TEXT: AN E23 SOURCEBOOK FOR GURPS
  ®
  STEVE JACKSON GAMES
  Stock #37-0312
  Version 1.0 – August 2009
  ®
  Written by SEAN PUNCH
  Editorial Assistance by JASON "PK" LEVINE
  Illustrated by SHEA RYAN and DAN SMITH
  ACTION
  FURIOUS FISTS3
  TM
  TM
  
  CONTENTS
  2
  CONTENTS
  Additional Material: Peter Dell’Orto
  Reviewers: Peter Dell’Orto and Steven Marsh
  GURPS, Warehouse 23, and the all-seeing pyramid are registered trademarks of Steve Jackson Games Incorporated. Pyramid, Action, Furious Fists, e23, and the names of all
   products published by Steve Jackson Games Incorporated are registered trademarks or trademarks of Steve Jackson Games Incorporated, or used under license. 
  GURPS Action 3: Furious Fists is copyright © 2009 by Steve Jackson Games Incorporated. Some art © 2009 JupiterImages Corporation. All rights reserved. 
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   INTRODUCTION . . . . . . . . . 3
  About the Author . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
  About GURPS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
  1. MARTIAL-ARTIST
  TEMPLATES . . . . . . . . . 4
  LENSES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
  New Lens: Wise Master . . . . . . . . . . . 4
  Campaign Types. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
  TEMPLATES. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
  Big Guy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
  Fast Guy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
  Ninja. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
  Traceur. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
  Weapon Master . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
  2. MARTIAL-ARTS
  ABILITIES . . . . . . . . . 13
  ADVANTAGES. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
  Arm ST . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
  Claws . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
  Damage Resistance . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
  Enhanced Defenses . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
  Extra Attack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
  Lifting ST . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
  Striker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
  Striking ST . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
  Talent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
  Trained by a Master . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
  Weapon Master. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
  Zeroed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
  Perks. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
  TECHNIQUES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
  Acrobatic Stand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
  Arm Lock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
  Back Kick . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
  Balancing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
  Choke Hold. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
  Disappear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
  Disarming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
  Dive n’ Roll . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
  Dual-Weapon Attack . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
  Elbow Drop. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
  Elbow Strike . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
  Evade .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
  Feint . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
  Flying Jump Kick. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
  Ground Fighting. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
  Jump Kick. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
  Kicking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
  Knee Strike . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
  Leg Lock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
  Lethal Kick . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
  Lethal Strike . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
  Neck Snap. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
  Piledriver. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
  Finishing Moves. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
  Proxy Fighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
  Rappelling. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
  Retain Weapon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
  Roll with Blow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
  Rope Up . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
  Running Climb. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
  Scaling. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
  Skidding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
  Sliding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
  Spinning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
  Spinning Kick. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
  Spinning Punch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
  Stamp Kick . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
  Sweeping Kick . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
  Toe Flip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
  Uppercut . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
  Wrench (Limb) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
  How Much Damage 
  Do I Do? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
  3. MARTIAL-ARTS
  WEAPONS . . . . . . . . . 20
  Dressing to Kill. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
  Martial-Arts Melee 
  Weapon Table . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
  Martial-Arts Ranged 
  Weapon Table . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
  Poison . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
  4. COMBAT RULES . . . . . 23
  Acrobatic Stand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
  Acrobatics Galore. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
  Bear Hugs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
  Bonk! .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
  Don’t Shoot! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
  Extra Effort in Combat . . . . . . . . . . 23
  Extra Steps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
  Kayo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
  Multiple Fast-Draws. . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
  Ranged Rapid Strike . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
  Some Bulletproof Advice . . . . . . . . 24
  Techniques as New Options . . . . . . 25
  Very Rapid Strike . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
  GURPS Martial Arts . . . . . . . . . . 25
  INDEX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
  GURPS System Design ❚ STEVE JACKSON
  GURPS Line Editor ❚ SEAN PUNCH
  e23 Manager ❚ STEVEN MARSH
  Managing Editor ❚ PHILIP REED
  Page Design ❚ PHIL REED and
  JUSTIN DE WITT
  Art Director ❚ WILL SCHOONOVER
  Production Artist & Indexer ❚ NIKOLA VRTIS
  Prepress Checker ❚ MONICA STEPHENS
  Marketing Director ❚ PAUL CHAPMAN
  Director of Sales ❚ ROSS JEPSON
  GURPS FAQ Maintainer ❚ –––––––
  VICKY “MOLOKH” KOLENKO
  Jake, why don’t you take your fists of fury
  outside. You’re making the poor man
  nervous.
  – Mace Ryan, Rapid Fire
  
  INTRODUCTION
  3
  Action movies have a love affair with hand-to-hand may-
  hem. Want to underline how tough the hero is? Set aside the
  high-tech equalizers – guns, cars, spy gizmos, etc. – and have
  the good guy square off against the villain in single combat.
  Better yet, have him defeat gun-waving mooks using only a
  sword, a stick, or his bare hands.
  Two words leap to mind here: martial arts. Of course, not
  everyone who can throw a punch or use a melee weapon is a
  martial artist. Nearly every template in GURPS Action 1:
  Heroes includes basic roughhousing skills: the lifesaving medic
  can restrain unruly patients, and might even wield his scalpel in
  anger; the geeky wire rat still receives basic hand-to-hand train-
  ing; and so on. Only the hacker lacks such chops. But the true
  martial artist focuses on punches and kicks, on nunchaku and
  ninja stars – that’s his primary role on the squad!
  Likewise, not every martial-arts film is an action movie.
  Many are historical costume pieces, while Action makes its
  home in the world of jets, the Internet, and full-automatic
  weapons. Good
  martial-arts cinema often minimizes
  escapades like those in GURPS Action 2: Exploits, preferring
  instead to tell a master or style’s tale, and focusing mainly on
  aesthetics, technical accuracy, and/or the heroes’ philosophy.
  Action concerns itself with just the fighting!
  Thus, GURPS Action 3: Furious Fists cuts to the chase
  and offers rules for creating and playing martial-artist PCs
  with a straightforward role: Defeat bad guys in situations
  where guns are forbidden, too noisy, or flat-out uncool, and
  kick the butt of rival martial artists.
  Be aware that Furious Fists expands the character-creation
  guidelines in Heroes and is meant to be used alongside them.
  It also assumes a campaign that uses the cinematic combat
  rules found in Exploits. GURPS Martial Arts isn’t required
  reading, however; Furious Fists includes all the necessary
  content in simplified, rules-light form. Still, if you enjoy Furi-
  ous Fists, you’ll want Martial Arts eventually.
  ABOUT THE AUTHOR
  Sean “Dr. Kromm” Punch set out to become a particle
  physicist in 1985, ended up the GURPS Line Editor in 1995,
  and has engineered rules for almost every GURPS product
  since. He developed, edited, or wrote dozens of GURPS Third
  Edition projects between 1995 and 2002. In 2004, he produced
  the GURPS Basic Set, Fourth Edition with David Pulver. Since
  then, he has created GURPS Powers (with Phil Masters),
  GURPS Martial Arts (with Peter Dell’Orto), and the GURPS
  Action, GURPS Dungeon Fantasy, and GURPS Power-Ups
  series . . . and the list keeps growing.
  Sean has been a gamer since 1979. His non-gaming inter-
  ests include cinema, cooking, and wine. He lives in Montréal,
  Québec with his wife, Bonnie. They have two cats, Banshee
  and Zephyra, and a noisy parrot, Circe.
   INTRODUCTION
  Steve Jackson Games is committed to full support of
  GURPS players. Our address is SJ Games, P.O. Box 18957,
  Austin, TX 78760. Please include a self-addressed, stamped
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  Errata. Everyone makes mistakes, including us – but we
  do our best to fix our errors. Up-to-date errata sheets for all
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  website – see below.
  Internet.
  Visit us on the World Wide Web at
  www.sjgames.com for errata, updates, Q&A, and much
  more. To discuss GURPS with SJ Games staff and fellow
  gamers, come to our forums at forums.sjgames.com. The
  GURPS Action 3: Furious Fists web page can be found at
  www.sjgames.com/gurps/books/action/action3.
  Bibliographies. Many of our books have extensive bibli-
  ographies, and we’re putting them online – with links to let
  you buy the books that interest you! Go to the book’s web
  page and look for the “Bibliography” link.
  Rules and statistics in this book are specifically for the
  GURPS Basic Set, Fourth Edition. Page references that
  begin with B refer to that book, not this one.
  About GURPS
  
  Like other action heroes, a martial artist must select a 20-
  point background lens. The criminal, intelligence, law enforce-
  ment, military, and security options on pp. 4-5 of Heroes remain
  valid. Given the emphasis on hand-to-hand capabilities in the
  templates of Furious Fists, though, it’s wise to spread your 20
  points among as many noncombat lens skills as possible. That’ll
  give you something to do when there’s nobody to hit!
  Specific notes:
  Criminal: Crooked martial artists have enough training that
  Brawling is rarely worth the points. Guns, meanwhile, runs
  somewhat counter to being a dedicated martial artist. Apart
  from Streetwise, then, consider Forced Entry for throwing
  mighty karate kicks at doors, Holdout for stashing exotic
  weapons, Intimidation for ending fights before they begin by
  showing off fancy moves, and Stealth for getting the drop on
  better-armed foes.
  Intelligence: Spy missions regularly feature long stretches
  with little fighting, so don’t ignore “technical” espionage skills;
  e.g., Cryptography, Forgery, Intelligence Analysis, Interroga-
  tion, Photography, and Propaganda. Your bosses probably
  value your martial-arts training for its silence and invisibility
  to security sensors, so sneaky skills – such as Holdout, Shadow-
  ing, and Stealth – are also fitting.
  Law Enforcement: To avoid being simply a thug with a
  badge, select enough lawman skills to pull your weight during
  an investigation – and if you’re playing true to martial-artist
  type, this doesn’t mean “Guns, Guns, and more Guns.” Several
  of Criminology, Forensics, Interrogation, Observation, Savoir-
  Faire (Police), Search, and Streetwise can help you operate like
  a reasonably competent cop.
  Military: In addition to Soldier, a martial artist who could
  pass basic training ought to know Camouflage, Guns (Rifle),
  and Hiking, at least. As well, officers will want some of Leader-
  ship, Savoir-Faire (Military), Strategy, and Tactics. Additional
  firearms training is likely – however cinematic the game and
  however much the hero avoids guns, a soldier does need to
  know how to handle military weapons.
  Security: Professional counterspies should focus on inves-
  tigative skills that enable them to find terrorists and foreign
  agents to karate-chop. These include Body Language, Crimi-
  nology, Intelligence Analysis, Interrogation, Observation, and
  Search. Bodyguards will find unarmed skills valuable, but note
  that protection-detail personnel have to know Guns, Fast-
  Draw, and Holdout for concealed handguns.
  Other Lenses: The suggestions under No Lens? (Heroes,
  p. 5) fit martial artists, too. Athlete and rich adventurer are com-
  mon, and martial-arts master is especially apt. When using
  Furious Fists, those who pick the latter should invest their 20
  points in additional perks, cinematic skills, and techniques
  from their template. Finally, the following lens is expressly for
  martial artists.
  New Lens: Wise Master
  20 points
  You’re a cerebral martial artist, such as an ancient master or
  a cunning tactician. This lens lacks the formality of other lenses.
  Simply spend 20 points on any combination of IQ +1 [20], Will
  +1 to +4 [5/level], Per +1 to +4 [5/level], Strong Chi 1-4 [5/level],
  or your template’s IQ-, Will-, or Per-based skills (only).
  MARTIAL-ARTIST TEMPLATES
  4
  These templates work exactly like those on pp. 7-16 of
  Heroes: pay the point cost, pick any options left open, and
  write down the abilities this gives. Then customize your PC
  further by spending the extra points earned by taking up to
  five quirks. See also How to Use Character Templates
  (p. B258).
  CHAPTER ONE
  MARTIAL-ARTIST
  TEMPLATES
  Miss O’Neil, teaching them the
  ancient art of Ninjitsu was hard enough.
  I’m afraid even I cannot work miracles. 
  – Splinter, Teenage Mutant 
  Ninja Turtles
  LENSES
  
  BIG GUY
  250 points
  Time to separate the men from the boys.
  – Ray Jackson, Bloodsport
  You’re a master of barehanded combat – but not the sort who
  jumps readily to mind. In fact, you prefer not to jump, and favor
  physical strength and grit over acrobatics. This doesn’t mean
  that you lack finesse; you simply like to settle scraps with solid
  hits, not by dancing around. As far as you’re concerned, leaping
  is a way to exit moving vehicles and second-story windows . . .
  and in those situations, you’re tough enough to take the fall!
  Attributes: ST 15 [50]; DX 13 [60]; IQ 10 [0]; HT 14 [40].
  Secondary Characteristics: Damage 1d+1/2d+1; BL 45 lbs.;
  HP 15 [0]; Will 11 [5]; Per 10 [0]; FP 14 [0]; Basic Speed 7.00
  [5]; Basic Move 7 [0].
  Advantages: DR 1 (Limited, Crushing, -40%) [3]; Luck [15]; and
  Trained by a Master [30]. • A further 30 points chosen from
  among lens advantages (p. 4 and Heroes, pp. 4-5), additional
  martial-arts abilities, ST +1 to +3 [10/level], DX +1 [20], HT
  +1 to +3 [10/level], HP +1 to +5 [2/level], Will +1 to +6
  [5/level], FP +1 to +5 [3/level], Arm ST 1-2 [5/level], Combat
  Reflexes [15], Daredevil [15], Enhanced Parry 1-3 (Bare
  Hands) [5/level], Fearlessness [2/level], Fit [5] or Very Fit [15],
  Hard to Kill 1-2 [2/level], Hard to Subdue 1-2 [2/level], High
  Pain Threshold [10], Lifting ST 1-2 [3/level], Rapid Healing
  [5] or Very Rapid Healing [15], Serendipity 1-2 [15/level],
  Striker (Crushing; Shin, -20%) [4], Striking ST 1-2 [5/level],
  Strong Chi 1-4 [5/level], Wild Talent 1 [20], raise DR to DR 2
  (Limited, Crushing, -40%) [6] for 3 points, or replace Luck
  [15] with Extraordinary Luck [30] for 15 points.
  Disadvantages: -20 points chosen from among Compulsive
  Behavior (Brawling) [-10*], Duty (Agency, mob, service, or
  similar; Extremely Hazardous; 9, 12, or 15 or less) [-10, -15,
  or -20], Obsession (Beat a specific rival or win a certain
  tournament) [-5*], Sense of Duty (Team) [-5], or Vow
  (Always fight unarmed) [-15]. • Another -15 points chosen
  from among those traits or Bad Temper [-10*], Berserk
  [-10*], Bloodlust [-10*], Bully [-10*], Callous [-5], Honesty
  [-10*], Impulsiveness [-10*], On the Edge [-15*], Overconfi-
  dence [-5*], Pacifism (Cannot Harm Innocents) [-10], or
  Stubbornness [-5]. • A further -15 points chosen from either
  of the previous lists or Basic Move -1 or -2 [-5/level], Alco-
  holism [-15], Appearance (Unattractive or Ugly) [-4 or -8],
  Chummy [-5] or Loner [-5*], Gluttony [-5*], Ham-Fisted 1-
  2 [-5/level], Odious Personal Habits [-5 to -15], Overweight
  [-1] or Fat [-3], or Social Stigma (Criminal Record) [-5].
  MARTIAL-ARTIST TEMPLATES
  5
  Some notes on adjusting the standard campaign types
  (Heroes, pp. 5-6) to accommodate martial artists:
  Brotherhood in Blue: Any martial-artist template might
  work; just add the law enforcement or security lens. How-
  ever, chasing scumbags through city streets is classic cop
  action, so traceurs fit particularly well. Ninjas and weapon
  masters border on inappropriate – few detectives have
  leave to behead suspects with a katana!
  Caper: The GM can make martial artists vital to elabo-
  rate capers by including a heavy obstacle for the big guy, a
  high wall for the traceur, and so on. As most crews avoid
  noise and murder, unarmed combat skills are valuable. The
  criminal lens remains appropriate – but masterminds
  employ specialists, and the athlete lens better suits those
  whose specialty is strength or speed.
  Commandos: Modern battlefield weaponry makes it
  difficult to keep hand-to-hand fighters alive, even in over-
  the-top campaigns. At minimum, the GM should require
  the military lens and encourage players to choose the big
  guy (tough enough to survive), ninja (sneaky enough to
  avoid harm), or weapon master (melee weapons are bet-
  ter than nothing!).
  Mercs: If the campaign is genuinely military, the notes
  for commandos apply. If civilian, see the advice for caper
  and troubleshooters campaigns.
  Spy vs. Spy: Martial-artist agents should have the intel-
  ligence or security lens. The ninja is a spy, and fits best –
  but weapon masters with sword canes have been around
  since the 1960s, traceurs are the latest craze, and the big
  guy and fast guy offer suitably sneaky muscle.
  Task Force: Any martial artist with the intelligence, law
  enforcement, military, or security lens could work. Other-
  wise, the advice for the caper campaign holds: The GM
  should confront the task force with obstacles that require
  the traceur, ninja, etc.
  Troubleshooters: The fact that martial artists don’t wield
  guns makes them useful to private operators who lack legal
  authority and don’t want the attention of people who have
  it. A team assembled by professionals will want a martial
  artist who’s a career expert, making the athlete and mar-
  tial-arts master lenses most suitable.
  Vigilante Justice: Action tales are full of martial artists
  who deal street justice. The usual lenses – notably law
  enforcement – could work, but in movies, heroes with the
  martial-arts master and wise master lenses regularly seek
  revenge on scum, while those with the rich adventurer lens
  battle crime using costly toys and equally expensive mar-
  tial-arts lessons.
  War Against Terror: Hand-to-hand combat is no match
  for high-tech weapons wielded by killers who fight dirty.
  Martial artists should have the law enforcement, military,
  or security lens, and load up on Guns skills. The ninja and
  traceur have the greatest odds of being useful.
  Campaign Types
  TEMPLATES
  
