2nd edition update of Yin Sloth hand to hand styles

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Soldier of Od
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2nd edition update of Yin Sloth hand to hand styles

Unread post by Soldier of Od »

Hi everybody,
Another thread that mentioned the O.C.C.s from the 1st edition Yin Sloth Jungles book got me thinking. A few years ago now I made some additions and alterations to the hand to hand styles for second edition Palladium, adding a lower tier of Hand to Hand: Non-Men at Arms below Basic, and separating Hand to Hand: Martial Arts to include a different, parallel style specifically for Hand to Hand: Palladin. See the original thread here:
viewtopic.php?f=5&t=135032&p=2614439#p2614439

So I took this concept and used it to update the two Yin Sloth hand to hand styles to 2nd edition. If you are interested, here they are below. I tried to make them balanced and comparable to the exisiting 2nd edition hand to hand styles.

Hand to Hand: Nomadic Tribesman
Nomadic tribes have their own style of combat. Since they have no formal training, this skill stresses quick, damaging strikes. Includes the basic moves of initiative, strike, parry, automatic parry, dodge, pull punch, roll with impact, entangle, and body block/tackle. Does not include leap attacks or jump kicks.
1. Starts with two attacks per melee round, +2 to roll with impact and +1 to initiative
2. +2 to strike
3. +2 to parry and dodge
4. One additional attack per melee round
5. +2 to damage
6. Critical strike on an unmodified roll of 18, 19 or 20
7. Sweep kick and two other kick attacks of choice (excluding jump kicks)
8. Body throw/flip and disarm
9. One additional attack per melee round
10. An additional +1 to initiative and +1 to damage
11. An additional +1 to parry and dodge
12. Knockout/stun on an unmodified roll of 19 or 20
13. Critical strike (triple damage) or knockout from behind
14. One additional attack per melee round
15. Death blow on a roll of natural 20 (if desired)

Hand to Hand: Capture (Slaver/Enforcer/Bounty Hunter)
A combat style focussed on quickly incapacitating an opponent and/or taking them alive. Useful for slavers, bounty hunters, bodyguards, muggers and press gangs. Includes the basic moves of initiative, strike, parry, automatic parry, dodge, pull punch, roll with impact, entangle, body block/tackle, and a knockout/stun attack at level one. Does not include leap attacks or jump kicks. Note: incudes the ability to use body holds at level 8. However, most professional slavers, enforcers and bounty hunters are likely to supplement this with the wrestling skill, enabling them to carry out similar pin/incapacitation moves at level one.
1. Starts with two attacks per melee round, +2 to roll with impact and +3 to pull punch. Knockout/stun on a natural 20.
2. +2 to dodge and +3 to parry
3. +2 to strike, and disarm
4. One additional attack per melee round
5. Sweep kick and two other kick attacks of choice (excluding jump kicks)
6. Knockout/stun on an unmodified roll of 18, 19 or 20
7. Body throw/flip, and +2 to entangle
8. Body hold and one other hold of choice, and +2 to disarm
9. One additional attack per melee round
10. +1 to initiative, and an additional +2 to pull punch
11. Critical strike or knockout from behind
12. An additional +2 to parry and dodge
13. Critical strike on an unmodified roll of 19-20
14. One additional attack per melee round
15. Death blow on a roll of natural 20 (if desired)

By the way, here are my current versions of the first two styles I created. I have changed Hand to Hand: Palladin slightly, removing the 'special moves' (to try and bring it more in line with the existing styles) and replacing them with simpler options: an easy knockout/stun at a relatively early level and a “critical strike when tripped or stunned” as an alternative to the “critical strike from behind” found in other styles. Hope you like 'em.

Hand to Hand: Non-Men at Arms
A rudimentary level of self-defense training to provide non-combat trained characters some protection against more proficient fighters. Includes the basic moves of initiative, strike, parry, automatic parry, dodge, pull punch and roll with impact. Does not include body block/tackle, body throw/flip, disarm, entangle, leap attacks or jump kicks.
1. Starts with one attack per melee round. +2 to roll with impact
2. +2 to dodge only
3. +1 to parry only
4. One additional attack per melee round
5. Basic kick attack: 1D6 damage
6. +1 to strike
7. +2 to pull punch
8. An additional +1 to parry only
9. One additional attack per melee round
10. +1 to damage
11. Critical strike on an unmodified roll of 19 or 20
12. An additional +1 to parry and dodge
13. An additional +1 to damage
14. Critical strike or knockout from behind
15. One additional attack per melee round

