Difference between revisions of "Martial Arts (5A)"

Latest revision as of 19:44, 27 March 2023

As players around here do not like wearing armor, the following martial arts option is included. As any master will teach you, defense is the basis of offense, for without survival there can be no offense. There are six schools of martial arts defense, each based around different principles, methods, and abilities. They are described here, in order of how esoteric they are, from the most spiritual to the most physical.

Martial Arts Defense

When getting your first armor or shield proficiency, usually at 1st level, you can pick a stye of martial arts. The effect of your martial arts depends the effect of all armor proficiencies you have. You keep the proficiencies. Instead, you gain benefits depending on your martial arts style and what armor proficiencies you have.

Class abilities that limit armor, such as the bladesinger wizard, cannot exceed those limits through martial arts. You can use martial arts equivalent of permitted armor, but no more than that.

Way of the Void

Prerequisite: You need a Wisdom of 14 or more to use Way of the Void.

Also know as the weirding way or the path of spirit, the way of the void is a mystic form of defense. Monks practice this style. You merge your consciousness with the universe and move in just the right way to deflect or avoid attacks, seemingly without effort. This is an art based on wisdom and insight. It requires the utmost balance and ease of movement, and is thus incompatible with wearing armor or a shield of any kind and with many weapons. A monk starts with this style of martial arts and the equivalent of proficiency in light and medium armor. A monk that gains proficiency in heavy armor can ignore the limitations on usable weapons in monk class abilities.

Light Armor: You gain an Armor Class of 12 + your Dexterity bonus. You lose this bonus when you wear armor, use a shield, carry a heavy load, or use a weapon with the two-handed or heavy property.
Medium Armor: You gain an Armor Class of 10 + your Dexterity bonus + your Wisdom bonus. You lose this bonus when you wear armor, use a shield, carry a heavy load, or use a weapon with the two-handed or heavy property.
Heavy Armor: You gain an Armor Class of 14 + your Wisdom bonus. You lose this bonus when you wear armor, use a shield, carry a heavy load, or use a weapon with the two-handed or heavy property.
Shield: With Shield proficiency you gain a +1 bonus to Armor Class. You lose this bonus when you wear armor, use a shield, carry a heavy load, or use a weapon with the two-handed or heavy property.

Way of Life

Prerequisite: You need a Charisma of 14 or more to use the Way of Life .

Also known as animal style martial arts or fighting panache, this energetic path is based on awe and movement. Some disciples channel the energy of life to fight like an animal, with constant acrobatic moves and antics. Others develop an aura of invincibility, moving slowly and deliberately trough danger that makes others cringe. Not quite as demanding as the way of the void, the way of life still demands that you refrain from using armor or shields.

Light Armor: You gain armor class of 12 + your Dexterity bonus. You lose this bonus when you wear armor, use a shield, or when carrying a heavy load.
Medium Armor: You gain an Armor Class of 10 + your Dexterity bonus + your Charisma bonus. You lose this bonus when you wear armor, use a shield, or carry a heavy load.
Heavy Armor: You gain an Armor Class of 14 + your Charisma bonus. You lose this bonus when you wear armor, use a shield, or carry a heavy load.
Shield: With Shield proficiency you gain a +1 bonus to Armor Class. You lose this bonus when you use a shield.

Way of Mind

Prerequisite: You need an Intelligence of 14 or more to use Way of Mind.

Also known as canny defense or fencing, this style uses trained reflexes and cunning guile for defense, concealing the practitioner in a web of dodges and parries. It is based on an intellectual understanding of the physics of fighting, and often uses a pattern for its attacks and defenses. This pattern can be geometric, working in circles or along an imaginary line, or it can be based on a rhythm such as that of a song or mathematical formula. Way of Mind favors the rapier and other finesse weapons, but a master can use it with any melee weapon. Their focus on melee weapons limits their use of two-handed missile weapons, but thrown weapons and one-handed missile weapons such as throwing weapons, hand crossbows, and pistols are popular.

