Crossover with Ninjas and Super Spies and Mystic China?

[HunterMorrow]

Would this fly or not? Because it seems that a lot of the martial arts are really, really strong. They either dramatically up defenses, SDC, or make your character much more effective in combat, not to mention the can of worms that Chi opens. Could this work out or will it hopelessly break the average game?

[drewkitty ~..~]

Actually, the addition of secret societies to the established ATB2 setting is not out of character with the setting as much as you'd might thing. With those directly fighting the Emp. of Humanity, they would need safe houses to go to ground to. Then there are the inevitable criminal elements that form their brotherhoods. And the intellectual brotherhoods, and those that train their bodies and minds.

These parts of the ATB setting may be small but are not covered in the ATB book. This is where the NSS book comes into this as a sorce book on how to build those "secret" societies for the setting.

Some not so secret societies would be based around what animal type and the breed, while other more secret societies are based on ideas and money.

[Rali]

I brought in a modified form of Choy-Li-Fut into my current game for the player who wanted to play a "Kung-Fu Panda". I used it as a Background + Apprenticeship wrapped into one.

I've removed Chi, but might toss in a power or two as the character progresses or may have them as secret skills the character can gain by receiving sacred texts that the martial arts school hands out as prizes in tournaments. *shrug*

I'm also toying with the idea of a rival canine martial arts school located in New Kennel. And, of course, there should be a martial arts school in Gator Land run by the Gang of Four.

[drewkitty ~..~]

Okay , this just popped into my head reading that last post......To have a KAngaroo char who has learned a Kickboxing form.

hummm thats all I had to share....maybe some comments. icky or oh so muncky or good idea k ?

[HunterMorrow]

Hmm, the Empire could use cybernetics, that'd be a really nice touch. And I have some ideas for sell-out baddies and freelance dojos of the chi focused schools like the Snake school for reptiles, Tiger Claw for Tigers, and so on. This could work pretty well. And for somebody who associates After The Bomb with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles all the kung fu could be a good jumping off point during character generation. The more I think about it the more I want to run it.

[Mechanurgist]

You should possibly consider having your players "purchase" Martial Art Forms via skills and/or BIO-E costs.

I second that option. The various chi/atemi/hardening powers are too powerful for standard AtB, and even turning them into skills would probably not stop ambitious munchkins. Pay with BIO-E and it's easier to manage. Also, I'd make each martial art very rare, taught only by one or two masters in isolated areas, or something similar. Get rid of negative/death chi entirely, I think. Doesn't seem like the kind of thing that would be known on the post-apoc eastern seaboard.

[Rali]

I don't see why not.

You should possibly consider having your players "purchase" Martial Art Forms via skills and/or BIO-E costs.

I wouldn't incorporate BIO-E into obtaining Martial Arts as there is no connection between the evolving of the character and learning Martial Arts.

However, you might want to require that the character have Full/Partial Hands/Biped (extra arms for avians) in order to train in the martial art or learn a kata (if you include them).

[Mechanurgist]

I wouldn't incorporate BIO-E into obtaining Martial Arts as there is no connection between the evolving of the character and learning Martial Arts.

You're right, there isn't. But there isn't any connection between a magical force called BIO-E and 20-foot tall mice either. It's just a game abstraction.

The problem remains that adding N&SS martial arts would make those characters very powerful unless there's some other constraint. BIO-E could work well for that since it's in short supply already and would lead to tradeoffs.

[Rali]

*snip* Requiring the same amount of effort that goes into learning a Skill Program at a college after character creation, as per the rules in HU2, seems just fine to me; *snip*

There are no skill programs in AtB2 nor are there any rules for learning skills in AtB2.

The best way to handle Martial Arts in AtB would be to create a new background and/or apprenticeship for your champaign that give(s) few skills (about as many as the Ferral or Border Area Backgrounds) in place of the Atemi/Body Hardening/Chi powers.

I wouldn't incorporate BIO-E into obtaining Martial Arts as there is no connection between the evolving of the character and learning Martial Arts.

You're right, there isn't. But there isn't any connection between a magical force called BIO-E and 20-foot tall mice either. It's just a game abstraction.

I wouldn't go so far as calling BIO-E a magical force. BIO-E is the biological energy that defines the size, power, and physical makeup of the species. That's why you gain more as you size down a character or spend it to increase it's size, gain psionics, or retain some of your species natural gift/talents/weapons. Using BIO-E for what is basicly a trained skill/talent puts a slant on it that could then blur the lines as to what BIO-E can/should be used for. IMHO

But, in the end it's the GMs call.

The problem remains that adding N&SS martial arts would make those characters very powerful unless there's some other constraint. BIO-E could work well for that since it's in short supply already and would lead to tradeoffs.

