Author Topic: Greatest Martial Artist  (Read 3332 times)

Offline Gatts

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Greatest Martial Artist
« on: March 06, 2012, 03:29:19 PM »
Hey guys, I'm going to be playing a (mostly mortal) superhero in an upcoming game a friend is running with the DFRPG system, and I'm finding myself struggling with Fists stunts. Some of them seem obvious, but with Inhuman Speed the defensive ones seem almost pointless.

So, the point of the thread: If you were to make the greatest martial artist ever, with the DFRPG system, what stunts would you take?

Thanks in advance for the help.

Offline Vargo Teras

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Re: Greatest Martial Artist
« Reply #1 on: March 06, 2012, 05:05:22 PM »
That depends on refresh level and availability of Inhuman+ attributes.  If you're capped at Inhuman, then Footwork is a good choice.  If you're capped at Mythic, you're better off taking Speed powers and using Athletics for a defense.  If you're not taking any Strength-related powers, but the enemies are, then Might and associated stunts are to be avoided; if you've got Supernatural Strength and Wrestler, then you can be a skilled grappler.  Armed Arts can be useful, but if your GM lets you take Claws to represent powerful kung fu, you're better off with that.

Offline Gatts

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Re: Greatest Martial Artist
« Reply #2 on: March 06, 2012, 05:12:08 PM »
It's a fairly high refresh game, and we've all been given three Inhumans. Apart from that, I mostly want to make him with stunts though.

Offline Mr. Death

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Re: Greatest Martial Artist
« Reply #3 on: March 06, 2012, 05:13:15 PM »
Killing Blow and Lethal Weapon can be useful (particularly as Killing Blow can stack).

I'm partial to Redirected Force, personally.
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Offline Sanctaphrax

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Re: Greatest Martial Artist
« Reply #4 on: March 06, 2012, 07:04:20 PM »
Claws would be a good power to buy. Lethal Weapon is okay, but Claws outclasses it. Armed Arts might be able to compete with Claws, but I'd rather have the power.

The Martial Artist stunt is pretty much mandatory.

You have a tough choice about defence here. Fists or Athletics? Whether or not you want Speed will make a big difference to this choice.

If you pick Fists, Footwork is probably a good idea.

Beyond that...make your own stunts. Sticking to canon stunts is crazy. Your Story explicitly tells you not to do it.

If you need inspiration, here's the Fists section of the revised homebrew stunt list:

Fists:

Patterns: Martial arts are actually a lot like dancing. You may use Fists instead of Performance to demonstrate martial arts moves.
Competition Fighting: You are a martial artist, not a fighter. Add one to your Fists skill as long as you aren't in a real fight.
Board Breaking: You break stuff with your hands. You may use your Fists skill for the Breaking Things trapping of the Might skill.
Street Fighter: You don't fight by the rules. If there's a piece of lead pipe lying around, you'll use it. You may use your Fists skill to wield improvised weapons.
No Holds Barred Beatdown: What’s the opposite of mercy? Whatever it is, you show plenty of it in your fights. All of your attacks with Fists inflict X additional stress, where X is the level of the worst consequence that you have inflicted on the target this scene. (A similar stunt could exist in Guns or in Weapons.)
Use Their Strength Against Them: Excessive strength can be a disadvantage if your opponent knows how to exploit it. Add one to your Fists skill when using it to attack, defend against, or block the actions of a character whose Might skill is greater than your Fists skill. (A similar stunt could exist in Weapons.)
Nasty Infighter: You practice judo or another grappling-based martial art. You may use your Fists skill for the Wrestling trapping of the Might skill.
Throws And Holds: (Requires Nasty Infighter) If you aren’t careful when attacking a wrestler, you’ll end up on the ground. On a successful close-combat defence with Fists, you may sacrifice your next action and invoke one of the attacker's aspects in order to turn that defence into an immediate grapple against the attacker with a strength equal to your defence roll. This grapple does not need to be renewed until you act again.
Guard Breaker: You have a talent for getting around certain types of defence. Pick a skill. Add one to your Fists skill when attacking someone who is using that skill to defend. (A similar stunt could exist in Guns or in Weapons.)
Potent Poison: The poison produced by your body is exceptionally powerful. Add one to your Fists skill for any use of the Venomous trapping of the Claws power.*
Destroyer Of Abominations: You hit harder when your enemy is something blasphemous. All attacks that you make with the Fists skill inflict two additional stress to creatures that are in some way unusually offensive to your faith. (A similar stunt could exist in Guns or in Weapons.)
Kick The Bruise: It really hurts to take two hits to the same place. Whenever you tag or invoke a consequence to benefit a Fists attack, that attack inflicts two extra stress. (A similar stunt could exist in Guns or in Weapons.)
Storm Of Punches: A great warrior fights as well against a thousand enemies as he does against one. You may make spray attacks with your Fists skill.
Demesne-Assisted Combat Focus: It's easy to win a fight when you control the world around you. Add one to your Fists skill when using to attack as long as you are in your Demesne. (A similar stunt could exist in Guns or in Weapons.)*
Demesne-Assisted Combat Specialization: It's easy to win a fight when you control the world around you. As long as you are in your Demesne, your Fists attacks inflict two additional stress. (A similar stunt could exist in Guns or in Weapons.)*
Bull Charge: You know how to use your momentum in a fight. If you move at least one zone as a supplemental action before making an attack with Fists, that attack inflicts two additional stress. (A similar stunt could exist in Guns or in Weapons.)
Talking With Your Fists: A guy with the ability to hurt you is always scary, even if he's got no charisma at all. You may use your Fists skill instead of your Intimidation skill when threatening someone with violence. (A similar stunt could exist in Guns or in Weapons.)
Unorthodox Fighting: People with formal training are less able to defend against your tomfoolery in combat. Add one to your Fists skill when making attacks against opponents who adhere strictly to a formal style of combat. (A similar stunt could exist in Guns or in Weapons.)
Give As Good As I Get: Sometimes, you have to do something crazy in order to win a fight. Once per scene, when you are attacked, you may spend a Fate Point. If you do so, you defend against the attack with an effective skill of Mediocre and may not use a Block to replace your defense roll. This might sound pretty grim, but take heart; if you attack your attacker with your Fists skill during your next action, you may add three to your attack roll and increase the weapon rating of your attack by three. (A similar stunt could exist in Weapons or in Guns.)

