Teräs Käsi Martial Arts

Summary
Teräs Käsi, or "steel hand" in Basic, was an unarmed combat discipline. It was created sometime prior to 3,678 BBY on the planet Bunduki by the Followers of Palawa, refugees of the planet Palawa, which was devastated earlier in a war somehow involving the Jedi Council. The Followers of Palawa created Teräs Käsi solely to defeat Jedi, and presumably, ensure that another world would never be destroyed by the actions of the Council. The Followers of Palawa studied the Force and Midi-chlorians, even though they themselves were not necessarily Force-sensitive.

Teräs Käsi enabled a user to develop extreme speed, and an aptitude for anticipating strikes, most notably shown by clone assassins. In addition to this, Teräs Käsi taught non Force-sensitives how to close their minds to Jedi and Sith, thus protecting themselves from mental based attacks. Teräs Käsi also had a developed set of fighting skills, and Nine Edicts. Some lightsaber duelists used Teräs Käsi techniques in combat, most notably Darth Maul. Jedi Master Anoon Bondara was also a master of Teräs Käsi techniques, which he coupled with his lightsaber ability to duel. Jedi Knight Joclad Danva was also a Teräs Käsi practitioner. Jedi Master Plo Koon was believed to be a Teräs Käsi practitioner as well, since he was a master at hand-to-hand combat. It is not known how Jedi could have been trained in Teräs Käsi, as the Followers of Palawa did not appear to be on friendly terms with the Jedi.

RPG D6 Stats
For every +1 pip that a character increases her martial arts skill, she may pick one of the techniques from the list of the martial style in which their character specializes. Learning a technique from outside a style costs 10 character points and takes three weeks of training. Characters whose martial arts skill is increased during character creation are eligible to select from the techniques. Characters must also declare which technique they are using prior to making the required skill roll (unless otherwise indicated).

A person must study full-time under a master of Teräs Käsi for six months to acquire the first pip in the specialization. Improving Teräs Käsi costs the Character Points equal to the number before the "D"; the training time one day for every Character Point spent; the cost is doubled if the character does not have a teacher. The training time may be reduced by one day for each extra Character Point spent. To use Teräs Käsi in combat, the character may do nothing else in the round other than performing the Teräs Käsi techniques - the character may not even dodge. Before making the attack, the player splits the Teräs Käsi martial arts skill dice into two groups: attack dice and damage bonus dice. The character rolls to attack using only the attack dice. If the character succeeds in the attack, add the damage bonus dice to the character's Strength roll when determining damage. Characters may not allocate more than half of their Teräs Käsi martial arts dice to their damage bonus dice.

Basic Maneuvers
(Free Maneuvers available to everyone)

Maneuver: Punch/Strike

Description: A basic attack with a fist, elbow or other striking appendage.

Difficulty: Very Easy

Effect: Does Strength damage.

Maneuver: Kick/Strike

Description: A basic attack with a foot, knee or other lower striking appendage.

Difficulty: Easy

Effect: Does Strength+2 damage.

Maneuver: Hold/Grapple

Description: A simple grab and squeeze attack.

Difficulty: Moderate or an opposed Strength roll.

Effect: The character attempting to grapple with a target must make a Moderate brawling roll to hold her opponent. For every round the target is held, the character must make an opposed Strength roll, with a +1 penalty for each point by which the character succeeded in her grapple attempt. If the target beats her Strength roll he breaks free of the hold.

Brawling Maneuvers
Technique: Backflip

Description: The character is trained to flip backwards to avoid a hit or fall.

Difficulty: Easy

Effect: If the character makes the required skill roll, he may add +2D to his next climbing/jumping or dodge roll. This maneuver does not count towards calculating the multiple action penalty.

Technique: Back Strike

Description: The character is trained to spin and attack an enemy to the rear with bare hands.

Difficulty: Easy

Effect: When a character has her back to an opponent, she may use this technique to spin and attack that opponent without suffering penalties for not being able to see her target.

Technique: Blindfighting

Description: The character is trained to use senses other than sight to locate a target.

Difficulty: Moderate for light smoke or poor light; Difficult for thick smoke or a moonlit night; Very Difficult for very thick smoke or total darkness

Effect: If the character makes the required skill roll and is within striking distance of the target, she may ignore the effects of blindness. She cannot see, but can hear or smell a target well enough to strike. This may be used as a reaction skill.

Technique: Crescent Kick

Description: The character can execute a kick that sweeps in at the opponent's neck.

Difficulty: Moderate

Effect: If the character makes the required skill roll, he may sweep a kick down at his opponent's neck from above. The kick deals Strength+1D damage, but is unhindered by armor (since most armor does not have one solid torso and head piece).

Technique: Elbow Smash

Description: The character is trained to deliver a powerful blow with her elbow.

Difficulty: Very Easy

Effect: The character can add +1D to her damage roll if the skill roll is successful.

