These are the Advanced Martial Arts rules as see in The Complete Ninja's Handbook, written by Aaron Allston (who adapted the rules presented in Oriental Adventures, written by David "Zeb" Cook), several Dragon magazines (All copyrighted by TSR & now Wizards of the Coast), plus the additions of others from around the net. (If you are one who contributed drop me a line at the addy at the bottom and I'll add you to the credits.) Here I will resume them, and I will show my expansions and those of others online.
Contents:
Prerequisites To Learning Martial Arts
Finding A Master
Training Under the Master
Learning the Style
Style Characteristics
Creating A New Style: Basics
Creating A New Style: Weapons
Creating A New Style: Special Maneuvers
Armed and Unarmed Opponents
Hit Location
Prerequisites To Learning Martial Arts
Martial arts styles are powerful abilities that require a lot of training, a lot of time, a lot of proficiencies. To learn a basic style you must expend a proficiency (weapon or non-weapon) slot. To master a style you must spend entire proficiency stocks. To learn any maneuver, you must spend a proficiency slot (per maneuver). To learn the maneuvers you must first learn the basic style. Before spending any proficiency the character must first find a master.
Finding a Master
Finding a master is not an easy task. And making that the master teach the character, his style is almost impossible (note that many masters doesn’t want to share their knowledge). Even if the character sees a master; he won’t been able to recognize that the person he is seeing as a master, even if he follows him (for many, the ultimate goal of training is to avoid having to use one’s skills).
Training Under the Master
After a character has been accepted by a master, the DM should determine the depth of the master’s knowledge of his style.
Basics: A master automatically knows the basics of his style (which provide the AC and other basic elements)
Maneuvers: The DM determines how many special maneuvers are available in the style and roll the smallest die that is equal to or greater than this number. The result is the number of maneuvers the master is proficient in.
Weapons: The DM determines how many weapons (if any) are used by the style, then rolls the smallest die that is equal to or greater than this number. The number rolled is the number of style weapons the master is proficient in (and can teach).
The elements the master knows are the only elements that the master can teach.
Learning the Style
Once the character has been accepted by a master, he must remain and study under him for at least one month. At the end of this time the character spends one character slot and gains the basic of the style (AC, number of attacks and basic damage). He does not gain any of the maneuvers or weapons used by the style. After the initial month’s training, the character doesn’t need to remains with the master constantly. However, he must practice for at least 24 hours with his master per month, and he must at least practice 4 hours per week. If the character doesn’t fulfill this obligation he won’t been able to learn any special maneuver or weapon. To learn a special maneuver or a weapon, the character spends a proficiency slot. For each slot spent the character can add one special maneuver or weapon proficiency from the style. Only after 24 hours of training the maneuver or with the weapon, and after spending the slot, the martial artist will be able to use the maneuver or the weapon from the style.
