Kibatsumejitsu (The Art of Fighting with Fang and Claw)

Compiled, contextualized and Expanded by “Super /k/ill ​ guy”

Martial Arts Characters trained in the martial arts may use this Skill to replace the Brawl Talent. Martial arts has long been depicted as a tough, time­consuming calling, which is reflected in the rules for its acquisition. During character creation, Martial Arts Skill costs two Skill dots per dot desired. If raising the Skill with freebie points, each additional dot purchased costs three freebie points. Raising this Skill with experience costs 150 percent of the normal amount for an Ability. However, characters with the Martial Arts Skill gain access to a variety of special combat maneuvers. Additionally, all martial artists learn how to throw their foes. Special Maneuvers and rules for throws are provided in the Systems Chapter, pp. 140­142. A martial artist must define her style as “hard” or “soft,” which indicates the type of special maneuvers she can learn. Hard styles, such as karate, focus on powerful strikes; soft styles, including aikido, focus on redirection and defense. 1: Beginner 2: Novice 3: Brown Belt 4: Black Belt 5: Master: Shaolin monk, Bruce Lee, etc. Possessed by: The Most Unlikely People Specialties: Snake Style, Chops, Legsweeps

Many vampires have mastered one or more forms of Martial Arts, either from their living days or through study with an undead master. The Martial Arts Skill replaces the Talent Brawl. An aspiring martial artist must choose between a hard style and a soft style. Soft styles include jujutsu, shuai­chiao, tai chi chuan, and aikido; hard styles include karate, Shaolin kung fu, tae kwon do, and wushu. For game purposes, there is no difference between the various styles, but players are encouraged to choose one for purposes of characterization. Unlike normal fighting, study of the Martial Arts requires discipline and concentration. A vampire in frenzy cannot use Martial Arts. Soft­ and hard­style martial artists have different difficulty ratings for the basic Brawl maneuvers:

Soft Hard Punch 6 5 Kick 7 6 Grapple 5 6 Throw 6 7

Soft styles • Counter Throw: The martial artist uses the attacker’s own momentum against ​ him. The defender no longer needs to grapple an opponent before throwing him and instead makes an opposed roll of Dexterity + Martial Arts against the attacker’s Dexterity + Brawl, Melee, or Martial Arts (whichever is currently appropriate). If the martial artist scores more successes, she deflects the attack and may immediately attempt to throw the attacker.

• Deflecting Block: The martial artist, concentrating completely on defense, tries ​ to prevent her opponent from doing any damage and to throw him off balance in the process. When blocking, the martial artist redirects the attacker’s momentum and rolls Dexterity + Martial Arts (difficulty 6) against the opponent’s attack roll. Each of the defender’s successes subtracts one success from the attacker’s roll. If the martial artist scores more successes than the attacker, the attacker must roll Dexterity (difficulty 8) or fall to the ground and take his own Strength rating as damage.

• Joint Lock: Having successfully grappled her opponent, a martial artist can ​ damage or control him through applying pressure to joints and pressure points. This torsion often results in broken arms, legs and even necks. The martial artist rolls Dexterity + Martial Arts to grapple, then may immediately roll Dexterity + Martial Arts again to inflict damage. For each success scored, the martial artist inflicts one Health Level of damage. • Mantis Strike: This open­handed blow targets the opponent’s vital organs or ​ (against undead opponents) Chi gates and vitae centers. Difficulty 7, Damage Str + loss of one Chi point (if Kuei­jin) or Blood Point (if Kindred). Against mortals, the Mantis Strike inflicts Str +1 damage.

• Withering Grasp: By making a successful Dexterity + Martial Arts roll, the ​ martial artist may not only inflict damage on her foe, but disarm him as well. The martial artist must score at least three successes to disarm the foe; with five successes, the martial artist may take the weapon for her own use.

• Acrobatic Dodge: Leaps, gyrations and flips allow a fast martial artist to evade ​ many blows. Back flips and elegant jumps are the hallmark of such stylists, and they deftly avoid the strikes of many opponents. By jumping, flipping, bending and spinning, an acrobatic martial artist may evade many blows at once. The martial artist uses Dexterity + Dodge as normal, but may dodge a number of hand­to­hand or melee attacks equal to his Acrobatics rating while using his full Dodge pool for each. Executing an acrobatic dodge requires the entire turn — a martial artist cannot split his dice pool or perform an acrobatic dodge in conjunction with powers such as Black Wind or Celerity.

