Advanced Martial Arts
Some players want a little more depth and complexity in their combat. With Master approval, players may create their own martial arts styles to simulate techniques from anywhere in the known universe. Masters may also create styles to enrich the setting and differentiate between cultures.
Advanced Martial Arts
The Future Imperfect concept of custom martial arts is based on the idea that each discipline has some number of foundation maneuvers, and these maneuvers act to provide certain benefits to the practitioner. Some maneuvers are similar across multiple disciplines, but while they share the same name, they may not perform identically as they progress to higher levels. Players have a great deal of ability to grow their fighting style in a unique direction.
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 chokes). 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.
Additionally, melee combat can take place in a variety of different postures, and these postures may have an enormous effect on the effectiveness of the maneuvers that are performed by practitioners and their targets. The most important part of winning a physical engagement is to develop an advantageous situation for yourself, and continue to exploit it until your opponent is defeated. In a standard melee combat implementation in an RPG, either there is a standard skill roll or a character has a maneuver that modifies the skill roll, but outside of Master fiat, any maneuver can be attempted in virtually any situation. In Future Imperfect, maneuvers can generally only be performed in the appropriate posture, or when they are attempted outside of this realm they suffer penalties, often significant ones.
Finally, we assume that all combatants are humanoid shaped, or close enough to it where the difference is not a significant advantage or disadvantage gained. Edges and flaws may drastically change the ability of a character to perform hand to hand combat, or to have it performed on him. These adjustments should all be additive with adjustments presented here. Mechanics matter. This means, if a character has a specific shape, but no appropriate edge or flaw to simulate it, under most circumstances it should not have an effect in combat, even if logically we think it should. In cases such as this, playing a chip will allow such an effect to take place. The value of the chip will determine the magnitude of the benefit (or flaw, if invoking the shape of an opponent).
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 or cards 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 balanced effects and cost compared to any custom discipline.
Maneuvers
There are a total of 10 maneuvers that can be attempted in close combat. These maneuvers are: Reach, Speed, Power, Takedown, Lift, Hold, Throw, Knockdown, Disarm and Clinch.
Maneuver Descriptions
Each ability card will have a maneuver or other special situation (such as no opening). When a Hero has an action, if he drew cards he must use one of the maneuver cards in his hand. Descriptions of the maneuvers are provided following.
The above table lists all maneuvers and their associated mechanics. It also lists the postures (see below) where that maneuver may be attempted. When checking if a maneuver is possible in a posture, consider the posture of the attacker as well as any modifiers present in the maneuver. Any postures with asterisks indicate potential adjustments or exceptions for those postures. See maneuver descriptions for full explanation.
Any martial arts practitioner has the option of, as their action, performing a feint. To feint, place any card from your hand face down in front of you, either horizontally or vertically. A horizontal card will add 1 to defense and takedown defense, a vertical card will confer +1 on his next attack. Performing a feint counts as using a maneuver card. Successive feints are cumulative until the deck is shuffled (all feints except the first are flushed).
Reach: An attempt to use jabs and attack length to keep the opponent at bay. A successful reach attack can allow a fighter to transition from engaged to facing or vice versa, or the combatant may give his opponent a counter to indicate that their next attack is -1 to hit/damage unless it is a reach attack.
Speed: An attempt to use superior speed to strike the target and avoid damage.
Power: Maximum damage attack. May be attempted in engaged position without penalty. May also be attempted from facing and ground (not guard), -1 defense when attempted from facing, -2 to hit from ground.
Disable: Check specific maneuver for applicable postures. 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 check, but the defender is considered untrained (they divide their result in half, rounding up). If the attacker wins, but does not get a bump, the maneuver persists but his action ends. During each attacker action where the hold persists check again, but at +1 (cumulative) for the attacker. As soon as a bump is achieved the limb is disabled, and is immediately dealt a serious wound. If the defender wins any exchange, without getting a bump, the maneuver persists but all attacker bonuses are removed, unless the attacker had no bonuses accumulated, in which case the maneuver is broken. The defender may choose to check 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 maneuver. If the attacker wins, it is as if they had won on their action. If at any time the defender achieves a bump the maneuver is broken. Both participants are considered prone during a disable maneuver. Arm bars and Kimura holds are examples of disable maneuvers.
