ࡱ>  ~z   !"#$%&'()*+,-./0123456789:;<=>?@ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ[\]^_`abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz{|}~Root Entry F UL2yWordDocument CompObj^les themselves are secondary to EVERYTHING. When creating a character do not buy stuff just to make your character more powerful; the statistics are a numerical reflection of the conceptual character, the one that exists before the numbers come into play, and both need to be plausible for the game world and other parameters set by the game master. Sourcebooks There are currently two "official" sourcebooks for Thrash; Karyu Densetsu, and original campaign setting, and the Thrash Sourcebook, a collection of generic material. Planned future sourcebooks include adaptations of Street Fighter, Ranma , DarkStalkers, King of Fighters, and Samurai Shodown, plus Metal Rage (crossover rules for Mekton Z) and Road Thrash (a sourcebook on combat racing). Revision History 0.8 "Pre-Release Version": Basic rules and such, but no appendices. 1.0 This is the complete version, including the appendices not included in version 0.8, as well as a handful of other additions (armor rules, a character creation example, etc.). 1.2 Several corrections made, as well as many revisions to the basic system, based on feedback received. Ive tried to close up some of the loopholes in the system, and generally spruce it up a bit. 1.8 Incorporated a lot of the game material and such stuff from Karyu Densetsu and the Thrash Sourcebook, plus made some clarifications and rules changes. Created construction systems for styles and maneuvers, then revised existing styles to account for that, including creation of "Discipline Styles". Revised multiple styles rules considerably. Net Stuff The Official Thrash Home Page can be found at: http://www.blueneptune.com/~jcluney/ewen/thrash.htm and I can be e-mailed at blackbird@earthdome.com. Thanks I would like to thank the following people for support, encouragement, and informing me when I screwed up: Alan Weeks Chris Hoffmann Sir Fireball13 Mike Foulk The Immortal Frog God The Learning Lich Rob Pool Sir Sanjiyan And probably a few others I've managed to forget (gomen nasai!). Disclaimer Street Fighter, DarkStalkers, CyberBots, and all related characters are owned by Capcom Co., Ltd. King of Fighters, Fatal Fury, Art of Fighting, Samurai Shodown, and all related characters are owned by SNK. Ranma was created by Rumiko Takahashi. Other games and characters mentioned herein are likewise owned by their respective creators. This document is not in any way a challenge to that ownership. CHAPTER 2: THE MARTIAL ARTS "Once there was a man who tried to make his skill ultimate. Because of that, it was no wonder he was involved in the troubles." -- Samurai Shodown II This section gives general information on the martial arts as practiced in and out of fighting games, including general information on learning and practicing the martial arts, tournaments, and various other stuff of note. Realism and Lack Thereof Any serious examination of the occurrences in a fighting game will prove that there is no real form of logic operating. In fighting games everyone can take the same amount of damage, knows martial arts, has unlimited amounts of chi energy, can block any attack by holding up their fists, cannot actually be cut by weapons (though blood can fly out everywhere), and if they have an animal companion, that critter is indestructible and immortal. The point is, Thrash tries to find a midpoint between the insanely illogical and real life. The game is intended to be run with some degree of seriousness and while taking into account the normal laws of the universe, but also to integrate some small measure of its violations of common sense, mainly in that the characters can possess special maneuvers and powers very similar to those presented in the games, and the plots and situations, with certain conventions removed (like the part about using quarters to resurrect the character). For this purpose it would be advisable to think more in terms of anime than anything else; virtually all fighting games are made in Japan with anime/manga themes in mind, and they tend to act aܥe# Ш̥,l,l  Z(T*{ZTimes New Roman Symbol Arial@Calligraph421 BTCourier NewThrash Anime and Fighting Game Martial Arts RPG Version 1.8 by Ewen "Blackbird" Cluney CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION "Violent fighting to begin again..." -- King of Fighters 96 Capcoms Street Fighter II changed the face of video games forever by introducing the world to a new style of game, where two characters faced off in a one-on-one fight to the finish. This has since spawned countless other similar games, to the point that it has created an entire genre of video games, collectively known as Fighting Games. Thrash is a book-and-dice RPG that deals with anime and fighting game style martial arts. This main rulebook presents only general rules, info on real-world martial arts, and some general fighting game info, though additional sourcebooks will deal with an assortment of popular fighting game worlds. The Thrash system is heavily based on the now out-of-print Street Fighter Storytelling Game from White Wolf, as well as Mekton Z, and, to a lesser extent, Ninjas & Superspies. The martial arts and the whole system are designed to simulate both fighting games and anime and manga based on them, the result being a highly cinematic game with lots of nifty special moves, energy blasts galore, and so forth. Thrash is not intended to be a particularly complex or in-depth game. The object in roleplaying is to have fun, but in Thrash that may at times be the sole concern. Furthermore, the rules are designed to play relatively quickly, since the game is intended to simulate extremely fast-paced martial arts combat. To play Thrash you will need only this book, some pencils and papers, and some dice (10-sided and 6-sided). Thrash is public domain. It may be distributed freely provided that no fee is charged and this document remains unmodified. And if you really enjoy it, you might consider sending a donation to the author. ^_^ Before you ask, yes, I did take an awful lot of stuff directly from Warriors World (my SF:STG sourcebook) and paste it into Thrash (albeit with appropriate changes). Design Theory of Thrash One of the most important things to remember about Thrash is they way the system is designed to work. It functions in much the opposite of how other RPGs do. Rather than picking items from a list in the book to define your character, you create your character and their abilities in story terms, and then create that using the rules. This is especially true where a characters maneuvers are concerned. Chances are you wont have to make up a new maneuver to create the special move you want; its all a matter of combining maneuvers and modifiers, and occasionally combo maneuvers, to create what you want. The idea is to let the players create precisely what they want (you still have to worry about your point totals, mind you), rather than picking from what the game designers have seen fit to provide. This does, however, have an interesting result on character descriptions; truth be told, they tend to end up as a maneuver followed by a (long) list of modifiers (e.g., "Chi Blast (Flaming, Extended Range, Ground Blast, Moving Blast)"). Even so, once you look at the system in this way, it becomes very easy to define virtually any fighting game character, with comparatively little work. Thrash is not a game for muchkins! Admittedly, the rules are easy to abuse. For example, one GM told me of a player who wanted to create Athena Asamiya, and proceeded to make her a psychic and then selected some four different styles, thereby reducing the cost of all Focus maneuvers to 1 CP each! This is not only abusive of the system, but just plain stupid. Athenas only style is Wu Shu, for one thing (not to mention the fact that cost modifiers aren't cumulative). I cannot stress enough that the whole point of Thrash is the storytelling. The ruccordingly over all. The World The scope of a Thrash campaign depends on the particular game world it is taking place in. The generic fighting game-type setting (i.e., late 20th century, martial arts are somewhat more common than in real life, tournaments are a very big deal, etc.) will be the starting point for a lot of Thrash campaigns, and thus such game worlds will tend to be restricted to Earth, but will be rather international. How much this is so varies; Street Fighter features characters from all over the world, but a lot of other games concentrate more on ones from Asia. Goals "It has been a year since the incredible tournament took place. Those who fight to find their true selves, those who fight to preserve the future -- they have assembled to fight again, and so the next tournament begins." -- Battle Arena Toshinden 2 Real-life martial artists usually want to better themselves, and be able to defend themselves if need be. In anime and fighting games, however, most martial artists have other motives. Many want revenge for something or other, most often for killing a relative or friend (as is the case with Chun Li, Terry Bogard, Wolfgang Krauser, Shizumaru, Guile, and others), or some personal sleight, real or imagined (as with Genjuro and a significant portion of the cast of Ranma ), or in some cases they are continuing an ancient conflict that has raged between two (or more) families or clans (as with Kyo Kusanagi and Iori Yagami). Other sorts of goals vary a great deal; some fighters have grown greedy for the spoils of winning a tournament, others are merely carrying out the orders of whoever they work for (like Gen-An and Billy Cane). Some merely seek to prove the power of their style, their nation, their creed, or themselves, to the world (like E. Honda and Zangief), and a for a few, the fights themselves have become the only important thing, the quest for perfection coming before all else (as with Ryu). A few others include carrying on ones family traditions (Ranma and Akane, any ninja, etc.), to further their quest for spiritual attainment (like Dhalsim), and to get into an organization (Birdie). And, of course, theres always the number one motivation; cold, hard cash. Styles There are many different styles of martial arts. They are not only from Japan and China, but are a worldwide phenomena. It is true that Asia has more and more developed fighting styles than any other part of the world, but those of other parts of the world can hardly be ignored. All martial artists will be trained in one or more styles. Information on the individual styles can be found in the Styles section (strangely enough). In general, styles are classified as being external/hard or internal/soft. External styles, such as karate and kendo, concentrate more on the physical aspects; the object is to break the opponent. Internal styles deal more with the spirit and chi, and usually concentrate more on disabling the opponent peaceably. Obviously, not all styles can be fit into one of these two categories (Ninjutsu, for instance). Honor Honor is very important to most martial artists. The study of the martial arts is not simply learning to fight, but also encompasses some amount of spiritual and moral instruction. What honor means varies a great deal, depending upon who is asked. In broad terms, acting honorably means acting fairly and so forth. To some, it is a code that one follows always, even to the point of death. The Power of Chi It is called chi in China, ki in Japan, and prana in India. All these names describe a kind of energy that flows through all living things like water and burns in them like fire. While in real life some doubt its existence, in Thrash it is definitely a very real force, and one which should not be underestimated under any circumstances. The cultivation of chi (the name by which it is referred to for game purposes) is difficulty, and best served by the internal styles of the martial arts. In game terms, it is used to power most of the more mystical martial arts abilities; energy blasts, mystic sensitivity, and other such powers all draw upon a characters natural chi. Like yin and yang, chi is divided into positive and negative. Positive chi is the force of life, and negative chi is the force of un-life. All living creatures normally have positive chi, and if infused with negative chi they will become incapable of healing or fighting off diseases. Even so, it is said that some have learned to actually adapt to having negative chi within them, and can use this terrible power at will. The Earth is a living thing as well, and Chi flows through it in the form of lines of mystic energy known as Dragon Lines. Tournaments Nearly all fighting games are built around tournaments of some sort. In a tournament several different fighters compete, until finally one emerges the champion. How common such tournaments are in a game world is up to the GM. In all likelihood characters will participate in one to six tournaments per year. Teams: While most tournaments will rely on one-on-one fights, some will allow for team competition. Teams are usually of two or three people, since thats how team tournaments are usually structured. Matches are usually tag-team (whereby there are two team members, who can switch places by "tagging" their teammate), or single-round elimination (where a match continues until only one side has members left standing), and even a few which are simply all-out brawls, with all of the team members participating at once. Restrictions: Different tournaments have different requirements. This is especially true in the area of weapons. Firearms are, for the most part, NEVER allowed in tournaments, and melee weapons are frequently disallowed or at least frowned upon. Gambling: It is very common for tournaments to take bets on the outcome of fights -- this serves to draw even bigger crowds and make even more money. There are two drawbacks to it, however. In many countries it is illegal, so if the police should decide to crack down, those concerned could be in big trouble. It also serves to draw in less desirable elements; certain tournaments are often troubled by mob influences, and some fighters may be bribed or threatened into throwing a fight. Managers: If you are going to be a tournament fighter, it might be a good idea to have a manager. This is someone who handles the paperwork for you. They will arrange for entrance into tournaments, make sure youre getting paid enough, and other important stuff (and take a certain percentage of your winnings). Staff: Fighters who really make it big will usually have a small staff to handle things. What this entails varies a great deal, but common employees include: a bodyguard (to handle things diplomatically and without injury), accountant, chauffeur/pilot, publicist, trainer (to keep you in shape), instructors (in nearly anything you deem important), ring doctor, and who knows what else. Of course, youve got to be able to give these people a salary, and that means dealing with tax forms, social security... Fans: Being in the public eye as much as a tournament fighter is means that characters will often accumulate fans, especially when they become particularly famous. Fighters opinions of their fans vary a lot. Some all but ignore them, while others pay a great deal of attention to them. Regardless, fans can be very helpful. They are people who like the character a great deal, and if asked to do something, would likely agree, and might even consider it a privilege. Prizes: Most tournaments give some sort of award to the winner(s). In fighting games