• Cataleptic Grapple: With a proper locking hold, a grappling martial artist can ​ apply pressure to blood vessels, the diaphragm, lungs, or simply against specific pressure points. In any case, the results are similar — the victim lapses into unconsciousness. A cataleptic grapple requires a successful grapple first; the martial artist must have a secure hold on the opponent. Then the martial artist must roll Perception + Martial Arts (difficulty 7); this is an extended roll, with each success inflicting one level of unsoakable bashing damage. As long as the martial artist keeps the hold, he can continue to apply pressure, stunning the opponent and even eventually killing her. As always, once the opponent is taken to the Incapacitated health level, she lapses into unconsciousness.

A cataleptic grapple can be used against the Kuei­Jin (by blocking chi flow with pressure points), but as always, the vampire takes only half bashing damage, so such an attack generally takes quite a while to incapacitate the unliving. Cataleptic grapples have no effect on Western Kindred.

• Push Hands: Practice in Tai Chi includes “push hands,” a game wherein the ​ stylists press against one another in special poses while trying to force the opponent off­balance. A skilled practitioner learns to read body language, anticipate motion and shift balance with subtle pressure. When a stylist with push hands is attacked, the martial artist may defend with this technique. The player rolls a normal block, but with difficulty 7. If successful, the attacker is knocked to the ground, suffering a number of dice of bashing damage equal to his or her strength (automatic strength successes from Black Wind and Potence do count for this) while the Tai Chi master sidesteps and simply gives the foe a little nudge.

• Reactive Strike: Parrying, pushing and riposting in rapid succession, the martial ​ artist seizes a brief opening to come in under the opponent’s guard. When using a reactive strike, the martial artist must split his dice pool or otherwise perform at least two actions in the turn. The first action must block the opponent’s attack; failure on the block negates the reactive strike. However, if the block succeeds, the martial artist immediately counterstrikes; the reactive blow cannot be blocked or dodged.

• Spinning Throw: By using momentum against several striking or grappling ​ opponents at once, a master can turn a series of attackers into a mass of flying bodies. This defensive maneuver pits the weight and motion of each attacker against the others, so that they all assist in the task of flinging the aggressors away from the defending stylist. A spinning throw is a reactive throw; the martial artist must be attacked or grappled to use this ability. Effectively, the spinning throw permits the stylist to throw multiple opponents without suffering a penalty for multiple actions. The opponents must attack first, but resolution of damage is delayed until the martial artist attempts the spinning throw. The martial artist then makes one roll to throw at the usual difficulty, with a +1 to the difficulty for each attacker beyond the first — difficulties exceeding 10 remain at 10, but each additional point removes a success from the final roll. The throwing player compares his successes with the attacks of the aggressors; if an attacker scores more successes, his attack inflicts regular results, while if the defender scores more successes, the aggressor is thrown normally. In the case of a tie, the attacker fails in his strike, but is not thrown. For example, if five foolish Kin­jin attacks Hideo, he can declare that he is attempting a spinning throw, and then wait for the Cainites to attack. He rolls to throw once, at a difficulty of 6 (soft style) +4 (for the first four Cainites) and losing one success from the roll (for the last Kin­jin). Hideo’s player rolls and scores four successes; one is removed for the extra attacker, leaving him with three successes. Any attacker with only two successes to strike is thrown; those with three successes fail to hit; those with four or more strike Hideo normally.

Hard styles • Blow to Pressure Point: The martial artist learns to strike to the pressure points ​ and Chi meridians in the body, thus causing significant damage. Difficulty 8, Damage Str +3.

• Damaging Block: The martial artist’s blocks are really strikes aimed at attacking ​ limbs. Roll a normal Block roll, but if the artist scores three or more successes, she also inflicts (Str) damage.

• Dragon Tail Sweep: This spinning legsweep can knock the martial artist’s ​ opponent to the ground. Treat this maneuver like a Throw, but the martial artist does not have to grapple with the opponent. Difficulty 8, Damage (opponent’s Str.).

• Elbow Strike: A quick, vicious blow, usually delivered to the head at close ​ range. Difficulty 5, Damage Str +1.

• Spinning Kick: This fast, powerful kick does significant damage to opponents, ​ and looks impressive as well. Difficulty 7, Damage Str +2.

• Thunder Kick: This deadly flying drop kick is both graceful and debilitating. ​ Difficulty 8, Damage Str +3.

• Breaking Blow: Fists and feet hardened with rigorous practice, toughened by ​ beating hot sand or water, and charged with concentration and Chi — the powerful strikes of a dedicated martial artist can break wood, brick and bone. Performing a breaking blow requires a full turn of concentration, as the martial artist aims the blow and focuses his energies. The final strike (if it hits) adds one additional level of damage for every two full successes scored on the attack roll. (For example, the player of a character who achieved two successes on an attack roll would roll Strength +2 dice of damage instead of Strength +1.) The player should roll to strike even against inanimate objects, simply to determine the level of additional success. This is still bashing damage unless the martial artist also knows the Killing Blow technique (see below). Due to the force of the blow, though, the martial artist suffers bashing damage equal to half of the attack’s damage (before soak rolls, rounded down). Thus, if the martial artist inflicts five levels of damage upon the opponent, he suffers two levels of bashing damage himself, though this damage may be soaked normally by both parties (and further reduced by half if the attacker is undead). Botching a breaking blow generally results in the martial artist crippling or breaking his own striking limb; the martial artist suffers a level of lethal damage. (So a mortal may break his hand, but a vampire’s dead arm may not be discomfited overmuch.)

