The following rules for unarmed, or weaponless, martial arts are for the HârnMaster game system. A martial art is an ordered set of combat oriented skills. Throughout this article the term ‘style’, or 'martial art' is used instead of more specific names.

Styles

The following are example styles that the GM has the option of adding. Each style has an attack/defense modifier, a general description, and list of available advanced techniques the PC may earn through advancement.

Brawling [0/2]

This automatic skill is used by any PC that is untrained in unarmed combat. Each PC has his own eclectic style with no special techniques beyond the basics.

V’Hirii [5/0] – Agrikan Fighting Order Style

V’Hirii masters claim that they summon a lesser V’Hir into themselves for combat. In combat when not quickly bludgeoning down the opponent, the V’Hirii constantly circling and scream oaths to disorient him. The V’Hirii seem impervious to pain.

Techniques: Affectation, Precision

Laranar [3/4] - Laranian Fighting Order Style

The appearance V’Hirii (an Agrikan fighting order style) the Laranians were completely surprised and suffered for it. Unwilling to adopt neither the Agrikan, nor Navehan styles on religious principles two Laranian priests undertook the challenge to create a new style for their order and to honour Larani. This task took the priests 25 years to complete and what resulted was something as different to Agrikan Style as the followers of each faith are to each other. Laranar is highly refined style of combat that appears elegant, graceful, and even casual. To see a Laranar master is to see the calm at the center of the storm with only opponents being thrown about as leaves on the wind.

Techniques: Parry, Anticipation, Throws, Sweeps/Trips

[3/2] – Navehan Fighting Style

Born of the back alleys this style works best in crowded and cluttered areas that practitioners of other martial arts would avoid. Navehans will not fight out in the open if they can help it, its just not to their advantage. Navehans always fight 'up close and personal' and makes them look like a rabid badger. This is probably because this style has ONLY Close Mode Techniques. When using weapons Navehans prefer smaller weapons that are easier to conceal and use in close mode. To get there opponents into position Navehans will say just about anything nasty or offensive.

Techniques: Anticipation, Infighting, Sweeping/Tripping, Short Strikes, Ground, Throws, weapon: short strikes

Terminology

Open and Close Mode

Open mode is defined as having opponents in adjacent hexes and having no objects in or around those hexes that may foul a striking action. Opponents use long techniques to engage each other in open mode.

Close mode occurs when a practitioner shares a hex with an opponent, or is somehow hindered from using long techniques. Opponents use short techniques to engage each other in close mode.

Long and Short Techniques

Techniques where the attacker’s arm or the leg is almost straight when contact is made are called long techniques. Striking an opponent in close mode with long techniques incurs an EML penalty of -15 for hand strikes and an EML penalty -25 for foot strikes. With standing opponents punches default to the upper body table, and kicks default to the lower body table.

Short techniques can be used in close mode with no penalty. Going from open mode to close mode in combat is called stepping inside. Stepping inside in melee is difficult and gives the attacker an EML penalty of 15, unless using tactical advantage (TA). If closing on a defender with a weapon, subtract five times the defender's weapon's attack modifier from attacker EML. This modifier is halved on a TA.

Straight-Line and Round Techniques

Straight-line techniques are long or short techniques that move directly from the attacker to, and possibly through, a target. These techniques do not require the attacker to turn around, spin, tumble, or flip to deliver a strike. The attacker may, however, step into his opponent’s hex to deliver the strike.

Round techniques are long or short techniques. Round techniques involving the attacker spinning around at least once to deliver one or more strikes. These techniques are a little slower than straight-line Techniques, but are harder to counter.

Defensive Techniques

Defensive techniques include blocking, parrying, evasion, breakfall, disarming, and even running away.

Action Dice

The number of dice stipulated for an action on the combat tables (A*1…A*4, D*1…D*4, or B*1…B*4). For example: A*3 is 3 Action Dice (AD).

Basic Techniques

Evasion

Anyone with this technique may use it instead of the dodge skill in combat.

Grappling Techniques

grappling technique are close mode techniques designed to hold, or restrain an opponent primarily through strength and simple techniques. An attacker must be engaged or in close mode, and a defender may use any defense including grappling technique. A hold is obtained by the attacker achieving any successful "strike" result. In order to restrain the defender the attacker and the defender must roll 3d6+STR-(Physical Penalty). If the attacker has a higher roll than the defender the hold is kept.

Blocking

The blocking technique is used whenever a Block results from the combat tables. The defender uses a limb to obstruct the attack. There is no weapon check roll, and reduce attack dice by 1 (A*3 becomes A*2). If the defender is blocking a weapon use the weapons regular damage.

