New Player with Archetype Questions

Games Discussion Feng Shui
1

I haven't played yet, but there's allegedly a game starting this summer, so I've been looking at the various archetypes.

Then I looked at Equilibrium.

So, how would I go about making a Grammaton Cleric, shtick-wise? Are Fu-shticks involved, or simply weapons-shticks? Martial artist, karate cop, or something else entirely? I'm leaning towards gun-shticks, sword-shticks, and high martial arts, but the unarmed fu just doesn't seem to be there. I'd be interested in hearing people give relative merits of martial-artist types vs karate cop/maverick cop in general, as well as how well they work out to re-create the Gun Kata.

If you want to see the sort of thing I'm talking about, look here at the very beginning for background or starting at 2:30, here starting at 2:00. Ok, so it may not be as badass as unarmed fu, but still...this is the sort of thing I want to do. [Background may be secondary, or if need be, can always be from an alternate 2056, originally ruled by something like the Guiding Hand that has been wiped out history-wise by the Architects.]

[Note for the fight at the end: having named characters go down after a single successful attack...that would go beyond shticks into being attuned to a major feng shui site, or several, I would hope...that, or else there are actually fu-shticks that work with weapons....]

2

I'd say the best fit for a Grammaton Cleric would be 'Ex-Special Forces'. A mix of Martial Arts and Guns, and a pseudo-military vibe as they are secret police. A kind GM may let you swap out gun schticks for weapon schticks, or you could look at some of the Gun Fu house rules that are knocking about on line (one version is in Out for Blood).

Grammaton Clerics are the kind of things that the Buro would like, so you can invent an analogue in 2056 and run with it. Or, as you say, from an alternative 2056. In fact, the revolution at the end of the film could have been part of the Secret War, instrumental in causing the Critical Shift.

[As for one hit kills, you can say as a style thing that Wound Points aren't necessarily wounds, just an abstraction for losing the fight. The final killing blow could be the one that causes the failed Death Check, and the previous ones just working up to it.]

Hope that helps