The School of Martial Arts
(copied from The Martial Artist's rules, also by Old Warrior)
This is a special location only found in a town (2D6) or a city (3D6) on a 7+. Who may visit: any primarily physical warrior and some a little less physical, but definitely not the Halfling Thief or Wizard nor any strictly sorcerous type. Just to mention a few who may visit: the Barbarian, the Pit Fighter, the Ogre (subject to his special locations rules), the elf warrior (2D6-1), the War Dancer (2D6-1), the Elf Ranger Knight (2D6-1) - but, not the Mage, the Chaos Warrior, the Ninja (definitely), the Dwarf, the Troll Slayer, The Warrior Priest (2D6-2) and the Wizard's Apprentice (2D6-2)(since he is a little more physical and is allowed in the Fighting School).
ALL WHO VISIT THE SCHOOL OF MARTIAL ARTS MUST PAY THE NOMINAL ENTRANCE FEE OF 1D6 X 50 gold, then roll 2D6 on the following table (treating results less than 2 as a 2), and be sure to note results that are strictly for the Martial Artist or for another character. The Martial Artist rolls 2D6+1.
| 2 | You are laughed out of the school. You must leave right away. Also, roll 1D6, if you score a 1 you do not roll on settlement events but immediately experience the Thrown Out result #11 Roleplay Book, because the town is controlled by those who run the school. In this case, you could also suffer the loss of gold if you roll another 1. | ||||||
| 3-4 | Though you enjoy the company and observe the skills of other fighters and instructors, you actually learn nothing new that is useful in your fighting style. | ||||||
| 5 | You have shown much promise during a burst of unusual (for you) learning. If you spend the next 1D3 days taking advantage of this learning spurt and spend another 100 gold as a further tuition fee, (other warrior) you grasp a small measure of martial arts techniques, meaning that from now on you may add +1 to the damage you do against enemies when fighting unarmed, (Martial Artist) you gain a +1 to the damage result roll table when fighting unarmed or with nunchaku or katana. For warriors who roll 5 a second and third time the results are cumulative, up to +3; but, after that must treat this roll the same as a 3 or 4. | ||||||
| 6 | An instructor teaches you a variation on a round house kick. From now on once per combat, you may trade one of your normal attacks for a round house kick attack. You roll to hit as normal, if you actually hit your opponent, you do normal damage 1D6+Str (no weapon modifiers unless you have some special foot weapon like toe blades for a Pit Fighter) AND you get + 1 to hit on any further attacks against the same opponent this turn, because he was surprised by the round house kick. This may not be done any more this combat, because the monsters are alerted to the technique. If you roll this result again, you gain a second variation on the round house kick allowing you to use this skill twice per combat. If you roll this result a third time, you learn nothing new from your visit this time. There aren't that many variations on the round house kick! Also, the monsters will just start leaning away and otherwise compensate for your trickiness. | ||||||
| 7 | Immediately you are eyed with fascinated onlookers as you
run through the warm-up and practice drills. After seeing that your
knowledge and skills are above average, the instructors inform you that
today you must test your skills to the maximum. You must prove your worth.
There is going to be a contest nearly "To the Finish", in which you will
challenge the current reigning champion. You now discover why the looks:
you are to face one of your own and very near your own abilities. The
Martial Artist CANNOT (not even by using luck, though he could use luck
during the contest, and so can his opponent) escape this show down as it
would be an extremely embarrassing loss of face. Any other warrior should
behave according to his characteristics, but may re-roll on this table by
spending a luck point.
To fight in the contest you first roll to see what your opponent is like: Roll 1D6, 1-2 one level above you (not higher than BL 10); 3-4 same level as you are; 5-6 one level below you (not lower than BL 1). Generate this warrior by rolling on the skills, battle level tables, etc. to make him at least near realistic. Roll to acquire (his BL X 2) dungeon room treasures, and roll (his BL divided by 3 rounding up) objective room treasures, keeping all that he can appropriately use. Then spend (1000 X his BL) gold on any appropriate equipment, armour, weapons, and healing supplies that could possibly benefit him in the battle against you, buying them from any place he could normally visit in a city assuming that all items are available. Be reasonable, very few warriors ever buy more than 6 or 12 each of bandages and provisions. It is also doubtful, though not impossible that an elf would have more than 10 to 20 pieces of Way Bread. Once the champion is created, fight an all out combat against him one-on-one. Draw three board sections at random and set them up in as straight a line as possible, all connected. Also, roll 2D6 to determine the number of squares between the contestants as they are placed on the board sections. Whoever has the highest Initiative goes first. If their Initiatives are the same, randomly determine who gets the first turn. (Other Characters) The first warrior to drop to 10 wounds or lower with no way to heal if he were to reach 0 wounds is the loser! (The Martial Artist) Neither the Martial Artist nor his opponent Martial Artist will give up until he is at 0 wounds and his vest of honor fails to heal him; so, whoever is left standing is the winner! (Don't worry they will not truly die, because the officiators have plenty of healers nearby). Whether you win or lose, you are restored to your condition before the fight began (including any items used up during the combat). If you lose, you are so ashamed that you leave in disgrace (the Martial Artist will also leave town immediately without rolling a settlement event) and are compelled to make an offering of your BL D6 X 100 gold to the school. If you are not able to pay while at this settlement by giving up to all of your gold, and selling off any unwanted and/or unneeded weapons and treasures, you must pay off your debt as soon as possible at the next town or city. If you win you receive 40% of the last D6+1 contest offerings to the school (this includes this one since the former champion has to pay the loser's fee this time). To figure your winnings you multiply (your defeated opponent's BL D6 x 100) X D6+1 (# of contests the former champion was undefeated plus his offering for this one) take 40% of the result as your winnings. You could be hauling quite a load of gold! Of course, you could also lose the family farm. | ||||||
