Martial Arts Masteries

The martial arts masteries differ from other masteries, as they sometimes require coins to purchase them. The reasoning for this is because some of the training requires a teacher to show you proper techniques. These teachers do not work for free. Sometimes the cost of the coin is for teaching materials like scrolls and manuscripts with instructions and pictures on how to do the new martial arts forms.

General Requirement

Most martial art masteries have a general requirement that shows you have the knowledge and skill to advance your abilities. This requirement is having your martial arts skill as an expertise and at novice tier. However, not all martial art masteries have this requirement and will state as such.

Expertise martial arts at novice tier = general requirement

Art of Escape

Requirements

Mental 4, Agility 4

Price

4 talents

You have learned a special technique that allows you to break free from grapples without relying on might. You use your psyche or reaction instinct instead of your guts instinct when a grapple is used against you. A guts check is still required if you are the one making the grapple check. Choose either psyche or reaction when you take this mastery.

Chi Guard

Requirements

Guard 5, vitality 5, The Flow of Chi

Price

4 talents

Cost

5 Chi per +1 (max +3)

Using your Chi, you can increase your defense for ten seconds at a time. Spending the indicated cost gives you plus one defense. This can be stacked on itself up to a maximum of plus three. However, the extra defense only lasts until the start of your next turn.

Chi Splicing

Requirements

Mental 8, vitality 8, martial arts at master tier, The Flow of Chi

Price

5 talents

You have trained and learned how to activate two stances of The Flow of Chi at the same time. However, the cost of the abilities is increased by +2 Chi when two stances are active at the same time.

Chi Strike

Requirements

Agility 7, martial arts at adept tier, The Flow of Chi

Price

4 talents

Cost

10 Chi per extra attack

Your Chi gives you enhanced speed when attacking to get in extra attacks. Whenever you make a basic martial art attack, you can spend the indicated cost to attack an additional time without spending more actions. This can be performed as many times as you have the available Chi, but only once per basic martial art attack. The extra attacks gained from this mastery do not stack on each other. So, if you have thirty Chi and four actions, you can attack six times (three basic martial art attacks and three extra attacks from using Chi).

Drunken Master

Requirements

Vitality 5, Stamina 7

Price

4 talents

When drunk, you ignore any penalties from the drunk condition and gain +1 to your accuracy and defense. This mastery can only be used with martial art attacks.

Deflect

General Requirements

Multiple Engagements

Cost

1 counter action

Through study and training, you have learned how to push away projectiles that normally would harm you and turn them against your enemies.

Rank 1

Requirements

Agility 4, fighting 4

Price

3 talents

You can deflect an arrow or bolt that would have successfully struck you.

Rank 2

Requirements

Agility 6, fighting 6

Price

3 talents

You can catch the arrow or bolt and throw it at a target within twenty feet of you. Attacking with the projectile uses your throwing skill to attack but deals martial art damage. In addition, you can deflect throwing weapons.

Rank 3

Requirements

Agility 8, fighting 8

Price

3 talents

You can catch thrown weapons that would have successfully struck you and throw them back. Attacking with the thrown weapon is considered a throwing weapon attack.

Rank 4

Requirements

Agility 10, fighting 10

Price

3 talents

You can deflect tech weapon projectiles that would have successfully struck you.

Elemental Flow

Requirements

Agility 6, Channeling 6

Price

5 talents & 2gc

Cost

3 essence

Using special martial art movements between your attacks, you can charge up specific elements and release them on every third attack. Every third successful attack using an unarmed attack adds +1d10 elemental damage of a specific element of your choice: air, earth, fire, frost, lightning, or water. This mastery can be taken up to three times, and each time a new element must be chosen. Only one element can be used per attack and the attack must be unarmed.

Evasion

You are nimble on your feet and have a higher chance of avoiding area of effects.

Rank 1

Requirements

Agility 6, reaction 8, Multiple Engagement

Price

3 talents

When making reaction checks to avoid area of effects, ignore the extra difficulty based on how far you must move. Your reaction check is now only versus the base difficulty.

