"STICK AND MOVE, STICK AND MOVE! FUCKING KILL 'IM!"
One of the most classical ways of fighting is pure, sweet art, a science above all. More than just mere bare-knuckle brawling, the boxer combines a fighting instinct, both cunning as well as intellect, a taste for the game, and the knack of where to hit for maximum damage. Unlike Mahouken (Spellfist), Pugilism is a combat style that relies more on the fire that burns within, a metaphysical capability that has given rise to some of the greatest warriors known to the multiverse.
Boxing Minigame - unlike standard martial arts tables and combat, Boxing is a "one action per round" style of fighting. It focuses more on how one can maximize each action per round, though you can still have more attacks than the other guy.
On the other hand, if you don't maximize each strike and movement, each form of training, you'll probably get outclassed even if you have a shitton of attacks per round. If you have more attacks per round (normally) than the enemy, then those translate as extra attacks at the end of the exchange.
Unlike normal combat, Boxing focuses on one target only and isn't truly suited for mass melee. That's not to say that there are boxers who can't take out multiple targets, and with the Sunday Punches they develop as they train, a Boxer can be the absolute worst kind of monster to fight against.
So long as the opponent is unarmored, the Boxer's unarmed strikes will always deal both lethal and fatigue damage.
At the beginning of the match, the Exchange Attributes are as follows:
Fatigue - HP x con modifier
Stamina - EP x dex modifier
Mind you, Stamina "goes down" while Fatigue "goes up." When the Fatigue hits the limit or you run out of Stamina, you cannot fight anymore. All attacks during the Exchange are counted as "5 stamina points" once you hit 50% Fatigue. If the abilities already cost Stamina, then this can be ignored.
While the Exchange is "one attack - one attack," the target does have the chance to defend if they've properly trained in it. Going Full Defense (giving up your attacks in one Exchange or Round) grants the user a +1 defense bonus.
Pugilism/Boxing is a combat sport/martial art hybrid, one where fouls in the ring are noted and the crowd can be swayed by the actions of the apparent heel and babyface. If you don't know which of you are the heel, it's probably you. One thing to consider is that all boxing abilities do have real-life (that is normal combat) capabilities, and the training and combative skill of certain boxers transcends things like armor or dodges. As a sport, in the Exchange you may find your attacks doing less damage or are less effective - in a sense, Pugilism/Boxing is like chess. If you don't strategize your fighting, the target is going to react accordingly. For each line attack you throw, they'll sway to the side. For each horizontal or vertical attack, they'll respond accordingly.
By training outside of the gym and going on adventures, though, the boxer can enhance and hone their skills and find unique methods and ways of bringing those combat experiences into the ring.
No two boxers are alike, and only the most greenhorn of rookies would ever just jump into battle and start swinging away.
Remember - this is a battle of soul against soul, will versus will, and the best trained body will win. Some boxers are sneaky, others are brutal, and still others are of such a high level that you'll know it the moment you see them.
Ultimately, just get in there and freakin' MURDER them!!!! Wear 'em down then take 'em out! Smack 'em once in the skull and take 'em out!
No matter what, TAKE! THEM!! OUT!!!!
Training Menu (Specials are basics, Supers are advanced forms)
Offense
Uppercut - Vertical Attack. Deals unarmed damage with double Fatigue and a chance to Stun (target must pass a Fort Save DC10+User's ECL or be stunned for a round)
Straight - Line Attack. Deals unarmed damage with double crit.
Jab - Line Attack. Deals unarmed damage and Jab+1 (you can make an immediate jab attempt right after your standard action).
Overhead - Line Attack. Deals unarmed damage that ignores shields and most forms of guards.
Headbutt - Line Attack. Deals unarmed damage with a chance to Stagger (target must pass a Fort Save DC10+User's ECL or suffer -1 until the next round). Can be done as a counter in a Clinch. This is considered an "unjust attack" and can be counted against you as a foul.
Hook - Horizontal Attack. Deals half unarmed damage with triple Fatigue.
Clinch - Specialized grapple that "locks up" a target, bringing them in close and halting their attacks for one action. Without specialized training or abilities, both user and target's damage output is halved. Allows for the user to grapple a target using their unarmed attack score instead of grapple. Negates counter-grapples (but not counterattacks).
Shoulder Tackle - 25 ep. Line Attack. Deals unarmed damage and can be used to disrupt barrages and combinations.
