D20 Mechanic: Techniques

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Techniques are used by the Karateka class.

Techniques

Terminology

Attack action
This term is used for a technique that is used as an attack. Normally, an attack requires a standard action, or is made as one attack amongst more in a full-round action (which requires a high enough base attack bonus to warrant multiple attacks).
Technique check
Karateka are more adept at close-quarter fighting involving stunts such as tripping, bull rushing, and grappling. As such, whenever you would be required to make an opposed Strength check, you instead make a Technique check, which is equal to your Strength, Dexterity, or Constitution bonus (a choice made at first level as a karateka) plus one-half your karateka level.

Technique Descriptions

BLOCK
Action: Attack of Opportunity
Range: Personal
Target: One attack
Duration: Instantanous
Saving Throw: None
You use a part of your body to intercept an incoming melee attack.
To use this technique, you must not have lost your Dexterity bonus to AC due to a status condition; you must be wielding a martial arts weapon; and you must be aware of the attack and able to clearly perceive it with a primary targeting sense.
Make an attack roll against the attacker's attack roll. If you roll higher and exceed a DC 15, the attack is blocked and you suffer no damage. If the attack was a critical hit, you must roll higher and exceed a DC 25 to successfully stop the attack.
You cannot use this technique to avoid touch attacks.
You cannot use this technique when flanked.

 

FLURRY
You can sacrifice accuracy for an additional strike.
When you take a full attack action, you may make one additional attack at your highest attack bonus. All attacks for that action suffer a -2 penalty.
You cannot use any of the attacks in a flurry to perform a technique or use a special attack option; they must all be standard attacks.

 

HAMEDO
Action: Attack of Opportunity
Range: Touch
Target: One creature
Duration: Instantanous
Saving Throw: None
You sense an incoming attack, and strike before your opponent can.
To use this technique, you must not have lost your Dexterity bonus to AC due to a status condition; you must be wielding a martial arts weapon; and you must be aware of the attack and able to clearly perceive it with a primary targeting sense.
If a creature makes an attack against you, you may make an Initiative check against their attack roll. If you succeed, you may make an attack of opportunity against the creature prior to the attack's resolution (that is, if you manage to drop the creature, their attack does not occur).

 

IMPROVED ITERATIVE ATTACKS
Prerequisites: BAB +4
Your attacks become more fluid, allowing you to make more when you set your mind to all-out offense.
Your progression for iterative attacks improves, as per the table below. This technique changes your base attack bonus; any effects that are derived from your base attack bonus are now derived from the table below.
Bonus Attacks
Old BAB New BAB Old BAB New BAB
+4 +4/+1 +13/+8/+3 +13/+10/+6/+4/+1
+5 +5/+2 +14/+9/+4 +14/+11/+7/+5/+2
+6/+1 +6/+3 +15/+10/+5 +15/+12/+8/+6/+3
+7/+2 +7/+4/+1 +16/+11/+6/+1 +16/+13/+9/+7/+4
+8/+3 +8/+5/+2 +17/+12/+7/+2 +17/+14/+10/+8/+5
+9/+4 +9/+6/+3 +18/+13/+8/+3 +18/+15/+11/+9/+6
+10/+5 +10/+7/+4/+1 +19/+14/+9/+4 +19/+16/+12/+10/+7
+11/+6/+1 +11/+8/+5/+2 +20/+15/+10/+5 +20/+17/+13/+11/+8
+12/+7/+2 +12/+9/+5/+3    

 

PUSH
Action: Attack action
Range: Touch
Target: One creature
Duration: Instantanous
Saving Throw: None
You violently push a creature away.
This technique requires a three-step process.
Step 1 - Touch: You must make a melee touch attack against your opponent.
Step 2 - Strength: If the melee touch attack succeeds, make a technique check opposed by your opponent's Strength check. A combatant gets a +4 bonus for every size category he is larger than Medium or a -4 penalty for every size category he is smaller than Medium. The defender gets a +4 bonus on his check if he has more than two legs or is otherwise more stable than a normal humanoid.
Step 3 - Push: If you win the opposed check, you push your opponent back 5 feet in a straight line. If you beat your opponent's check by at least 5, you may opt for your opponent to fall prone in their new square. For every 10 points by which you beat your opponent's check in step 2, you may push your opponent an additional 5 feet.

 

ROLL
Action: Attack of Opportunity
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Instantanous
Saving Throw: None
You roll with a blow, reducing its effectiveness.
To use this technique, you must not have lost your Dexterity bonus to AC due to a status condition and you must not be immobilized.
If you are attacked, you may make a Reflex save against the attack roll. If you beat it and exceed a DC 15, you roll with the blow, reducing the damage you take from the attack by the amount by which you overcame the roll. If the attack is a critical, you must exceed a DC 25 to use this technique.
If you successfully used this technique, you make take a 5-foot step immediately after the triggering attack's resolution, as a non-action.

 

SWEEP
Action: Attack action
Range: Touch
Target: One creature
Duration: Instantanous
Saving Throw: None
You sweep a creature's leg, causing them to fall prone.
Make a melee touch attack against your target.
If you hit, make a technique check opposed by the defender’s Dexterity or Strength check (whichever ability score has the higher modifier). A combatant gets a +4 bonus for every size category he is larger than Medium or a -4 penalty for every size category he is smaller than Medium. The defender gets a +4 bonus on his check if he has more than two legs or is otherwise more stable than a normal humanoid.
If you win the opposed check, the defender falls prone.

 

THROW
Action: Attack action
Range: Touch
Target: One creature
Duration: Instantanous
Saving Throw: None
You grab a creature and throw it.
This technique requires a three-step process.
Step 1 - Close: You must close with the target and enter its square. This provokes an attack of opportunity from the target. If the attack of opportunity deals damage to you, this technique automatically fails.
Step 2 - Grab: You perform a melee touch attack to grab your target and start the throw. If you miss, you cannot throw your target.
Step 3 - Throw: If the melee touch attack succeeds, you and your target make an opposed Grapple check. If you win, you throw the target 5 feet in whatever direction you choose, inflicting your unarmed damage to your target and knocking him prone.
You can only throw creatures up to one size category larger than you.

 

Design Notes

Heavy inspiration was drawn from Ken Hood's d20 Martial Arts work.

Some amount of inspiration was taken from various Final Fantasy games.

AoOs as Resource

The concept of using the attack of opportunity as a resource to fuel these abilities is, to my knowledge, a new idea of my own devising. It seems like an incredibly good idea, however, and would seem to help reinforce the feel of the karateka class in general - AoOs represent a high awareness of a combat situation, and someone wading into a fight with their fists and the shirt on their back seems like someone who should have very good situational awareness.