these arent usually all that important, but the prize of a tournament can easily be vastly important to the plot; an ancient mystical artifact, training in a particular style or special technique, a contract to sign up with a group. More exotic prizes could include not having the world overrun by demons (ala Mortal Kombat), immortality, or a single wish. Tournament Match Rules The particulars of a match vary between tournaments. For the purposes of Thrash there will generally be relatively few restrictions on what maneuvers the participants can use; as noted before, the only restriction commonly imposed is the prohibition of weapons. One important factor, though is determining just when a match ends. Generally speaking, a tournament match will end when one of the following happens: Many tournaments place a time limits on matches, usually 1-5 minutes, though in game terms this will normally be measured in turns -- from 20 to 60 turns. One of the fighters is knocked unconscious. One of the fighters surrenders. This is more common than you might think for a few reasons. Firstly, most fighters arent dumb enough to keep on going against someone whos just beat the stuffing out of them. Second, losing one match doesnt necessarily mean youre out of the tournament. Teams For roleplaying purposes, the PCs will most often form a team, which fights together. This may not always be the case (especially if they want to enter a tournament where competition is one-on-one), but outside of the ring they will likely stick together. Why a team comes together varies a great deal. Some are all students of the same teacher (or sometimes the teacher is a team member, fighting alongside their students), some are simply friends and/or relations (such as the Trio of Garou from King of Fighters), some are working together for business purposes (like the Villains team of KoF 96); whatever the motivation, it had best be strong enough to convince them to stay together for a while. Women and the Martial Arts "Im the strongest woman in the world!" -- Chun Li, Street Fighter II In fighting games and anime, female martial artists are generally common, but are still normally outnumbered by the guys by at least 4:1. The role they occupy is a curious one, a result of both Japanese culture as it applies to fiction and the conventions of the anime and fighting game genres. Generally speaking, female fighting game characters will be either Cute (Nakoruru, Rimururu, Sakura, Athena Asamiya, Yuri Sakazaki, etc.) or Sexy (Vice, Mature, etc.) or occasionally both (Felicia, Mai Shiranui). Naturally, the Cute ones are both more common and more dangerous. Such characters dont have to be scantily clad, but the designers (and for that matter, entirely too many players) seem to think its a big plus (Felicia, Mai, etc.). Retirement "Go home and be a family man!" -- Guile, Street Fighter II Sooner or later, a fighter will likely outgrow tournament fighting. When that happens, theyll usually decide to retire. What retirement means to a tournament fighter can vary a great deal. They might try to settle down (after all, you meet a lot of people traveling so much for tournaments; you might just meet that certain special someone...), or start a training school of their style, or just go back to normal life (in the second Fatal Fury OAV, we get to see Terry Bogard working at a construction site). Some retired fighters still want to be near the fights, and become managers of up-and-coming fighters, or hold tournaments of their own, or run arenas. Weird Powers Whether and to what degree strange powers show up depends on the game world in question (and thus the GM), but its Important to remember that this is fantasy, and just about anything can happen. Psychic powers, magic, cyborgs, elementals, and mutant animals all have a place. Of course, those buggers can get pretty damn powerful, so the GM should be careful about allowing them. Of course, this sort of thing makes being a fighter a much more interesting (and potentially dangerous). You never know just what strange abilities an opponent might be holding back, though some will be more apparent than others. See Appendix 1 for more details. CHAPTER 3: CHARACTER CREATION The first step in playing is to have a character. This section explains how to do that. The game mechanics of creating a character are pretty simple, but regardless you should always remember that a character is far more than simply a combination of numbers, but a sort of simulated person, who should have a distinct personality, set of goals, and history. Step 0: Concept Before you begin coming up with stats, its best to have some general idea of what your character is going to be like ahead of time. A concept doesnt have to be fancy or anything, just so long as it gives you a general direction in which to decide your characters abilities and such. Step 1: Attributes You are given 6d10+20 points to assign among the eight basic attributes. Attributes may not normally be below 1 or above 10. The eight attributes are as follows: Intelligence: This describes the characters overall reasoning ability, memory, perception, and so on. Focus: This is a measure of the characters overall mental control. The Focus attribute is critical for most of the more mystical martial arts abilities, and determines the damage of most purely chi-based attacks. Charisma: This describes how personable the character is overall; how well they relate to other people. Will: The Will attribute is a measure of the characters determination and force of will, and, amongst other things, is used to resist mental attacks. Strength: Strength describes the characters overall physical strength, and thus determines both how much damage they inflict with normal, physical attacks, and how much they can lift and carry. Agility: Agility determines how fast the character can move and how good their reflexes are. Stamina: Stamina is a measure of how long the character can carry out physical activities without being fatigued, and also determines how much damage they can take in combat. Appearance: Appearance is a general measure of how good-looking the character is. Unspent attribute points are doubled and added to the characters available Character Points (see below). Heroic Attributes (Optional) Thrash characters are intended to be powerful, but in some campaigns youll want them to be really powerful, mainly because the major villains are even more powerful. If this is the case, you, as the GM, may wish to invoke the Heroic Attributes rule; rather than the usual 6d10+20 points, you may give characters a set allotment of points to use, generally between 60 and 75, though occasionally higher. If the GM wishes to allow it, the maximum value for attributes can be raised from 10 to 12 as well. Secondary Stats The secondary stats are other statistics of varying importance, which are based on the characters attributes. Base Action Points: The number of Action Points a character has affects initiative and determines how many different things they can do in a single combat turn. Each maneuver counts as a certain number of Action Points, and when all the characters APs are used up for that turn they cannot act anymore. All characters begin with 8 APs, plus 1 per point in their various styles. Chi: A characters Chi stat is a measure of the power of their life force and spirit. Chi points are spent to make use of certain powerful maneuvers. A characters base Chi is determined as follows: (Focus x 2) + Will Health: Health is equal to Stamina x 4, and determines how much damage a character can take before being rendered unconscious. Dizzying Threshold: This is determined as Stamina + 8, and determines how much damage a character can take in a single turn before being briefly dazed. Rage Threshold: A characters Rage threshold determines how much punishment they can take before becoming "charged up" by it (sort of like the Rage Meters in many fighting games), and is determined as: Stamina + Will + Focus. You might be asking why it is that more powerful characters take longer to "charge up." Basically, the idea behind this is that a more powerful character has greater endurance and inner control, so that it takes them longer to get truly pissed off, but when they do - watch out! Basic Damage The damage for nearly all maneuvers is determined by taking the modifier listed below, as calculated from the appropriate stat, and applying it to the damage of the maneuver. Base Damage for Strength and Focus should be recorded on your character sheet. Level Base Damage 1 -3 2 -2 3 -1 4 +0 5 +1 6 +2 7 +3 8 +4 9 +5 10 +6 +1 damage per point above 10 Upper/Lower Body Strength (Optional) Generally speaking, characters are assumed to have roughly equal upper and lower body. Of course, this may not always be the case; some characters are exceptionally good at kicking (e.g., Chi Li), while others are far better at punching (e.g., ANY boxer character). To simulate this in game, you take your normal Strength attribute and "split" it. Next to the basic strength you write in parenthesis two numbers, the first being the upper body strength and the second being the lower. They begin equal to the normal Strength attribute, but either may be increased one point by lowering the other one point. They cannot be more than 4 points apart, however. Upper Body Strength is applied to all punches, most weapon strikes, and similar maneuvers. Lower Body Strength is applied to all kicks. ALL other maneuver types use the characters basic Strength attribute normally, since Athletics, Grappling, and other maneuvers make use of both upper and lower body muscles. For Example: The player is creating a kickboxer, who has a Strength of 7, but wants his character to be better at kicking than punching, so he puts the lower body strength two higher than the upper; under Strength on the character sheet it will read: 7 (5/9) Step 2: Character Points You are given character points equal to your characters Intelligence plus Agility, plus 40. Skills are bought at a cost of 1 point per level in that skill. Disciplines cost 2 points per level, Styles cost 4 points per level, and maneuvers cost CPs as noted in their descriptions. You may also select various Advantages (see below), which will cost additional CPs or Disadvantages, which give you more CPs. Unspent CPs are doubled and become the characters current pool of experience points. Spending CPs On Secondary Stats (Optional) The GM may allow players to increase various secondary stats "artificially" at character creation by spending extra character points. The GM may disallow or limit this as her or she sees fit. Stat Cost Maximum Increase Base APs 3 per +1 +4 Chi 1 per +2 +12 Health 1 per +2 +12 Dizzy Threshold 1 per +1 +6 Specializations and Concentrations (Optional) A specialization is a type of enhancement to a skill whereby the character is better at a particular area involving that skill. For instance, a character with the Swimming skill might specialize in distance, or speed, or whatever. To select a specialization you must have the particular skill at 5 or higher, and when rolling for something involving the skill in a manner for which the specialization is important, roll a d12 instead of a d10. A concentration is similar to a specialization, except that the character has studied their particular specialized area to the point of neglecting others, and thus they roll 2d6 for rolls that involve the concentration, and 1d6 for those that do not. Specializations and Concentrations may be applied to all Skills and Disciplines, but not to Styles or anything else. Unspecified CPs (Optional) With the GM's permission, the character may leave some CPs unspent, so that they can be used to buy additional stuff on the fly, things which the character "just happens" to know. The character may have any number of Unspecified CPs, up to half of their total available, but they must pay 1 CP for every 4 set aside in this manner. Step 3: Fill In The Rest The last step is to basically work out everything else about your character. This means you need to decide on their personality, background, appearance, and so on, name any important equipment/weapons they might carry around with them, and a quote from the character. Character Creation Example Obviously, you might have some difficulties with all this. The following is an example of how character creation should work, from step 0 to step 3. Step 0: So, I decide to make a character. I want a clich cutesy teenage girl Judoka type (hey, its anime!). Step 1: Rolling 6d10+20, I get 51 points for attributes. Divided between the eight attributes, thats roughly 6 points each on average, so, after fiddling with them for a while, Ive assigned them like this: Intelligence 5, Focus 7, Charisma 5, Will 7, Strength 4, Agility 8, Stamina 7, Appearance 8 Next is the Secondary Stats. Base APs well calculate later. Chi is (7x2)+7, or 21. Health is 7x4, 28, Dizzying Threshold is 7+8, 15, Rage Threshold is 7+7+7, 21, and basic damage is +0 for Strength and +3 for Focus. Step 2: Now, she gets 40+5+8 CPs, 53 in all. First I make a list of what I want her to have, and then give them all levels. Skills: Computer 3, Cooking 2, Language: English 4 (Japanese is her native language), Taunt 5 (13 points total) Disciplines: Blind Fighting 4 (8 points) Advantages & Disadvantages: Mentor 3 (3 points) Styles: Judo 4 (16 points, and now we know that her Base APs is 12; add +1 to Agility and thus get one extra CP) Maneuvers: We have 13 points left now (including the extra one from Judos Agility bonus). First off, she gets Body Flip, Breakfall, and Foot Sweep for free, in addition to the usual basic maneuvers. Since judo specializes in grappling (and gets such maneuvers with the CP cost reduced by 2 point), I go straight to the Grappling section, and pick Leaping Slam (3 points). Then I grab jump (practically a requirement for fighting game characters) and Tackle (1 point each). Next, since its anime, I buy a Chi Blast (6 points) but make it a Short Blast to cut down the cost (-2, making it 4 points total). Now theres only 4 CPs left to spend. Since I dont want to bother with disadvantages, I decide to create a Combo Maneuver. This will be a 3-part one (2 points base cost), where she body flips the opponent, shoves a chi blast into their chest, and then does a leaping slam to finish them off. And to make it even more effective, I add a Chi Charge modifier (+2 points), and now the statistical part is done. Now the important maneuvers need to be named. Her Chi Blast Ill call "Screaming Eagle Shot," her Leaping Slam "Soaring Hawk Cruncher," and the nifty combo maneuver will be "Great Talon Shredder." The tackle, body flip, and foot sweep are just that and neednt be given names. Step 3: Now comes the fun part. ^_^ Okay, her name is Tomiko Yamada. She is an 18-year-old judo fighter, originally from Kyoto, where she learned judo from her grandfather, despite his total inability to keep different quantities straight. Tomiko began entering tournaments only this year, after she was attacked by and defeated the infamous Pigeon Eddie, a ruthless criminal mastermind and practitioner of the Saiiko style of Karate, whose evil she now wishes to put an end to. Tomiko is friendly and outgoing, but never puts up with any injustice, to the point of occasional megalomania She is fairly short and rather cute, and has short green hair for no apparent reason. In combat she wears her judo gi, which is bright blue in color. Obviously this is a very silly character, and as such should only be used in a likewise comedic campaign. Recreating Characters Inevitably, you'll probably want to