Rank 2

Requirements

Agility 8, reaction 10

Price

3 talents

If you are on the edge of the effect’s radius when the area of effect comes into play, you automatically pass your reaction check and move out of the way. In addition, if you are not on the edge but still in the area of effect, you gain a +2 to your reaction check.

Fighter’s Spirit

Requirements

Expertise Martial Arts associated with Fighting, Fighting 5

Price

3 talents (CC)

Your can use your fighting statistic instead of guard for defensive skills.

Fist of the Dragon

This mastery teaches you how to increase your martial art damage. The increased damage does not stack the previous ranks.

Unlike other masteries where the ranks must be purchased in order, ranks in this mastery can be purchased out of order. This is done in the same way as upgrading equipment in that if you have the coin to purchase rank four, you do not have to purchase rank one through three first. This mastery does not require Disciple as a requirement.

Requirements

Your martial art skill must be double the rank being purchased. So, if upgrading to rank five, your martial arts must be at ten.

Improved Dodge

Through disciplined training and resourcefulness, you have learned how to increase your odds to completely avoiding damage. This mastery does not require Disciple as a requirement.

Requirements

Agility 5 (7), Reaction 7 (9), Dodge 10 (12)

Price

4 talents

This mastery can be taken up to two times. Each time it is taken, your critical defense ability increases by one increment to a maximum of 8-12. The requirements increase by two for the second time it is taken.

One with Your Weapon

Requirements

Agility or Fighting 4, Martial Arts 4

Price

3 talents (CC)

When attacking with these weapons, you can replace your off-hand, one-handed, or two-handed skill with your martial arts skill: Bo Staff, Claws, Dagger, Falchion, Glaive, Knuckles, Kusarigama, Meteor Hammer, Ninjato, Nunchaku, Sai, Spear, and Tonfa.

Stillness of Mind

Requirements

Psyche 5, Mental 5

Price

3 talents (CC)

During a rest period, you can meditate to gain +2 to self-psyche checks. On successful checks, you gain 1.5 times your mental in mental health healing and all your marks of insanity are removed.

Strike of the Viper

Rank 1-3

Requirements

Perception 7, Martial Arts 7, Weapon Specialization (martial arts)

Price

4 talents

Studying to master the Strike of the Viper increases your chance to make critical strikes by one increment. This mastery does not stack the Improved Critical Strike mastery. This mastery increases only your martial arts critical strike range and cannot increase it beyond 7-10.

Rank 4

Requirements

Mental 6, Martial Arts 10

Price

7 talents

Your called shot critical strike with martial arts range increases to 6-8.

The Flow of Chi

Requirements

Mental 4, vitality 4, martial arts at adept tier

Price

3 talents (CC)

Through meditation and physical flowing movements, you have unlocked a new internal form of essence. This alternate form of essence is known as Chi and is equal to a minimum of half your maximum essence. It is restored and used in the same way as essence. The major difference is that Chi cannot be used for channeling spells or special abilities outside of masteries that require it. Chi is used to activate abilities listed below through spending the indicated amount of Chi and performing the movements (or stances). These steps produce the outcome of the individual stance when executed properly. Both the cost and having enough room for the movement are required. Being held or having less than your arm’s length worth of space prevents the Chi abilities from activating. Each stance requires spending your movement speed to enter the stance. Every time you enter a stance, you must spend five feet of movement. When entering a stance, you do not physically move in a direction but move within the current space you are in. The individual abilities within each stance have their own Chi cost, which can only be activated while in the associated stance. Each ability has their own number of actions needed besides the Chi cost. Any active abilities will automatically end if a stance is changed or ended.

Entering a stance = 5ft. of movement

Any abilities that require a difficulty rating use the associated statistic of the stance plus eight.

Ability Difficulty Rating = 8 + associated statistic

Restoring Chi

Anytime essence is restored, Chi is also restored for half the amount. The exception is during full rests, in which Chi is restored in the same way as essence (see full rest in the game rules chapter).

Chi Abilities

This mastery can be taken multiple times. Each time it is taken, you learn two stances. However, the requirements increase by two each time after the first.

