[HoE] Re: HoE Books and Martial Artists

[Gwydion758@aol.com]

<< Then I should ask: What's in the Great Maze Sourcebook? >>

This book has details on Lost Angels and Shan Fan, along with a few other 
towns.  Also covers life in the maze and some of the native creatures and 
other nasties.  Keep in mind that this is a Wierd, not Wasted, West source 
book.  The Martial Arts booklet is nice but I wouldn't recommend buying the 
boxed set just to get it if you are only playing HOE and not Deadlands.  If 
you are playing both, then DO get the set -- I think it's worth it in that 
case.

Most of the Martial Artist book covers extrodinary Chi powers.  Without those 
there are a few maneuvers that could be added like throws and sweeps, but 
basically it's just another fighting skill.  Unless you have a character who 
is strictly going for the special stuff, just take brawling and call it kung 
fu rather than buying the set.  I wouldn't allow a doomsayer or fully trained 
psyker to also be a Chi slinger --  it would unbalance the game and not fit 
in with what has already been said about mixing arcane backgrounds.

In a nutshell, you take a three point edge which gives you the ability to do 
either  brawling damage or regular damage to a target.  That means a martial 
artist *could* duke it out bare-handed with something that had armor and 
actually do some damage.  Normally, STR damage by itself does not penetrate 
armor.

Jeff