Future Imperfect Deprecated

Advanced Martial Arts, Version 1

The Future Imperfect concept of custom martial arts is based on the idea that each discipline has some number of foundation elements, and these elements act to provide certain benefits to the practitioner.

There are a limited number of potential maneuvers that can be performed in melee combat, and these maneuvers are broadly defined (we don’t need to worry about the difference between a d’arce choke and an anaconda choke, it only matters they are both holds with the choke element). The specific nature of each maneuver can vary greatly from discipline to discipline. What advanced martial arts attempt to do is classify the effect. Making the combat action come alive with description and unique flavor is the job of the crew and Master.

Elements

There are 5 Elements that can be used to create a discipline. These Elements are: Attack, Vulnerable Attack, Grapple, Throw, and Defend. A discipline may have an unlimited number of Elements, and the same Element may be included more than once.

Maneuvers

There are a total of 12 maneuvers that can be attempted in close combat. These maneuvers are: Strike (Short, Medium, Long, Low), Takedown, Hold, Lift, Lock, Escape, Block, Throw, and Disarm. Each Element has a value in each of these Maneuvers. A description of all Maneuvers is located at the end of the chapter.

Cost

A standard discipline has two Elements and costs 1 point per level like any other Attribute. For each additional Element, add 1 to the cost. Wrestling has two Elements: Grapple, Grapple. This costs 1 point per level. Kung Fu has three Elements: Attack, Attack, and Throw. This costs 2 points per level.

Enhanced Effects

Disciplines may also be distinguished from one another via Enhanced Effects (EE). These add something beyond extra attack dice to maneuvers. It would be impossible to describe every possible EE. Instead, guidelines are provided for building your own. Some example EEs are provided on the EE table.

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu has a Vulnerable Attack called Guillotine Choke. This adds the Choke EE to the Hold Maneuver.

Game designers note: I have never seen an RPG that handles grappling well. This is my attempt to be the ‘least worst’. Most games also either substantially overpower martial arts, or make them indistinguishable from one another. As a former wrestler and avid viewer of MMA, I have a pretty good knowledge of what kind of things work and what things do not. I would not call myself an expert, but an educated lay person.

This is not, however, an attempt at a ‘realistic’ treatment of martial arts. The goal is for the system to be playable, fast and diverse. The extra work that must be done to differentiate one discipline from another will all be done once, during character generation. Players should not need to consult the rules over and over during play to know what they can do. Everything important should be right on the character sheet and easily digestible. The important piece is that when a wrestler enters the fight, it plays differently than when a practitioner of BJJ does, even though both are primarily grapplers. The same goes for Muay Thai versus boxing. They aren’t the same.

This is an optional system, so if your crew is not interested in exploring this kind of nuance, it is easy to ignore it and just roll Fighting: Martial Arts. If this is your choice, it does not significantly change the power level of martial arts practitioners. It is even possible to mix and match within a campaign, since a basic martial art has exactly the same dice pool/effects cost as any standard custom discipline.

Elements: Mechanics

	Attack	V Atk	Grapple	Throw	Defend
SS	X		X
S	X
SL	X
Slo	X		X
TD			Xx	X
Ho		X	X	X
L			X
Lo		Xx	X
E		X	X		Xx
B	x				Xx
T			x	xx
D					x

Primary Maneuvers

Each Element has an entry for each Maneuver. The X denotes Primary Maneuvers (PM). For each X the Element may place up to one die in that Maneuver. Dice are allocated from the Effect Dice, chosen during customization.

Attack: Customization Pool Each standard discipline may spend 13 points from the following table, plus 7 more per extra Element per level. A minimum of 6 points must be allocated toward Effect Dice.

Enhanced Effects Table

EE	Cost	Notes
Effect Dice	1	Minimum 6 per level.
Choke	3	A, C, Uses choke rules
Disable	3	A, D, Uses disabling rules
+1 Damage	3	A
+1 Die	2	B
+1 Defense	3	A, E
Target falls	1
Other	Master’s discretion
Level in non-PM	1	May only have one external Maneuver

A: May only be taken once per Maneuver.
B: May only be taken twice per Maneuver, and no more than once per level. May exceed threshold.
C: May only be taken with the Hold Maneuver.
D: May only be taken with the Lock Maneuver.
E: May only be taken with Strike, Block or Strike Long.

Effect Dice are what you roll to attempt that maneuver. They are effectively your skill level with that maneuver. Any effect dice that would take your maneuver pool over 5 cost double.

Example: A Kung Fu practitioner may place 2 dice in Strike, medium per level (Kung Fu has the attack element twice). If at level 1 that practitioner selects +1 Die toward Strike, medium, that would cost 2. If that same practitioner again selects +1 Die at level 2, that would cost 4 (his pool would be going from 5-6).

The Choke element subjects the target to suffocation rules, as found under fire (page XX). During a Choke maneuver both participants are considered prone.

Disable pits the strength of the attacker versus the strength of the defender, albeit at a significant advantage for the attacker. The attacker must succeed with a maneuver with the Disable element before the defender is subject to these rules. Each participant makes a strength roll, but the defender is considered untrained (they divide their result in half). If the attacker wins, but does not get a raise, his action ends. During his next action if the hold persists test again, but at +1 (cumulative) for the attacker. As soon as a raise is achieved the limb is disabled, and is immediately dealt a serious wound (including the associated wind). If the defender wins any exchange, without getting a raise, all attacker bonuses are removed. The defender may choose to test again on their next action (provided the attacker has not gone in the interim and achieved a success), if they do, instead of untrained they are at -2. If the defender wins, they have escaped the lock. If the attacker wins, it is as if they had won on their action. If at any time the defender achieves a raise the lock is broken. Both participants are considered prone during a lock.

