That. Was. Awesome. (Kung fu Panda 2)

[Morgenstern]

Just got back from Kung Fu Panda 2. Still processing all the goodness in the film, but I think I finally hit the right mechanic for flinging a handful of knives all at once. Flame-bladed Spear + Knives style rocked on toast, particularly as the villian probably specs as many levels of Captain as he does Martial Artist (and possibly a level or two of Keeper, go figure). More (feats) soon .

[Forcegypsy]

They really nailed peacock style kung-fu didn't they? At least they sold me on what something like that should look like.

[Morgenstern]

Reading up a bit on Lord Shen I found a site that describes his 'spear' as a halberd. Upon consideration treating that weapon as a polearm may make pretty good sense. I'm looking at making a series of feats that the prerequisites are a Basics from one weapon line and a Basics from another - creating fusion styles that use two weapons (knife/polearm in Shen's case). I started looking that direction because the knife basics always armed effect appeals to me a lot for modeling some of what he did (actually, that movie may be the best visual presentation of that shtick I've ever seen - most of my inspirations were literary up to this point). The stances of knife basics and polearm basics are decent for Shen, but but I may end up doing a fully custom line. Interestingly he may not particularly use Two Weapon Fighting - he rarely cuts with the knives in-hand.

The othe ability I see him using is mix-up. His tail is such a versatile componet of his fighting, but he tends to surprise with it - a trip here, a feint there , a STUNNING display motion from time to time. I expect to work that in through the feat or feat line either requiring or granting some mix-up tricks.

Interesting tidbit I found on-line - he's foot-guards/metal talons ARE weapons, but they are also to cover up the disfiguring burn scars on his feet. Not surprising he's cooked his appendages a few times considering the experiments of his youth...

[Morgenstern]

Try this on for size .

Blood-eye Basics
You have practiced the fighting arts of the Bloody-eyed Conqueror.
Prerequisites: Edged proficiency and at least 2 mix-up tricks.
Benefit: You may hurl knives on your person without readying them and may do so even if your hands are full (but not bound). You also gain a stance.
Endless Cascade Method (Stance): Your Intelligence score rises by 3. You gain an additional +2 bonus when using the mix-up trick (for a total of +5). However, you may not run while in this stance.

Blood-eye Mastery
Your constant practice with the arms of the Bloody-eyed Conqueror has given you deadly insight into their use.
Prerequisites: Blood-eye Basics
Benefit: You gain two tricks.
Leaping Fire Cut (Polearm Attack Trick): You may substitute your Tactics (Int) bonus for your melee attack bonus. If the attack misses you become flat-footed at the end of your Initiative Count. You may use this trick as many times per combat as you have Melee Combat feats.
Scattering Petals (Hurled Knife Trick; 4 shots): You may re-roll this attack up to 3 times if you chose, but must accept the last result rolled. You may use this trick once per round.

Blood-eye Supremacy
While you may strike down fools personally, your true power lies in leading others to victory.
Prerequisites: Blood-eye Mastery
Benefit: Your allies able to see and hear you gain a +2 morale bonus to their attack checks against standard characters. You also gain a trick.
Fatal Prediction (Polearm Attack Trick): If the target has a lower Intelligence score than yours you gain a +5 bonus to your attack check. You may use this trick once per round.

[ThunderMonkey]

Blood-eye basics...

oooo... That would be great for the Blue Rajah, if we allow him to take Blunt proficiency instead of Edged.

"All right, now. I'm sorry about that. I've just got a tendency to lose my concentration when I've got a salad fork stuck in my rear end."
"Oh oh, I get it. So your shovel in his face is my fault."
"You threw a spoon at the guy, Jeff."
"Yeah, what was up with that?"
"I'm frightfully embarrassed about that. I thought it was a fork."
"You're the master of cutlery. You can't throw a knife, sometimes?"
"No, I can't. You--You can't use a rake, sometimes?"
"No, I'm the Shoveler."

Sorry about that, I tend to quote that scene whenever possible.

Overall, love it. I can't wait to see the movie.
"Well I'm the Blue Raja. I'm not Stabman, I'm not...Knifey-
Boy. I'm the Blue Raja."

[Mister Andersen]

Forks count as edged stabby things.

[Forcegypsy]

Nobody makes feats sing better than Crafty or in this case formerly crafty . Really evocative chain there Scott.

[Morgenstern]

Blood-eye basics...

oooo... That would be great for the Blue Rajah, if we allow him to take Blunt proficiency instead of Edged.

I could see scattering petals and several mix-ups as appropriate to when he's leveled up late in the film and is flinging the cuttlery from behind the concealment of his sleeves .

I love that scatering petals eats ammo like mad, but dang it, they are gonna get hit. You might even choose to re-roll an early hit hoping for not only a hit but a threat on a later roll against low difficulty targets (or a boss you absolutely positively have to crit on right now).

[Morgenstern]

Forks count as edged stabby things.

Spoons are just knives with the 'blunted' upgrade .

[Morgenstern]

Really evocative chain there Scott.

Thank you. Lots of tinkering went into that. Last minute light bulb was the stance giving an Intelligence bonus. Kinda tied it all together as an almost anti-berserker stance. Martial Arts (Intelligence) is such a natural pairing with this . SHen doesn't needthe whole knife chain, but he wouldn't go wrong with it either (shank!).

[Mister Andersen]

Forks count as edged stabby things.

Spoons are just knives with the 'blunted' upgrade .

According to either Prince of Thieves or Men in Tights, they'd have the excrutiating quality (using a spoon to cut out Robin's heart would hurt more because it was blunt)

[jameswllorimer]

I thought in Prince of Thieves the blunt instrument was for eye-gouging?!

Sheriff of Nottingham: "..and gouge his eye out with a spoon."
Guy of Gisbourne: "Why a spoon, cousin."
Sheriff: "Because it is dull, you idiot, it'll hurt more." *to nearby 'wenches'* "You, my room, 7 o'clock; you 7.30, and bring a friend."

Ahhh... Alan Rickman at his finest.

[Coyote0273]

It was the heart, though you're combining scenes there. The wench part was a good time apart. He was explaining the spoon bit while getting his cheek stitched back together.