Judo CHOP!, The physad power Options

[Wounded Ronin]

I decided to make a physad power of what happens if you scream "JUDO CHOP!!!" and then chop someone. I decided that it has a long and venerable tradition.

The example that everyone is most familiar with is probably James Bond. IIRC correctly, James Bond tries to JUDO CHOP Oddjob in Goldfinger, but it dosen't work because Oddjob has BOD 9. Incidentally, Oddjob was played by Togo, who was a popular Japanese pro wrestler of the day.

Thing is, one day I was watching TV and actually saw a JUDO CHOP on that old Hulk TV show. Like, the main character was working in a mental institution but he found out that it was actually an evil mental institution. So, in order to discredit him, the evil head of the evil mental institution said he was insane and locked him up. The main character turns into the Hulk, escapes, but de-Hulkizes before he leaves the hospital. So one of the orderlies comes up behind him, and...yes, JUDO CHOP!!!! I don't know whether Hulk was a 70s show or an 80s show, but the hairdoes convinced me that I can make a case for JUDO CHOP having at least some influence, if only indirect, on the 80s, which in turn qualifies it as a physad power.

I'm setting the cost at .5 power points because as written right now it's a little akward to use. Let me know if you think that's too cheap or too expensive.

JUDO CHOP!!!! (0.5 points)

This power lets the physad summon the spirits of his warrior ancestors with the ancient ritual exclamation "JUDO CHOP!!!". Their rage, skill, and cunning becomes focused into a chopping attack subsequently made by the physad, sort of like how in the movie Dune you could scream strange nonsense syllables or peoples' names and it would make rocks explode.

In order to use the JUDO CHOP!!!! power the physad must first waste at least a complex action. He must raise his hand high overhead ready to chop, and he must scream "JUDO CHOP!!!!" The physad can actually waste up to three consecutive Complex Actions to ready his JUDO CHOP!!!.

1 Complex Action - "JUDO CHOP!!!!"
2 Complex Actions - "JUUUDOOOOOOOOO...chop!"
3 Complex Actions - "JUUUDOOOOOOOOO...CHOOOOOOOOOP!!!!"

For each complex action that the physad has wasted screaming he gets a +1 to the Power of his next Unarmed Combat attack, as represented by the fabled power of the JUDO CHOP!!!!.

If the Physad takes a Complex Action which is not Unarmed Combat after screaming JUDO CHOP!!!! the Power bonus is lost and he must start again. Also, the Physad must keep his arm dramatically raised ready to chop until he makes his Unarmed Combat attack or he will lose the bonus. Although it would theoretically be possible to spend 3 complex actions powering up and then hide in the buses with your arm raised for a day in order to jump out of the bushes and affect a stealthy ambush the GM is encouraged to make Athletics checks to see if your arm drops from fatigue or to rule that your arm was poking upwards out of the bushes so everyone knows that you're there.

JUDO CHOP!!!! bonuses do stack with other bonuses pertaining to Unarmed Combat such as Killing Hands, so I suppose that there's some potential for abuse there.

[Austere Emancipa...]

It's certainly not overpowered or cheap, considering that you could get 1 point of Improved Physical Attribute: Strength or 2 points of Attribute Boost: Strength at the same price. With the wasted Complex Actions, I don't think this'd be too cheap even at 0.25 PP -- it really comes down to how much of this kind of cr... stuff you want see in your games.

[Ancient History]

...

...Killing Hands (Deadly), do Stun damage as option, geas(incantation:"Judo Chop!").

...

[Wounded Ronin]

[Ancient History]

You can make any weapon the deals physical damage do stun as an option.

[nezumi]

That is hilarious. I love it! Especially the idea of someone charging up and hiding in the bushes with his arm sticking out.

Just curious, a player asked about a stun only version of killing hands. He and another GM came up with the idea that for .5 PP, his unarmed damage went from M(stun) to S(stun). I'm not sure how I feel about that. I know he's planning on stacking it with stun gloves too, which is even more disconcerting.

Comments?

[GrinderTheTroll]

What happens if you want to have the James Tiberious Kirk "Double Judo Chop" action?

[Ancient History]

All you have to do is grunt loudly.

[Tanka]

And speak... In... Varying rates... Of... Speed... And emotion.

[SpasticTeapot]

Someone came up with a badass unarmed combat Orc a while ago. Called him "Gung-Ho". He had all sorts of abilities, including massive bonuses to improvised weapon combat, all geased by requiring him to shout silly names. ("Chair Fu!" "Crouching Pigeon launches Scrawny Elf into Last Week!")
A PC with delayed strike geased to shouting "Judo Chop!" would be most amusing. Think about it: A scrawny little dwarf physad shouts "Judo Chop!" and whacks a 9' tall troll on the kneecap. The troll starts laughing...until, a few seconds later, he falls over like a sack of bricks.

[Pthgar]

[Thanos007]

The Judo Chop, I belive 1st appears in an early episode of the Flintstones. Where they are of course parroding James Bond and the general spy mania that was rampant then. Think '63 or '64. Back when it was still funny....

Thanos

[Pthgar]

In more Star Trek Trivia, the Vulcan Nerve Pinch was scripted as a Judo Chop but Nimoy was feeling tired that day and did not want to exert himself. He convinced the director that it would be more in keeping of the character of Vulcans if he could simply grab the victim and transmit some sort of energy to him. The first recipient; James T. Kirk. Leonard Nimoy says that it was really Shatner's reaction to being zapped that made the VNP work.

