Anime and Fighting Game Martial Arts RPG Version 1.8

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1 1 Thrash Thrash Anime and Fighting Game Martial Arts RPG Anime and Fighting Game Martial Arts RPG Version 1.8 Version 1.8 by Ewen cBlackbird d by Ewen cBlackbird d Cluney Cluney Thrash: Martial Arts RPG Chapter 1: Introduction 2 2 Chapter 1: Introduction Chapter 1: Introduction cViolent fighting to begin again... d -- King of Fighters 896 Capcom 9s Street Fighter II changed the face of video games forever by introducing the world to a new style of game, where two characters faced off in a one-on-one fight to the finish. This has since spawned countless other similar games, to the point that it has created an entire genre of video games, collectively known as Fighting Games. Thrash is a book-and-dice RPG that deals with anime and fighting game style martial arts.

This main rulebook presents only general rules, info on real-world martial arts, and some general fighting game info, though additional sourcebooks will deal with an assortment of popular fighting game worlds. The Thrash system is heavily based on the now out- of-print Street Fighter Storytelling Game from White Wolf, as well as Mekton Z, and, to a lesser extent, Ninjas & Superspies. The martial arts and the whole ... more. less.

system are designed to simulate both fighting games and anime and manga based on them, the result being a highly cinematic game with lots of nifty special moves, energy blasts galore, and so forth. Thrash is not intended to be a particularly complex or in-depth game. The object in roleplaying is to have fun, but in Thrash that may at times be the sole concern. Furthermore, the rules are designed to play relatively quickly, since the game is intended to simulate extremely fast-paced martial arts combat. To play Thrash you will need only this book, some pencils and papers, and some dice (10-sided and 6-sided). Thrash is public domain. It may be distributed freely provided that no fee is charged and this document remains unmodified. And if you really enjoy it, you might consider sending a donation to the author. ^_^ Before you ask, yes, I did take an awful lot of stuff directly from Warrior 9s World (my SF:STG sourcebook) and paste it into Thrash (albeit with appropriate changes). Design Theory of Thrash One of the most important things to remember about Thrash is they way the system is designed to work. It functions in much the opposite of how other RPGs do. Rather than picking items from a list in the book to define your character, you create your character and their abilities in story terms, and then create that using the rules. This is especially true where a character 9s maneuvers are concerned. Chances are you won 9t have to make up a new maneuver to create the special move you want; it 9s all a matter of combining maneuvers and modifiers, and occasionally combo maneuvers, to create what you want. The idea is to let the players create precisely what they want (you still have to worry about your point totals, mind you), rather than picking from what the game designers have seen fit to provide. This does, however, have an interesting result on character descriptions; truth be told, they tend to end up as a maneuver followed by a (long) list of modifiers (e.g., cChi Blast (Flaming, Extended Range, Ground Blast, Moving Blast) d). Even so, once you look at the system in this way, it becomes very easy to define virtually any fighting game character, with comparatively little work. Thrash is not a game for muchkins! Admittedly, the rules are easy to abuse. For example, one GM told me of a player who wanted to create Athena Asamiya, and proceeded to make her a psychic and then selected some four different styles, thereby reducing the cost of all Focus maneuvers to 1 CP each! This is not only abusive of the system, but just plain stupid. Athena 9s only style is Wu Shu, for one thing (not to mention the fact that cost modifiers aren't cumulative). I cannot stress enough that the whole point of Thrash is the storytelling. The rules themselves are secondary to EVERYTHING. When creating a character do not buy stuff just to make your character more powerful; the statistics are a numerical reflection of the conceptual character, the one that exists before the numbers come into play, and both need to be plausible for the game world and other parameters set by the game master. Sourcebooks There are currently two "official" sourcebooks for Thrash; Karyu Densetsu, and original campaign setting, and the Thrash Sourcebook, a collection of generic material. Planned future sourcebooks include adaptations of Street Fighter, Ranma ½, DarkStalkers, King of Fighters, and Samurai Shodown, plus Metal Rage (crossover rules for Mekton Z) and Road Thrash (a sourcebook on combat racing). Revision History 0.8 cPre-Release Version d: Basic rules and such, but no appendices. 1.0 This is the complete version, including the appendices not included in version 0.8, as well as a handful of other additions (armor rules, a character creation example, etc.). 1.2 Several corrections made, as well as many revisions to the basic system, based on feedback received. I 9ve tried to close up some of the loopholes in the system, and generally spruce it up a bit. 1.8 Incorporated a lot of the game material and such stuff from Karyu Densetsu and the Thrash Sourcebook, plus made some clarifications and rules changes. Created construction systems for styles and maneuvers, then revised existing styles to account for that, including creation of "Discipline Styles". Revised multiple styles rules considerably. Thrash: Martial Arts RPG Chapter 1: Introduction 3 3 Net Stuff The Official Thrash Home Page can be found at http://www.blueneptune.com/~jcluney/ewen/thrash.htm and I can be e-mailed at blackbird@earthdome.com. Thanks I would like to thank the following people for support, encouragement, and informing me when I screwed up: Alan Weeks Chris Hoffmann Sir Fireball13 Mike Foulk The Immortal Frog God The Learning Lich Rob Pool Sir Sanjiyan And probably a few others I've managed to forget (gomen nasai!). Disclaimer Street Fighter, DarkStalkers, CyberBots, and all related characters are owned by Capcom Co., Ltd. King of Fighters, Fatal Fury, Art of Fighting, Samurai Shodown, and all related characters are owned by SNK. Ranma ½ was created by Rumiko Takahashi. Other games and characters mentioned herein are likewise owned by their respective creators. This document is not in any way a challenge to that ownership. Thrash: Martial Arts RPG Chapter 2: Character Creation 4 4 Chapter 2: The Martial Chapter 2: The Martial Arts Arts cOnce there was a man who tried to make his skill ultimate. Because of that, it was no wonder he was involved in the troubles. d -- Samurai Shodown II This section gives general information on the martial arts as practiced in and out of fighting games, including general information on learning and practicing the martial arts, tournaments, and various other stuff of note. Realism and Lack Thereof Any serious examination of the occurrences in a fighting game will prove that there is no real form of logic operating. In fighting games everyone can take the same amount of damage, knows martial arts, has unlimited amounts of chi energy, can block any attack by holding up their fists, cannot actually be cut by weapons (though blood can fly out everywhere), and if they have an animal companion, that critter is indestructible and immortal. The point is, Thrash tries to find a midpoint between the insanely illogical and real life. The game is intended to be run with some degree of seriousness and while taking into account the normal laws of the universe, but also to integrate some small measure of its violations of common sense, mainly in that the characters can possess special maneuvers and powers very similar to those presented in the games, and the plots