 | |
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Re: Wing Chun variant for my campaign
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My other suggestion is that since this is now a primarily armed style using edged weapons, Pressure Points and Pressure Secrets are no longer very appropriate Cinematic skills. I'd drop them.
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10-04-2012, 09:43 PM | #28 | ||
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Vermont
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Re: Summary of Thread
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Defensive Jab feels too powerful, it gives the benefit of a AoD while allowing an Attack! The Reverse Grip techniques, I'm a little iffy about. I like that there's a trade-off in the different grips, and I'm leary about it being bought off.
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10-05-2012, 12:53 PM | #29 | ||
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Re: Wing Chun variant for my campaign
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It suits some martial arts to have few strikes be Targeted Attacks, instead focusing on the torso or even random hit locations (representing attacking whatever the foe leaves open). Wing Chun, however, due to the emphasis of controlling the rhythm of the fight, having strikes lead into others by forcing a reaction from the opponet, opening two gates, etc. feels like one where Targeted Attacks are the norm. 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. Quote:
Dropping the 'mystical' secret strikes, both Pressure Points and Lethal, also provides a handy way to distinguish this Wing Chun style from Praying Mantis or Crane style. I know that 'normal' Wing Chun has a lot of the Crane hand forms, but it makes sense that a primarily armed variety would de-emphasise them.
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10-05-2012, 03:55 PM | #30 | ||
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Re: Summary of Thread
Quote:
Note that while it does allow an attack, that attack is unlikely to do any actual damage unless the character is extremely strong. Even a ST 15 professional boxer (with the +2 damage bonus for Boxing skil) would be doing 1d-1 cr, which is hardly fight-ending. With gloves, 1d-3 cr. Quote:
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.
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axe styles, kung fu, martial arts, styles |
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