The unarmed strike of a monk sometimes fails to capture the wild, kinetic energy of hand-to-hand combat. Unearthed Arcana presents new fighting styles to better represent the varied styles seen both in real life and in martial arts movies. In exchange for the freedom to choose her bonus feats, a monk who takes a specific style gains a +2 bonus on a specific skill and at 6th level can gain an additional ability if she meets the prerequisites (she must meet the prerequisites at 6th level to gain this ability).
Kyokushinkai karate, or the “School of Ultimate Truth”, is an aggressive Japanese form of martial arts characterized by its highly offensive nature and emphasis on intense conditioning. Kyokushinkai practitioners perform a variety of brutal body hardening exercises during training to callus their bodies in preparation for martial combat. Stylistically, monks who practice kyokushinkai distinguish themselves from other linear martial arts forms in their use of circular movements when executing strikes.
In combat, a student of kyokushinkai engages the enemy purposefully, without hesitation. She makes few extemporaneous movements. The monk launches into an unyielding maelstrom of vicious kicks and punches, seeking to knockout or incapacitate her opponent as quickly as possible.
1st-Level Skill Bonus: Survival.
1st-Level Feat: Endurance.
2nd-Level Feat: Toughness.
6th-Level Feat: Weapon Focus (Unarmed Strike).
6th-Level Bonus Ability: You permanently gain 6 hit points. Prerequisites: Concentration 9 ranks, Diehard.
Wing chun kuen (sometimes referred to as wing chun gung fu), or “sticking hands”, is an intricate martial art best described as a southern Chinese boxing style. Students develop their hand speed, counter-punching and trapping abilities on wooden dummies and through blind-folded exercises. Practitioners utilize a variety of simple, deceptively effective techniques (such as the one-inch punch popularized by Bruce Lee) to incapacitate their opponents.
In combat, a monk who practices wing chun kuen advocates engaging opponents at close range, then adapting to the attacks of an opponent. Perfectly timed counterstrikes, rapid straight punches and precise footwork all define the art.
1st-Level Skill Bonus: Listen.
1st-Level Feat: Combat Reflexes.
2nd-Level Feat: Cleave.
6th-Level Feat: Improved Critical (Unarmed Strike).
6th-Level Bonus Ability: When you enter combat and aren’t surprised, you gain a bonus on your initiative equal to your Wisdom bonus (if any). Prerequisites: Listen 9 ranks, Improved Initiative.
Translated as “Chinese Martial Arts” or “the Art of War”, wushu combines hard kicks and strikes with softer, more indirect methods of self-defence in a highly acrobatic style. The art places emphasis on aesthetics, encouraging fluidity and beauty in the execution of techniques. Wushu practitioners are also renown for their athletic ability, speed and balance. Sometimes mislabeled as kung fu, cinema has popularized this style of martial arts, most notably in the films of Jet Li. Monks of this style can easily adapt their technique to a given opponent or situation.
In combat, a monk who studies wushu engages his opponent with tactical precision. The wushu stylist uses hit and run tactics to frustrate her adversary and weaken her opponent’s resolve. Wushu practitioners are characterized by their uncanny mobility. They can blindside their opponents with series of highly acrobatic aerial maneuvers and disorienting attacks.
1st-Level Skill Bonus: Tumble.
1st-Level Feat: Improved Initiative.
2nd-Level Feat: Power Attack.
6th-Level Feat: Improved Feint.
6th-Level Bonus Ability: When you make a Bluff check in order to feint in combat, you gain a bonus equal to one-half your monk level. Prerequisites: Bluff 4 ranks, Sense Motive 9 ranks.
Source: Dragon Magazine #334 (Page 89)