Light Armor: You gain armor class of 12 + your Dexterity bonus. To gain this bonus, you must be unarmed or wield a melee weapon with the finesse property. You lose this bonus if you wear armor or carry a heavy load.
Medium Armor: You have an Armor Class of 10 + your Dexterity bonus + your Intelligence bonus. To gain this bonus, you must be unarmed or wield a melee weapon with the finesse property. You lose this bonus when you wear armor or carry a heavy load.
Heavy Armor: When you wear light armor you can add your Dexterity bonus plus your Intelligence bonus to your Armor Class. You lose this bonus if you wear medium or heavy armor or carry a heavy load.
Shield: You gain a +1 bonus to Armor Class, but only when unarmed or using a single 1-handed melee weapon. You can hold something in the other hand, as long as you do not use it as a melee weapon or shield. You can instead use a shield with normal benefits.

Way of the Body

Prerequisite: You need a Constitution of 14 or more to use Way of the Body.

This is the most earthly of the martial arts defense styles. Gladiators, boxers, and sumotori follow this path. It is based on long and punishing training where the student builds ligaments, muscle, and fat into an armored screen that protects from blows. This often makes them big and heavy, with large calloused hands and lots of scars. Practitioners of this style deflect some blows, and due to their high constitution they can take immense punishment even from the blows they fail to deflect. This is the style barbarians use - tough they do not give up the use of armor. Those of the way of the body tend to be big and strong and favor big two-handed weapons. Some use shields for a more defensive combat style. Others are cat-like and use finesse weapons.

Light Armor: You gain an armor class of 12 + your Dexterity bonus. You lose this bonus when you wear armor or carry a heavy load.
Medium Armor: You gain an Armor Class of 10 + your Dexterity bonus + your Constitution bonus. You lose this bonus when you wear armor or carry a heavy load.
Heavy Armor: You gain an Armor Class of 14 + your Constitution bonus. You lose this bonus when you wear armor or carry a heavy load.
Shield: A Way of Body martial artist can use shields to normal effect.

Way of Force

Prerequisite: Spell slots of 1st level.

This is the magician's way of defending himself, with protective force fields. Mage armor is the most common spell of this path. Not constantly up and possible to dispel, such armor still offers good protection without sacrificing mobility. Force warriors use the same weapons as normal warrior—that is any weapon at all. Many combine this with spells for a very volatile style. Some practitioners can create weapons out of force, but this is not a part of the Way of Force itself.

Light Armor: You learn the Mage Armor spell. Mage Armor is always prepared or known to you, without counting against your limitation on spells known or spells prepared.
Medium Armor: As long as you are using force armor, you gain a stacking +1 bonus to Armor Class.
Heavy Armor: As long as you are using force armor, you gain a further stacking +1 bonus to Armor Class.
Shield: You learn the shield spell. This spell is always prepared or part of your spells known, but does not count against your limit of prepared or known spells.

This is calibrated on casters being able to cast spells in any armor they are proficient in.

Way of Armor

Encasing the body in armor of leather or steel is a defense not one to be scoffed at, but carries little prestige in the martial arts world. Way of Armor is what a polite martial artist calls the regular warrior, it is not a martial arts system as recognized by the rules. Some call it the path of strength, as it takes great strength to carry heavy armor without encumbrance. In many places, wearing armor marks you as either a noble, soldier, or outlaw, making its use impractical if you are or pretend to be nobody special. The way of armor is usually the strongest, in terms of pure Armor Class. Its main weaknesses are cost, weight, and clumsiness.

Feat

Martial Versatility

You can switch between using martial arts and armor at will. Barbarians have this ability as a part of their class, with some restrictions.

Increase your Dexterity or Constitution by +1, to a maximum of 20.
Select one style of Martial Arts Defense. When fulfilling the prerequisites of your style, you gain the benefits of the style.
You can wear any armor you are proficient with, but when you do, you cannot use your style of martial arts.

