Streamlined Martial Arts (CP2020)

The existing martial arts rules in CP2020 (as outlined in the CP2020 main rules and in the “PacRim Sourcebook) are filled with contradictions, errors, and some strangeness. To avoid all of this unnecessary complexity, we will instead be using the following rules. All martial arts will have an “IP Cost Multiplier” of between x2 and x5. This makes them more difficult to master and improve than simple brawling. Using our House IP rule of 1 per 10, to go from Brawling +2 to +3, it would cost you 10 IP. But if you were studying something complex like Ninjitsu with an IP Cost Multiplier of x5, it would cost you 50 IP to go from Ninjitsu +2 to +3! Why would anyone bother studying such a complex martial art? There are extensive benefits to intensive training. Just as in the existing rules, there are numerous “key attacks”, things that each martial art does better than other martial arts. These are outlined below, but the normal rules for using most of them still apply.

• Strike/Cast – Attacks using “Melee” or “Fencing” weapons that are specifically part of the martial art (see below)

•  Punch – Any hand or arm strike

• Kick – Any leg strike

•  Disarm – Removing the opponent’s weapon from their grasp

• Sweep – Knocking an opponent of their feet

• Block/Parry – Intercepting an attack with a weapon or a limb

•  Dodge – Avoiding an attack entirely, requires room to move

• Grapple – Grabbing opponent as a setup for a hold or throw

• Throw – Tossing or knocking down your opponent

• Hold/Break – A submission lock or a limb crippling attack

• Choke/Crush – Attack aimed at the opponents

• Escape – Getting out of a grapple, hold, or choke

•  Ram – Slamming into an opponent at a run

To reflect this focus, each martial art has bonuses, ranging from +0 to +4 in each key attack. The higher the IP Cost Multiplier, the more bonuses are available for that martial art. When you select a martial art, you allocate the bonuses among the key attacks to reflect your particular vision of that art, or your PC’s path of learning.

• IP Cost Multiplier x1= +0 to divide among all key attacks

• IP Cost Multiplier x2 = +5 to divide among all key attacks

• IP Cost Multiplier x3 = +10 to divide among all key attacks

• IP Cost Multiplier x4 = +15 to divide among all key attacks

• IP Cost Multiplier x5 = +20 to divide among all key attacks 

Note that no matter what the martial art style is called, this may not reflect the rigor of the training. Tai Chi at the local mini-mall school may qualify as an IP x 2 if the teacher is a good one, while Tai Chi with the Blind masters of Wudan Mountain would be IP x 5.... both would be called Tai Chi.

The “Martial Arts Damage Bonus” is way too high if the whole skill is added as a bonus – we will use ½ the skill level, rounded up. Thus Martial Arts +3 or +4 gives a +2 to the damage roll. The bonus is only given to a key attack that is actually a part of the art – kicking for Tae Kwon Do, throws for Judo, etc. If someone attempts some action that is not a key attack for their style, they get no bonus on it. Thus, there is incentive to learn multiple styles. Bonuses do not stack and are non-cumulative – simply apply the best ones to the key attack.

Melee weapons are a special case, where we will diverge from the normal rules a bit. Each martial art gets a number of key weapons that are incorporated into the style equal to its IP Cost Multiplier for example, an x3 martial art could incorporate three weapons into its style. Key weapons benefit from both the Strike/Cast “to-hit” bonus (if any) and the Martial Art Damage Bonus (see below). The actual skill used with a weapon is still “Melee” or “Fencing”, but it gets the bonuses because it is integrated into the martial art.