Unarmed Training

Superpower (Trait)

EFFECT

Cost 2 JP per level

DESCRIPTION

Upon gaining the 1st level of this power, the superhero gains Improved Unarmed Strike as a bonus feat. The superhero is highly trained in fighting unarmed, giving him considerable advantages when doing so. A superhero’s attacks may be with either fist interchangeably or even from elbows, knees, and feet. This means that a superhero may even make unarmed strikes with his hands full. There is no such thing as an off-hand attack for a superhero striking unarmed. A superhero may thus apply his full Strength bonus on damage rolls for all his unarmed strikes. Usually, a superhero’s unarmed strikes deal lethal damage, but he can choose to deal nonlethal damage instead with no penalty on his attack roll. He has the same choice to deal lethal or nonlethal damage while grappling. Each level of this power allows the superhero to deal more damage with his unarmed strikes than a normal person would, as shown on the table below. The unarmed damage values listed on that table are for Medium superheroes. A Small superhero deals less damage than the amount given there with his unarmed attacks, while a Large superhero deals more damage; see the following table. A superhero’s unarmed strike is treated as both a manufactured weapon and a natural weapon for the purpose of spells and effects that modify either manufactured weapons or natural weapons. The superhero cannot have more levels of this power than his freelancer level.

ENHANCEMENTS AND LIMITATIONS

• Enhancement: Monk Weapon Mastery (Cost: 4 JP): A superhero’s damage with monk weapons increases. When wielding a monk weapon, she uses the unarmed strike damage of this power 4 levels lower instead of the base damage for that weapon (for example, a 5th-level Medium superhero wielding a cestus deals 1d6 points of damage instead of the weapon’s normal 1d4). If the weapon normally deals more damage than this, its damage is unchanged. This ability does not affect any other aspect of the weapon. The superhero can decide to use the weapon’s base damage instead of his adjusted unarmed strike damage—this must be declared before the attack roll is made.
• Enhancement: Talented Martial Artist (Cost: 2 JP per talent): The superhero can take a talent from the monk’s martial arts talents/advanced martial arts talents that modify unarmed strikes. His freelancer level counts as monk level for talent prerequisites.