Hey all so we are bringing you a class preview early as a lil Christmas gift. The Class is missing one small aspect which we will cover in this post, when it is done the Playbook will be updated with it. This is a special entry in a series of blogs as we discuss our Classes and their design intentions. With each blog the Class' updated Playbook is going to be released so the Martial Artist has received updates!

Martial Artist

The Martial Artists are fighters who train their bodies for combat. This Class is an evolution of the Monk focusing less exclusively on spiritualism and more on martial art from around the world with gameplay inspired by fighting video games. 

Core Aspects: These are nearly identical to the Monk bar the fact their Hit Die is now a d10.

Unique Aspects: All Classes gain a unique Inspired action and Mark of Fate effect. For the Martial Artist this allows you to spend a Mark of Fate to to immediately gain Comb Points. While your Inspired action, lets you make a Combo Action without expending any CP.

Martial Arts

So this is a big Feature the Class is built around. This and any other Feature with Martial Arts in its name have the restriction* on not being able to use whilst wearing Armour Pieces or using a Shield.  

While benefiting from this Feature you can replace Physique with Agility for Unarmed Strike Attack Rolls. The Damage Die of your Unarmed Strikes increases with your Class Level as shown in the Class Table, starting at 1d6 and ending at 1d12. If both hands are free during the attack, the size of damage die increases by 1. You also deal damage at the start of your turn while Grappling an opponent.

For Martial Arts Weapons, we now have a Martial Arts Weapon Property to distinguish which Weapons work with is Class' Features. For these Weapons you are always Trained in their use and can use them with Combo Actions that do not specify being exclusive to Unarmed Strikes.

Then their is the Martial Arts Die this starts as a d4 and eventually becomes a d10. It is added to the Damage Roll of Unarmed Strikes and whenever it is rolled you gain Combo Points equal to the result of the roll. Combo Points are used for your Combo Actions, unlike Ki Points they do expire at the end of your turn, so use them if you have them! If you do not there are some mechanics for some benefits based off the number you lose.

Martial Focus

This Features gives you options to reflect your life up to this point. There is Skill Focus which grants you some additional Skills and a Mastery, Spiritual Focus which lets you use Intuition instead of Agility or Physique for your Unarmed Strikes and Martial Arts Features for those wanting to play a character who practices their Martial Arts as part of their faith, Survival Focus gives you Skill Foci useful for wilderness survival, Trade Focus gives you Tool Training and a Language, and Weapon Focus lets you pick a Weapon Group which are al granted the Martial Arts Weapon Property for you for those wanting to have a character focused on a specific style of weapon use such as swords, polearms, or even firearms.

Specialised Defence

This Feature offers you a choice between two different Features, Martial Arts: Unarmoured Defence that works like the Monk Class, or Armoured Defence that gives you Training in Light & Medium Armour and Shields lets you use your Martial Arts Features with these Items.

Sealed Potential 

Now at 2nd Level, this Feature lets you Store a certain amount of Combo Points between turns, though they expire when you complete a Long Rest. Any CP earned past your Storage Limit expire as normal. This lets you play a bit more tactically to set yourself up for later success.

This Feature also grants you an action you can use once per Long Rest, granting you CP equal to your Storage Limit for an immediate power up when needed.

Martial Arts: Wanderer's Gift 

This Feature gives you a Walking speed buff, a buff to Jumping, and bonuses to your Movement and Disengage actions. As part of this Feature you also gain the Deflect Attacks Reaction.

Weapons Training

This lets you use the default Weapon Focus Property of Weapons wielded with the Martial Arts Weapon Property. let let you get even more use out of your Weapons. 

Martial Arts Tradition

This Feature is first gained at level 3 with further unlocks at levels 6, 10, and 14. As covered in the Arcanist Class preview, one difference to note from level 6 onwards is you can choose to either progress through a subclass's 4 tiers or to pick up the first tier of a different subclass. 

Feats

This Feature is first gained at level 4 with further unlocks at levels 8, 12, 16, and 19. Importantly each time you would gain this Feature you can increase one Trait's value by 1 AND gain a Feat. We would advise looking at the Fighting Style Feats such as the Fighting Style: Flame Style or Fighting Style: Wave Style Feats Feats.

Martial Arts: Forceful Will

This Feature at Level 5 give Martial Artists extra RP, buffs your Unarmed Strikes Damage Types, and grants you the Slow Fall reaction.

Multiattack

This Feature works like Extra Attack.

Enhanced Flurry of Blows

From 7th level, this allows the Martial Artist to apply a condition of your choosing when you use the Flurry of Blows Combo Action.

Martial Arts: Evasion

This works like the normal Evasion Feature.

At Higher Levels

From here on many Features increase your mobility and ability to traverse the battlefield. Alongside that many Features buffing your Combo Actions, and CP generation. 

Martial Arts Traditions

There are a number of Traditions that a Martial Artist can gain access to. 

Tradition of the Avatar 

This Tradition is missing currently as it was not finished in time for release, this is all about letting legendary spirts of fallen heroes, mythic monsters, and more esoteric spirits inhabit your body to grant you power.

Tradition of the Destructive Fist 

This Tradition is focused on making you even better at what you do as a Martial Artist, with a combination of self buffs and support abilities, its Combo Actions follow a linear progression between three forms, with chains of these actions becoming empowered by following the progression. 

Tradition of the Elementalist 

The first of the spellcasting Traditions, this one focused on Primordial Magic. It focuses on forming bonds with one of the four outer elements (air, earth, fire, or water) and gaining powers and actions based on your chosen element.

Tradition of the Grappler

This Tradition is about Grappling, letting you Grapple larger targets, letting you apply conditions whilst Grappling, and generally making you a Master of Grappling. This is one of the few Traditions to not have their own unique Combo Actions due to the fact I felt they exemplified mastering the basics. 

Tradition of the Performer

This Tradition is based around wrestling and adopting a role in the ring, and eventually abilities tied to fighting with a tag team partner. It allows you to use Determination for Your Martial Arts Features instead of Physique or Agility. 

Tradition of the Psionisist 

The this Tradition focuses on Psionics. Letting you generate Psi Points when you generate CP, it focuses on Biomancy and Telepathy powers, generally letting you do what you do even more with psionic power fuelling it.

Tradition of the Savant

This Tradition is based around using and empowering the Study action and Marked conditions. It allows you to use Knowledge for Your Martial Arts Features instead of Physique or Agility. 

Tradition of the Spiritualist

The other spellcasting Traditions, this one focused on Eternal Magic. It focuses on your Eternal and their nature much the same as the Eternalist Class and on increasing your survivability.

Tradition of the Tattooed Warrior

This Tradition is about playing with with the Tattooed Orders subsystem of the Class, generally this is an option thing a Game Guide can throw in for Martial Artist characters to play with, growing in rank by defeating stronger foes, and gaining their arcane tattoos and the power they contain. This Tradition gives the player guaranteed acess and progression through one of these tattooed Orders and the Combo Actions unique to that Tattoo, 

Tradition of the Weapon Master

This Tradition is about getting the most out of your Martial Arts Weapons, letting them generate CP, overcome enemy Resistances and even automatically Crit. This is one of the few Traditions to not have their own unique Combo Actions due to the fact I felt they exemplified mastering the basics through the use of their Weapons. 

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So that is the Martial Artist I hope people find this Class interesting and feel free to ask questions or give feedback! The draft document has been updated to reflect the above. Hopefully it gives you a sign of where we are taking this game!