  Primary Skills: A total of 16 points in some combination of
  Brawling (E) DX+2 [4]-15; Boxing, Sumo Wrestling, or
  Wrestling, all (A) DX+1 [4]-14; Judo or Karate, both (H)
  DX [4]-13; or 4 points/level to raise any of these by up to
  three levels.
  Secondary Skills: Five of Fast-Draw (Knife or Pistol), Forced
  Entry, Garrote, Guns (Pistol or Shotgun), Jumping, or
  Knife, all (E) DX+1 [2]-14; Axe/Mace, Broadsword, Short-
  sword, Staff, Stealth, or Two-Handed Axe/Mace, all (A) DX
  [2]-13; Acrobatics or Flail, both (H) DX-1 [2]-12; Acting,
  Leadership, or Streetwise, all (A) IQ [2]-10; Carousing or
  Swimming, both (E) HT+1 [2]-15; Lifting (A) HT [2]-14;
  Intimidation (A) Will [2]-11; Scrounging (E) Per+1 [2]-11;
  Urban Survival (A) Per [2]-10; or 2 points to raise one of
  those skills by a level.
  Background Skills: Choose a 20-point lens (p. 4 and Heroes,
  pp. 4-5). • Driving (Automobile, Heavy Wheeled, or Motor-
  cycle) (A) DX-1 [1]-12.
  Martial-Arts Abilities: A total of 15 points in any of the perks,
  cinematic skills, and techniques below. Where several spe-
  cialties exist, choose unarmed ones.
  Perks: Cowpoker [1]; Deadly Pose [1]; Dirty Fighting 1-3
  [1/level]; Finishing Move [1]; Focused Fury [1]; Iron Hands
  [1]; or Trademark Move [1].
  Cinematic Skills: Immovable Stance or Push, both (H) DX-2
  [1]-11; Kiai (H) HT-2 [1]-12; or Power Blow (H) Will-2 [1]-9.
  Spending a total of 2 points in any skill buys it at one level
  higher, a total of 4 points purchases it at two levels higher,
  and cost is 4 points/level after that.
  Techniques: Arm Lock [1 to 4]; Choke Hold [2 or 3]; Disarming
  [2 to 6]; Dual-Weapon Attack [2 to 5]; Elbow Drop [2 to 5];
  Elbow Strike [1 or 2]; Feint [2 to 5]; Ground Fighting [2 to
  5]; Kicking [2 or 3]; Knee Strike [1]; Leg Lock [1 to 4]; Neck
  Snap [2 to 8]; Piledriver [2 to 6]; Proxy Fighting [2 to 5];
  Roll with Blow [2 or 3]; Stamp Kick [2 to 4]; Sweeping Kick
  [2 to 4]; Uppercut [1]; or Wrench (Limb) [2 to 8].
  * Multiplied for self-control number; see p. B120.
  Customization Notes
  The two major big-guy archetypes demand careful choices
  of mental disadvantages. The “gentle giant” has several of
  Chummy, Honesty, Pacifism, Sense of Duty, and Vow. The
  “thug” has flaws like Alcoholism, Bad Temper, Bloodlust, Bully,
  Callous, Odious Personal Habits, and Social Stigma. Overcon-
  fidence suits both, but isn’t quite universal.
  Then decide how you fight:
  Mixed Martial Artist: Some MMA bouts are contests of tech-
  nique and precision, but you focus on power. To borrow from
  Brazilian Jiu-jitsu and Muay Thai, take Karate and add Judo or
  Wrestling – possibly both. Buy your shins as a Striker, too!
  Additional skills should be athletic: Jumping, Lifting, Swim-
  ming, etc. The Focused Fury perk is good for knockouts; com-
  mon techniques are Neck Snap, Ground Fighting, and Wrench
  (Limb); and Immovable Stance and Push let you decide when
  the ground fight starts.
  Rassler: High kicking is for sissies! You prefer body slams
  and elbow drops. More ST – basic, Arm, Lifting, and/or Strik-
  ing – is a priority. Wrestling is your key skill, but don’t overlook
  Brawling. Acting (to feign injury), Intimidation, and Jumping
  (from the top rope) are also useful. Be sure to select a showy
  Finishing Move or Trademark Move perk; improve some of
  Elbow Drop, Neck Snap, Piledriver, and Stamp Kick; and get
  Power Blow or Push for chucking opponents around.
  Slugger: You’re a heavyweight who relies on his fists. You’ll
  definitely want Arm ST and possibly Striking ST, alongside the
  HP and DR to eat punches. Boxing hurts more than Brawling,
  but the latter includes kicks – choose wisely. Round this out
  with an athletic skill or two; e.g., Lifting and Swimming. A fit-
  ting perk is Iron Hands; techniques run to Dual-Weapon
  Attack (“the old one-two”), Roll with Blow, and Uppercut; and
  use Power Blow to throw fight-finishers.
  Streetfighter: You’re a hardened biker or bouncer. You fight
  dirty – which includes using weapons, often improvised ones.
  Your enemies do, too, so consider improving DR. Start with
  Brawling and Wrestling, and add Intimidation, Scrounging,
  Streetwise, Urban Survival, and a Melee Weapon skill. All three
  levels of the Dirty Fighting perk are nearly a must, and Cow-
  poker is common; classic techniques are Knee Strike, Proxy
  Fighting (for launching scenery!), and Stamp Kick; and a fit-
  ting cinematic skill is Power Blow.
  Sumotori: Size is your weapon! A sumo wrestler needs high
  HP for slams, plus the Overweight or Fat disadvantage – likely
  with Gluttony. The core skill is Sumo Wrestling (allows accu-
  rate and powerful slams), but Brawling is a good finisher,
  Carousing suits the stereotype, and Swimming enjoys a bonus
  when you’re fat. Focused Fury can make slams irresistible;
  Feint and Sweeping Kick are key techniques; and Immovable
  Stance, Kiai, and Push are all excellent cinematic skills. Movie
  sumotori are often traditionalists, and know Hobby Skill
  (Flower-Arranging or Origami) (IQ/E), Cooking (IQ/A), or
  Artist (Calligraphy) (IQ/H), bought with points from quirks like
  “Surprisingly delicate.”
  FAST GUY
  250 points
  Murata: You know all of that upper body strength really slows
  you down.
  Kenner: I’m not slow.
  Murata: You didn’t hit me.
  Kenner: If I did, you wouldn’t be here.
  Murata: Not arguing. But you didn’t . . .
  – Showdown in Little Tokyo
  You’re what most people think of as a “martial artist”: lean,
  agile, and lethally skilled at unarmed combat. In the world of
  Action, this makes you the closest thing to a wuxia or cham-
  bara star. You can’t quite break the laws of physics, but you’re
  working on it! Until you succeed, you satisfy yourself with
  breaking boards, bricks, and records. You perform feats at the
  edge of human capability with ease – frequently to the surprise
  of friend and foe alike.
  MARTIAL-ARTIST TEMPLATES
  6
  This walking mountain of
  muscle is called Sagat. 
  – Chun-Li, Sutorîto
  Faitâ II gekijô-ban
  
  Attributes: ST 11 [10]; DX 16 [120]; IQ 10 [0]; HT 12 [20].
  Secondary Characteristics: Damage 1d-1/1d+1; BL 24 lbs.; HP
  11 [0]; Will 10 [0]; Per 10 [0]; FP 12 [0]; Basic Speed 8.00
  [20]; Basic Move 8 [0].
  Advantages: Luck [15] and Trained by a Master [30]. • A fur-
  ther 25 points chosen from among lens advantages (p. 4
  and Heroes, pp. 4-5), additional martial-arts abilities, ST +1
  or +2 [10/level], DX +1 [20], IQ +1 [20], HT +1 or +2
  [10/level], HP +1 to +3 [2/level], Will +1 to +5 [5/level], Per
  +1 to +5 [5/level], FP +1 to +3 [3/level], Basic Speed +1 [20],
  Basic Move +1 to +3 [5/level], Attractive [4], Blunt Claws
  [3], Combat Reflexes [15], Daredevil [15], Enhanced Dodge
  1 [15], Enhanced Parry 1-3 (Bare Hands) [5/level], Extra
  Attack 1 [25], Fit [5] or Very Fit [15], Flexibility [5] or Dou-
  ble-Jointed [15], Hard to Kill 1-4 [2/level], Hard to Subdue
  1-4 [2/level], High Pain Threshold [10], Perfect Balance
  [15], Serendipity 1 [15], Striker (Crushing; Shin, -20%) [4],
  Striking ST 1-2 [5/level], Strong Chi 1-4 [5/level], Wild Tal-
  ent 1 [20], or replace Luck [15] with Extraordinary Luck
  [30] for 15 points.
  Disadvantages: -20 points chosen from among Compulsive
  Behavior (Thrill-seeking) [-5*], Duty (Agency, mob, serv-
  ice, or similar; Extremely Hazardous; 9, 12, or 15 or less)
  [-10, -15, or -20], Obsession (Beat a specific rival or win a
  certain tournament) [-5*], Sense of Duty (Team) [-5], or
  Vow (Always fight unarmed) [-15]. • Another -15 points
  chosen from among those traits or Bad Temper [-10*],
  Bloodlust [-10*], Callous [-5], Code of Honor (“Fight fair!”)
  [-5], Delusion (“Skill always beats strength!”) [-5], Honesty
  [-10*], Impulsiveness [-10*], Overconfidence [-5*], or Paci-
  fism (Cannot Harm Innocents) [-10]. • A further -15 points
  chosen from either of the previous lists or HP -1 to -3
  [-2/level], Chummy [-5] or Loner [-5*], Jealousy [-10],
  Skinny [-5], Social Stigma (Criminal Record) [-5], Stub-
  bornness [-5], Trickster [-15*], or Workaholic [-5].
  Primary Skills: A total of 16 points in some combination of
  Boxing or Wrestling, both (A) DX+1 [4]-17; or Judo or
  Karate, both (H) DX [4]-16; or 4 points/level to raise any of
  these by up to three levels.
  Secondary Skills: Acrobatics (H) DX-2 [1]-14; Jumping (E)
  DX [1]-16; and Stealth (A) DX-1 [1]-15. • Five of Fast-Draw
  (any), Forced Entry, Garrote, Guns (Pistol), or Knife, all (E)
  DX [1]-16; Climbing, Dancing, Jitte/Sai, Shortsword, Staff,
  Throwing, or Tonfa, all (A) DX-1 [1]-15; Escape, Flail,
  Kusari, or Sleight of Hand, all (H) DX-2 [1]-14; Carousing
  or Swimming, both (E) HT [1]-12; Running or Sex Appeal,
  both (A) HT-1 [1]-11; Intimidation (A) Will-1 [1]-9; or 1
  point to raise any secondary skill by a level.
  Background Skills: Choose a 20-point lens (p. 4 and Heroes,
  pp. 4-5). • Driving (Automobile or Motorcycle) (A) DX-1
  [1]-15.
  Martial-Arts Abilities: A total of 15 points in any of the perks,
  cinematic skills, and techniques below. Where several spe-
  cialties exist, choose unarmed ones.
  Perks: Acrobatic Feints [1]; Acrobatic Kicks [1]; Cowpoker [1];
  Dirty Fighting 1-3 [1/level]; Finishing Move [1]; Focused
  Fury [1]; High-Heeled Heroine [1]; High-Heeled Hurt [1];
  Iron Hands [1]; or Trademark Move [1].
  Cinematic Skills: Breaking Blow, Flying Leap (requires Power
  Blow), or Pressure Points, all (H) IQ-2 [1]-8; Pressure
  Secrets (requires Pressure Points at 16+) (VH) IQ-3 [1]-7;
  Immovable Stance or Push, both (H) DX-2 [1]-14; Kiai (H)
  HT-2 [1]-10; or Power Blow (H) Will-2 [1]-8. Spending a
  total of 2 points in any skill buys it at one level higher, a
  total of 4 points purchases it at two levels higher, and cost
  is 4 points/level after that.
  Techniques: Acrobatic Stand [1 to 6]; Arm Lock [1 to 4]; Back
  Kick [2 to 5]; Choke Hold [2 or 3]; Disarming [2 to 6]; Dual-
  Weapon Attack [2 to 5]; Elbow Strike [1 or 2]; Evade [1 to
  5]; Feint [2 to 5]; Flying Jump Kick [2 to 8]; Ground Fight-
  ing [2 to 5]; Jump Kick [2 to 5]; Kicking [2 or 3]; Knee Strike
  [1]; Leg Lock [1 to 4]; Lethal Kick [2 to 5]; Lethal Strike [2
  or 3]; Proxy Fighting [2 to 5]; Roll with Blow [2 or 3]; Run-
  ning Climb [2 to 7]; Spinning [1 or 2]; Spinning Kick [2 to
  4]; Spinning Punch [2 or 3]; Stamp Kick [2 to 4]; Sweeping
  Kick [2 to 4]; or Uppercut [1].
  * Multiplied for self-control number; see p. B120.
  Customization Notes
  Classic fast-guy archetypes include “hard-working jock”
  (choose Code of Honor, Obsession, Stubbornness, and/or
  Workaholic), “hothead” (with several of Bad Temper, Blood-
  lust, Impulsiveness, and Obsession), “kid with heart” (select a
  few of Chummy, Honesty, Pacifism, and Sense of Duty), and
  “showoff” (look at Compulsive Behavior, Delusion, Jealousy,
  and Trickster). Overconfidence always fits!
  You’ll also need a style of fighting:
  Acrobat: You’re adept at Capoeira, Savate, Wushu, or the
  like, and dazzle rivals with spins and leaping kicks. You’ll want
  higher DX, Enhanced Dodge, or Perfect Balance. Pick Karate
  as your fighting skill, boost Acrobatics and Jumping, and con-
  sider Dancing and Running. If you buy Acrobatic Feints and
  Acrobatic Kicks, feel free to swap Karate and Acrobatics! Key
  techniques are Acrobatic Stand, Evade, Flying Jump Kick,
  Spinning, and Spinning Kick. The consummate cinematic skill
  is Flying Leap.
  MARTIAL-ARTIST TEMPLATES
  7
  
