:
Easy Start
Important attributes: STR, DEX, CON and WP
Suggested starting skills
Skills
Martial Artist to level 1
Range of Field to level 1
Defense to level 1
Hit Points to level 1
Talents
Pick your maximum starting talents (1 for dual-classed, 3 for single-classed) There are those who choose not to rely on physical objects for their defense. Instead, they learn how to use their own body as a weapon. These people are said to have learned the ways of the Martial Artist.
Characterisitic Minimums
- To become a martial artist: STR 18, DEX 20, CON 17, WP 18.
- To achieve rank 8: STR 20, DEX 22, CON 19, WP 20.
- To achieve rank 12: STR 22, DEX 23, CON 20, WP 21.
- To achieve rank 16: STR 23, DEX 24, CON 21, WP 22.
- To achieve rank 20: STR 25, DEX 25, CON 23, WP 24.
Martial Artists cannot wear armor, helmet or use a shield. However, their combat training more than makes up for this apparent deficiency.
A Martial Artist’s abilities improve as they advance in level. The following table indicates the abilities of a martial artist by level.
New Progression
Lvl | Prot | Def (1) | Strike Chance | IM | Damage (2) | Att/ Rnd | Magic Save | Normal Save | TMR (3) | Mind Mask (4) | Racial Max (5) |
1 | 1 | 2 | (DEX x 3) +
(Rank x 6) | +1 | 1d4 | 2 | +0 | +1 | 70 | 30% | |
2 | 2 | 4 | | +1 | 1d4 | 2 | +1 | +2 | 70 | 33% | |
3 | 2 | 6 | | +2 | 1d6 | 2 | +2 | +3 | 70 | 36% | |
4 | 3 | 8 | | +2 | 1d6 | 2 | +3 | +4 | 70 | 39% | |
5 | 3 | 10 | (DEX x 3) +
(Rank x 6) + 10 | +3 | 1d8 | 2 | +4 | +5 | 75 | 42% | |
6 | 4 | 12 | | +3 | 1d8 | 2 | +5 | +7 | 75 | 45% | |
7 | 4 | 14 | | +3 | 1d10 | 2 | +6 | +9 | 75 | 48% | |
8 | 5 | 16 | | +4 | 1d10 | 2 | +7 | +11 | 75 | 52% | |
9 | 5 | 18 | | +4 | 2d6 | 3 | +8 | +13 | 75 | 56% | |
10 | 5 | 20 | | +4 | 2d6 | 3 | +9 | +15 | 80 | 60% | |
11 | 6 | 22 | | +4 | 2d6 | 3 | +10 | +18 | 80 | 65% | +1 DEX |
12 | 6 | 24 | | +5 | 2d6+1 | 3 | +12 | +21 | 80 | 70% | +1 STR |
13 | 6 | 26 | | +5 | 2d6+1 | 3 | +14 | +24 | 85 | 75% | +1 CON |
14 | 7 | 28 | | +6 | 2d6+1 | 3 | +16 | +27 | 85 | 80% | +1 WP |
15 | 7 | 30 | | +6 | 2d6+1 | 4 | +18 | +30 | 90 | 85% | +2 DEX |
16 | 8 | 32 | | +7 | 2d8 | 4 | +20 | +33 | 90 | 90% | +2 STR |
17 | 8 | 34 | | +7 | 2d8 | 4 | +23 | +36 | 95 | 95% | +2 CON |
18 | 9 | 36 | | +8 | 2d8 | 4 | +26 | +39 | 100 | 96% | +2 WP |
19 | 9 | 38 | | +8 | 2d8 | 4 | +28 | +42 | 105 | 97% | +3 DEX |
20 | 10 | 40 | | +9 | 2d8 | 5 | +30 | +45 | 110 | 98% | +3 STR |
NOTES:
- The Martial Artist also adds their Dexterity, bonus for high DEX and normal Defense skill (if they have this skill). Thus, a level 5 martial artist with a DEX of 20 and 2 ranks of Defense skill has a Defense of 39% (10 for being a level 5 Martial Artist, +20 for a 20 DEX, +3 DEX bonus, +6 for 2 ranks of Defense skill). Note that this defense bonus only applies if the martial artist is using unarmed combat or distant death. If he switches to a weapon, he loses the bonus. This is also true for the IM bonus.
- The Martial Artist also gains their damage bonus for high STR.
- If the Martial Artist has an DEX of 26 or higher, add five to their TMR for each point of DEX above 25.
- The Martial Artist can mask his mind such that ESP, Telepathy or other effects that attempt to read the Martial Artist’s mind, or otherwise pinpoint his location by mental or magical means (including Crystal Balls), have a reduced chance of success. If the Martial Artist rolls equal to or less than the number indicated, the spell, discipline or effect failed to locate him and/or read his mind.
- The Martial Artist’s stat does not change, but his racial Max does. So, for example, a human Martial Artist has a racial max of 25 for all stats. If he had a 24 DEX when he advanced to level 11, his DEX would still be 24, but his racial max would increase to 26. Thus, if he wanted to spend experience points to raise his DEX, he could eventually buy it up to 26.