Counter - When a successful counter is launched, the user must have a higher To Hit roll than the opponent. Deals double the unarmed damage of the target, to both Fatigue and Stamina counters.
Jolt Counter - 50 ep, you must learn Counter first, -5 To Hit. Must be declared before attempt, allows the user to hit the target with five times the target's unarmed damage, to both Fatigue and Stamina counters.
1-2 Punch - 25 ep, you must learn Straight. Deals unarmed damage twice with triple crit and crit range +1.
Double Hook - 25 ep Horizontal attacks. Deals unarmed damage with triple Fatigue and double Stamina damage.
Triple Hook - 50 ep Horizontal attacks. Immediately causes guard break, deals double unarmed damage with triple Fatigue and double Stamina damage.
Sunday Punch - unlike normal offensive maneuvers, the Sunday Punch is a favored weapon of the Boxer. It elevates a normal attack to a Super Attack, granting it +5 to hit and +5 to damage output. All Sunday Punches have a drawback though - if it misses the target, or is taken without apparent damage, or is parried, then the user suffers a -5 to their AC and To Hit rolls for 1d4 rounds and must also make a Will Save (DC10+target's ECL). If they fail the will save, then they start losing 5% ep with each attack made, whether or not it lands, until the 1d4 rounds are off. Another thing to note: a Sunday Punch (unlike normal punches) count as a Ki attack, ignoring armor-based AC.
NOTE: A boxer can only have one Sunday Punch, though exceptions do exist.
Defense
Basic Guard - specialized block that negates damage from most horizontal attacks. Vertical attacks have a 50% chance of breaking the guard. Takes a standard action to get into. Is considered broken if user takes 25% Fatigue from one round.
Cross Guard - specialized block that negates damage from most vertical attacks. Horizontal attacks have a 50% chance of breaking the guard. Takes a standard action to get into Is considered broken if user takes 25% Fatigue from one round.
Peekaboo - specialized block that negates damage from both vertical and horizontal attacks. Takes half damage from Overhead strikes and body blows. Is considered broken if user takes 20% Fatigue from one round.
Head Slip - 50 ep. Specialized counter that requires specific timing. Allows the user to move 5 feet and negate 4/5ths of the damage dealt to them from an unarmed strike. Cannot be used if Fatigue is at 75%.
Direct Spin - 50 ep. Specialized counter that requires specific timing. Allows the user to spin in place (bringing them 5 feet closer if need be) and negate 4/5ths of the damage dealt to them from an unarmed strike. Cannot be used if Fatigue is at 50%.
Forehead Block - 50 ep. Counter that lowers the damage of an unarmed strike to 1/5th, and the rest is doubled and sent back to the target with a 75% chance of breaking the hand/foot used.
Recovery (note: the Exchange Conversion does not matter during normal combat. The numbers stay the same, save that Stamina is now EP and Fatigue is counted as normal HP during combat, so none of that "goes up/goes down" business)
Passive Recovery - user gains Regen and Refresh 3 at the end and beginning of the round.
Aggressive Recovery - by passing a concentration check (DC 20) and a standard action, user can regain 25 Stamina and lose 25 Fatigue.
Active Recovery - each time the user attacks, they regain 1 Stamina and lose 1 Fatigue, whether or not it hits.
Sit Out - by going into defense mode for a full round, user can regain 15% Stamina and lose 15% Fatigue as well as DmR 5 until the next round.
Shake It Off - user immediately gains +5 to their Will Saves, and gets an additional 50% bonus versus Will Saves, brainwashing, and other such psychic effects. The user can take a standard action to shake off successful attempts, but at the cost of 1/5th of their Stamina total each time.
Crowd Enchantment - user immediately loses 50% Fatigue and gains 15% Stamina back when the crowd begins to side with them. This is a passive ability, and is not guaranteed to happen with each battle. Works once per combat.
Mobility
The Dance - a specialized form of movement necessary to Pugilism. User now has a 20 foot mobility range during combat.
Sway - a specialized form of defense where the user sways their upper body to dodge attacks. User can dodge without moving from their spot, and gains +5 to their dodge bonus.
Bob and Weave - 25 ep to activate, you must learn The Dance and Sway first. Adds a Dodge Gauge to the AC - each time the user successfully dodges an attack, they gain +1 on the next dodge attempt. This gauge resets at the end of the Exchange/Round.