Choke: Check maneuver for applicable postures. This move subjects the target to suffocation rules, as found under the environment (page XX). During a Choke maneuver both participants are considered prone to other opponents.
Takedown: Take opponent to the ground and control, attacker is considered to be in ground posture if successful. Opponent is taken to guard on success or one bump (though with one bump attacker may choose a dominant position, see below), or pin with 2 bumps. Defense against all other opponents is halved for both participants. Prone participant halves strength for all tasks (unless they initiate a hold or disable against attacker). All attacks with strike element are +1 damage when in dominant position.
Lift: Grab opponent and lift off the ground. Must either be able to lift opponent’s weight (it is less than their lift value) OR make an opposed STR vs opponents TD Defense check. In this case, the opponent may add 1 to his TD for each level of size above the lift value. On next action may throw opponent automatically as their action. If opponent escapes, they fall prone.
Hold: May be used in clinch or ground posture. Hold is +1 from clinch and ground postures. If attempted without clinch or ground, -1. Control two limbs (head counts as a limb) plus 1 per bump.
Throw: May be used from clinch at +1. Opponent falls prone and takes falling damage +1 per success and bump on STR check. Attacker may also choose to go down as well. If so, damage is increased to +2. Posture for attacker is guard with no bump, dominant with one and pin with two.
Knockdown: Opponent falls prone and takes falling damage +1 per success and raise on STR check.
Clinch: Standing hold controlling opponents head. Opponent may not use Reach, Power or Takedown without escaping first. May keep clinch posture after you use an attack as long as you remain standing and succeeded in your attack. Clinch flushes otherwise (new posture is engaged).
No Opening: Each martial art begins with a number of "No Opening" cards. These can be used as a feint (see above). They also may be discarded in response to any attack to perform any defensive maneuver conferred to the Hero by his art. When discarding a No Opening in this manner, subtract 3 (if this sends the step below 0, instead flush that action) from the step on your next action. Lastly, they can be used for any attack/maneuver the Hero wishes to perform, albeit at a -1 to the skill and damage tests.
Escape: Make a contested STR or Martial Arts check versus opponents Hold value (competition, opponent wins ties). Do not halve STR when using Escape.
Postures
When fighting hand to hand, there are multiple postures that can result. The Master can modify the standard effects as he sees fit, however the guidelines that follow should be sufficient for most situations. Ability card decks will include the modifiers for the maneuver dependent on the posture. Combat can occur either on the feet or on the ground (hand to hand combat between two airborne individuals will be handled separately).
There are three possible postures in standing combat: facing, behind and multiple opponents. On the ground there are also three possibilities: pin, ground and back mount (also possible standing). Multiple opponents are handled differently on the ground, explained later. It is also possible for one opponent to be standing and the other on the ground. This will also be handled later.
When an ability card is face up in front of you (see mechanics, to follow), the posture shown across the top of the card is the posture your Hero is performing. The posture across the bottom is the one your opponent is performing.
Some postures may be advanced (see below). In this case, success criteria is dealt based on the size of the opponent. For most opponents, this will be 6. Keep track of success criteria as necessary, using a counter of some type. While using the same posture all success criteria are cumulative. Remainders are lost.
Postures, Defined
What follows are general descriptions of the postures themselves. The Master and Crew should have flexibility to determine which posture makes the most sense, when there are multiple possibilities. A practitioner must be able to perceive the opponent to have a relative posture toward him. As with most situations in Future Imperfect, this should be somewhat of a negotiation. A player makes his case, though the Master has the final say.
Facing and Engaged: Both opponents can see each other and their limbs are actuated in such a way as to be effective in this direction. Facing can also be at a closer range, called engaged. When facing, the opponents are near the maximum effective range of their limbs. Either opponent may use attacks which are effective at this range, and also either opponent may, on their action, break away (move) for no penalty. Engaged opponents are closer together. When breaking away from an opponent at this range, the opponent may rush (see Chapter XX, Combat) any attack for free, if they have one available. This attack may be rushed even during the same step, even though this is normally not allowed.
Behind: One combatant is behind the other opponent. Behind is defined as either (or both) one opponent cannot see the other (not because of darkness or other sensory deprivation, but because of position) or one opponent cannot effectively use his limbs in the direction facing the other opponent. A combatant halves all defenses to an opponent behind him.