Technique: Escape Grapple

Description: The character is able to escape a grapple.

Difficulty: Opposed martial arts versus Strength roll

Effect: When a character is being held by an opponent, a successful skill roll allows the character to contort and escape the hold, and move up to half his movement away from his opponent.

Technique: Flawless Counter

Description: The character can counter a melee attack to perfection.

Difficulty: Difficult

Effect: If the character makes the required skill roll, his next attack (which must be a hand-to-hand attack) is automatically successful. This may be used as a reaction skill.

Technique: Flip

Description: The character can throw a target who has grappled her from behind.

Difficulty: Moderate

Effect: A successful skill check indicates that the target is hurled to the ground (provided the attack is not parried or dodged). The target suffers 3D damage. This technique may be used as a reaction skill.

Technique: Flying Kick

Description: The character is trained to leap to deliver a crushing kick.

Difficulty: Difficult

Effect: The character can add +2D to her damage roll if her skill roll exceeds the difficulty number. Failure to beat the difficulty number indicates the character is off-balance and her opponent may make an additional attack this round with no multiple action penalty.

Technique: Foot Sweep

Description: The character uses a sweeping motion of her leg to trip an opponent.

Difficulty: Moderate

Effect: A successful attempt indicates the target is tripped, falling to the ground. The character must remain prone for the remainder of the round.

Technique: Instant Knockdown

Description: The character knows how to maximize impact, knocking the target to the floor.

Difficulty: Moderate

Effect: If the character's attack is successful (and is not parried or dodged) and if the skill roll meets the required difficulty number, the target is knocked to the ground. The fallen character must either wait one round to stand or suffer multiple action penalties.

Technique: Instant Stand

Description: The character is trained to negate the effects of a fall and return to a standing combat-ready position.

Difficulty: Moderate

Effect: If a character is tripped or knocked down, she may use this technique to return to a standing position. Successful use of this technique indicates that the character can stand without suffering a multiple-action penalty.

Technique: Instant Wound

Description: The character knows how to strike to maximum effect, inflicting severe damage on the target.

Difficulty: Difficult

Effect: If the character's attack is successful (and is not parried or dodged) and if the skill roll meets the required difficulty number, the target character suffers a wound. (Effects of the wound are cumulative.)

Technique: Martial Arts Leap

Description: The character is able to use martial arts training to perform more precise leaps.

Difficulty: Easy

Effect: With a successful skill roll, the character may add a +2D bonus to a climbing/jumping roll involving jumping. He does not suffer the multiple action penalty on that roll.

Technique: Power Block

Description: The character is trained to parry attacks in a manner which inflicts damage.

Difficulty: Moderate

Effect: A successful parry inflicts Strength+1D on the target. This may be used as a reaction skill.

Technique: Rear Kick

Description: The character is trained to attack an opponent to the rear with a kick.

Difficulty: Moderate

Effect: If an opponent is behind the character, and he makes the required skill roll, he may kick behind him for Strength+1D damage, unhindered by being unable to see his opponent.

Technique: Reversal

Description: The character is trained to turn the tables on an opponent who is attempting to grapple.

Difficulty: Opposed Strength or martial arts roll

Effect: The character can employ this technique only when she is held. If she breaks the opponent's grip, she may in turn hold the target immobile or employ another technique. This technique may be used as a reaction skill.

Technique: Silent Strike

Description: Provided the character can successfully sneak up on a target, she can instantly render him unconscious or incapacitated.

Difficulty: Difficult, plus target's Perception

Effect: The character must be within arm's reach of the target. The character must declare if this is a stunning or killing attack prior to making the attempt. A successful skill roll indicates the target is neutralized.

Technique: Snap Kick

Description: The character is trained to deliver a powerful kick with relative speed.

Difficulty: Moderate

Effect: If the character makes the required skill roll, he may deliver a powerful kick at Strength+1D damage with such speed that he may make one other hand-to-hand attack this round without incurring the multiple action penalty.

Technique: Spinning Kick

Description: The character is trained to perform a powerful kick.

Difficulty: Moderate

Effect: The character can add +1D to her damage roll if her skill roll exceeds the difficulty number. Failure to beat the difficulty number indicates the character is off-balance and her opponent may make an additional attack this round with no multiple action penalty.

Technique: Weapon Block

Description: The character is trained to parry melee attacks, even when she does not possess a melee weapon.

Difficulty: Opposed martial arts versus melee combat roll

Effect: If the character makes the required difficulty roll, she successfully blocks a melee attack. This may be used as a reaction skill.

Technique: Whirlwind Attack

Description: The character is trained to attack multiple enemies at close range.

Difficulty: Very Difficult

Effect: When surrounded at close range, the character is trained to use this technique to eliminate nearby threats. If the character's skill roll is successful, he may attack up to 3 enemies within arm's reach using the martial arts skill roll as his attack roll for each opponent (no multiple action penalty).