Inscrutable masters from hidden temples. Special Forces soldiers. Swashbuckling pirates. Bare-chested brawlers. GURPS Martial Arts brings fighting styles from throughout history to Fourth Edition. From popular Asian bare-handed techniques to European combat arts to fantastic non-human training, this book balances realistic historical schools with cinematic feats from Hong Kong, Tokyo, and Hollywood. Recreate the greatest fighters in the world, or create a style to fit a new campaign, Martial Arts has the techniques and guidelines you need. Not all combat options map to techniques and styles, however. Many require extensions to the combat system itself, so Martial Arts expands on the combat and injury rules from GURPS Basic Set. Some of these additions are highly realistic, while others are extremely cinematic - but they're all optional, allowing the GM to decide which rules apply. Customizing the GURPS combat system has never been easier. This book replaces and expands on the information and rules from the previous edition of GURPS Martial Arts for Third Edition. About the Authors......Page 5 1. History ......Page 6 Timelines ......Page 7 Xia......Page 9 Monks and Martial Arts......Page 10 Northern vs. Southern Kung Fu......Page 11 Religion, Philosophy, and Fists......Page 12 Ryu......Page 13 Ninja: Legend vs. History......Page 14 Other Nations......Page 15 Gladiators......Page 16 Yeomen Archers......Page 17 Fechtbücher and Traveling Masters......Page 18 Beyond Western Europe......Page 19 Africa ......Page 20 Women in the Martial Arts......Page 21 Some Famous Martial Artists ......Page 22 Don’t Bring a Fist to a Knife Fight......Page 26 Bad Reenactments......Page 27 StyleTM......Page 28 2. Characters ......Page 29 Realism Level......Page 30 Beginning Students as PCs......Page 31 Character Templates ......Page 32 Del Duque (350 points)......Page 34 Frauds......Page 36 Adrian Froste (200 points)......Page 38 Kai Lian (250 points)......Page 40 Advantages......Page 43 Desirable Advantages......Page 44 Chi Powers for Martial Artists......Page 47 Perks......Page 50 Common Disadvantages......Page 54 Skills......Page 55 Combat Skills......Page 56 Wildcard Skills for Styles......Page 61 New Skills......Page 62 3. Techniques ......Page 64 Learning Techniques......Page 65 Realistic Techniques ......Page 66 Techniques That Aren’t......Page 67 Optional Rule: Targeted Attacks......Page 69 “Go for the eyes!”......Page 73 Dirty Tricks......Page 77 Using Your Legs......Page 80 Optional Rule: Combinations......Page 81 Cinematic Techniques ......Page 83 Secret Techniques......Page 87 Silly Techniques......Page 89 Creating New Techniques ......Page 90 Designing Realistic Techniques......Page 94 Designing Cinematic Techniques......Page 95 Designing Techniques for Nonhumans......Page 96 4. Combat ......Page 97 All-Out Attack......Page 98 Change Posture......Page 99 Committed Attack......Page 100 Feint......Page 101 Ready......Page 102 Who Draws First?......Page 104 Move......Page 106 Move and Attack......Page 108 Wait......Page 109 Melee Attack Options......Page 110 A Matter of Inches......Page 111 Untrained Fighters......Page 114 Close-Combat Options......Page 115 Teeth......Page 116 Grab and Smash!......Page 119 Ranged Attack Options......Page 120 Rapid Fire with Thrown Weapons......Page 121 Active Defense Options......Page 122 Harsh Realism for Unarmed Fighters......Page 125 Cinematic Combat ......Page 126 Multiple Attacks......Page 127 Chambara Fighting......Page 129 Mind Games......Page 131 Extra Effort in Combat......Page 132 More Cinematic Combat Rules......Page 133 Competition Types......Page 135 Realistic Injury......Page 137 Cinematic Injury......Page 140 5. Styles ......Page 141 