I'm gonna say no to the hoola hoop thing to be used as a weapon. Movie prop is fine, but don't try to use it in actual combat.

My final say is that I really do not want players creating their own custom unique melee weapons such as a Bat'leth from Star Trek (which I'm sure we can find Palladium stats for it online somewhere) because then I then have to determine the weapons stats and bonus in such a way to make sure it isn't overpowering (odds are the player won't agree with me either).

Also as I said before, it opens Pandora's box of every player wanting their own custom designed unique melee weapon where we have to create stats for it.

---

As for martial arts tournaments and this being N&SS you can expect those tournaments run by underworld organizations to be full contact where serious injury, maiming and death can occur. Those tournaments known to the general public would have rules to protect participants from getting seriously injured, maimed or killed.

Well I don't have to fight grunts much one Kata I chose raises my MA over 30 with intimidation and well she just walks forward and her fierce force of warrior macho-ness will cause people to back down, flee or fight with a -4 on attacks even guns. She could walk up a stairwell and cause grunts to crap themselves. She isn't subtle sometimes.

Unless they roll OVER her modified MA of 33.

I'm shocked I missed that so swapped out an Atemi skill for that Special Kata. ^_^

Anyway I might go the commercial angle have booklets covering 'secret fighting arts', vhs instructional tapes and well make up a bunch of tournaments and accolades to sell her crap to gullible types. Advertising on the back of common martial arts magazines and comic books. Its the 80's checking this would be hard if not impossible. As long as I avoid real events and organizations and make it all sound legitimate. I will need some seed money so need good paying work and such.

Keep in mind that the attribute chart ends at 30 for a reason. In the case of a high MA that 'good reason' is that there is always a chance to succeed or fail a percentile based roll.

Don't forget that whatever the players can do, some of the bad guys can do too. As a GM I am not afraid to use the same debilitating attacks/actions the players have against them.

Last but not least is if you decide to spam a particular power to get past encounters easily you will build up a reputation as a 'scary bitch' which means the bad guys might attack you on site or alternatively try to take you out by some other means.

I don't plan to use it all the time but say twenty grunts are in a room clearing out a bunch of them so I can take on their boss is a good time or going up a flight of stairs and I must get to the top. I'm going to get to the top killing everyone I have to. Clearing some out without a fight would be nice.

Plus sure some grunts might be more afraid of their boss and fight Mei Xing, there is that -4 in combat to hit me if they do, so fine I'll take what advantage I can.

I don't have Invisibility Arts I have to use what I get for her in the game and the Big Staring Match at the right time each mission can make things go my way.
This message was last edited by the player at 20:40, Thu 22 Aug 2019.

I'm headed to NashCon in Nashville TN this weekend and won't be back home until late Sunday night.

Normally while traveling I can stay caught on RPOL but in this case I will be running two Bolt Action (28mm WW2 wargame) tournaments (Friday night and all day Saturday) and so my opportunities to post will be few and far between.

I'll get caught up as fast as possible when I return.

Thanks for the heads up. Curious as to what else you play in the miniature wargame world.

I intend to have a players wanted ad up on Saturday evening (PST).

Bolt Action, Flames of War, Team Yankee, Force on Force, Blood and Plunder, 40k, Rumbleslam, Six Gun Sound, Frostgrave, Carnivale, Kings of War, and a few others are what I currently own minis for.

I've played quite a few more.

The same as with RPGs it's easier to list the ones I haven't played.

Hello hello, I will be your typical female agent out to prove she belongs in a male dominated occupation. And prove it she will.

I look forward to playing with you all. Oh, Mr GM sir, can I get my character sheet made user editable please?

Hello, folks.  Veteran Grunt here.

Howdy new folks.

Think of James as a... Transportation specialist.

Oh, my. Greetings all. I'll be the reformed cad of the bunch. You may have heard my name, before, it's doubtful there's any relation.
https://youtu.be/MkZ_aJoAiL0?t=29
This message was last edited by the player at 01:01, Sat 24 Aug 2019.

OK I got character sheet templates and character description templates loaded up.

With several players using the die roller, I suggest everyone copy and pasts their rolls tot he bottom of their character sheet.

Oh for the new people I'm playing the harmless Jujutsu expert and actress.

Hello, I am Ninja #4!

...Which puts me really low, tail-end of the cast really, when the credits roll at the end of this movie.  Probably just another "Red Shirt" who gets a one-liner and then dies in a horribly graphic manner.

Or something.  ;)


I'm a Rifts/HU/PFRPG veteran who's never played in a N&SS focused game and this seemed like it could be fun.  I have some questions about the setting since I have a few different ideas on what to play:

1. Are we allowing Cybernetic Characters? OR are we keeping it simple?

2. While the original game was written in 1988, what time frame are we planning on playing in?
EDIT:  Never mind.  Helps if I read threads on some sort of sensible order.  >_<
This message was last edited by the player at 07:15, Sat 24 Aug 2019.

In reply to Ninja 4 (msg # 32):

You can use a Cybernetic character. But just the cybernetics in the book.