A Martial Artist may attempt to Restrain an opponent. If successful, opponent is pinned and helpless. Chance ((STR + DEX of Attacker) - (STR + DEX of Defender)) x 3 + (4 x level of attacker) - (4 x level of defender).
A Martial Artist’s hands are able to hit creatures that can normally only be hit by magical weapons. As the Martial Artist increases in rank, he is able to strike creatures that can normally only be hit by magic weapons. The following table indicates when an Adept is able to strike creatures with these magical protections:
Level Able to hit creatures with magic requirements of
6 +1 to hit
10 +2 to hit
14 +3 to hit
18 +4 to hit
A Martial Artist gains additional abilities as they progress in level. As the Martial Artist’s level improves, they gain additional special abilities, as indicated in the table below:
Rank | Specialty |
3 | Kick (-10 SC, +1 Damage) |
4 | First Strike |
5 | Immune to Disease, Haste and Slow |
6 | Damage Reduction, Walking Unseen |
6 | Focused Attack |
7 | Cell Adjustment, Low-Density Leap |
8 | Body Equilibrium |
9 | Mind Over Body |
10 | Resistant to Beguiling, Charm, Hypnosis and Suggestion |
11 | Temperature Endurance |
12 | Immune to Poison |
12 | Living Lightning |
15 | Damage Reduction (50%) |
Kick
If a Martial Artist gets multiple attacks per round, up to half of them, rounded up, can be kicks.
First strike
If a Martial Artist ties initiative with his opponent, the Martial Artist will go first and resolve his attack before any part of his opponents attack is resolved. This only applies when using martial arts attacks. It does not apply if using a weapon or special abilities such as Distant Death.
Immune to Disease
The martial artist is immune to normal disease but not highly magical disease. He is immune to mummy rot and the disease of otyughs and neo-otyughs, but not lycanthropy, the effects of Green Slime or the leprosy or worm infestation of Worm Corpses. They are immune to a Cause Disease spell cast by a cleric whose rank is equal to or less than their own (for example, if a cleric who is rank 9 with Cast Clerical Spells casts a Cause Disease on a character who is rank 9 or higher with Martial Arts, the character is immune; if the cleric is rank 9 and the martial artist is rank 8 or less, the spell resolves normally). They are also not immune to a Cause Disease from a Black Mage or Slime Mage as these are considered curses rather than true diseases.
Walking Unseen
Similar to the mage spell of the same name. The martial artist can use this ability once per day at rank 6, twice per day at rank 10, three times a day at rank 12 and four times a day at rank 15 and higher. Duration of each use is equal to ((rank + (WP - 15)) x 5) minutes.
Damage Reduction
When this ability is first gained, the martial artist chooses one type of damage for which they gain 25% damage reduction (DR). All damage that penetrates PROT is then reduced by 25% (round damage up). Thus, if damage from a Fireball was 20 points, the Martial Artist would suffer 15 points of damage if he failed his save (20 minus 25% = 15) or 8 points if he made his save (half of 20 is 10, 10 minus 25%, rounded up, is 8).
The five types of damage are:
- Slashing (including claws)
- Crushing
- Piercing
- Elemental (cone of cold, fireball, lightning bolt, meteor shower, torrential geyser, etc.)
- Non-Elemental (cause light wounds, HP drain, mental bolt, etc.)
Thereafter, the martial artist can improve their DR each rank. At rank 7, the martial artist can choose either to increase their current DR by 5% or choose an new DR at 25%. For example, a martial artist who chose Slashing DR at rank 6, can either choose to improve Slashing DR from 25% to 30% or they can choose another DR such as Elemental.
No DR can improve beyond 50% until the character has all other types of DR at 25% or higher.
Focused Attack
A martial artist can give up one of their attacks for the round in an effort to do more damage. The martial artist rolls initiative normally but then discards the highest initiative roll and applies a -2 modifier to all remaining initiative rolls. If the martial artist gets 3 or more attacks per round, the remaining attacks will take place after the Focused Attack. For example, if the martial artist rolls initiatives of 14, 11 and 11, they discard the 14 and apply a -2 to the remaining initiatives. The Focused Attack would occur on initiative 9 and the final attack on initiative 8.
The Strike Chance for a focused attack is modified by -10 and damage is increased by the amount listed in the table below:
Rank | Single Class | Multi-Class |
6 | +1d8 | +1d8 |
7-8 | +1d10 | +1d10 |
9-11 | +2d6+1 | +2d6 |
12-15 | +2d6+2 | +2d6 |
16+ | +2d8+2 | +2d8 |
Cell Adjustment
Once per day (twice per day at rank 10 and higher), the martial artist can concentrate on his wounds and heal himself 2d6+2 hit points, plus 2 additional hit points per rank above 7th. This ability can be used in combat but must be done at the beginning of the round and the martial artist loses half of his attacks for the round (round down - thus, if the martial artist normally gets 3 attacks per round, he would get 2 attacks that round) and suffers a -5 to his initiative for the remaining attacks.