recreate an existing character from your favorite game or anime or whatever. Obviously, it's largely impossible to create any hard and fast rules for this sort of thing -- it's more an art than a science. So, how the hell do you go about it? ... That's not so easy to explain. Ultimately, you're creating an interpretation of a character, colored to some degree by how you perceive them. As such, it is advisable to collect as much information as possible; the less guesswork you have to do, the better. Of course, this may take a whole hell of a lot of digging, especially if you don't understand Japanese. Armed with a good understanding of the character, the tricky part, the statistics, begins. Games and anime don't generally bother to quantify the characters' capabilities per se, so even if you have every scrap of info ever written, you still have to do some guessing as to just how strong is strong (is Guile's strength higher, as high, or lower than Ken's?). Stats can usually be done without much trouble, and Styles tend to be fairly obvious, and if all else fails you can simply use the Generic Style, and Disciplines likewise are often obvious, at least as far as anime is concerned, though skills may take a bit more thought, simply in that when the character is running around battling villains and such, they don't spend much time doing things that involve too many of their skills. Maneuvers are one of the most critical things, though, especially for a fighting game character. You have to worry about not only the "special" moves, but the minor things; unusual punches and kicks, such as Ken and Ryu's Cyclone Kick (tap the joystick forward and do a medium kick), and throws. By and large, this whole process should probably be carried out without regard to point costs; most existing characters are considered to be pretty experienced in the first place, and as such will be more powerful than your typical starting character is intended to be. Even so, especially for a player character, the GM may wish to limit the player to the normal allotment of CPs -- this may necessitate assuming that the character is simply from earlier on in the series than what was seen before. Skill Descriptions Weapon Skills: A weapon skill enables the character to use weapons of the types covered by the skill, regardless of the characters style. A weapon skill provides a very basic knowledge of the use of that weapon, and if you want any special maneuvers to go with it, you cannot purchase maneuvers whose cost totals more CPs than the characters level in the weapon skill. Animal Training: This is the ability, through typical learning techniques, to teach an animal to perform simple tasks, such as training a horse to respond to commands from the reins, or getting a hawk to track and capture rodents for its owner. Assimilation: This skill enables the characterto study another culture, pick up important details, and appear as a member of said culture. Basic Repair: This is a very basic knowledge of mechanics, sufficient to fix a toaster or do basic automotive repairs. Blades: The character is skilled in using swords, knives, and other blade weapons. Blunt Weapons: Skill in using cudgels, maces, clubs, and similar weapons in combat. Chain Weapons: The character is skilled in using chain weapons; this includes flails and related weapons, as well as nunchaku, ordinary lengths of chain, and other such weapons. Computer: This is a general ability to handle computers. A low level in this skill (+1 to +3) indicates just computer usage skills, while higher levels in it mean that the character is capable of programming. Cooking: The character is versed in how to prepare meals well. Nearly anyone can cook, but this character has practiced at it, and probably has at least a small repartee of memorized recipes. Dance: Self-explanatory. Demolitions: Demolitions is an ability to prepare or disarm explosive devices of various types. Disguise: The ability to make oneself look like someone else. This requires makeup, clothes, and possibly some other items. This may be seen through (Intelligence roll), but is unlikely. Drive/Pilot: This is a general ability to pilot/drive various types of vehicles. Each different type of vehicle counts as a separate skills (i.e., Drive Autos, Pilot Airplanes, Pilot Boats, etc.). Engineering: This is an advanced knowledge of some area of engineering (electrical, mechanical, avionics, etc.). Escape: The character has the ability to free themselves from handcuffs, straitjackets, and similar items. This typically involves careful muscle control, and the often painful process of dislocating joints. Expert: The character is an expert in some area or other. The Expert skill can be used for a wide variety of skills, including hobbies, artistic skills (art, writing, playing a musical instrument, etc.), and even science (biology, chemistry, psychology, etc.). Feign Sleep: A character with this skill can convincingly appear to be asleep, and detect whether others are truly asleep (though others with this skill can fool them if their total is higher). Firearms: This is general skill with using guns. First Aid: Skill in administering simple medical help, such as bandaging wounds and performing CPR. Games: What seems like a mere game to some is often an expression of the meaning of life to others. Martial artists and eastern mystics are particularly notorious for this sort of thing, and will often be expert players of games such as go, shogi (Japanese chess), tiao qi (Chinese checkers), and xiang qi (Chinese chess). Such games, especially go, will be played for hours on end, in search of not a victory per se, but a perfect game. Groundfighting: This skill allows the character to fight while prone. A successful roll on the Groundfighting skill enables the character to use any reasonable maneuver (i.e., any ones that logically could be used while on the ground; GM discretion). Characters without this skill will receive a -4 penalty to all combat rolls, and anyone attempting to attack a groundfighter will likewise be at -3 to attack with maneuvers not designed for such opponents. Hojoujutsu: This is a series of techniques for binding/tying up others such that it is exceedingly difficult to escape. If hojoujutsu is used successfully, attempts to escape are at -6. Hold Breath: This skill allows the character to hold their breath for a number of minutes equal to half their Stamina, plus one minute per 3 levels of Hold Breath. Interrogation: The ability to question an unwilling subject, and in doing so get information out of them that couldn't be gained otherwise. This may include torture, either physical or mental, deception, playing "good cop/bad cop", and depriving of sleep or food. Intimidation: Techniques of intimidation range from subtle suggestions to outright physical threats; characters with this skill understand how to get what they want by being imperious. Intimidation can be used to attempt to "psych out" an opponent before a fight. To determine the rate of success, make a contested roll; 1d10 + Charisma + Intimidation Vs 1d10 + Will + Focus. If the intimidating character wins, the opponent is at -4 on initiative and loses half their APs for the first turn only. Language: This skill grants knowledge of a language other than your native one(s). All characters are considered to know their native language at a skill level of 3; this can be increased higher if so desired. Leadership: The ability to take control of a situation and convince others to follow you, though the GM should apply a penalty to attempts to lead others into danger, especially if the commander is not going himself. Lore: The character has a general knowledge of a particular area of mythology. Each area counts as a separate skill. Such myths may differ from the truth, but will still give the character some useful clues most of the time. Medicine: This is knowledge of how to heal others. What form this takes may vary, ranging from a Western-style medical degree, to a knowledge of holistic medicines, or anything in-between. When the Medicine skill is used successfully, half the level of the skill is added to the total Health restored per day. Mimicry: A difficult skill to be sure, this allows the character to convincingly imitate the voice of another person. The character can imitate any accent they've heard before, but imitating a specific person requires that the character study that person's voice, and make a skill roll. Regardless, the character cannot fool electronic detection. Missile Weapons: The character is skilled in using primitive projectile weapons, including bows, slings, crossbows, and so on. Musical Instrument: This is the ability to play a particular type or class of musical instrument. Each type counts as a separate skill. Philosophy: This skill grants knowledge of a particular philosophy, such as Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism, Shinto, Hindu, Maoism, etc. Each type of philosophy counts as a separate skill. Polearms: This is skill with using polearms, including halberds, naginata, and similar weapons. Seduction: This is the ability to seduce another person appropriate sexual orientation. Shield: Skill in using shields to parry blows. Sing: Self-explanatory. Staves: This is skill in using staff weapons in combat, including quarter staves, the bo and jo, escrima sticks, and similar weapons. Stealth: The ability to move quietly, unnoticed, by moving with appropriate balance and footing, slowly to avoid detection. The character is not invisible, but unless an observer actually sees the character, detection is highly unlikely. Streetwise: A general knowledge of the various gangs, dealers, and other criminals that may be found in an area familiar to the character, as well as being able to avoid conflicts. Survival: This is the ability to survive in a wilderness area. The character knows how to find food and water, avoid hazards, build shelters, and so on. Make one skill roll per day spent trying to survive; failure means the character has made some kind of mistake (in general, this can be condensed to saying that the character has managed to take 1d6 damage in all by some means or another). Swimming: This is the ability to move while in water, keep from drowning, and so forth. Swimming characters effectively use their Strength as Agility for the purpose of determining how far they can move in a turn. Taunt: This is the ability to make fun of your opponent, by variously jeering at them, making weird faces, or whatever suits your fancy. A successful taunt roll will take off Rage points from the person it is directed at as per the Base Damage table using their Charisma. Taunting takes up at least 10 APs. Thrown Weapons: Skill in using thrown weapons, including shuriken, darts, and even rocks. Whip: Skill in wielding a whip or similar weapon (blackjack, cat-'o-nine-tails, etc.) in combat. Disciplines Disciplines are a somewhat unusual category of abilities, falling somewhere in-between skills and special powers. Disciplines grant abilities that are beyond what is common, but not beyond what normal humans are capable of. Armor Fighting A character with discipline is practiced in fighting while wearing armor, such that they do not feel its encumbrance as other characters do. For every level of Armor Fighting, reduce the encumbrance penalty for any armor the character wears by 1 point, to a minimum of 1. Arts of Invisibility "And from him I learned the art of Ninja, the art of invisibility." -- Splinter, TMNT the Movie The Arts of Invisibility, originally based on the techniques of puppeteers in Kabuki theater, were developed by the Ninja in order to carry out their clandestine activities. Practicing the Arts of Invisibility requires a mix of ingenuity and mental control that few are capable of. 1. Move Silently: This is effectively the same as the Stealth skill, and uses the level of Arts of Invisibility for such. 2. Hiding: The character learns how to become one with their environment, thereby hiding, motionless, with almost no chance of being noticed by the naked eye. The character is generally considered to automatically succeed, though when under close observation they must make a roll to maintain the illusion. 3. Evasion: This ability lets the character hide behind someone, following their every movement so that they perpetually remain in that persons blind spot. Again, this works automatically unless the other person is attempting to find them. 4. Escape: This is effectively the same as the Escape skill, and uses the level of Arts of Invisibility for such. 5. Disguise: This is effectively the same as the Disguise skill, and uses the level of Arts of Invisibility for such. 6. Vanish: This ability allows the character to appear to vanish; in truth they create a distraction of some sort, and then quickly move out of sight. Obviously, this requires somewhere to disappear to, as well as a successful roll, the difficulty depending on who theyre dealing with, the lighting, and the accessibility of hiding places. 7. Mystic Invisibility: This mystical power allows the character to cloud the minds of observers, such that they simply do no perceive him, even if it was activated while they were looking right at him. This costs 4 Chi and 8 APs to activate, but additional chi must be expended any time they move - 1 Chi per 10 APs they expend. 8. Mystic Disguise: A more complex illusion, this power causes others to perceive the user as being someone (or something) else. So long as it is maintained the illusion is convincing to most any visual inspection, though it will not work at all for physical purposes. Maintaining the illusion costs 2 Chi per minute, and a roll is required to produce a convincing illusion. Blind Fighting This discipline teaches the character how to use all of their other senses to fight when blinded. Any time the character cannot see and attempts to fight, they may make a Blind Fighting roll to negate the usual penalties for blindness (-5 to all rolls, APs are halved) as they pertain to fighting for the duration of the turn, though they will be at -2 APs. Body Hardening Martial artists will do all sorts of things to make themselves, stronger and tougher, and a lot of them are pretty painful. Body Hardening refers to any number of exercises which make the body resistant to damage. This can include standing under waterfalls, chopping wood, taking blows from other students, and other fun things. For every level of Body Hardening, add +3 to the total of all Soak Rolls (see the rules section for more details). Feng Shui Feng Shui, or Geomancy, is an understanding of how the power of Chi flows through the Earth. A character with this discipline can recognize how the flow of the Dragon Lines will be affected by different factors, especially architecture, for which bad designs can often create a hurtful flow of chi. Iaido Considered a style in and of itself, Iaido is the Japanese art of sword-drawing. The original combat form, Iaijutsu, was based around the idea of striking down an opponent with a single, lightning-quick blow. It enables them to draw the sword and strike in one smooth, fluid motion, with lightning speed. When a character uses Iaido as the first attack of a fight, add +2 to Initiative per level of Iaido. The Iaido strike uses 5 APs total, and adds +1 to damage per level of Iaido. Iron Fist Through arduous training and body hardening exercises, the warrior's hands are made as hard as steel. Normal punches see their damage increased by +1 per 3 levels of Iron Fist, and the character can execute a Power Punch, as follows: Accuracy: -1 Action Points: 9 Chi Cost: None Damage: 1d6+3 Move: None Iron Will The discipline of Iron Will essentially serves to build mental fortitude, providing a defense against any attack that affects the characters psyche. For any such attack, the character may add the level of Iron Will to their total for attempting to resist it. Kung-Sool This is the Korean art of archery, long favored over bladed weapons for the mounted and unmounted warriors of Korea. In game terms this is effectively the same as Kyudo (see below). Kyudo Kyudo, "the Way of the Bow," is a form of archery derived from Zen philosophy. The object is not to hit the target, so much as to position bow, mind, and body in perfect harmony. Those skilled in Kyudo perform astonishingly well with bow and arrow, gaining the following benefits. The level of Kyudo may be used for archery (except with crossbows). Practicing archery effectively counts as Meditation at the level of the Kyudo discipline. The character can fire arrows while unable to see, using the level of Kyudo in place of the Blind Fighting discipline, or it is added to Blind Fighting if they already have it. By spending 2 Chi the character can increase the Damage and Accuracy of a shot by +1 (to a maximum of half their Focus). Meditation Meditation is a technique whereby the body is kept motionless and the mind stays in a clear, calm, restful state. Although by no means a substitute for sleep, meditation is very relaxing, and further allows for more rapid restoration of spent Chi points. A character may spend up to 30 minutes meditating per level of the Meditation Discipline. For each 30 minutes make a roll on 1d10 + Focus + Meditation against a difficulty of 18; for every point that the total exceeds 18, the character regains one Chi point. Negative Chi The Discipline Negative Chi is perhaps one of the most dangerous and destructive to learn, for it requires that the character rely on Negative Chi, the opposite of life itself for power. To learn this Discipline a character must have the Negative Chi disadvantage (likewise they cannot learn Positive Chi if this is the case). 