Extra damage is added before determining wound level. However, if the extra damage added does not result in an increased wound, then it is instead added to the wind damage dealt.

Extra dice are above and beyond what is allowed by the PM table. For example, if a discipline has but a single die in Escape, taking a second die would count as an extra. Remember, these limits are per level.

Target falls causes the defender to fall to their back. The defender must make a Vigor test versus a TN based on the height of the fall (5 under most circumstances). If they fail, they take 1 wind. If they go bust, they take d6 wind (minimum 2). In all cases the defender is considered prone after the fall is resolved.

Usage

Once the baseline PMs and EEs are set for your discipline, you have your dice pools and EEs for a level 1 practitioner in that discipline.

Advancement

Each level of advancement grants an allotment of Customization Points identical to the first level. These points are subject to all of the same requirements and limitations.

Maneuver Descriptions

Strike, short: Can be performed after a Close maneuver (see Melee combat). This type of strike can be performed in close quarters (after a close maneuver or inside 1 meter distance).
Strike: Strike is the only Maneuver that can take +1 Damage twice, but only if the discipline has two (or more) instances of the Attack Element. This attack is the standard strike attack, be it punch, kick, elbow etc. Cannot be performed after a Close maneuver (requires a distance of about 1 meter).
Strike, long: Strike, long is a special case, and is only available in armed martial arts when using a weapon with defense of at least 1. A creature with an appropriate Edge that grants them extra-long limbs or the ability to somehow extend their reach could also take this element with Master approval. This attack takes place at a distance of more than 1 meter.
Strike, low: May take the ‘target falls’ element. May not take the +1 damage element. This attack always hits the legs. Can be performed after a Close maneuver (within 1 meter).
Takedown: Includes ‘target falls’ element and is a hold, may also encompass a close. Does not deal damage (except as noted in target falls). May be performed after a close maneuver. Both participants are considered prone after a takedown.
Hold: Control two (or more, as appropriate) limbs of an opponent. In this case, head counts as a limb. On next action, may use a throw or takedown maneuver at +3 (if standing). Hold may only be attempted if the attacker has previously performed the Close maneuver, the defender has a defense of 0 with his current stance or the combatants are engaged in grappling.
Lift: Close 1 meter, hold and lift opponent. If opponent escapes, they fall. May throw opponent on following action.
Lock: Control a single limb. May take the disable element. Opponents must already be engaged in grappling to attempt a lock.
Escape: A successful escape cancels a ‘hold’ or ‘lock’ maneuver. If a raise is achieved, the practitioner may also either stand up or move up to 1 meter. Alternatively, a raise may negate falling damage when escaping a lift. Additionally, your dice in escape are added to your Martial Arts level to determine the opponent’s TN to attack you with lift, hold, lock, throw and takedown.
Block: Reduces damage from a strike (any type) attack to half. If performed with a weapon, cancels damage.
Throw: Includes ‘target falls’ element and is not a hold. Deals damage.
Disarm: Opponent loses hold of item. May attempt opposed strength roll if a raise is achieved to take item away. May automatically take item with two raises.

Example Martial Art: TU Space Marine Fighting

The Terran Union Space Marine service teaches a very economical style of hand to hand fighting. It eschews flashy or risky maneuvers in favor of straight-forward attack and defense. At first level the practitioner gains all of the Basic Maneuvers. At each subsequent level the practitioner chooses two Advanced Maneuvers and adds one die to six previously acquired maneuvers, or takes one and adds one die to each Primary Maneuver (+1 additional to Escape and Block).

Elements: Attack, Defend (1 point per level)
Primary Maneuvers: Strike, short; Strike, medium; Strike, long; Strike, low; Block, Escape, Disarm
Basic Maneuvers: Uppercut (Strike, short +1 Damage) 1 die, Cross (Strike, medium +1 Defense) 1 Die, Trip (Strike, low Target Falls) 1 die, Bob and Weave (Block) 2 Dice, Grab (Disarm) 1 Die.
Advanced Maneuvers (only once each): X Block (Block +1 Defense), Choke Hold (Hold Choke), Knee Strike (Strike, short +1 Defense), Chop (Strike, medium +1 Damage), Shrug Escape (Escape Target Falls) +2 Dice, Shove (Strike, short Target Falls), Roundhouse (Strike, medium +1 Damage)

When adding advanced maneuvers to a character sheet, add the number of bonus dice to the appropriate maneuver, and notate the extra elements as well. Only one set of elements can be used at one time, but all dice are always used. The only exception is +1 Damage with Strike, medium. If the practitioner has both Chop and Roundhouse he may add +2 Damage when using Strike, medium, or +1 Damage and +1 Defense.

Kayla Argent joins the Terran Union Marines and learns 2 levels in SM Fighting. At first level she has all of the basic maneuvers. At second level she chooses Knee Strike and Chop. She now has 2 dice in Strike, short; Strike, medium; Strike, low; Escape and Disarm. Her Block maneuver has 4 dice. Both her Strike; short and Strike, medium maneuvers may choose either +1 Damage or +1 Defense each time it is used.

Using Advanced Martial Arts

Adding advanced martial arts to a campaign will change the way combat is handled. The changes should be low impact, and are crafted to be interchangeable with players who choose to use them and players who do not.