Star Wars RPG Martial Artist Specialisation Page

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Specialisations Notes

This specialisation can be found as part of the following careers: Bounty Hunter (sw-ffg-ee-cr)

From the Kage Warrior of Quarzite to the enforcers of Black Sun, organisations and cultures across the galaxy have developed their own unique hand-to-hand combat style to use their species physiology to greatest effect. Over decades, centuries, and millennie, these combat forms become more than mere means of inflicting violence; generations of practitioners work to make them into art forms, philosophies, and ways of life. A desire to practice self-defence can become a belief in the value of self-betterment and the innate potential of others, though not all ideologies develop along such lines. more than a few Bounty Hunters have picked up technologies from martial arts styles across the galaxy to help in their hunts. Some are shining examples of their school’s philosophies and traditions, but others are disgraced students, or have never even trained formally, earning their skills through hard experience on the battlefield.

A Martial Artist benefits first and foremost from a high Brawn rating to empower the skill. however, Willpower is an extremely useful secondary characteristic, as it not only gives the Martial Artist the higher strain threshold needed to activate the specialisations many talents that use strain as a resource, but also the ability to face intimidating foes up close without flinching. Further, talents like Mind Over Matter benefit from a higher Willpower, and let the Martial Artist fight even longer without becoming exhausted. Finally, the Martial Artist benefits greatly from investing in the Coordination skill, as talents like Martial Grace and Coordination Dodge let the Martial Artist supplement raw strength with finesse both offensively and defensively.

Unlike character from most other specialisations built around close-quarter combat, Martial Artists does not need a weapon to fight competently. Martial Artists generally value precision over brute strength, and strive to execute efficient unarmed strikes. By wasting as little energy as possible, they can deliver extremely forceful blows even when unarmed. This is reflected in talents like Precision Strike, which lets Martial Artists exhaust and weaken foes as they see fit rather than by chance. Martial Artists also seek to leverage their enemies strength against them in battle with talents like Overbalance, which allow them to throw foes off balance after they attack. Martial Artists also have access to Parry to mitigate damage, and can even use Parry when unarmed.

This unique combination of precise offence and controlled defence allows Martial Artists to contend with some of the toughest fighters in the galaxy. Of course, not every battle is worth fighting, and a trained Martial Artist knows to assess not only the enemy but also the situation before deciding whether to join the frey. many schools of martial arts teach the idea that fights are to be avoided, and that the ideal way to win a battle is to avoid having it in the first place. Unsurprisingly, this attitude is less prevalent among Bounty Hunters who wield martial arts, as their profession demands a certain amount of violence, but some still apply these overarching principles to a certain degree.

House Rule Changes

Made Dedication the reward for completing a Specialisation Tree instead of a Tier 5 Item. Replaced Dedication with a 5th Tier Parry in fitting with the Martial Artist.

Fantasy Flight Rules

Star Wars Shadowrun