natural Combatant no bonus to Strike?

[Tywyll]

I noticed the super power natural Combatant doesn't seem to provide strike bonuses, even though even Hth Basic does. Is that intentional or just accidental.

In other thoughts, would the ancient master bonuses work instead?

[zerombr]

Supposedly you are to write in the bonuses of the hth you are up against. That varies constantly so taking the rifter version is easier

[Tywyll]

Ah, I read that in the fluff but didn't see it with the mechanics so I thought the two just didn't match up.

What Rifter version? Do you know the number?

[zerombr]

hmmm off the top of my head, no, but it was one of the first 10 rifters. they had a lot of super powers that eventually found their way into Powers Unlimited or HU2

[dreicunan]

When in doubt, use Hand to Hand expert as a baseline. The rifter version (found in Rifter #1) gave insane bonuses to parry and dodge (+10 to parry and +12 to dodge by lvl 6; +13 to parry and +15 to dodge at lvl 12), which is likely one of the reasons that they changed how it works.

[Axelmania]

The solution can be found in the update in the Skraypers sourcebook for HU/Rifts on pg 153:
"has all his opponent's hand to hand combat bonuses to strike, parry, dodge, and damage plus his own, plus the bonuses listed in this description"

Page 97 reiterates that for the NPC "Fightstik"
"fight with the same skill level, style, moves and Hand to Hand bonuses as his opponent, plus his own bonuses from the Natural Combat ability and attributes
"The minimal bonuses to strike, parry nd dodge are equal to Hand to Hand Expert"

There's also an interesting Rifts note there that if you face supernatural/MD opponents you can inflict Mega-damage equal to your PS attribute. Which I guess means that Fightstik always punches with a static 30 MD since his PS is 30? Or perhaps that's intended to mean MD dice equal to supernatural PS? *shrugs*

[Tywyll]

The solution can be found in the update in the Skraypers sourcebook for HU/Rifts on pg 153:
"has all his opponent's hand to hand combat bonuses to strike, parry, dodge, and damage plus his own, plus the bonuses listed in this description"

Page 97 reiterates that for the NPC "Fightstik"
"fight with the same skill level, style, moves and Hand to Hand bonuses as his opponent, plus his own bonuses from the Natural Combat ability and attributes
"The minimal bonuses to strike, parry nd dodge are equal to Hand to Hand Expert"

There's also an interesting Rifts note there that if you face supernatural/MD opponents you can inflict Mega-damage equal to your PS attribute. Which I guess means that Fightstik always punches with a static 30 MD since his PS is 30? Or perhaps that's intended to mean MD dice equal to supernatural PS? *shrugs*

Thanks for that! I was thinking an interesting tactic a villain might use against such a character is to throw controlled/brainwashed/blackmailed normals at such a character, maybe sniping from a distance, to make them weaker.

Guess they always bottom out at Expert now...which at least makes it easier on the player.

[Tywyll]

Okay, another question...how do the additional attacks work?

At first level you start with 5, ignoring what the style gives you. Then you gain a bonus every other level. Do these stack with the attacks from the style you emulate as well? Or do you continue to ignore the style bonus attacks like you do at first level?

[dreicunan]

Okay, another question...how do the additional attacks work?

At first level you start with 5, ignoring what the style gives you. Then you gain a bonus every other level. Do these stack with the attacks from the style you emulate as well? Or do you continue to ignore the style bonus attacks like you do at first level?

We always played that you didn't get initial attacks, but did get attacks added from 2nd lvl on. We also always played that if you were fighting someone with a WP in a weapon you were using then you got their bonuses or the +2 to strike and parry, whichever was better (a house rule, but one that we felt made much more sense).

[Axelmania]

Dreic's approach makes sense "Hand to Hand bonuses as his opponent" could refer to +attacks if not base ones.