Martial Arts Skill Levels

· Nonproficient: Any character who has not been trained in one of the four martial arts styles automatically falls into this category. Nonproficient martial artists can make normal pummeling attacks, but cannot claim any martial arts benefits.

· Familiar: Familiarity has no effect on the martial arts; a character is proficient in a martial art or he is not.

· Proficient: Martial arts styles are unknown in most AD&D game lands. To spend character points (or a weapon proficiency) to become proficient in a martial arts style, a character must be native to (or have paid an extended visit to) a culture where martial arts has developed. Such cultures are usually nonwestern, philosophical, and nonmaterialistic. They usually stress the power of nature or of the inner self over the power of tools, weapons, and technology. Such cultures often do not allow commoners to own weapons or armor.

Proficient nonwarriors can make one martial arts attack each round. Proficient warriors gain their full allotment of melee attacks when making martial arts attacks. If a character has sufficient character points (or proficiency slots) available, he can become proficient in more than one martial arts style. All benefits are cumulative; for example, a character proficient in styles A and B could kick or punch creatures of any size, inflicting 1d3 points of damage with a punch and 1d6 points of damage with a kick. If unarmored, the character could make one extra punch each round with no penalties. Note that the four martial arts styles do not constitute a weapon group; each much be learned separately.

· Expert: Any character who knows a martial arts style can spend character points (or weapon proficiencies) to become expert in the style. (Characters proficient in multiple martial arts styles can become experts in only one style.) Expert warriors who are entitled to more than one melee attack each round can make the same number of martial arts attacks each round, but gain no other benefits. Expert nonwarriors can make multiple martial arts attacks at the same rate as a nonspecialized warrior of the same level.

· Specialized: Generally, only single-classed fighters can become martial arts specialists, though there are optional rules in the Skills & Powers book that allow other characters to specialize. Martial arts specialists gain the normal specialist attack and damage bonuses and extra attacks. Specialists’ attack bonuses apply to their Strength scores when rolling for knockdowns. Characters proficient in multiple martial arts styles can become specialists in only one style. Martial arts specialists can make martial arts attacks against armed opponents without provoking attacks of opportunity. Specialists can attempt blocks and disarms against armed opponents without the –4 penalty to the opposed roll; martial arts disarms against two-handed weapons receive a –4 penalty instead of the normal –8 penalty for unarmed disarms.

· Master: Only single-classed fighters can attain mastery in martial arts. Martial arts masters gain the normal master attack and damage bonuses and extra attacks. Masters’ attack bonuses due to their Strength scores apply when rolling for knockdowns, and apply to opponents as penalties to saving throw rolls vs. knockouts. Grand master martial artists can use critical augmentation to score knockouts on attack rolls of 16 or better.

A martial arts master threatens his front squares and is entitled to make attacks of opportunity just as if he were armed with a weapon. A martial arts master can choose to inflict normal damage instead of mostly temporary damage. If the master rolls a critical hit while inflicting normal damage, he scores a bludgeoning critical instead of a knockout chance. When determining severity, compare the master’s size class with the target’s. Reduce the master’s size class by one category if the attack is a punch.

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