MA House Rule

[Spideyguy]

All,

 

I'd like to create an advantage for Martial Artists called Normal Knockback. This advantage would allow MAs to only roll 2 dice for KB instead of their normal 3.

 

However, I'm having a hard time deciding how much of an advantage to assign it. +1/4 seems to small, and +1/2 seems too much, considering I could get Double KB for +3/4.

 

What do you think? And would I apply the advantage against the sum total of the MAs maneuvers and damage classes, or would I add in the active points of the character's STR, since that's what "fuels" the MA's attack powers?

 

Thanks in advance!

 

Spideyguy

[Doug Limmer]

Hmm.

 

Let's see: changing from subtracting 3d6 to find KB to subtracting 2d6 to find KB is roughly equivalent to doing an extra 1-6 BODY on the attack, but only for knockback purposes. On average, that's an extra 3.5 DCs.

 

That's about a 4d6 HA, "Only to do knockback (-1)." Add in the automatic -1/2 from HA, that makes it 8 points. (Regardless of how powerful your attack might be.)

 

I used a -1 modifier, since I thought it would be more limiting than 'does no STUN'. But then, 'does no BODY' is -0, so you may want to bump it down to -3/4. You could price the ability off of martial arts DCs instead, I suppose. And, you'd probably have to take into account adding to any Killing maneuvers, which may complicate things. (multipower with a +1d6+1 HKA? Total cost 10 pts?) And, I don't remember how the 'base damage' is calculated relative to HA in order to reach the maximum of 'double base damage'. Of course, the GM could always hand-wave that away.

 

So, I'd guess 10 points or less, as an estimate. Just a thought to start off with.

[Richard Logue]

I'd probably just call it a +1/4 Advantage and move on.

 

[Arthur]

Originally posted by Richard Logue

I'd probably just call it a +1/4 Advantage and move on.

 

+1/4 on what? Each strike maneuver? STR?

 

That was my first thought as well, but the individual nature of MA maneuvers makes that approach roblematical. In practice, it means each Maneuver with the Strike Basis will cost one extra point. If a PC has a few Maneuvers, then he gets a lot of bang for the buck.

 

Extra DC is a flat +4 points, regardless of how many Maneuvers you have. Therefore, Improved MA KB should also have a flat cost. I'd be OK with making it a +4, just like a +1 DC. Easier to remember.

[Dust Raven]

Originally posted by Arthur

I'd be OK with making it a +4, just like a +1 DC. Easier to remember.

 

That's what I was thinking. Just make it a modifier to the martials arts like adding DC. Maybe 5 points though, seems a bit better than just adding a single damage class (and it converts those MA KAs to 3d6 instead of 4d6 off KB).

[BobGreenwade]

I like Doug's approach -- just call it a 10 point Talent based on his math.

[Vanderbilt_Grad]

I like the 10 point talent idea ... but could also see this being a 5 point skill that had to be taken for each martial art style.