Karateka are warriors, and as such make use of maneuvers, specific attacks or other abilities attained through rigorous training.

To use maneuvers, a karateka must build at least one style from his maneuvers known.

Maneuvers are almost universally completely physical in nature and have no Force components; they are expressions of the mortal body pushed to its limits. Maneuvers are divided into schools, which represent particular thoughts and approaches to combat, training, and martial abilities. The style cost and minimum secondary ability needed to use a maneuver are indicated on the table to the right.

The karateka must build styles, combinations of karateka maneuvers that he has combined into a personalized approach to martial arts. To build a style, give it a name and list maneuvers for it; each maneuver has a style cost based on its grade, and the total style cost of a given style cannot exceed your style size.

When you build a style, choose one ability score that you have not used for a style you have already built. That ability score is the key ability for that style. You gain a bonus to that style's style size equal to its key ability modifier; this bonus is limited to half your class level, rounded down.

When combat is joined, you can immediately declare yourself to be in a given style. Changing your style requires a full round action; outside of combat, you can use any maneuver you know.

To use a maneuver, you simply declare that you are using the maneuver and spend the appropriate action. Karateka maneuvers all have a subtype of either active or passive: active maneuvers are those that require an action, while you gain the benefits of passive maneuvers whenever that style is active.

The karateka begins with four known maneuvers. He gains knowledge of additional maneuvers each level, as per the class table, above. At fourth level and every four levels after, he can trade out up to two maneuvers for new maneuvers from any school he can access, of any grade he can access.

If you would gain access to a school, you can choose to instead gain a bonus feat, which must be a feat for which you qualify. If you would gain access to a school and already have access to three schools, you gain a bonus feat instead.

The karateka's key ability for his physical attacks is dependent upon his current style; when using a maneuver, if his primary ability score for the style's key ability is greater than the ability score he would use for his weapon, he can use that instead.