Re: [DL] Martial Arts balance

["Jeff Yates" <jyates@poboxes.com>]

<Lots of snippage: origin of thread is (I believe) a player who was shocked
when a couple Martial Artists throttled their whole posse (neither players
nor characters had ever seen such a thing before?).>

Just to put my two white chips in:

I had a player running a Martial Artist, and had no unbalanced type
problems.  Yeah, he could be a combat god, but the whole thing of an MA is
that they tend to be a real contemplative bunch.  Most Oriental thugs are
little better than Western thugs (in my opinion and game world).  Those who
have the real training in the martial arts are either monks/priests or
pretty far up the social ladder (well trained military officers or
nobility).  The nobles/officers wouldn't be Enlightend, so wouldn't get the
Ch'i powers.  That's how my game works.

If the MA is a player, and he's not ROLEplaying it well, then that's a
problem for the group's marshal.  It's already been stated the systemic
drawbacks to being an MA.  But part of it can (should?  maybe just for me)
be playing a meek, mild-mannered kinda guy.  Especially if Enlightened,
since to be enlightened one must spend much time contemplating one's navel
(it's not nice to contemplate anothers navel ;-).  If noble, then there's
the whole "honor" thing (sorry for the reeeal accurate terminology).  MA
players don't do much combat in my group, but often kick butt when they do.
(As an aside:  my group ran into a type of undead that don't take much
damage from physical/brawlin' hits.  The MA knocked him around, but never
out.  Really torqued the player, since the posse thought they were dealin'
with normal rustlers!)

If the MA belongs to the marshal, then you (as a player) have got problems.
The marshal wanted to either successfully complete the kidnapping, or just
wanted the posse smacked around.  These things happen (I've done them!).

One last comment:  The Flyin' Guilliotine that does 5 unchippable wounds --
you can Dodge this, and the dodge roll is chippable.  Yeah, we all know
that, but as a marshal if I didn't warn the player about the deadly rules
involved, the player might not think to chip the dodge, or even try it.

One more last comment!:  The MA in my posse was harrowed (long story -
powerful character usually), and when two new Rangers entered the group, the
happened to find the MA using a harrowed power to suck the life out of
someone.  The Rangers killed the MA permanant like, taking no damage
themselves.  The MA powers aren't much good against a nice hail of lead (all
three were players, so I don't feel bad about any of it ;-).

Well, that's my bit.  Keep your Peacemaker loaded!

Jeff Y.