1. Sense Chi: The character is granted a natural awareness of the forces of chi around them, and this can sense the type and approximate quantity of chi in anyone within line of sight. 2. Dragon Chi: This power enables the character to draw Chi from the Dragon Lines. To do this they must stand on a line (they are quite common) and concentrate, drawing 1-3 Chi points per turn (depending on the strength of the line; GM discretion), which is used to restore their current Chi total. 3. Hardened Chi: The power of "Hardened Chi", or Shi Jin enables the character to focus their chi into hard lines of force, thus boosting the damage of attacks. Thus, the character can increase the damage of a direct physical attack by +1 for each point of Chi spent, though every +2 to damage also increases the AP cost by +1. It can also be used to defend, adding +2 to the characters soak roll for each Chi point spent. 4. Soft Chi: Soft Chi, Chao Jin, enables the character to shape their chi into arc of force, but of a soft sort, such that it can be used to parry blows and use flips and other less direct attacks on opponents. By spending 2 Chi, the character can reduce the AP cost of the basic parry maneuver to ONE AP, and boost its accuracy by +3 for a turn. Also, they can boost the accuracy of Grappling maneuvers (except directly damaging ones such as Slam) by +1 per 1 Chi spent, to a maximum of the characters Focus. 5. Control Body Weight: This effectively grants the character the equivalent of the Reduce Weight Maneuver, except that it costs 3 Chi per turn. 6. Body Chi: This power enables the character to focus their chi directly into their physical abilities, temporarily boosting their physical attributes (Strength, Stamina, Agility). This costs 1 Chi per +1 increase per turn. 7. Negative Empty Chi: This power allows the character to hurl their chi as a disembodied force. This is effectively equivalent to the Kongjin maneuver, except that it costs 6 Chi per use. This attack does no damage to those with Negative Chi. Positive Chi While Chi can be used to harm, it can just as easily be used to heal. Those skilled in the use of positive Chi know how to use its powers for health and defense. 1. Sense Chi: Same as the Negative Chi ability. 2. Chi Healing: By channeling their chi, the character is able to heal others. They can restore up to 2 health per Chi point spent. 3. Dragon Chi: Same as the Negative Chi ability. 4. Soft Chi: Same as the Negative Chi ability. 5. Hardened Chi: Same as the Negative Chi ability. 6. Control Body Weight: This effectively grants the character the equivalent of the Reduce Weight Maneuver, except that it costs 3 Chi per turn. 7. Body Chi: This power enables the character to focus their chi directly into their physical abilities, temporarily boosting their physical attributes (Strength, Stamina, Agility). This costs 1 Chi per +1 increase per turn. 8. Radiate Chi: This power allows the character to convert their chi into light that emanates from their body. This can come out of their eyes or even their entire body. To simply create illumination costs 1 Chi per turn, but the character can also create a much stronger light, covering a radius equal to their Focus x 2 in feet, in which Negative Chi effects simply do not work! This costs 8 Chi per turn it is maintained. Vital Points The art of touching vital points, known as atemi or kyusho in Japan, tien-hsueh in China, kuepso in Korea, huyet in Vietnam, and raihasia in India. Whatever you call it and however you use it, it is the ability to touch different points on the body to trigger nerves and thus cause the body to react in different ways. Those skilled in the art of vital points can be very powerful, able to kill or heal with a touch. Defending against vital point strikes is possible, but can be difficult. The trick is to cover ones vital points if possible (though that requires at least a passing knowledge of Vital Points in the first place), or preventing the attacker from hitting the point they wish to; this usually lets one avoid the effects of an attack, but occasionally results in a different vital point being struck, which may have better or worse results. Because it is so powerful, Vital Points counts as a Style in terms of cost. Needless to say, this knowledge is extremely rare, and GMs should be hesitant at best to allow PCs to learn it, especially given how powerful it can make them. Below is a list of the various vital points abilities. A character who possesses the Vital Points Discipline is considered to have all of the abilities numbered up to their level of Vital Points. Characters may not have Vital Points at a level higher than their Focus-2. 1. Healing: The first thing anyone who learns the vital points is taught is how to heal. By making a successful Vital Points roll, they can undo the effects of the Vital Point attacks of Pain, Paralysis, Deafness, and Blindness with but a touch. When caring for someone who is injured, they will increase the rate of healing by 1d6 Health per day. 2. Advanced Healing: The characters healing abilities are now improved to the point that they can undo any vital points attack, and when caring for someone increase the rate of healing by 1d10 Health per day instead of 1d6. 3. Pain: With a touch the character can strike a vital point that will cause victims excruciating pain, resulting in a -3 penalty on all die rolls, and a reduction of -3 points to the characters available APs for the next 1d6+(Vital Points level) turns. 4. Partial Paralysis: The character is capable of paralyzing one of an opponents limbs with a touch. If a given limb is successfully paralyzed, the character loses the use of that limb for the next 2d6 minutes, and this incurs a penalty of -3 to all rolls, and -5 to Move if it is a leg. 5. Finger Snap: By performing a special sort of "finger snap," the attacker can disrupt an opponents inner ear, thus causing them to lose all sense of balance, and thus be at -7 to all rolls, and incapable of kicking for 3d6 minutes. Performing a Finger Snap attack requires that the attacker be in the same hex as the opponent, and make an attack roll (1d10 + Agility + Vital Points). 6. Blindness: By making a precise strike just below the victims eyes, the attacker can render them completely blind for 1d6 hours. attempts to make such a strike are made at -5 on the roll. A successful roll with impact or breakfall will reduce the duration to 4d6 turns. 7. Fully Paralysis: By making three successful partial paralysis strikes, the character can completely paralyze an opponent for 2d6 minutes, rendering them helpless. 8. Blood Flow: By carefully striking at veins, the character can deliver a painful attack whose effects are virtually impossible to resist. This must be used with a narrow-impact hand strike, such as a Fingertip Attack or Knuckle Fist, and inflicts an additional +3 damage, which cannot be soaked. 9. Dislocation: Dislocation gives the character a knowledge of damaging bone-locking techniques which have been outlawed from most styles. Using this requires that a Joint Lock be initiated. If it is successful and dislocation is used, the attacker can choose to inflict normal rather than stun damage with the Joint Lock. 10. Chi Disruption: This powerful technique allows the character to completely disrupt the capacity to control chi in another person. If this strike is delivered successfully, the victim cannot use any maneuvers which require chi. If they are able to roll with impact or breakfall, they will merely lose 2d6+3 Chi points. Using this attack requires that the attacker determine where the opponents chi center is (as it varies from person to person), and thus must observe them for ten minutes (or 1d6 rounds if they are making use of their chi in some way). 11. Amnesia: True masters of the art of vital points can cause amnesia in others by careful application of pressure to different points on the head. This ability cannot be used in combat, since it normally requires at least a minute or so to perform, without interruption. It can be used in three ways; victims can be made to forget an event a few minutes ago (in which case the memory erasure is complete and permanent), to make a victim forget their normal morals (in which case it lasts 1d6 days), or to erase a persons entire identity (in which case it will last only a few hours, unless the attacker spends ALL of their Chi, in which case it will last 1d6 days). 12. Puppet Dance: This rather eerie technique allows the character to grasp another person by the neck and, by applying pressure, animate them like a puppet. Using Puppet Dance requires that the attacker grab the back of the victims neck (make an attack roll), and then spend two turns to get a feel for the different pressure points that must be used; during this time the victim can attempt to pull away, but after that, they cannot. Once the attacker has control of his victim, he can make them carry out most any normal activities, though those which require rolls are made at -8. Also, while using this power, the character cannot use any maneuvers which require chi or any other forms of vital point attacks. Further, the distraction of working their "puppet" means that their APs are halved and they are -4 on all combat rolls. Weapon Art A Weapon Art is a discipline that allows the character to specialize in the use of a particular type of weapon, excelling at its use. When they are using that weapon, the following modifiers apply: The characters Base APs are increased by +1 per level of Weapon Art. The level of Weapon Arts is used as the weapon skill. The damage inflicted with the weapon is increased by +1 per 3 levels of Weapon Art. Possessing a Weapon Art enables you to select appropriate weapon maneuvers for that weapon, with the cost reduced by 1 point (to a minimum of 1) -- this is not cumulative with any other Cost Modifiers. Weapon Improvisation A lot of things make a Jackie Chan movie cool. One of them is the way he can use nearly anything as a weapon. In First Strike it was a 12-foot-tall aluminum ladder, and in Rumble In the Bronx his antics included making use of a refrigerator. Now your characters can take a hand at this sort of thing, though not usually on that kind of scale. To learn Weapon Improvisation requires that the character have Weapons Mastery at at least +2. In general, Weapon Improvisation lets the character use any random object as a weapon to some degree. When the character grabs something to use as a weapon, they must spend 2 APs and make a roll on 1d10 + Intelligence + Weapon Improvisation to Attempt to figure out how to use it. The difficulty should depend on the type of object; a stapler, broom or a rolling pin is easy. A VCR, ladder, or refrigerator is very hard (even if you can choreograph it in advance 8) Once the character does that, they can use it as a weapon. Of course, many improvised weapons will have big penalties, but the actual modifiers are left up to the GMs discretion. Weapons Mastery Weapons mastery is a discipline that grants the character the ability to use virtually any melee weapon imaginable just by picking it up. In game terms, the level of Weapons Mastery may be used as the skill level for any melee weapon. However, the cost of Weapons Mastery is 3 points per level during character creation. Advantages & Disadvantages An Advantage is some special ability or benefit of some kind, while a Disadvantage is a shortcoming or detriment of some sort. Advantages cost you character points, while Disadvantages give you more points to spend. Advantages Acute Senses (1/level): The character is exceptionally observant. For every level of Acute Senses, add +1 to rolls relating to perception. Alertness (1/level): The character is naturally alert and tends to react quickly. For the first turn of combat when there is a surprise attack, add the level of Alertness to the character's initiative total. Allies (4 each): The character has one or more friends or associates who will support them if need be. Allies will not always be available, but can usually be counted on in times of need. Allies can take on nearly any form imaginable. Ambidextrous (4): The character is able to use both hands equally well, and thus does not suffer a penalty for using their off hand (usually -4 to the roll). Animal Companion (2/level): An animal companion is an animal with which the character has an empathic rapport. The level of the Animal companion background determines how deep the rapport is, and thus how well they can command their "pet." Such companions are very rare in fighting games an anime, the only really notable exception being Nakoruru and Galford from Samurai Shodown. See Appendix 2 for more details on animal companions. Area Specialization (3): The character is particularly adept at a certain class of maneuvers (Athletics, Evasion, Focus, Grappling, Kick, Weapons, etc.; characters may not specialize in Super Attacks). As such, increase the accuracy of all such maneuver by +1, and reduce their AP cost by 1 point. Artifact (2/level): An Artifact is a magical item of some sort, most often (though not necessarily) an enchanted weapon. Artifacts are measured in terms of their level, usually from 1-5, which describes how powerful they are and thus how much they cost. Appendix 2 includes a selection of artifacts, but the GM should feel free to create new ones as needed. Attuned (4): The character naturally attuned to the spiritual nature of things. By making a Focus roll, they can estimate the Chi of an opponent (requires one turn/1 AP of concentration). Also, by spending 2 Chi