  Boxer: You’re a master of the lightning punch. Efficiency is
  paramount – you only throw big, exhausting hits when they’ll
  be decisive. Raise Basic Move and get Enhanced Dodge to aid
  your footwork. Your core unarmed skill is Boxing, while logi-
  cal supporting skills are athletic: Running, Swimming, etc.
  Feint is your most prized technique. Get the Focused Fury
  perk, Uppercut technique, and Power Blow skill to turn on the
  power when necessary.
  Bruce Lee: You may favor Karate or Shaolin over Jeet Kune
  Do, but like Bruce, you use your whole body – and mind – in a
  fight. This role benefits greatly from cinematic skills, so Strong
  Chi is handy. The basics are Judo and Karate, plus Melee
  Weapon skills for exotic weaponry. Any perk, technique, or cin-
  ematic skill is fair game. Action movies are full of heroes
  who’ve honed one of Elbow Strike, Kicking, Knee Strike,
  Lethal Kick, or Lethal Strike to perfection, and heroines who
  deliver High-Heeled Hurt.
  Mister Pain: Size matters not! You use your foe’s strength
  against him, traditionally through the secrets of Aikido or
  Jujutsu. Extra ST doesn’t hurt, though, and Flexibility is good
  for escaping beefier grapplers. Judo is your prime skill; helpful
  accompaniments are Escape, and more Acrobatics and
  Stealth, for weaseling into and out of “situations.” Dirty Fight-
  ing is the customary perk; Arm Lock, Choke Hold, and Evade
  are all useful techniques; and Immovable Stance, Pressure
  Points, and Push are ideal cinematic skills.
  Mixed Martial Artist: Some MMA bouts are crude contests
  of power, but you focus on technique and precision. To reflect
  Brazilian Jiu-jitsu and Muay Thai, start with Karate and add
  Judo and/or Wrestling. Also buy your shins as a Striker! Sup-
  plemental skills should be athletic: Running, Swimming, etc.
  The fast guy often has a Trademark Move perk for his finish-
  ing move; vital techniques are Arm Lock, Choke Hold, and
  Ground Fighting; and Immovable Stance and Push can com-
  pensate for low ST.
  NINJA
  250 points
  It can’t be . . . all the Ninja are dead . . .
  – Scott James, The Octagon
  Hooded, black-clad, armed with an arsenal of deadly
  weapons, and able to come and go undetected, you are ninja.
  In many ways, you’re an assassin (Heroes, p. 7) without the
  rifle. Your methods date to an earlier era, though, and are often
  seen as “impossible” by modern-day folks – a misperception
  you encourage. Note that being a ninja doesn’t make you a
  murderous bad guy; some ninjas are killers for hire, but just as
  many serve only the most honorable causes.
  Attributes: ST 11 [10]; DX 15 [100]; IQ 11 [20]; HT 11 [10].
  Secondary Characteristics: Damage 1d-1/1d+1; BL 24 lbs.; HP
  11 [0]; Will 11 [0]; Per 11 [0]; FP 11 [0]; Basic Speed 7.00
  [10]; Basic Move 7 [0].
  Advantages: Craftiness 2 [10]; Luck [15]; and Weapon Master
  (Ninja Weapons) [35]. • A further 25 points chosen from
  among lens advantages (p. 4 and Heroes, pp. 4-5), addi-
  tional martial-arts abilities, ST +1 or +2 [10 or 20], DX +1
  [20], IQ +1 [20], HT +1 or +2 [10 or 20], Per +1 to +5
  [5/level], Basic Speed +1 [20], Basic Move +1 to +3 [5/level],
  Acute Senses (any) [2/level], Ambidexterity [5], Combat
  Reflexes [15], Craftiness 3 or 4 [5/level], Danger Sense [15],
  Daredevil [15], Enhanced Dodge 1 [15], Enhanced Parry 1-
  2 (All) [10/level], Enhanced Parry 1-3 (One melee weapon)
  [5/level], Extra Attack 1 [25], Gizmos 1-3 [5/gizmo], Night
  Vision 1-9 [1/level], Perfect Balance [15], Peripheral Vision
  [15], Serendipity 1 [15], Signature Gear [Varies], Striking
  ST 1-5 (Assassination, -60%) [2/level], Strong Chi 1-4
  [5/level], Wild Talent 1 [20], Zeroed [10], Zeroed (Ninja)
  [10], or replace Luck [15] with Extraordinary Luck [30] for
  15 points.
  Disadvantages: Either Callous [-5] or Loner (12) [-5]. • -25
  points chosen from among Code of Honor (“Stay bought”)
  [-5] or (Bushido) [-15], Duty (Agency, mob, service, or sim-
  ilar; Extremely Hazardous; 9, 12, or 15 or less) [-10, -15, or
  -20], Fanaticism (Employer, nation, or service) [-15], Intol-
  erance (Rival nation or other large group) [-5], Obsession
  (Assassinate a particular target) [-5*], Secret (Professional
  killer) [-20], Sense of Duty (Team) [-5], or Social Stigma
  (Criminal Record) [-5]. • Another -20 points chosen from
  among those traits or Bloodlust [-10*], Callous [-5], Delu-
  sion (“Guns are no match for ninjutsu!”) [-5], Insomniac
  [-10 or -15], Loner [-5*], No Sense of Humor [-10], Overcon-
  fidence [-5*], Paranoia [-10], Stubbornness [-5], Vow (Use
  only muscle-powered attacks) [-10], or Workaholic [-5].
  Primary Skills: Stealth (A) DX+2 [2]-17†. • Judo and Karate,
  both (H) DX [4]-15. • Six of Fast-Draw (any), Garrote,
  Knife, or Thrown Weapon (Knife or Shuriken), all (E) DX+1
  [2]-16; Axe/Mace, Broadsword, Jitte/Sai, Shortsword, Spear,
  Staff, Throwing, or Tonfa, all (A) DX [2]-15; Blowpipe, Flail,
  or Kusari, all (H) DX-1 [2]-14; or 2 points to raise one of
  those skills or Stealth by a level.
  Secondary Skills: Jumping (E) DX [1]-15; Climbing (A) DX
  [2]-15; Acrobatics (H) DX-1 [2]-14; and Holdout and Shad-
  owing, both (A) IQ+1 [1]-12†. • Six of Forced Entry or Knot-
  Tying, both (E) DX [1]-15; Escape (H) DX-2 [1]-13;
  Camouflage (E) IQ+2 [1]-13†; Acting or Disguise, both (A)
  IQ+1 [1]-12†; Lockpicking or Traps, both (A) IQ-1 [1]-10;
  Poisons or Tactics, both (H) IQ-2 [1]-9; Swimming (E) HT
  [1]-11; Running (A) HT-1 [1]-10; Observation or Tracking,
  both (A) Per-1 [1]-10; any primary combat skill option at a
  level lower; or 1 point to raise one of these skill choices or
  Holdout, Jumping, or Shadowing by a level.
  Background Skills: Choose a 20-point lens (p. 4 and Heroes,
  pp. 4-5).
  Martial-Arts Abilities: A total of 10 points in any of the perks,
  cinematic skills, and techniques below – armed or
  unarmed.
  MARTIAL-ARTIST TEMPLATES
  8
  By the time your guys are firing, I’ll be at about 180 on my reverse inverted 360, which will
  land me on Fat Boy there, as promised.
  – Dylan, Charlie’s Angels (2000)
  
  Perks: Acrobatic Feints [1]; Compact Frame [1]; Deadly Pose
  [1]; Dirty Fighting 1-3 [1/level]; Finishing Move [1]; High-
  Heeled Heroine [1]; High-Heeled Hurt [1]; Off-Hand
  Weapon Training [1]; or Trademark Move [1].
  Cinematic Skills: Flying Leap (requires Power Blow) or Pressure
  Points, both (H) IQ-2 [1]-9; Light Walk or Throwing Art, both
  (H) DX-2 [1]-13; Power Blow (H) Will-2 [1]-9; or Blind Fight-
  ing (VH) Per-3 [1]-8. Spending a total of 2 points in any skill
  buys it at one level higher, a total of 4 points purchases it at
  two levels higher, and cost is 4 points/level after that.
  Techniques: Acrobatic Stand [1 to 6]; Arm Lock [1 to 4]; Back
  Kick [2 to 5]; Balancing [1 to 5]; Disappear [2 to 11]; Dis-
  arming [2 to 6]; Dual-Weapon Attack [2 to 5]; Elbow Strike
  [1 or 2]; Evade [1 to 5]; Feint [2 to 5]; Kicking [2 or 3]; Knee
  Strike [1]; Neck Snap [2 to 8]; Rappelling [1 to 4]; Retain
  Weapon [2 to 6]; Roll with Blow [2 or 3]; Rope Up [1 or 2];
  Scaling [2 to 4]; or Toe Flip [1 to 5].
  * Multiplied for self-control number; see p. B120.
  † Includes +2 for Craftiness.
  Customization Notes
  Ninjas vary – a lot. Movies offer many dramatic niches. You
  might be a traditionalist with several of Code of Honor, Duty,
  Fanaticism, Sense of Duty, and Workaholic; a youthful appren-
  tice who has Code of Honor, Delusion, Overconfidence, and/or
  Vow; a vengeance-driven killer characterized by Bloodlust,
  Intolerance, Loner, Obsession, and Stubbornness; or a blood-
  thirsty murderer with problems like Bloodlust, Callous, No
  Sense of Humor, Paranoia, and Secret.
  Abilities, too, differ immensely. For one thing, there are
  many primary skill choices. As well, points can shift from
  advantages to martial-arts tricks. Finally, a ninja can – more
  than most martial artists – justify being an outsider who
  knows only his art. By selecting the martial-arts master or
  wise master lens, he can acquire 20 additional points for spe-
  cialized capabilities.
  Some examples:
  Ghost: Your shtick is getting to supposedly inaccessible vic-
  tims. More Craftiness helps – but consider higher IQ (from
  advantage points and/or the wise master lens) to help you out-
  think security, Danger Sense to avoid it, or Zeroed (Ninja) to foil
  attempts to unravel your methods. Pick weapon skills for arma-
  ments that can elude metal detectors, like Staff and Tonfa. Also
  learn and possibly improve Escape, Forced Entry, Lockpicking,
  and Traps. Valuable martial-arts abilities are the Compact
  Frame perk; the Flying Leap and Light Walk skills; and tech-
  niques such as Balancing, Rappelling, Rope Up, and Scaling.
  Silent Death: You prefer to avoid combat. You’re a killer, not
  a warrior. You’ll want higher Craftiness, Night Vision, Striking
  ST (with the Assassination limitation), and/or Zeroed (Ninja).
  Be sure to raise Stealth, and pick skills for some concealable
  weapons – Garrote and Knife are favorites – and improve
  them. To this, add improved Holdout and Shadowing, and per-
  haps Acting, Disguise, and Poisons. Martial-arts abilities
  should be sneaky, like the Dirty Fighting perk, the Blind Fight-
  ing and Light Walk skills, and the Disappear technique.
  Techno-Ninja: It’s the small things that matter to you –
  specifically, stun and smoke grenades, shuriken, and other
  nasty little surprises. You’ll certainly want Gizmos and Signa-
  ture Gear. Primary skills should cover concealable and ranged
  weaponry; Blowpipe, Garrote, Knife, Shortsword, Throwing,
  and Thrown Weapon all work. Secondary skills ought to
  include Fast-Draw specialties for weapons – and maybe Poi-
  sons or Traps for deadlier gadgetry. The most important mar-
  tial-arts ability is the Throwing Art skill, which turns
  “harmless” items into weapons.
  Warrior of the Night: You confront your opponents in battle
  but use stealth to choose the battlefield. You relish the duel,
  ideally against rival ninjas! More ST and HT, Combat Reflexes,
  and Extra Attack all help in drag-out melees. Combat skills
  should cover heavy weapons: Axe/Mace, Broadsword, Flail,
  Spear, and Staff. Supporting skills vary, but always include
  Tactics. Suitable martial-arts abilities are the Deadly Pose and
  Off-Hand Weapon Training perks; the Power Blow skill; and
  the Disarming, Feint, and Retain Weapon techniques.
  TRACEUR
  250 points
  A bad traceur practices a technique until he gets it right. A
  good traceur practices a technique until he can’t get it wrong.
  – David Belle
  You’re a traceur: a Parkour (PK) practitioner. Your disci-
  pline isn’t strictly a martial art – it’s about moving from A to B
  as efficiently and directly as possible, surmounting obstacles
  using your body and objects in the environment. But “obsta-
  cles” might include enemies, so traceurs sometimes regard PK
  as the martial art of the chase before or after a fight. Techni-
  cally, PK isn’t about acrobatics, either; adding that makes it
  “free running.” You might not be a purist about this, however!
  Attributes: ST 11 [10]; DX 15 [100]; IQ 10 [0]; HT 13 [30].
  Secondary Characteristics: Damage 1d-1/1d+1; BL 24 lbs.; HP
  11 [0]; Will 10 [0]; Per 12 [10]; FP 13 [0]; Basic Speed 7.00
  [0]; Basic Move 8 [5].
  Advantages: Luck [15]; Perfect Balance [15]; Trained by a Mas-
  ter (Evasion, -50%) [15]; and Urban Jungle Gym [1]. • A fur-
  ther 30 points chosen from among lens advantages (p. 4 and
  Heroes, pp. 4-5), additional martial-arts abilities, ST +1 to +3
  [10/level], DX +1 [20], HT +1 to +3 [10/level], Will +1 to +6
  [5/level], Per +1 to +6 [5/level], FP +1 to +4 [3/level], Basic
  Speed +1 [20], Basic Move +1 or +2 [5/level], Absolute Direc-
  tion [5] or 3D Spatial Sense [10], Arm ST 1-2 [5/level], Catfall
  [10], Combat Reflexes [15], Daredevil [15], DR 1-2 (Limited,
  Crushing, -40%) [3/level], Enhanced Dodge 1-2 [15/level],
  Fearlessness [2/level], Fit [5] or Very Fit [15], Flexibility [5] or
  Double-Jointed [15], Hard to Kill 1-3 [2/level], High Pain
  Threshold [10], Lifting ST 1-2 [3/level], Rapid Healing [5] or
  Very Rapid Healing [15], Serendipity 1-2 [15/level], Wild Tal-
  ent 1 [20], replace Luck [15] with Extraordinary Luck [30] for
  15 points, or generalize Trained by a Master (Evasion, -50%)
  [15] to Trained by a Master [30] for 15 points.
  MARTIAL-ARTIST TEMPLATES
  9
  He’s not samurai. He’s ninja. They’re
  spies and assassins. Their only code is to
  get the job done.
  – Batman, Batman: The
  Animated Series #1.28
  
