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Welcome to the rules thread for the 2006 verion of my on-line KMC Matrix game!

These rules are designed to be the most efficient and fun yet. However, Matrix combat is quite detailed, so there is still quite a lot to be digested here.

Once you get practice using them, it will all look pretty simple. But before then, looking through these rules should very much help you understand the game. Any potential new players- please look through all of these before deciding whether to play.

Use this thread to check how to fight, what your powers are, and how to create characters

Thanks for your interest!

Gameplay example to follow here

Well, we are up and running, folks!

Please feel free to ask questions.

Nice. Now you just need to let me know what the effects are of those three sword powers

Just checking I've got this right. But could I take all three, have Jade Emperor and Preying Mantis in the cache, then at the end of a round, swap JE for Silver Prince for a different style?

Also - twin swords = twin katanas Yipee!

Is triple taps the same thing as counters?

That's the only real question I've got.

Originally posted by SpikeSpiegel
Nice. Now you just need to let me know what the effects are of those three sword powers

Just checking I've got this right. But could I take all three, have Jade Emperor and Preying Mantis in the cache, then at the end of a round, swap JE for Silver Prince for a different style?

Also - twin swords = twin katanas Yipee!

Yes you can swap the two Conflicting powers. In fact, it probably works very well like that, because then even if you tap one, you can swap the other in after.

Conflicts are only there to stop people using things at the same time. This is normally because they would work too well together! So chances are, if you want to take a power that conflicts with another, both are actually useful to you.

Lana- yes they are. Counters make less sense online.

Yeah, that's what I thought.

...

And I lied. I have a second question.

When do we get to start play?

Theretically I guess we are still on to begin training by the end of the month.

I'll read it all when I have time, but looks great Ush any idea on how much powers we will be able to get?

Well, it depends on your character.

Gotta say, certainly took less time to type than the last lot...

Cool, Looks good. Gonna be fun!

It all looks good, and understandable, too!

What's the reason for the encumberance maximums on some powers being so low (i.e. the Walking Willow)?

They really are designed for people either going unarmed or knives only.

It is this idea about linking how you look with what you do; Trinity wears next to nothing in the films but in the last game people were wearing huge trenchcoats full of guns even if they weren't gunners, just to carry spares for others, or even spare melee weapons.

Now there is encouragement for some to travel light.

Like how I had my single knife and thus was counted as pretty much carrying nothing, which meant I didn't have to worry about encumberance at all.

(stabby thing)

Ah, looks like I'll be keeping to two guns only then, or maybe four Ingrams and some knives. Then if I need to do anything encumberance-wise, I can unload two of the guns totally, throw 'em away, and do it.

Yes, that is always an option- go in heavy, fire off your clips and activate your light powers.

Well this should be fun! *gets all the gun powers*

Gunners might like the increased selection for them.

I do indeed. Though, unless Lightning Reload reduces the problem of clip encumbrance like I think it did last time, Ares will probably pull a Neo and just toss the empty guns on the ground.

Sadly it does not do that any more. I think there has been a line of thought which says that that LR power made sure that there was not enough incentive to take the 'multiguns' route.

If you want to specify that, Rexy, I'll make sure pre-gen Ares does not take LR.

Heph is all over those nunchaku! And Twinned Sais sounds like fun, as well.

Yeah, I think I will, Ush. No LR for Ares.

There is a very good chance that the pre-gens will be very close to the finished article.

In fact, I will likely let people choose their own Powers. It is the skill system where the worry lies.

In fact, I'll definitely do that.

In fact, if people don't mind the fact that they might receive some tweaks, should I put the full powers list in now and begin character creation immdiately?

Yes!

Originally posted by Lana
Yes!

Originally posted by Lana
Yes!

Originally posted by Lana
Yes!

Originally posted by Lana
Yes!

Originally posted by Lana
Yes!

It appears my opinion is widely held

Originally posted by Lana
Yes! it was.

Damn, no tonfas. Are there still powers that aren't listed that need severe tweaking or is everything up?

Originally posted by Lana
It appears my opinion is widely held

I would say so!

Originally posted by Lana
It appears my opinion is widely held

You started a trend.

Woohoo!

And ooooooh. Stuff appeared.

Ok, powers list is now some 95% complete.

Right now, no new powers are going in, but options are always open in the long term. It would be nicer to have two styles for each weapon, and maybe more weapons. Old Paths like Invincible Scholar, Falling Willow and Tightening Coils may be re-done; certainly there may need to be more use of the Block/Throw/Stun/Stagger mechanics (IS did blocks, FW did... well, it did Prones, but that is functionally the same as Throws now).

