Drunken Mantis Style

[luke]

I had the odd and wonderful opportunity to watch a praying mantis hunt tonight. I was almost her first victim!

my initial thoughts: Drunken Mantis style! (they really do look drunk as they move, when they look in your eyes you know they are deadly serious, though.)

Drunken Mantis Boxing is a skill and can be learned like any other martial skill. Practioners of DMB may Strike with hands and feet as normal. They may also perform all other martial maneuvers aside from Great Strike, Throw and Charge. The mantis prefers lightning attacks to big maneuvers and once she has her prey she tends to keep hold of it rather than throw it away!

Devout Six-Legged Inebriation (free with skill)
The most basic practice of the art is to learn to move like the mantis and to make four limbs into six. Through this technique the Drunken Mantis Boxer may act as normal so long as any of his two limbs touch the ground in a hands-down or foot-down position.

Thus if a DM boxer is knocked prone, he needs only one action to get a hand or foot under him in the proper position before he is ready to fight again. Note, he is not on his feet at all, he's just shifted his balance to available limbs.

Poise of the Preying Saint Ob 2
The mantis can remain perfectly motionless for great lengths of time. The Drunken Mantis Boxer may use this ability to FoRK Drunken Mantis style into Stealthy tests that require motionlessness or Meditation tests in general.

Kneeling at Prayer, Drunk Ob 3
The mantis sways, seemingly unsteady on her feet, but this is a ruse to lure the unwary. Drunken Mantis Boxers may Avoid without taking a retreating step -- they may hold their position while performing this maneuver.

Folded Hands in Prayer Ob 4
Once a mantis has closed her limbs on her prey, nothing can escape her grip! When an opponent is trying to break out of a mantis' lock, the lock dice count double. Thus if a mantis has a 1D lock on someone, the defender must get two successes to knock off that one die.

Jaws of Faith Ob 4
Once she clasps her pray, the mantis quickly devours. Drunken Mantis boxers may make bite attacks on the Inside at +1 Power.

Blinding Fury of the Drunken Saint of Insects Ob 5
It is impossible to avoid the grasping claws of the mantis! Get Inside counts as an Aggressive maneuver for Drunken Mantis Boxers. This means that it is done at half dice in Defensive Stance, regular skill dice in Neutral Stance, and plus half dice in Aggressive.

Hands Cupping Holy Wine Ob 6
The mantis lashes out with her long limbs and knocks her prey senseless. The DMB may add +1 Power to unarmed attacks with the hands and arms.

Swaying Speed of Devotion Ob 7
Standing perfectly motionless, the mantis lunges suddenly and snares her prey. Once per exchange, the Drunken Mantis boxer may use the Get Inside maneuver in a free bid for initiative. This still costs an action to perform, but the GI comes before all other actions in the volley.


have fun!

[luke]

So, I couldn't resist. So inspired was I by my encounter with the mantis, I built some new lifepaths. I really like chinese history/culture. I read an amazing book a couple of years ago about the Boxer Rebellion, though it kind of post-dates our material, the spirit and tradition of it are still valid. Enjoy!

http://www.burningwheel.org/html/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=129&mode=flat&order=1&thold=-1

I'll be making my Drunken Mantis Boxer to kick all your asses now...

-abzu!

[eruditus]

I had the odd and wonderful opportunity to watch a praying mantis hunt tonight. I was almost her first victim!


This is great! Isn't this how so many old MA styles start :) "Hey, that tiger looks cool - I will study how it fights so i can best emulate it."


my initial thoughts: Drunken Mantis style! (they really do look drunk as they move, when they look in your eyes you know they are deadly serious, though.)


At first my purest nature bucked at this concept but it was exactly what I needd to begin the chapter on the 15 different styles in Fortune's Tide. The more I think about it the more I like the merging of these styles into something fresh.


Devout Six-Legged Inebriation

So does this meant as a prone fighting manuever or a kippup of sorts (getting to one's feet quickly)?


Poise of the Preying Saint Ob 2
Simple but important. I especially like this manuever conceptually. I see the practitioner doing forms vvverrryyyy slowly.


Kneeling at Prayer, Drunk Ob 3
The mantis sways, seemingly unsteady on her feet, but this is a ruse to lure the unwary. Drunken Mantis Boxers may Avoid without taking a retreating step -- they may hold their position while performing this maneuver.

This brings me to a question that I will ask as another topic.


Folded Hands in Prayer Ob 4 ... the lock dice count double.


A little constructive critism - This seems awefully powerful. Double Dice? Since how many successes you get factors into how debilatating a lock you get i think this is too powerful. I am certain you have thought this over but I would prefer to see additional dice or an Ob modifier. Additional dice pares down the ability much more while an Ob penalty to defend against the practitioner says you will autolock most opponents at two successes and other MA practitioners would be at a significant disadvantage.


Jaws of Faith Ob 4
Once she clasps her pray, the mantis quickly devours. Drunken Mantis boxers may make bite attacks on the Inside at +1 Power.


Conceptually this is strong but I don't get it in a MA stand point. Who in their right mind will bite their opponent? bleh ;) Maybe a Head Butt attack? Maybe an incapacitating blow that follows the lock? A Bite is a little too weird to this otherwise grounded set of manuevers.


Blinding Fury of the Drunken Saint of Insects Ob 5

Nice use of the rules and rule bending.


Hands Cupping Holy Wine Ob 6

I would ADD a reach factor to this manuever - maybe spear range or something cool like that. Especially for an Ob 6 manuever.


Swaying Speed of Devotion Ob 7


Very cool

Hope my comments were at all helpful. Very spiffy. Really helped me in direction to developing my world's MA manuevers.

have fun!

