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The Archives => Campaign Elements and Design (Archived) => Topic started by: Cheomesh on August 20, 2009, 04:24:13 PM

Title: Nosferjutsu, the Vampire Martial Art
Post by: Cheomesh on August 20, 2009, 04:24:13 PM
For fun, I decided to try my hand at creating my own style of "martial arts" by following the rules in Blood and Fist.  One of the minor factions in my campaign setting is a gang of vampire wanna-bes, who actually think they're creatures of the night.  Subsequently, they have their own bite-oriented style of combat, which generally revolves around holding you down and biting out your throat.  When you're a "regular" member of the gang, you get these nifty hardcore fangs surgically implanted into your mouth, which improves damage by +2, and makes the attacks always lethal (regular bites are not).

A bite is currently defined as 1d2 non lethal damage, which means unless you're biting a rat in half, it is never going to kill anyone.  Adding the fangs makes it 1d2 + 2 lethal damage, however, as these things can actually puncture you pretty nasty.  Bites can  only be used against a grappled opponent and never as a melee attack, unlike punches, kicks and headbutts.

Nosferjutsu

The Vampire Style was created by some guy in some city, because he was not content with his martial arts program and thought he was some kind of vampire.  Eventually, he ended up with some followers, who he passed his fundamentals down on to.  The style has been refined over teaching generations, and has become something oddly lethal.

It grants:  

*  Bite proficiency, meaning you do not provoke an attack of opportunity when biting your opponent (who has to be grappled or pinned).
*  Jump, because it emulates "flight", and because you can get a few flying kick style things.  Fits the theme for now.
*  Dex to hit, instead of strength.  Gotta be fast!  I considered Cha to hit, as a few apt feats use charisma, but decided against it.

*  Intimidate, because Vampires are supposed to be scary.
*  Move Silently, because Vampires are supposed to be quiet hunters.
*  Hide, because Vampires are supposed to be invisible killers.

*  You do not provoke attacks of opportunity when you attempt to grapple.

Prerequisites for learning Nosferjutsu are:  Defensive or Combat Martial Arts.  Considered making improved grapple a prereq, but apparently that doesn't exist in d20 Modern.  Several martial styles grant its effect, however, so I blew a point allowing the player to have nice things.

Feats

Core to all the Blood and Fist martial arts is the feat trees, which build off a base art and each other.  The following are the feats for consideration:

Jump Kick, Flying kick and Silencing Strike as is in Blood and Fist.  Fits the "flight" theme of Vampires alright, and prevents victims from just "yelling for help".  d20M doesn't have mind control.

Long Tooth
Prereq:  Nosferjutsu
You gain +2 to hit when biting a pinned or grappled opponent.

Bleed
Prereq:  Nosferjutsu
Your opponent must succeed a reflex save of DC (10 + your str mod + your level - their level) or take bleed damage for 1d3 + 1 rounds equal to your strength modifier.  This can only be attempted once per round.  You still cause bite damage for the initial attack, but only Str mod damage is done in subsequent phases.  [note]This is a reliable damage attack that causes a fixed amount of damage for a variable number of rounds.  It also opens up a further attack for use below.[/note]

Improved Bleed
Prereq:  Bleed
Your Bleed lasts 1d4+2 rounds.  This can only be attempted once per round.

Dracul's Fang
Prereq:  Long-tooth
You increase your bite damage by one size, i.e. from 1d2 to 1d4.  [note]Only with fangs does your bite damage equal anymore more than 1d2 at the moment, as it will be 1d2 + 2 (3-4 damage).[/note]

Selene's Strike
Prereq:  Bleed
Once per combat, you can insert a bleed or improved bleed attack instead of an unarmed attack when you hold your opponent during a grapple. [note]When you first manage to hold an opponent in a grapple, you get a free attack against them.  This lets you do the bleed feat instead of a regular weak bite attack.[/note]

Hemophagia
Prereq: Bleed
As an attack on a bleeding opponent, you may lap blood to give yourself a psychological rush.  You can only do this once per combat, but gain 2d4 hit points for 3+d3 rounds.  After 3+d3 rounds, the affect wears off and you lose the amount of HP you gained.  If this puts you below 0, you are automatically unconscious.  If, during combat, your HP hits 0 or lower before the affect wears off, it instantly wears off. [note]Since you are not actually drinking their blood to heal yourself, the effect is temporary and comes with risks.  It also doesn't last forever -- you have to keep it going.[/note]

Improved Hemophagia
Prereqs:  Improved Bleed, Hemophagia
Your HP bonus is improved to 2d6 and lasts 4+d4 rounds.

Drain
Prerequs:  Bleed, Hemophagia
Against a bleeding opponent, you have pinned, you may make a full round action to double their bleed damage for this round.  If you do this twice in a row, then you must succeed a DC (10 + damage done/2 - your Con mod) Fortitude save or become fatigued.  Attempting it a third time risks exhaustion at DC (10 + damage - 1/2 Con mod).  [note]You are essentially sucking on the wound very hard to draw more blood out, or something.  You don't actually drink it.  [/note]

Improved Drain
Prereq:  Drain
As Drain, but tripples bleed damage.  Once per day(?).  Save vs Fatigue after each use.



Let me know how this can be improved.

M.