Akasha: Martial Arts setting

[Eldagusto]

So I’m wondering what are good ways to include the various martial Artist archetypes in the game. Inspired characters with Flux is the most obvious type but we could use some custom edges and merits or maybe even a new sub splat with their own tweaked system. But Psi is also something that would be excellent to represent old Shaolin masters whose fists can ring gongs from 10 yards away and who can read the minds of their pupils.

And last maybe a custom Aberrant Build to represent maybe a quantum Legacy, like inheriting he Iron Fist from plunging your hands into the heart of Shou Lou the Undying, a dragon who lives within a higher plane. Or Wu Xia supermen enlightened into super swordsmanship and able to balance onto pine leaves.

[No One of Consequence]

As it's own setting/era? Perhaps a period/genre specific character type that uses Chi as it's source/focus for Inspiration, allowing access to whichever powers seem fitting? Possibly with separate/additional ones for Sorcerers and Gods.

I think you'd have to start with some sort of default power level, as "martial arts" as a genre ranges from something as relatively grounded as Bruce Lee's films to something as way out there as the last act of Kung Fu Hustle.

[Eldagusto]

So reading and watching a lot of Grappler Baki, A LOT! And it makes me want even more Martial Artist rules! And along with other Manga/Anime that are “not” supernatural but with godlike Martial a Arts like Rurouni Kenshin I can see I guess two types of routes for Martial Artists in the System.


So low Quantum style Supermen would be like Stalwarts to represent those with great natural physicality like say Hanayama or Oliva, or at least those who developed a a supreme body.

And then a specific type of Talent who keep cultivating martial arts based on technique.

I can see this as a path for a specific type of Talent to rise up to the level of Psion or Superior. So you can have Kenshin or Baki be people trained to compete with Stalwarts, even developing specific edges and gifts to allow them to pull off godlike speed or Brickwall shattering fists.

With Jack Hanma being an example of a Superior, undergoing experimental super steroids, advanced surgery and specialized training.

Just makes me want at least supplement for this set in modern Corebook time even if we don’t get an old School Wuxia setting!

[Mateus Luz]

I see a Tier 2 character that can power up and turn into a Tier 3 to be able to fight a evil alien or some old creature that slept for the last few thousand years... maybe this guy is a alien himself.. and the transformation is blond... don’t know...

[Eldagusto]

I see a Tier 2 character that can power up and turn into a Tier 3 to be able to fight a evil alien or some old creature that slept for the last few thousand years... maybe this guy is a alien himself.. and the transformation is blond... don’t know...

I bet if they released a movie about that I would tear up at the character development of a new adversary that flowed green.

[Mateus Luz]

He could have a power based on a king of Hawaii... let’s say... Kalakaua
Kaaaaalaaaaaaaa! kaaaaaaa! uaaaaaa! Boom! world explodes....

[Eldagusto]

My

GOD...

[Mateus Luz]

Now serious... I see your idea and I would say that there are not so many things to add to make it work. There are lots of gifts that work fine on Martial Arts style, like Warrior Eyes, Fists of Stone and Murderous Totality, just to list a few. For a Wuxia style, there are On the Head of a Pin and Preaty Damned Fast, with both I would say they can walk over water if he can cross the water body on a round (we are talking about 20m or 60ft river), and can climb a tree just by running it up.

For a more Mystic Martial Art, with punching from afar, moving faster than the eye, jumping over houses and reacting before the attack, I would say a psiad trained properly on some aptitudes can do that and more, without loosing the mystical feeling. Even the Iron Fist can be an variation of TK tow complemented with his own velocity augmented fist.
For a mystical energy ball I would say you have to chose what energy is the mystical one, is it one of the usual or is it an special one? If you need another energy for that I would make possible to add an edge Vitakinesis to make it possible to use it thru noetic connection, making a ball of energy or whatever that do damage as Algesis powers or heal as Iatrosis powers.

The quantum powers would be for a more alien guy that can fire death energy balls, or came from another dimension. Their power are so destructive that can dismantle the mystical flux around him, making the mystical martial artists feel sick.

[Dataweaver]

Note also that while TC seems committed to having all exotic abilities rooted in one of Flux, Quantum, or Psi, it doesn't necessarily have them manifest the same way in every era. I'm pretty sure that TC:Aberrant's Novas aren't going to use the same mechanics as TC:Æon's Aberrants or Superiors; nor will I be surprised if TC:Aberrant's psychomorphs end up using slightly modified Nova mechanics the way their 1e iteration did, or if TC:Adventure's Mesmetists and Stalwarts end up getting built like Talents but with Psychic and Dynamic Gifts instead of the “Heroic” Gifts found in TC:Core. If they last one turns out to be the case, you could easily do your Akasha Era using a variant of the TC:Adventure approach.

[NullApostle]

Go read Kengan Asura (Ashura). It's gonna get an anime this year (probably?). It's a way better read than Baki (I fucking hate that manga).

[Mateus Luz]

Note also that while TC seems committed to having all exotic abilities rooted in one of Flux, Quantum, or Psi, it doesn't necessarily have them manifest the same way in every era. I'm pretty sure that TC:Aberrant's Novas aren't going to use the same mechanics as TC:Æon's Aberrants or Superiors; nor will I be surprised if TC:Aberrant's psychomorphs end up using slightly modified Nova mechanics the way their 1e iteration did, or if TC:Adventure's Mesmetists and Stalwarts end up getting built like Talents but with Psychic and Dynamic Gifts instead of the “Heroic” Gifts found in TC:Core. If they last one turns out to be the case, you could easily do your Akasha Era using a variant of the TC:Adventure approach.

Aeon Expansion will be available before Aberrant, so we will be able to tell how they can handle the more flexible powers from the Psiads and the new “Mega Attributes” from the Superiors.

If we have something like Adventure knacks, it would be far easier to build some mystical martial artists.