The upshot of all this is that the VNP is in fact a Judo Chop, giving it even more cred as an Adept technique. :D

[Tziluthi]

While we're on the topic, has anyone else seen the video of the karate-ka using his knife hand strike on a pimp?

[Foreigner]

Wounded Ronin:

First of all, let me make one thing clear: I'm *NOT* disputing your claim.

Apparently, we read two different versions of the same story. :)

My twin brother has been a Trekkie since the mid-1970s--we were born in 1964, so we were too young to catch the show in its original 1966-1968 run.

He owns both of the definitive Star Trek: TOC history books--The World of "STAR TREK" (David Gerrold, Ballantine Books, 1973) and The Making of "STAR TREK" (Stephen Whitfield, Ballantine Books, 1975).

According to one of them (I don't recall which), the original script for the episode to which you referred called for Spock to sneak up behind someone and render him unconscious with a blow to the head with the handle of a Class II phaser (the larger handheld version with the pistol grip).

Shatner thought that the idea sounded a little too much like a western movie (to paraphrase Maxwell Smart, "the old 'pistol butt to the base of the skull' trick" :P ), and suggested the neck pinch idea to Gene Roddenberry, after he and Leonard Nimoy had worked out the details and staged an impromptu demonstration. (Shatner and Nimoy approached Roddenberry; Shatner explained his idea, and the two of them proceeded to show it off--Nimoy clamped his right hand onto the base of Shatner's neck/shoulder area, Shatner's eyes rolled up, and he went limp. After Roddenberry got over the shock, he agreed to the change.)

Shatner's explanation was something to the effect that Vulcans have an innate ability to render an opponent unconscious without having to resort to violence.

And the rest, as they say, is history....

(Personally, I think it sounds more like a sci-fi version of classic Chinese acupressure techniques. :) )

Pthgar:

As I said to WR, I'm not disputing you. The version of the story I read is from one of the two books I mentioned above and, as I've said before my memory isn't perfect. :(

GrinderTheTroill:

That's "Tiberius". The man in question was Octavian's stepson (Octavian, Julius Caesar's nephew and adopted son, married Livia, the recently-divorced ex-wife of Tiberius Claudius Nero, and took the title "Augustus Caesar" upon becoming Emperor; he later adopted Tiberius, even though the latter was 44 years old at the time) after the latter's death in 14 CE, at the age of 76. Tiberius was 55 years old when he became Emperor, and held the post until his death at the age of 78 in 37 CE. He was succeeded by Augustus's grandson, Caligula.

--Foreigner

This post has been edited by Foreigner: May 11 2005, 02:43 AM

[Chibu]

In the PDF version of the Physical Adept Handybook, there is a power called Gentle Strike which is kind of like this but, has a different twist. I personally like the power.


Gentle Strike
Cost: Variable

This power allows the adept to take a person out without physically harming the person. When the adept uses this power on someone/something, it will never do physical damage even if there is stun overflow.

Damage Level Cost
(Strength)L .5
(Strength)M 1
(Strength)S 2
(Strength)D 3.5

So, basically you can knock someone out without killing them. And that's usuallt what Judo Chop does.

(And for the record there is not much chopping involved in Judo >_<)

[Cakeman]

Yes there is, otherwise they wouldn't call it "judo" chop, now would they? :)

[Tanka]

There's as much chopping in any martial art as you put into it. Though most arts call it a "knife edge" instead of a chop.

[Wounded Ronin]

Well, the whole point of saying "judo chop" is to make fun of US popular culture, rather than accurately portray any traditional martial art (TMA).

[Thistledown]

A friend of mine has a character just like that ork mentioned. Has to yell out action names like "Judo Chop!" for all of his powers. (Quite ammusing when he does "Sneak Attack!").

But yes, the 'Gentle Strike' physad power is great. I had a strengh 10 ork pacifist who rolled 13 dice with gentle strike deadly, it worked great every time.

And yes, it is in the generator now, you're welcome.

[Pthgar]

Foreigner:

Close enough for horseshoes and hand-grenades as far as I'm concerned. Your deetails are probably more accurate since I'm remebering an interview I saw during a rerun on the Sci-Fi Channel, although I remember Nimoy distinctly attributing the success of the VNP to Shatner's (over)acting.

Anyway, the details aren't that imporetant to me as is the mutation of the VNP from something Judo Chopish. A Western-Movie style Pistol Whip is another form of the Judo Chop as far as I'm concerned. The main thing being able to render an opponant unconcious (and otherwise unharmed) with one blow.

Now that I think of it, Pistol Whip should be in the toolbox of any Gunslinger Adept.

[Tanka]

[Pthgar]

No, Judo Chop with a Geas: only when holding a pistol. ;)

[nezumi]

I'm not clear on the gentle strike skill. Is it like killing hands, but stun? Or do you get it in addition to killing hands? Or can you use it with any melee attack with a damage code less than the power? (so katana would require S and knife would require L)

[Chibu]

Killing hands, but it's stun. yes.

also, you can NEVER do physical damage. It doesn't roll over whenusoing the power. (hence gentle) So, it will knock people out quite effectively.