Air Stance (Agility)

Flowing smooth and light like the wind, you move elegantly as the energy of air flows around your body.

• Elevated (10 Chi, 4 Actions): Air currents swirl and flow around your body, lifting you off the ground. While active, you gain double movement and remain floating. While this ability is active,, you must make a reaction check against yourself to grab anything, as the wind currents are strong enough to disarm you. At the beginning of your turn, if you are holding something (or someone) you must make a guts check to not drop it. This ability ends if you take triple your agility in damage or you are no longer in this stance.
• Fluid Flow (6 Chi, 1 Counter): Allow the flow of air around you to push you away from an attack that would have been successful.
• Wind Strike (5 Chi, 2 Actions): Making a martial art attack, you send a burst of powerful air at a target that is within your martial arts attack range. The air attack ignores damage reduction from armor as it flows through the cracks and spaces between the armor. The strike deals your martial art damage.

Earth Stance (Might)

Planting your lower limbs into the ground, your movements are slow and firm. As you move, earth energy flows around your body. To use the abilities of this stance, you must be physically connected to some type of earth-based material (i.e. dirt, stone, sand, etc.).

• Rampart (5 Chi, 2 Actions or 1 Counter): Through the stomping of your foot and the movement of this stance, a large ramp of earth quickly grows up out of the ground. The start of the ramp (lowest point) starts about a foot from you (where you stomped your foot). The ramp is ten feet tall at its highest point and five feet wide. It remains for one minute or until you release the energy holding it.
• Shatter Stomp (10 Chi, 3 Actions): Stomping your foot into the ground, you send a shockwave through the earth that causes it to break apart and become difficult terrain. The area of effect is a fifteen-foot cone where any creature caught in the cone must make a reaction check or become rooted in the ground. As the ground is permanently disrupted and shattered, rooted creatures are stuck until they succeed on a guts check to break free. The initial rooting causes 1d6 plus your might in blunt damage.
• Stone Strike (3 Chi, 1 Actions): A large chunk of earth is launched into the air in front of you. Using the earth's stance, movements and flow of energy, you can send the chunk outward in a fifteen-foot line. The first target in the line takes 1d4 and is knocked prone if they fail their reaction check. This ability can be used multiple times per turn if there are available actions and Chi. However, each chunk requires a separate reaction check.

Fire Stance (Fighting)

Moving with concentrated quick movements flowing from one position to the next, the energy of fire flows around your body.

• Flame Strike (5 Chi, 2 Actions): Using a martial art attack, a jet of flame shoots out of your hand or foot as you move through the attack motions of this stance. The flames shoot out ten feet dealing 1d4 plus fighting in fire damage.
• Torched Streak (10 Chi, 3 Actions): Your body erupts into flames as you streak forward in a flash. You can move up to your available movement, causing a shockwave of heat that knocks back any creatures that are equal to your size category by five feet. Any creature smaller than you will be knocked back ten feet. Creatures must make a reaction check to not fall prone and avoid 1d8 plus fighting in fire damage. Creatures who are in your direct line of movement must make a reaction check to avoid you. Failing the check causes double the previously stated damage. The ground behind you burns with intense fire for the next 1d4 rounds. Anything that enters the streak automatically takes the indicated damage stated before. Once your movement is complete, you are no longer engulfed in flames and your flames have no effect on you.
• Jet Jump (3 Chi, 2 Actions): Aiming your upper limbs downward, you shoot jets of flame out of each limb to provide a boost when jumping. The boost launches you ten feet into the air and forward up to your movement. When descending the jets slowly reduce until extinguished. Any creature that is taller than six feet but shorter than ten feet must make a reaction check if jumped over or take 1d4 fire damage.

Frost Stance (Guard)

The slow and chilling movements of this stance causes frost energy to flow around your body.

