Martial In Space 2: a style for all worlds

[Xavier Onassiss]

Following all the excellent discussion on the previous Martial Arts In Space thread, I began working on a single complete style which would be useful in various environments: normal gravity, spin-habitats, and zero-gee. I also wrote up a brief history of its origins, and a few notes on its use. It has a little bit of everything, a beginner can get some decent moves out of it for 10pts, and there are some good 'follow-up' maneuvers for advanced students.

 

Submitted for comment:

 

The Way of the Spacefarer: Taikong Ren Do

 

In the late 21st century, humanity was quickly spreading out into the Solar System, taking the cultures of Terra's myriad nations with them. However, there were a great many 'lost arts' left behind on the homeworld which couldn't be practiced in space. The martial arts were among these – as micro-gravity, low gravity, or spin-gravity all presented completely different challenges to would-be practitioners.

 

A wanderer from Hong Kong named Brent Huang developed a hybrid of numerous styles after visiting the massive rotating stations in Earth orbit, the floating habitats of the asteroids, and the domed cities of the Galilean moons. Over many years of traveling, he figured out what worked in each environment, and how to integrate them into a single framework: Taikong Ren Do, “The Way of the Spacefarer.” Considered by many to be the “Bruce Lee of the 21st Century”, Huang never achieved his predecessor's fame as an actor, but he did attribute many of Taikong Ren Do's key concepts to Jeet Kune Do. A century later, Taikong Ren Do has become the most widespread fighting style in Terran space, and many spacers use non-martial exercises adapted from Taikong Ren Do as a means of keeping fit during long periods spent in zero-G.

 

Maneuvers: (from UMA p9)

Block (martial block)

Counter-attack (counterstrike)

Disarm (martial disarm)

Dodge (martial dodge)

Escape (martial escape)

Grapple (martial grab)

Nerve Strike (nerve strike)

Strike (martial strike)

Throw (grappling throw)

 

KS: Taikong Ren Do

PS: Spin-gravity Ops

PS: Zero-gravity Ops

 

Notes on using Taikong Ren Do: This art is primarily defensive. The practitioner often holds off until his opponent attacks, in order to lure him out of position for a devastating attack. (Block/Counter-attack or Grapple/Throw) Taikong Ren Do focuses on putting an opponent down by causing pain without generating high impact forces. Practitioners are often adept at pulling punches to avoid causing unwanted tumbles in zero-gravity. A true 'master' of Taikong Ren Do will often have Lightning Reflexes to act first with the Block and Grab maneuvers, a few CSL's applied to DCV, and penalty skill levels applied to the 'pulled punch' maneuver.

[kahuna's bro]

Re: Martial In Space 2: a style for all worlds

 

a new art for the reision of HSMA

WELL DONE XAIVER

[Michael Hopcroft]

Re: Martial In Space 2: a style for all worlds

 

Are you able to make a prefab for HD 6e for this? I have no idea how to make prefabs, otherwise I'd do it.

[clsage]

Re: Martial In Space 2: a style for all worlds

 

I'll be stealing this, thanks !

 

Must. Spread. Rep...etc.

 

-Carl-

[clsage]

Re: Martial In Space 2: a style for all worlds

 

Are you able to make a prefab for HD 6e for this? I have no idea how to make prefabs' date=' otherwise I'd do it.[/quote']

 

I'll second the vote for a prefab ( ).

 

As for making prefabs.....

Not sure how HD works for 6thEd...For 5th, from my experiences you'd want to create a blank char sheet and then insert the maneuvers, etc. Then go to the "current character > save character" tab and save as prefab....Then when you reopen it for use in a character, it'll show up as a tab (or tabs) in each specific area in question (Powers, Martial Arts, etc).

 

-Carl-

[Xavier Onassiss]

Re: Martial In Space 2: a style for all worlds

 

I'll second the vote for a prefab ( ).

 

As for making prefabs.....

Not sure how HD works for 6thEd...For 5th, from my experiences you'd want to create a blank char sheet and then insert the maneuvers, etc. Then go to the "current character > save character" tab and save as prefab....Then when you reopen it for use in a character, it'll show up as a tab (or tabs) in each specific area in question (Powers, Martial Arts, etc).

 

-Carl-

 

I think that's pretty much how it works for 6E as well.

 

I'm glad the Star Hero forum likes this. If there are any maneuvers which you feel should be added, feel free to discuss them here.

[Susano]

Re: Martial In Space 2: a style for all worlds

 

I think that's pretty much how it works for 6E as well.

 

I'm glad the Star Hero forum likes this. If there are any maneuvers which you feel should be added, feel free to discuss them here.

 

The one where you punch your fist through the other guy's chest. Oh, and the Quivering Palm technique. That's always a good one.

[lapsedgamer]

Re: Martial In Space 2: a style for all worlds

 

...Oh' date=' and the Quivering Palm technique. That's always a good one. [/quote']

 

I really do not want that kind of information about what you folks get up to in your private lives.

[Susano]

Re: Martial In Space 2: a style for all worlds

 

I really do not want that kind of information about what you folks get up to in your private lives.

 

Hey, it's lonely in space.

[Nevelon]

Re: Martial In Space 2: a style for all worlds

 

I'm still stuck in 5th ed, but does 6th still have environmental movement? You might want to include some for low/zero/spin G as part of the art.

[Susano]

Re: Martial In Space 2: a style for all worlds

 

I'm still stuck in 5th ed' date=' but does 6th still have environmental movement? You might want to include some for low/zero/spin G as part of the art.[/quote']

 

Yes it does.