| 8 | The instructors say that you are doing quite well, but believe you are a little too light weight. Therefore, since you show some promise, they are willing to help you put on a few more healthy pounds. They have the perfect program for you, all you need to do is eat some special dietary supplements while you stay in the settlement, this adds 10 gold per day to your living expenses to pay for a physician's oversight. You must also promise not to cut the program short by leaving early. This means that you will need to stay at least 1D3+2 more days in the settlement to ensure that you are properly following your diet. If you agree, stay the full time visiting shops and special locations as normal, and pay the extra 10 gold per day, you gain 1D3+2 to your starting wounds permanently. Any days after this first day, that the Martial Artist spends in the School of Martial Arts may count toward his agreed upon days in the dietary program (even if while training to go up a level, or entranced during meditation in the Inner Sanctum), since the campus doctor will keep a close eye on him. | ||||||
| 9 | (Optional) You are making great progress in your studies, meditations and practice drills. The instructors inform you that for 2D6 X 100 gold and a further commitment of 1D6+1 days of training at the school, you may receive 1 permanent increase in one of the following characteristics: Weapon Skill, Ballistic Skill, Strength, Toughness, Wounds (+1D6, re-roll 1st 1), Initiative, Will Power, or Break from Pinning. | ||||||
| 10 | The instructors are so very impressed with his
fighting skills and progress in learning that they offer a random fabulous
reward: Roll 1D6
| ||||||
| 11 | Your warrior has made a great impression on the school and
so has one of your companions who has been spotted either visiting and
learning in the school or elsewhere in the settlement practicing his
skills or dispatching a threat with great skill. The majority of the
students are in favor of seeing how well the two of you do in a contest of
fighting skills against each other. They bring their desires to the
instructors' attention and the instructors' think it would be a great
idea. In fact, they decide to turn the event into a fund raiser. The only
way to avoid this fight (other warriors) is to leave the settlement
immediately, because no one taking training at the school will let you
live this one down, or to use a luck point to re-roll on this table - if
you are the one rolling, or if your opponent backs out. The only way to
avoid this fight (Martial Artist, Troll Slayer, Pit Fighter, Ogre) is to
spend a luck point to re-roll on this table - if you are the one rolling -
or if your opponent backs out, otherwise you may not avoid this. (Each
warrior should act according to his specific characteristics).
Resolve the combat just like #7 above, except you obviously do not need to create a character. Also, the reward and losses are different. Since this is a fund raiser, the public are supplying many donations to be able to see the event, and the winner gets to take his choice of the fabulous rewards in #12 below. Remember the "Other Character" and "Martial Artist" designations. The loser is so shamed that he gets laughed out of the school as in result #2 above. If the Martial Artist has lost, he must immediately leave the school and the settlement (treated as Settlement Event #11, roll to see if he loses his gold). | ||||||
| 12 | (Other character) The instructors are so very impressed with his fighting skills and progress in learning that they let him choose one of three fabulous rewards at no cost: a. For 1D3 days of tuition-free training you may roll once on his skill table and use that skill for the next adventure (roll 1d6, on 6 he learns the skill well enough to make it permanent); b. Take 3 healing potions (each heals 1D6 wounds) from the community first aid cabinet, and have a special restoration patch attached to a piece of clothing or armour, or have a restoration rune applied to any metal weapon or metal helm or shield (like the one the dwarf may get at the rune smith's). It lasts for one adventure then loses its effectiveness. It grants +1 wound at the end of any turn the warrior is at less than his starting wounds unless on 0 wounds (roll 1D6, on 6 this rune or patch has permanent power to restore); c. Have one of his characteristics increased by +1 for the next adventure, if wounds is chosen add 1D6 re-rolling a 1, (roll 1D6, on 6 this increase is permanent). Option c will require 1D3+1 days of tuition-free training. | ||||||
| 12 | (Martial Artist) The instructors are so very impressed with his fighting skills, that they invite him into the inner sanctum to meditate. This is an additional FREE visit for this settlement. The Martial Artist may, if he desires, still pay the normal offering and pay another visit after the results of the first FREE visit are determined. | ||||||
| 13 | Same as both 12 results above added together. (Only the Martial Artist may get this result.) |
The Martial Artist must resolve the above table before he can train, visit the Inner Sanctum, or purchase anything at the on-site shop. Anyone who spends further time (beyond today) in training (or meditating, Martial Artist), need not roll on settlement events. The Martial Artist would not dare to wander about the settlement until he has accomplished all that he can at the school and will not roll settlement events unless he only spends today at the school. All other warriors may do so if they want to (roll settlement events that is), but are not required to do so. If any warrior has his training interrupted by adverse events (i.e. getting thrown out of town) they will not be able to complete the training until they arrive at another School of Martial Arts, though they may already have paid for it. To complete such training, the warrior will need to pay the entrance fee and roll on the table at the next school. Only then may they finish the training if allowed to stay at the school for the purpose. Also, only the Martial Artist need not pay living expenses while in training beyond one day at the school, as he is then considered partially as an honored guest. The other warriors still must pay living expenses every day they are at the school as not doing so would be considered an insult.