Has Storm Turtle been changed? Because before it was +3 to defense against regular gun attacks and +5 against burst fire (which isn't in there now)...and I used the hell out of that power...

No, that is true- I'll change it.

Just as a note to people...

If a power says it 'sets' damage, then the damage will be that regardless. If damage becomes set to 3, then even if you have +10 damage from some weird thing, damage will be 3.

Remember you can always choose not to use a power- relevant for things like Venerable Grasshopper and Bullet Time, for example (however, if you don't use Grasshopper so as to not get its attack penalty, you could not later elect to use its bonus- it is either all on or all off)

Something else I've spotted - you didn't explain what Slow means with a Tapped power.

Hmph... yes I did...

...

No commenting on my lack of observation skills allowed.

(comments)

Putting together a Gunner is easy. w00t

Two questions.

1) Can Venerable Grasshopper be used while holding a sword or gun?

2) Can Both Guns Blazing be used to hold a sword and a gun simultaneously?

Just testing to see if these things were brought over from the last system.

Also, twin swords is damage 3, whereas a single is damage 4. So could I use two, then put one away and do more damage with the other?

The idea is more attack pool, I think.

Do you have to take Iron Butterfly if you intend to use knives for flinging mostly?

Originally posted by Bespin Bart
Two questions.

1) Can Venerable Grasshopper be used while holding a sword or gun?

2) Can Both Guns Blazing be used to hold a sword and a gun simultaneously?

Just testing to see if these things were brought over from the last system.

Same two questions, I'm gonna go for All rounder, Katana and sub-machine gun

First of all, there is no weapon changing in this game, you just declare what you are using for a particular round and use the appropriate powers. If you lock yourself into a particular type of attack, you have to run with the logic- for example, if you are guns and nunchuks and make a gun attack, you could not later use Defiant Farmer's ability to attack foes who attack you as you were clearly gunning that round.

Also, unless you fairly much throw away the weapon, or put it away and obviously are not using it, you could not use the bonus powers that specify they do not work if you are carrying a melee weapon.

Other than that, it is quite free and open. Changing guns takes no time at all either, hence that being a choice to reloading if you wish.

Spike- twin swords are smaller. If you are carrying two swords but pan top use one solo, that would most intelligently be one large and one small for a total encumbrance of 6. The katana would be wielded singly, then you would change to Twinned if you drew the other.

Sorry, to disappoint, Vera, but not really any extensive rules for knife throwing yet, so Iron Butterfuly doesn't do anything there.

Oh well. I thought it'd be nifty to be carrying around a load of throwing knives.

Meanwhile, when it says Works With Any, does that mean I could use Defensive Master to block with my staff? Just to clarify.

Any definitely means that. It is Defence in all circumstances if you are smarter, even against guns.

I generally like the new system, though there's some perks from the old system that I will miss. But as long as Heph can still put down some bluepills and take on Agents, all is well.

What do you miss? There's always things it is a shame to lose, of course.

Agents have new rules of their own...

I want to pose a question. Do Gunners have any martial arts skill? I was contemplating giving Klez the knives path for instances when he runs into 'Lack of ammo and/or guns' issues.

Not by default, though they can buy a little, and can use their Strength value.

Also worth noting that Hands of Light can be a good emergency power for Gunners.

I think that is advice I will take, actually. Klez will be up shortly.

I gto a question: I have both the Jade Emperor power and the Swooping Eagle. now if I get my bonus on the JE my opponent is Staggered, now by SE I get +1 on my pool to attack a Staggered Opponent.

So is it possible to combine the two?

Question, Ush. The encumbrance level for knives is set to 0, which should technically make the amount of knives one can carry very large indeed. Is there a limit to the number of knives you can have on your person?

Two tinies have an encumbrance of 1.

Fire- yes, definitely.

Originally posted by Ushgarak
Agents have new rules of their own...

The Path of the Unstoppable Machine! cursing

hey Ush dumb question (and I think I know the answer as a 'no') do Scales and Swooping Eagle stack?

Well Ush said that increases to the same category aren't cumulative, so using Scales' +1 to the attack pool wouldn't add to Swooping Eagle's +1 to the same for a +2 to the pool while attacking a staggered opponent (as I understand it).

However, I don't think there's any reason you can't use the first effect of one and the second of the other in conjunction.