points, you can open yourself up to the forces around you, thus sensing the general levels of Chi and other energy forms in the immediate area for the next few hours. Aura of Power (3): The character radiates a sense of incredible power. Those who face them that are less powerful (GM discretion) will be overcome by a sense that the character is stronger and can crush them (even if that isn't really the case). The Aura of Power adds +4 to any intimidation rolls, and incurs a -2 penalty to all rolls for any opponent less powerful than you. Calm (1/level): The character is nearly always calm and serene. As such, any time the character would gain Rage points, roll 1d10 + Calm, reducing the amount of Rage gained by that amount, to a minimum of 1 point. Naturally, this makes it very rare for the character to reach their Rage Threshold, and thus they will have a hard time doing Super Attacks. Instead, they can attempt to use the Super Attack through their mental control -- this requires a roll on 1d10 + Focus + Calm, against a difficulty of 20 or more. Costume (2): The relatively minor advantage serves no real purpose other than to look cool. In essence, it grants the character the power to stay in their chosen fighting (or whatever) costume. When they are wearing it, stuff that would burn, cut, or otherwise damage it may be ignored if so desired. Further, if the character is not wearing their costume, they can do the "instant costume change" trick used by many anime characters, whereby the character tears off whatever theyre wearing, by grabbing the fabric at the shoulder and pulling so that the clothing being removed flies in front of the camera, obscuring them from view for a brief moment, after which they are back in costume and ready to kick some ass. For that matter, if the character is really pissed off (see Kim in Fatal Fury the Motion Picture), they can just cause the fabric to tear/melt away by sheer force of will. Depending on the campaign, the GM may wish to simply declare that this applies to ALL characters and be done with it. Desperation (6): Its said that when death is staring in your face you tend to move beyond the realm of what is normally possible. And just wait until this happens when the Epic Battle Rules have been invoked A character with this advantage can and will do so; any time they have 1-6 Health remaining, they receive the following modifiers: They are considered to always be able to attempt to use super maneuvers, regardless of Rage. They may spend any number of Chi points to increase the damage of a maneuver by +1 per point spent. They may perform a "berserker attack" version of any non-focus attacking maneuver, which is at +2 to Damage and Move and -2 to AP cost, by spending 2 Chi points, but they will be completely unable to defend themselves the following turn. Double-Jointed (2): The character is unusually flexible, reducing the difficulty of escape and climbing rolls by one fourth. Exceptional Attribute (2/level): Normally characters cannot have their basic attributes above 10; for every level of Exceptional Attribute purchased, the character may have one attribute one point higher than 10, to a maximum of 15. Exceptional Attribute does NOT actually give you points to raise the attribute (you must reassign them appropriately), but merely facilitates it being that high. Fame (2): You are well-known and even liked by other fighters and the public. Add +4 to all social rolls when dealing with other martial artists. Fury (1/level): Fury means that the character is constantly seething with rage and hatred. In game terms this also means that they always have some Rage. They are considered to always have Rage equal to the level of their Fury. Inverse Rage (3): While most people gain Rage points by having the tar beaten out of them, a character with this advantage gains Rage by doing the same to others. The total damage rolled on any blow the character lands before blocking and whatnot is added to their current Rage. They do not, however, gain rage from being hit. Light Feet (6): The character is naturally very light on their feet, and thus is able to move faster, jump higher, and generally move around quickly. Examples of characters with this ability include Vega (Balrog in Japan) and Rolento, both of Street Fighter fame. All characters with Light Feet receive a bonus of +1 to the Move of all maneuvers they possess (assuming the character can move while using that maneuver in the first place). Manager (1/level): The character has a manager, who handles the business end of their career (i.e., arranges fights, transportation, schedules, etc.). The level of the Manager Advantage determines how well-connected the character is. Mental Link (2): This advantage grants a telepathic link between two (or occasionally more) characters, usually ones who are twins, and nearly always by psychic characters. Mental Link must be paid for once by each person involved. Characters with a mental link can communicate telepathically over any distance, though the messages sent become more and more indistinct when they are get further away. Mentor (1/level): The character still has contact with their teacher or another mentor. The reputation of ones mentor can have an effect on how they see the character. The level of the Mentor Advantage determines the Mentors overall skill level and renown. Mute (-5): The character is unable to speak. They must communicate by writing, sign language, or gestures. Nightvision (2): The character can naturally see about 40 feet at night. In total darkness, however, he is as blind as anyone else. Resources (2/level): Resources determines how well-off the character is financially, as follows: Level 1: $10,000 Level 2: $30,000 Level 3: $50,000 Level 4: $100,000 Level 5: $500,000 Level 6: $1,000,000 Level 7: $5,000,000 Level 8: $10,000,000 Self-Taught (2): Beyond the basics, the character taught themselves most everything they know about the martial arts. This has both advantages and drawbacks; the character will not be quite as skilled as someone with formal training, but will be much more flexible overall. Spontaneous Moves (4): In anime, the acquisition of new maneuvers is not accomplished by months of practice. Rather, it sort of happens suddenly. Out of nowhere, they think of a new way to do something, or they see someone else do it and imitate. Even if its a chi blast or something else. To use this ability, the character must make a roll on 1d10 + Intelligence + Style; if successful, they can learn a maneuver, be it observed, thought of, or whatever, instantly, though they must still spend experience for it. Disadvantages Amnesia (-2): The character remembers nothing about his or her past, or anything about themselves or their family. However, their past may some day come back to haunt you. Anachronism (-2): For whatever reason, the character is ill at ease with the modern world. They may have been raised in a monastery or some other odd place. Regardless, the character tends to dress and act strangely by most peoples standards, sometimes drawing unwanted attention. Area Difficulty (-3): The character has trouble with one category of maneuvers (this cannot include Supers). For all maneuvers in this category, the character is at -2 Accuracy, -2 Damage, and all such maneuvers cost an additional 0.1 APs. Blind (-8): The character is blind, lacking any sense of sight. As such, they must rely on their other senses for doing anything. Attempting activities for which sight is usually required will have penalties ranging from -3 or so, to being completely impossible. Curse (Varies): There character has had some kind of curse placed on them. The details of this and its cost are left to the GM, and the effects can range from a minor inconvenience to instant death when certain conditions are met. Certain types of curses can be considered a Transformation instead (see Weird Powers for more details). Deaf (-6): The character is unable to hear at all. They must communicate by writing, gestures, or sign language. The character receives a -4 penalty to combat rolls. Delusion (-1,-2,-4): The character firmly believes in something that simply isn't true. (-1) Something minor, which doesn't usually keep you from functioning normally, (-2) Something relatively major that can cause major problems sometimes, (-4) Something major, which may prevent them from functioning in normal society. Infamy (-2): For whatever reason, you have a bad reputation amongst other fighters as well as the public at large. Apply a -4 penalty to social rolls when dealing with other martial artists. Negative Chi (-2): Somehow, the character has negative Chi, yet you live on and heal normally. This is not outwardly obvious to others most of the time, unless their Focus is 8 or higher, in which case their physical appearance is affected by it, becoming more sinister and demonic. Energy and flame attacks you perform are typically black or purple in color. Regardless, the Negative Chi's biggest effect is on the mind and soul. The more powerful the character becomes, the more warped each becomes, and the more power they will desire. Mundane concerns, especially those relating to others quickly become unimportant, and they start to lose touch with humanity. Reduce the dice pool for all social rolls by half (rounded down) of the characters Focus, except for intimidation, for which it is added. No Kick Training (-3): The character simply does not know how to kick properly; they never learned how for some reason or another. This Disadvantage is only appropriate for characters whose styles do not rely too much on kicks. Thus, it would be reasonable for a character who knows Brawling, Wrestling, or Boxing, but should be disallowed completely (and not wanted in the first place) for Wu Shu, Karate, and especially kickboxing. In game terms, the character does not have the normal basic kick maneuvers. If you do have to kick, you do so somewhat awkwardly, and the statistics of the maneuver are as follows: Prerequisites: None Character points: Free Accuracy: -2 Action Points: 1 Chi Cost: None Damage: -3 Move: None If you want to learn the normal kick maneuvers later, they cost one CP each. Phobia (-1): The character has an overwhelming fear of something, from which they will illogically retreat and avoid. There are numerous types of phobias, though among the more common are insects, crowds, open spaces, certain types of animals, closed spaces, etc. Going near the object of the characters fear requires a roll on 1d10 + Will. Pacifism (-1, -2, -4): The character considers violence immoral. Consequently, they (-1) may fight, but will not kill, (-2) will fight for self-defense only, or (-4) will not commit any acts of violence for any reason. Paranoia (-4): The character is paranoid, constantly worried that everyone is out to get them. Of course, in some campaign worlds this is justified, but regardless, being unwilling to fully trust anyone can cause some problems. Power Self (-2): This are and often terrible disadvantage means that the character (who must be a Psychic or Elemental) has an alternate personality which has near total command over their power, but little or no compassion or humanity (or vocabulary, for that matter), acting as a force of nature rather than a person. The Power Self may be brought out under any number of conditions, though usually only when the character is under great stress (the old "Incredible Hulk Syndrome"), and at times simply when they reach their Rage Threshold. Psychics see the level of their Psychic advantage double and the chi costs of all maneuvers and psychic disciplines halved (round up). Elementals will perpetually have Elemental Form and are considered to have Fury 4. The Power Self will usually only stay active for as long as the danger/object of anger/whatever that brought it out passes. The character will normally have no memory of what happens, or if they do it will be only bits and pieces. CHAPTER 4: STYLES "The way of Koukugenryu Karate is invincible! Real tough!" -- Takuma Sakazaki, King of Fighters 95 The Thrash system is designed to encompass nearly any style of fighting. The following are descriptions of a some 23 real-life martial arts. They vary a great deal in sophistication and accessibility, some limited to only a few locations in the globe, but in many cases teachers of these styles can be found all over the place. For fighting game/anime purposes, the most common styles are probably karate, ninjutsu, muay thai, and kung fu, in that order, but practitioners of nearly any style can be found from time to time. Learning Multiple Styles In the Thrash system, characters can learn as many styles as they have points for (though styles cost 4 character points per level). A character can use maneuvers that move from one style to the next freely, though the accuracy is always determined by the level of the style that it is considered to fall under. Another option is to combine two styles into a single, general fighting ability, called a Hybrid Style. This is similar to a normal style, but it costs 8 CPs for level one, and 5 CPs per additional level. A Hybrid Style provides the Basic Maneuvers of both original styles, though additional maneuvers are purchased at whichever modified cost is lowest -- cost modifiers may NOT be combined. Style Descriptions Discipline Style: A style with "(Discipline Style)" next to its name means that it counts as a Discipline with regards to cost -- only 2 CPs per level at character creation -- but only increases the character's Base APs by +1 for every 2 levels. Availability: This is a description of how readily and where training in the style is available. Prerequisites: Certain styles have requirements to be met, usually in the form of skills of some sort, attributes above a certain level, etc.; if any such prerequisites are listed, your character must meet them in order to learn the style. Bonuses: Styles may provide bonuses of some sort to attributes or skills; these should be added to the characters total for those stats. Attribute bonuses from styles ignore the normal maximums for attribute levels. Basic Maneuvers: These are maneuvers which are automatically gained when the character learns this style. Cost Modifiers: This section determines what additional maneuvers are available and if their cost will be different from the basic cost given in the Maneuvers section. Quote: A quote from a practitioner of the style that sort of sums it all up. Aikido Partly derived from the earlier Aikijutsu style, Aikido was created by Morihei Ueshiba in 1942, in an attempt to create a more disciplined, philosophical approach to self-defense. It is a defensive martial art based around using the opponents motions against them, concentrating more on disabling than harming opponents. Offensive strikes are not absent from Aikido; they are sometimes necessary to provoke an opponent to attack, thus resulting in something to counteract, and some schools of Aikido train (to varying degrees) with melee weapons, most often the jo, bokken, and tanto (a knife), in order to deal with armed attackers, as well as to further improve the students understanding of Aikidos movement, distancing, and timing. Availability: Aikido schools can be found in most major cities throughout the world, though the best training can only be had in Japan. Prerequisites: None Bonuses: +1 to Agility, +5 to base Chi Basic Maneuvers: Body Flip, Joint Lock Cost Modifiers: Reduce the cost of all Focus and Grappling maneuvers by 1 point (to a minimum of 2). Increase the cost of all Kicks and Punches, except for Knife Hand and all foot sweeps by 1 point. Breakfall