Multiple Opponents: In a multiple opponent scenario, some combatants may be in differing postures toward some opponents than others. In a case like this, it would be impossible to define with rules all of the situation which may present during all campaigns. Generally speaking, each set of two combatants who are in range of one another (and are both standing) will be in one of the two previous standing postures relative to the other. Use judgment to determine this. Descriptions are important!
Three GPR agents have surrounded Kayla Argent. Kayla is an experienced judoka, so she feels pretty confident (while simultaneously hoping none of these agents are sambo practitioners). The agents arrange themselves equidistant around her, at 120 degree angles, with two facing and one behind. Kayla is facing two agents, who are also facing her. One agent is behind Kayla. Because she cannot perceive the agent behind her, she has no posture toward him.
Pin: In a pinning maneuver, one opponent fully controls the posture of the other. The controlled combatant cannot escape without outside help or mercy from the attacker. Pin maneuvers are rare in situations between two similarly experienced grapplers (who have the same anatomy, of course), though two combatants can effectively pin another pretty easily. Experienced grapplers can also pin inexperienced grapplers pretty easily. Some examples of pins: crucifix (opponent is splayed in such a way as to expose their head, but their arms are both controlled so they cannot defend the head), head and arm choke, cradle pin, and spladle. Pin maneuvers achieved with no bump completely control the opponent, but offer no attack opportunities. Pin maneuvers with bumps control the opponent and allow limbs to be free to attack (crucifix, for example). Attacks from pin (which requires bumps) do 1+bumps in extra damage.
For an example of how effective attacks from the crucifix position (in Future Imperfect, generally two or more bumps) are, search the internet for Paul Herrera versus Gary Goodridge. You might start to think they don't get enough of a damage bonus.
Ground: In Future Imperfect, ground is when one opponent is on his back, and the other is facing him on the ground. This includes all guard positions (full guard, half guard, butterfly guard) as well as dominant positions such as side control and full mount. When attaining a ground position, the default is guard (defenders choice of which kind...for flavor), with bumps the attacker may choose dominant positions (also for flavor, all dominant positions function the same in Future Imperfect).
Back Mount: Back mount is any position where one combatant has his belly on the back of his opponent. This includes hooks (one or multiple) and body triangle. This is one of the most dominant positions possible for an experienced grappler. A combatant with back mount cannot be effectively attacked by his opponent (unless he is armed).
Prone: A combatant is considered prone when the opponent has initiated back mount or pin. In ground, the opponent on his back is considered prone. Prone combatants have a defense of 1+level.
Example here
Game Designers Note: What the hell is a spladle? Yes, many of you may have been asking yourself that very question. While this book could spend paragraphs and pages detailing all the possibilities and definitions of each position, we have determined that this will be out of scope. In the information age, a single search can find you more than this book could ever teach you about grappling. Since this is an optional system, many of you who choose to use this will already know about this stuff. For those of you that do not, this knowledge is not necessary to get value from the advanced martial arts system as presented. The general definitions given, combined with your imagination, should suffice just fine. We, the authors, have every confidence in your ability to describe situations we never could have anticipated.
Postures and Advancing Position
So far, all that differentiates this treatment of martial arts from just about any other is the name of the maneuvers, along with a few new postures. The addition of the advancing position mechanic takes martial arts to a new level. As with everything in this section, it is an optional system, and the rest of the system can be used even without this. However, this extra level of detail and strategy can take your game to new heights, especially when combined with alien physiologies (you try and wrestle this slithering snake-alien, I dare you!).
Transitions
Some transitions are easy to use and imagine. For instance, when going from throwing jabs to throwing uppercuts, it is clear one must close the distance (a bent arm doesn't reach as far as a straight one). These are notated in the maneuver description.
Others are more dependent on the posture. In any maneuver where the resulting posture is dependent on success and bumps, those bumps can be accumulated over multiple actions. To advance position, use the same maneuver again, and count raises. No damage is dealt when advancing position.