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-{{5E}}
+{{5A}}
-As players around here do not like wearing armor, the following martial arts option is included.
+''As players around here do not like wearing armor, the following martial arts option is included.
+As any master will teach you, defense is the basis of offense, for without survival there can be no offense. There are six schools of martial arts defense, each based around different principles, methods, and abilities. They are described here, in order of how esoteric they are, from the most spiritual to the most physical.
-At 1st level, a character can decide to be a martial artist. This has no cost, but negates any armor proficiencies the character has. You keep the proficiencies, but do not gain any of the usual benefits. Instead, you gain the following benefits, depending on what armor proficiencies you have.
-:Light Armor: Your armor class is 12 + your Dexterity modifier.
-:Medium Armor: You get to add a second ability bonus to your armor class, depending on your martial arts tradition.
-: Heavy Armor: Only available in some of the martial arts traditions. You retain the ability to wear light Armor. Add +2 to the Armor Class granted by Medium Armor proficiency.
-:Shield: Only available in some of the martial arts traditions. You gain a bonus to Armor Class to armor class that stacks with Armor Class from other martial arts options.
 == Martial Arts Defense ==
-As any master will teach you, defense is the basis of offense, for without survival there can be no offense. There are six schools of martial arts defense, each based around different principles, methods, and abilities. They are described here, in order of how esoteric they are, from the most spiritual to the most physical.
+When getting your first armor or shield proficiency, usually at 1st level, you can  pick a stye of martial arts. The effect of your martial arts depends the effect of all armor proficiencies you have.
+You keep the proficiencies.
+Instead, you gain benefits depending on your martial arts style and what armor proficiencies you have.
-As a general rule, you can only add your Dexterity modifier and '''one''' additional attribute modifier to your Armor Class. If you would add several ability scores to your Armor Class, you only get to add the best one. If you would apply the same ability score several times, you cannot. If a style allows you to exchange Dexterity for another attribute when calculate defense, you can still use one other ability score modifier besides the dexterity replacement, but you still cannot add the same ability score modifier twice. This puts a strict limit on the benefits of multiclassing.
+Class abilities that limit armor, such as the bladesinger wizard, cannot exceed those limits through martial arts. You can use martial arts equivalent of permitted armor, but no more than that.
 === Way of the Void ===
-Also know as the weirding way or the path of spirit, the way of the void is a mystic form of defense. Monks practice this style. The practitioner merges his consciousness with the universe and moves in just the right way to deflect or avoid an attack, seemingly without effort. This is an art based on wisdom and insight. It requires the utmost balance and ease of movement, and is thus incompatible with wearing armor or a shield of any kind.
+''Prerequisite:
+You need a Wisdom of 14 or more to use Way of the Void.
-When unarmored and unencumbered, the disciple of the void adds his Wisdom bonus (if any) to his Armor Class and his Combat Maneuver Defense. He loses these bonuses when he wears any armor, when he carries a shield, or when he carries a medium or heavy load. Classes and archetypes that adhere to the way of the void generally grant greater Armor Class bonuses as you advance in levels.
-Practitioners of void generally fight using martial arts strikes or monk weapons. They can use other weapons but may have to give up some abilities to do so.
+Also know as the weirding way or the path of spirit, the way of the void is a mystic form of defense. Monks practice this style. You merge your consciousness with the universe and move in just the right way to deflect or avoid attacks, seemingly without effort. This is an art based on wisdom and insight. It requires the utmost balance and ease of movement, and is thus incompatible with wearing armor or a shield of any kind and with many weapons.
+A monk starts with this style of martial arts and the equivalent of proficiency in light and medium armor. A monk that gains proficiency in heavy armor can ignore the limitations on usable weapons in monk class abilities.