Note that Cell Adjustment cannot heal significant blood loss. This doesn't apply to minor blood loss of a few points but does apply to significant blood loss of more than a few points.
Cell Adjustment can also not heal poison damage until the poison has been neutralized. For example, if the martial artist has taken 20 points of poison damage and then a healer casts a Slow Poison on him, Cell Adjustment cannot heal the 20 damage until the poison is actually neutralized rather than just slowed.
Low Density Leap
This is an alternative application of the Body Equilibrium talent that allows the martial artist to alter his weight and density in order to perform a long leap. The martial artist can leap up to (rank x 4) feet. The effort of suppressing their weight is tiring and so the martial artist suffers 4d6 NL damage each time he uses this ability. The leap can be forwards, backwards, to the side or even straight up and long as the total distance does not exceed (rank x 4) feet. If it does, he suffers normal falling damage.
Body Equilibrium
The martial artist is able to adjust his own body weight and density to allow him to walk on difficult, or even normally impossible, surfaces, as indicated by the following table. Doing so is very tiring (i.e., the martial artist suffers non-lethal damage when using this ability).
Rank | Surface | NL Damage |
7 | Stone, dirt or thin ice | 1 every (rank - 6) rounds |
8 | Mud or snow | 1d3 every (rank - 6) rounds |
10 | Water | 1d6 per round |
12 | Vapors (clouds, smoke, etc.) | 2d6 per round |
The martial artist does not leave tracks on any surface that he is able to walk on. He cannot move faster than normal TMR.
Mind Over Body
The martial artist can go for 2 days (+1 day per rank over 9th) without the need for water, food, rest or sleep. At the end of this period, the martial artist must spend an equal amount of time resting, eating and drinking to regain their strength. This discipline cannot be used again until after this rest period.
Resistant to beguiling, charms, control, hypnosis, and suggestion
Spells or effects that attempt to directly influence the mind of the Martial Artist have only a 50% chance of affecting a level 10 Martial Artist. Resistance increase by 5% per level above 10th. Saving throws apply if the resistance roll fails (assuming a saving throw is normally allowed).
Temperature Endurance
As the Martial Artist enters the Exalted Ranks of their order, they have become less susceptible to extremes in temperature. The Martial Artist it perfectly comfortable in temperatures between –10 and +140 degrees F. These extremes increase by 5 degrees per level above 11th (i.e., -15 and +145 at level 12, -20 and +15 at level 13, etc.).
Immune to Poison
The martial artist is immune to all natural poisons. This includes those poisons found in normal animals and plants, even the most venemous, as well as giant versions of normal creatures such as giant scorpions. It is up to the GM to determine immunities to more potent poisons, such as those created by monsters or exotic poisons created by alchemists. If the GM determines that this immunity does not apply, the martial artist gains a +10 to his save and should be assumed to have made their save, which generally means suffering less effects of the poison.
Living Lightning:
If a mage targets the Martial Artist with a spell, the Martial Artist has a chance of avoiding the spell. Base Chance is 50% plus or minus 5% per level difference between Martial Artist's level and the overall level of the Mage (not the rank of the spell). The martial artist loses an action each time this ability is used. If they have already used all of their actions in a given round, they can abort their first action of the next round to use this ability. However, if they do so, and are targeted with another spell after having aborted the first action of their next round, they cannot use this ability on the second (and subsequent) spells.
Advanced Martial Artist Abilities
Advanced martial artist abilities are abilities that the martial artist can learn and spend EXP on if they meet the prerequisites. These abilities, and their prerequisites, include
- Mystic Sense (WP 20, PER 22, Martial Artist 4)
- Great Leaps (DEX 22, STR 20, Martial Artist 4, Acrobatics 5)
- Environmental Movement (WP 19, DEX 22, Martial Artist 6)
Single Classed Martial Artist
A single classed martial artist may choose one of the following options:
- Unarmed Specialist - The martial artist gains a +1 to damage for all martial arts attacks. This increases to +2 at rank 6, +3 at rank 10, +4 at rank 12 and +5 at rank 15.
- Weapons Kata - The martial artist likes to combine weapons with martial arts. They can specialize in a single weapon. They can add a second weapon specialization at rank 8. Note that Martial Artist is considered a master skill so the martial artist cannot buy Master Swordsman skill to augment his weapons training.
Required Skills
Required skills must be bought up to improve Overall Level. Required skills must be included when calculating Overall Level.
Required skills for Martial Artists are:
- Defense
- Martial Artist
- Range of Field (until Overall Level 12)
Skill List Multiples
General - x1 (if dual-classed then x1.25)
Holy Skills - x1.25
Warrior Skills - x1.0
Sorcery Skills - x2.0
Rogue Skills - x1.5
Talents - x1.0 |