As written up in Ninjas & Superspies, the Dedicated Martial Artist is a pure scholar of the arts, while the Worldly Martial Artist is more of a transient scholar. Yet, there has always been a void in the RPG for those types not trained in a monastery or some government agency. What of people growing up in a non-cloistered martial artist environment?
The Civilian Martial Artist has little experience with the monastic lifestyle, having grown up surrounded by the arts as part of their everyday existence. These persons grew up as part of another martial artist's household; usually as the child or fosterling of their sensei. Their training starts long before puberty, and often continues into their college years. In fact, these martial artists often start their own satellite schools of their art, if not actually inheriting the sensei's (often a parent, grandparent or other family member) own dojo.
Attribute Requirements: None Starting Age: 8 Base S.D.C.: 35****************
Basic Minimum Skills:
Native Language (with literacy) and Basic Mathematics. Depending on culture and preference, will have either Pilot Bicycle or Pilot Automobile as well. Also choose two domestic skills from the Cultural skill list (i.e. ones found in the household) that reflect the home environment of the character. For example, the skills Cook and Sewing can be found in most households, but more esoteric skills such as Bonsai, Calligraphy, Gardening, gaming skills (such as Go), Floral Arrangement, Poetry and/or Singing vary in availability, generally from culture, the school's martial art and/or the teacher's own knowledge.
Super-spy Modifications:
None, and will probably never even KNOW about them, let alone get them. The character would consider modifications not required medically as repugnant, and under normal circumstances would have no access to them.
Martial Arts Forms:
Choose one Primary form (and its automatic skills), plus three physical skills.
Educational Level & Skill Programs:
Varies, based on final age (after training) or culture, if no other factors used. Will almost always have at least the equivalent of a high-school education. Choose (with GM's approval), or roll on the following table (percentiles), adjusting age to meet minimums for the education level rolled:
Secondary Skills: Choose any eight. Receive one additional skill at each level evenly divisible by four. Also, can use the rules for learning additional skills from Heroes Unlimited, but if done so prior to beginning of play, factor in that aging as well.
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O.C.C. Skills
Martial Arts Form: Choose one Primary form (with its automatic skills) Choose three physical skills (+15% where applicable). Choose two domestic skills (as in old-style description above) (+15%) Native Language (with literacy): 98% Basic Mathematics
O.C.C. Related Skills: Choose 12; four must be physical skills.
Communications: Any, except Electronic Counter-Measures.
Domestic/Cultural: Any (+5%)
Electrical/Computer: Basic Electronics and Computer skills only.
Espionage/Military: None.
Mechanical: Aircraft, Automotive and Basic Electronics only. Armorer (up to 20th Century technology only)
can be taken, but costs triple.
Medical: Any 20th century skills, but Medical Doctor costs 3 skills and has many prerequisites
(and the age penalty from the old system, above). Holistic Medicine costs one skill.
Physical: Any (+5%).
Pilot: Any non-space conventional skills, but aircraft, and high-tech water craft cost double.
Military vehicles available only to characters who previously served in the military.
Pilot-Related: Any non-space.
Rogue: Any, but the truly criminal skills cost double.
Science: Any, but add 4 years to character's age for every skill over 3 taken.
Technical: Any, except demolitions. Lores are at the GM's discretion, but Geomancy/Ley Line lore
is the most likely to be possessed.
Weapon Proficiencies: Any, but tends toward ancient weapons, and especially to those used in
the martial art (i.e. those with bonus or available katas)
Wilderness: Any (+5%).
Secondary Skills: Choose any eight from those choices above, but without the listed bonuses. Receive one additional skill at each level evenly divisible by four. Also, can use the rules for learning additional skills from Heroes Unlimited.
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Special Martial Arts Bonus: The character can select one additional Martial Arts Power from those available through his martial arts form at level one and level seven. At level twelve, select a Zenjorike power.
Money: $3D6x1000; depending on character background, may be in like to inherit a dojo, but would never consider selling it or the land.
Income: $250 per week as a martial arts instructor working for someone else (such as a family member). If actually running the dojo, income is $50 per week per student, and may have class sempai (high-ranking students; younger siblings?) helping teach classes under him (lower level classes, or as temporary substitutes while he's away). If so, then income is split 3/1 between the character and the sempai, in favor of the character.
Social Contacts: As Worldly Martial Artist, but not from travels. More likely, the knowledge/contacts come from years of other, traveling martial artists boarding, training, or visiting at the character's home dojo.
18% chance of Recognizing a major martial artist (5% chance of having met, or at least having that person recognize the character as someone they last saw as a child).
30% of tracking down another, known martial artist.