[luke]

A little constructive critism - This seems awefully powerful. Double Dice? Since how many successes you get factors into how debilatating a lock you get i think this is too powerful.

the dice count double only for the purposes of escaping once locked. they do not count double for the purposes of disabling/incapacitation. this is the strength of the mantis' art, to grasp and refuse to let go!


Conceptually this is strong but I don't get it in a MA stand point. Who in their right mind will bite their opponent? bleh Maybe a Head Butt attack? Maybe an incapacitating blow that follows the lock? A Bite is a little too weird to this otherwise grounded set of manuevers.

You're too squeamish. Chinese boxing cults were nothing but wierd. Besides, I want to powergame and make my Drunken Mantis Boxer Orc. He'll take your head off on this Inside!

[luke]

Devout Six-Legged Inebriation

So does this meant as a prone fighting manuever or a kippup of sorts (getting to one's feet quickly)?

I was thinking a one action "ready" move negate prone fighting penalties. thus you're necessarily on your feet, but you're in fighting stance. this would lead to all sorts of cool mantis positions. as I was watching her hunt, the mantis would strike and then hold all these odd poses as she reassessed. i guess i'm trying to emulate that.

A classic example of a chinese boxer:
Born a 6th son into a family of six boys and five daughters, Younger Brother Gao Ma never had too much to eat at the table. Therefore he wasn't terribly disappointed when his family went to town to beg and he was left behind. But the rough life of the city wore on him; the injustices of the officials and soldiers made him angry. When he was a boy of 11 he stole out to the countryside with a gang of his friends and began robbing merchants and peasants headed to the city. After a few years of managing to keep his belly full, Gao Ma witnessed an uprising in town. A group of Red Scarf Boxers were protesting the tax increases and fighting with the governor's soldiers. The young bandit instantly left his old gang and joined the Red Scarves. He was a quick study, forsaking all else in the pursuit of boxing. Unfortunately, though his skills increased, he got into many many fights and made many enemies. After the Red Scarves disbanded, he turned to the teachings of First Master Swaying Orchid. From him Gao learned the secret techniques of the Drunken Mantis. And though Swaying Orchid taught the discipline of meditation and the doctrine of the Mantis, the young firebrand still only lived to fight!

Gao Ma, Drunken Mantis Boxer
Age: 22
Lifepaths: Born Peasant, Beggar, Bandit, Rebel Boxer and Spirit Boxer

Stats: Pe: B5, Wi: B3, Ag: B5, Sp: B5, Po: B4, Fo: B4
Atts: Ref: B5, Hea: B4, MW: B10, Steel: B5

Skills: Inconspicuous B2, Intimidation B2, Philosophy B2, Doctrine B2, Meditation B2, Sword B4, Drunken Mantis Boxing B5 (with Poise, Kneeling and Folded Hands maneuvers).

Traits: Demagogue, Artful Dodger, Bitter, Charismatic

Resources, Beliefs and Instincts to come.

Note: I cheated a lead to Outcast, because I wrote a nice little story! (And because I have an entire book of research to back it up.)

[mike_ravenwood]

I think a creater of a game making the comment
"I want to power game" is a frightening concept :)

[Kublai]

I think it's scarier that the creator of the game wrote these lifepaths just to use his new style in my adventure! :shock:

Now that's POWER!

[eruditus]

Note: I cheated a lead to Outcast, because I wrote a nice little story! (And because I have an entire book of research to back it up.)

Well, in a GM arbitrary game I suppose you are the ultimate in "if the GM says" ;)

[eruditus]

the dice count double only for the purposes of escaping once locked. they do not count double for the purposes of disabling/incapacitation. this is the strength of the mantis' art, to grasp and refuse to let go!

Gotcha. So only trolls and folk that negate this somehow through, say, octupus sytle kung fu, can generally get out of their grasp. Cool with me.




You're too squeamish. Chinese boxing cults were nothing but wierd. Besides, I want to powergame and make my Drunken Mantis Boxer Orc. He'll take your head off on this Inside!

Not that weird! :lol: And even if their ideas are funky their martial arts were usually pretty grounded. Although i suppose we wouldn't really know for, undoubtedly the really wierd styles would not have survived in a really harsh time period. And no doubt, styles that incorporated biting would find its way going the way of the dodo :)

And, yes, no lie, I did realize that you wrote this specifically for folks with teeth ;) Much fun. Great Spiders doing Praying Mantis!

[luke]

I think a creater of a game making the comment
"I want to power game" is a frightening concept :)

round these parts we like to call it"game development"

(and when did I mention "power"? i cheated, nothing more, nothing less. perfectly legitimate. if i wanted to powergame, I would have made my little boxer Born Noble, Rebel Boxer, Spirit Boxer, Warrior Monk, Warrior Monk. Sheesh, now THAT's powergaming!)

[eruditus]

That part in quotes there were your words... in reference to doing bite attacks with orcs.

as a refresher

in case you had forgotten you twink :lol:

[luke]

:oops:

:roll:

:twisted:

[Trayer]

Now Eruditus, think about how much fun it would be to have a troll practitioner of this art! He wouldn't be too squeamish about biting someone on the inside. :twisted:

[eruditus]

True, true...

but who would teach him? Namely, who would teach him and not get eaten? I want to see this scenario...

In my world Trolls respect demonstrations of force, and if you can't hold your own against them you are just another food source....

little old man wanders up "you will do."
troll tries to eat him and he avoids, gets inside and tries to apply a grab. Yeah, right.

Hey, abzu. Could Precision Training be used to replace MA for Power in Locks?

[luke]

Could Precision Training be used to replace MA for Power in Locks?

sure, i suppose. but it could also just be part of the art basics or a maneuver that one learns in the art (like in Kimdo in the BW).