  Disadvantages: -20 points chosen from among Compulsive
  Behavior (Physical fitness) [-5*], Compulsive Behavior
  (Reaching “inaccessible” locations) [-5*], Compulsive
  Behavior (Thrill-seeking) [-5*], Delusion (“I can win any
  chase on foot!”) [-5], Duty (Agency, mob, service, or simi-
  lar; Extremely Hazardous; 9, 12, or 15 or less) [-10, -15, or
  -20], or Sense of Duty (Team) [-5]. • Another -15 points
  chosen from among those traits or Impulsiveness [-10*],
  On the Edge [-15*], Overconfidence [-5*], Pacifism
  (Reluctant Killer) [-5] or (Cannot Harm Innocents)
  [-10], Post-Combat Shakes [-5*], or Trickster
  [-15*]. • A further -15 points chosen from either of
  the previous lists or Chummy [-5] or Loner [-5*],
  Curious [-5*], Honesty [-10*], Intolerance
  (Nonathletic people) [-5], Jealousy [-10], Social
  Stigma (Criminal Record) [-5], Stubbornness [-5],
  Vow (No alcohol, drugs, or fatty food, just “health
  food”) [-5], or Workaholic [-5].
  Primary Skills: Acrobatics (H) DX+1 [4]-16†; Climb-
  ing (A) DX+2 [4]-17†; Jumping (E) DX+2 [4]-17;
  and Running (A) HT+1 [4]-14.
  Secondary Skills: Escape (H) DX-1 [2]-14 and Urban
  Survival (A) Per [2]-12. • Two of Brawling (E)
  DX+1 [2]-16; Boxing, Sumo Wrestling, or
  Wrestling, all (A) DX [2]-15; Judo or Karate, both
  (H) DX-1 [2]-14; or 2 points to raise one of those
  skills by a level. • Five of Bicycling, Forced Entry,
  Guns (Pistol), Knife, or Knot-Tying, all (E) DX+1
  [2]-16; Dancing, Driving (Automobile or Motorcy-
  cle), Shortsword, Staff, Stealth, Throwing, or Tonfa,
  all (A) DX [2]-15; Area Knowledge (any) or Com-
  puter Operation, both (E) IQ+1 [2]-11; Lockpicking,
  Navigation (Land), Shadowing, or Streetwise, all
  (A) IQ [2]-10; Swimming (E) HT+1 [2]-14; Hiking or
  Lifting, both (A) HT [2]-13; or 2 points to raise any
  secondary skill by a level.
  Background Skills: Choose a 20-point lens (p. 4 and
  Heroes, pp. 4-5).
  Martial-Arts Abilities: A total of 15 points in higher pri-
  mary skills or any of the perks, cinematic skills, and
  techniques below. Where several specialties exist,
  choose unarmed ones.
  Perks: Acrobatic Feints [1]; Acrobatic Kicks [1]; Com-
  bat Pole-Vaulting [1]; Compact Frame [1]; or High-Heeled
  Heroine [1].
  Cinematic Skills: Flying Leap (H) IQ-2 [1]-8; or Immovable
  Stance or Light Walk, both (H) DX-2 [1]-13. Spending a
  total of 2 points in any skill buys it at one level higher, a
  total of 4 points purchases it at two levels higher, and cost
  is 4 points/level after that.
  Techniques: Acrobatic Stand [1 to 6]; Disappear [2 to 11];
  Dive n’ Roll [1 to 4]; Evade [1 to 5]; Feint [2 to 5]; Flying
  Jump Kick [2 to 8]; Jump Kick [2 to 5]; Rappelling [1 to
  4]; Roll with Blow [2 or 3]; Rope Up [1 or 2]; Running
  Climb [2 to 7]; Scaling [2 to 4]; Skidding [1 or 2]; Sliding
  [1 to 6]; Spinning [1 or 2]; Spinning Kick [2 to 4]; or
  Sweeping Kick [2 to 4].
  * Multiplied for self-control number; see p. B120.
  † Includes +1 for Perfect Balance.
  Customization Notes
  The traceur is a newcomer on the action scene. This makes
  it tricky to suggest strong personality types. A reasonable choice
  would be a clean-living jock with traits such as Compulsive
  Behavior (Physical fitness), Intolerance (Nonathletic people),
  Vow (No alcohol, etc.), and Workaholic – but a troublemaking
  punk with disadvantages like Compulsive Behavior (Reaching
  “inaccessible” locations), Social Stigma, and Trickster would
  also work. All that’s certain is
  that the role demands some of
  Impulsiveness, On the Edge,
  and Overconfidence!
  Not every traceur runs the
  same way:
  Free Runner: You’re an
  urban acrobat, not a PK purist.
  Where’s the fun in running in
  straight lines? High Basic
  Move and Daredevil are apt
  advantage choices. Anything
  goes as far as skills are con-
  cerned; Dancing, improved
  Escape, and Karate (for showy
  kicks, not necessarily in a
  fight!) seem likely, and Com-
  puter Operation lets you post
  your cool videos to YouTube.
  Special-ability points might go
  into more Acrobatics or Run-
  ning; the Acrobatic Feints and
  Acrobatic Kicks perks; the 
  Flying Leap skill; or stunt
  techniques 
  like 
  Acrobatic
  Stand, Dive n’ Roll, Running
  Climb, Skidding, Sliding, and
  Spinning.
  Monkey: You relish the ver-
  tical side of your discipline,
  defying walls, fences, and any-
  thing else that stands in your
  way. You’ll want Flexibility for
  its big Climbing bonus, Arm
  ST for pull-ups, and Catfall
  and/or DR for surviving falls. Helpful skills are Knot-Tying and
  Throwing for ropes and grapnels, plus Area Knowledge and
  improved Urban Survival to know your way around. Aside
  from higher Climbing, special-abilities points might buy the
  Combat Pole-Vaulting perk, the Flying Leap skill, or tech-
  niques such as Rappelling, Roll with Blow, Rope Up, Running
  Climb, and Scaling.
  Punk: You are a warrior – maybe even a ruffian – but you
  privilege mobility above strikes and parries. Efficient uses of
  advantage points are combative traits like Combat Reflexes,
  DR, Enhanced Dodge, High Pain Threshold, and upgraded
  Trained by a Master. Skills should include Shadowing,
  Stealth, Streetwise, and probably weapons training. Useful
  martial-arts abilities are the Acrobatic Feints and Acrobatic
  Kicks perks; Immovable Stance skill; and combat techniques
  such as Feint, Flying Jump Kick, Jump Kick, Spinning Kick,
  and Sweeping Kick.
  MARTIAL-ARTIST TEMPLATES
  10
  
  Urban Explorer: You use PK as a means to an end: explor-
  ing urban areas that are off-limits, like rooftops, sewers, aban-
  doned buildings, and subway tunnels. More Perception,
  Absolute Direction, Flexibility (for the tiniest cracks), and
  Serendipity (“Oh, the door is open!”) can help. Valuable skills
  here are Area Knowledge, Forced Entry, Lockpicking, Stealth,
  and higher Urban Survival. Handy special abilities are the
  Compact Frame perk, the Light Walk skill (for areas con-
  demned as dangerously unstable), and the Disappear and
  Evade techniques (for eluding security guards).
  WEAPON MASTER
  250 points
  The character I played, Raven McCoy, her background was
  she was raised by circus performers. So she grew up doing a knife
  act. According to the show, she was the deadliest woman in the
  world with a knife.
  –Mia Wallace, Pulp Fiction
  You’re an expert with a specific hand-to-hand combat
  weapon, and have few rivals at its use; it is to you as the gun
  is to the shooter (Heroes, p. 14). Indeed, in your hands, it is
  in many ways deadlier than a firearm. However, you realize
  that range is an advantage and that your favorite toy is no
  less detectable than a gun, so you also value stealth and con-
  cealment – although perhaps not as rabidly as the ninja
  (pp. 8-9).
  Attributes: ST 13 [30]; DX 15 [100]; IQ 10 [0]; HT 11 [10].
  Secondary Characteristics: Damage 1d/2d-1; BL 34 lbs.; HP
  13 [0]; Will 10 [0]; Per 10 [0]; FP 11 [0]; Basic Speed 7.00
  [10]; Basic Move 7 [0].
  Advantages: Enhanced Parry 1 (Weapon of choice) [5]; Luck
  [15]; Weapon Bond (Any starting weapon) [1]; and Weapon
  Master (Weapon of choice) [20]. • A further 30 points cho-
  sen from among lens advantages (p. 4 and Heroes, pp. 4-5),
  additional martial-arts abilities, ST +1 to +3 [10/level], DX
  +1 [20], IQ +1 [20], HT +1 to +3 [10/level], Basic Speed +1
  [20], Basic Move +1 to +3 [5/level], Ambidexterity [5], Arm
  ST 1-2 [5/level], Combat Reflexes [15], Daredevil [15],
  Enhanced Dodge 1-2 [15/level], Enhanced Parry 2-3
  (Weapon of choice) [5/level], Extra Attack 1 [25], Gizmos 1-
  3 [5/gizmo], Peripheral Vision [15], Serendipity 1-2
  [15/level], Signature Gear [Varies], Striking ST 1-2 [5/level],
  Strong Chi 1-4 [5/level], Wild Talent 1 [20], replace Luck
  [15] with Extraordinary Luck [30] for 15 points, or expand
  Weapon Master (Weapon of choice) [20] to Weapon Master
  (Two weapons) [25] for 5 points or Weapon Master (Small
  class of weapons) [30] for 10 points.
  Disadvantages: -20 points chosen from among Code of
  Honor (“Fight fair!”) [-5], (Gentleman’s) [-10], or
  (Bushido) [-15], Duty (Agency, mob, service, or similar;
  Extremely Hazardous; 9, 12, or 15 or less) [-10, -15, or
  -20], Fanaticism (Employer, nation, or service) [-15],
  Intolerance (Rival nation or other large group) [-5], Obses-
  sion (Beat a specific rival) [-5*], Secret (Illegal tourna-
  ment deaths) [-20], Sense of Duty (Team) [-5], or Social
  Stigma (Criminal Record) [-5]. • Another -15 points cho-
  sen from among those traits or Bad Temper [-10*], Blood-
  lust [-10*], Callous [-5], Delusion (“Guns are no match for
  my favorite weapon!”) [-5], Honesty [-10*], Impulsiveness
  [-10*], On the Edge [-15*], Overconfidence [-5*], or Vow
  (Use only muscle-powered attacks) [-10]. • A further -15
  points chosen from either of the previous lists or Distinc-
  tive Features (Dueling scars) [-1], Jealousy [-10], Loner
  [-5*], Odious Personal Habits [-5 to -15], Stubbornness
  [-5], Trademark [-5 to -15], or Workaholic [-5].
  Primary Skills: A total of 16 points in skills to wield your
  melee weapon of choice and ancillary weapons, chosen
  from among Fast-Draw (any), Knife, or Thrown Weapon
  (any), all (E) DX+2 [4]-17; Axe/Mace, Broadsword, Cloak,
  Jitte/Sai, Main-Gauche, Rapier, Saber, Shortsword,
  Smallsword, Spear, Staff, Tonfa, Two-Handed Sword, or
  Whip, all (A) DX+1 [4]-16; Flail, Kusari, or Two-Handed
  Flail, all (H) DX [4]-15; or 4 points/level to raise any of these
  by up to three levels.
  Secondary Skills: Acrobatics (H) DX-1 [2]-14; Holdout (A)
  IQ+2 [8]-12; Jumping (E) DX [1]-15; and Stealth (A) DX
  [2]-15. • One of Boxing (A) DX [2]-15, Brawling (E) DX+1
  [2]-16, or Karate (H) DX-1 [2]-14. • Either Judo (H) DX-1
  [2]-14 or Wrestling (A) DX [2]-15. • Five of Fast-Draw (any),
  Guns (Pistol), or Thrown Weapon (any), all (E) DX+1
  [2]-16; Throwing (A) DX [2]-15; Parry Missile Weapons (H)
  DX-1 [2]-14; Armoury (Melee Weapons), Connoisseur
  (Melee Weapons), Soldier, or Streetwise, all (A) IQ [2]-10;
  Tactics (H) IQ-1 [2]-9; Hiking or Running, both (A) HT
  [2]-11; Intimidation (A) Will [2]-10; or 2 points to raise one
  of these skills or Acrobatics, Stealth, or an unarmed skill by
  a level.
  Background Skills: Choose a 20-point lens (p. 4 and Heroes,
  pp. 4-5). • Driving (Automobile or Motorcycle) (A) DX-1
  [1]-14.
  Martial-Arts Abilities: A total of 15 points in any of the perks,
  cinematic skills, and techniques below – preferably armed
  specialties, where possible.
  Perks: Deadly Pose [1]; Dirty Fighting 1-3 [1/level]; Finishing
  Move [1]; Focused Fury [1]; Off-Hand Weapon Training [1];
  Trademark Move [1]; or Weapon Bond [1].
  MARTIAL-ARTIST TEMPLATES
  11
  Scientist . . . marksman . . . swordsman . . . To what do
  you attribute your overachievements?
  – John Steed, The Avengers (1998)
  
  Cinematic Skills: Flying Leap (requires Power Blow) or Pres-
  sure Points, both (H) IQ-2 [1]-8; Throwing Art (H) DX-2
  [1]-13; Kiai (H) HT-2 [1]-9; Power Blow (H) Will-2 [1]-8; or
  Blind Fighting (VH) Per-3 [1]-7. Spending a total of 2
  points in any skill buys it at one level higher, a total of 4
  points purchases it at two levels higher, and cost is 4
  points/level after that.
  Techniques: Acrobatic Stand [1 to 6]; Arm Lock [1 to 4]; Dis-
  arming [2 to 6]; Dual-Weapon Attack [2 to 5]; Evade [1 to
  5]; Feint [2 to 5]; Kicking [2 or 3]; Retain Weapon [2 to 6];
  Roll with Blow [2 or 3]; Stamp Kick [2 to 4]; or Toe Flip
  [1 to 5].
  * Multiplied for self-control number; see p. B120.
  Customization Notes
  Cinematic weapon masters are all over the map. Classics
  include:
  Escrimador: Escrima, Kali . . . it’s all beating the living day-
  lights out of people with two sticks. Cinema tends to portray
  edgy, slightly unhinged types with issues such as Bad Temper,
  Bloodlust, Delusion, Impulsiveness, Obsession, On the Edge,
  and Stubbornness, although you need not be like that.
  Ambidexterity is nearly universal, and improved DX, better
  Basic Speed, and Extra Attack can give the customary blinding
  speed. Sticks call for Smallsword, Shortsword, or Broadsword,
  depending on size. Other important skills are Judo and Karate,
  along with Intimidation, Streetwise, and superior Acrobatics.
  The Focused Fury perk and the Pressure Points and Power
  Blow skills are common, and the Dual-Weapon Attack tech-
  nique is crucial.
  Fencer: You’re a fencing master, probably suave and carry-
  ing a sword cane. A Code of Honor is likely, often with Intoler-
  ance or Obsession toward those who’ve offended it; Bad
  Temper, Distinctive Features, and Jealousy suit hot-tempered
  duelists. Better IQ and Enhanced Parry help project a “schem-
  ing chess-master” image. Core skills include Smallsword (or,
  rarely, Saber or Rapier) and Fast-Draw (Sword), and maybe
  Shortsword to wield the sheath as a baton. Boxing, Connois-
  seur, Tactics, and better Acrobatics fit the archetype. Extra
  Weapon Bond perks are common, Flying Leap allows flashy
  lunges, and crucial techniques are Disarming and Feint.
  If you fight sword-and-dagger or sword-and-cane,
  extend Weapon Master to two weapons and add Off-
  Hand Weapon Training and Dual-Weapon Attack.
  Knife-Fighter: Knives are cheap, common, conceal-
  able, and quite deadly when used properly. As a cine-
  matic knife-fighter, you’re expected to be sly and
  ruthless; Bloodlust, Callous, Loner, Secret, and Social
  Stigma fit. As for advantages, better ST (regular, Arm,
  or Striking) can offset low knife damage, although a
  knife can benefit from at most effective ST 15 if small
  or ST 18 if large; Combat Reflexes or Enhanced Parry
  can offset the Parry penalty; and Extra Attack lets you
  fight like in the movies. Knife, Fast-Draw (Knife), and
  Thrown Weapon (Knife) are your go-to skills. You’ll also
  want Brawling and Wrestling for backup, and street
  smarts in the form of Guns, Intimidation, Running,
  Streetwise, and better Stealth. Important martial-arts
  abilities are the Dirty Fighting and Focused Fury perks;
  the Power Blow skill; and decent levels of Disarming,
  Evade, and Feint.
  Samurai: You’re a master of the katana. A strict Code of
  Honor is likely, alongside a few of Bad Temper, Bloodlust,
  Fanaticism, Honesty, Sense of Duty, and Vow, the details of
  which depend on how you perceive “honor.” Striking ST and
  increased Basic Speed are valuable for killing with the first
  strike. Learn Broadsword and Fast-Draw (Sword) for one-
  handed use, and/or Two-Handed Sword and Fast-Draw (Two-
  Handed Sword) for two hands. Back this up with Intimidation,
  Judo, Karate, and Parry Missile Weapons. Also get a few of the
  Deadly Pose perk, the Kiai and Power Blow skills, and the
  Retain Weapon technique (don’t lose that ancestral blade!). For
  two swords, broaden Weapon Master to two weapons, add
  Shortsword for the wakizashi, and buy Dual-Weapon Attack
  and Off-Hand Weapon Training.
  Sarge: Cinematic soldiers sometimes focus heavily on
  melee, despite their guns and grenades. Soldierly disadvan-
  tages such as Duty, Fanaticism, and Sense of Duty are good,
  and screaming drill sergeants often have Bad Temper, Dis-
  tinctive Features, Odious Personal Habits, Stubbornness, and
  Workaholic. Boost Weapon Master to cover a small class of
  arms, and consider Combat Reflexes or more HT. Vital pri-
  mary skills are Axe/Mace for shovels, Knife, Spear for fixed
  bayonets, and Staff for rifle butts. Other training includes
  Hiking, Intimidation, Soldier, Tactics, and the military lens
  and its Guns skills. Buy the Focused Fury perk, the Throwing
  Art skill (so you can hurl all this junk), and the Arm Lock,
  Retain Weapon, and Stamp Kick techniques to round out
  your capabilities.
  MARTIAL-ARTIST TEMPLATES
  12
  We’re gonna need something
  with a little bit more kick.
  – Sarge, Doom (2005)
  