• Ground Fighting: Exotic styles like Pencak Silat stress the need to fight ​ effectively in any terrain, under any conditions. Instead of flailing about aimlessly, a skilled fighter can use prone combat to her advantage. Skill in ground fighting allows a martial artist to attack and defend normally while crouching or prone; she suffers no penalties. Of course, the character must still be able to reach her targets.

• Jump Kick: Leaping into the air, usually with a great cry or even a running leap, ​ the martial artist plants a devastating kick upon the opponent. Such blows have enough force to crack skulls, crush ribs and destroy organs, all while carrying the martial artist across the room. A jump kick inflicts bashing kicking damage plus two dice. However, the difficulty to block, dodge or otherwise counter such a maneuver is reduced by two.

• Killing Blows: A study of anatomy and a careful use of chambering and force ​ allows the skilled martial artist to inflict devastating injury on his opponents, possibly killing them with single blows. Killing blows inflict lethal damage. No special roll or expenditure is required; the martial artist may simply decide to score lethal damage instead of bashing damage with his attacks. Killing blows may not be effective against non­human opponents, at the Storyteller’s discretion. (After all, where are the vital spots on a bakemono?)

• Ripping Strike: Used primarily with the Tiger Claw and Eagle Claw techniques, ​ a ripping strike rakes across the victim with stiffened fingers bent into a claw­like grasp. The martial artist may strike with the palm of his hand, or even tear into the opponent’s flesh. A ripping strike inflicts normal damage. However, such attacks are quite painful if executed successfully, and thus, cause the opponent to lose one extra die from her dice pools for the remainder of the turn and in the following turn, due to the pain. At the Storyteller’s discretion, a properly executed ripping strike of significant damage (five or more health levels) may actually tear out ears, eyes or chunks of skin.

Martial Arts Styles Technique Typical Maneuvers Aikido/Aikijutsu Soft Counter Throw, (Japanese) Deflecting Block, Joint Lock, Spinning Throw, Withering Grasp

Chin Na (Chinese) Soft Deflecting Block, Joint Lock, Mantis Strike, Reactive Strike, Withering Grasp Commando Training Hard Damaging Block, Elbow (Universal) Strike, Ground Fighting, Killing Blows Hsing­I Chuan (Chinese) Hard Blow to Pressure Point, Damaging Block, Ground Fighting, Elbow Strike, Killing Blows Judo/Jiujitsu (Japanese) Soft Cataleptic Grapple, Counter Throw, Joint Lock, Mantis Strike, Withering Grasp Kung Fu, Northern Hard Blow to Pressure Point, (Chinese) Breaking Blow, Dragon Tail Sweep, Jump Kick, Spinning Kick Kung Fu, Shao Lin Soft Acrobatic Dodge, (Chinese) Counter Throw, Deflecting Block, Joint Lock, Reactive Strike Kung Fu, Southern Hard Blow to Pressure Point, (Chinese) Damaging Block, Elbow Strike, Killing Blows, Ripping Strike Karate (Okinawan) Hard Breaking Blow, Damaging Block, Elbow Strike, Killing Blows, Spinning Kick Ninjutsu (Japanese) Hard Damaging Block, Elbow Strike, Ground Fighting, Killing Blows, Spinning Kick Pa Kua (Chinese) Soft Counter Throw, Joint Lock, Mantis Strike, Reactive Strike, Withering Grasp

Pencak Silat (Malaysia) Hard Blow to Pressure Point, Damaging Block, Elbow Strike, Ground Fighting, Killing Blows Savate (French) Hard Dragon Tail Sweep, Elbow Strike, Jump Kick, Killing Blows, Spinning Kick Tae Kwon Do (Korean) Hard Breaking Blow, Dragon Tail Sweep, Jump Kick, Killing Blows, Spinning Kick Tai Chi (Chinese) Soft Counter Throw, Deflecting Block, Mantis Strike, Push Hands, Withering Grasp Tiger Claw (Chinese) Hard Breaking Blow, Damaging Block, Ripping Strike, Killing Blows, Spinning Kick White Crane (Chinese) Soft Acrobatic Dodge, Counter Throw, Deflecting Block, Mantis Strike, Spinning Throw