Techniques......Page 142 Optional Traits......Page 143 Style vs. Style......Page 144 Ultimate Styles......Page 145 Streetfighting......Page 146 Creating New Styles......Page 147 The Training Sequence......Page 148 Do vs. Jutsu......Page 149 Aikijutsu......Page 150 Armatura Equestris......Page 151 Bando Animal Forms......Page 152 Boxing......Page 153 The Sweet Science......Page 154 Chin Na......Page 155 “Kung Fu”......Page 156 Fencing Styles......Page 157 Stickfighting......Page 158 Furusiyya......Page 160 Sport Fencing......Page 161 Hoplomachia......Page 162 External vs. Internal, Hard vs. Soft......Page 163 Hwa Rang Do......Page 164 Jeet Kune Do......Page 165 Martial-Arts Uniforms......Page 166 Jujutsu......Page 167 Kalaripayit......Page 169 Marma......Page 170 Kempo......Page 173 Kenjutsu......Page 174 Knightly Mounted Combat......Page 176 Armed Styles......Page 177 Kuntao......Page 179 Kyujutsu......Page 180 Longsword Fighting......Page 181 Archery......Page 182 Military Hand-to-Hand......Page 183 The Purpose of Military Hand-to-Hand......Page 185 Muay Thai......Page 186 Naginatajutsu......Page 187 Polearm Fighting......Page 188 Pankration......Page 189 Mixed Martial Arts......Page 190 Silat Traditions......Page 191 Praying Mantis Kung Fu......Page 192 Staff Fighting......Page 193 Savate Rankings......Page 194 Shaolin Kung Fu......Page 195 Shaolin Traditions......Page 196 Spear Fighting......Page 197 Sojutsu......Page 198 Sumo Traditions......Page 199 Sword-and-Shield Fighting......Page 200 T’ai Chi Chuan......Page 201 Taihojutsu......Page 202 Ninja and Ninjutsu......Page 203 Wing Chun......Page 204 Wrestling......Page 205 Wushu......Page 207 Death Fist......Page 208 Dragon-Man Kung Fu......Page 209 Force-Swordsmanship......Page 210 Smasha......Page 211 6. Weapons and Equipment ......Page 212 Cross-Cultural Encounters......Page 213 Combination Weapons......Page 215 Weapons of Quality......Page 217 Hidden Weapons......Page 219 Unorthodox Attacks......Page 221 Silly Weapons......Page 224 Improvised Weapons......Page 225 Melee Weapon Table......Page 227 Muscle-Powered Ranged Weapon Table......Page 232 Special Arrows......Page 233 Targets......Page 234 Armor......Page 235 7. Campaigns ......Page 236 The Realistic Campaign......Page 237 Special-Case NPCs......Page 239 Hybrid Campaigns......Page 240 Classical Greece and Rome......Page 242 Historical China......Page 243 Historical Japan......Page 244 Post-Classical Europe......Page 245 Fantasy......Page 246 Science Fiction......Page 247 Campaign Themes ......Page 248 The Quest for the Master......Page 249 Glossary ......Page 252 Bibliography......Page 253 Index ......Page 255
Inscrutable masters from hidden temples. Special Forces soldiers. Swashbuckling pirates. Bare-chested brawlers.
GURPS Martial Arts brings fighting styles from throughout history to Fourth Edition. From popular Asian bare-handed techniques to European combat arts to fantastic non-human training, this book balances realistic historical schools with cinematic feats from Hong Kong, Tokyo, and Hollywood. Recreate the greatest fighters in the world, or create a style to fit a new campaign, Martial Arts has the techniques and guidelines you need.
Not all combat options map to techniques and styles, however. Many require extensions to the combat system itself, so Martial Arts expands on the combat and injury rules from GURPS Basic Set. Some of these additions are highly realistic, while others are extremely cinematic—but they're all optional, allowing the GM to decide which rules apply. Customizing the GURPS combat system has never been easier.
This book replaces and expands on the information and rules from the previous edition of GURPS Martial Arts for Third Edition.
