Martial arts in CDDA are just modifiers to unarmed attacks and specific weapons with some flavor text thrown in, and that's actually not a bad place to start. That is, if we're doing martial arts, they shouldn't be treated as as any specific thing, but rather as a special effect that applies to existing attacks, whatever or how many of them the user possesses. It may be a little gamey, but it would also avoid problems arising from body part incompatability. No need to to worry about using an art developed by scorpion men when you don't have a stinger, or a fighting style made for short swords when all you have is a scimitar, if the quintessence of the art is just a stat bonus. And if it it does get treated as just a stat bonus, there's quite a few things we could do:
- Increase pain inflicted on each successful hit (CDDA's aikido, only useful)
- Chance to knock opponent over on successful hit/reduced chance of being knocked over when stuck or charging(CDDA's judo, only more useful)
- Increased chance to hit/reduced chance to be hit by larger enemies(this post was made by amphibian man gang)
- Increased chance to hit/reduced chance to be hit by smaller enemies(this post was made by sperm whale man gang)
- Significant force multiplier when enraged(
Exclusive: Leaked footage from the 2026 Graphics Update)
- Force multiplier against mounted enemies and their mounts(spears vs. cavalry)
- Force multiplier against vampires and other supernatural entities(
CAUTION: Requires functioning lungs)
- Successful hits have a chance to make free attacks on adjacent enemies(
'Sweeping Strikes' and similar effects found throughout vidya and pen and paper RPGs)
- Force multiplier relative to number or severity of injuries/current severity of bleeding(
'Equalizer' and similar effects found throughout vidya)
- Successful kills stop all active bleeing/heal one injury(
'Half-Zatoichi' and various life-stealing effects found throughout vidya)
- Successful hits have a chance to reduce active bleeding or partially heal wounds(also various life-stealing effects found throughout vidya)
- Successful hits have a chance to knock the enemy back(literally any knockback effect ever)
- Killing an enemy completely replenishes stamina(
'Grim Reaper's Sprint')
- Successful hits have a chance to temporarily paralyze the enemy(
and destroy your shirt)
- Successful hits have a chance to cause delayed but exceedingly fatal explosive hemmorhaging(
Nani!?)