Rope a Dope - 25 ep to activate, you must learn The Dance and Head Slip first and be cornered (cannot be used if Fatigue is at 75%). Allows the user to gauge the distance of a target's attack and barely head slip their way around the target's attacks. Completely dodges attacks while user is in Full Defense mode (target must have a To Hit that is 75% greater than the user, or crit/magic number), but user cannot counter or use AoO's until their next round.
Step In - 25 ep. The user can step into the target's zone of personal space, bypassing most weapon's ranges and forcing the target to have to back up to use their weapon properly. Note: there ARE fighters and melee types who can use their weapons in such super-close-quarters range. Doesn't work against users of small hand weapons.
Shoot Out - the user can back up 15 feet without provoking AoO or counter attempts as a free action. Speed Check 5.
Dash - the user can move forward up to 20 feet without provoking AoO or counter attempts as a free action. Speed Check 5.
Scrimjack - Must learn Step In, Shoot Out, and Dash first. After a successful attack has hit the user, user may move up to 10 feet in any direction without provoking counters or AoO. If user is out of range of attack, target must attack a new target.
Misc
Ring Awareness - allows the user to have a higher-than-normal spatial awareness midcombat (as a free action) in a fifty foot radius from the user. Can reveal information that one normally wouldn't notice during a fight.
The Knack - allows the user to synchronize with their opponent, stealing one technique for immediate use (and can be trained in later on, if GM approves). Techniques learned this way are forgotten at the end of combat.
Fair Fight - allows the user to attack a particular item or weapon using their unarmed attack. Sunder+1.
Below the Belt - 50 ep, must learn Rudeness and Headbutt first. Deals unarmed damage to both Fatigue and Stamina (HP and EP outside of boxing) as well as a chance to Stun and -5 Stagger for 1d4 rounds (DC10+user's ECL). Is considered highly unsportsmanlike conduct, and will result in a foul if noted.
Intuitive Anatomy - allows the user to get to know the anatomy of their target passively. A concentration check of DC10+target's ECL (things like Sense Others or Empathy can lower the DC) allows the user to note how tired the target is or where they're wounded the most.
Rudeness - allows the user to provoke a target to attack. Target must pass a Will Save of DC15+user's ECL or they immediately attack.
Momentum - Allows the user to ignore the "cannot use if Fatigue is at X%" rule for a single maneuver up to 1d4 times during combat. Can only be used when Fatigue is at 75%. Can only be used once per combat.
Pander - by taking a standard action to pander to the crowd (performance check, DC10+user's ECL), the user can regain 25% of their Stamina and loses 10% of their Fatigue once per combat.
Ring My Bell - You must learn The Glow first. Upon hearing the bell ring at the start of the match, user can immediately take a standard action against a target before Initiative is rolled up. In the case of more than one Ring My Bell user, all Ring My Bell users will roll up initiative before all others. Highest initiative gets to go first, followed by the next, then the next. After Ring My Bell users have taken their standard action, all other users can roll initiative and combat continues.
Ultimate Arts
Dempsey Roll - 100 stamina and raises fatigue to 90%. You must learn Bob and Weave, Head Slip, Momentum, and Hook first. Allows the user eat up the entire Exchange - if target has never faced the Roll before, they can throw 1d4 punches at -10 to their To Hit roll. User slams 10d20 x unarmed damage attacks into their face, each attack gaining a +1 to damage and +25% guard break with each strike thrown.
The Glow - costs entire store of Stamina in order to enter this special state of existence. While The Glow is activated, all damage taken is halved no matter the source. User gains DmR 5, regen 10 x con modifier, refresh 10 x dex modifier, and all criticals, backstabs, and sneak attacks (any kind of special attack damage) against user are negated. User's Elan is tripled (up to one point before the next level threshold). This is a ki aura ability of supernatural origins, and can be treated as if ki, aura, or supernatural. Lasts for 1d4 rounds, and can be activated twice a day.
Eyes of the Champion - when user hits 90% Fatigue, they immediately enter into this special trance, gaining 100% stamina total back (if it goes over the limit, then it's kept as temporary Stamina points). Targets facing them are granted the blonus of -5 stagger with no will save and user's damage output is doubled. All moves lose the "cannot use if at X% Fatigue" rule. This special trance lasts for 1d4 rounds, then user goes back to normal.
Ultra Arts
Note: Unlike other martial arts tables, Boxing/Pugilism has access to passive upgrades called "Ultra Arts." Upon acquiring the necessary requirements, you can choose one Ultra Art to follow, one that dictates or compliments your fighting style. Keep in mind you can only have one.
