Martial Arts as Power-Ups 3: Smasha as Power-Up

Smasha as Power-Ups

This is a worked example of a GURPS Martial Art reorganized into a set of structured power-ups.

These power-ups are intended for characters with no previous character points spent in these traits; they're based on how I'd treat martial arts for Psi-Wars. If you want to use this in a GURPS DF game, you can use it "as written" for most characters, but use the DF Martial Artist lens if applying it to a DF Monk.

If writing your own martial arts power-ups for your groups, I highly recommend putting in more detail (everything necessary to use the specific power-up) that I've not done here, primarily because I don't want to replicate GURPS rules on the internet.

Smasha – Martial Artist Lens: 0 points

Prerequisite: None

If attempting to use these power-ups in a GURPS DF game for a monk, use the following Lens instead of the Student and Adept templates.  The character is considered an Adept for the purposes of Prerequisites.

This lens does fundamentally change the nature of the Martial Artist template in GURPS DF, but if you're using these power-ups, then what makes the Martial Artist stand out is his depth of focus and facility with martial arts, not his grab-bag of Chi Powers.

Advantages: Add Style Familiarity (Smasha) [1]; Remove Chi Talent 2 [30] and replace with Striking ST 2 [10] and either Black-Iron Orc or Secrets of the Ripperjack both [20]. Add "Or take one or more Smasha moves" to the advantage list.

Primary Skills: Replace the Martial Artist Primary Skills entry with the following:
Jumping (E) DX [1]-16;
Acrobatics (H) DX-1 [2]-15;
Brawling (E) DX+2 [4]-18;
Wrestling DX+2 [8]-18;

Special Skills: Remove this option and increase the number of freely available advantage points for the Martial Artist by 13 to 33.  Alternatively, increase the template advantage points by 3 (to 23) and require the character to take 2 Smasha moves.

Smasha – Student: 20 points

Prerequisite: None

Apprentices of the Smasha art learn that there is no honor in a fair fight.  Their training consists of brutal strength training and spectacularly unfair fights where often the only way to win is by cheating.  This teaches them to fight dirty, to move quickly, and how to punch, kick, scratch and take their opponents down quickly.

Traits: Striking ST 1 [5]
Perks: Style Familiarity (Smasha) [1]; Dirty Fighting [1]
Skills: Acrobatics (H) DX-2 [1]; Brawling (E) DX+2 [4]; Wrestling DX+2 [8];

Smasha – Adept: 20 points

Prerequisite: Smasha – Student; at least one SMasha move or one Smasha Exercise.

As a Smasha practitioner advances, he builds more heavily on his striking strength and skill, and he gains even greater mobility, often subtly outmaneuvering his opponent.

Traits: Improve Striking ST to Striking ST 2 [10] for 5 points
Skills: Improve Acrobatics to (H) DX [4] for 3 points; Improve Brawling two levels to (E) DX+4 [12] for 8 points; Improve Wrestling one level to (A) DX+3 [12] for 4 points;

Smasha – Master: 20 points

Prerequisite: Smasha – Adept; at least two Smasha Moves or one Smasha Exercise

Smasha masters achieve legendary, nigh super-human strength with their now especially powerful strikes.  Their mobility becomes more subtle, as they learn to move silently.  Smasha masters of a reputation for arriving and vanishing with little fanfare.

Traits: Improve Striking ST to Striking ST 3 [15] for 5 points
Perks: Special Exercise (Striking ST+1) [1];
Skills: Stealth (A) DX [2]; Improve Brawling two levels to (E) DX+6 [20] for 8 points; Improve Wrestling one level to (A) DX+4 [16] for 4 points;

Smasha Moves

Bramble Guard: 5 points

Prerequisite: Style Familiarity (Smasha)

Smasha is a highly aggressive style; even their defenses are aggressive; they attack the attacker and then follow up by trapping and damaging the attacker's arm.  When making a Brawl parry against an unarmed opponent, apply an additional -4 to hit the hand or -2 to hit the arm; if you successfully defend, you also inflict thr-4 cr damage (+ brawling bonuses), and, if the attack was a punch, you may attempt an Arm Lock on your next turn.  See Aggressive Parry (MA 65) and Arm Lock (MA 65) for more.

Perks: Special Set-up (Brawl Parry → Arm Lock) [1]
Techniques: Aggressive Parry (H) Brawl Parry-0 [2]; Arm Lock (A) Wrestling+2 [2]

Crow’s Theft: 5 points

Prerequisite: Style Familiarity (Smasha), Trained by a Master

Cinematic Masters of Smasha can seize an eye between two of their cracked, yellowing nails with a quick jab.  The sight of a one-eyed Smasha Master is not uncommon, and some call it "Paying Smasha's price."

See Martial Arts page 72.

