[Tai-Pan]

I'll be honest, I didn't really consider folks running a single adventure umpteen times, because ideally, they are the vast minority of GMs running these.  And for GMs running these at conventions or home stores, they should be part of the CDT Agent program, which means they're actually getting credit for running these games as an Agent, which has its own awards out of game.

It does? Newer CDT Agent here, 5 games in...

[Jayde Moon]

Tai-Pan:  PM sent.

[antaskidayo]

Okay guys here's another one:

At character creation, a specialization costs 1 skill
point. No individual skill may have more than one specialization.
As a character develops, though, they may
gain other areas of expertise (for example, you may
complement your axe knowledge with sword expertise)
and so add more specializations to the same skills.
Along with being purchased in this step, specializations
may be purchased using Karma at the end of character
creation (see Character Advancement, p. 103).

Okay so I buy Unarmed Combat 6 for 6 skill points and spend another 1 skill point to spec on Gun Kata, and then spend 7 Karma for another martial arts - is that how it works?  I can spec on other skills with 1 skill point as long as it is only one spec right?

[Jayde Moon]

You can specialize for 1 Skill Point once for each separate skill.

Specializing in the Martial Art does not actually give you the Martial Art.  So if you Specialize in Gun Kata, but then spend 7 Karma to take Aikido, you will have no maneuvers for which you can take advantage of your specialization.

[antaskidayo]

you get 1 free maneuver, when you spec on the style right? awww crap you can only buy 1 style at chargen =/

[Dr. Meatgrinder]

you get 1 free maneuver, when you spec on the style right?

You get a free technique when you learn the style. But the style and its corresponding specialization are not the same thing, even if they cost the same. If you want to learn both the style and the corresponding specialization, you're spending 14 karma: 7 for the style + 7 (or 1 skill point at chargen) for the specialization.

[antaskidayo]

UNARMED COMBAT
Unarmed Combat covers the various self-defense and attack
moves that employ the body as a primary weapon.
This includes a wide array of martial arts along with the
use of cybernetic implant weaponry and the fighting styles
that sprung up around those implants.
Default: Yes
Skill Group: Close Combat
Specializations: Blocking, Cyber Implants, Subduing
Combat, or by specific Martial Art

- So I buy 6 skill ranks on unarmed combat and spend 1 more skill point for Gun Kata to get a +2 and a technique. Why do I need to spend 7 more Karma? Taking it at this stage is not specializing? How come it is under specializations? Isn't  learning a new style already a specialization? O_O imma confused 

[SichoPhiend]

Specialization is separate from learning the style.

The specialization gives you +2 dice to your pool when using that style of martial arts, usually this means using the maneuvers that you have learned for that art (This costs 1 skill point at character creation or 7 karma after)  And to clarify, your GM decides if you can use this bonus for anything that is not a maneuver associated with the art (Unless future errata changes this), and may rule that just because you specialized in boxing, you don't get an extra 2 dice when punching someone but you would get it with the Haymaker maneuver you learned with Boxing.  Again, GM call on how far it goes, but at least applies to the maneuvers you have learned.

Learning the style (Which has a separate cost of 7 karma, during or after character creation) grants you access to additional maneuvers that are associated with the style, here is where you get one maneuver for free and learn future maneuvers at a cost of 5 karma apiece.  Note, some maneuvers can not be used until they have been learned.

Yes, I know it is a bit confusing.

[antaskidayo]

okay so what you are telling me is:

-You buy unarmed skill, max of 6 at chargen
-You then spend 7 Karma to enable a single specific style of martial art and get a free maneuver( You are limited to only 1 style at chargen )
-You may then use karma to buy additional maneuvers upto 4 more which is the style's maximum for 5 Karma each
-If I then want to have a +2 dice when using these manuevers, I need to spend 7 Karma( or 1 skill point at chargen ) to specialize on the style

-So basically, martial arts just lets you have additional combat options( like parry, dodge, etc ) that are restricted until you unlock them with Karma. (It feels weird, I was expecting like a boxer would always get his +2 dice whenever he uses his fists and would lose the -2 if for some reason he could not use them defaultng to his normal Unarmed Skill rank, or like Gun Kata he gets a +2 whenever he uses his pistols when fighting and loses them when he gets dis-armed, etc. It doesn't look great anymore, as some maneuvers don't let you make tests which turns Martial arts into some kinda karma sink hole) 




 

[tequila]

The 1pt (or 7 after character generation) is just for specialization (+2 dice when using that specialization), not buying the martial art.  The martial art is a separate 7pt cost (during or after character generation).

[antaskidayo]

edited,..is that how it is? They should add an example sidebar on the martial arts section so it wont be so confusing @__@

[Jayde Moon]

Martial Arts can account for a few cool tricks, but I admit I am mostly underwhelmed by them, in practice.

There are some really cool maneuvers, though.  Nothing is as satisfying as murdering someone when they attack you (riposte/counterstrike).

[antaskidayo]

Martial arts styles may
also be selected as specializations for the normal cost
of 7 Karma—selecting that specialization provides a +2
bonus when using that technique.


Sample Maneuver:

CLOSE QUARTER FIREARMS
(RANGED WEAPONS ONLY)
In the early use of ranged weapons when the enemy
charged in with swords and axes, this sort of training
helped keep the archer alive. Today this technique has
been modified to be effective with firearms while in
close-quarter combat with an opponent. This has been
effective against being charged by an opponent or
within a mixed amount of close combat and exchange
of fire. Close Quarter Firearms is learned for a specific
Ranged Weapon Skill. Reduce the ranged combat Attacker
in Melee Combat modifier by 1 for the character
when using Firearms, Bow, or Throwing Weapons
Skill (depending on the Martial Art style it’s tied to).
This technique can be selected more than once to gain
each skill.


-That's the normal usage for the maneuver, will the modifier become a 3 if specialization is applied?

[tequila]

Martial Arts can account for a few cool tricks, but I admit I am mostly underwhelmed by them, in practice.

There are some really cool maneuvers, though.  Nothing is as satisfying as murdering someone when they attack you (riposte/counterstrike).

That's always funny to see.

[Jayde Moon]

In that case, anytime you would receive the reduction in the negative modifier due to the technique, you would also receive +2 to that Dice Pool for your Specialization.  It's not the same as saying that the modifier is 3, though the end result turns out to be pretty much exactly that.