The Dancer
The Dance, Sway, Rope A Dope, Passive Recovery, Bob and Weave, Rope a Dope
+5 AC (dodge bonus)
Jolt Counter
-20% Fatigue total
All movements are Speed Check 6
The Specialist
Straight/Jab/Overhead/Uppercut/Hook, Ring Awareness, The Knack, Momentum
All regen and refresh abilities gain the "x con mod/x dex mod" addition
DmR 5
Favored Weapon: Sunday Punch (gets +1 to their favored attack - this applies to To Hit, Damage, and Crit Range)
The Hard Puncher
Straight/Jab/Overhead/Uppercut/Hook, Peekaboo, Dash, Step In, Momentum, Sit Out
+5 To Hit
+5 Damage
-10% Stamina total
+10% Fatigue total
Dempsey Roll
Aggressive Recovery
The Reaper
The Jab, Aggressive Recovery, Pander, Overhead
Heel: You will always be the Heel. Period.
Flicker Jab: 25 ep and a standard action to enter Detroit Style. You can now throw two more jabs per jab thrown (a total of four jabs per standard action). All jabs suffer from a -10% damage output.
+10% Stamina Total
The Combo Fiend
Triple Hook, 1-2 Punch, Clinch, Dash, Step In
Invasion Rush: Can reorder the Exchange so all of their own attacks go first and halve the target's attack actions per round.
Can combo Sunday Punches
Can have more than one Sunday Punch
Can do normal damage in the Clinch
The Speedster
The Jab, The Dance, Direct Spin, Head Slip, Ring Awareness, Rope A Dope
Doubled attack actions
Speed Check+1
Misdirection: You can make a special feint (target must pass a DC20+user's ECL concentration check) where you disappear from sight. The very next attack (from the flanks or behind them) is unblockable, save for armor bonuses. All attacks made for this particular Exchange gain a +1 to hit and +5 to damage.
Desperation Arts
Counter Meister - upon hitting 75% Fatigue, you can now have unlimited chances for counters and AoO.
Up the Ante - upon hitting 10% Fatigue, your reflex saves can be used to negate spell effects and attacks (does not apply to any currently on you)
Secret Arts
Broken Eight - leaves the user at 95% Fatigue, eats up 50% Stamina, allows the user to halt the Dempsey Roll mid-roll, granting a -10 Stagger blonus onto the target for 1d10 rounds. You must give up at least half of the Dempsey Roll attacks for Broken Eight to work.
Unlimited Edge - draws out the latent capabilities of the boxer, allowing them to apply "spellcraft" scores to their damage output per strike (before criticals)
Alice Unplugged - allows the user to have the "Exchange Conversion" outside of Pugilism. That is, upon entering normal combat, you get to use the Exchange Conversion instead of your normal HP and EP.
NOTE: When acquiring new training levels, the Boxer has the choice of acquiring a new Sunday Punch instead of a Desperation, Ultimate, or Secret Art. Please verify with your GM if you wish to have this instead. Another thing to note is that as the Boxer trains, they are able to use Style Points to edit their attacks and Exchange Attributes. In this case they can improve their attributes by +1 per 40 Style Points invested.
FURTHER NOTE: Boxing is the only martial art where you can take the same Super, Special, or other move more than once, up to 3 times, improving it each time.
Training Level - Learned
1 - Sunday Punch, The Dance, or The Jab
10 - 1 Special
50 - 1 Special
100 - 1 Special, 1 Super
150 - 1 Special, 1 Super
200 - 1 Special, 1 Super, Desperation Art
300 - 1 Special, 1 Super
500 - 1 Special, 1 Super, 1 Ultimate Art
700 - 1 Special, 1 Super, 1 Ultimate Art
1000 - 1 Special, 1 Super, 1 Ultimate Art, 1 Secret Arts
1100 - 1 Special, 1 Super
1300 - 1 Special, 1 Super, 1 Ultimate Art
1500 - 1 Special, 1 Super
1900 - 1 Special, 1 Super, 1 Ultimate Art
2000 - 1 Special, 1 Super, 1 Secret Art
2100 - 1 Special, 1 Super
2300 - 1 Special, 1 Super
2500 - 1 Special, 1 Super
3000 - 1 Special, 1 Super, 1 Ultimate Art, 1 Desperation Art, 1 Secret Art