  Cool moves – represented by advantages, perks, skills, and
  techniques – set martial artists apart from other action heroes.
  It’s up to the GM whether non-martial artists can have such
  abilities . . . but probably not. After all, martial artists don’t get
  Gunslinger, a special Higher Purpose, or Quick Gadgeteer.
  Each archetype needs its own shticks!
  Gamers who crave further martial-arts abilities will want
  GURPS Martial Arts, which offers pages of perks, a whole chap-
  ter of techniques, extensive notes on many more advantages, and
  additional cinematic skills. This section is still useful to readers
  who own that book, though. It offers several time-saving simpli-
  fications – and even a few completely new perks and techniques!
  MARTIAL-ARTS ABILITIES
  13
  CHAPTER TWO
  MARTIAL-ARTS
  ABILITIES
  ADVANTAGES
  A few advantages require special notes for martial artists.
  Arm ST
  see p. B40
  Prerequisite: Trained by a Master or Weapon Master.
  Beefy and suitably cinematic martial artists may have up to
  two levels of this trait, at 5 points/level. It adds to ST when
  making armed or unarmed strikes using only the arms (never
  kicks), and when grappling with the arms (but not for take-
  downs, pins, or similar full-body wrestling).
  Claws
  see p. B42
  Prerequisites: Trained by a Master and Iron
  Hands.
  Some martial artists turn their fists into lethal
  weapons by pounding on sides of meat or car
  doors. Represent this with Blunt Claws [3], the
  sole effect of which is +1 per die to punching dam-
  age.
  Damage Resistance
  see p. B46
  Prerequisite: Trained by a Master.
  True masters of the unarmed arts may pur-
  chase DR 1-2 (Limited, Crushing, -40%) [3/level].
  This protects only against punches, kicks, clubs,
  falls, collisions, etc. – never blades, bullets, fire,
  acid, or anything else that isn’t simple blunt force.
  Heroes who lack Trained by a Master can never gain this
  advantage, no matter what story they cook up!
  Enhanced Defenses
  see p. B51
  Prerequisite: Trained by a Master or Weapon Master.
  Martial artists may have up to three levels of Enhanced
  Dodge [15/level], Enhanced Parry (Bare Hands) [5/level],
  Enhanced Parry (One melee weapon) [5/level], or Enhanced
  Parry (All) [10/level].
  Extra Attack
  see p. B53
  Prerequisite: Trained by a Master or
  Weapon Master.
  Martial artists with this advantage can
  still trade only one attack for one of a
  Dual-Weapon Attack (p. B417) or a Rapid
  Strike (p. B370) or Very Rapid Strike
  (p. 25) each turn. All their other attacks
  are in addition to this.
  Lifting ST
  see p. B65
  Prerequisite: Trained by a Master.
  Cinematic grapplers may have up to
  two levels of this advantage. It adds to ST
  for all purposes when grappling, but never
  for strikes – armed or unarmed.
  
  Striker
  see p. B88
  Prerequisite: Trained by a Master.
  Martial artists can smash their shins into palm trees or
  metal poles to turn them into deadly weapons. Represent this
  with Striker (Crushing; Shin, -20%) [4]. The special limitation
  works as follows:
  Shin: Your crushing Striker isn’t a new body part – it’s just
  your shin. The sole effect is that you can throw kicks that enjoy
  +1 per die of damage. -20%.
  Striking ST
  see p. B88
  Prerequisite: Trained by a Master or Weapon Master.
  Cinematic martial artists who can hit even harder than
  their size suggests may have up to two levels of this advantage.
  It adds to ST for armed and unarmed strikes in melee combat,
  but never for grappling of any sort.
  Ninjas may instead opt to have up to five levels with the fol-
  lowing limitation:
  Assassination: Your extra oomph is explained by careful
  preparation and knowledge of physiology – not by physical
  conditioning. Thus, this ST only boosts surprise attacks,
  including ambushes arranged via Stealth and blows from
  behind. If your victim receives an active defense, even at -4 for
  being stunned, you can’t claim this bonus. -60%.
  Talent
  see p. B89 and Heroes, p. 19
  Martial artists may have any Talent from the Basic Set or
  Heroes, but one new Talent exists to help them master their
  IQ-, Will-, and Per-based cinematic skills without being
  geniuses. It doesn’t modify every cinematic skill – only the ones
  most useful for leaping through the air and damaging things!
  Strong Chi: Breaking Blow, Flying Leap, Power Blow,
  Pressure Points, and Pressure Secrets. Reaction bonus: other
  martial artists, especially potential masters or students. 
  5 points/level.
  Trained by a Master
  see p. B93
  This trait need not mean that you learned deadly secrets at
  the knee of a True Master – or even that you were taught at all.
  You might have spent years in some monastery or dojo. Then
  again, you could be self-taught. What this advantage does
  mean is that you’re at the pinnacle of physical fitness, and
  enjoy these benefits:
  • Access to some or all of Blind Fighting, Breaking Blow,
  Flying Leap, Immovable Stance, Kiai, Light Walk, Power Blow,
  Pressure Points, Pressure Secrets, Push, and Throwing Art.
  • Access to exotic traits that are normally off-limits to ordi-
  nary humans – that is, any advantage, perk, or technique that
  specifically requires this advantage.
  • Half the usual penalties for Rapid Strike (p. B370) and
  multiple parries (p. B376).
  • No -2 to hit with melee attacks when using Athletics in
  Combat (Exploits, p. 37) – just as a Gunslinger can ignore this
  penalty when shooting – and no -2 to Chase Rolls when trying
  Move and Attack at Close range (Exploits, p. 33).
  • The ability to use Acrobatics Galore (p. 23), Extra Steps
  (p. 24), and Very Rapid Strike (p. 25).
  Traceurs also have this advantage, but with a special 
  limitation:
  Evasion: Your art focuses on movement more than violence.
  You can purchase Arm ST and Lifting ST (for pull-ups), Damage
  Resistance (for surviving falls), and Enhanced Dodge . . . but
  more-combative cinematic advantages are off-limits, meaning
  you can’t buy Claws, Enhanced Parry, Extra Attack, Focused
  Fury, Iron Hands, Striker, or Striking ST. Your cinematic skills
  list is limited to Flying Leap (this doesn’t require Power Blow for
  you), Immovable Stance, and Light Walk, while the only cine-
  matic techniques you may learn are Disappear, Flying Jump
  Kick, and Roll with Blow. You do have access to Acrobatics
  Galore and Extra Steps, and can ignore the -2 on melee attacks
  for Athletics in Combat and to Chase Rolls for Move and Attack,
  but you still suffer the full penalties for Rapid Strikes and mul-
  tiple parries, and cannot use Very Rapid Strike. -50%.
  Weapon Master
  see p. B99
  This advantage is nearly always limited to a subset of all
  melee weapons. The most common forms are Weapon Master
  (Ninja Weapons) [35] (for anything with an Asian name or
  Holdout 0 to -2) and Weapon Master (One melee weapon) [20].
  Weapon Master gives the ability to use Acrobatics Galore
  (p. 23) and Extra Steps (p. 24), plus these extra benefits when
  using a suitable weapon:
  • Access to some or all of Blind Fighting, Flying Leap, Kiai,
  Light Walk, Power Blow, Pressure Points, and Throwing Art.
  • Access to exotic traits that are normally off-limits to ordi-
  nary humans – that is, any advantage, perk, or technique that
  specifically requires this advantage.
  • Damage bonus of +1 per die if you know the relevant
  weapon skill at DX+1, rising to +2 per die if you know that skill
  at DX+2 or better.
  • Half the usual penalties for Rapid Strike (p. B370), mul-
  tiple parries (p. B376), and Multiple Fast-Draws (p. 24).
  • No -2 to hit with melee attacks when using Athletics in
  Combat (Exploits, p. 37) and no -2 to Chase Rolls when trying
  Move and Attack at Close range (Exploits, p. 33).
  • The ability to use Ranged Rapid Strike (pp. 24-25) and
  Very Rapid Strike (p. 25).
  Zeroed
  see p. B100
  Ninjas may buy a special version of Zeroed instead of or as
  well as the standard one:
  Zeroed (Ninja): Unless you’re caught red-handed, it’s diffi-
  cult to prove your role in deeds like break-ins and assassina-
  tions – everybody knows that ninjas don’t exist, so the fact that
  you are one complicates the investigation! You could garrote a
  guard, dice his partner with a ninja-to, and pepper the place
  with shuriken, and detectives will suspect anybody but a ninja.
  MARTIAL-ARTS ABILITIES
  14
  
  Regardless of the evidence, those using Criminology, Foren-
  sics, Tracking, etc. against you must win a Quick Contest with
  your Stealth to learn anything about you once you’ve left the
  scene. This replaces the standard benefits of Zeroed: You can
  have a normal life, and what’s obscured isn’t your identity but
  its ties to your deeds. Prerequisite: Trained by a Master or
  Weapon Master. 10 points.
  PERKS
  Off-Hand Weapon Training and Weapon Bond (Heroes,
  p. 18) are both available for melee weapons. As well, martial
  artists may buy the perks below for 1 point apiece.
  Acrobatic Feints
  You may use Acrobatics instead of a combat skill in order
  to make a Feint maneuver (p. B365).
  Acrobatic Kicks
  You may base kicks on Acrobatics instead of Brawling or
  Karate. For an ordinary kick, this means a roll against Acrobat-
  ics-2. Acrobatics itself gives no damage bonus, but you may
  apply any Brawling or Karate bonus you possess.
  Combat Pole-Vaulting
  You can use a pole to make impressive vaults in combat.
  You must take a Ready maneuver to prepare it. On later turns,
  you may either claim a bonus equal to (pole’s length in yards)-1
  to Acrobatics and Jumping rolls to leap, evade, etc., or add the
  pole’s length to jumping distance – choose one benefit per feat.
  Maximum useful length is four yards, giving +3 to skill or +4
  yards of distance. To wield the pole as a weapon, you must take
  another Ready maneuver.
  Compact Frame
  You get +1 to Escape rolls to fit through tight spaces. See
  Squeezing (Exploits, p. 20).
  Cowpoker
  You can kick with pointy-toed boots (use the reinforced
  boots on p. 31 of Heroes) for thrust-1 piercing damage, plus
  unarmed skill bonuses.
  Deadly Pose
  Immediately after you send an enemy to the ground by trip-
  ping him, dealing a major wound, knocking him out, killing
  him, etc., you may make a “kill face,” pose with your katana in
  his liver, or the like for a free Intimidation attempt (no need for
  a Concentrate maneuver). Roll as explained under Uttering
  Threats (Exploits, p. 39). The -5 for combat does apply, but you
  get +2 for a knockout or +5 for a fatality, plus another +1 if
  body parts come off!
  Dirty Fighting
  You get +1 to any feint or attack delivered as a “sucker
  punch” before combat begins. This is cumulative with the
  effects of Hidden Weapons (Exploits, p. 37) – and like that rule,
  works just once as a fight-opener. Unlike most perks, this one
  comes in three levels: two points give +2 to your opening shot
  and three points grant +3.
  Finishing Move
  You have a move that’s especially deadly against beaten
  foes. You must specialize by attack: Finishing Move (Brawling
  Punch), Finishing Move (Neck Snap), Finishing Move
  (Smallsword Thrust), etc. When you use the chosen attack on
  someone you have stunned or knocked out in melee combat,
  add +1 per die of damage.
  Focused Fury
  Prerequisite: Trained by a Master or Weapon Master.
  Unlike most warriors, you can combine Mighty Blows
  (p. 24) with All-Out Attack (Strong), gaining a total damage
  bonus equal to the better of +2 per die or a flat +3. This use of
  Mighty Blows still costs 1 FP per attack.
  High-Heeled Heroine
  You can run, climb, fight, and so on while wearing high
  heels without suffering any special penalty for bad footing.
  High-Heeled Hurt
  Prerequisite: High-Heeled Heroine.
  You can kick with high-heeled footwear, dealing thrust-1
  large piercing damage, plus unarmed skill bonuses.
  Iron Hands
  Prerequisite: Trained by a Master.
  You have DR 1 on your hands. This is tough skin, and
  doesn’t protect against contact poison or anything else you
  wouldn’t want to touch.
  Trademark Move
  A Trademark Move is a prescription for one full turn’s worth
  of combat actions. Write down every detail when you buy it;
  e.g., “All-Out Attack (Strong) with Karate, thrown as a Rapid
  Strike with two karate chops to the neck, at skill 10 and 1d+2
  crushing, followed by a kick to the groin, at skill 13 and 1d+3
  crushing.” Damage and attack rolls can improve with ST, DX,
  and skill, but you can’t change the weapons, maneuvers, com-
  bat options, or hit locations. In return for committing a point
  to such a specific move, you’re at +1 on all skill rolls made to
  execute it exactly as written – no substitutions.
  Each Trademark Move is its own perk and must be distinc-
  tive. The GM is free to forbid one that isn’t! A Trademark Move
  can also be a Finishing Move (above).
  Urban Jungle Gym
  Prerequisites: Acrobatics, Climbing, and Jumping at 16+.
  You’re exempt from skill and attribute rolls to perform the
  moves under Climbing and Parkour (Exploits, pp. 18-20) when
  traveling from A to B “off-screen.” The game effect is that the
  GM will let you use full Move through an urban area, regard-
  less of what’s in the way. You’re leaping between rooftops, tak-
  ing shortcuts, etc.
  MARTIAL-ARTS ABILITIES
  15
  No fancy gadgets, no secret weapons –
  wonder why? He is a weapon.
  – Adam Quill, 
  Spy Game (1997) #1.1
  
  While techniques (pp. B229-233) are almost too compli-
  cated for Action campaigns, they’re vital to martial artists. For
  ease of use, these ones dispense with difficulties and maxima,
  and simply pre-price all the allowed levels.
  Anyone can try any technique at its 0-point level. Higher lev-
  els are given relative to the prerequisite skill, and cost points.
  If a technique is valid for several skills, specify which skill
  you’re improving it for; e.g., “Arm Lock (Wrestling).”
  It isn’t cost-effective to buy many techniques for one skill –
  just improve the skill. Most heroes pick at most one “signature
  move” per skill!
  Acrobatic Stand
  Prerequisite: Acrobatics.
  Cost: skill-6 [0], skill-5 [1], skill-4 [2], skill-3 [3], skill-2 [4],
  skill-1 [5], or skill [6].
  This lets you buy off the -6 to Acrobatics noted in Acrobatic
  Stand (Exploits, p. 37).
  Arm Lock
  see pp. B230, B403
  Prerequisite: Judo or Wrestling.
  Cost: skill [0], skill+1 [1], skill+2 [2], skill+3 [3], or skill+4
  [4].
  Back Kick
  see p. B230
  Prerequisite: Karate (or Acrobatics, with the Acrobatic Kicks
  perk).
  Cost: skill-4 [0], skill-3 [2], skill-2 [3], skill-1 [4], or skill [5].
  Balancing
  Prerequisite: Acrobatics.
  Cost: skill [0], skill+1 [1], skill+2 [2], skill+3 [3], skill+4 [4],
  or skill+5 [5].
  If you’ve raised this technique, use it instead of Acrobatics
  with Balancing (Exploits, p. 19). This trick is redundant if you
  have Perfect Balance!
  Choke Hold
  see pp. B230, B404
  Prerequisite: Judo or Wrestling.
  Cost: skill-2 [0], skill-1 [2], or skill [3].
  Furious Fists assumes that this isn’t any harder for
  Wrestling!
  Disappear
  Prerequisites: Stealth and Trained by a Master or Weapon
  Master (Ninja Weapons).
  Cost: skill-10 [0], skill-9 [2], skill-8 [3], skill-7 [4], skill-6 [5],
  skill-5 [6], skill-4 [7], skill-3 [8], skill-2 [9], skill-1 [10], or skill
  [11].
  Disappear – trademark move of many a ninja – lets you buy
  off the -10 to use Stealth to vanish from sight in combat by
  dashing behind cover. See Disappearing (Exploits, p. 37).
  Disarming
  see pp. B230, B400
  Prerequisite: Any melee combat skill.
  Cost: skill [0], skill+1 [2], skill+2 [3], skill+3 [4], skill+4 [5],
  or skill+5 [6].
  Dive n’ Roll
  Prerequisite: Acrobatics.
  Cost: skill-4 [0], skill-3 [1], skill-2 [2], skill-1 [3], or skill [4].
  This lets you buy off the -4 to Acrobatics for Diving
  (Exploits, p. 19).
  Dual-Weapon Attack
  see pp. B230, B417
  Prerequisite: Any one-handed combat skill.
  Cost: skill-4 [0], skill-3 [2], skill-2 [3], skill-1 [4], or skill [5].
  Remember that you can use either Dual-Weapon Attack or
  Rapid Strike (p. B370) – never both – on any given turn.
  Elbow Drop
  Prerequisite: Brawling or Wrestling.
  Cost: skill-4 [0], skill-3 [2], skill-2 [3], skill-1 [4], or skill [5].
  This is an elbow-first drop from a standing posture onto a
  foe beneath you – kneeling, prone, or even standing if you drop
  from a height. Roll against your technique level to hit. Your
  victim may dodge or parry, but parries are at -2.
  If you hit, you inflict thrust+2 crushing, or thrust at +1 per
  die if better. If using Brawling, add its damage bonus; with
  Wrestling, treat its ST bonus as a damage bonus (+1 at DX+1,
  +2 at DX+2 or better). If your target isn’t already on the
  ground, he must make his DX roll or be knocked down.
  If you miss, you hit the ground and suffer the damage you
  would have inflicted.
  Either way, you end up lying face-up on the ground, at -2 to
  defend and unable to retreat.
  Elbow Strike
  see pp. B230, B404
  Prerequisite: Brawling or Karate.
  Cost: skill-2 [0], skill-1 [1], or skill [2].
  Evade
  Prerequisite: Acrobatics or Judo.
  Cost: skill [0], skill+1 [1], skill+2 [2], skill+3 [3], skill+4 [4],
  or skill+5 [5].
  This technique improves Acrobatics for the purpose of
  Acrobatic Evade (Exploits, p. 37). Those with Judo can use that
  skill the same way and base this technique on it.
  MARTIAL-ARTS ABILITIES
  16
  TECHNIQUES
  