costs only 1 point. Quote: "Anchor yourself, and do not allow yourself to be moved. That is the essence of Aikido." Arnis/Escrima/Kali These are three closely related styles that are all stick-fighting arts from the Philippines. Although they provide some training with knives and basic unarmed techniques, they primarily rely on a pair 30" wooden sticks. The primary forms within these styles are muton (one two sticks), solo baston (one stick), and espalda y daga (a stick and a knife). Kali stylists use knives more than practitioners of Arnis or Escrima, though there are dozens, even hundreds of substyles within these three. A practitioner is known as an estocador or bastonero. The statistics for this style can also be used for Jojutsu, the Japanese art of fighting with the jo, or short staff. Availability: These styles are usually only found in large cities, though in the Philippines they are very common. Prerequisites: None Bonuses: +1 to Agility Basic Maneuvers: Double Strike, Riposte Cost Modifiers: Reduce the cost of all Weapons maneuvers by 2 points (to a minimum of 1). May not select any Punch maneuvers (except for Head Butt). Quote: "I use two sticks; you might avoid one attack, but not both." Bojutsu (Discipline Style) Bojutsu is the Japanese art of staff-fighting, using the rokushakubo, or bo, a six-foot-long wooden staff. The bo is a deceptively simple weapon, and can be lethal in the hands of a skilled user. Further, it has a greater reach than most weapons, including swords. The stats for Bojutsu may also be used to describe the English Quarterstaff Fighting style, or any number of other staff-fighting styles throughout the world. The level of Bojutsu may be used as a skill for using any type of staff. Availability: Bojutsu schools can only be found in Japan. Prerequisites: None Bonuses: +1 to Agility Basic Maneuvers: Staff Sweep Cost Modifiers: Reduce the cost of all Weapons maneuvers by 1 point. May not select any Punch maneuvers (except for Head Butt). Quote: "I dont have to get close to hit you." Boxing (Discipline Style) Boxing is a style of fighting that relies solely on punching, and various forms of boxing were practiced by many different civilizations. The form of boxing that is widely practiced today, a multimillion dollar sport, is said to have begun some 700 years ago when St. Bernard taught it to young men to keep them from fighting with knives. Matches were fought bare-fisted and illegally, until in 1865, when the Marquis of Queensberry created a formalized set of rules for boxing that made it a safer, more "merciful" sport. Availability: Although it is not taught in the manner of other fighting arts, finding a gym or somewhere similar to learn boxing is exceedingly easy. Prerequisites: Strength 6 Bonuses: +2 to Strength Basic Maneuvers: Head Butt, Uppercut Cost Modifiers: Reduce the cost of Block maneuvers by 1 point (to a minimum of 1). May not select Kick or Weapons maneuvers. Quote: "Dont give me any of that fancy crap. I hit em, they go down. Simple." Brawling (Discipline Style) Brawling is not so much a martial art as a practiced skill in kicking ass. Brawlers are rarely a match for real martial artists, but a handful (like Birdie in SFA2) insist on trying anyway. Availability: If you live on the streets, you can learn to brawl. Prerequisites: None Bonuses: None Basic Maneuvers: None Cost Modifiers: May not select any non-Grappling maneuvers that cost more than 2 CPs, and may not learn any Focus maneuvers other than Focus Rage. Quote: "If you think I cant fight, you got another thing coming." Capoeria Capoeria is an unusual martial art that originated in Brazil. It was created by slaves brought to Brazil from Africa, who created it in a manner parallel to karate, using whatever was available to them for defense, including sugar cane knives and 3/4 staffs. As slaves, they had to disguise their study of the art, and did so by making dance central to its principles, making it a highly acrobatic, rhythmic form. It was also designed to allow them to fight while their hands were chained, and thus relies heavily on kicks and little on maneuvers which require the use of the hands. Capoeria is normally practiced almost as a stylized dance, carried out in a circle known as a roda, to the tune of various percussion and other instruments. Availability: Capoeria is virtually unheard of outside its native Brazil, though there are a few schools scattered here and there throughout the world. Prerequisites: Agility 6 Bonuses: +1 to Agility Basic Maneuvers: Foot Sweep, Spinning Thrust Kick Cost Modifiers: Reduce the cost of all Kick and Athletics maneuvers by 1 point, may not select Punch maneuvers (except for Head Butt). Quote: "Lets dance a little..." Generic Style If you can't figure out how to represent a particular style or can't decide on what the character should practice (maybe they just use a hodgepodge of "martial arts stuff"), this "style" lets you create such. Availability: Special Prerequisites: GM Permission Bonuses: Add +1 to any one attribute of your choice, or +5 to your Chi points. Basic Maneuvers: Select one or more maneuvers with a total cost of up to 7 CPs. Maneuver Modifiers: None Quote: "What style do I practice? Well... er... uh... " Hwarang-Do One of the most complex of the martial arts, Hwarang-Do is a Korean style created some 2,000 years ago. It originated with a Buddhist monk named Won Kwang Bopsa, who developed the style that ultimately became Hwarang-Do. A master of Hwarang-Do prefers to take time to evaluate his opponent before attacking, and tends to counter incoming attacks more than initiating his own. The response to an attack will usually be in some way opposite; linear attacks such a punches and kicks will be countered by circular responses such a parries or throws. Hwarang-Do makes considerable use of weapon techniques, and also is reputed to grant a number of supernatural abilities. Availability: Finding a Hwarang-Do school is difficult in the U.S., and the easiest way to find such a school is to go to Korea; in South Korea there are a number of monasteries where it is taught, and in North Korea the Communist government has converted two monasteries into martial arts schools, often used to train agents for other Communist countries. Prerequisites: None Bonuses: +1 to Will Basic Maneuvers: Crescent Kick, Foot Sweep, Wheel Kick Cost Modifiers: Reduce the cost of all Kick maneuver by 1 point and increase the cost of all Punch maneuver by 1 point. Quote: "The ability to fight is a gift to be used for self-defense. You must never fight to create violence." Jeet Kune Do Jeet Kune Do, "the way of the intercepting fist," is the martial art created by the legendary Bruce Lee. He assembled JKD after studying countless other styles, cataloguing the various techniques and ways in which the human body could be used in combat, and synthesizing them into a simple, versatile fighting style with no patterns or preconceived notions. Availability: Since Lees death, JKD has become an extremely popular and widely taught style, and instructors of the style can be found in nearly any city. Prerequisites: None Bonuses: Add +1 to Agility, Strength, or Stamina (choose one) Basic Maneuvers: Select any punch or kick maneuvers totaling up to 7 CPs in cost. Cost Modifiers: None Quote: "Hey, whatever works." Jujutsu/Judo Jujutsu is a Japanese fighting style based on fighting techniques that go back more than 1,200 years, though the term "Jujutsu" (also spelled "Jiujitsu") was not used until the 1600s, a time when Japanese martial arts as a whole were moving away from weaponed styles to weaponless ones, which were collectively called Jujutsu. Jujutsu is primarily a grappling art, the various strikes and weapon techniques having been removed some time ago. Practitioners can make use of leverage, weight, and momentum to throw opponents three times their weight. More popular is the modern sporting form of Jujutsu, called Judo, which is a little bit simplified. Judo is commonly taught for self-defense purposes, and also distinguished as being the only martial art to be included in the Olympics. Availability: Jujutsu and Judo can be found in schools all over the world. Prerequisites: None Bonuses: +1 to Agility and Stamina Basic Maneuvers: Body Flip, Breakfall, Foot Sweep Cost Modifiers: Reduce the cost of all Grappling maneuver by 2 points (to a minimum of 1), may not select any Punch maneuvers (except for Disarm and Ear Pop), or any Kick maneuvers (except for Iron Broom). Quote: "The harder you attack, the harder you will fall down. You must bend and become stronger for the flexibility it affords." Kalaripayit Kalaripayit, "battlefield practices," is a style from southern India, based on a form of boxing used by the Brahman caste which dates back to the 6th century AD Kalaripayit stylists train in four levels of fighting; verumkai (unarmed), kolthari (stick-fighting), angarthi (other weapons), and marumadi (knowledge of vital points). Master of Kalaripayit are known as gurus, who are skilled in the Ayurvedic healing system of India. Availability: Kalaripayit is not taught outside India, where practitioners train under gurus whose training compounds also serve as "hospitals" for the practice of the healing arts. Prerequisites: Medicine at 2 or higher, at least one level in Vital Points. Bonuses: +1 to Will and Focus, +5 base Chi Basic Maneuvers: Body Flip, Breakfall Cost Modifiers: Reduce the cost of all Focus maneuvers by 1 point. Quote: "Fight only for self-defense; whenever possible, heal rather than hurt." Karate Karate-do, or "the way of the empty hand," is a martial art that originated in Okinawa, and has since spread all over Japan. It is believed to have been started when Kung Fu was mixed with the Okinawan style known as "te," meaning "hand," which, at the time, was a very rough fighting style similar to Western boxing. There are countless different substyles of karate, largely divided into the categories of being Japanese or Okinawan, the difference being that Okinawan styles tend to concentrate more on rigorous physical training, while Japanese styles have longer, more stylistic movements. Most Okinawan forms of karate also train to some degree in kobudo, the "ancient martial ways." This is essentially training in a variety of melee weapons, including the bo, sai, nunchaku, rope/chain, kama, and tonfa, and occasionally others. Availability: Dojos for various styles of karate can be found all over the world. It has become one of the most widespread martial arts in existence. Prerequisites: None Bonuses: +1 to Strength Basic Maneuvers: Knife Hand, Roll With Impact Cost Modifiers: Reduce the cost of all punch or kick maneuvers (choose one) by 1 point. Quote: "A fight shouldnt be about money, or even winning or losing. Its about giving all you have and improving yourself through combat." Kenjutsu Kenjutsu, the art of the sword, is the swordfighting style of the Samurai, which uses various types of Japanese swords, including the katana, wakizashi, and no-dachi. Begun in the fifth century AD, Kenjutsu was a very popular style among Japanese warriors, and in present times has been converted into the sport of kendo. Kenjutsu is divided into many styles, but all place little emphasis on blocking, as the valuable katanas would be damaged by it. Instead, warriors are taught to strike first. The styles vary in terms of their preference for speed or power, choice of weapons (though the Nito style, which uses the combination of a katana and wakizashi is probably the best known). Very closely related to Kenjutsu is a more advanced Japanese swordfighting art known as Zanji Shinjinken-Ryu. It is a killing art, even more so than Kenjutsu, and it trains the warrior to carefully evaluate an opponent and react to their actions instantly. Training in this style is generally much more rigorous. Even being accepted by a teacher of the art usually requires months of rejection, repeatedly asking for instruction and being turned away. Once accepted the instruction is a constant, one-on-one ordeal, with constant discipline and physical punishment. The student is made to change everything about themselves; the way they stand, think, move, even the most minute habits of everyday life. The level of Kenjutsu may be used for the use of any sword weapon. Availability: Kenjutsu is taught all over Japan, and occasionally in some hard-to-find schools in major cities in other parts of the world. Zanji Shinjinken-Ryu, on the other hand, requires seeking out a master of the art, which nearly always requires going to Japan. Prerequisites: None Bonuses: +1 to Agility, +2 to Will Basic Maneuvers: Fleche, Foot Sweep, Power Block Cost Modifiers: May not select any Punch Maneuvers (except Knife Hand) or Kick maneuvers. Reduce the cost of all Focus and Weapons maneuvers by 1 point. Quote: "The value of swordfighting cannot be seen within the confines of swordfighting technique." (Miyamoto Musashi) Kempo Kempo is an unusual art which dates back hundreds of years. It is believed to have originally been based on a form of Kung Fu known as Chuan Fa ("fist method"), which at that time integrated portions of both the original Chuan Fa style and the art of Shih Pa Lo Han Sho, the original series of exercises that became the basis of Kung Fu, which has been lost until then. Chuan Fa ultimately came to Okinawa, Ryukyu, and Japan, supposedly from a wandering Chinese monk who taught the style to other monks all across Japan. The Chuan Fa style was also brought to Japan by many others over the next few centuries. In the 17th century Kempo came to the island of Kyushu in Japan, and was modified over the years to reach its current form, which mixes techniques from different styles of Kung Fu and Jujutsu, though it also shows similarities to Tae Kwon Do, Karate, Aikido/Aikijutsu, Ninjutsu. Availability: Kempo is taught to varying degrees all over the world, though it is most common in Japan. Prerequisites: None Bonuses: +1 to Strength, +1 to Agility Basic Maneuvers: Knife Hand, Roll With Impact Cost Modifiers: Reduce the cost of all punch or kick maneuvers (choose one) by 1 point. Quote: "The road to perfection is always paved with difficulties. If you have the strength to overcome them, then you will be a true warrior." Kung Fu Kung Fu ("skill and effort") is an ancient martial art that originated in China. It is said that a Buddhist monk named Bohdihama traveled from Tibet to China, and came upon the Shaolin monastery. The monks there sought spiritual enlightenment, but while doing so neglected their bodies, and thus were weak and frail. The Tibetan monk taught them a series of exercises for health, that were ultimately developed into the Shaolin Kung Fu style, which is regarded as the first. No other style has more sub-styles than Kung Fu, however. There are estimated to be over 1,500 of them, though many are closely guarded secrets, known only on mainland China. Kung Fu includes both internal and external styles, though it is common for students to study two or more such styles. Because of the tremendous variety of kung fu styles, a character who selects this style is assumed to have studied a number of such styles to some degree; see the Thrash Sourcebook for information on specific styles of Kung Fu.. Availability: Various styles of Kung Fu are taught in schools all over the world, and is up there with Karate in terms of being widespread. Prerequisites: None Bonuses: +1 to Strength, +1 to Will Basic Maneuvers: Crescent Kick, Knife Hand Cost Modifiers: Reduce the cost of all Focus maneuvers by 1 point. Quote: "Just because you have found peace with yourself doesnt mean youve found