Fist (sage study)

The Fist is a sage study in the field of the Way of the Stick, using the closed hand in acts of strength, physical damage and the use of force, seeking to break and destroy an enemy. The fist represents the unity of mind and body, reflecting the Daoist and Confucian ideas of harmonizing the self and achieving balance.

A well-executed fist technique is economical, efficient, and minimizes unnecessary movements. This efficiency aligns with ideals of frugality and economy in one's actions. This stresses the concept of "softness overcoming hardness." The soft hand, through internal focus, can achieve the ability to break or penetrate harder materials by harnessing the body's internal energy, "Qi," to generate force. The process combines relaxation and tension, yielding and striking, which is then reflected in the character's own nature.

Sage Abilities

The sage abilities below are those acquired by a character through the study, according to status.

Amateur Status

• Correct Form: enables the character to master the body's position when attacking with open hand, increasing the number of attacks per round that the character would normally be able to perform by one level.

• Hammer Strike: costing 3 action points, the character strikes an opponent with both hands held together, forcing the defender back one combat hex, so that the character can move forward into the empty hex. The hammer strike causes +1 damage and has a 50% chance of stunning for two rounds instead of one, if sufficient damage is done.

• Target Strike: Using the open palm as a blade, striking an acupressure point, if the character exceeds the number needed to hit the enemy's armour class by 5 points with his or her attack die, the enemy is stunned regardless of the damage done. The enemy cannot be larger than twice the attacking character's weight.

Authority Status

• Four-knuckle Strike: Concentrates and narrows the character's open hand strike, with fingers held out and only the knuckles bent. Allows the breaking of the enemy's forearm, collar-bone or jaw, disabling their attack arm, armour class or will to fight if the enemy is stunned. The blow can only be accomplished as a second hit after the first in the same round. Causes 2-5 injury points damage.

• Knife-hand Block: blocks using the front arms to sweep away attacks; increases the character's armour class by four points, but reduces the character's return attacks to 1 per round, regardless of level.

Expert Status

• Concussive Blast: requires three rounds concentration, so that it cannot be used in melee; when released with both hands, the momentum-strengthened strike will obliterate objects up to 600 lbs., including solid wood, stone or crafted metal.

• Correct Effort: a strike using the index finger and thumb, with the attack directed towards the neck or enemy's eye. A stun against a humanoid's neck lasts for 2-3 rounds, not one. An attack on the eye needs a successful hit 5 points above the number needed to hit; the eye is destroyed, doubling damage done and causing 3-5 injury points.

Sage Status

• Absolute Strike: by directing a hammer strike against the ground, the monk can topple all enemies to the ground within 25 ft., or five combat hexes, from the blow's center. All persons affected by the blow suffer 1-4 damage and are stunned if they do not make a saving throw.

• Quivering Palm: creates vibrations in the body of the victim that can be made to paralyse or kill, depending on how the palm is applied by the attacking character.

See Monk Sage Abilities