and situations, with certain conventions removed (like the part about using quarters to resurrect the character). For this purpose it would be advisable to think more in terms of anime than anything else; virtually all fighting games are made in Japan with anime/manga themes in mind, and they tend to act accordingly over all. The World The scope of a Thrash campaign depends on the particular game world it is taking place in. The generic fighting game-type setting (i.e., late 20th century, martial arts are somewhat more common than in real life, tournaments are a very big deal, etc.) will be the starting point for a lot of Thrash campaigns, and thus such game worlds will tend to be restricted to Earth, but will be rather international. How much this is so varies; Street Fighter features characters from all over the world, but a lot of other games concentrate more on ones from Asia. Goals "It has been a year since the incredible tournament took place. Those who fight to find their true selves, those who fight to preserve the future -- they have assembled to fight again, and so the next tournament begins." -- Battle Arena Toshinden 2 Real-life martial artists usually want to better themselves, and be able to defend themselves if need be. In anime and fighting games, however, most martial artists have other motives. Many want revenge for something or other, most often for killing a relative or friend (as is the case with Chun Li, Terry Bogard, Wolfgang Krauser, Shizumaru, Guile, and others), or some personal sleight, real or imagined (as with Genjuro and a significant portion of the cast of Ranma ½), or in some cases they are continuing an ancient conflict that has raged between two (or more) families or clans (as with Kyo Kusanagi and Iori Yagami). Other sorts of goals vary a great deal; some fighters have grown greedy for the spoils of winning a tournament, others are merely carrying out the orders of whoever they work for (like Gen-An and Billy Cane). Some merely seek to prove the power of their style, their nation, their creed, or themselves, to the world (like E. Honda and Zangief), and a for a few, the fights themselves have become the only important thing, the quest for perfection coming before all else (as with Ryu). A few others include carrying on one 9s family traditions (Ranma and Akane, any ninja, etc.), to further their quest for spiritual attainment (like Dhalsim), and to get into an organization (Birdie). And, of course, there 9s always the number one motivation; cold, hard cash. Styles There are many different styles of martial arts. They are not only from Japan and China, but are a worldwide phenomena. It is true that Asia has more and more developed fighting styles than any other part of the world, but those of other parts of the world can hardly be ignored. All martial artists will be trained in one or more styles. Information on the individual styles can be found in the Styles section (strangely enough). In general, styles are classified as being external/hard or internal/soft. External styles, such as karate and kendo, concentrate more on the physical aspects; the object is to break the opponent. Internal styles deal more with the spirit and chi, and usually concentrate more on disabling the opponent peaceably. Obviously, not all styles can be fit into one of these two categories (Ninjutsu, for instance). Thrash: Martial Arts RPG Chapter 2: Character Creation 5 5 Honor Honor is very important to most martial artists. The study of the martial arts is not simply learning to fight, but also encompasses some amount of spiritual and moral instruction. What honor means varies a great deal, depending upon who is asked. In broad terms, acting honorably means acting fairly and so forth. To some, it is a code that one follows always, even to the point of death. The Power of Chi It is called chi in China, ki in Japan, and prana in India. All these names describe a kind of energy that flows through all living things like water and burns in them like fire. While in real life some doubt its existence, in Thrash it is definitely a very real force, and one which should not be underestimated under any circumstances. The cultivation of chi (the name by which it is referred to for game purposes) is difficulty, and best served by the internal styles of the martial arts. In game terms, it is used to power most of the more mystical martial arts abilities; energy blasts, mystic sensitivity, and other such powers all draw upon a character 9s natural chi. Like yin and yang, chi is divided into positive and negative. Positive chi is the force of life, and negative chi is the force of un-life. All living creatures normally have positive chi, and if infused with negative chi they will become incapable of healing or fighting off diseases. Even so, it is said that some have learned to actually adapt to having negative chi within them, and can use this terrible power at will. The Earth is a living thing as well, and Chi flows through it in the form of lines of mystic energy known as Dragon Lines. Tournaments Nearly all fighting games are built around tournaments of some sort. In a tournament several different fighters compete, until finally one emerges the champion. How common such tournaments are in a game world is up to the GM. In all likelihood characters will participate in one to six tournaments per year. Teams : While most tournaments will rely on one-on- one fights, some will allow for team competition. Teams are usually of two or three people, since that 9s how team tournaments are usually structured. Matches are usually tag-team (whereby there are two team members, who can switch places by ctagging d their teammate), or single- round elimination (where a match continues until only one side has members left standing), and even a few which are simply all-out brawls, with all of the team members participating at once. Restrictions : Different tournaments have different requirements. This is especially true in the area of weapons. Firearms are, for the most part, NEVER allowed in tournaments, and melee weapons are frequently disallowed or at least frowned upon. Gambling : It is very common for tournaments to take bets on the outcome of fights -- this serves to draw even bigger crowds and make even more money. There are two drawbacks to it, however. In many countries it is illegal, so if the police should decide to crack down, those concerned could be in big trouble. It also serves to draw in less desirable elements; certain tournaments are often troubled by mob influences, and some fighters may be bribed or threatened into throwing a fight. Managers : If you are going to be a tournament fighter, it might be a good idea to have a manager. This is someone who handles the paperwork for you. They will arrange for entrance into tournaments, make sure you 9re getting paid enough, and other important stuff (and take a certain percentage of your winnings). Staff : Fighters who really make it big will usually have a small staff to handle things. What this entails varies a great deal, but common employees include: a bodyguard (to handle things diplomatically and without injury), accountant, chauffeur/pilot, publicist, trainer (to keep you in shape), instructors (in nearly anything you deem important), ring doctor, and who knows what else. Of course, you 9ve got to be able to give these people a salary, and that means dealing with tax forms, social security... Fans : Being in the public eye as much as a tournament fighter is means that characters will often accumulate fans, especially when they become particularly famous. Fighters 9 opinions of their fans vary a lot. Some all but ignore them, while others pay a great deal of attention to them. Regardless, fans can be very helpful. They are people who like the character a great deal, and if asked to do something, would likely agree, and might even consider it a privilege. Prizes : Most tournaments give some sort of award to the winner(s). In fighting games these aren 9t usually all that important, but the prize of a tournament can easily be vastly important to the plot; an ancient mystical artifact, training in a particular style or special technique, a contract to sign up with a group. More exotic prizes could include not having the world overrun by demons (ala Mortal Kombat), immortality, or a single wish. Tournament Match Rules The particulars of a match vary between tournaments. For the purposes of Thrash there will generally be relatively few restrictions on what maneuvers the participants can use; as noted before, the only restriction commonly imposed is the prohibition of weapons. One important factor, though is determining just when a match ends. Generally speaking, a tournament match will end when one of the following happens: " Many tournaments place a time limits on matches, usually 1-5 minutes, though in game terms this will normally be measured in turns -- from 20 to 60 turns. " One of the fighters is knocked unconscious. Thrash: Martial Arts RPG Chapter 2: Character Creation 6 6 " One of the fighters surrenders. This is more common than you might think for a few reasons. Firstly, most fighters aren 9t dumb enough to keep on going against someone who 9s just beat the stuffing out of them. Second, losing one match doesn 9t necessarily mean you 9re out of the tournament. Teams For roleplaying purposes, the PCs will most often form a team, which fights together. This may not always be the case (especially if they want to enter a tournament where competition is one-on-one), but outside of the ring they will likely stick together. Why a team comes together varies a great deal. Some are all students of the same teacher (or sometimes the teacher is a team member, fighting alongside their students), some are simply friends and/or relations (such as the Trio of Garou from King of Fighters), some are working together for business purposes (like the Villains team of KoF 896); whatever the motivation, it had best be strong enough to convince them to stay together for a while. Women and the Martial Arts cI 9m the strongest woman in the world! d -- Chun Li, Street Fighter II In fighting games and anime, female martial artists are generally common, but are still normally outnumbered by the guys by at least 4:1. The role they occupy is a curious one, a result of both Japanese culture as it applies to fiction and the conventions of the anime and fighting game genres. Generally speaking, female fighting game characters will be either Cute (Nakoruru, Rimururu, Sakura, Athena Asamiya, Yuri Sakazaki, etc.) or Sexy (Vice, Mature, etc.) or occasionally both (Felicia, Mai Shiranui). Naturally, the Cute ones are both more common and more dangerous. Such character 9s don 9t have to be scantily clad, but the designers (and for that matter, entirely too many players) seem to think it 9s a big plus (Felicia, Mai, etc.). Retirement cGo home and be a family man! d -- Guile, Street Fighter II Sooner or later, a fighter will likely outgrow tournament fighting. When that happens, they 9ll usually decide to retire. What retirement means to a tournament fighter can vary a great deal. They might try to settle down (after all, you meet a lot of people traveling so much for tournaments; you might just meet that certain special someone...), or start a training school of their style, or just go back to normal life (in the second Fatal Fury OAV, we get to see Terry Bogard working at a construction site). Some retired fighters still want to be near the fights, and become managers of up-and-coming fighters, or hold tournaments of their own, or run arenas. Weird Powers Whether and to what degree strange powers show up depends on the game world in question (and thus the GM), but it 9s Important to remember that this is fantasy, and just about anything can happen. Psychic powers, magic, cyborgs, elementals, and mutant animals all have a place. Of course, those buggers can get pretty damn powerful, so the GM should be careful about allowing them. Of course, this sort of thing makes being a fighter a much more interesting (and potentially dangerous). You never know just what strange abilities an opponent might be holding back, though some will be more apparent than others. See Appendix 1 for more details. Chapter 3: Chapter 3: Character Creation Character Creation The first step in playing is to have a character. This section explains how to do that. The game mechanics of creating a character are pretty simple, but regardless you should always remember that a character is far more than simply a combination of numbers, but a sort of simulated person, who should have a distinct personality, set of goals, and history. Step 0: Concept Before you begin coming up with stats, it 9s best to have some general idea of what your character is going to be like ahead of time. A concept doesn 9t have to be fancy or anything, just so long as it gives you a general direction in which to decide your character 9s abilities and such. Step 1: Attributes You are given 6d10+20 points to assign among the eight basic attributes. Attributes may not normally be below 1 or above 10. The eight attributes are as follows: Intelligence : This describes the character 9s overall reasoning ability, memory, perception, and so on. Focus : This is a measure of the character 9s overall mental control. The Focus attribute is critical for most of the more mystical martial arts abilities, and determines the damage of most purely chi-based attacks. Charisma : This describes how personable the character is overall; how well they relate to other people. Will : The Will attribute is a measure of the character 9s determination and force of will, and, amongst other things, is used to resist mental attacks. Strength : Strength describes the character 9s overall physical strength, and thus determines both how much damage they inflict with normal, physical attacks, and how much they can lift and carry. Agility : Agility determines how fast the character can move and how good their reflexes are. Thrash: Martial Arts RPG Chapter 2: Character Creation 7 7 Stamina : Stamina is a measure of how long the character can carry out physical activities without being fatigued, and also determines how much damage they can take in combat. Appearance : Appearance is a general measure of how good-looking the character is. Unspent attribute points are doubled and added to the character 9s available Character Points (see below). Heroic Attributes (Optional) Thrash characters are intended to be powerful, but in some campaigns you 9ll want them to be really powerful, mainly because the major villains are even more powerful. If this is the case, you, as the GM, may wish to invoke the Heroic Attributes rule; rather than the usual 6d10+20 points, you may give characters a set allotment of points to use, generally between 60 and 75, though occasionally higher. If the GM wishes to allow it, the maximum value for attributes can be raised from 10 to 12 as well. Secondary Stats The secondary stats are other statistics of varying importance, which are based on the character 9s attributes. Base Action Points : The number of Action Points a character has affects initiative and determines how many different things they can do in a single combat turn. Each maneuver counts as a certain number of Action Points, and when all the character 9s APs are used up for that turn they cannot act anymore. All characters begin with 8 APs, plus 1 per point in their various styles. Chi : A character 9s Chi stat is a measure of the power of their life force and spirit. Chi points are spent to make use of certain powerful maneuvers. A character 9s base Chi is determined as follows: (Focus x 2) + Will Health : Health is equal to Stamina x 4 , and determines how much damage a character can take before being