Techniques: Eye-Pluck (H) Brawling-6 [5]

Crushing Defeat: 5 points

Prerequisite: Style Familiarity (Smasha)

Smasha fighters seem primarily to stun their opponent and force him prone.  Once the target is prone, the stomping begins.  The character can make a Stamp Kick (See MA80-81) at +1 damage per die against a prone or stunned opponent.

Perks: Finishing Move (Stamp Kick) [1]
Techniques: Stamp Kick (H) Brawl+0 [4]

Eye Popper: 5 points

Prerequisite: Style Familiarity (Smasha)

You may gouge your opponent's eyes by rolling Brawling-1. See MA 71 for more.

Techniques: Eye-Gouging (H) Brawling-1 [5]

The Orc Laughs Last: 5 points

Prerequisite: Style Familiarity (Smasha)

The Smasha kicks his opponent in the groin.  Make a Committed Brawling Kick to the Groin.  Roll Brawling-1 if a Smasha Student, Brawling -3 if a Smasha Adept and Brawling -5 if a Smasha master.  Your opponent defends normally against a Smasha Student, -1 against a Smasha Adept, and -2 against a Smasha Master.  If you miss, roll DX or go prone.  If you hit, inflict thr cr (+ brawling bonuses) damage to the Groin.  You may not dodge or retreat, and you parry at -2.

Perks: Trademark Move (The Orc Laughs Last) [1]
Techniques: Kicking (H) Brawling-2 [0], Targeted Attack (Brawling Kick/Groin) (H) Brawling-2 [4]

Sucker Punch: 4 points

Prerequisite: Style Familiarity (Smasha)

The Smasha fighter makes an aggressive strike for his opponents throat.  Take a step and make a Committed Brawling Punch for the Throat.  Roll Brawl-1 to hit if a Smasha Student, Brawling -3 if a Smasha Adept and Brawling -5 if a Smasha master.  Your opponent defends normally against a Smasha Student, -1 against a Smasha Adept, and -2 against a Smasha Master.  If you hit, inflict Thr cr (+brawling bonuses) damage, and multiply all damage that bypasses DR by ×1.5.  You may not make a parry with your striking hand for the rest of the turn, and any other parries and your dodge is at -2 and you may not retreat.

Perks: Trademark Move (Sucker punch) [1]
Techniques: Targeted Attack (Brawling Punch/Neck) (H) Brawl-2 [4]

Skull Breaker: 4 points

Prerequisite: Style Familiarity (Smasha)

The Smasha fighter grapples his opponent's head and then immediately smashes his head against his opponent.  Make an All-Out (Double) Grab-and-Smash attack.  The first attack is a Grapple for the body; roll Wrestling at -2 to hit if a Smasha Student, Wrestling -4 if a Smasha Adept and Wrestling -6 if a Smasha master.  Your opponent defends normally against a Smasha Student, -1 against a Smasha Adept, and -2 against a Smasha Master.  If this attack misses, the combination ends.  If successful, roll Brawling at +0 to Headbutt your opponent.  Your opponent parries at -3 and dodges at -2 (this is a deceptive attack penalty of -1, and can be negated with Style Familiarity); if they parry, any resulting damage is applied to your face.  If successful, this inflicts Thr+1 crushing damage (plus Brawling bonuses).  Any self-inflicted damage is applied to your Skull, but your Skull DR protects normally.  You may not defend.

Perks: Neck Control [1]; Trademark Move (Skull Breaker) [1]
Techniques: Headbutt (H) Brawling+0 [2]

Smasha Exercises

Black-Iron Ork: 19 points

Prerequisite: Style Familiarity (Smasha)

Smasha focuses on defeating opponents with brutal pain and attacks on weak points while making highly aggressive attacks.  Any opponent who can withstand the attacks or the pain can afford to make full use of their committed attacks with little fear of reprisal.  Such fighters focus on hardening their body to the point where they can shrug off most attacks; this hardening of their body has the added effect of making their strikes steely hard.

Traits: Blunt Claws [3]; DR (Tough Skin -40%) [3]; High Pain Threshold [10]
Perks: Iron Hands 2 [2]; Special Exercise (DR 1 with Tough Skin) [1]

Secrets of the Ripperjack: 20 points

Prerequisite: Style Familiarity (Smasha), Trained by a Master; (Optional Prerequisite:) Smasha -- Master.

The most dreaded practitioners of Smasha have learned precision to such a degree that they can strike at the most vulnerable parts of the body.  Their seemingly wild, brawling attacks rend into nerve clusters and arterial nexuses with frightening effects. They can leave their opponents stunned or suffocating with a precision strike, or rip through an opponent as though their hands were made of knives.

Perks: Special Exercise (Brawling Pressure Points) [1]
Techniques: Pressure Point Strike (H) Brawling+0 [3]
Skills: Pressure Point (H) IQ+2 [12]; Pressure Secrets (VH) IQ-1 [4]