• Icy Guard (5 Chi, 2 Actions): Your frost energy becomes icy armor that gives you damage reduction for as long as you are in this stance. However, activating this ability prevents you from being able to use your movement unless changing stances.
• Frozen Thorns (5 Chi, 2 Action): Sharp icicles form around you. When hit by a target who is in melee range (5ft.) from you, the icicles shoot out at them automatically dealing 1d4 piercing frost damage. This ability remains active for as long as you are in this stance.
• Chill Strike (10 Chi, 2 Action): Solid chunks of ice form around your hands. When making martial art attacks with your hands, deal an additional 1d6 frost damage. This ability remains active for as long as you are in this stance but prevents you from holding or grabbing anything with your hands.

Lightning Stance (Agility)

The quick jagged yet flowing movements of this stance cause lightning energy to flow around your body.

• Lighting Strike (5 Chi, 2 Actions): Using a martial art attack, you send a single bolt of lightning at a target that is only ten feet away. The bolt deals piercing martial art damage and on critical strikes causes the paralyze condition for ten seconds.
• Paralyzing Strike (3 Chi, 1 Action): Upon activating this ability your next successful martial art attack causes the target to become paralyzed for 1d4 rounds.
• Static Shock (10 Chi, 3 Actions): The air within five feet of you becomes electrified. Any creature adjacent to you must make a reaction check to avoid the 1d8 lightning damage. This ability remains active for thirty seconds or until you are no longer in this stance.

Water Stance (Vitality)

Flowing like the waters of a stream, your movements cause water energy to flow around your body.

• Life Mending (Varied Chi, 3 Actions): Materializing the energy of water, you can apply the liquid to a damaged area of the body to heal the target for equal the amount of Chi spent in health.
• Liquid Shackles (3 Chi, 2 Actions, Focus Mastery): The flow of energy materializes into a thick liquid cord that can be wrapped around a target immobilizing them. The target must be within ten feet of you. They must make a reaction check to avoid the cord of water or become restrained gaining the paralyze condition for 1d4 rounds. The water remains attached to the target for the duration of the paralyzed condition.
• Inner Water (15 Chi, 5 Actions): Anyone you have shackled with Liquid Shackles can be affected by this ability. You push the water from the shackles deep into the target’s body. The target must make a stamina check or take 3d10 damage because of your water, pushing blood out of every orifice and crushing their heart. As long as your Liquid Shackles are active on the target, you can attempt this ability, but the cost and actions must be paid each time.

True Evasion

General Requirements

Cannot be wearing heavy armor

Rank 1

Requirements

Dodge 6 or light Armor 6, Evasion rank 1

Price

3 talents

Using a counter action and being able to move out of the attack’s range, you avoid an attack that would have normally been successful. If you cannot move, this ability cannot be used. This does not work with area of effects or if the attack is from a gun.

Rank 2

Requirements

Dodge or light Armor 8, Evasion rank 2

Price

3 talents

You have learned to react quickly to avoid attacks made with guns besides what rank one provides. This ability still cannot be used with area of effects but grants a +1 to avoiding them.

Water Walk

Focus Mastery

You have discovered that with the right amount of essence, you can walk on water. When in combat, this mastery requires one action to activate.

Cost

1 essence for every 2 hours

Duration

based on cost of the mastery

Rank 1

Requirements

Agility 5, mental 5

Price

3 talents (CC)

You send your essence to the bottom of your feet, allowing you to move on water at a walking movement speed. Moving faster than walking ends this mastery.

Rank 2

Requirements

Agility 7, Mental 7

Price

3 talents

You can run on water as if it was dry land.

Rank 3

Requirements

Agility 10, Mental 10

Price

3 talents

This mastery is no longer a Focus Mastery.

Way of The Ape

This mastery increases your chance to grapple a target. The grapple bonuses granted through this mastery do not stack with any weapon upgrades that might improve your grapple. Each higher rank learned do not stack with the previous ranks.

Rank 1-4

Requirements

Agility 5, Might 5, Guts 5

Price

4 talents

Each rank of this mastery increases your grapple by one, up to a maximum of +4. This is a miscellaneous bonus. Each rank after the first increases the requirements by one, but the price does not increase.

Mastery Categories

Combat Masteries

Crafting Masteries

Energetic Masteries

General Masteries

Martial Arts Masteries

Social Masteries

Thievery Masteries