rendered unconscious. Dizzying Threshold : This is determined as Stamina + 8 , and determines how much damage a character can take in a single turn before being briefly dazed. Rage Threshold : A character 9s Rage threshold determines how much punishment they can take before becoming ccharged up d by it (sort of like the Rage Meters in many fighting games), and is determined as: Stamina + Will + Focus . You might be asking why it is that more powerful characters take longer to ccharge up. d Basically, the idea behind this is that a more powerful character has greater endurance and inner control, so that it takes them longer to get truly pissed off, but when they do 3 watch out! Thrash: Martial Arts RPG Chapter 2: Character Creation 8 8 Basic Damage The damage for nearly all maneuvers is determined by taking the modifier listed below, as calculated from the appropriate stat, and applying it to the damage of the maneuver. Base Damage for Strength and Focus should be recorded on your character sheet. Level Base Damage 1 -3 2 -2 3 -1 4 +0 5 +1 6 +2 7 +3 8 +4 9 +5 10 +6 +1 damage per point above 10 Upper/Lower Body Strength (Optional) Generally speaking, characters are assumed to have roughly equal upper and lower body. Of course, this may not always be the case; some characters are exceptionally good at kicking (e.g., Chi Li), while others are far better at punching (e.g., ANY boxer character). To simulate this in game, you take your normal Strength attribute and csplit d it. Next to the basic strength you write in parenthesis two numbers, the first being the upper body strength and the second being the lower. They begin equal to the normal Strength attribute, but either may be increased one point by lowering the other one point. They cannot be more than 4 points apart, however. Upper Body Strength is applied to all punches, most weapon strikes, and similar maneuvers. Lower Body Strength is applied to all kicks. ALL other maneuver types use the character 9s basic Strength attribute normally, since Athletics, Grappling, and other maneuvers make use of both upper and lower body muscles. For Example: The player is creating a kickboxer, who has a Strength of 7, but wants his character to be better at kicking than punching, so he puts the lower body strength two higher than the upper; under Strength on the character sheet it will read: 7 (5/9) Step 2: Character Points You are given character points equal to your character 9s Intelligence plus Agility, plus 40. Skills are bought at a cost of 1 point per level in that skill. Disciplines cost 2 points per level, Styles cost 4 points per level, and maneuvers cost CPs as noted in their descriptions. You may also select various Advantages (see below), which will cost additional CPs or Disadvantages, which give you more CPs. Unspent CPs are doubled and become the character 9s current pool of experience points. Spending CPs On Secondary Stats (Optional) The GM may allow players to increase various secondary stats cartificially d at character creation by spending extra character points. The GM may disallow or limit this as her or she sees fit. Stat Cost Maximum Increase Base APs 3 per +1 +4 Chi 1 per +2 +12 Health 1 per +2 +12 Dizzy Threshold 1 per +1 +6 Specializations and Concentrations (Optional) A specialization is a type of enhancement to a skill whereby the character is better at a particular area involving that skill. For instance, a character with the Swimming skill might specialize in distance, or speed, or whatever. To select a specialization you must have the particular skill at 5 or higher, and when rolling for something involving the skill in a manner for which the specialization is important, roll a d12 instead of a d10. A concentration is similar to a specialization, except that the character has studied their particular specialized area to the point of neglecting others, and thus they roll 2d6 for rolls that involve the concentration, and 1d6 for those that do not. Specializations and Concentrations may be applied to all Skills and Disciplines, but not to Styles or anything else. Unspecified CPs (Optional) With the GM's permission, the character may leave some CPs unspent, so that they can be used to buy additional stuff on the fly, things which the character "just happens" to know. The character may have any number of Unspecified CPs, up to half of their total available, but they must pay 1 CP for every 4 set aside in this manner. Step 3: Fill In The Rest The last step is to basically work out everything else about your character. This means you need to decide on their personality, background, appearance, and so on, name any important equipment/weapons they might carry around with them, and a quote from the character. Character Creation Example Obviously, you might have some difficulties with all this. The following is an example of how character creation should work, from step 0 to step 3. Step 0 : So, I decide to make a character. I want a cliché cutesy teenage girl Judoka type (hey, it 9s anime!). Step 1 : Rolling 6d10+20, I get 51 points for attributes. Divided between the eight attributes, that 9s roughly 6 points each on average, so, after fiddling with them for a while, I 9ve assigned them like this: Intelligence 5, Focus Thrash: Martial Arts RPG Chapter 2: Character Creation 9 9 7, Charisma 5, Will 7, Strength 4, Agility 8, Stamina 7, Appearance 8 Next is the Secondary Stats. Base APs we 9ll calculate later. Chi is (7x2)+7, or 21. Health is 7x4, 28, Dizzying Threshold is 7+8, 15, Rage Threshold is 7+7+7, 21, and basic damage is +0 for Strength and +3 for Focus. Step 2 : Now, she gets 40+5+8 CPs, 53 in all. First I make a list of what I want her to have, and then give them all levels. Skills: Computer 3, Cooking 2, Language: English 4 (Japanese is her native language), Taunt 5 (13 points total) Disciplines: Blind Fighting 4 (8 points) Advantages & Disadvantages: Mentor 3 (3 points) Styles: Judo 4 (16 points, and now we know that her Base APs is 12; add +1 to Agility and thus get one extra CP) Maneuvers: We have 13 points left now (including the extra one from Judo 9s Agility bonus). First off, she gets Body Flip, Breakfall, and Foot Sweep for free, in addition to the usual basic maneuvers. Since judo specializes in grappling (and gets such maneuvers with the CP cost reduced by 2 point), I go straight to the Grappling section, and pick Leaping Slam (3 points). Then I grab jump (practically a requirement for fighting game characters) and Tackle (1 point each). Next, since it 9s anime, I buy a Chi Blast (6 points) but make it a Short Blast to cut down the cost (-2, making it 4 points total). Now there 9s only 4 CPs left to spend. Since I don 9t want to bother with disadvantages, I decide to create a Combo Maneuver. This will be a 3-part one (2 points base cost), where she body flips the opponent, shoves a chi blast into their chest, and then does a leaping slam to finish them off. And to make it even more effective, I add a Chi Charge modifier (+2 points), and now the statistical part is done. Now the important maneuvers need to be named. Her Chi Blast I 9ll call cScreaming Eagle Shot, d her Leaping Slam cSoaring Hawk Cruncher, d and the nifty combo maneuver will be& cGreat Talon Shredder. d The tackle, body flip, and foot sweep are just that and needn 9t be given names Step 3 : Now comes the fun part. ^_^ Okay, her name is Tomiko Yamada. She is an 18-year-old judo fighter, originally from Kyoto, where she learned judo from her grandfather, despite his total inability to keep different quantities straight. Tomiko began entering tournaments only this year, after she was attacked by and defeated the infamous Pigeon Eddie, a ruthless criminal mastermind and practitioner of the Saiiko style of Karate, whose evil she now wishes to put an end to. Tomiko is friendly and outgoing, but never puts up with any injustice, to the point of occasional megalomania& She