peace with others." Muay Thai Muay Thai, also known as Thai Kickboxing, is the national sport of Thailand, and one of the most brutal martial arts in the world, dedicated entirely to combat. Training is as intense as the application of the style, and all aspects of it are mixed to some degree with ritual and superstition. Every fight is begun with a ritual dance, known as the Ram Muay, which can tell a great deal about a fighter. Practically every boy in Thailand dreams of being a champion kickboxer, and there are some tournaments for women as well, though these are a relatively recent development, resulting from them finally overcoming superstitions regarding women bringing bad luck to matches. Availability: Muay Thai is, for the most part, taught primarily in Thailand; outside its native country it is very rare. Prerequisites: Strength 6, Stamina 7, Agility 8 Bonuses: Basic Maneuvers: Crescent Kick, Drop Kick, Elbow Strike Cost Modifiers: Reduce the cost of all Kick maneuvers by 2 points (to a minimum of 2). Quote: "You must train hard, fight hard, and honor your school with victory!" Ninjutsu Ninjutsu, the "art of perseverance," is derived from traditional fighting techniques that originated in the Iga area of Japan. The style is a combination of the Taijutsu fighting techniques and the stealth and disguise abilities of Ninjutsu. The art of Ninjutsu was most widely used during Japans feudal era, from 1200 to 1600 AD, when they were employed by samurai to spy on and assassinate their enemies. Legends also attribute the ninja with mystical abilities, using complex hand signs to mesmerize opponents, and other applications of chi power. Whether this is true is a source of controversy, but for roleplaying purposes these legends will be assumed to be quite true. The ninja are warriors of the night, who use a powerful arsenal of tricks, gadgets, and techniques. They are taught to finish a fight as quickly as possible, by whatever means are necessary. Killing the opponent is unimportant unless absolutely necessary. Not everyone who learns ninjutsu is a ninja, but those who are not will not be able to learn all of the secrets of the art. To become a ninja is to become a member of a ninja clan, and thus become part of a secret society. There are many different ninja clans, thought the Mie and Omi (the modern-day incarnations of the ancient Iga and Koga, respectively). There are believed to have been more than 70 different "ninjutsu ryu," though the majority have since died out. Availability: To learn the physical aspects of ninjutsu is comparatively easy, though most such instructors can only be found in Japan. To learn the "true" Ninjutsu, with the mystical aspects included, requires that one be accepted by a ninja clan, Prerequisites: Agility 6, Focus 6 Bonuses: +1 to Charisma, +1 to Agility Basic Maneuvers: Foot Sweep, Knife Hand Cost Modifiers: Reduce the cost of all Athletics and Focus maneuvers by 1 point. Quote: "The ninja do not fail." Pentjak-Silat The national defense style of Indonesia, Pentjak-Silat (literally, "self defense by fencing/fending off" or "to fight by regulated, skillful body movements in various combinations") is believed to have originated in the Sumatran Minangkabau kingdom and proliferated during the Srivijaja kingdom (seventh to fourteenth centuries). Legend attributes it to a peasant woman who observed a tiger and a large bird fighting for several hours; at the end of the day her husband came and, enraged, tried to strike her, but she easily evaded his attacks, using the methods of the animals she'd seen. She then taught it to her husband and the art began to spread (currently there are over 150 recorded sub-styles). Scholars, however, believe that there is some Chinese influence to be seen in Pentjak-Silat. Pentjak-Silat is considered a pusaka, a holy ancestral inheritance, and as such many of the masters of the art are descended from the original Minangkbau practitioners. The style uses a wide array of melee weapons as well as a number of unarmed techniques, though the overall focus varies a great deal between sub-styles. Students learn basic combat methods, followed by etiquette, then rahasia, or vital points, then weapons. The final stage of the art is to pursue kebatinan, or spiritual training (essentially chi powers). The stats for Pentjak-Silat can also be used for Bersilat, a Malaysian art believed to have been heavily influenced by Pentjak-Silat. Bersilat is composed of two parts; pulut, dance-like movements used for public displays, and buah, a highly pragmatic combat form used only in secret. It can also be used to represent Kun-Tao, a somewhat generic form which, though not directly connected to silat (taking much influence from Chinese styles), shows certain similarities. Even today, it is taught in the most stringent secrecy, and is most popular in Java, Sumatra, the Celebes, Borneo, Singapore, and many parts of Malaysia Availability: Pentjak-Silat is very rare outside of Indonesia. Prerequisites: None Bonuses: +1 to Agility, +1 to Focus Basic Maneuvers: Elbow Strike, Knee Strike, Musical Focus Maneuver Modifiers: Reduce the cost of all Weapons and Focus maneuvers by 1 point, to a minimum of 1. Grappling maneuvers are not available. Quote: "Know yourself, know your weapons, and know your opponent. Then you will not fail." Kris The Kris is a double-edged, wavy-bladed knife/short sword, and probably the best-known weapon of Indonesia. The blade, with its serpentine curves (which are always of an odd number, 3 to 29), makes a larger wound and is better able to go between bones. There are numerous mystical beliefs attached to the Kris, most notable is the fact that most will have some cracks in them, which are said to bestow magical powers. A pande, the smith who forges Kris, held an honored position in Indonesian society. Hands: 1 Accuracy: +1 AP Modifier: +0 Damage: +3 Move: +0 True Kris For the purposes of roleplaying, we'll assume that most of the kris one will encounter are mundane, but the legends refer to the "true" ones, forged by master smiths and imbued with mystical powers (i.e., Artifacts). The exact abilities of each True Kris vary, but any enchanted weapon ability, as well as any of the following special ones can be applied. Animated Fighting (3): This enchantment allows the Kris to be made to become animated, fighting seemingly by itself. When this is activated (at a cost of 5 Chi), the Kris will fight anyone (other than its owner) who comes near it with a skill of 8. Danger Sense (2): When sheathed, the Kris will rattle in times of eminent danger, as per the Danger Sense maneuver. Footprint Death (4): This enchantment allows the wielder to stab the Kris into someone's footprints, and magically attack the person in doing so. Make a normal damage roll; the victim takes half that much damage (normal Soak roll). Costs 6 Chi. Shadow Death (3): This is effectively the same as Footprint Death, but is performed by stabbing the victim's shadow. Costs 5 Chi. Tuju -- Distance Death (5): One of the most feared powers of the Kris, Tuju is the ability to inflict wounds simply by pointing at a victim. This power is effectively the same as Kongjin, in that it allows the wielder to perform a maneuver and have it affect someone at a distance (one hex per point of Focus), and like a Kongjin strike, Tuju cannot be parried. Costs 6 Chi, and the maneuver is at +1 Accuracy, but costs 2 additional APs. Water Spray (3): To use this enchantment, the wielder rubs the flat of the blade with his thumb and index finger. After one turn, there will be a dribble of water, and after two turns, it will become a stream like a garden hose, and after four turns, it becomes almost like a fire hose (hitting someone does 1d6 damage). This costs 4 Chi per turn. Savate Savate (also known as la boxe Franciase) is the French art of kickboxing. It is said to have been developed from the fighting techniques of French mariners (who are rumored to have picked up some techniques from Eastern ports) in the 1600s. Savate is based primarily around kicking, though it also includes some punching techniques derived from conventional boxing and fencing. A practitioner of Savate is known as a savateur, and such people are ranked by means of a colored band on the wrist of the gloves (the colors, from lowest to highest, are: purple, blue, green, red, yellow, bronze, silver and gold). A schools of Savate are known as a salle, though the best are located in Marseilles and Paris. Availability: Savate is practiced primarily by people of French descent, though others may learn it -- the difficult part is finding a salle. Prerequisites: Agility 6 Bonuses: +1 to Agility Basic Maneuvers: Displacement, Spinning Thrust Kick Cost Modifiers: Reduce the cost of all Athletics and Kick maneuvers by 1 point. Quote: "If it were just boxing, you might have a chance. But its far more." Special Forces Special Forces groups were first implemented after World War II. Elite military squads, they were and still are taught an advanced form of the basic commando hand to hand training, a fairly powerful and very pragmatic style of combat. For fighting game purposes, most of the various military-type characters will know this style; examples include Guile and Cammy of Street Fighter, Ralph, Clark, Heidern, and Leona of King of Fighters, and others. Availability: Characters must have had advanced military training to select this style. Prerequisites: The character must have been part of a military organization of some sort, and must have the Firearms skill at at least level 2. Bonuses: +1 to Agility, +1 to Strength Basic Maneuvers: Body Flip, Foot Sweep, Pin Cost Modifiers: Reduce the cost of Disabling and Killing maneuvers by 2 points (to a minimum of 1), reduce the cost of Grappling maneuvers by 1 point (to a minimum of 1), and increase the cost of all Acrobatics, Focus, and Super maneuvers by 1 point. Quote: "And while you were a little kid, taking karate classes, I was busting my ass for Uncle Sam!" Sumo Sumo wrestling is the single oldest form of combat from Japan, and is still very popular among the Japanese people. The sumotori who practice this style are often treated like kings, and the grand champion, the yokozuna, as a god. To practice sumo, one must build up both overall weight and muscle as much as possible, such that the average sumotori will weigh at least 250 pounds, often over 300. Sumo wrestling is highly ritualized and requires as much discipline of the mind as the body. Even so, it is relatively simple in its actual combat methods, but can be remarkably effective. In a sumo match the object is to push the opponent out of the ring, though without these rules in place, a sumotori will simply flatten the opponent. The basic stats for Sumo can also be used for Kumi-Uchi, a variant of sumo created for use on the battlefield. Kumi-Uchi allows a warrior to grapple with armored an unarmored opponents with equal ease, and was usually practiced while wearing lightweight armor. Availability: Sumo schools can be found throughout Japan, but apart from these and the three in Hawaii, they are virtually unknown throughout the rest of the world. Prerequisites: Focus 5, Strength 4 Bonuses: +1 to Focus, +1 to Stamina Basic Maneuvers: Palm Strike, Tackle Maneuver Modifiers: Reduce the cost of Athletics and Grappling maneuvers by 1 point (to a minimum of 1). Quote: "You think Sumo isnt a real fighting style? Well, step into the ring, and Ill show you what a fat Japanese guy can do!" Swordfighting The sword has been the weapon of the bravest warriors all over the world for centuries. Characters who practice the Swordfighting style are skilled in one or more such styles. This covers fencing, knightly swordfighting, Florentine fighting (rapier and dagger), and any number of other styles. Japanese swordfighting is a separate style (see Kenjutsu, above). Availability: Of the various styles of Western swordfighting only Fencing is formally taught, and then as a sport -- though it certainly can still be used in combat; it is practiced by people in all walks of life. Other swordfighting styles are a little harder to come by, except among the growing subculture of medieval enthusiasts and live-action role-players, who make use of swords (preferably wooden or padded) in their activities. Prerequisites: Blades at +3 or higher Bonuses: +1 to Strength Basic Maneuvers: Fleche, Riposte Cost Modifiers: Reduce the cost of all appropriate Weapon maneuvers by 1 point. May not select and punch maneuvers (except for Disarm and Head Butt). Quote: "The blade is a means to victory. You must choose the right one, and know it as yourself." Tae Kwon Do Tae Kwon Do, "the way of kicking and punching," is a Korean style that dates back to the seventh century AD, which was constantly refined until it was forced underground by the Japanese invasion of Korea in the early 1900s. Since W.W.II is has spread across the world. Like most of the Korean fighting arts Tae Kwon Do favors kicks over punches. Depending on the teacher, it can be a simple sport or a deadly combat art. A place where Tae Kwon Do is taught is known as a dojang, and the uniform of a Tae Kwon Do stylist, similar to a karate gi, is called a dobok. Availability: Tae Kwon Do schools can be found all over the world. Prerequisites: None Bonuses: +1 to Stamina, +1 to Agility Basic Maneuvers: Drop Kick, Foot Sweep, Knife Hand Cost Modifiers: Reduce the cost of all kick maneuvers by 1 point. May not select Weapons maneuvers. Quote: "Punches may seem more direct, but kicks are more powerful, and, with the proper training, faster." Tai Chi Chuan Derived from Taoist philosophies, Tai Chi Chuan ("Supreme Ultimate Fist") is one of the greatest pacifist martial arts. It is very common all over the world in its basic form as a means of exercise, but further training, over the course of many years, allows it to be used as a form of self-defense which exemplifies the Taoist ideal of "effortless motion;" a Tai Chi master in combat seems to act almost in slow motion, yet anticipates every attack of the opponent and responds gently, thus defeating the opponent with ease. He acts in harmony with the Tao and understands the use of opposites, countering a hard attack with a soft defense and vice versa. Availability: Tai Chi is taught all over the world as an exercise form, but to learn it to the point that it is useful in combat requires finding a highly skilled teacher. Prerequisites: None Bonuses: +5 to base Chi, +1 to Will Basic Maneuvers: Backhand, Chi Push Cost Modifiers: May not select any Kick maneuvers (except for Crescent Kick, Foot Sweep, Iron Broom, Slide Kick), or Punch Maneuvers (except for Backhand and Monkey Grab Punch), or any Weapons maneuvers. Reduce the cost of all Focus maneuvers by 2 points and all Evasion maneuvers by 1 point. Quote: "To be come strong, one must first become weak. To become tall, one must become short. To become rigid, one must bend. That is the way of the Tao." Wrestling (Discipline Style) Wrestling is perhaps one of the oldest fighting styles known, easily going back more than 15,000 years. It was and still is practiced all over the world, known to countless different cultures. Wrestlers rely on speed, coordination, strength, and leverage to grapple with opponents. Basic wrestling is commonly taught as a sport in amateur clubs, high schools, and the local YMCA. Other styles of wrestling, especially the more formalized ones such as Japanese Sumo and Russian SAMBO are a bit harder to come by, and require far more of the student. Availability: Common wrestling styles can be learned nearly anywhere by nearly anyone. More intensive ones, like Sumo