Topic: RMU: Unarmed attacks vs. magical creatures like ghosts

[Ecthelion]

Hi, I thought about creating a Monk character once we're going to retire our current group of PCs and starting our next characters. What's currently keeping me from doing so is the question how my Monk character could fight e.g. ghosts or other creatures that could only get hit by magical weapons?

In the same way I might ask how that character could fight creatures like dragons that have a tough hide where he would rather break his hands/feet than damaging the opponent. But I guess rules-wise the latter case wouldn't really be a problem because it's basically not much different from fighting a normal opponent in plate armor. Just stop me if I'm wrong here.

In earlier RM editions the Weapon Katas were an option in these cases, where the MA user could use a weapon with a -20 penalty, if he had learned using this Weapon Kata. But if I'm getting it right these Weapon Katas do no longer exist in RMU (at least not yet, and a Martial Arts Companion or sth like that might be years away). In RMU Treasure Law there are a few items, e.g. the Claw Hand Gloves, where the description says they may be used as "Unarmed: Strikes weapons". Are such items a way to fight the aforementioned creatures? My character might try to get hold of such magical gloves ASAP and then use them against ghosts and similar creatures only affected by magical weapons. Or is the only way out to have the Monk learn a normal weapon skill and buy a magical weapon of the corresponding type, so that he has an alternative to his unarmed weapon skill for cases where he has to fight magical creatures?

Thanks in advance

[jdale]

Weapon katas will appear in the Character Companion (well, we're using the word "kata" for something else, so weapon forms, but same idea) in the context of fighting styles. So probably only a year away (estimating wildly), but that might not help you. Arguably you could also use similar skills, but unless your GM is generous, that's probably -50, so it doesn't look very appealing unless the bonus on that weapon is pretty high.

I don't see any reason you could not enchant gloves or gauntlets with a Weapon enchantment to make them into a magic weapon though. Of course developing a weapon skill is a perfectly viable option, the cost is only going to be 1/3 (unless maybe you also want to pick up a ranged attack).

[nash]

So Warrior Monks have a bucketload of spare DP.  Each level your essentials are pretty much MA, Adrenal Defence, Running & Body Development.   Grabbing a weapon skill is super easy - and it works with Adrenal Defence too.   Armor is a little more costly, but it's still pretty good and it again, it works with Adrenal Defence.

[Ecthelion]

Thanks for the answers :-). I'll probably wait until Character Companion and create another character first.