is fairly short and rather cute, and has short green hair for no apparent reason. In combat she wears her judo gi, which is bright blue in color. Obviously this is a very silly character, and as such should only be used in a likewise comedic campaign. Recreating Characters Inevitably, you'll probably want to recreate an existing character from your favorite game or anime or whatever. Obviously, it's largely impossible to create any hard and fast rules for this sort of thing -- it's more an art than a science. So, how the hell do you go about it? ... That's not so easy to explain. Ultimately, you're creating an interpretation of a character, colored to some degree by how you perceive them. As such, it is advisable to collect as much information as possible; the less guesswork you have to do, the better. Of course, this may take a whole hell of a lot of digging, especially if you don't understand Japanese. Armed with a good understanding of the character, the tricky part, the statistics, begins. Games and anime don't generally bother to quantify the characters' capabilities per se, so even if you have every scrap of info ever written, you still have to do some guessing as to just how strong is strong (is Guile's strength higher, as high, or lower than Ken's?). Stats can usually be done without much trouble, and Styles tend to be fairly obvious, and if all else fails you can simply use the Generic Style, and Disciplines likewise are often obvious, at least as far as anime is concerned, though skills may take a bit more thought, simply in that when the character is running around battling villains and such, they don't spend much time doing things that involve too many of their skills. Maneuvers are one of the most critical things, though, especially for a fighting game character. You have to worry about not only the "special" moves, but the minor things; unusual punches and kicks, such as Ken and Ryu's Cyclone Kick (tap the joystick forward and do a medium kick), and throws. By and large, this whole process should probably be carried out without regard to point costs; most existing characters are considered to be pretty experienced in the first place, and as such will be more powerful than your typical starting character is intended to be. Even so, especially for a player character, the GM may wish to limit the player to the normal allotment of CPs -- this may necessitate assuming that the character is simply from earlier on in the series than what was seen before. Thrash: Martial Arts RPG Chapter 2: Character Creation 10 10 Skill Descriptions Weapon Skills: A weapon skill enables the character to use weapons of the types covered by the skill, regardless of the character 9s style. A weapon skill provides a very basic knowledge of the use of that weapon, and if you want any special maneuvers to go with it, you cannot purchase maneuvers whose cost totals more CPs than the character 9s level in the weapon skill. Animal Training : This is the ability, through typical learning techniques, to teach an animal to perform simple tasks, such as training a horse to respond to commands from the reins, or getting a hawk to track and capture rodents for its owner. Assimilation : This skill enables the character to study another culture, pick up important details, and appear as a member of said culture. Basic Repair : This is a very basic knowledge of mechanics, sufficient to fix a toaster or do basic automotive repairs. Blades : The character is skilled in using swords, knives, and other blade weapons. Blunt Weapons : Skill in using cudgels, maces, clubs, and similar weapons in combat. Chain Weapons : The character is skilled in using chain weapons; this includes flails and related weapons, as well as nunchaku, ordinary lengths of chain, and other such weapons. Computer : This is a general ability to handle computers. A low level in this skill (+1 to +3) indicates just computer usage skills, while higher levels in it mean that the character is capable of programming. Cooking : The character is versed in how to prepare meals well. Nearly anyone can cook, but this character has practiced at it, and probably has at least a small repartee of memorized recipes. Dance : Self-explanatory. Demolitions : Demolitions is an ability to prepare or disarm explosive devices of various types. Disguise : The ability to make oneself look like someone else. This requires makeup, clothes, and possibly some other items. This may be seen through (Intelligence roll), but is unlikely. Drive/Pilot : This is a general ability to pilot/drive various types of vehicles. Each different type of vehicle counts as a separate skills (i.e., Drive Autos, Pilot Airplanes, Pilot Boats, etc.). Engineering : This is an advanced knowledge of some area of engineering (electrical, mechanical, avionics, etc.). Escape : The character has the ability to free themselves from handcuffs, straitjackets, and similar items. This typically involves careful muscle control, and the often painful process of dislocating joints. Expert : The character is an expert in some area or other. The Expert skill can be used for a wide variety of skills, including hobbies, artistic skills (art, writing, playing a musical instrument, etc.), and even science (biology, chemistry, psychology, etc.). Feign Sleep : A character with this skill can convincingly appear to be asleep, and detect whether others are truly asleep (though others with this skill can fool them if their total is higher). Firearms : This is general skill with using guns. First Aid : Skill in administering simple medical help, such as bandaging wounds and performing CPR. Games : What seems like a mere game to some is often an expression of the meaning of life to others. Martial artists and eastern mystics are particularly notorious for this sort of thing, and will often be expert players of games such as go, shogi (Japanese chess), tiao qi (Chinese checkers), and xiang qi (Chinese chess). Such games, especially go, will be played for hours on end, in search of not a victory per se, but a perfect game. Groundfighting : This skill allows the character to fight while prone. A successful roll on the Groundfighting skill enables the character to use any reasonable maneuver (i.e., any ones that logically could be used while on the ground; GM discretion). Characters without this skill will receive a -4 penalty to all combat rolls, and anyone attempting to attack a groundfighter will likewise be at -3 to attack with maneuvers not designed for such opponents. Hojoujutsu : This is a series of techniques for binding/tying up others such that it is exceedingly difficult to escape. If hojoujutsu is used successfully, attempts to escape are at -6. Hold Breath : This skill allows the character to hold their breath for a number of minutes equal to half their Stamina, plus one minute per 3 levels of Hold Breath. Interrogation : The ability to question an unwilling subject, and in doing so get information out of them that couldn't be gained otherwise. This may include torture, either physical or mental, deception, playing "good cop/bad cop", and depriving of sleep or food. Intimidation : Techniques of intimidation range from subtle suggestions to outright physical threats; characters with this skill understand how to get what they want by being imperious. Intimidation can be used to attempt to cpsych out d an opponent before a fight. To determine the rate of success, make a contested roll; 1d10 + Charisma + Intimidation Vs 1d10 + Will + Focus. If the intimidating character wins, the opponent is at -4 on initiative and loses half their APs for the first turn only. Language : This skill grants knowledge of a language other than your native one(s). All characters are considered to know their native language at a skill level of 3 ; this can be increased higher if so desired. Leadership : The ability to take control of a situation and convince