Kata

Kata is the basic form of martial arts, primarily involving kicks and hand strikes. This form of martial arts was first developed and mastered in the Undervault by the kephera and illithoid.

Punch	Inept	A basic attack with your hands.
Kick	Inept +25%	A basic attack with your legs.
Forms	Inept +50%	Design your own kata attacks.
Hold	Inept +75%	The most basic grapple.
Deflect	Novice	Soften the blow of physical attacks.
Throw	Novice +25%	Hurl someone to the ground.
Choke	Novice +50%	An asphyxiating grapple.
Gouge	Novice +75%	Cause bleeding with your punches.
Lock	Apprentice	A grapple targeting body parts.
PinchNerve	Apprentice +25%	Modify a kata form to paralyze.
Snap	Apprentice +50%	End a lock by injuring the body part.
Strength	Apprentice +75%	Modify the strength of a kata form.
Speed	Capable	Modify the swiftness of a kata form.
Break	Capable +25%	Modify a kata form to break bones.
Stun	Capable +50%	Modify a kata form to stun.
Toss	Capable +75%	Hurl a grappled person away from you.
Raze	Adept	Attack the defences that would keep your weapons out.
Concussion	Adept +25%	Modify a kata form to cause concussions.
Tattoos	Adept +50%	Your body illustrations can be tapped for armour.
Steelgrip	Adept +75%	Never miss a grapple move.
Master	Master	Move on to a master specialization.

Open Handed Monk (by Kuroi)

Punch

Syntax:

KA PUNCH <target> <bodypart> RIGHT|LEFT (For players) KA PUNCH <target> RIGHT|LEFT (For bashing NPCs.)

Kata: Action Ka Weight: 50 Bodypart: Head, Chest, Gut, Rarm, Larm, Rleg, Lleg

The typical punch is a standard kata action.

Syntax:

KA SYNTAX [ON/OFF]

As you learn more attacks in Kata, you will be prompted with their proper syntax if you mess up entering the command properly. If you do not wish for these prompts then you can use KA SYNTAX OFF to suppress it.

Syntax:

KA MOMENTUMMSG [ON/OFF]

As you gain and lose momentum from Kata attacks, you will be notified. To turn this off/on, use KA MOMENTUMMSG ON/OFF.

Kick

Syntax:

KA KICK <target> <bodypart> RIGHT|LEFT (For players) KA KICK <target> RIGHT|LEFT (For bashing NPCs.)

Kata: Action Ka Weight: 100 Bodypart: Head, Chest, Gut, Rarm, Larm, Rleg, Lleg

The typical kick is a standard kata action.

Forms

Syntax:

KATA STUDY <form name> KATA FORMS KATA FORGET <form name> KATA DEVELOP <form name> ACTION <action #> <action commands> KATA DEVELOP <form name> ACTION <action #> NONE KATA DEVELOP <form name> MODIFIERS <modifier list> KATA DEVELOP <form name> MODIFIERS NONE KATA REVIEW <form name> KATA PERFORM <target> <form #1> [<form #2>] [<form #3>] ... KATA TERMINATE KATA TEACH <formname> TO <person>

As you progress in kata and its specializations, you can develop more and more of your own personal kata forms. To make a new form, begin with KATA STUDY and to forget a form, use KATA FORGET <form name>. KATA FORMS will list all of your forms. KATA REVIEW <form> will review a specific form. The actions are the same as any KA attacks, minus the KA and target. For example, KA PUNCH GALT HEAD LEFT would translate to an action as PUNCH HEAD LEFT. You can add modifiers with later skills. You can execute any sequence of forms. Each form must have a ka value at or below the maximum ka you can hold, based on your momentum (see below for details on momentum). In addition, the max number of forms you can have in a sequence is capped based on skill rank in Kata. You can TERMINATE a sequence before it is finished, but it will throw you off balance.

To perform kata maneuvers, you execute KATA PERFORM. You can link several forms together if you wish, or execute a single form at a time. Note that after the third form you can change to a new sequence of forms. Once you change direction, it will take another three forms to change it again. If you choose to link several forms together, they will start to move faster after the third one. To teach forms to others, you can use KATA TEACH.

Momentum

Monks must build momentum in order to do the most powerful attacks in kata forms. Every time a kata form successfully strikes an opponent, your momentum increases. If you go too long without a hit then your momentum will falter. Every kata attack has a ka cost associated with it. The sum total ka costs you can use in a kata form may not surpass this maximum:

Momentum	Max ka
1	250
2	350
3	450
4	750
5	1000

Your momentum level is displayed on your prompt as: 1mo, 2mo, 3mo, etc, where the initial number is your momentum level. Switching targets will cause momentum to drop by a maximum of two. The first attack against a new target will be treated as if the momentum was already dropped for purposes of max ka available.

Hold

Syntax:

KA HOLD <target> KA RELEASE

Kata: Action Ka Weight: 150

A basic grapple. Binds your target with your arm. Unlike most grapples you will learn in the future, this grapple will prevent the target from standing.

Additional Notes:

Grapples require both arms to perform, and last until the victim writhes free or you use your hands again. Their main purpose is to prevent the victim from walking away.

