Martial Arts, Who uses them? Options

[Wounded Ronin]

[Little Bill]

I'm happy to have a few options for my physical adept to work with. Street samurai get this whole book with lots of nice shiny guns to choose from, so I like having a few more options for my guy.

[James McMurray]

Phys Ads can buy guns too. In fact some of the deadliest characters I've ever seen were physads with 6 extra gun dice, combat sense, and a smartlink.

[hahnsoo]

Here's a question tangentially related to Martial Arts: Does your group faithfully apply movement modifiers when rolling melee skill checks? Due to the fact that you can't attack in melee without being next to your target first, it puts the initiator of combat at a disadvantage (+1 Walking modifier at the very least, up to a +6 if you are Running over difficult ground to get to your target). I suppose that would be the value of a high Quickness to a melee character in Shadowrun, as you'd be able to walk fairly quickly up to a potential target.

[BitBasher]

I do not apply movement penalties to melee.

[James McMurray]

We apply them. Its quite a change coming from D&D where you get bonuses for running at someone to SR where you get penalties. But I think its reasonable. The only time actually running at someone is good is when you've got them surprised. Other than that it is harder to hit them because you have to telegraph your attack earlier, and have less leeway for changing in midstream.

Now if everyone here with advanced martial arts degrees (some of which are probably in ninjitsu) would like to flame me: be my guest. :D

[mfb]

i don't apply them.

[TeOdio]

I don't apply them either, as the printing of my main book seems a bit contradictory. The movement section says the penalties apply to any tests made, yet in the combat section, the modifier only shows up in the ranged combat table. I only apply the modifiers to ranged combat since the penalty only shows up in that table of modifiers. I wouldn't get too bent out of shape though if a GM interpreted it the other way and added the modifiers to ALL tests, but that would even have to include the athletics test for running.
Player: I want to try and use Athletics to increase my running.
GM: Ok, target number is 8.
Player: But I'm not injured!
GM: Uhh, but your running, that's a plus 4.
Player: Might as well add the vision penalty as well. :grr:
GM: Oops your right, target number is a 10.
Player: I hope you rot in hell.

[Kanada Ten]

Why wouldn't you apply the vision penalty to running? It is harder to run in the dark.

[Req]

[Fortune]

[DrJest]

I don't apply foot movement modifiers to melee; on foot, it's a matter of moments to slow down and start manoeuvring. And lest we forget, that's exactly what a melee combat does - none of this Final Fantasy "line up and take turns swinging at each other". A melee fight IS movement.

[BitBasher]

[The Grifter]

This reminds me, I'll have to dig up the martial arts form my GM and I designed. It's called Unarmed Special Operations Physical Adept Combat Training, or USOPACT for short. It's based on the MA rules in CC, just thought I'd let you guys check it out and use it if you want. Basically, it's a hand to hand form taught to physads inducted into the CAS Army. Alot of ground fighting, chokeholds, disarming, and jointlocks. Nothing ground-breaking, just some additional flavor. *gets to work searching for the rules*

[Moon-Hawk]

BitBasher, are you suggesting, with that link, that the best MA system is to shoot someone? :P

[Da9iel]

I think he meant this.