others to follow you, though the GM should Thrash: Martial Arts RPG Chapter 2: Character Creation 11 11 apply a penalty to attempts to lead others into danger, especially if the commander is not going himself. Lore : The character has a general knowledge of a particular area of mythology. Each area counts as a separate skill. Such myths may differ from the truth, but will still give the character some useful clues most of the time. Medicine : This is knowledge of how to heal others. What form this takes may vary, ranging from a Western- style medical degree, to a knowledge of holistic medicines, or anything in-between. When the Medicine skill is used successfully, half the level of the skill is added to the total Health restored per day. Mimicry : A difficult skill to be sure, this allows the character to convincingly imitate the voice of another person. The character can imitate any accent they've heard before, but imitating a specific person requires that the character study that person's voice, and make a skill roll. Regardless, the character cannot fool electronic detection. Missile Weapons : The character is skilled in using primitive projectile weapons, including bows, slings, crossbows, and so on. Musical Instrument : This is the ability to play a particular type or class of musical instrument. Each type counts as a separate skill. Philosophy : This skill grants knowledge of a particular philosophy, such as Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism, Shinto, Hindu, Maoism, etc. Each type of philosophy counts as a separate skill. Polearms : This is skill with using polearms, including halberds, naginata, and similar weapons. Seduction : This is the ability to seduce another person appropriate sexual orientation. Shield : Skill in using shields to parry blows. Sing : Self-explanatory. Staves : This is skill in using staff weapons in combat, including quarter staves, the bo and jo, escrima sticks, and similar weapons. Stealth : The ability to move quietly, unnoticed, by moving with appropriate balance and footing, slowly to avoid detection. The character is not invisible, but unless an observer actually sees the character, detection is highly unlikely. Streetwise : A general knowledge of the various gangs, dealers, and other criminals that may be found in an area familiar to the character, as well as being able to avoid conflicts. Survival : This is the ability to survive in a wilderness area. The character knows how to find food and water, avoid hazards, build shelters, and so on. Make one skill roll per day spent trying to survive; failure means the character has made some kind of mistake (in general, this can be condensed to saying that the character has managed to take 1d6 damage in all by some means or another). Swimming : This is the ability to move while in water, keep from drowning, and so forth. Swimming characters effectively use their Strength as Agility for the purpose of determining how far they can move in a turn. Taunt : This is the ability to make fun of your opponent, by variously jeering at them, making weird faces, or whatever suits your fancy. A successful taunt roll will take off Rage points from the person it is directed at as per the Base Damage table using their Charisma. Taunting takes up at least 10 APs. Thrown Weapons : Skill in using thrown weapons, including shuriken, darts, and even rocks. Whip : Skill in wielding a whip or similar weapon (blackjack, cat-'o-nine-tails, etc.) in combat. Thrash: Martial Arts RPG Chapter 2: Character Creation 12 12 Disciplines Disciplines are a somewhat unusual category of abilities, falling somewhere in-between skills and special powers. Disciplines grant abilities that are beyond what is common, but not beyond what normal humans are capable of. Armor Fighting A character with discipline is practiced in fighting while wearing armor, such that they do not feel its encumbrance as other characters do. For every level of Armor Fighting, reduce the encumbrance penalty for any armor the character wears by 1 point, to a minimum of 1. Arts of Invisibility cAnd from him I learned the art of Ninja, the art of& invisibility . d -- Splinter, TMNT the Movie The Arts of Invisibility, originally based on the techniques of puppeteers in Kabuki theater, were developed by the Ninja in order to carry out their clandestine activities. Practicing the Arts of Invisibility requires a mix of ingenuity and mental control that few are capable of. 1. Move Silently : This is effectively the same as the Stealth skill, and uses the level of Arts of Invisibility for such. 2. Hiding : The character learns how to become one with their environment, thereby hiding, motionless, with almost no chance of being noticed by the naked eye. The character is generally considered to automatically succeed, though when under close observation they must make a roll to maintain the illusion. 3. Evasion : This ability lets the character hide behind someone, following their every movement so that they perpetually remain in that person 9s blind spot. Again, this works automatically unless the other person is attempting to find them. 4. Escape : This is effectively the same as the Escape skill, and uses the level of Arts of Invisibility for such. 5. Disguise : This is effectively the same as the Disguise skill, and uses the level of Arts of Invisibility for such. 6. Vanish : This ability allows the character to appear to vanish; in truth they create a distraction of some sort, and then quickly move out of sight. Obviously, this requires somewhere to disappear to, as well as a successful roll, the difficulty depending on who they 9re dealing with, the lighting, and the accessibility of hiding places. 7. Mystic Invisibility : This mystical power allows the character to cloud the minds of observers, such that they simply do no perceive him, even if it was activated while they were looking right at him. This costs 4 Chi and 8 APs to activate, but additional chi must be expended any time they move 3 1 Chi per 10 APs they expend. 8. Mystic Disguise : A more complex illusion, this power causes others to perceive the user as being someone (or something) else. So long as it is maintained the illusion is convincing to most any visual inspection, though it will not work at all for physical purposes. Maintaining the illusion costs 2 Chi per minute, and a roll is required to produce a convincing illusion. Blind Fighting This discipline teaches the character how to use all of their other senses to fight when blinded. Any time the character cannot see and attempts to fight, they may make a Blind Fighting roll to negate the usual penalties for blindness (-5 to all rolls, APs are halved) as they pertain to fighting for the duration of the turn, though they will be at -2 APs. Body Hardening Martial artists will do all sorts of things to make themselves, stronger and tougher, and a lot of them are pretty painful. Body Hardening refers to any number of exercises which make the body resistant to damage. This can include standing under waterfalls, chopping wood, taking blows from other students, and other fun things. For every level of Body Hardening, add +3 to the total of all Soak Rolls (see the rules section for more details). Feng Shui Feng Shui, or Geomancy, is an understanding of how the power of Chi flows through the Earth. A character with this discipline can recognize how the flow of the Dragon Lines will be affected by different factors, especially architecture, for which bad designs can often create a hurtful flow of chi. Iaido Considered a style in and of itself, Iaido is the Japanese art of sword-drawing. The original combat form, Iaijutsu, was based around the idea of striking down an opponent with a single, lightning-quick blow. It enables them to draw the sword and strike in one smooth, fluid motion, with lightning speed. When a character uses Iaido as the first attack of a fight, add +2 to Initiative per level of Iaido. The Iaido strike uses 5 APs total, and adds +1 to damage per level of Iaido. Thrash: Martial Arts RPG Chapter 2: Character Creation 13 13 Iron Fist Through arduous training and body hardening exercises, the warrior's hands are made as hard as steel. Normal punches see their damage increased by +1 per 3 levels of Iron Fist, and the character can execute a Power Punch , as follows: Accuracy : -1 Action Points : 9 Chi Cost : None Damage : 1d6+3 Move : None Iron Will The discipline of Iron Will essentially serves to build mental fortitude, providing a defense against any attack that affects the character 9s psyche. For any such attack, the character may add the level of Iron Will to their total for attempting to resist it. Kung-Sool This is the Korean art of archery, long favored over bladed weapons for the mounted and unmounted warriors of Korea. In game terms this is effectively the same as Kyudo (see below). Kyudo Kyudo, cthe Way of the Bow, d is a form of archery derived from Zen philosophy. The object is not to hit the target, so much as to position bow, mind, and body in perfect harmony. Those skilled in Kyudo perform astonishingly well with bow and arrow, gaining the following benefits. " The level of Kyudo may be used for archery (except with crossbows). " Practicing archery effectively counts as Meditation at the level of the Kyudo discipline. " The character can fire arrows while unable to see, using the level of Kyudo in place of the Blind Fighting discipline, or it is added to Blind Fighting if they already have it. " By spending 2 Chi the character can increase the Damage and Accuracy of a shot by +1 (to a maximum of half their Focus). Meditation Meditation is a technique whereby the body is kept motionless and the mind stays in a clear, calm, restful state. Although by no means a substitute for sleep, meditation is very relaxing, and further allows for more rapid restoration of spent Chi points. A character may spend up to 30 minutes meditating per level of the Meditation Discipline. For each 30 minutes make a roll on 1d10 + Focus + Meditation against a difficulty of 18; for every point that the total exceeds 18, the character regains one Chi point. Negative Chi The Discipline Negative Chi is perhaps one of the most dangerous and destructive to learn, for it requires that the character rely on Negative Chi, the opposite of life itself for power. To learn this Discipline a character must have the Negative Chi disadvantage (likewise they cannot learn Positive Chi if this is the case). 1. Sense Chi : The character is granted a natural awareness of the forces of chi around them, and this can sense the type and approximate quantity of chi in anyone within line of sight. 2. Dragon Chi : This power enables the character to draw Chi from the Dragon Lines. To do this they must stand on a line (they are quite common) and concentrate, drawing 1-3 Chi points per turn (depending on the strength of the line; GM discretion), which is used to restore their current Chi total. 3. Hardened Chi : The power of cHardened Chi d, or Shi Jin enables the character to focus their chi into hard lines of force, thus boosting the damage of attacks. Thus, the character can increase the damage of a direct physical attack by +1 for each point of Chi spent, though every +2 to damage also increases the AP cost by +1. It can also be used to defend, adding +2 to the character 9s soak roll for each Chi point spent. 4. Soft Chi : Soft Chi, Chao Jin, enables the character to shape their chi into arc of force, but of a soft sort, such that it can be used to parry blows and use flips and other less direct attacks on opponents. By spending 2 Chi, the character can reduce the AP cost of the basic parry maneuver to ONE AP, and boost its accuracy by +3 for a turn. Also, they can boost the accuracy of Grappling maneuvers (except directly damaging ones such as Slam) by +1 per 1 Chi spent, to a maximum of the character 9s Focus. 5. Control Body Weight : This effectively grants the character the equivalent of the Reduce Weight Maneuver, except that it costs 3 Chi per turn. 6. Body Chi : This power enables the character to focus their chi directly into their physical abilities, temporarily boosting their physical attributes (Strength, Stamina, Agility). This costs 1 Chi per +1 increase per turn. 7. Negative Empty Chi : This power allows the character to hurl their chi as a disembodied force. This is effectively equivalent to the Kongjin maneuver, except that it costs 6 Chi per use. This attack does no damage to those with Negative Chi. Positive Chi While Chi can be used to harm, it can just as easily be used to heal. Those skilled in the use of positive Chi know how to use its powers for health and defense. 1. Sense Chi : Same as the Negative Chi ability. 2. Chi Healing : By channeling their chi, the character is able to heal others. They can restore up to 2 health per Chi point spent. Thrash: Martial Arts RPG Chapter 2: Character Creation 14 14 3. Dragon Chi : Same as the Negative Chi ability. 4. Soft Chi : Same as the Negative Chi ability. 5. Hardened Chi : Same as the Negative Chi ability. 6. Control Body Weight : This effectively grants the character the equivalent of the Reduce Weight Maneuver, except that it costs 3 Chi per turn. 7. Body Chi : This power enables the character to focus their chi directly into their physical abilities, temporarily boosting their physical attributes (Strength, Stamina, Agility). This costs 1 Chi per +1 increase per turn. 8. Radiate Chi : This power allows the character to convert their chi into light that emanates from their body. This can come out of their eyes or even their entire body. To simply create illumination costs 1 Chi per turn, but the character can also create a much stronger light, covering a radius equal to their Focus x 2 in feet, in which Negative Chi effects simply do not work! This costs 8 Chi per turn it is maintained. Vital Points The art of touching vital points, known as atemi or kyusho in Japan, tien-hsueh in China, kuepso in Korea, huyet in Vietnam, and raihasia in India. Whatever you call it and however you use it, it is the ability to touch different points on the body to trigger nerves and thus cause the body to react in different ways. Those skilled in the art of vital points can be very powerful, able to kill or heal with a touch. Defending against vital point strikes is possible, but can be difficult. The trick is to cover one 9s vital points if possible (though that requires at least a passing knowledge of Vital Points in the first place), or preventing the attacker from hitting the point they wish to; this usually lets one avoid the effects of an attack, but occasionally results in a different vital point being struck, which may have better or worse results. Because it is so powerful, Vital Points counts as a Style in terms of cost. Needless to say, this knowledge is extremely rare, and GMs should be hesitant at best to allow PCs to learn it, especially given how powerful it can make them. Below is a list of the various vital points abilities. A character who possesses the Vital Points Discipline is considered to have all of the abilities numbered up to their level of Vital Points. Characters may not have Vital Points at a level higher than their Focus-2. 1. Healing : The first thing anyone who learns the vital points is taught is how to heal. By making a successful Vital Points roll, they can undo the effects of the Vital Point attacks of Pain, Paralysis, Deafness, and Blindness with but a touch. When caring for someone who is injured, they will increase the rate of healing by 1d6 Health per day. 2. Advanced Healing : The character 9s healing abilities are now improved to the point that they can undo any vital points attack, and when caring for someone increase the rate of healing by 1d10 Health per day instead of 1d6. 