Martial Arts of the Broken Land: Koppo

Many throughout the history of the Broken Land and beyond have sought immortality. One of these searches has become known simply as The Way. It grew out of the abilities of faith healers and chi channelers to mend the body. Followers believe that by balancing the internal humors of the body via alchemy and mediation they will achieve everlasting life.

This post is not about them.

In a land where the body can be repaired via strength of soul and the shaping of energy, dedicated study of the body is rare. Indeed, what would be the point? Of course there were still some who studied the mysteries of bone, muscle, organ, and blood. These physicians are generally considered inferior to the chi healers but in an emergency they are still called upon.

Legend has it that there was once a small village, plagued by raiders who styled themselves lords, yet acted more like tyrants. The town's warriors were long slain,  its spirit idol smashed, and ancestor's desecrated. The closest they had to protection was the town doctor, not even a chi healer. He did his best to heal those injured by the raiders' brutality, despite the injuries he sustained fighting in a battle long ago not his own, that troubled him still. One day the raiders returned. In their fury at the meager tribute they struck down a child. The doctor, fed up with murder of his friends and destruction of his home, challenged the leader of bandits to a duel. If he won they would leave this village forever and if he lost he would serve them in this life and the next. With a wry laugh the bandit leader accepted. Using his knowledge of the human body and his soldiering skills, the doctor left the bandit leader a broken heap. The bandits left the village and never returned. That is the rumored origin of what came to be known as Koppo, the bone-breaking style.

Koppo - 4 points 
Also known as the bone-breaking style. It was developed by a group of physicians who used their considerable knowledge of the human body to figure out how to best break it. It is an aggressive and brutal style, focusing on incapacitating a foe as quickly as possible. Practitioners wrench limbs and snap joints. Some forms teach devastating kicks to the spine or pelvis. Cinematic practitioners know how to magnify their strength, and use backbreaker instead of Wrench Spine.

Skills: Judo; Karate; Physiology
Techniques: Aggressive Parry; Axe Kick; Knee Strike; Neck Snap; Stamp Kick; Wrench (Limb); Wrench Spine
Cinematic Skills: Power Blow;
Cinematic Techniques: Backbreaker; Lethal Kick; Lethal Strike
Perks: Extra Options* (New hit locations: Jaw; Joints; Spine; Pelvis)

Optional Traits:
Advantages: Claws (Blunt); Trained by a Master
Skills: Diagnosis; First-Aid; Surgery

Extra Options*: a separate perk must be taken for each hit location

Common Maneuvers:

“Arm Breaking Strike”
This is a short series of maneuvers initiated by grapple a victim’s arm, then striking that elbow with a fist. It is sometimes learnt as a combination.
Combination (Judo Grapple/Arm + Karate Punch/Elbow) - Judo-6 + Karate-6.

“Breaking the Foundation”
This form involves grabbing the victim, throwing them to ground, and delivering a brutal axe kick with the intent of shattering their pelvis. It is sometimes used following a Judo parry or learnt as a combination.
Combination (Judo Grapple/Torso + Judo Throw + Karate Axe Kick/Pelvis) - Judo-12 + Judo-12 + Karate-14

Design Notes: This write up was inspired by a throw away line from Dominions 4, were it states that Kappas are masters of Koppo. After a (admittedly brief) google search, all I had managed to uncovered about Koppo was that it is not a single style but rather a description of techniques which targeted the skeletal system. This made me think that people with medical knowledge may develop such a style, especially if such knowledge is rare.

Mission Statement, aka Why This Exists

This blog exists as a place to organize and record my ramblings, in a hopefully more useful form than hundreds of scattered text documents. Hopefully this blog will become a place for me to post GURPS related content (probably of a fantasy leaning but who knows!) and just things related to TTRPGs in general. 

I cannot pinpoint exactly when I first desired to play a TTRPG. I remember playing games of pretend on the playground, slaying monsters and saving damsels well past the point the other kids had relinquished their imaginary swords. My first real experience was in DnD 3.5 in a massive group of 12 people. It was a complete mess, yet the GM managed to keep things interesting and to my young mind it was the most fun time of the week. Over the years I have played many games of 3.5 and other systems as well: Shadowrun, Dark Heresy, 5E, and GURPS being the main ones. Eventually I became tired with DnD and its ilk and in the last few years have settled comfortably into GURPS' many faceted embrace. 

To give the intrepid reader an idea of what they're in for. This blog will most likely be written in a style similar to many OSR blogs out there, I hope to do them justice. Goblinpunch was the first such blog I found and I was amazed by the idea of a malformed psychic t-rex trying to ensure his resurrection millenia in the future, and that was not even scratching the surface. Other blogs which churn my mind waters are Dreams and Fevers, Throne of Salt, and Against the Wicked City. Of course there are other sources of inspiration. The works of various authors: Steven Erikson, Ian C Esselmont (In fact it was hearing that the world of Malazan was originally an RPG world run in GURPS by Steven Erikson and Ian C Esselmont that turned me onto the system in the first place.), Ian Irvine, Sara Douglass, Robin Hobb, Peter Watts, and Neil Stephenson. It would be trite to list them all (indeed impossible really) but I consider these my main sources as it were. 

 My creation process is not unique. To paraphrase what I've read countless times, "Nothing is original. Steal shamelessly, from as many places as possible, mash it all together and create something new". If I can create things interesting and engaging I'll consider it a success. 

I have been working on a setting originally inspired by the Dominions series of video games, but it quickly grew beyond that, expect over the coming months posts solidifying and expanding on that. 

My goal is to write at least 1 post a month, hopefully more. Not a blistering pace by any account but enough that the setting I desire to create should grow at a decent pace, eventually I'll get to play a game in it too. Ideally this blog will become a place I can direct my players to for setting information but that is a ways off. 

I am not so egotistical as to think I will have any astounding insights or creations but if others get something out of this then I will be happy. So if some strange eddy of the internet's currents have brought you here, I hope you find your visit interesting and maybe you can find something to steal yourself. I welcome you to join me in my explorations of beast and men.