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Fighting for Squishy Humans - Commentary

Page history last edited by Haken Browning 13 years ago

 "This is where the mysteries of harmony and focus were unraveled. This is the birthplace of kung-fu. Do you want to learn kung-fu?"

"Yeah!"

"Then I am your master!"

 

So now that we've thrown a bunch of combat feats at you piecemeal, let's analyze some combinations of said feats and how utterly broken even the squishiest PL5 can become with proper specialization. 

 

Terminal: At the very least, Grappling Finesse is always useful because it lets you use your Dex and Dodge Bonus if you get tied up, plus you might want Improved Evasion to let you dive for cover if the enemy sneaks in an area attack and Elusive Target to stop you getting tied up and wrecked by ranged shooters. Of course, that's not being very pro-active... then again, going active against kaijin is a good way to get yourself killed.

 

If you're really so inclined, though, there's two prevailing schools of thought in martial arts: hard-style and soft-style. And you'll need two very different approaches for those.

 

The base needs for a hard stylist are gonna be high STR and you'll want Power Attack to really hammer that strength home. If you're going to have high STR anyway, you may as well take some grappling feats, and Improved Grab lets you absolutely break the system, but I'll get to that in a minute.

 

If you're playing soft-style, the trick is to stay defensive. You probably won't be dealing damage, but you'll also be a complete douche to try and hit. Total Defense can give you a ridiculous AC if you build around it, but mostly you're going to want Improved Trip and Improved Throw. Now, who wants to hear some thoroughly gamebreaking strategies for each style?

 

Haken Browning: I wasn't aware you could break feats.

 

Terminal: Hard style first: Improved Grab. Improved Grab is beautiful, because it lets you turn a successful attack, whether it does damage or not, into a grapple. Why is this so beautiful? Because M&M streamlined the grappling system so that simply succeeding on your opposed grapple check lets you do your grapple action of choice. So: all-out or accurate attack, hit their AC, do damage, grapple, beat their grapple roll, do damage twice in one round.

 

As for Soft-style, the basic trick to it is to be pro-active with your defense. Now while that sounds weird, it's not really. And the best way you can do it is with a combination of Improved Trip and Improved Throw. Basically, ready Improved Trip to go off when they move next to you - because moving and attacking are separate actions - and you just cost them their turn while they have to pick themselves up, unless they have Instant Up or Prone Fighting, in which case you're probably fucked.

 

Haken Browning: Alright, so what happens if you end up getting grappled and you're a squishy wizard?

 

Terminal: Make them regret it. DEX 20, Grappling Finesse, Improved Pin, and Chokehold costs 13 points, lets you take control of the grapple with little effort and you don't lose your dodge bonus for being grappled. If you do manage to gain control of the grapple, you can pin them hard and make them tap or choke. Anything else?

 

Haken Browning: A lot of this stuff focuses on static hand-to-hand combat, and assuming you're standing in the one place while you thump the approaching opposition. What if I'm eager to take the fight to them?

 

Terminal: Improved Trip, Throw, Overrun, and Move-By Action. For four points, you can run at the other guy, they can't avoid you, you trip them at a +8 while they defend with their worse score, and you can move *afterwards* as well. I am amazing.

 

Haken Browning: ... had I not seen first-hand how stupidly good you actually are I would hit you for the ego, but you're actually right... goddamnit. That's harsh.

 

Terminal: I declare any shitstorm caused by my freeform martial arts prowess to be independent from in-character developments. In the meantime, here's some feat packages that approximate a variety of martial arts types.

 

 

Tai Chi Chuan (10+ points):

Slap Silly (ranked), Instant Up, Defensive Attack, Elusive Target, Grappling Finesse, Improved Defense, Uncanny Dodge (ranked), Redirect, Improved Trip, Improved Throw 

 

Haken Browning: Tai Chi is all about self-defense via inner focus. Improved Defense tops out your Dodge Bonus from taking the Total Defense action, while Uncanny Dodge tied to one or two major senses makes sure you have access to it at all times. Should anything manage to get close enough to you to be a threat, Slap Silly forces a Fort Save against Dazed that can easily be imposed via the usual Grappling boosts. For you cockier sorts, Redirect (with sufficient Bluff ranks, or feinting skill analogues) can turn close-quarters into a hotbed for ALL the wrong people, and Defensive Attack lets you gain further temporary boosts to your Defense DC as you go.

 

Voiceless Dragon (12+ points):

Zen Strike, Grappling Finesse, Improved Trip, Improved Block (ranked), Improved Disarm (ranked), Improved Sunder, Weapon Bind, Weapon Break, Accurate Attack, Stunning Attack, Move-By Action, Chokehold

 

Haken Browning: Voiceless Dragon is Term's go-to soft style, and it shows with feats designed around countering incoming grapples. Improved Block and Disarm shut down incoming melee (doubly so when Disarm kicks in against handheld melee weapons), and quickly chain into Weapon Bind and Weapon Break - with the latter also tripping Improved Sunder. Zen Strike is a must-have for Squishy Wizard-types; the hefty WIS bonus you've been building up to resist mindfuck damage turns into your melee damage bonus, and pairs well with Stunning Attack if you've got reliable allies.

 

Mixed Martial Arts (11 points):

Accurate Attack, All-Out Attack, Defensive Attack, Power Attack, Prone Fighting, Instant Up, Improved Grab, Improved Grapple, Improved Pin, Chokehold

 

Haken Browning: MMA is a little of everything, with predominantly hard-style technique - note that Grappling Finesse isn't included here; you're meant to roll your STR bonus as you grapple and make up the loss in Dodge Bonus via Defensive Attack...assuming you don't Accurate/All-Out Attack into Improved Grab and promptly clinch it by tagging Improved Pin to Chokehold. Power Attack's there to round out the tradeoff set for when early damage-dealing is paramount, and Instant Up and Prone Fighting are there to save you if something goes wrong.

 

Ghetto Blaster (9+ points):

 All-Out Attack, Blind-Fight, Power Attack, Sneak Attack (ranked), Rage (ranked), Stunning Attack, Takedown Attack (ranked), Interpose, Withstand Damage (ranked)

 

Haken Browning: I tried to Google "Ghetto Blaster" as a martial arts technique and only got the one UFC fighter or whatever who's co-opting this nickname for oversized boom boxes. True to the moniker, this package is meant for the urban fighter type - All-Out and Power Attack sap for heavy damage off the bat, Sneak Attack wrecks anything you have the jump on, Blind-Fight prevents foes from getting the jump on YOU, and Interpose pairs with Withstand Damage to cover allies handily. Rage pours even further STR (and thus Damage Bonus) into the mix, and works wonders with both ranks of Takedown Attack for carving a bloody trail of destruction.

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