3. Pain : With a touch the character can strike a vital point that will cause victims excruciating pain, resulting in a -3 penalty on all die rolls, and a reduction of -3 points to the character 9s available APs for the next 1d6+(Vital Points level) turns. 4. Partial Paralysis : The character is capable of paralyzing one of an opponent 9s limbs with a touch. If a given limb is successfully paralyzed, the character loses the use of that limb for the next 2d6 minutes, and this incurs a penalty of -3 to all rolls, and -5 to Move if it is a leg. 5. Finger Snap : By performing a special sort of cfinger snap, d the attacker can disrupt an opponent 9s inner ear, thus causing them to lose all sense of balance, and thus be at -7 to all rolls, and incapable of kicking for 3d6 minutes. Performing a Finger Snap attack requires that the attacker be in the same hex as the opponent, and make an attack roll (1d10 + Agility + Vital Points). 6. Blindness : By making a precise strike just below the victims eyes, the attacker can render them completely blind for 1d6 hours. attempts to make such a strike are made at -5 on the roll. A successful roll with impact or breakfall will reduce the duration to 4d6 turns. 7. Fully Paralysis : By making three successful partial paralysis strikes, the character can completely paralyze an opponent for 2d6 minutes, rendering them helpless. 8. Blood Flow : By carefully striking at veins, the character can deliver a painful attack whose effects are virtually impossible to resist. This must be used with a narrow- impact hand strike, such as a Fingertip Attack or Knuckle Fist, and inflicts an additional +3 damage, which cannot be soaked. 9. Dislocation : Dislocation gives the character a knowledge of damaging bone-locking techniques which have been outlawed from most styles. Using this requires that a Joint Lock be initiated. If it is successful and dislocation is used, the attacker can choose to inflict normal rather than stun damage with the Joint Lock. 10. Chi Disruption : This powerful technique allows the character to completely disrupt the capacity to control chi in another person. If this strike is delivered successfully, the victim cannot use any maneuvers which require chi. If they are able to roll with impact or breakfall, they will merely lose 2d6+3 Chi points. Using this attack requires that the attacker determine where the opponent 9s chi center is (as it varies from person to person), and thus must observe them for ten minutes (or 1d6 rounds if they are making use of their chi in some way). Thrash: Martial Arts RPG Chapter 2: Character Creation 15 15 11. Amnesia : True masters of the art of vital points can cause amnesia in others by careful application of pressure to different points on the head. This ability cannot be used in combat, since it normally requires at least a minute or so to perform, without interruption. It can be used in three ways; victims can be made to forget an event a few minutes ago (in which case the memory erasure is complete and permanent), to make a victim forget their normal morals (in which case it lasts 1d6 days), or to erase a person 9s entire identity (in which case it will last only a few hours, unless the attacker spends ALL of their Chi, in which case it will last 1d6 days). 12. Puppet Dance : This rather eerie technique allows the character to grasp another person by the neck and, by applying pressure, animate them like a puppet. Using Puppet Dance requires that the attacker grab the back of the victim 9s neck (make an attack roll), and then spend two turns to get a feel for the different pressure points that must be used; during this time the victim can attempt to pull away, but after that, they cannot. Once the attacker has control of his victim, he can make them carry out most any normal activities, though those which require rolls are made at -8. Also, while using this power, the character cannot use any maneuvers which require chi or any other forms of vital point attacks. Further, the distraction of working their cpuppet d means that their APs are halved and they are -4 on all combat rolls. Weapon Art A Weapon Art is a discipline that allows the character to specialize in the use of a particular type of weapon, excelling at its use. When they are using that weapon , the following modifiers apply: " The character 9s Base APs are increased by +1 per level of Weapon Art. " The level of Weapon Arts is used as the weapon skill. " The damage inflicted with the weapon is increased by +1 per 3 levels of Weapon Art. " Possessing a Weapon Art enables you to select appropriate weapon maneuvers for that weapon, with the cost reduced by 1 point (to a minimum of 1) -- this is not cumulative with any other Cost Modifiers. Weapon Improvisation A lot of things make a Jackie Chan movie cool. One of them is the way he can use nearly anything as a weapon. In First Strike it was a 12-foot-tall aluminum ladder, and in Rumble In the Bronx his antics included making use of a refrigerator . Now your characters can take a hand at this sort of thing, though not usually on that kind of scale. To learn Weapon Improvisation requires that the character have Weapons Mastery at at least +2. In general, Weapon Improvisation lets the character use any random object as a weapon to some degree. When the character grabs something to use as a weapon, they must spend 2 APs and make a roll on 1d10 + Intelligence + Weapon Improvisation to Attempt to figure out how to use it. The difficulty should depend on the type of object; a stapler, broom or a rolling pin is easy. A VCR, ladder, or refrigerator is very hard (even if you can choreograph it in advance 8) Once the character does that, they can use it as a weapon. Of course, many improvised weapons will have big penalties, but the actual modifiers are left up to the GM 9s discretion. Weapons Mastery Weapons mastery is a discipline that grants the character the ability to use virtually any melee weapon imaginable just by picking it up. In game terms, the level of Weapons Mastery may be used as the skill level for any melee weapon. However, the cost of Weapons Mastery is 3 points per level during character creation. Thrash: Martial Arts RPG Chapter 3: Character Creation 16 16 Advantages & Disadvantages An Advantage is some special ability or benefit of some kind, while a Disadvantage is a shortcoming or detriment of some sort. Advantages cost you character points, while Disadvantages give you more points to spend. Advantages Acute Senses (1/level) : The character is exceptionally observant. For every level of Acute Senses, add +1 to rolls relating to perception. Alertness (1/level) : The character is naturally alert and tends to react quickly. For the first turn of combat when there is a surprise attack, add the level of Alertness to the character's initiative total. Allies (4 each) : The character has one or more friends or associates who will support them if need be. Allies will not always be available, but can usually be counted on in times of need. Allies can take on nearly any form imaginable. Ambidextrous (4) : The character is able to use both hands equally well, and thus does not suffer a penalty for using their off hand (usually -4 to the roll). Animal Companion (2/level) : An animal companion is an animal with which the character has an empathic rapport. The level of the Animal companion background determines how deep the rapport is, and thus how well they can command their cpet. d Such companions are very rare in fighting games an anime, the only really notable exception being Nakoruru and Galford from Samurai Shodown. See Appendix 2 for more details on animal companions. Area Specialization (3) : The character is particularly adept at a certain class of maneuvers (Athletics, Evasion, Focus, Grappling, Kick, Weapons, etc.; characters may not specialize in Super Attacks). As such, inc

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