Hand to Hand: Palladin
A combat style focussed on fighting in full heavy armour (and often against similarly armoured opponents), using large weapons such as two-handed swords and pole arms, or a one-handed weapon and shield. Techniques include concussive strikes to stun an opponent through their heavy armour, and to trip, incapacitate or disarm an opponent. Includes the basic moves of initiative, strike, parry, automatic parry, dodge, body block/tackle, body throw/flip, disarm, entangle, pull punch and roll with impact. Does not include leap attacks or jump kicks. Can also use the pommel of a sword (or the blunt end of the handle of a hafted weapon or pole arm) in battle, doing 1D6 or 2D4 points of damage depending on the size of the weapon.
1. Starts with two attacks per melee round. +3 to roll with impact, +2 to pull punch
2. +2 to parry and dodge, +2 to strike, and disarm.
3. Tripping/leg hooks using a pole arm, axe, chain or the cross-guard of a sword held in the hands by the blade. Can also use a pole arm or cross-guard to hook a rider from his mount (treat the same as a tripping or body flip attack: rider takes 1D6 damage from the fall loses initiative and one attack)
4. One additional attack per melee round
5. An additional +2 to parry when using a shield or a large two-handed weapon only. Kick attack (2D4) and one other kick attack of choice (excluding jump kicks).
6. Critical strike on an unmodified roll of 18, 19 or 20
7. Knockout/stun on an unmodified roll of 18, 19 or 20
8. Body throw/flip, and +3 to damage
9. One additional attack per melee round
10. Critical strike after an opponent has been incapacitated using a trip, throw or stun attack.
11. An additional +2 to damage
12. An additional +2 to parry and dodge
13. An additional +2 to pull punch, and +2 to disarm
14. One additional attack per melee round
15. Death blow on a natural 20 (if desired)

Next I think I will try to convert the Rifts skill Hand to Hand: Commando to PFRPG, intended for use with O.C.C.s such as the Imperial Janissary and the Byzantium Marine. Watch this space!
Rifter Contributor:
Rifter 61 – Purebred animal templates for Mutants in Avalon (After the Bomb)
Rifter 77 & 78 – Khemennu, City of the Eighteen Cosmic Gods (Palladium Fantasy)
Rifter 83 – The Prophet O.C.C. (Palladium Fantasy)
Rifter 83 – Half-Ogres (Palladium Fantasy)
Rifter 84 – Spellbound O.C.C. (Nightbane)
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Whiskeyjack
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Re: 2nd edition update of Yin Sloth hand to hand styles

Unread post by Whiskeyjack »

Very cool.
I always go with the standard book options for simplicity, but I always like the variety of first edition. I may slide these in for future games.
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Soldier of Od
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Re: 2nd edition update of Yin Sloth hand to hand styles

Unread post by Soldier of Od »

Glad you liked 'em! Here is my take on Hand to Hand: Commando for PFRPG. Take a look and see what you think! Does it need to be nerfed even more to fit in with the other PFRPG styles?

Hand to Hand: Commando (Janissary)
Advanced combat training utilized by elite Special Forces such as the Imperial Janissaries and the Byzantium Marines. Includes the basic moves of initiative, strike, parry, automatic parry, dodge, pull punch, roll with impact, entangle and body block/tackle, plus W.P. paired weapons. At later levels confers the special moves of automatic dodge, disarm, body throw/flip, jump kick, and holds.
1. Starts with two attacks per melee round, +2 to save vs. horror factor, and paired weapons
2. +1 to strike, +2 to parry and dodge, +3 to roll with impact and +3 to pull punch.
3. +1 to initiative, karate punch (2D4 damage), and disarm.
4. One additional attack per melee round
5. Automatic dodge, and four kick attacks of choice
6. Body throw/flip, and an additional +1 to strike, parry and dodge
7. +2 to damage and +1 to automatic dodge
8. One additional attack per melee round, jump kick, and two kick attacks of choice
9. Critical strike on an unmodified roll of 18-20
10. An additional +1 to strike and an additional +2 to pull punch
11. +2 to disarm and +2 to body throw/flip
12. An additional +2 to damage, an additional +1 to parry and dodge, and an additional +2 to automatic dodge
13. One additional attack per melee round
14. Can perform all holds, and an additional +1 to initiative
15. Death blow on a roll of natural 19-20 (if desired)
Last edited by Soldier of Od on Fri Mar 03, 2017 9:56 am, edited 2 times in total.
Rifter Contributor:
Rifter 61 – Purebred animal templates for Mutants in Avalon (After the Bomb)
Rifter 77 & 78 – Khemennu, City of the Eighteen Cosmic Gods (Palladium Fantasy)
Rifter 83 – The Prophet O.C.C. (Palladium Fantasy)
Rifter 83 – Half-Ogres (Palladium Fantasy)
Rifter 84 – Spellbound O.C.C. (Nightbane)
Rifter 85 – Relics of Empire: Elven Cities of the Old Kingdom (Palladium Fantasy)
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kiralon
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Re: 2nd edition update of Yin Sloth hand to hand styles

