Atlantean Trilogy Archive
A lean barefoot martial artist breaks a wooden board with a high kick on a mountain terrace at sunrise, prayer flags overhead.

Martial Artist

Profession, single-classed

A student of the old unarmed fighting and self-defense disciplines, trained for years under a monk or master. Only a fully trained martial artist gains its save bonuses and paired-weapon skill.

From the book

Martial artists practice the old disciplines of unarmed fighting and self-defense. Any alignment is open to them, though most are neutral.

Every one learns from a skilled master, a monk or an advanced martial artist, and the initiate's training is long and demanding, often lasting seven years or more.

To build speed, reflexes and agility the student drills many hard techniques and maneuvers, gradually hardens hands and feet, develops balance and stability, and learns to move with both quickness and power; mastering these makes the initiate a 1st level martial artist. Other characters can learn martial arts skills, but only a fully trained member of this profession develops its special abilities: improved saves against Speed, Perception and Will, and from 8th level proficiency with paired weapons such as nunchakas or butterfly knives, which doubles attacks per round as the Hand Strike technique does.

Skills by level

  1. Level 1
  2. Level 2
    • +1 to Hit
    • One Additional Weapon
  3. Level 4
  4. Level 6
    • +1 to Hit
    • 2 Attacks per Round
  5. Level 8
    • +1 to Hit
    • Paired Weapons Capability
  6. Level 10
    • +1 to Hit
    • One Additional Weapon
  7. Level 12
    • +1 to Hit
    • 3 Attacks per Round
  8. Level 14, 16, 18, 20, etc.
    • +1 to Hit

At a glance

Minimum attributes
INT 10, WILL 12, STR 10, DEX 14, SPD 12
Alignment
Any
Combat training
Highly Trained
Hit points per level
1 H.P. per point of CON, plus 6 H.P. at first level; then +6 H.P. and any CON bonus per level gained; after 12th level, +1 H.P. per level with no CON bonus (optional rule, page 48)
Special abilities
Fully trained martial artists only: +1 saves vs Will; +1 saves vs Perception; +1 saves vs Speed, rising by 1 more for every three levels of ability gained. Paired Weapons (8th level+): can learn proficiency with paired weapons (nunchakas, butterfly knives, etc.), which in effect doubles attacks per round, as with the Hand Strike technique.
Restrictions
Special abilities belong only to accomplished (fully-trained) martial artists
Open to races
Humans, Druas

Training takes seven or more years under a monk or high level martial artist.