Kayla, still surrounded by three GPR agents, decides her situation could be untenable if they descend upon her en masse. Peering at the surroundings, she maneuvers herself near a ledge, to the delight of the agents. At the beginning of the next round, she is very fortunate to draw two step 13 action cards, so she devises a risky gambit to even the odds. On her first action, she steps forward and throws the agent to her left over the ledge. Then, in quick succession, does the same to the agent to her right. I bet that is not what they expected when she inched her way toward the overhanging ledge!
Now she is facing a single agent, but that agent has two actions remaining, while she has none.
The agent smiles knowingly, and on his action advances and attempts a takedown. Kayla is a level 3 judoka, but having used the throw maneuver in her last action, her takedown defense is 5. The agent is a level 2 sambo practitioner with a Dexterity of 3d8. He draws card 8, which has a result of 8 in 2d8, he successfully takes her down with no bump. His strength is also 2d8, so he deals 3 CT and 0 wounds to Kayla (result 17-2 for takedown). However, because she has already used both of her actions, he is able to go again before she will. Rather than pummel her, he decides he would prefer to try for a dominant position, so he attempts another takedown maneuver. Because Kayla is prone, her defense is halved to 3 (the -1 from takedown no longer applies because she is no longer in the takedown posture). The agent draws card 22, giving a result of 11, a bump. The agent has achieved a dominant position. The Master informs Kayla that the agent has moved into side control, and his next attack will utilize these bonuses.
She is lucky, however, because 22 is an extra damage card, and advancing position deals no damage! She takes little solace in this, given the dire predicament where she finds herself.
Elements
Some maneuvers have elements associated with them. Elements are attributes that describe the effects of attacks that possess them.
Attack: Does hand to hand damage.
Strike: Damage is based on impact. Armor has standard effect.
Punch: Damage is based on impact. Armor has standard effect. Attack gets +1 bump for hit location mandatory.
Vulnerable: Damage is based on attacking body parts in ways they are not designed to withstand. Rigid armor in the appropriate location cancels the effect, other armor has no effect. Disable and choke are the elements classified as Vulnerable.
Hold: Control limbs (arms, leg, head) of opponent. The number of limbs controlled is 2+(bumps). Armor has no effect.
Takedown: Both combatants go to the ground, with the attacker on top. The attacker is in ground position after a successful takedown, the defender is prone. After an unsuccessful takedown, defender may choose if they are now facing or engaged.
Target Falls: Target is knocked to the ground, into the ground position. Attacker remains standing.
Choke: Damage is based on restriction of air and blood flow. Rigid armor cancels effect, other armor has no effect.
Cost
A standard discipline costs: 2 per level.
Standard Effects
Each discipline will also have a standard effect. Two disciplines may not have standard effects that share a name. In fact, within the same discipline there may be multiple similar maneuvers. The standard effect simulates that which the discipline does exceptionally well. The effects are defined broadly so as to allow player creativity to color each situation.
Boxing has a standard effect of punch. This may be a cross, uppercut, overhand right etc., at the choice of the player in the situation. Kung Fu has a standard effect of strike, but while it does include fist strikes, they are not the same. It also would include kicks, which would not be present in boxing.
Standard effects may use a maneuver that sounds the same as another, but they do not behave the same way. Each practitioner has a single art that is their dominant art (even if they know multiple). The standard effect of that art is notated in the appropriate space on the character record.
Customizing Martial Arts
Even when using a discipline "out of the box", the Hero will customize the training as he advances. Two practitioners from the same art, even from the same dojo, will be unique fighting individuals. Future Imperfect not only allows the creation of new arts from the ground up, but also individualizing the training within existing martial arts.
System
Each martial discipline has a standard template that is used by a level 1 practitioner of the art. This template will be annotated on the Hero record sheet and customized as the game progresses. As with Action Decks, the entire system can be used both with custom Future Imperfect ability decks or standard playing card decks, with jokers included.
In a martial art template, each step has an entry. When drawing an ability card, check the step on the card and the appropriate maneuver will be on your Hero record. When using a custom Future Imperfect deck, everything will be on the card. No referencing required!
Defense
Advanced martial arts uses two types of defense in hand to hand combat: defense and takedown defense. They both default to 3+martial arts level, plus modifiers as applicable for reach or weapons. Posture and discipline bonuses will affect them independently. When defense is referenced, this does not include takedown defense and vice versa. If both are affected, both will be listed.