Unread post by kiralon »

Auto dodge is a pretty potent ability, from memory the only other class to get it in palladium was pacifist priest and death blow on 18-20 and crit on 17-20, and free paired weapons at lvl 1 and can do all holds and kicks.

This hth style is a little OP

aah, a rifts edit, that explains it.
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Soldier of Od
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Re: 2nd edition update of Yin Sloth hand to hand styles

Unread post by Soldier of Od »

kiralon wrote:Auto dodge is a pretty potent ability, from memory the only other class to get it in palladium was pacifist priest and death blow on 18-20 and crit on 17-20, and free paired weapons at lvl 1 and can do all holds and kicks.

This hth style is a little OP

aah, a rifts edit, that explains it.


Yeah, it is a bit overpowered, but you should see the Rifts version before my edit! Auto-dodge is pretty potent even in Rifts, so I left it in as it seems to be this style's primary 'power'. Though in Rifts you get it at level one (I think), whereas here I've restricted it until you reach level five (where the Rifts version provides the first bonus to auto-dodge). The death blow and crits are better than the other hand to hands, but not available until later levels as a sort of trade off. The holds aren't available until level 14, so I'm not too worried about that one! Feel free to nerf it further if you think it needs it!
Rifter Contributor:
Rifter 61 – Purebred animal templates for Mutants in Avalon (After the Bomb)
Rifter 77 & 78 – Khemennu, City of the Eighteen Cosmic Gods (Palladium Fantasy)
Rifter 83 – The Prophet O.C.C. (Palladium Fantasy)
Rifter 83 – Half-Ogres (Palladium Fantasy)
Rifter 84 – Spellbound O.C.C. (Nightbane)
Rifter 85 – Relics of Empire: Elven Cities of the Old Kingdom (Palladium Fantasy)
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Re: 2nd edition update of Yin Sloth hand to hand styles

Unread post by Whiskeyjack »

I would say that auto dodge is even more potent in Rifts due to the energy weapons, but it will still make an offensive character a god on the battlefield. Level 5 isn't that hard to reach.
I'd also spread out the kick attacks. It doesn't make sense to one day know every one of them. Maybe start at a lower level and give 3 kick attacks every 2-3 levels instead?
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Re: 2nd edition update of Yin Sloth hand to hand styles

Unread post by Soldier of Od »

Whiskeyjack wrote:I would say that auto dodge is even more potent in Rifts due to the energy weapons, but it will still make an offensive character a god on the battlefield. Level 5 isn't that hard to reach.
I'd also spread out the kick attacks. It doesn't make sense to one day know every one of them. Maybe start at a lower level and give 3 kick attacks every 2-3 levels instead?

Good points. The difficulty is in keeping with the same vein as the Rifts version when compared to the other rifts styles. I'm not trying to invent a totally new hand to hand style, just transpose it to a sister setting, keeping as much the same as possible. So, Rifts martial arts gets karate kick and one kick of choice at level three and rifts commando gets all kicks at level five; therefore if PFRPG martial arts gets karate kick and four kicks of choice at level three, PFRPG commando should get all kicks at level five. See what I mean? I have edited the original to change the kick attacks slightly anyway. I also reduced the critical and death blow rolls.
Rifter Contributor:
Rifter 61 – Purebred animal templates for Mutants in Avalon (After the Bomb)
Rifter 77 & 78 – Khemennu, City of the Eighteen Cosmic Gods (Palladium Fantasy)
Rifter 83 – The Prophet O.C.C. (Palladium Fantasy)
Rifter 83 – Half-Ogres (Palladium Fantasy)
Rifter 84 – Spellbound O.C.C. (Nightbane)
Rifter 85 – Relics of Empire: Elven Cities of the Old Kingdom (Palladium Fantasy)
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