The Knights needs some love!

[mike_ravenwood]

First of all this is not an attack on all those martial arts fans on the forums. The fun to be had astonishing all with your rule bending special ablitilties is something I enjoy, but what about your western equivilents. After poking around through some of my own books and online, the various forms of western martial arts are just as worhty of special manuevers as an eastern forms. Depending on the time period and technological capablilities of your setting the weapons availible lend to different styles within weapon categories. The sword and shield vs the Bastard sword are different fighting styles based around the same skill in BW. While I don't believe they need to reach the max OB 10 special move that the current MA reach, perhaps a training skill that allows for some rule bending. For example

Shield Training (these would be in addion to the abbility to strike/block)
Great Push ( test vs Power + shield dice) you know how to use the heft of your shield to knock back opponents.
Shield -Lock ( Skill vs Spd) you trap your opponents weapon against their body with your shield. Inteaded to be a temporary Lock to give the Shielder a clear shot on the next action. Opponent can Avoid to break the lock.

These are just a few ideas off the top of my head. Those with a better understanding of medieval sword styles feel free to chime in... or shoot me down :lol:

[Manicrack]

I agree.
It would be cool if there were more maneuvers for western combat arts.
If I ever made up any maneuvers for a game, i, personally, would probably make spin-offs from the ones in RoS.
But only because I am too lazy to reearch them all myself.
Do you have any other ideas for maneuvers?

-Crack

[Judd]

I don't think BW is trying to say that a samurai will beat a knight's ass or that a traditional kung-fu practitioner is going to beat a wrestler.

Feels like we are getting TRoS mixed up with Burning Wheel.

The martial arts rules are there so that the person who wants to take a crack at fun, martial arts-y powers can go for it, not to show how lame western martial artists are.

But if you want to go for western sword schools and such, go for it. I think that'd be fun and BW would certainly support it.

[Kublai]

I would totally create a Western martial art but I have no idea what to include except for some crazy fantasy stuff. Otherwise, it'd be posted already!

BW has nothing against knights but rather loves them to death! When I think of a BW knight, I think of those French dudes from THE MESSENGER starring Milla Jovovich. They were tanks with no fear of injury, just the love of a good fight!

[Thor]

Alright guys! Put something together. I'd love to see what you do. I would like to point out though that Knights already get access to one of the most powerful and cost-effective martial arts in the game. I'm talking about Mounted Combat training.

A knight in full plate with a fast and powerful destrier and a lance is a terror to behold.

Aside from that, how about a Pankration martial art for wrestling with daggers? Nasty! Or, for those who are willing to play in a later period, put together some different fencing schools!

[LordSmerf]

For what it's worth the (incredibly rough) Take it to the Ground MA was intended to be pretty Western in focus. I mean, it has its roots in wrestling, which is Greco-Roman...

Thomas

[Enlil]

How about a training, trait, or martial skill that requires a steel test whem a charging night goes after an opponent on foot? A charging knight should be AT LEAST as terrifying as a charging orc, even if he is on a warg. I guess I really need to wait and see how nasty a knight on a destrier is in the new BW (plenty nasty in the old version, that is for sure!) Then again, this cuts into orc uniqueness, so it should probably have a different twist. Not sure what, though.

An ability to draw faster, maybe have a better VA (given how pitful the VA of a sword is now) would both be good, too.

I was trying to figure an Irish Epic skill, and the ability to use both swords and spears seemed like possible abilities - the same should hold with a knight MA, I would think - you could use perhaps sword, lance and pole-axe with skill, and FoRK with sword, lance, or pole-axe skills . . .

Christian

[Thor]

I guess I really need to wait and see how nasty a knight on a destrier is in the new BW (plenty nasty in the old version, that is for sure!)

Even nastier, in my not so humble opinion! Mounted combatants get to use their mount's Speed for Positioning tests, and lances count as the longest weapon against everything but missile weapons.

[Enlil]

So a mounted knight should be the master of hit and run attacks? Sounds cool.

Some other random ideas for knightly abilities (whether they be trainings, MAs, or whatever):
Ability to mount up faster (vaulting into the saddle and such)
Ability to control your horse better (maybe a free command per exchange)
Ability to use your horses Power in place of yours for lance strikes against larger than human targets

Huh, maybe an equestrian 'martial art' would be in order . . .

Christian

[Thor]

Huh, maybe an equestrian 'martial art' would be in order . . .


Now that sounds interesting!

[LordSmerf]

Huh, maybe an equestrian 'martial art' would be in order . . .


Now that sounds interesting!

Yes it does! I've begun sketching one in response to this suggestion. Christian, if you want to coordinate PM me... Or you can work on your own and we can compare finished products!

Thomas

[phade23]

Mike, I would love to work on something like this with you. The main reason I wanted to be a Martial Artist were cuz of the cool stuff they could do. If, say, Archers also had the same thing, I would have had choices. (and you wouldn't have had a crazy swordswoman to deal with).

I vote yes on more martial skills, not just eastern. That means we can spend time together codifying tables and charts. Referencing and Cross-referencing passages. Mmmm.... I do love my charts and tables.

p23
Do what thou shalt be the whole of the law. -A. Crowley