-Only classes that specifically add their Wisdom bonus to AC practice this style, it cannot be picked up with the martial arts option. No armor or shield proficiency changes how this style works.
+* '''Light Armor''': You gain an Armor Class of 12 + your Dexterity bonus. You lose this bonus when you wear armor, use a shield, carry a heavy load, or use a weapon with the two-handed or heavy property.
+* '''Medium Armor''': You gain an Armor Class of 10 + your Dexterity bonus + your Wisdom bonus. You lose this bonus when you wear armor, use a shield, carry a heavy load, or use a weapon with the two-handed or heavy property.
+* '''Heavy Armor''': You gain an Armor Class of 14 + your Wisdom bonus. You lose this bonus when you wear armor, use a shield, carry a heavy load, or use a weapon with the two-handed or heavy property.
+* '''Shield''': With Shield proficiency you gain a +1 bonus to Armor Class. You lose this bonus when you wear armor, use a shield, carry a heavy load, or use a weapon with the two-handed or heavy property.
 === Way of Life ===
-Also known as the animal style martial arts or fighting panache, this energetic path is based on awe and movement. Some disciples channel the energy of life to fight like an animal does, with constant acrobatic moves and antics. Others develop a kind of aura of invincibility, moving slowly and deliberately trough danger that makes most people cringe. Not quite as demanding as the way of the void, the way of life still demands that you refrain from using armor or shields.
+''Prerequisite:
+You need a Charisma of 14 or more to use the Way of Life .
-:Light Armor: The disciple of life has an armor class of 12 + her Dexterity bonus.
+Also known as animal style martial arts or fighting panache, this energetic path is based on awe and movement. Some disciples channel the energy of life to fight like an animal, with constant acrobatic moves and antics. Others develop an aura of invincibility, moving slowly and deliberately trough danger that makes others cringe. Not quite as demanding as the way of the void, the way of life still demands that you refrain from using armor or shields.
-:Medium Armor: The disciple of life has an Armor Class of 10 + her Dexterity bonus + her Charisma bonus. She loses this bonus when she wears armor, uses a shield, when she carries a medium or heavy load.
-:Heavy Armor: Does not get a further bonus to Armor Class. Instead, when she passes a Wisdom or Charisma save that normally has some effect even on a successful saving throw, the Way of Life master ignores the entire effect.
+* '''Light Armor''': You gain armor class of 12 + your Dexterity bonus. You lose this bonus when you wear armor, use a shield, or when carrying a heavy load.
-:Shield: A Way of Life martial artist with Shield proficiency gains a stacking +1 bonus to Armor Class.
+* '''Medium Armor''': You gain an Armor Class of 10 + your Dexterity bonus + your Charisma bonus. You lose this bonus when you wear armor, use a shield, or carry a heavy load.
+* '''Heavy Armor''': You gain an Armor Class of 14 + your Charisma bonus. You lose this bonus when you wear armor, use a shield, or carry a heavy load.
+* '''Shield''': With Shield proficiency you gain a +1 bonus to Armor Class. You lose this bonus when you use a shield.
-=== Way of the Mind ===
+=== Way of Mind ===
-Also known as canny defense or fencing, this style uses trained reflexes and cunning guile for defense, concealing the practitioner in a web of feints and tricks. It is based on an intellectual understanding of the physics of fighting, and often uses a pattern for its attacks and defenses. This pattern can be geometric, working in circles or along an imaginary line, or it can be based on a rhythm such as that of a song or mathematical formula. Practitioners of the way of the mind are also known for their witty repartee during combat. This style allows some armor and bucklers and small shields, but not large or tower shields.
+''Prerequisite:
+You need an Intelligence of 14 or more to use Way of Mind.
-:Light Armor: The disciple of mind can use light armor with normal benefits.
+Also known as canny defense or fencing, this style uses trained reflexes and cunning guile for defense, concealing the practitioner in a web of dodges and parries. It is based on an intellectual understanding of the physics of fighting, and often uses a pattern for its attacks and defenses. This pattern can be geometric, working in circles or along an imaginary line, or it can be based on a rhythm such as that of a song or mathematical formula.