  Feint
  see pp. B231, B365
  Prerequisite: Any melee combat skill (or Acrobatics, with the
  Acrobatic Feints perk).
  Cost: skill [0], skill+1 [2], skill+2 [3], skill+3 [4], or skill+4 [5].
  Flying Jump Kick
  Prerequisites: Karate (or Acrobatics, with the Acrobatic
  Kicks perk) and Trained by a Master.
  Cost: skill-7 [0], skill-6 [2], skill-5 [3], skill-4 [4], skill-3 [5],
  skill-2 [6], skill-1 [7], or skill [8].
  This devastating blow gets extra power from a running
  jump. It’s its own maneuver – don’t use Attack, All-Out Attack,
  Move and Attack, etc. – and all you can on your turn, no mat-
  ter what abilities you have.
  To launch a Flying Jump Kick (FJK), you must run your full
  Move toward your foe and roll against Jumping. If successful,
  roll against your FJK level to hit. Your victim parries at -2. If
  you connect, you do thrust crushing damage, plus your Karate
  bonus, plus another +2 – or +1 per die, if better.
  Hit or miss, you have -2 on all defense rolls and cannot
  dodge or retreat after a FJK. If you miss either the Jumping roll
  or the attack roll, you must roll DX-8 or Acrobatics-4 to avoid
  a fall. On a fall, you suffer the damage you would have
  inflicted!
  Ground Fighting
  see p. B231
  Prerequisite: Any melee combat skill.
  Cost: skill-4 [0], skill-3 [2], skill-2 [3], skill-1 [4], or skill [5].
  This works as described on p. B231, with one exception:
  Ignore the roll to reduce the defense penalty. Simply treat the
  penalty as -2 instead of -3 with 2-3 points in this technique, or
  as -1 with 4-5 points in it.
  Jump Kick
  see p. B231
  Prerequisite: Karate (or Acrobatics, with the Acrobatic Kicks
  perk).
  Cost: skill-4 [0], skill-3 [2], skill-2 [3], skill-1 [4], or skill [5].
  Kicking
  see p. B231
  Prerequisite: Brawling or Karate (or Acrobatics, with the
  Acrobatic Kicks perk).
  Cost: skill-2 [0], skill-1 [2], or skill [3].
  Knee Strike
  see pp. B232, B404
  Prerequisite: Brawling or Karate.
  Cost: skill-1 [0] or skill [1].
  Leg Lock
  Prerequisite: Judo or Wrestling.
  Cost: skill [0], skill+1 [1], skill+2 [2], skill+3 [3], or skill+4 [4].
  This works just like Arm Lock (pp. B230, B403), except that
  you must parry a kick or grapple a leg before attempting it, and
  legs are tougher – your victim gets +4 to all ST or HT rolls to
  resist injury.
  Lethal Kick
  Prerequisites: Karate and Trained by a Master.
  Cost: skill-4 [0], skill-3 [2], skill-2 [3], skill-1 [4], or skill [5].
  This technique lets you buy off the -2 to hit under Lethal
  Strike (p. B404) along with the -2 for a kick. It converts your
  kick’s damage from thrust crushing to thrust-1 piercing (plus
  bonuses), allowing you to target the vitals or eyes. Those with
  Cowpoker (p. 15) or High-Heeled Hurt (p. 15) and matching
  footwear don’t need Lethal Kick – any kick will do!
  Lethal Strike
  Prerequisites: Karate and Trained by a Master.
  Cost: skill-2 [0], skill-1 [2], or skill [3].
  This works like Lethal Kick, but with a punch. It converts
  your strike’s damage from thrust-1 crushing to thrust-2 pierc-
  ing (plus bonuses).
  Neck Snap
  see pp. B232, B404
  Cost: ST-4 [0], ST-3 [2], ST-2 [3], ST-1 [4], ST [5], ST+1 [6],
  ST+2 [7], or ST+3 [8].
  Piledriver
  Prerequisites: Wrestling and Trained by a Master.
  Cost: skill-5 [0], skill-4 [2], skill-3 [3], skill-2 [4], skill-1 [5],
  or skill [6].
  Piledriver involves grappling your opponent, inverting
  him, and sitting down hard to drive his skull into the ground.
  It’s a special All-Out Attack – use these rules instead of those
  on p. B365.
  To execute a Piledriver, you must first grapple your oppo-
  nent with two hands by the arms, torso, or legs. If your
  enemy fails to break free on his turn, then on your next turn,
  make a Piledriver roll to pull off this move. This counts as an
  attack. If your victim’s weight exceeds your BL¥4, your attack
  fails automatically – but still roll, to see if you critically fail!
  MARTIAL-ARTS ABILITIES
  17
  Finishing Moves
  Action-movie martial artists save “big damage”
  attacks for enemies who don’t need much more dam-
  age. That’s because such moves are often risky, and
  best used against mooks who can’t fight back! Tech-
  niques suitable for this are Elbow Drop, Flying Jump
  Kick, Jump Kick, Lethal Kick, Lethal Strike, Neck
  Snap, Piledriver, Spinning Kick, Spinning Punch,
  Stamp Kick, Uppercut, and Wrench (Limb). Consider
  buying one of these to use as a coup de grâce – and per-
  haps defining it as a Finishing Move (p. 15) and/or a
  Trademark Move (p. 15).
  
  Your victim may defend at -2 to Parry or -1 to Dodge for
  being grappled. He can “parry” with an unarmed skill by
  twisting his body.
  A successful Piledriver does thrust+2 at +2 per die, plus
  damage equal to your ST bonus from Wrestling (+1 at DX+1,
  +2 at DX+2 or better). Apply this to the skull. You can also
  attempt a pin immediately as a free action. Your opponent may
  resist as usual, if in any shape to do so.
  If your Piledriver fails for any reason but being too weak to
  lift your foe, including a successful enemy defense, you still
  drop to a sitting posture and must roll against HT. A failed HT
  roll means you suffer the damage you would have inflicted!
  Critical failure on the Piledriver roll means this happens auto-
  matically (no HT roll).
  Proxy Fighting
  Prerequisite: Boxing, Brawling, or Karate.
  Cost: skill-4 [0], skill-3 [2], skill-2 [3], skill-1 [4], or skill [5].
  Proxy Fighting lets you buy off the -4 to hit when you kick
  or punch objects into foes, as explained in Shoving Stuff into
  People (Exploits, p. 37).
  Rappelling
  Prerequisite: Climbing.
  Cost: skill-1 [0], skill [1], skill+1 [2], skill+2 [3], or skill+3 [4].
  This technique lets you buy off the -1 to Climbing skill for
  Rappelling (Exploits, p. 19) – and even improve your ability
  above basic skill.
  Retain Weapon
  see pp. B232, B400
  Prerequisite: Any Melee Weapon skill.
  Cost: skill [0], skill+1 [2], skill+2 [3], skill+3 [4], skill+4 [5],
  or skill+5 [6].
  Roll with Blow
  Prerequisites: Acrobatics or any unarmed combat skill and
  Trained by a Master or Weapon Master.
  Cost: skill-2 [0], skill-1 [2], or skill [3].
  Whenever you’re hit by a crushing attack, you may roll
  against Roll with Blow to reduce damage.
  Success means you take half damage (round up) before sub-
  tracting DR . . . but double the basic damage roll to calculate
  knockback (p. B378). Make a DX roll at -1 per yard of knockback
  to avoid falling down. Critical success on Roll with Blow means
  you take only 1 point of damage (extra knockback still applies).
  Failure means you take normal damage and extra knock-
  back. On a critical failure, you also fall down automatically
  and are physically stunned!
  Rope Up
  see p. B233
  Prerequisite: Climbing.
  Cost: skill-2 [0], skill-1 [1], or skill [2].
  This technique lets you buy off the -2 to Climbing skill for
  climbing up a rope. See Climbing (Exploits, p. 19).
  Running Climb
  Prerequisite: Acrobatics or Jumping.
  Cost: skill [0], skill+1 [2], skill+2 [3], skill+3 [4], skill+4 [5],
  skill+5 [6], or skill+6 [7].
  If you’ve raised this technique, use it instead of Acrobatics
  or Jumping when rolling for the stunts under Running Climb
  (Exploits, p. 19).
  Scaling
  see p. B233
  Prerequisite: Climbing.
  Cost: skill-3 [0], skill-2 [2], skill-1 [3], or skill [4].
  This technique lets you buy off the -3 to Climbing skill when
  scaling a building. See Climbing (Exploits, p. 19).
  Skidding
  Cost: DX-2 [0], DX-1 [1], or DX [2].
  This technique lets you buy off the -2 to DX (or, if you have
  it, Skiing) when making use of Skidding (Exploits, p. 19).
  Sliding
  Prerequisite: Acrobatics.
  Cost: skill [0], skill+1 [1], skill+2 [2], skill+3 [3], skill+4 [4],
  skill+5 [5], or skill+6 [6].
  If you’ve improve this technique, it replaces DX or Acrobat-
  ics when rolling for the feats under Sliding (Exploits, p. 19).
  You cannot eliminate the full penalty for a standing slide –
  Sliding at skill+6, with the -8, lets you try this at Acrobatics-2.
  Spinning
  Prerequisite: Acrobatics or Running.
  Cost: skill-2 [0], skill-1 [1], or skill [2].
  This technique lets you buy off the -2 to Acrobatics or DX-
  based Running assessed in Spinning (Exploits, p. 20).
  Spinning Kick
  Prerequisite: Karate (or Acrobatics, with the Acrobatic Kicks
  perk).
  Cost: skill-3 [0], skill-2 [2], skill-1 [3], or skill [4].
  When you use Spinning Kick, roll a Quick Contest between
  your Spinning Kick level and your opponent’s best melee com-
  bat skill before your attack roll. If you win, subtract your mar-
  gin of victory from your foe’s defense roll against the kick. If
  you lose, he adds his margin of victory to his defense!
  MARTIAL-ARTS ABILITIES
  18
  I’m crazy, but I’m not
  stupid.
  – Jackie Chan
  
  Then roll your attack, also against Spinning Kick. If you
  hit, your target may use any active defense, adjusted by the
  above modifier. The kick does thrust crushing damage plus
  Karate bonuses.
  Hit or miss, you’re at -3 on all defense rolls and cannot
  dodge or retreat after your Spinning Kick. If you miss, you
  must also roll DX-2 or fall down.
  As an All-Out Attack, use the same rules with an extra -2
  to skill on both rolls and +2 to damage – or +1 per die, if bet-
  ter. This is instead of the normal All-Out Attack options, and
  represents spinning very quickly! Naturally, you have no
  defense afterward.
  Spinning Punch
  Prerequisite: Karate.
  Cost: skill-2 [0], skill-1 [2], or skill [3].
  Use the rules for Spinning Kick, except that damage is only
  thrust-1 plus bonuses, like a punch; instead of being unable to
  dodge or retreat afterward, you can’t parry or retreat; and you
  won’t fall down if you miss.
  Stamp Kick
  Prerequisite: Brawling or Karate (or Acrobatics, with the
  Acrobatic Kicks perk).
  Cost: skill-3 [0], skill-2 [2], skill-1 [3], or skill [4].
  This damaging kick can only target an opponent who’s lying
  down, or the foot or leg of a standing foe. Roll against Stamp
  Kick to hit. Damage is thrust+1, plus Brawling or Karate
  bonus. On a miss, make a DX roll to avoid ending up off-
  balance and unable to retreat until next turn.
  Sweeping Kick
  see Sweep, p. B232
  Prerequisite: Judo, Karate, or Sumo Wrestling (or Acrobat-
  ics, with the Acrobatic Kicks perk).
  Cost: skill-3 [0], skill-2 [2], skill-1 [3], skill [4].
  Toe Flip
  Cost: DX-5 [0], DX-4 [1], DX-3 [2], DX-2 [3], DX-1 [4], or
  DX [5].
  This lets you eliminate the -5 to DX for Flipping a Weapon
  to Your Hand (Exploits, p. 39). You must specialize by Melee
  Weapon skill. If you know Fast-Draw for a given weapon type,
  you may base this technique on it instead of on DX.
  Uppercut
  Prerequisite: Boxing, Brawling, or Karate.
  Cost: skill-1 [0] or skill [1].
  You can only use this powerful punch against the skull, eye,
  face, neck, torso, or arm of a standing foe. Damage is thrust
  crushing plus skill bonuses. Your target defends normally.
  Wrench (Limb)
  Cost: ST-4 [0], ST-3 [2], ST-2 [3], ST-1 [4], ST [5], ST+1 [6],
  ST+2 [7], or ST+3 [8].
  This technique is similar to Neck Snap (p. 17, p. B232), but
  improves the ST-based roll to maul a limb as described on
  p. B404. You must learn Wrench Arm and Wrench Leg sepa-
  rately. Legs resist wrenching at +4.
  MARTIAL-ARTS ABILITIES
  19
  A martial artist’s many abilities can make it tricky to cal-
  culate melee damage! Here’s a “cheat sheet”:
  1. Total the applicable ST for your attack. Start with
  your ST attribute and add Striking ST for a strike or Lift-
  ing ST for a grappling move. Add Arm ST for attacks that
  employ only the upper body – mainly punches, elbows, and
  weapons. If you successfully use Power Blow (p. B215),
  double or triple the sum, as appropriate.
  2. Look up effective ST on the Damage Table (p. B16)
  and read off thrust or swing damage, as suits the attack.
  Most unarmed moves use thrust. Weapons may use either
  – check the weapon tables (pp. 20-22).
  3. Apply any damage modifier for the attack itself:
  punches and elbows get thrust-1, and kicks and knees use
  thrust, but some techniques (pp. 16-19) differ. For
  weapons, damage modifiers appear on the weapon table,
  after “sw” or “thr.”
  4. Apply any bonus for an enhanced body part or
  weapon. Barehanded, you enjoy +1 per die when punch-
  ing with Blunt Claws (p. 13) or kicking with Striker (Shin)
  (p. 14). If you use brass knuckles when punching or heavy
  boots when kicking, you get a flat +1 instead. With a blade
  of fine or very fine quality, you receive a flat +1 or +2,
  respectively.
  5. Apply any bonus for the skill you’re attacking with:
  Boxing, Brawling, or Karate for punches; Brawling or
  Karate for elbows, kicks, or knees; Sumo Wrestling or
  Wrestling for grappling moves; or Melee Weapon skill for
  strikes with weapons for which you have Weapon Master.
  The bonus is +1 per die for Karate at DX; Boxing, Sumo
  Wrestling, Wrestling, or Melee Weapon at DX+1; or Brawl-
  ing at DX+2 or better. It’s +2 per die for Karate at DX+1 or
  better, or for Boxing, Sumo Wrestling, Wrestling or Melee
  Weapon at DX+2 or better.
  6. When employing Mighty Blows (p. 24) or All-Out
  Attack (Strong) (p. B365), add a flat +2 or +1 per die,
  whichever is better. With Focused Fury (p. 15), you can use
  both; the bonus becomes the better of a flat +3 or +2 per die.
  7. If the attack is a Finishing Move (p. 15) and your vic-
  tim is stunned or worse, add another +1 per die.
  8. Optionally, convert large adds to dice as explained on
  p. B269.
  To save time, do this in advance – before the game
  starts – for any attack you think you’ll use. If you’ll some-
  times use different options, note them; e.g., “Punch 1d+3
  (+2 w. AOA or Mighty Blows, or +3 w. Focused Fury; +1
  w. brass knuckles).”
  How Much Damage Do I Do?
  