Correct me if I'm wrong, Ush.

Ah, yes, some things might not be entirely clear, for which I apologise.

Swooping Eagle actually increases the bonus for attacking 'disadvantaged' opponents, rather than just being a pool add, so it does combine.

To clarify- it is only powers which don't stack. Obviously you still get, for example, the normal +2 bonus for attacking a Staggered opponent even if you are using Hands of Light tpo get a +4 bonus.

Swooping Eagle simply turns that +2 Staggered bonus into +3 instead.

I shall re-write the power to be clear.

Oh, one more question. Will there be the wonderful, amazing, best idea ever - fortune points again?

Not this time- you have to make your own luck.

Darn, they saved my life on more than one occasion

Incidentally, along with skills (mainly on the issue of them combining if you get them from different sources), currently being examined is a possible underpowering of Hackers, and overpowering of Storm Turtle.

Storm Turtle is looking powerful idd

Storm Turtle isn't overpowered at all. tongue_ss

I want a defensive sword path.

yea that'd be cool, silver prince is a bit defensive but not enough

Looks pretty defensive by comparison to the other Defensive paths.

We need Paths with Snakes and Dragons and Phoenixs and Tais.

What the heck would a Defensive sword Path do? What's wrong with using the Defensive Paths?

I have no idea, but I think BB is just a bit pissed cause he can't use SP and JE together mesa thinks

It's more a matter of style.

yea, I only took it cause it has defensive capabilities, but Style wise F. it. I'll still wield it like a samurai (Iaijutsu style)

Style wise it involves you jumping around like a maniac, which is not very Samurai.

Acting like a Samurai would be EXTREMELY boring in the Matrix. You run at your enemy while he runs at you, and you either win or die with one stroke. Where's the fun in that?

Looking over the old rules for weapons, I was wondering if there might be any involvement of axes and various throwing weapons.

Also, how about Holds?

Nope, none of that as of yet.

Holds always have an issue as being extremely dull, of course.

Two words: Gun Kata.

The answer to Gunners being so sucky at close combat.

I think rules for throwing knives would be really cool...

Gunners actually aren't sucky up close any more; they just don't have the options Martial Artists do.

Lana and I devised this, but...

You should make a Path for improvised weapons, including crowbars and flowerpots. lol

Original Feng Shui had a template called the 'Everyman Hero' (Quote "I've got a big American heart, and a big American gun!" who didn't know any fu schitcks but was one of the luckiest bastards on Earth and got a bonus to any rolls using a weapon improvised from the scenery around him.

That could be a whole fighting style in itself!

The Path of the Elegant Opportunist.

Flower pot was my idea. And I think that would be great for the more easily amused of us

Question! With the twinned weapons, is there any plan to have any specific rules for using two knives?

And there was a Path in Feng Shui called the 'Path of the Selective Master', which, along with a Gun schtick called 'Signature Weapon', allowedd you to create a weapon that was personally yoursd, that you were best with, and could not be destroyed, like Bond's Walther PPK.

Which then led to a situation where someone once took an Everyman Hero, bought Selective Master with xp, and designated his car as the weapon, used with the EH's improvised ability...

-

Answer- no. Which is to say yes, you mean the other way around, really. Iron Butterfly is based on there being two knives.

Really? I didn't know that, I've been using it with just one. Okay!

It's not a prerequisite, that's just the vision.

Neat.

I was just wondering because I didn't remember anything ever being mentioned about it using more than one, and I was kind of wanting to try using two and thus was wondering if that'd work differently or not.

Originally posted by Ushgarak
Style wise it involves you jumping around like a maniac, which is not very Samurai.
Well not really samurai no, but I'll make it work.

Originally posted by General Kaliero
Acting like a Samurai would be EXTREMELY boring in the Matrix. You run at your enemy while he runs at you, and you either win or die with one stroke. Where's the fun in that?
True, that's whole deal of Iaijutsu, Since I plan on using the blade mainly against mooks, that should work out fine

Originally posted by Ushgarak
Nope, none of that as of yet.

Holds always have an issue as being extremely dull, of course.
Yea Equilibrium Style, that was so neat

Hell yes it was. They also used it in Ultraviolet.

never seen that one, Ush can I change the jumping around thingy into running around like a maniac in SP path?

Err, I guess if you really need to, buit the Path is based on Prince of Persia.

k, then I might drop that one

I think with so many players, we should make it a necessity to put your character's name in every post in game. Just so we can get the player-character links established. Or I'm gunna be constantly forgetting.

