Martial Art: Guali Pianil

Martial Art: Guali Pianil

In my TL 4 fantasy setting, a heavily forested region is ravaged by plagues and monsters left after a magical equivalent of a biological war between the wood elves and the neogi - alien spiderlike slavemasters. While the open warfare is over, there are still covert operations to spread new diseases, release monsters, and free slaves. Some of the wood elven slaves did not need any help setting themselves free - they threw off physical and mental shackles of their neogi slavemasters through sheer willpower and the power of their unique martial art they have developed in the slave pits - Guali Pianil, or "chitin breaker" in Wood Elven. While the style is useful against the neogi, it is useless against the umber hulks - you can only run from them.

Let's imagine what the anti-neogi unarmed tactics would look like. The neogi are SM-2 creatures with DR 1 and low ST, but their claws and teeth are poisonous. Extra Legs grant them stability. Their long necks present a tempting target and their low profile allows to target hit locations usually unavailable due to limited vertical reach. Let's base the style on these assumptions.

Strong-hitting techniques are usually based on Karate. Wrestling would be a nice grappling skill in this situation. Mind Block is a rarely used skill that would make sense for a rebellious slave of a psionic being to have. Let's make these 3 skills required for the style.

Axe Kick is a damage-increasing technique based on Karate. Lifting a leg and smashing a neogi chitinous skull with your heel sounds cool, so let's add Axe Kick and Targeted Attack (Axe Kick/Skull) to the technique list.

Choke Hold, Head Lock, and Neck Snap look like good Wrestling-based techniques for this style.  Knee Strike is good for grabbing the head and smashing it against the knee. At last, Stamp Kick should allow targeting more hit locations when used against SM-2 creatures. Let's add them to the list.

Looking at the cinematic techniques, I can't see much useful for this style. Piledriver could be good, so let's add at least that.

Let's take a look at the perks. Improvised Weapons (Karate) to use improvised fist loads sounds good for a slave that has to use whatever he can find to combat his masters. Technique Mastery (Axe Kick) looks good to make the Axe Kick a signature move of the style. Same with Technique Master (Choke Hold).

Optional traits should include increased DX and ST, Resistant to Disease, Resistant to Mind Control,  Resistant to Poison, High Pain Threshold, Combat Reflexes. Here's the result.

Guali Pianil – 4 points

Guali Pianil, or “chitin breaker” in Wood Elven, is a martial art developed by wood elven slaves to combat their neogi slavemasters. It is based on neck snapping, chokeholds, and strong kicks. Its signature move is sitamiil, or “wood hammer” in the native language of the wood elves, - an Axe Kick delivered to the skull.

Skills: Karate; Mind Block; Wrestling.

            Techniques: Axe Kick; Choke Hold; Head Lock; Knee Strike; Neck Snap; Stamp Kick; Targeted Attack (Axe Kick/Skull).

            Cinematic Techniques: Piledriver.

            Perks: Improvised Weapons (Karate); Technique Mastery (Axe Kick); Technique Master (Choke Hold).

Optional Traits

            Primary Characteristics: Improved ST and DX.

Secondary Characteristics: Improved Basic Speed.

            Advantages: Combat Reflexes; High Pain Threshold; Resistant to Disease; Resistant to Mind Control; Resistant to Poison.

            Disadvantages: Code of Honor; Sense of Duty.

            Skills: Body Control; Meditation; Mental Strength.