Pulling Punches

The practitioner may wish to reduce the impact damage they can deliver. In order to pull a punch the Attacker subtracts 15 from his martial arts EML. On a successful hit the Attacker must declare the amount of impact he is pulling before rolling for impact. If the total impact is less than 1 treat the strike as 0 impact.

Breakfall

Breakfall allows the defender to reduce impact from a fall or a throw: this skill looks much like acrobatic landing or tumbling. Impact is modified according to the following table. Zero or negative impact points are ignored (meaning no damage is taken).

Success

Impact

Success

Impact

CS

Reduced by SI*2

CF

No Effect

MS

Reduced by SI

MF

Increased by 12-SI

Option 1: having the martial arts Breakfall technique allows opening acrobatics at +1SB.

Form

Form is the perfection of throwing a punch or kick that maximizes the impact of a strike. Add on MS: SI/3, or CS: SI/2 blunt impact to a punch or kick attack. For example: With an attacker ML of 70 achieves an MS, and defender MF the attacker delivers 2d6 + 2 impact instead of 2d6.

Option 1: If Form is combined with a another technique Add on MS: SI/3, or on CS: SI/2 to the Action Dice Roll.

Advanced Techniques

Precision

Students of this technique learned where to hit their opponent for best effect.

MS: May add or subtract SI from hit location. Attacker’s choice of {location, location+SI, location-SI}.

CS: Add or subtract up to SI from hit location. Attacker’s choice of {location-SI to location+SI}.

Parrying

The parrying technique is used whenever a Block results from the combat tables. Parrying is an improvement over the Basic Technique of Blocking. With Blocking the defender tries to stop the attacker's strike with an equal counter force. Parrying differs in that the defender applies force to redirect the attacker’s strike in such as to cause it to miss the defender. Use the table below to modify attack dice result.

Defender Success

CS

MS

MF

Parry Unarmed

-4d6

-3d6

-1d6

Parry Weapon

-3d6

-2d6

0

Please Note: There are no Block results for defender CF in the combat tables of either HM1 or HMC.

Option: Replacing martial arts Blocking with Parrying as a basic technique?

Example 1: The Defender parries a punch with an MS and takes 1d6 blunt impact.

Example 2: The Defender parries a dagger thrust with an MS and takes 2d6 of weapon impact.

Short Techniques

Short techniques are close mode techniques. Short techniques are designed to be used against an opponent occupying the same hex with no penalty. These strikes are made with hands, feet, elbows, knees, and (occasionally) the head. If the attacker declares that he is using his knees or elbows add 1d6 to attacker's impact of any successful attack made.

Ground Techniques

Ground techniques are a collection of strikes and tumbling attacks a defender can use while seated or prone. These primarily defensive techniques add 10 to the defender's EML for blocking or evading and eliminate the attacker's prone bonus to EML for attacking. Ground techniques use the normal engagement zone and the attacker targets the lower body table by default, the general body table at EML -10, and the upper body table at EML -20.

Disarming Techniques

These are techniques designed to remove single-handed weapons from a defender's grip. The attacker rolls with an EML penalty of 15 against his martial art skill. On a successful melee, or counterstrike, the number of attacker's action dice are used to define the defender’s fumble roll. Add an EML penalty of 25 for the attacker if the defender’s weapon is a Shield or a two-handed weapons.

Infighting

Designed for use against multiple opponents infighting is a collection of advanced evading and parrying techniques that allow the defender to redirect attacks from one opponent into another. The defenders takes only half the normal penalty for multiple enemies; that is –5 per additional opponent instead of –10 per additional opponent. To use infighting the defender uses the counterstrike option table. With a D*? or B*? result the defender safely redirects the attack into another opponent or object. The new target may dodge/evade at half skill.

Sleeper Techniques

Sleeper techniques are close mode techniques. These attacks range from quick strikes to neck to strangulation holds, but for our purposes they will be considered a joint locking technique (see below). This technique allows the attacker to subdue their opponent without harming them. With the successful use of this technique the attacker's Action Dice plus one are used for a defender's shock roll. For example: An A*3 would becomes an E4+Physical Penalty versus Endurance (See HMC combat). If the Defender succeeds see holding techniques describe below. If the defender fails the shock roll he goes unconscious (see HMC: Combat and skills). The defender is left unharmed by the attack but remains unconscious according to the rules given in HMC combat.

Throwing Techniques

Throws are close mode techniques. When a practitioner wishes to throw an opponent he make his attack as normal (melee, or counterstrike). The attacker declares his intent and makes his attack roll against martial arts EML. On a successful attack (A*1…A*4) the attacker is considered to gain a throwing-grip. The attacker throws the defender into a hex adjacent to the attacker. If the defender has Breakfall skill he may attempt it to reduce blunt impact of the throw. The defender takes action dice blunt damage modified by the fall table (see HMC skills: climbing). The defender also makes an E2 shock roll to see if he is stunned for 1d4 rounds.