Turn Sequence
In any engagement where your Hero wishes to use a hand to hand action, you have two choices: do something standard, that anyone can do or utilize your martial training. To do something standard, tell the Master what you want and resolve the action normally.
When a Hero wishes to attempt to use advanced martial arts, things change slightly. Check your Fighting: Martial Arts (Easy 3) and draw one card plus one per success and raise. If you critically fail, draw no cards and perform no maneuver. Consult the cards you have drawn, and choose one of them to use for this maneuver. Hold the remaining cards as your ability card hand. If you already have cards in your hand, you may discard any number of cards before you draw. Always discard down to your hand limit before attempting any maneuvers.
Ability Card Hand
A Hero with a martial art may maintain a hand of ability cards equal to his level in the martial art plus one. The entire hand flushes when the deck needs to be shuffled. Any action where the Hero draws cards into his ability card hand must culminate with a hand to hand maneuver from his list.
Sample Martial Arts
What follows is a table of some Terran martial arts and their level 1 template. Galactic martial arts may be similar enough to use one of these templates, or entirely new arts may be created.
Any maneuver listed in italics is the standard effect of that discipline.
*Attack is any type of attack the practitioner wishes to initiate, but with no special bonus for martial arts. It is an improved no opening.
Standard Effects
Boxing: Punch. Boxing punches are powerful and accurate. Punch attacks automatically bump up one on the hit location chart (this is required bump). Boxing punches never hit the legs. Treat all leg results as belly. They also gain +1 damage on each odd numbered level (1,3 etc).
Kung Fu: Strike. Kung Fu strikes are diverse and effective. After any maneuver where the practitioner is not held or clinched, and is standing, he may add 1 to his defense versus all strike attacks except reach. This counts as a defense 1 weapon. Kung fu strikes are punches and kicks, and therefore do not get the +1 bump for hand to hand combat.
Muay Thai: Elbow/Knee. When in clinch position, all strikes are +2 damage. At level 4, damage goes to +3 (Thai plum). Thai plum bumps up 2. Muay Thai attacks are kicks and punches, and therefore do not get the +1 bump for hand to hand combat.
Krav Maga: Disabling strike. Krav Maga practitioners may add their level to the damage of disabling strike, but only if this would result in a KO (reducing opponent to 0 CT or below). Krav maga attacks are kicks and punches, and therefore do not get the +1 bump for hand to hand combat.
Brawling: Opportunity attack. Brawlers are adept at using what is at hand to great effect. If an appropriate item is within reach (table, chair, broken bottle etc.) the practitioner may make a normal attack with it, however this attack counts as deadly rather than hand to hand. Brawlers can use their level with clubs, blackjacks, brass knuckles and other implements of their trade. Brawlers defense and takedown defense defaults to 2+ level. Brawling attacks are kicks and punches, and therefore do not get the +1 bump for hand to hand attacks.
Judo: Clinch/Throw. If the Judoka is facing he may clinch opponent at +(level). If opponent is engaged, he may throw opponent at +0 or clinch at +(level+1). If opponent is clinched, may throw opponent at +(level). Judo attacks are kicks and punches, and therefore do not get the +1 bump for hand to hand attacks.
Wrestling: Takedown. May attempt a takedown at +(level). Wrestlers add +1 to their takedown defense at each even level, to a maximum of +2.
Karate: Strike. Karateka may choose whether or not to use the +1 bump for hand to hand combat after drawing the action card.
Jiu Jitsu: Vulnerable. Jiu Jitsu is a grappling art aimed at attacking joints and the neck. Vulnerable is +(level) for any attack in an appropriate posture. At level 4, Vulnerable may be used at any posture for no bonus (such as flying arm bars).
Sambo Varied. At each level one attack may be given +1 damage. No attack may be assigned this more than once.
Advancement
How do martial arts change as the practitioner progresses in training? Each level after the first allows the player to choose to either replace a maneuver with another maneuver from the discipline list or upgrade one of the existing maneuvers on the list.
Each time a new level is gained the practitioner may either replace a No Opening slot with a standard attack from his art, or improve one standard maneuver. To improve a standard maneuver, choose either Defense, Takedown Defense, Damage or To Hit and increase the value by 1. No attribute may be improved more than once.