and SAMBO require that one go to the styles native country and find and instructor. Prerequisites: None Bonuses: +1 to Strength Basic Maneuvers: Bear Hug, Roll With Impact Cost Modifiers: Reduce the cost of all Grappling maneuvers by 1 point. May not select any Kick or Weapons maneuvers. Quote: "Yeah, yer mom! I was captain of the wrestling team in high school! Lets see what youve got!" Wu Shu Partly derived from Kung Fu, Wu Shu ("military art") was created during the period between 2,000 and 771 BC, ultimately forming a complete martial art. During the Warring States period (770 to 221 BC), the leaders advocated Wu Shu in their armies, and hoarded masters of this art. Over time, Wu Shu was further refined, ultimately reaching its present-day form. In communist China, Wu Shu is the official national martial art, and is practiced by millions of people, including virtually all Chinese espionage agents. Today, it is a highly structured style of kung fu, which emphasizes continual motion and highly acrobatic movements, and attacks are by far emphasized over defensive maneuvers. Students will spend time mastering bare-handed and melee weapon fighting techniques, and will also receive some amount of political indoctrination. Availability: Wu Shu can be found nearly anywhere in China, but is very rare elsewhere. Prerequisites: Agility 6 Bonuses: +1 to Agility, +1 to Base APs Basic Maneuvers: Axe Kick, Crescent Kick, Knife Hand Cost Modifiers: Reduce the cost of all Athletics, Evasion, and Kick maneuvers by 1 point, to a minimum of 1. Increase the cost of Focus and Punch maneuvers by 1 point. Quote: "I do not seek merely to fight; I seek to find perfection in fighting technique." Creating New Styles For campaign Purposes It may often be necessary to create one or more new fighting styles to make a game fit together. This is especially true where villains are concerned. In fighting games the villains nearly always have one of two types of styles. Either a very deadly form known to very few, often created by them (e.g., Shan Tsungs style, Bison/Vegas Ler Drit style, Krausers House Strolheim style), or a reversed, "dark side" version of the style used by one or more of the heroes (like Akuma/Goukis version of Shotokan Karate). The latter is a bit easier to create in that you basically need to just beef up the original style a little and make up some really nasty new maneuvers. And of course, if youre going to be doing a silly campaign, then anything goes (so to speak); martial arts based around the preparing of food or ice skating or other equally ludicrous combinations, or Dark Catch-As-Catch-Can, Llap Goch (the secret Welsh art of self-defense), and so forth. But lets avoid a Jackie Chan does Monty Python for now For guidelines for the creation of new styles, refer to Appendix 3. CHAPTER 5: MANEUVERS "Youll have to defeat my Dragon Punch to stand a chance!" -- Ryu, Street Fighter II In Thrash, the term "maneuvers" is a fairly inclusive one. It covers not only a characters "special moves," but all of their various throws, punches and kicks, and so forth. They make the character more powerful in combat, and, for the purposes of this genre, are simply vital for cinematic purposes. As was aforementioned, Thrash takes an unusual approach to the selection and creation of special abilities; as the player, you need to try to think about what you want, and then let the rules describe it. Thus, its not so much a matter of "choosing" special moves as "designing" them. It will occasionally prove necessary to create a new maneuver or modifier, but with the existing maneuvers and modifiers, as well as combo maneuvers, super attack combos, mega-attacks, and super normals, the possibilities are nearly limitless. Purchasing Maneuvers All maneuvers will cost your character CPs. The base cost of a maneuver is listed in its description. Styles, Weird Powers, and the like can reduce the cost of various maneuvers. However, styles, powers, and such cannot reduce the cost of any maneuver by more than half (round up the final cost if need be). Maneuver Modifiers (see below) can also applied to maneuvers, though these are applied after cost modifiers as noted above, and cannot push the cost of a maneuver below 1 point. Using Maneuvers Appearances: Especially with flashy chi-based maneuvers, you can make a move look however you want. A chi blast can be a standard fireball, a sphere of crackling energy, or something stranger; a playing card, a flaming kanji, or whatever. Some characters, like Kibagami Genjuro, will have all their special moves with special effects along a common theme (for him that's the Hanafuda cards). By Any Other Name: One important thing to remember about special maneuvers is that the character can call them whatever they want. Further, the appearance of maneuvers can be determined by the character as well. The quintessential example of this is the chi blast; everyone has a different style and name for theirs (e.g., Bison/Vegas Psycho Shot, Ken & Ryus Hadouken, Athenas Psycho Ball, the Koukugenryu Tiger Flame Punch, etc.), and each is a different color and shape. When creating a character, you should name all of their major special maneuvers as you wish. Most of the maneuver names given here are pretty bland, and it shouldnt be too hard to think of more interesting ones. Power Words: Characters will frequently, though not always, shout out the name of their special moves as they used them. This comes from anime and manga, where characters did that basically just so that the audience would know the nifty name that the creators had come up with. Since it started, it has become cliched beyond belief. As such, you may wish to include these Power Worlds in Thrash games. Normally, they dont really do anything in the game (other than sounding cool), but characters with the Ki-Ai maneuver can use the Power Words as a Ki-Ai, thus receiving the usual bonuses. Outside Combat: Not all maneuvers in Thrash are designed to hurt people. Most are, mind you, but some arent, especially in the Focus category. Maneuvers such as Healing, Ghost Form, and so on can be very useful at times. Naming Special Moves "Hiryushotenha Revised! Horizontal Blast!" -- Ranma, Ranma For fighting games and anime, most character will have names for their various "special moves," which will be as cool-sounding as possible (to Japanese sensibilities, anyway), and which the character will typically (though not always) yell out while doing the maneuver. There are two basic ways to make up such names; English and Japanese. English: Now, the average Japanese game developer or manga artist isnt all that skillful with English. Many of them have to piece things together using a bilingual dictionary -- a lot like I have to do with Japanese. In either case there is a significant potential for odd-sounding names, like "Screw Upper!", "Psycho Crusher!" and the ever popular, "Big Tornado!" Obviously, not all will be so strange, but to really capture the flavor of anime, the trick is to use words that are basically correct, but sound a bit awkward to western ears when put together. The following are some of the more commonly used English words: Attack, Aurora, Big, Blast, Burn(ing), Crusher, Dance, Dunk, Flash, Geyser, Gradation, Illusion, Kick, Knuckle, Power, Psycho, Revolution, Ring, Shot/Shoot, Slash, Somersault, Sonic, Soul, Spark, Spiral, Split, Super, Swirl, Thunder, Wave Japanese: The translations of the Japanese names into English likewise can sound strange to western ears. For example, the infamous Hadouken means "Wave Motion Punch, and Mankankousappou (Piccolos screw blast from DBZ) means something like "Devils Penetrating Energy Blast." Of course, in Japanese they sound just fine and only take a couple of characters to write down. For the purposes of Thrash, you can create such names with relative ease even if you dont know any Japanese. All you have to do is combine some bits of words from the chart below and presto! Okay, so it might not sound right to a Nihonjin, but you can always fix it later if need be. Japanese English bakuhatsu explosion/exploding chou ultimate/perfect dan shot/bullet den electric en circle/disc (also used for yen) ha blast/wave ka/hi fire ken fist/punch hame school/style hoshi/boshi star houkou (roaring noise) hyaku 100 inu dog jin blade kame turtle kyaku kick mizu/sui water neko cat ou king/great ryuu dragon sen/zen 1000 shin god shinkuu vacuum shishi lion sho rising ten heaven/sky tora tiger tori bird usagi rabbit zan slash/slice Modifiers Modifiers are special additions to various maneuvers to make them more or less effective in various areas. Certain maneuvers will include additional maneuver modifiers unique to them. Certain modifiers also have Prerequisites; as with maneuvers, these must be met before the modifier can be selected. Modifiers must normally always be used. However, certain characters may wish to have more than one variant of a single maneuver (this is especially true of Chi blast). If this is the case, you must purchase the maneuver once at full cost, and each additional variant of the maneuver costs only 2 CP (1 if the base cost of it is 1, or zero for Basic maneuvers), plus/minus the cost of the various modifiers. Aerial Usage (+1): This modifier allows the maneuver to be used in the air. It only applies to those maneuvers for which it would be logical for this to be the case, but normally isnt possible; most punching and kicking maneuvers can be used in the air anyway, though Chi Blast, Whirlwind, and other maneuvers with a Move of None normally cannot. With this modifier, they can be used during a jump or other times when the character is airborne. Air Charge (+2): Regardless of whether is would be logical to do so, the character can perform the maneuver in mid air; this differs from Aerial usage in that for all intents and purposes, the character creates a tiny patch of ground out of chi to push off of. Thus, it can be applied to a Rising Uppercut, Body Missile, Flying Reverse Turning Kick, Blade Runner, Slice Upper, etc. All such maneuvers will see their Chi cost increased by 4 points. Prerequisites: Focus 6 Chi Charge (+6): Using Chi energy, you propel yourself forward at incredible speed while performing the maneuver. This requires that 4 Chi points be spent when performing it, but provides the following bonuses: +4 to Accuracy, reduce AP cost by -3, and add +2 to damage. Prerequisites: Focus 7 Dashing Move (+5): While performing the maneuver, you run at your opponent. This reduces the AP cost by -3 and increases the Move to 6 (or adds +3; whichever is higher). Prerequisites: Agility 5 Enraged Use (-2): The maneuver can only be used when the character reaches or exceeds their Rage Threshold, though the maneuver does not affect the character's current rage unless otherwise stated. Obviously, this cannot be selected for Supers. Extended Duration (+2): This modifier allows a given maneuver to be carried out for an extended period of time; this is normally applied to Focus maneuvers. In this case, the AP cost is increased by +2, and that amount must be spent each turn it is maintained. Damage (if any) is reduced by 20%, and applied each turn of use. If the maneuver has a Chi cost, this must also be paid each turn it is maintained. Extended Range (+1): For projectile attacks only, this effectively doubles the range of the attack. Extra Force (+3): You deliver the attack with such force that it inflicts +2 damage and counts as a Knockdown. This requires the expenditure of one Chi point. Flash Strike (+6): This modifier allows the maneuver to be executed with blinding speed, such that the motions of performing it become a blur. The AP cost of the maneuver is HALVED (round up), and the Accuracy is increased by +1. Prerequisites: Agility 10, Focus 8 Grabbing Maneuver (+1): When using the maneuver, the character grabs onto the opponent first. This means that the character must attempt to slip out of the way rather than parrying, in the manner of a Grappling maneuver (see Thrash). The AP cost of the maneuver is increased by +3, however. Increased Chi Cost (-1 per level): For every level of Increased Chi Cost, the Chi Cost of the maneuver is increased by 2 points. Increased Speed (+3): You can deliver the maneuver with exceptional speed, reducing the AP cost by -3, to a minimum of 1. Lunging Strike (+3): The maneuver is performed while lunging forward, making it highly overextended. This increases the Move of the maneuver by +1 (or to 2 if it is None), and ups the damage by +2 as well, but the AP cost is also increased by +3. Multiple Strike (+5/+6): This modifier makes the maneuver considerably more powerful in that the character can repeatedly lash out with it several times in a turn. Each strike does 1d4 damage, and uses APs equal to one third (rounded up) the AP cost of the original maneuver. For +5 points the Move is None; for +6 points it is 1 per three strikes made. Prerequisites: Agility 7 Power Boosting (+2): This modifier enables the character to increase the overall power of the maneuver by expending additional energy. For every additional Chi point spent, the damage is increased by +1 and the range (if it is a projectile type attack) is increased by 30% over the original. However, for every 2 Chi spent in this way, the AP cost is increased by +1. Power Strike (+2): The maneuver can be performed with the fist/foot/weapon/whatever surrounded by an aura of energy/fire/electricity/etc., increasing its damage by +3 at a cost of 2 Chi and +1 AP. This can be used with nearly any physical attacking maneuver, though in the case of Grappling maneuver, the energy is force into the opponent, causing them to be zapped on impact. Preparation Time (-1/-2/-3): The maneuver requires additional time to prepare, spent concentrating, before it can be used. For -1 points this is 10 APs, for -2 it is 26, and for -3 it is two turns spent more or less totally motionless. Prepared Strike (+1/+2/+3): One to three points can be spent on this modifier, which allows the character to increase the accuracy and power of the maneuver by concentrating and preparing. Mystical martial artists do this by meditative techniques and whatnot, while more down-to-earth types are simply moving around, lining up for a good shot. For +1, the character can prepare for 1 turn, for +2 they can go up to half their Focus in turns, and for +3 they can go up to their full Focus in turns. Each turn of concentration takes 16 APs out of their total, but when they do attack, the Damage and Accuracy will be increased by +2 for each turn spent concentrating, though the attacker must spend 2 Chi for each turn after the second to gain the benefits. This can be used with virtually any type of attack, including projectiles. Reduced Chi Cost (+2/level): For every level of Reduced Chi Cost purchased, the Chi cost of the maneuver is reduced by 1 point, to a minimum of 1. Reduced Force (-2): The character is somewhat limited in how hard they can deliver this maneuver; reduce the damage by -3. Reduced Speed (-2): The character is a little slow on the draw with this maneuver. As such, increase the AP cost by 3. Rising Strike (+3): There are a handful of maneuvers that functions like this already - the character essentially performs the maneuver while leaping upwards. The maneuver becomes and Aerial one which can be used to Counter other Aerial Maneuvers, and further adds +3 to damage. Stunning Strike (+1): For whatever reason (striking a pressure point, or a special energy discharge, or whatever), the maneuver causes others to be disabled rather than physically harmed. The damage is increased by +3, but it becomes stun damage.