Who are you again?

I forgot.

Darn it...

I have a question about weaponry.

For the purpose of twinned weaponry, could kamas or katars fall under one of the categories for Preying Mantis?

...I would so love to use katars...

... Don't go getting ideas about this, people!

This is a one-off Lana gift from my brother, in return for the testing she did.

...

Katars are in, complete with Path.

Hell, I was happy enough just getting to play before everyone else, even though that has led to endless griping from me about wanting to start the actual game up so I can find out what happens...but still!

Neat and thanks

(and if it wasn't totally official before that I am dead...well, it certainly is now)

Great, Katars now? I'm getting images of Voldo here...

*goes back to SCIII and changes stuff around again* Whoa... freaky San, freaky San...

(If you don't know, a quick trip to Wiki will tell you more than you'll want to know...)

Question: For AL to work, does it have to be UNDER 4 encumberance, or can it be exactly 4 encumberance?

Must be under, hence it not working for you.

Note... and I know this might come as an impact t to some... but Jade Emperor has been underpowered. Now corrected.

Also note that the term 'set' is now no longer used except iwth Both Guns Blazing.

Rule remains that you an only apply one increase to one setting, and that penalties overrule bonuses.

Ah, I see. Well, I will wait until after the Training Mission to make that change.

Question, that I'm not sure if I ever asked but have been meaning to...well, two, actually.

With IB, can I seperate out the two attacks to make them on two different people?

And with the encumberance and SC...if I were at 2 encumberance and needed to use SC for something, could I temporarily lower my encumberance by handing off one of my weapons to someone else?

That sounds plausable, maybe everyone can use firewall as the Mule

IB, no it can't.

Encumbrance, you can bring both weapons and drop one when a fight starts, but not palm it off to someone else, no.

Damn.

Oh well.

Damn absence of teamwork values in the Matrix.

"Hell no, I'm not gonna carry your gun! I've got mine!"

ush your so young, lol. I thought you were like, 30 something. Happy b-day!

Happy Birthday Ush!

Happy birthday to ya Ushi boy! You diserve birthday punch! *Punches Ush few times and claps*

Thanks guys!

Tenative character creation rules are now up. Feel free to check them out.

Ooooh.

Yay.

Neat!

Made some corrections- the Toughness/Refresh rare table was wrong (on the Refrsh rate side), and also now accurately put in the Natural's Refresh rate.

Can you tap powers if they're not in your cache?

Nope.

Do sniper rifles fit in the rules?

Yup; they function as assualt rifles without burst fire, but practical to use for distance/aiming measures as didctated by situation.

How about automatic shotguns?

Oh man... theoretically... I mean, they''d have an ammo capacity of about two, you know?

Feh, I don't think they really existed all that much in 1999 anyways...not practically, anyways.

Would there be an ammo limit on machine guns strapped to helicopters and cars?

Auto shotguns have been around for quite a while, actually, but surprisingly few people have ever expressed demand dor them in bulk.

That kind of thing is only available specifically by scenario.

Raiden Forlen.
Hacker
Role:Fighter

Stats
Strength:2+2
Dexterity:2
Toughness:2+2(+2 In the Matrix using a Stat Upgrade)
Intelligence:2
Perception:2+1
Charisma:2+2

Skills:

Computers: 2
Fix-It: 1
Martial Arts: 3+1
Drive: 2
Intrusion: 2
Sabotage: 2
Persuade: 1(Purchased since I had a Drive point and it was deleted by my Package)

Stat Boost: 6 Strength in the matrix.


Package: OPERATIVE

Weapon: Nunchuku




POWERS:



The Path of the King on the Water

The Path of the Storm Turtle

The Path of Life's Armour

The Path of the Sharpened Scales

The Path of Abundant Leaping

The Path of Natural Order

The Path of the Hands of Light

The Path of Dim Mak

The Path of The Defiant Farmer

The Path of the Healthy Tiger

The Path of the Walking Willow

The Path of the Swooping Eagle







~My Head is about to explode. Is this where I place my charachter or somewhere else?~

THE LAST TEMPLAR
class:human
weapon:long sword (very heavy,needs 2 hands)
horse for long distance travel

LEGO GUY
limited movement in the legs.
arms only go back and forth.
head turns all the way round.
(pritty cool)
hands turn all the way around.(aquwardly cool)
being a lego guy sucks.

That's not what this thread is for. Please don't.