-:Medium Armor: The disciple of mind has an Armor Class based on the armor she is wearing (10 for no armor) + her Dexterity bonus + her Intelligence bonus. To gain this bonus, she must wield a melee weapon with the finesse property. She also loses this bonus when she wears medium or heavy armor, uses a shield, and when she carries a medium or heavy load.
+Way of Mind favors the rapier and other finesse weapons, but a master can use it with any melee weapon. Their focus on melee weapons limits their use of two-handed missile weapons, but thrown weapons and one-handed missile weapons such as throwing weapons, hand crossbows, and pistols are popular.
-:Heavy Armor: The benefit is the same as that of Medium Armor, except that it applies at all times.
-:Shield: A Way of Mind martial artist with Shield proficiency gains a stacking +2 bonus to Armor Class, but only when using a single 1-handed melee weapon. They can have something in the other hand, as long as it is not a melee weapon.
-Way of the Mind can be used with any weapon, but most styles emphasize the use of light and agile weapons such as the rapier. Their need to always be armed with a melee weapon limits their use of two-handed missile weapons, but thrown weapons and one-handed missile weapons such as throwing weapons, hand crossbows or pistols are popular. At the highest level of mastery this restriction is lessened.
+* '''Light Armor''': You gain armor class of 12 + your Dexterity bonus. To gain this bonus, you must be unarmed or wield a melee weapon with the finesse property. You lose this bonus if you wear armor or carry a heavy load.
+* '''Medium Armor''': You have an Armor Class of 10 + your Dexterity bonus + your Intelligence bonus. To gain this bonus, you must be unarmed or wield a melee weapon with the finesse property. You lose this bonus when you wear armor or carry a heavy load.
+* '''Heavy Armor''': When you wear light armor you can add your Dexterity bonus plus your Intelligence bonus to your Armor Class. You lose this bonus if you wear medium or heavy armor or carry a heavy load.
+* '''Shield''': You gain a +1 bonus to Armor Class, but only when unarmed or using a single 1-handed melee weapon. You can hold something in the other hand, as long as you do not use it as a melee weapon or shield. You can instead use a shield with normal benefits.
 === Way of the Body ===
-This is the most earthly of the martial arts defense styles. Gladiators, boxers, and sumotori follow this path. It is based on long and punishing training where the student builds ligaments, muscle, and fat into an armored screen that protects from blows. This often makes them big and heavy, with large calloused hands and lots of scars. Practitioners of this style deflect some blows, and due to their high constitution they can take immense punishment even from the blows they fail to deflect. This is the style of combat barbarians use - tough they do not give up the use of armor.
+''Prerequisite:
+You need a Constitution of 14 or more to use Way of the Body.
-:Light Armor: The disciple of body has an armor class of 12 + her Dexterity bonus. She loses this bonus when she wears armor or carries a heavy load.
+This is the most earthly of the martial arts defense styles. Gladiators, boxers, and sumotori follow this path. It is based on long and punishing training where the student builds ligaments, muscle, and fat into an armored screen that protects from blows. This often makes them big and heavy, with large calloused hands and lots of scars. Practitioners of this style deflect some blows, and due to their high constitution they can take immense punishment even from the blows they fail to deflect. This is the style barbarians use - tough they do not give up the use of armor.
-:Medium Armor: The disciple of body has an Armor Class of 10 + her Dexterity bonus + her Constitution bonus. She loses this bonus when she wears armor or carries a heavy load.
+Those of the way of the body tend to be big and strong and favor big two-handed weapons. Some use shields for a more defensive combat style. Others are cat-like and use finesse weapons.
-:Heavy Armor: Does not get a further bonus to Armor Class. Instead, when she passes a Strength or Constitution save that normally has some effect even on a successful saving throw, the Way of Body master ignores the effect entirely.
-:Shield: A Way of Body martial artist can use shields to normal effect.
