Ranged Martial Arts: What's Your Take?

[Dust Raven]

I was just re-reading the Ranged Martial Arts Maneuvers and associated rules in the UMA.

 

Thinking about it, I can see how this would be a really cool set of rules for certain types of characters. Also thinking about it, I can see how this might unbalance it a bit. Afterall, one could either buy a 12d6 EB, or an 8d6 EB and 20 points of maneuvers (effectively giving them up to a 12d6 EB with even more options).

 

So what's everybody's take on this? Do you use Ranged Martial Arts? Why and why not?

[SleepyDrug]

As a GM, I don't allow everyone equal access to everything. It needs to be balanced and fit your character's background.

 

12d6 is right for an energy beam like a flame stream or repulsor rays.

 

8d6 and ranged martial arts would fit an archer.

[NuSoardGraphite]

Ever seen the movie: EQUILIBRIUM?

[JmOz]

RMA are great, It makes certain trick shots a lot easier to do (A character who can trip an opponent is very hard to do as a power for instance)

 

I think however it is important to look at F/X. My current character (a trick archer) has a small RMA package, I only use the OCV/DCV mods with most of my arrows, While the other things (Like damage mods) only with what I call my normal arrows (Blunts, Hvy Blunts, Broadheads, Diamon Tips)

[Col. Orange]

Re: Ranged Martial Arts: What's Your Take?

 

Originally posted by Dust Raven

I was just re-reading the Ranged Martial Arts Maneuvers and associated rules in the UMA.

 

Thinking about it, I can see how this would be a really cool set of rules for certain types of characters. Also thinking about it, I can see how this might unbalance it a bit. Afterall, one could either buy a 12d6 EB, or an 8d6 EB and 20 points of maneuvers (effectively giving them up to a 12d6 EB with even more options).

 

So what's everybody's take on this? Do you use Ranged Martial Arts? Why and why not?

 

Hmm, someone questioning the insane effectiveness vs. cost of Martial Arts in Hero? Surely not...

 

I like Ranged Martial Arts and see them as no more abusive than regular Martial Arts.

 

Are there any real limitations?

Range? (12D6 has 60" range vs. 40" range for 8D6 +4 DC, y'know, for when a fight is ever over that kind of distance.)

Spreading attacks? But then the 8D6 guy isn't that limited there either. Hmm.

[shrugs]

Victim has +1D6 KB resistance...

 

I'll think of something decent, oh yes.

[throws down smoke pellet, laughing maniacally]

[a door slams, tires squeal and a car accelerates away]

[Dust Raven]

Equilibrium was awesome! (although some of the fight scenes were poorly filmed).

 

I was trying to think of the various types of characters that would have RMA based on their concept, and which ones should not. Cyclops might, as he tends to be really good with those eye beams. An expert archer or marksman might, as stated above. Funny that Video Game Martial Artists would not, as their ranged attacks typically just do damage at a short range anyways.

 

P.S.: Range is figured at Active Points x5. Not DCx5. Not that it matters much unless you have No Range Mods.

[Christougher]

Our group started a Star Hero campaign a while back. I was going to build a RMA/Two Weapon Fighting gunslinger to show the GM just how potentially dangerous some of the 5E stuff can be. (We play 4th Ed mostly, working out which parts of 5E we want to add.) Instead, I gave the concept to one of resident power-mongers.

 

125 pt game, Tex is DEX 20, SPD 4, with Two Weapon Fighting and Ranged Martial Arts, making him the equivalent of any three other PCs in combat. Which is actually a good thing, as most of the other PCs are noncombatants. Tex lives up to the stereotype of the triggerhappy gunslinger - he's the type that *will* push the big red button just to see what happens. ("And you better send a fire truck. Again.") He's a legend, having successfully hit a Called Shot Head on a bounce, and tagged a navigation bouy that was over twice the length of the firing range past the long range targets.

("He missed the entire range?!" "Check your targetting scanner." *thunk*) Tex is a character, in every sense of the word. When my PC was killed in hostile territory, Tex played Amazing Grace on the harmonica at an impromptu funeral.

 

----

 

Overall, I like RMA for some of the tricks that can be done with them, but I feel that Martial Arts in general is often too much bang for the buck.

[TrickstaPriest]

MA does seem pretty powerful in HERO as a whole. However, consider two things of note. One, it has a limit to how high it goes (maximum amount of points you can spend in a maneuver). The second is that you can only use one maneuver at a time. So, instead of picturing its cost flat, picture all the maneuvers in a Multipower that can perversely be directly added to other maneuvers. It's not MUCH better, but it is better... with that understanding, RMA can be fairly appropriate. However, both MA and RMA depend on the situation and attacks being used quite a bit, maybe more so than other abilities. So I feel it tends to even out, a least if you are careful to check over things and okay everything.

[coach]

Actually, in the Multiple Power Attack rules, it expressly says that multiple martial maneuvers may be used at the same time.

 

While I do agree that they *might* be unbalancing, I think they are needed for the proper flavor of certain games. In a pulp game, I play an ooooold gunslinger who has been fighting the supernatural for nigh onto 100 years. He is extremely good with guns and lassos. So, he took "Western Range Fighting" and some interesting maneuvers. Since he is the groups combat monster, it is unclear whether he is unbalanced. Certainly he is WAY better at combat than anyone else, but then again, he spent way more points on it than anyone else.

 

I also ran a fantasy archer with ranged MA, and in the fantasy campaign that I am currently running, one of the characters is an archer with ranged MA. So, I guess you can see that I definitely like them.

[Gary]

There's a minimum cost of 10 pts worth of maneuvers. That limits the abusiveness tremendously. And of course there is a diminishing returns effect that drastically limits the effectiveness of purchasing more than the basic 10 pts worth of maneuvers.

 

What might be unbalancing would be to count regular martial arts towards the 10 pts. Buying Flying Dodge or Martial Dodge and 1 other defensive manuever, with Offensive Shot could be very effective.