Deflect

Syntax:

KA DEFLECT LEFT|RIGHT|NONE

You can focus attention on one hand to deflect incoming blows. When struck on that arm, you will automatically and quietly deflect the blow slightly, thereby reducing the damage taken. You will also deflect blows to your head, chest, and gut, though not as effectively.

Additional Notes:

Works the same as the TrueShield skill in Combat.

Throw

Syntax:

KA THROW

Kata: Action Ka Weight: 50

If your target is in some grapple, you can throw him to the ground, damaging and possibly stunning him in the process. A prone target will be more susceptible to damage from punches and kicks.

Additional Notes:

This only works from kata grapples, not those from its specializations. The increased susceptibility results from being unable to dodge, parry, or use combat stances.

Choke

Syntax:

KA CHOKE <target> <bodypart>

Kata: Action Ka Weight: 200 Bodypart: Head

An advanced grapple that chokes the target, asphyxiating him.

Additional Notes:

Works the same as locking the head, but with a tiny bit of extra damage.

Gouge

Syntax:

KATA DEVELOP <form> MODIFIERS GOUGE

Kata: Modifiers Ka Weight: 50

Hook your punches in such a manner as to gouge the skin and cause bleeding. Only works on unarmed actions.

Lock

Syntax:

KA LOCK <target> <bodypart>

Kata: Action Ka Weight: 200 Bodypart: Head, Chest, Gut, Rarm, Larm, Rleg, Lleg

A grapple that locks and disables a specific body part. For bodyparts that aren't directly affected by locking, such as the head, chest, or gut, it opens up advanced techniques you will learn later.

PinchNerve

Syntax:

KATA DEVELOP <form> MODIFIERS PINCHNERVE

Kata: Modifier Ka Weight: 150 Bodypart: Head, Chest, Gut

Develop your kata so that you may aim your punches and basic kicks against the nerves which govern mobility, crippling your opponent. Only works on unarmed actions.

Additional Notes:

Causes paralysis.

Snap

Syntax:

KA SNAP

Kata: Action Ka Weight: 50 Bodypart: Head, Chest, Gut, Rarm, Larm, Rleg, Lleg

End a grapple by snapping a particular bodypart, causing effects such as blackout and broken limbs.

Strength

Syntax:

KATA DEVELOP <form> MODIFIERS <HARD|SOFT>

Kata: Modifier Ka Weight: 50

By paying close attention to the strength of your punches, you can deliver more direct damage at the expense of wounding (hard), or vice versa (soft). Works on all actions.

Speed

Syntax:

KATA DEVELOP <form> MODIFIERS SPEED

Kata: Modifiers Ka Weight: 100

Balancing carefully on the tips of your feet allows you to recover balance from katas at a greater speed. Works on all actions.

Break

Syntax:

KATA DEVELOP <form> MODIFIERS BREAK

Kata: Modifier Ka Weight: 50 Bodypart: Head, Rarm, Larm, Rleg, Lleg

Carefully choosing the optimum place to strike, you may improve the chance of shattering extremities. Only works on unarmed actions. This move will cause you to lose some momentum if it causes an injury.

Additional Notes:

This doesn't actually improve the chance to cause shatters, instead it's the only way to cause shatters. It requires medium wounds or better, and when used on the head, breaks the nose.

Stun

Syntax:

KATA DEVELOP <form> MODIFIERS STUN

Kata: Modifier Ka Weight: 175 Bodypart: Head, Chest, Gut, Rarm, Larm, Rleg, Lleg

As your opponent grows more wounded, your punches and kicks will start to stun. Only works on unarmed actions. Successful stuns will lower your momentum.

Toss

Syntax:

KA TOSS

Kata: Action Ka Weight: 75

When grappling with a person, you can toss them out of the room in a random direction. This will, obviously, terminate any katas as the victim will no longer be within range.

Additional Notes:

This only works from kata grapples, not those from its specializations.

Raze

Syntax:

KA RAZE <target> RIGHT|LEFT

Kata: Action Ka Weight: 50

Using your fist, you can clear away variety of magical defense, such as shield, weapons rebounding aura, and others.

Additional Notes:

Raze strips rebounding, circle, pentagram, reflections, and quicksilver.

Concussion

Syntax:

KATA DEVELOP <form> MODIFIERS CONCUSSION

Kata: Modifier Ka Weight: 150 Bodypart: Head

By striking at the lower side of the back of your opponent's skull, you can improve your chances of causing concussion. Only works on unarmed actions.

Additional Notes:

This doesn't actually improve the chance to cause a concussion, instead it's the only way to cause a concussion. It requires medium wounds or better.

Tattoos

Syntax:

TATTOOS ARMOUR

For those monks who choose not to wear any armour of any kind (including great robes), any tattoos on their body will be activated and be able to use as a kind of ka armour. The amount of armour depends on the total amount of tattoo weight on the monk's body. Further, any tattoos with the damage absorption power will be double in strength (though, again, only if not wearing armour of any kind).

Steelgrip

Syntax:

KATA DEVELOP <form> MODIFIERS STEELGRIP

Kata: Modifier Ka Weight: 150

With this modifier, any grapple-initiating attack will never miss.

Master

At this point in your training of Kata, you have progressed where you must specialize in an aspect of this skill to continue learning. If you have not yet selected a specialization, see SKILLCHOICE LIST to see what is available. There may be a choice between two or more specializations.