-Those of the way of the body tend to be big and strong and favor big two-handed weapons. A few sacrifice agility and use shields for a very defensive combat style. Others are cat-like and use finesse weapons.
+* '''Light Armor''': You gain an armor class of 12 + your Dexterity bonus. You lose this bonus when you wear armor or carry a heavy load.
+* '''Medium Armor''': You gain an Armor Class of 10 + your Dexterity bonus + your Constitution bonus. You lose this bonus when you wear armor or carry a heavy load.
+* '''Heavy Armor''': You gain an Armor Class of 14 + your Constitution bonus. You lose this bonus when you wear armor or carry a heavy load.
+* '''Shield''': A Way of Body martial artist can use shields to normal effect.
 === Way of Force ===
-This is the magician's way of defending himself, with protective force fields or other spell effects. ''Mage armor'' is the most common spell of this path. Many practitioners of other paths combine their style with ''bracers of defense'' that are based on the way of force.
+''Prerequisite: Spell slots of 1st level.
-To use this style, you need to have the ability to erect force armor.
+This is the magician's way of defending himself, with protective force fields.
-This means that most practitioners of this style are spellcasters. Not constantly up and possible to dispel, such armor still offers good protection without sacrificing mobility.
+''Mage armor'' is the most common spell of this path.
+Not constantly up and possible to dispel, such armor still offers good protection without sacrificing mobility.
+Force warriors use the same weapons as normal warrior—that is any weapon at all. Many combine this with spells for a very volatile style. Some practitioners can create weapons out of force, but this is not a part of the Way of Force itself.
+* '''Light Armor''': You learn the Mage Armor spell. Mage Armor is always prepared or known to you, without counting against your limitation on spells known or spells prepared.
+* '''Medium Armor''': As long as you are using force armor, you gain a stacking +1 bonus to Armor Class.
+* '''Heavy Armor''': As long as you are using force armor, you gain a further stacking +1 bonus to Armor Class.
+* '''Shield''': You learn the ''shield'' spell. This spell is always prepared or part of your spells known, but does not count against your limit of prepared or known spells.
-:Light Armor: If you already have the ability to cast a spell with ''mage armor'' in the name, you can now do so as a reaction or bonus action.
+''This is calibrated on casters being able to cast spells in any armor they are proficient in.
-:Medium Armor: As long as you are using force armor, you gain a stacking +2 bonus to Armor Class.
-:Heavy Armor: As long as you are using force armor, you gain a stacking +3 bonus to Armor Class.
-:Shield: If you have the ability to cast the ''shield'' spell, that spell becomes a cantrip for you.
-Force warriors use the same weapons as normal warrior—that is any weapon at all. Many combine this with spells for a very volatile style. Some practitioners can create weapons out of force.
+=== Way of Armor ===
+Encasing the body in armor of leather or steel is a defense not one to be scoffed at, but carries little prestige in the martial arts world.
+Way of Armor is what a polite martial artist calls the regular warrior, it is not a martial arts system as recognized by the rules.
+Some call it the path of strength, as it takes great strength to carry heavy armor without encumbrance.
+In many places, wearing armor marks you as either a noble, soldier, or outlaw, making its use impractical if you are or pretend to be nobody special.
+The way of armor is usually the strongest, in terms of pure Armor Class. Its main weaknesses are cost, weight, and clumsiness.
-=== Way of Armor ===
+== Feat ==
-Encasing the body in armor of leather or steel is a defense, and certainly not one to be scoffed at. Some call it the path of strength, as it takes great strength to carry heavy armor without encumbrance. In many places, wearing armor marks you as either a noble, soldier, or outlaw, making its use impractical if you are or pretend to be nobody special. The way of armor is usually the strongest, in terms of pure Armor Class. It is also very magically versatile, there are many enchantments that can be put on armor. Its main weakness is weight and the sound it makes. Way of Armor is what a martial artist calls the regular warrior when he wants to be polite, it is not a martial arts system as recognized by these rules.
+{{ : Martial Versatility Feat (5A) }}