Martial Arts versus Powers

[Dust Raven]

Re: Martial Arts versus Powers

 

I wasn't aware that UMA was out of print either. Hard to believe really. I figured that all of the Ultimate Books would remain in print... well forever really. Especially the UMA. I'm in the group who thinks it's vital. Hell, most of the rules in there should have been in the core book in my opinion (would have saved me of buying the book if they were, so maybe not good for DOJ).

[pinecone]

Re: Martial Arts versus Powers

 

Add me as a "Me too!" vote on UMA...I like MA moves ...but at the champs level a Multi-fu is usaully a better way to go...I use both ways ...about 50/50..

[zornwil]

Re: Martial Arts versus Powers

 

People may want to bring this up in the "Company" forum and let DOJ know directly.

[ParitySoul]

Re: Martial Arts versus Powers

 

Besides another 'me too' on the reprint/revision of UMA I find this thread interesting. But ever since my mentor GM showed me his Martial Artists built totaly from powers, the dividing line between the two has blurred heavily these days.

[Hyper-Man]

Re: Martial Arts versus Powers

 

Hi all,

 

I was doing some research in my well worn copy of UMA today and found this usefull tidbit on page 101.

 

Extra DCs add to damage from martial arts maneuvers. They add both to armed and unarmed martial arts maneuvers. If the maneuver is a fist punch, Extra DCs apply; if the maneuver is a Martial Strike requiring the use of a sword, Extra DCs apply.

They do not add to any other sort of damage: not to damage used with non-martial arts maneuvers, not to unarmed attacks bought with the HA or HKA Powers, and so forth.

 

 

Seems like a case of SFX being very important.

 

BTW, I am not sure if any of this was changed with 5ER. I wonder if the new Combat Handbook addresses this at all?

 

Just a reminder to all, Steve just verified in the rules thread (link here)that the above rule still stands. The major consequence of this that might not be aparent at first glance is that a Martial Artist who buys an unarmed HA with or without advantages will not be able to add any Martial Maneuver damage including Extra Damage Classes to the HA damage. That means that any special attack that takes advantage of both HA and bonus MA DCs must be (through) some type of focus.

 

HM

[zornwil]

Re: Martial Arts versus Powers

 

Just a reminder to all' date=' Steve just verified in the rules thread (link here)that the above rule still stands. The major consequence of this that might not be aparent at first glance is that a Martial Artist who buys an unarmed HA with or without advantages will not be able to add any Martial Maneuver damage including Extra Damage Classes to the HA damage. That means that any special attack that takes advantage of both HA and bonus MA DCs must be some type of focus.

 

HM

Can't you add a HA (Advantaged or not) to a Martial Maneuver?

 

Anyway, to help clarify I posed another question to Steve.

[Lucius]

Ultimate Martial Artist

 

Well, I did start a thread in Company Questions about the Ultimate Martial Artist. If anybody wants to weigh in, go ahead, especially if you DON'T have Ultimate Martial Artist but WANT to. You'll also see the reason why *I* think it's such a vital resource.

 

Lucius Alexander

 

Did the palindromedary eat my tagline?

[Dr. Anomaly]

Re: Martial Arts versus Powers

 

I'm really surprised to hear that UMA is out of print; I thought it was one of the most popular books/genres out there...I'm glad I got mine when I did! I don't use it terribly often (it's infrequently that I have a player who wants to play a martial artist, and I don't usually design them for NPCs) but when I do have to build a martial artist, that book's invaluable. Guess I better hop on over to Company Questions and post something to Lucius' thread.

 

On the original subject of the thread...

 

When building super-martial-artists, I tend to use a mix of martial arts manuevers and powers, freely intermixed. For example, one PC martial artist wanted a way to take out a number of thug-level opponents, scattered across an area, while leaving other people in the area (like hostages at gunpoint) untouched. I eventually built the 'manuever' ("Dragon Harvests the Pernicious Reeds") using an Energy Blast with AoE: Any Area, Selective Target, No Range, Must be able to physically walk/jump to each hex in which an attack is to be carried out. The special effect was Hidden Dragon bounding around through the area, kicking/punching/chopping the targets she chose, ignoring innocent bystanders, and winding up back in the same place she started.

 

So mixing both works best for me. Sometimes, the martial manuevers themselves are ready-made packages, without having to build the effect of a martial manuever with Advantages, Limitations, Skill Levels, Negative Skill Levels, and so on. Other times, when you want to replicate something rather astounding from a movie, Powers are definitely the way to go.

[ghost-angel]

Re: Martial Arts versus Powers

 

Steve's answer to Zornwil's question should put the whole thing to rest regarding Advantaged HA and Matial Maneuvers..

 

According to Steve the HA adds to the Martial Maneuver, without the Advantages. And I'm good with that.

[zornwil]

Re: Martial Arts versus Powers

 

I think what started the confusion was an answer Steve gave to Prestidigitator a long time ago, and the IMPLICATION but not the actual statement made people think it worked differently (including me). Anyway, it's cleared up now.

[Dust Raven]

Re: Martial Arts versus Powers

 

That means that any special attack that takes advantage of both HA and bonus MA DCs must be (through) some type of focus.

 

HM

 

This is, of course, crap. No one puts a Limitation on a Power to give it more utility or allow it to do something new and special.

 

I'll have to check out these rules... page 101 you say?... and see if they really say this or just somehow imply it. I know Steve is just as fallable as the rest of us but I can't believe he'd have a lapse this large and actually put it in print.

[zornwil]

Re: Martial Arts versus Powers

 

This is, of course, crap. No one puts a Limitation on a Power to give it more utility or allow it to do something new and special.

 

I'll have to check out these rules... page 101 you say?... and see if they really say this or just somehow imply it. I know Steve is just as fallable as the rest of us but I can't believe he'd have a lapse this large and actually put it in print.

I think Steve's answer to my last question implies that GM permission is suitable according to SFX, vide the comment he makes about whether the 1d6 HA should be added to the main attack.

[Dust Raven]

Re: Martial Arts versus Powers

 

This is, of course, crap. No one puts a Limitation on a Power to give it more utility or allow it to do something new and special.

 

I'll have to check out these rules... page 101 you say?... and see if they really say this or just somehow imply it. I know Steve is just as fallable as the rest of us but I can't believe he'd have a lapse this large and actually put it in print.

 

I reread those rules, double and tripple checking. I also rechecked the rules for adding damage. No reference is given to foci. The only restriction I can find concerning Martial DCs is that they must add to Martial Arts Maneuvers. I did find that HAs and HKAs can also add to Martial Arts Maneuvers (again, no focus restrictions). What the book doesn't do is defind what an "armed attack" is, in game mechanics. All it says is weapon. I've found write-ups for all kinds of weapons, some are built as foci, some aren't. My best guess is that any Attack Power that adds to damage (or acts as base damage) is considered an "armed attack" and is treated as such when applied to Martial Arts. Whether or not there is a Focus Limitation involved is irrelevant.

 

Therefore I think the rules aren't crap, and that you just add the damage as you would normally, and the Focus Limitation applies to the part of the damage that was bought with it and that's it.