That's the whole point as to why it's not a part of AtB, just like there aren't a whole lot of HU Mutants, BtS Archanists and Rifts Power Armors. It really doesn't fit. But that doesn't mean that you can't modify it to work for your campaign.

[Rali]

Except there are suits of Rifts power armor in ATB.

Where?

[Rali]

Honestly, if you wanted the best "fit" for ATB, I would suggest using the Martial Monk and Ninja Operative backgrounds that Kuseru has written up.

You can find the Martial Monk and Gatorland Ninja Operative (and a copy of Kuseru's full revised background table) posted HERE

[Rali]

What you choose to do in your game is your call.

Here's an article I wrote on learning new skills in AtB2: LINK

However, as for AtB2 goes keep the following in mind:
* Character generation was designed for east coast Cardania and it's neighbors
* There is no formal college system covered in the AtB2 book(though there is a secret university for the Academic Underground)
* Characters do not gain skills as they advance in levels
* Players are told to refer to Road Hogs, Mutants Down Under, Mutants of the Yukatan, and Mutants in Avalon for details on those settings
* Cardania and the Empire of Humanity are not at war
* Just because Cardania has a tech level equivalent to the 1950's doesn't mean they have an education system like what we had at that time or that the general population has access to it
* Americorp may have a college system, but that's another nation located 3,000+ miles away from what's covered in the main AtB2 book
Rifts and HU have their own rules and should not be confused with those set out in this book
* Druids have long been seen as the most unbalanced of any character background in After the Bomb, but then look at the mystics of Ghenesh (pg 167 & 172; AtB2). For those don't have AtB2, take my word, you don't wanna mess with them

If you want to do it that way, I recommend patterning your Martial Arts apprenticeship after the Druid from Mutants in Avalon. Their powers would grow significantly with level, only gaining full rank and status as a Druid (or Teacher, or Black Belt) at one of the higher available levels.

Yes, That makes sense.

After all, who's going to design the atomic bomb?

What the @#%@?! The world is recovering from the last conflict. I doubt if anyone is in any rush to build more atomic bombs. It's been a while since I read though RH, but I don't recall that any of the books have anything about anyone building or designing an atomic bomb. Besides, there may be several still scattered around the plains in old US military bunkers, but who knows what state they are in after 70+ years.

[Mechanurgist]

You can find the Martial Monk and Gatorland Ninja Operative (and a copy of Kuseru's full revised background table) posted HERE

Actually, that does seem to be the easiest solution.

It's strange that the Palladium system, which claims to be universal, requires so much tinkering to make the different settings compatible.

[Guest]

Except there are suits of Rifts power armor in ATB.

Where?

Mutants in Orbit.

[Rali]

You can find the Martial Monk and Gatorland Ninja Operative (and a copy of Kuseru's full revised background table) posted HERE

Actually, that does seem to be the easiest solution.

It's strange that the Palladium system, which claims to be universal, requires so much tinkering to make the different settings compatible.

Actually, they are shying away from saying the systems are universal now.

Anyone who's looked at or played all of the different books knows that they are in now way universal except in their most basic makup: Attributes, Percentile Skill system, Combat based on D20 rolls, and the 5 Step Combat system (Initiative, Attack, Defend, Damage, Roll w/ Dmg). That's about it.

They are about as universal as D20 and DnD 3.5

Don't get me wrong though, I love Palladium . It's the only RPG I truely enjoy playing.

[Guest]

You can find the Martial Monk and Gatorland Ninja Operative (and a copy of Kuseru's full revised background table) posted HERE

Actually, that does seem to be the easiest solution.

It's strange that the Palladium system, which claims to be universal, requires so much tinkering to make the different settings compatible.

Actually, they are shying away from saying the systems are universal now.

Anyone who's looked at or played all of the different books knows that they are in now way universal except in their most basic makup: Attributes, Percentile Skill system, Combat based on D20 rolls, and the 5 Step Combat system (Initiative, Attack, Defend, Damage, Roll w/ Dmg). That's about it.

Except in several of the newer releases, where they forgot step five of combat in their combat example.

[Rali]

Except in several of the newer releases, where they forgot step five of combat in their combat example.

Nani?! It's in BtS 2nd Ed.

I suppose they could have left it out of Rifts Ultimate Edition since it deals with Megadamage, and there's little point in trying to roll with that.

[Rali]

Except there are suits of Rifts power armor in ATB.

Where?

Mutants in Orbit.

True, since it is a sourcebook that is split between the Rifts and AtB settings.

However, the Power Armor, as it is presented, is for the Rifts section. And even though there is a disclaimer that states they can be converted for use with AtB by converting MDC to SCD point for point or lowering it by 10 to 20%, it still shouts that it was not put in for the AtB portion of the sourcebook.

But that could just be me rationalizing it away.

Still it would be interesting to drop in an old Mark 3 Glitterboy to go up against a Empire of Humanity Type 1 Robot Armor in a game.