  Authentic weapons from the Far East – and other exotic
  arms – are inseparable from martial-arts action! Like the
  melee weapons on p. 33 of Heroes, those tabulated here use
  the notation from pp. B268-271, and can have
  several options:
  Disguised: The weapon is crafted to resem-
  ble a mundane item that could conceal it –
  the shuriken belt buckle is a classic. Discover-
  ing the weapon requires a Search roll. This
  option is popular with ninjas! +4 CF.
  Fine*: All TL8 blades are automatically
  fine, and thus get +1 to cutting and impaling
  damage. This bonus isn’t included on the
  weapon tables. Be sure to claim it!
  Styled: Hand carving, gold wire around the
  grip, etc. gives a reaction or Influence roll
  bonus whenever the weapon is the center of
  attention. +1 bonus for +1 CF, +2 for +4 CF,
  and +3 for +9 CF.
  Very Fine*: Any TL8 sword or knife can be very fine, and
  enjoy +2 to cutting and impaling damage. +3 CF.
  * Fine and very fine are mutually exclusive.
  MARTIAL-ARTS WEAPONS
  20
  CHAPTER THREE
  MARTIAL-ARTS
  WEAPONS
  Dressing to Kill
  The clothes and clothing options on p. 31 of Heroes should stand mar-
  tial artists in good stead. Don’t overlook sap gloves and reinforced boots!
  Two further notes:
  Is That a Katana In Your Pocket? Melee weapons have Holdout penal-
  ties as severe as -6. The Bulk scores of ranged weapons work identically.
  To offset this, wear a long coat (+4 to Holdout) and/or clothing with the
  undercover option (+1 or +2 to Holdout). These bonuses do “stack.”
  Ninja! Treat the classic “ninja suit” – complete with hood and toe socks
  (tabi) – as a suit of ordinary clothing with the camouflage option, typically
  specialized for night. It often has the undercover option, too.
  Martial-Arts Melee Weapon Table
  Weapon
  Damage
  Reach
  Parry
  Cost
  Weight
  ST
  Holdout
  Notes
  AXE/MACE (DX-5, Flail-4, or Two-Handed Axe/Mace-3)
  Entrenching Tool
  sw+2 cut
  1
  0U
  $50
  3
  11
  -4
  Kama
  sw cut
  1
  0
  $40
  2
  8
  -3
  Sickle.
  or
  sw imp
  1
  0U
  –
  –
  8
  –
  [1]
  BLOWPIPE (DX-6)
  Blowpipe
  Special
  1
  No
  $30
  1
  2†
  -6
  Blown powder. [2]
  BOXING, BRAWLING, KARATE, or DX
  Punch
  thr-1 cr
  C
  0
  –
  –
  –
  –
  [3]
  Brass Knuckles
  thr cr
  C
  0
  $10
  0.25
  –
  -1
  [3]
  BRAWLING, KARATE, or DX
  Shuriken
  thr-2 cut
  C
  0
  $3
  0.1
  –
  0
  Used to claw. [3]
  Tonfa
  thr cr
  C
  0
  $40
  1.5
  –
  -3
  Jab with end. [3]
  BRAWLING-2, KARATE-2, or DX-2
  Kick
  thr cr
  C, 1
  No
  –
  –
  –
  –
  [3, 4]
  Kick with Boots
  thr+1 cr
  C, 1
  No
  –
  –
  –
  –
  [3, 4]
  
  Martial-Arts Melee Weapon Table (Continued)
  Weapon
  Damage
  Reach
  Parry
  Cost
  Weight
  ST
  Holdout
  Notes
  BROADSWORD (DX-5, Rapier-4, Saber-4, Shortsword-2, or Two-Handed Sword-4)
  Cane
  sw+1 cr
  1
  0
  $10
  2.5
  10
  -4
  or
  thr+1 cr
  1
  0
  –
  –
  10
  –
  Jo
  sw cr
  1
  0
  $10
  2
  9
  -3
  Stick.
  or
  thr cr
  1
  0
  –
  –
  9
  –
  Katana
  sw+1 cut
  1
  0
  $550
  3.75
  10
  -5
  [5]
  or
  thr+1 imp
  1
  0
  –
  –
  10
  –
  FLAIL (DX-6, Axe/Mace-4, or Two-Handed Flail-3)
  Nunchaku
  sw+1 cr
  1
  0U
  $20
  2
  7
  -2
  Small flail. [6]
  JITTE/SAI (DX-5, Main-Gauche-4, or Shortsword-3)
  Sai
  sw cr
  1
  0
  $60
  1.5
  7
  -3
  Tined dagger. [7]
  or
  thr imp
  1
  0
  –
  –
  7
  –
  KNIFE (DX-4, Main-Gauche-3, or Shortsword-3)
  Commando Knife
  sw-2 cut
  C, 1
  -1
  $40
  1
  6
  -2
  or
  thr imp
  C
  -1
  –
  –
  6
  –
  Kukri
  sw-1 cut
  C, 1
  0
  $50
  1.5
  7
  -3
  or
  thr-1 imp
  C
  0
  –
  –
  7
  –
  KUSARI (DX-6, Two-Handed Flail-4, or Whip-3)
  Kusari
  sw+2 cr
  1-4*
  -2U
  $70
  5
  11
  -5
  Weighted chain. [8]
  MAIN-GAUCHE (DX-5, Jitte/Sai-4, Knife-4, Rapier-3, Saber-3, or Smallsword-3)
  Commando Knife
  sw-2 cut
  C, 1
  0F
  $40
  1
  6
  -2
  or
  thr imp
  C
  0F
  –
  –
  6
  –
  Sai
  sw cr
  1
  0F
  $60
  1.5
  7
  -3
  Tined dagger.
  or
  thr imp
  1
  0F
  –
  –
  7
  –
  SHORTSWORD (DX-5, Broadsword-2, Jitte/Sai-3, Knife-4, Saber-4, Smallsword-4, or Tonfa-3)
  Baton
  sw cr
  1
  0
  $20
  1
  6
  -2
  or
  thr cr
  1
  0
  –
  –
  6
  –
  Butterfly Sword
  sw cut
  1
  0
  $200
  2
  8
  -3
  or
  thr-2 imp
  1
  0
  –
  –
  8
  –
  Escrima Stick
  sw cr
  1
  0
  $20
  1
  6
  -2
  or
  thr cr
  1
  0
  –
  –
  6
  –
  Expandable Baton
  sw cr
  1
  0
  $60
  2
  6
  -1
  or
  thr cr
  1
  0
  –
  –
  6
  –
  Ninja-To
  sw cut
  1
  0
  $400
  2
  8
  -2
  Ninja sword!
  or
  thr+1 imp
  1
  0
  –
  –
  8
  –
  Wakizashi
  sw cut
  1
  0
  $400
  2
  8
  -3
  Shortsword. [5]
  or
  thr+1 imp
  1
  0
  –
  –
  8
  –
  SMALLSWORD (DX-5, Main-Gauche-3, Rapier-3, Saber-3, or Shortsword-4)
  Escrima Stick
  sw cr
  1
  0F
  $20
  1
  6
  -2
  or
  thr cr
  1
  0F
  –
  –
  6
  –
  Sword Cane
  thr+1 imp
  1
  0F
  $600
  2.5
  6
  -4
  [5, 9]
  SPEAR (DX-5, Polearm-4, or Staff-2)
  Bayonet
  thr+3 imp
  1
  0
  $40
  1
  9†
  -2
  [10]
  STAFF (DX-5, Polearm-4, or Spear-2)
  Bo
  sw+2 cr
  1, 2
  +2
  $10
  4
  7†
  -6
  Quarterstaff.
  or
  thr+2 cr
  1, 2
  +2
  –
  –
  7†
  –
  Jo
  sw+1 cr
  1
  +2
  $10
  2
  6†
  -3
  Stick.
  or
  thr+1 cr
  1
  +2
  –
  –
  6†
  –
  MARTIAL-ARTS WEAPONS
  21
  
  Martial-Arts Melee Weapon Table (Continued)
  Weapon
  Damage
  Reach
  Parry
  Cost
  Weight
  ST
  Holdout
  Notes
  TONFA (DX-5 or Shortsword-3)
  Tonfa
  sw cr
  1
  0
  $40
  1.5
  7
  -3
  [11]
  or
  thr cr
  C, 1
  0
  –
  –
  7
  –
  TWO-HANDED FLAIL (DX-6, Flail-3, Kusari-4, or Two-Handed Axe/Mace-4)
  Three-Part Staff
  sw+3 cr
  1-3
  0U
  $60
  5
  11†
  -6
  [12]
  or
  sw+1 cr
  1
  0U
  –
  –
  11†
  –
  [12]
  TWO-HANDED SWORD (DX-5 or Broadsword-4)
  Bo
  sw+2 cr
  1, 2
  0
  $10
  4
  9†
  -6
  Quarterstaff.
  or
  thr+1 cr
  2
  0
  –
  –
  9†
  –
  Jo
  sw+1 cr
  1
  0
  $10
  2
  8†
  -3
  Stick.
  or
  thr+1 cr
  1
  0
  –
  –
  8†
  –
  Katana
  sw+2 cut
  1
  0
  $550
  3.75
  9†
  -5
  [5]
  or
  thr+1 imp
  1
  0
  –
  –
  9†
  –
  MARTIAL-ARTS WEAPONS
  22
  Notes
  [1] May get stuck if swung to impale. See Picks (p. B405).
  [2] Suitable irritants are free, weigh 0.05 lb. per shot, and
  take 2 seconds to load. Target the face at -3, not the usual -5.
  A successful hit blinds a victim without goggles or glasses for
  1d seconds.
  [3] Receives damage bonuses for the listed unarmed skills.
  [4] If you miss with a kick, roll vs. DX to avoid falling.
  [5] Empty sheath doubles as baton.
  [6] Attempts to parry a nunchaku are at just -2 (not -4).
  [7] Gets +2 to disarm when wielded with Jitte/Sai skill; see
  pp. B208, B401.
  [8] Attempts to parry a kusari are at -4. Uses special entan-
  gling rules; see p. B406.
  [9] Counts as disguised at no extra charge.
  [10] Stats for fixed bayonet, which adds -1 to gun Bulk. By
  itself, it’s a commando knife.
  [11] Use Brawling or Karate parry if better than weapon
  parry.
  [12] Attempts to parry a three-part staff are at -4. Can make
  a Dual-Weapon Attack with both ends; use the second stats
  line.
  Martial-Arts Ranged Weapon Table
  Weapon
  Damage
  Acc
  Range
  Weight
  RoF
  Shots
  Cost
  ST
  Bulk
  Notes
  BLOWPIPE (DX-6)
  Blowpipe
  1d-3 pi-
  1
  ¥4
  1/0.05
  1
  1(2)
  $30
  2
  -6
  [1]
  THROWN WEAPON (KNIFE) (DX-4)
  Commando Knife
  thr imp
  0
  ¥0.8/¥1.5
  1
  1
  T(1)
  $40
  6
  -2
  Large Throwing Knife
  thr imp
  1
  ¥1/¥2
  1
  1
  T(1)
  $40
  6
  -1
  [2]
  Sai
  thr imp
  0
  ¥0.8/¥1.5
  1.5
  1
  T(1)
  $60
  7
  -3
  Small Throwing Knife
  thr-1 imp
  1
  ¥0.8/¥1.5
  0.5
  1
  T(1)
  $30
  5
  0
  [2]
  THROWN WEAPON (SHURIKEN) (DX-4 or Throwing-2)
  Spike Shuriken
  thr-2 imp
  1
  ¥0.5/¥1
  0.1
  1
  T(1)
  $3
  5
  0
  Star Shuriken
  thr-1 cut
  1
  ¥0.5/¥1
  0.1
  1
  T(1)
  $3
  5
  0
  Notes
  [1] Blowpipe requires two hands to ready but only one to attack. A dart costs $0.1.
  [2] Not balanced for melee! Treat a small throwing knife as a small knife and a large one as a large knife, but with -2 to skill
  and thus an extra -1 to Parry.
  Poison
  Poison isn’t very heroic, but ninjas use it – especially on
  darts and shuriken. Below are two nameless, cinematic toxins
  for Action campaigns. Whether ancient ninja secrets or high-
  tech nerve agents, these work instantly and in tiny doses.
  Repeated doses have full effect.
  Deadly Poison: The victim must roll HT-6 on being injected.
  Failure means 2d toxic damage. Critical failure (for a typical
  HT 10 mook rolling against 4, that’s 14+) means the victim is
  paralyzed and helpless regardless of damage. $20/dose.
  Knockout Poison: The target must roll HT-6 on being
  injected. Failure means 3d fatigue damage. The GM can
  assume that ordinary mooks simply pass out. $20/dose.
  
  Here are some more options to accompany the rules on
  pp. 31-39 of Exploits. A few of these specifically work only for
  heroes who have the Trained by a Master or Weapon Master
  advantage.
  Acrobatic Stand
  This move, explained on p. 37 of Exploits, is a favorite of
  martial artists. It lets them regain their feet quickly without
  sacrificing defense. At the GM’s option, it’s possible to forgo
  defense to make this trick more likely to succeed. This gives +4
  to the roll but deprives the acrobat of active defenses.
  Acrobatics Galore
  Fighters with Trained by a Master or Weapon Master can
  use Acrobatics to enhance any defense! This works like Acro-
  batic Dodge (p. B375): success on Acrobatics awards +2 to
  defend, while failure gives -2. However, it’s also allowed on par-
  ries. Moreover, any number of dodges or parries can be acro-
  batic, at a cumulative -1 to the Acrobatics roll per defense after
  the first. When used alongside Flashy Fighting (Exploits,
  p. 37), the “free” Acrobatic Dodge for a stunt counts as the first
  use, and the penalty accrues from there.
  Bear Hugs
  Big guys love this move! After using both arms to grapple
  the torso of an enemy who weighs no more than your BL¥4,
  you can squeeze. Resolve this as an attempt to strangle (see
  Choke or Strangle, p. B370). You’re at -5 in the Quick Contest
  for not targeting the neck, but may add Arm ST, Lifting ST, and
  Wrestling bonuses. Victory inflicts crushing damage equal to
  your margin of victory – but the torso lacks the neck’s ¥1.5
  wounding modifier. If you wish, you can crush the breath out
  of your victim, doing fatigue damage instead; state this before
  you begin.
  Bonk!
  A unique All-Out Attack favored by martial artists is an
  attempt to grab two adjacent foes by the head and smash their
  skulls together. Roll against Judo, Sumo Wrestling, or
  Wrestling to grab each foe, at -4 for the skull plus another -4
  for Dual-Weapon Attack, unless you’ve bought this off (see
  Dual-Weapon Attack, p. 16). If you grab both and they don’t
  defend, roll DX, Brawling, Sumo Wrestling, or Wrestling to
  ram them together. They may defend as usual – and if both fail,
  you inflict thrust crushing damage on both skulls.
  This attack is most often made from behind. You can afford
  to be “telegraphic” and get +4 to all rolls above. And since
  you’re striking from behind, your foes can’t defend!
  Don’t Shoot!
  Martial artists love Banter (Exploits, p. 39), and are especially
  fond of a third option: convincing gunmen not to shoot. This
  typically involves statements like “You’ll only be mowing down
  your own guys if you fire!” when surrounded, or “See the big
  tanks? One stray shot and we all die!” in a chemical warehouse.
  To do this, take a Concentrate maneuver and roll a Quick
  Contest: Intimidation vs. the higher of the enemy’s IQ or Will.
  Victory by 5+ means he decides not to take the risk and picks
  an option other than shooting. If you win by 1-4, he hesitates,
  taking that many turns to reduce his risk (aim carefully, ready
  a silencer, move away from the threat, etc.) instead of attack-
  ing. If you tie or lose, he doesn’t care and shoots anyway!
  Unlike Uttering Threats, this does work against Indomitable
  or Unfazeable foes, and has no penalty in combat. You’re not try-
  ing to cow someone with threats but alert him to a real danger
  external to both of you. Of course, this stratagem fails automat-
  ically against enemies with the On the Edge disadvantage . . .
  You can try this without support for your claim; e.g., “If you
  start shooting, the cops will be here in a New York minute!” in
  a noisy train station, or that chemical warehouse ploy without
  the big tanks in sight. Before rolling the Quick Contest above
  you must win another one: Fast-Talk vs. your enemy’s IQ. This
  doesn’t take any extra time, but if you tie or lose, don’t bother
  with Intimidation – you just lose.
  A given trick ceases to work if your claim is proven false;
  e.g., a mook shoots the big tank and water comes out. Then,
  because you’re liar, future deceptions of this kind are at a
  cumulative -1 to both Intimidation and Fast-Talk.
  Extra Effort in Combat
  In addition to the list of options on pp. 37-38 of Exploits,
  these rules from p. B357 should be “switched on” in a cam-
  paign with martial artists:
  COMBAT RULES
  23
  CHAPTER FOUR
  COMBAT RULES
  Monk, you may be
  good, but you are not
  bulletproof. 
  – Strucker,
  Bulletproof Monk
  
