Martial Arts (CNH)

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In a normal AD&D® game campaign setting, all characters know how to punch and wrestle. (See the Player's Handbook, Chapter 9.)
In a campaign based in an Oriental setting, the characters do not know mere punching and wrestling; they know martial arts.
These rules, introduced in The Complete Fighter's Handbook, allow your character to be proficient (or even a specialist) in eastern-style martial arts. These rules work like the existing punching and wrestling rules, but constitute a whole new set of maneuvers and tactics a skilled character can use in combat.
The martial arts described here aren't any specific real-world fighting style; they're a combination of generic martial-arts maneuvers.
==Martial Arts Results==
Martial arts combat occurs when a character attacks with his bare hands, feet, or even head. No weapons are used, although a character holding a weapon in only one hand can attack with his weapon in one round and with his martial arts skill in the next.
The damage from any bare-handed martial arts attack is broken into two parts: 25% of the damage from the attack is normal damage; the remaining 75% is temporary damage. (See the Player's Handbook, Chapter 9, for a discussion of temporary damage.)
A character with martial arts skill makes a normal attack roll against the normal Armor Class of the target. (An armored attacker suffers the penalties from Table 57: Armor Modifiers for Wrestling, in the Player's Handbook.)
If the attack roll is successful, consult Table 16, using the original, unmodified die roll to determine the martial arts maneuver accomplished. The attacker may add any bonus for Strength to the damage done by the blow.
If, for example, the character rolls a 13 to hit, the result is a vitals punch doing 2 hp damage (plus the attacker's Strength bonus for damage).
Table 16 replaces the Martial Arts Results Table in The Complete Fighter's Handbook. It is arranged so that better blows result in more damage.
 Table 16: Martial Arts Results
AttackRoll	Martial ArtsManeuver	Damage
19—20 	Head Kick 	4
17–18 	Head Punch 	3
15–16 	Vitals Kick 	3
13–14 	Vitals Punch 	2
11–12 	High Kick 	2
9–10 	Side Kick 	2
6–8 	Body Punch 	1
3–5 	Low Kick 	1
1–2 	Graze 	0
In an Oriental campaign, do not use the "%KO" column that appears with the equivalent table in The Complete Fighter's Handbook. Instead, knockout chances are covered by the Advanced Martial Arts rules under "Stunning and Incapacitating."
==Specializing in Martial Arts==
Characters can specialize in martial arts by spending a weapon proficiency slot on the skill. Ninja, shinobi, and other fighters can specialize in martial arts regardless of restrictions on weapon specialization based on class or kit. No character is required to specialize in martial arts.
Note: Campaigns using the Advanced Martial Arts rules (described later) should not also use these specialization rules.
A martial arts specialist gains the following benefits:
* +1 bonus to all attack rolls with martial arts;
* +1 bonus to all damage with martial arts;
* +1 chart bonus with all martial arts attacks;
* One additional martial arts attack per combat round. The character may not hold anything ineither hand to gain this benefit; and
* The character may pull the attack, not causing any damage, and may also refuse to do the +1 hp damage bonus for specialization.
It is possible for some types of ninja or other characters to continue to improve their martial arts abilities beyond the values given previously. This option is available to only single-class fighters, fighting-monks (from The Complete Priest's Handbook), and ninja with the Shadow Warrior kit.
A character who continues to devote weapon proficiency slots to martial arts after the initial specialization gets the following benefits. For each additional slot devoted to martial arts, the character gains:
* +1 bonus to all martial arts attack rolls;
* +1 bonus to all martial arts damage; and
* +1 chart bonus with all martial arts attacks.
The chart bonus allows the character to affect the location of the attack. When a martial arts specialist makes an attack, he can accept the location indicated in the middle column of Table 16, or adjust it up or down the chart by a number of lines equal to the chart bonus. For example, if a martial arts specialist hits with a roll of 14, the indicated blow is a vitals punch. By using the +1 chart bonus, the martial artist can change that blow into a vitals kick for more damage, or a high kick if some other effect is desired.