Offline Gatts

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Re: Greatest Martial Artist
« Reply #5 on: March 06, 2012, 07:29:10 PM »
I was thinking Inhuman Strength, Speed and Recovery for the freebies, but I really don't want to take more powers than that.

I'm having a lot of trouble coming up with characterful stunts though. Perhaps something that could work with a three section staff?

Offline Sanctaphrax

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Re: Greatest Martial Artist
« Reply #6 on: March 06, 2012, 08:08:13 PM »
Maybe this guy would be good inspiration.

Offline Gatts

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Re: Greatest Martial Artist
« Reply #7 on: March 06, 2012, 08:47:03 PM »
Maybe this guy would be good inspiration.

That actually looks pretty close to what I'm going for, thanks. Might take footwork after all, and even use Redirected Force to disarm people with the staff.

Offline Gatts

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Re: Greatest Martial Artist
« Reply #8 on: March 08, 2012, 07:48:41 PM »
This didn't really seem like making another thread for, but I have a question:
How would you guys represent a Three Section Staff, ruleswise? What kind of stunts could you use with one, what weapon rating, how would you represent the difference in use with various styles or grips?

Offline devonapple

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Re: Greatest Martial Artist
« Reply #9 on: March 08, 2012, 07:57:32 PM »
This didn't really seem like making another thread for, but I have a question:
How would you guys represent a Three Section Staff, ruleswise? What kind of stunts could you use with one, what weapon rating, how would you represent the difference in use with various styles or grips?

I'd rate it the same damage as either a club or a staff, and if you wanted to do non-standard things with them, I'd make them Stunts. What do you perceive to be the advantages of a three-section staff?

You may also be looking for a lot more rules crunch than DFRPG is intended to provide. Optimizing weapon choice is for systems like D&D: DFRPG is primarily about narrative flavor. There is still some number crunching to do, of course.
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Offline Sanctaphrax

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Re: Greatest Martial Artist
« Reply #10 on: March 08, 2012, 08:09:09 PM »
Weapon 2, with an aspect of THREE-SECTION STAFF. Styles and grips fuel Declarations with the Martial Artist stunt.

If a player asked to have a specially-well-made staff that was weapon 3, I'd say yes.

Offline Gatts

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Re: Greatest Martial Artist
« Reply #11 on: March 08, 2012, 08:14:15 PM »
I'd rate it the same damage as either a club or a staff, and if you wanted to do non-standard things with them, I'd make them Stunts. What do you perceive to be the advantages of a three-section staff?

You may also be looking for a lot more rules crunch than DFRPG is intended to provide. Optimizing weapon choice is for systems like D&D: DFRPG is primarily about narrative flavor. There is still some number crunching to do, of course.

I wasn't looking for crunch so much, as suggestions for stunts that would let me take advantage of a versatile weapon. I've thought of things like using declarations to pass certain kinds of defenses when used as a flail, and using it to justify disarming manoeuvres with Redirected Force but that's all I have.

Weapon 2, with an aspect of THREE-SECTION STAFF. Styles and grips fuel Declarations with the Martial Artist stunt.

If a player asked to have a specially-well-made staff that was weapon 3, I'd say yes.

So a weapon can have an aspect? I assume it would just work like one of my ordinary aspects, with the same rules for invocation and compels?

Offline Sanctaphrax

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Re: Greatest Martial Artist
« Reply #12 on: March 08, 2012, 08:18:55 PM »
In my view, you can put an aspect on anything. And they all work the same way as character aspects.

You could take a stunt giving you +1 to attack or +2 stress or +2 defence with a specific weapon. Kinda boring, but effective.

Offline Gatts

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Re: Greatest Martial Artist
« Reply #13 on: March 08, 2012, 08:22:51 PM »
In my view, you can put an aspect on anything. And they all work the same way as character aspects.

You could take a stunt giving you +1 to attack or +2 stress or +2 defence with a specific weapon. Kinda boring, but effective.

I happily stole your +2 defense aspect, because it seems fitting and meshes really well with Footwork and Redirected Force. I'm looking forward to having some good times with that combination, so thanks for that.

Offline Haru

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Re: Greatest Martial Artist
« Reply #14 on: March 08, 2012, 11:09:19 PM »
I've always liked the idea of a character that makes use of the full defence rules. This is what I came up with, maybe there's something you like.

defensive stance:
For one exchange after leaving a full defence, you keep the bonus to your dodge roll.

gathering strength:
After successfully blocking an attack in full defence, you gain +2 to your fists attack against the attacker for your next exchange.
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