[RHat]

While it is not a definitive list anything not on the list would need GM approval to make sure if fell in line with the range of other specializations.

Yeah.  No "Unarmed (Punching)" specialties.  Unless your GM is going to somehow force your character to kick people half the time...

I could make that work; you don't want me to have to make that work, because what I'd do is enforce those occasions where punching is not the wisest choice of technique (faces, for example, are better attacked with the heel of the palm).

[psycho835]

I don't know. Would you punch your opponent in the foot?

[WellsIDidIt]

I guess it would suck to have a punching specialty if you'd been disarmed.

That said, I wouldn't have any more issue with it than someone with the Semi-automatics pistol specialty. 95% of the time you can make sure to be using your specialty. That five percent when you wake up cuffed in the back of a KE cruiser, things might be bit rough.

[Namikaze]

I guess it would suck to have a punching specialty if you'd been disarmed.

Groan... 

[RHat]

I guess it would suck to have a punching specialty if you'd been disarmed.

That said, I wouldn't have any more issue with it than someone with the Semi-automatics pistol specialty. 95% of the time you can make sure to be using your specialty. That five percent when you wake up cuffed in the back of a KE cruiser, things might be bit rough.

I think a specific Martial Art specialty would make more sense, though - again, most of the time what you'd do would fit it, but there'd be some cases where it wouldn't (it especially helps if you decide to do your research and figure out what would and wouldn't fit).

[Shinobi Killfist]

While it is not a definitive list anything not on the list would need GM approval to make sure if fell in line with the range of other specializations.

Yeah.  No "Unarmed (Punching)" specialties.  Unless your GM is going to somehow force your character to kick people half the time...

The missions specialties are striking, subdual, defense. Punching is a more limited version of striking.

[Shinobi Killfist]

I guess it would suck to have a punching specialty if you'd been disarmed.

That said, I wouldn't have any more issue with it than someone with the Semi-automatics pistol specialty. 95% of the time you can make sure to be using your specialty. That five percent when you wake up cuffed in the back of a KE cruiser, things might be bit rough.

I think a specific Martial Art specialty would make more sense, though - again, most of the time what you'd do would fit it, but there'd be some cases where it wouldn't (it especially helps if you decide to do your research and figure out what would and wouldn't fit).

Not a fan of martial arts as a specialty.  Its too easy to get a martial art that covers all of your unarmed combat needs.  Plenty of martial arts are strong in striking, subdual and defense. .Its even worse than the semi-auto specialty of pistols for covering far too much ground. 

[RHat]

I guess it would suck to have a punching specialty if you'd been disarmed.

That said, I wouldn't have any more issue with it than someone with the Semi-automatics pistol specialty. 95% of the time you can make sure to be using your specialty. That five percent when you wake up cuffed in the back of a KE cruiser, things might be bit rough.

I think a specific Martial Art specialty would make more sense, though - again, most of the time what you'd do would fit it, but there'd be some cases where it wouldn't (it especially helps if you decide to do your research and figure out what would and wouldn't fit).

Not a fan of martial arts as a specialty.  Its too easy to get a martial art that covers all of your unarmed combat needs.  Plenty of martial arts are strong in striking, subdual and defense. .Its even worse than the semi-auto specialty of pistols for covering far too much ground. 

Oh, your areas of not getting the specialization are certainly going to be a little less clear - you might get it for some defense situations and not for others, for example.  But if you do a bit of looking into it, I don't know that I'd say anything really covers all situations.

[Shinobi Killfist]

Sure, the problem with martial art specialties is it requires too much GM intervention.  Your specialty doesn't apply here because your opponent has the perfect position on you for your style, or you can only pull off a leg sweet from your position and you don;t get a specialty bonus for that. after all only Cobra Kai has mastered sweeping the leg..  This kind of limitation works when the game is more martial art focused and people might be analyzing your style to target its weaknesses. outside of that its just a pain in the ass. 

[RHat]

Sure, the problem with martial art specialties is it requires too much GM intervention.  Your specialty doesn't apply here because your opponent has the perfect position on you for your style, or you can only pull off a leg sweet from your position and you don;t get a specialty bonus for that. after all only Cobra Kai has mastered sweeping the leg..  This kind of limitation works when the game is more martial art focused and people might be analyzing your style to target its weaknesses. outside of that its just a pain in the ass. 

Admittedly, I'd enjoy running a game that way for a player that found it similarly interesting, but I might be alone in that.