[Xavier Onassiss]

Re: Martial In Space 2: a style for all worlds

 

I'm still stuck in 5th ed' date=' but does 6th still have environmental movement? You might want to include some for low/zero/spin G as part of the art.[/quote']

 

The use of PS: Zero-G Ops and the Zero-G Adaptation talent vary between campaigns, but they have similar results: negating penalties. I went with the skill because in the campaign I run, skills can be acquired by anyone, while talents tend to be innate qualities. (Born and raised in zero-G: take the talent. Came from 'normal' world but work in space for thousands of hours: take the skill.) That's my personal take on it -- other GM's might do things differently, of course.

[Xavier Onassiss]

Re: Martial In Space 2: a style for all worlds

 

The one where you punch your fist through the other guy's chest. Oh' date=' and the Quivering Palm technique. That's always a good one. [/quote']

 

No. And you can forget about the "No Shadow Kick" too.

[Susano]

Re: Martial In Space 2: a style for all worlds

 

No. And you can forget about the "No Shadow Kick" too.

 

Meanie.

 

Can I still buy the Kamehameha?

[Xavier Onassiss]

Re: Martial In Space 2: a style for all worlds

 

After seeing these two strips, I'm thinking about maybe adding a "Use art with Staff" element!

 

 

 

[Michael Hopcroft]

Re: Martial In Space 2: a style for all worlds

 

I really do not want that kind of information about what you folks get up to in your private lives.

 

We're not dealing with Marital Arts in Space, after all....

[clsage]

Re: Martial In Space 2: a style for all worlds

 

After seeing these two strips, I'm thinking about maybe adding a "Use art with Staff" element!

 

 

Hmmm....I see a possible adaptation of Minbari Pike fighting from: http://www.starherofandom.com/b5/martial_arts.php

 

Maybe ?

 

-Carl-

[Xavier Onassiss]

Re: Martial In Space 2: a style for all worlds

 

B5 had a lot of way cool 'alien' martial arts, which I loved, but it didn't really look too hard at altered gravity. I positively cringed when I found out they put batting cages in a rotating habitat... did anyone tell them about coriolis forces? I need to add this to the You fail physics forever index over at tvtropes.

 

However, the collapsing/telescoping feature of Minbari pikes -- that's awesome. And I'm stealing it.

[Nevelon]

Re: Martial In Space 2: a style for all worlds

 

Another thought on weapon elements: You could have something based on a magnetic grapple with a tether. Similar to the kama/chain/rope ninja thing. Could be used to either grapple foes, anchor yourself, entangle, or attach yourself TO your foe so you can smack him without flying backwards.

 

You might want to add legsweep. If you are on the outside of a spinning hab, or on the surface of a ship under thrust while using magnetic/cling boots to stay put, making your foe loose his footing will end the fight. Is crush still a maneuver? I see 0-G MA being a lot of grabbing+do ugly stuff to people.

[Xavier Onassiss]

Re: Martial In Space 2: a style for all worlds

 

Another thought on weapon elements: You could have something based on a magnetic grapple with a tether. Similar to the kama/chain/rope ninja thing. Could be used to either grapple foes, anchor yourself, entangle, or attach yourself TO your foe so you can smack him without flying backwards.

 

You might want to add legsweep. If you are on the outside of a spinning hab, or on the surface of a ship under thrust while using magnetic/cling boots to stay put, making your foe loose his footing will end the fight. Is crush still a maneuver? I see 0-G MA being a lot of grabbing+do ugly stuff to people.

 

Yes, the Crush is a possible alternative to the Grappling Throw. Either one is useful maneuver to follow a grab, but I went w/the Throw because Taikong Ren Do is intended to emphasize versatility over massive damage.

[Nevelon]

Re: Martial In Space 2: a style for all worlds

 

Yes' date=' the Crush is a possible alternative to the Grappling Throw. Either one is useful maneuver to follow a grab, but I went w/the Throw because Taikong Ren Do is intended to emphasize versatility over massive damage.[/quote']

 

True. I guess if you designed a Space Commando aggressive variant (Taikong Ren Jitsu?) there would be more neck snapping and less throws.

[Michael Hopcroft]

Re: Martial In Space 2: a style for all worlds

 

How do you fight in an EVA suit in hard vacuum? Is it even possible?

[Susano]

Re: Martial In Space 2: a style for all worlds

 

How do you fight in an EVA suit in hard vacuum? Is it even possible?

 

Depends on two things:

 

1) How flexible your suit is.

2) Is there gravity?

[Xavier Onassiss]

Re: Martial In Space 2: a style for all worlds

 

Depends on two things:

 

1) How flexible your suit is.

2) Is their gravity?

 

The 'mechanical pressure suit' or 'bio-suit' concept which is undergoing development is far less restrictive than the current generation of vacuum suits. It works by applying 15psi directly to the wearer's skin with a relatively thin protective suit, rather than enclosing 15psi of atmosphere. (Truly a skin-tight space suit!) The results are dramatic: activities in standard pressure suits are on the order of 400% more strenuous than in a 'shirt-sleeve' environment; bio-suits cause may cause only a 20% increase. And damage to a bio-suit might not be immediately fatal in a vacuum, depending on where it's located. With a standard pressure suit, any damage is catastrophic: all the air goes out the hole.

 

In short, a more advanced space suit will make martial arts in vacuum possible, although still difficult.

 

The big 'what if' here are local radiation levels. In deep space, a bio-suit might withstand background radiation unaided for a few hours. (But I wouldn't want to do it!) However, in Earth's van Allen belts, Jupiter's radiation belts, or in the event of a big solar flare, a spacer would need additional shielding. So the bio-suit would need some extra protection, probably big bulky radiation shielding worn over it. Now we're back where we started: heavily encumbered, and taking Dex and DCV penalties for wearing lots of armor. Got Penalty skill levels?