  Flurry of Blows: Pay 1 FP per strike to halve the Rapid Strike
  or Very Rapid Strike penalty, dropping fractions. An ordinary
  fighter could pay 1 FP to strike at -3/-6, or 2 FP to hit at -3/-3.
  A martial artist with Trained by a Master could, for instance,
  attempt four attacks at -9, but spend 1-4 FP to make one to
  four of those blows at just -4.
  Mighty Blows: Pay 1 FP per blow to get the damage bonus of
  All-Out Attack (Strong) while retaining defenses. This nor-
  mally can’t be combined with All-Out Attack (Strong), but see
  Focused Fury (p. 15).
  Extra Steps
  A martial artist with Trained by a Master or Weapon Mas-
  ter, and who has more than one melee attack thanks to Extra
  Attack or All-Out Attack (Double), can “trade” some of his
  attacks for extra steps on a one-for-one basis. He can insert
  these steps anywhere in his attack sequence – even amidst a
  Dual-Weapon Attack or a Rapid Strike (neither of which can be
  traded for steps) – or use them to leap away after attacking.
  Kayo
  If an attacker has managed to sneak up behind someone –
  typically thanks to Stealth – he may attempt to use a crushing
  attack to knock out his quarry without grievous bodily harm. He
  must declare this before striking. Roll an attack to the head, with
  all the usual modifiers. On a hit, roll damage normally and sub-
  tract the DR of headgear, plus another DR 2 for the skull. Instead
  of suffering injury, the victim must make a HT roll at a penalty
  equal to the penetrating damage (if damage is exactly 0 after DR,
  roll at full HT) or be knocked out for 15 minutes.
  Multiple Fast-Draws
  Ninjas, especially, like to whip out multiple throwing
  weapons for Ranged Rapid Strike (below). Every turn, you may
  Fast-Draw one weapon per hand at no penalty (draws with the
  “off” hand have the usual -4). If you willingly discard or hurl a
  weapon – but not if you fail at Fast-Draw or lose a weapon on
  a critical miss – you may continue to make Fast-Draw attempts
  on your turn. Attempts with a given hand have a cumulative -2
  per Fast-Draw roll after the first. Two-handed Fast-Draw
  attempts count against the total for both hands, and use the
  worst penalty accrued for either hand.
  It’s possible to Fast-Draw multiple, identical weapons at
  once. These must weigh less than 1 lb. Make a single roll at -2
  per weapon. For the sake of future Fast-Draw rolls, this counts
  as one previous attempt per weapon.
  Success and failure have their usual effects in all cases.
  Ranged Rapid Strike
  Those with Weapon Master – most often ninjas – can use
  Rapid Strike (p. B370), including Very Rapid Strike (p. 25), with
  thrown weapons. Apply the usual penalties to hit, adjusted for
  Weapon Master: -3 for two throws, -6 for three, etc. This move
  can target multiple opponents.
  COMBAT RULES
  24
  Realistically, bringing fists to a gunfight means being
  massacred. In an action-movie campaign, the first defense
  against this is the GM’s common sense. If all the PCs are
  martial artists, this might be as trivial as making every
  fight a melee. If the squad includes gunmen, however, it’s
  unfair to eliminate gunplay. Here are some tips for keeping
  martial artists alive:
  • Chases (Exploits, pp. 31-35). Consider running
  encounters between gun-waving mooks and martial artists
  as chases. High-skill heroes will easily win the Quick Con-
  test of Chase Rolls and control the range. Reducing range
  to Close neutralizes the guns’ range advantage and allows
  Move and Attack maneuvers to deliver melee attacks –
  which cause no Chase Roll penalties with Trained by a
  Master or Weapon Master! Widening the gap gives mooks
  insurmountable range penalties and lets martial artists flee
  via Hide (the ninja’s standby), Stunt Escape (the traceur’s),
  or dashing beyond Extreme range.
  • Sneaky Fighting (Exploits, p. 37). If a pitched battle is
  unavoidable, martial artists should attempt Death from the
  Shadows at the outset. Success means a close-range surprise
  attack on a mook gunman! A beleaguered martial artist who
  reaches concealment can try Disappear (p. 16) to escape.
  • Banter (Exploits, p. 39). Cunning heroes may be able
  to play mind games. Martial artists might drive off better-
  armed foes through Uttering Threats, while teammates
  with guns can take the heat off via Drawing Aggression. See
  Don’t Shoot! (p. 23) for a third option.
  • Tumbling (Exploits, p. 37). In a battle where decep-
  tion fails, this rule lets a martial artist skilled at Acrobatics
  give gun-toting enemies -2 to hit as he closes to melee
  range, while he enjoys +2 to Dodge. With Acrobatics Galore
  (p. 23), this bonus can thwart many foes.
  • Dodge! Don’t forget that GURPS allows a Dodge roll
  against bullets. Martial artists can exploit this by raising
  Dodge via Combat Reflexes, Enhanced Dodge, or higher
  Basic Speed. They can get +2 more from Acrobatic Dodge
  (p. B375) – more than once, with Acrobatics Galore. And
  they can claim +3 from Dodge and Drop (p. B377), using
  Acrobatic Stand (p. 16) to spring up in time to do it again.
  • Extra Effort Rules (Exploits, pp. 37-38). Most martial
  artists have many FP to spend on Feverish Defense to
  dodge gunfire (another Dodge bonus!) and Heroic Charge
  to run down gunmen.
  • Cinematic Combat Rules (Exploits, p. 38). Even the
  GM who doesn’t allow every cinematic option should con-
  sider permitting Bulletproof Nudity, Cinematic Explosions,
  Gun Control Law, Melee Etiquette, Mook Marksmanship, TV
  Action Violence, and/or Unarmed Etiquette – and offensive
  use of Flawless Firearms – when heroes with Trained by a
  Master or Weapon Master face guns.
  • It’s Better to Be Lucky (Exploits, p. 41). The GM
  should remind players of martial artists that they can
  “push their luck” or buy success to survive a mook firing
  squad. Every PC starts with Luck and should consider sav-
  ing points gained from quirks for lucky breaks.
  Some Bulletproof Advice
  
  The martial artist can carry up to four small (less than 1 lb.)
  weapons in hand, ready for throwing but not melee. He can
  carefully ready these with a Ready maneuver apiece, or Fast-
  Draw them all in one pull at -2 per weapon; see Multiple Fast-
  Draws (p. 24). Alternatively, he can carry just one weapon
  ready for throwing and melee, chuck it, Fast-Draw the next,
  throw it, and so on, at -2 per Fast-Draw after the first. Either
  way, a failed Fast-Draw roll ends his turn.
  The martial artist must declare how many throws he plans
  to try before he starts. Use the Rapid Strike penalty for the
  number of attacks planned – even if a failed Fast-Draw or a
  critical miss cuts things short.
  Techniques as New Options
  Anyone who knows the prerequisite skill for one of the tech-
  niques on pp. 16-19 may attempt it at its lowest, 0-point level.
  These techniques double as new stunts and athletic feats for
  anybody with the right skills!
  Very Rapid Strike
  Heroes with Trained by a Master or Weapon Master may
  make more than two attacks with a Rapid Strike (p. B370) or
  a Ranged Rapid Strike (pp. 24-25). The skill penalty is -3 per
  attack after the first, already halved for Trained by a Master or
  Weapon Master: -3 for two attacks, -6 for three, -9 for four, and
  so on. This applies to all attacks; it doesn’t rise gradually. For
  instance, three attacks would all be at -6. The only limit on
  number of attacks is that skill, adjusted for Very Rapid Strike,
  can’t drop below 12; e.g., one would need at least skill 18 to
  attempt those three attacks at -6.
  COMBAT RULES
  25
  GURPS Martial Arts
  Gamers who enjoy what Furious Fists adds to their
  Action campaign will find GURPS Martial Arts valu-
  able. The numerous abilities, rules, and weapons there
  are a boon to players seeking to individualize PCs, and
  to GMs looking to crank up the thrills with novel oppo-
  nents and tactical situations. Switching on too many
  options can slow things to a crawl, though. To avoid
  this, the GM should review the rules recommendations
  of Cinematic Combat (Martial Arts, pp. 125-126), Bor-
  derline Realism (Martial Arts, pp. 237-238), and Larger-
  than-Life (Martial Arts, p. 239), and consider
  enforcing the measures suggested in Faster Combat
  (Martial Arts, p. 126).
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  STEVE JACKSON GAMES
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  Acrobat template option, 7.
  Acrobatic Feints perk, 15.
  Acrobatic Kicks perk, 15.
  Acrobatic Stand, combat
  maneuver, 23; technique, 16.
  Acrobatics combat options, 23.
  Advantages, 13-15.
  Arm Lock technique, 16.
  Arm ST advantage, 13.
  Athlete lens, 4.
  Back Kick technique, 16.
  Balancing technique, 16.
  Banter, 23, 24.
  Bear Hug combat maneuver,
  23.
  Big Guy template, 5-6.
  Bonk! combat maneuver, 23.
  Boxer template option, 8.
  Brotherhood in Blue campaign
  type, 5.
  Bruce Lee template option, 8.
  Bulletproof advice, 24.
  Buying success, 24.
  Calculating damage, 19.
  Campaign types, 5.
  Caper campaign type, 5.
  Chases, 24.
  Choke Hold technique, 16.
  Cinematic combat rules, 24.
  Claws advantage, 13.
  Clothes and weapons, 20.
  Combat Pole-Vaulting perk, 15.
  Combat rules, 23-25.
  Commandos campaign type, 5.
  Compact Frame perk, 15.
  Convincing gunmen not to
  shoot, 23.
  Cowpoker perk, 15.
  Criminal lens, 4.
  Damage Resistance advantage,
  13.
  Damage, calculating, 19.
  Deadly poison, 22.
  Deadly Pose perk, 15.
  Dirty Fighting perk, 15.
  Disappear technique, 16.
  Disarming technique, 16.
  Disguised weapons, 20.
  Dive n’ Roll technique, 16.
  Dodging, 24.
  Don’t Shoot! combat
  maneuver, 23.
  Dressing to kill, 20.
  Dual-Weapon Attack
  technique, 16.
  Elbow Drop technique, 16.
  Elbow Strike technique, 16.
  Enhanced Defenses advantage,
  13.
  Evade technique, 16.
  Excrimador template option,
  12.
  Extra Attack advantage, 13.
  Extra Effort in combat, 23-24.
  Extra Steps combat option, 24.
  Fast Guy template, 6-8.
  Fast-Draw skill, 24.
  Feint technique, 17.
  Fencer template option, 12.
  Fine-quality weapons, 20.
  Finishing Move perk, 15.
  Finishing moves suggestions,
  17.
  Fists in a gunfight, options, 24.
  Flying Jump Kick technique,
  17.
  Flury of Blows combat option,
  24.
  Focused Fury perk, 15.
  Free runner template option,
  10.
  Ghost template option, 9.
  Ground Fighting technique,
  17.
  Gunfights and martial artists,
  options, 24.
  GURPS Action, 3, 6, 16, 22,
  25; Action 1: Heroes, 3, 4,
  5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 14, 15,
  20; Action 2: Exploits, 3,
  14-16, 18, 19, 23, 24; Basic
  Set, 14; Martial Arts, 3, 13,
  25.
  GURPS Martial Arts,
  suggestions for using, 25.
  High-Heeled Heroine perk, 15.
  High-Heeled Hurt perk, 15.
  Holdout penalty and clothing,
  20.
  Intelligence lens, 4.
  Iron Hands perk, 15.
  Jump Kick technique, 17.
  Kayo combat maneuver, 24.
  Kicking technique, 17.
  Knee Strike technique, 17.
  Knife-fighter template option,
  12.
  Knockout poison, 22.
  Law enforcement lens, 4.
  Leg Lock technique, 17.
  Lenses, 4.
  Lethal Kick technique, 17.
  Lethal Strike technique, 17.
  Lifting ST advantage, 13.
  Martial-arts master lens, 4.
  Martial-arts, melee weapon
  table, 20-22; ranged weapon
  table, 22.
  Melee weapons, 20-22.
  Mercs campaign type, 5.
  Mighty Blows combat option,
  24.
  Military lens, 4.
  Mister Pain template option, 8.
  Mixed martial artist template
  option, 6, 8.
  Monkey template option, 10.
  Multiple Fast-Draws, 24.
  Neck Snap technique, 17.
  Ninja, advantage for, 14-15;
  suit, 20; template, 8-9.
  No lens, 4.
  Parkour (PK), 9.
  Perks, 15.
  Piledriver technique, 17-18.
  Poison, 22.
  Proxy Fighting technique, 18.
  Punk template option, 10.
  Pushing luck, 24.
  Quality of weapons, 20.
  Ranged Rapid Strike combat
  maneuver, 24-25.
  Ranged weapons, 22.
  Rappelling technique, 18.
  Rassler template option, 5.
  Retain Weapon technique, 18.
  Rich adventure lens, 4.
  Roll with Blow technique, 18.
  Rope Up technique, 18.
  Running Climb technique, 18.
  Samurai template option, 12.
  Sarge template option, 12.
  Scaling technique, 18.
  Security lens, 4.
  Silent death template option,
  9.
  Skidding technique, 18.
  Skull-smashing, 23.
  Sliding technique, 18.
  Slugger template option, 5.
  Sneaky fighting, 24.
  Spinning Kick technique, 
  18-19.
  Spinning Punch technique, 19.
  Spinning technique, 18.
  Spy vs. Spy campaign type, 5.
  Stamp Kick technique, 19.
  Streetfighter template option,
  5.
  Striker advantage, 14.
  Striking ST advantage, 14.
  Styled weapons, 20.
  Sumotori template option, 5.
  Sweeping Kick technique, 19.
  Talent advantage, 14.
  Talking in combat, 23.
  Task Force campaign type, 5.
  Techniques, 16-19; as new
  combat options, 25; suitable
  for finishing moves, 17.
  Techno-ninja template option,
  9.
  Templates, 5-12.
  Toe Flip technique, 19.
  Traceur template, 9-11.
  Trademark Move perk, 15.
  Trained by a Master advantage,
  14.
  Troubleshooters campaign
  type, 5.
  Tumbling, 24.
  Uppercut technique, 19.
  Urban Explorer template
  option, 11.
  Urban Jungle Gym perk, 15.
  Very fine-quality weapons, 20.
  Very Rapid Strike combat
  maneuver, 25.
  Vigilante Justice campaign
  type, 5.
  War Against Terror campaign
  type, 5.
  Warrior of the night template
  option, 9.
  Weapon Master, advantage, 14;
  template, 11-12.
  Weapons, 20-22; clothing and,
  20.
  Wise Master lens, 4.
  Wrench (Limb) technique, 19.
  Zeroed (Ninja) advantage, 
  14-15.
  INDEX
  26
  INDEX
  We tried to stop her by hitting her fists
  and feet with our faces, but . . .
  – Charles Gunn, Angel #3.7
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/GURPS [multi]/4th edition/GURPS 4e - Action 3 - Furious Fists.pdf