Oh, good. John St. John-Smythe could use a cyborg soldier to keep him from being devastated by the violent people he's surrounded with.

With everything be cybernetic if so he might be popular with the ladies? hee hee

EDIT: By the way I'm looking forward to gaming with you all and any debate and such was just that abut the game content to make the game better, not to be a problem for people.

And I wanted to note some goals for my character. One is to meet various martial arts masters to test my characters skill so is interested in traveling to do that. The second is to do her own variant of Jujutsu with weapons as part of the training so wants to learn a few more Weapon Katas to develop Wen Jujutsu. Third make money ripping off dumb people with 'learn deadly martial techniques' from cheap to produce books and maybe make up a fighting society they can join under her pen name and maybe sell some other things related to that. Last she wants to make her mark in the movie industry as a decent martial arts action actress as in does the martial arts and can actually act decently as well. Not sure how much she will actually do though.
This message was last edited by the player at 19:29, Sat 24 Aug 2019.

St. John-Smythe's goal is to keep working for the nice organization so they don't ship him off to prison for hacking the phone system in the UN Cafeteria (free baklava for a month? He calls that 'WINNING').
He's a decent media operator, and would happily assist you in filming screen tests.

As this is really the first time as I have given a serious look at this book, I find it interesting that if you wish to make a proper Ninja or Muay Thai practitioner, you have to go Dedicated Martial Artist and will have minimal skills outside of those from your Martial Arts training.

When you have the word Ninja in the book title and you only get one type of ninja OCC
(or rather a single OOC that can choose to be a ninja) it's a little disheartening.  I expected a couple ninja specific OOC's, much like Rifts Japan.

Makes it feel like the book title should be 1 Ninja & 15 Superspies.  >_<

Every other OOC gets a fat stack of skills from their skill groups.  Or at least a few in the case of the Worldly Martial Artist.

While I get that the Dedicated Martial Artist is exactly that, and that is their profession, I'm not sure how well that balances out.
This message was last edited by the player at 09:10, Sun 25 Aug 2019.

Also Rifter 3 and 7 add some more Martial Arts Styles.  While I think most of the arts in 3 are fictitious, the arts in 7 are more modern real-world stuff.

Well in their defense Ninjas are a way of life they are born into a clan and learn nothing else but its a very in depth martial art and covers a lot and there were never any real Ninjas as they are in fiction. As for the martial arts fictional or not in the book they are cool.

And what can be more fun than saying: My Jujutsu is better than your Shao-lin Kung Fu trash and I will show you now - lets fight!

But its a choice one makes to play a Ninjitsu practitioner or Thai Kick Boxing practitioner.

I would do this pick a Ninja like martial art, rename it [Insert your name, Ninjitu] and run around as its master an founder of the ancient and deadly art taught but a master making them up. Just find and learn a weapon or two if needed and get some made up black ninja like outfit. You would be a fraud but in the game they are so rarely seen your system could be legitimate to dumb Westerners. Just think of the marketing in books, instructional vhs tapes and memberships in a secret ninja society you run. There you go Ninja light.

I really like the Martial Arts forms found in Rifter 7.
This message was last edited by the GM at 15:22, Sun 25 Aug 2019.

In reply to Ninja 4 (msg # 37):

Yeah per the RAW you can’t even make Snake Eyes or Storm Shadow who are essentially Commando/Mercs who have H2H Ninjitsu.

If I did not start this game due to a GM wanted ad here are some changes you’d probably see:

• The dedicated Martial Artist could take an Exclusive and Non-Exclusive Martial Arts form. Or they could take three non-exclusive Martial Arts forms.
• The Worldly Martial Artist could take one exclusive Martial Arts form or two non-exclusive Martial arts forms. This would expand the ability of players to select the 'exclusive' arts forms.
• I'd allow the other OCC's to take a second Martial Arts from at the cost of a non-basic skill program.
• I’d make a version of Ninjitsu that costs one Martial Arts form. Rifter 7 does this with Kick Boxing so why not?
• The military skill programs from the book would be either replaced or improved by what is in Rifter 25.
• As in my other games here on RPOL, some physical skills would cost more then one skill selection because it take years to learn them. As a GM I hate to see players load up on these skills to focus on combat instead of taking skills that can actually be used in role play to solve problems.
• Since there is a wrestling (Rifter 3) boxing (Rifter 7), and kick boxing (Rifter 7) Martial Arts form I’d probably only allow those with one of the four ‘agent’ H2Hs to take those skills. Or remove the skills from the game all together on the basis that: ‘If you want to be a boxer then take the martial art form.’
• As in my other games here on RPOL, bullets and other piercing attacks would do half HP and half SDC damage. This actually makes players think twice before charging a machine gun, or jumping on a grenade because they have a lot of SDC. Trust me with this house rule of mine gone in this game we will probably see a player character charge a machine gun or jump on a grenade.

GM here is an idea let Ninjitsu people swap one or both of their non-Art of Invisibility powers to take one other group skill program such as Espionage to represent modern clan training. I would even trade off both powers for Cybernetics. The game has Ninja in the title so they should be special.