Note: If the defender is thrown onto something nasty treat it as an additional strike on the ignore table at GM's discretion.

Counterstrikes are a special case, if the combatants get B*1…B*4 both attacks fail and they both roll the following.

Fumble roll - Make a fumble roll equal to Action Dice to see if the grip is maintained.

Stumble roll - use Action Dice to see if PC falls.

Joint Locking Techniques

Joint locks are close mode techniques that allow an attacker to grab and immobilize a defender. The attacker places one of the defender's limbs in such position that escape is only possible by either the attacker releasing the defender, or the defender breaking or dislocating his own limb. After obtaining the lock the attacker can maintain it indefinitely as it does not require any effort on the attacker's part.

To gain a hold the attacker makes a normal attack using the Melee table. If he gains any attack roll (A*1…A*4) he is considered to have gained a grip on the defender and can now attempt to use a hold techniques. The attacker and defender both roll:

3d6+(martial art SI*2)+(Action Dice)-(Physical Penalty)

Re-roll all ties. If the attacker rolls higher the hold is obtained. If the attacker rolls lower then the defender both return to the hex where they began this exchange.The defender may try to break the hold on following turn using the same formula.

For the duration of the joint lock the Defender has a Special Penalty of (Attacker's Martial Art SI/2) due to pain.

Sweeping and Tripping

These techniques are designed to send a defender into a hex of the attacker's choice. On a successful roll, the action dice are converted into Stumble roll. (A*1…A*4) becomes (S1…S4)+(Physical Penalty) versus AGL. If the defender falls the on a CS the attacker chooses the destination hex. On a MS the destination hex is rolled. On a CF the Defender gets a TA.

Studying Martial Arts

In an organized school students learn skills one technique at a time. Students first must learn basic techniques. These are what everything else is built on. Afterwards, students learn the advanced techniques of their martial art. Students learn one technique per SI beginning at 1 and going until 5, these include Evasion, Blocking, Pulling Punches, Breakfall, and Form. The order that technique is taught is dependent on the teacher.

After all of the basic techniques have been learned students may study advanced techniques. Advanced techniques include Precision, Parrying, Short Techniques, Ground Techniques, Disarming Techniques, Infighting, Affectation, Sleeper Techniques, Throwing Techniques, Holding Techniques, Joint Locks, Sweeping & Tripping, and Anticipation. The student may learn one advanced technique for each SI above 5.

Improvement

Students may improve their martial arts through regular means but may not gain new techniques without a teacher.

Teachers

The student finds a teacher who is willing teach the new technique. To learn a new technique a students may not improve to the next SI level without spending (20 minus student INT) days studying with a teacher .

Note 1: For some martial art advanced techniques it may be difficult to find a teacher. Consider this search for pre-game or adventure material.

Treatise

The student uses a treatise to learn a new technique. Self study requires (15-(Martial Art SI)) /2 months of intensive study and practice.

Technique Research

Student may create their own martial art technique. This requires an ML 80+. To calculate the time required to develop a new technique is 21-INT months of intensive experimentation and refinement (study and practice).

Advanced Weapon Techniques

It is only logical to take something useful and try to apply it to other situations. In order to use a martial art technique with a weapon the technique is treated as a specialty, and learned for each weapon. Not all martial art techniques are appropriate as weapon techniques; for example using a lance for infighting.

More Advanced Combat Skills

The following are additional advanced skills that may be used with any combat skill.

Initiaitive:Anticipation

This specialty on specialty allows the attacker to ‘read’ the defender and anticipate the defender's next move and use it to the attackers advantage. On a success the attacker improves the success level of his action based on the following table.

Success

Result

CS

Increase success level by 2

MS

Increase success level by 1

MF

No Effect

CF

Decrease success level by 1

Anticipation may only be attempted once by the PC whose turn it is to strike, and if two opponents simultaneously try this specialty, the turn is lost because both sides are too busy watching the other and thus nobody hits.

Affectation

This is an acting skill specialty that allows the attacker to begin combat by performing an act. This act misleads the defender allowing the attacker a free attack. Each person who witnesses the act is rolls to see if thay believe it every round. Viewer gullibility is tested by making an awareness roll with EML minus the attacker’s acting skill SI*5. If the defender/viewer succeeds the ruse has failed to trick the defender. After the first attack the defender knows he has been tricked, but other viewers must continue to roll gullibility until it they succeed or are informed.

Examples of commonly used affectations are of a bumbling oaf, a mad man, a blind man, a pathetic coward, or a stumbling drunkard.

Option: The GM may modify enemy morale rolls based on the success of the practitioner’s act.

This page was last updated on January 23, 2002
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