“You cannot hide your soul. It moves when you move. That is your true style.”

— Master Crane Cloud

Martial Styles

In Five Fists of the Burning Temple, style is everything. It defines your identity, your tactics, your narrative weight. Every martial artist begins with a single martial style—more than a mere technique, it is a personal code.

Styles on this page each include:

Philosophy: what the style represents
Stance Bonus: a passive benefit when using the style
Favored Maneuver Tags: the types of combat maneuvers favored by the style
Signature Techniques: special abilities unlocked at Novice, Seasoned, and Veteran Rank
Favored Weapons: the weapons most associated with the style

You may only benefit from one martial style at a time. Switching styles requires the Dual Stylist Edge and requires an Action, unless otherwise specified.

Choosing a Style

You choose a style when you take the Martial Arts [Style] skill. New characters begin with a single style. Experienced characters can choose multiple styles later on, after they take the Dual Stylist Edge.

Crane Style: Grace Is Stronger Than Stone

Philosophy: Elegance, defense, and balance

Stance Bonus: +1 Parry when unencumbered and using only one weapon

Favored Maneuver Tags: Counter, Movement

Favored Weapons: Sword (any), War Fan, Hairpin Blade

Rank	Signature Technique	Effect
Novice	Winged Step	Ignore difficult terrain while moving
Seasoned	Tranquil Rebuke	On a successful Parry, force the attacker to make a Spirit roll or become Distracted
Veteran	Sky-Above Counter	If you move at least 2" before attacking, gain +2 to hit

Drunken Style: Chaos Is the True Form

Philosophy: Deception, unpredictability, and instinct

Stance Bonus: +2 to resist Tests involving Smarts or Agility

Favored Maneuver Tags: Movement, Strike

Favored Weapons: Iron Flask, Bamboo Staff, Improvised Bottles

Rank	Signature Technique	Effect
Novice	Stagger Step	When missed by a melee attack, you may move 1" in any direction
Seasoned	Bottle Spirit	Once per session, reroll a failed Trait roll with +2
Veteran	Stumbling Storm	Make a second Fighting attack at –2 against a different target within reach

Eagle Claw Style: Seize With Justice

Philosophy: Control, counterattacks, and battlefield domination

Stance Bonus: +1 to disarm attempts

Favored Maneuver Tags: Grapple, Counter

Favored Weapons: Iron Claws, Cestus, Claw Gauntlets

Rank	Signature Technique	Effect
Novice	Grip of Justice	After a successful block (Parry), you may attempt to Disarm as a free action
Seasoned	Crippling Talon	Called Shots to limbs inflict –2 to Strength or Agility-based rolls (GM’s discretion)
Veteran	Sky Rips Open	Leap 2" and make a single crushing attack that counts as a Heavy Weapon

Fan Style: Beauty Is a Blade

Philosophy: Elegance, misdirection, and flourish

Stance Bonus: +1 to Tests that Distract or Entangle

Favored Maneuver Tags: Strike, Grapple

Favored Weapons: War Fan, Silk Scarf

Rank	Signature Technique	Effect
Novice	Flash and Flicker	On any successful Test with Performance, gain +1 Parry for 1 round
Seasoned	Silk Serpent’s Kiss	While holding a cloth, fan, or scarf, attacks count as having Reach +1
Veteran	Thousand Petal Bloom	Strike all enemies within Reach at –2, rolling once against each, with no MAP

Horse Style: Strength in Swift Motion

Philosophy: Stamina, movement, and overwhelming force

Stance Bonus: +1 Toughness during round in which character moves 2” or more

Favored Maneuver Tags: Strike, Movement

Favored Weapons: Staff, Spear, Halbered, Dao (Saber)

Rank	Signature Technique	Effect
Novice	Trample and Tread	After Knocking Prone an enemy, can move 1” without provoking Free Attacks; check Athletics to vault or reposition
Seasoned	Thundering Charge	Once per round, move 3” or more before attacking and gain +1d4 damage; cause target to become Distracted on a Raise
Veteran	Four-Legged Storm	If taking Run action, make two unarmed attacks during movement, even against different targets, with no MAP

Hundred Forms Style: The Art of All Arms

Philosophy: The weapon is not the master—the hand is

Stance Bonus: +1 to actions with wielded melee weapons (attack, parry, disarm, or Tests)

Favored Maneuver Tags: Strike, Movement

Favored Weapons: Any melee weapon

Rank	Signature Technique	Effect
Novice	Whirling Entry	Move at least 2” before an attack; gain +1 to the attack and damage
Seasoned	Form Without Form	Once per encounter, if you change weapons mid-combat, you can make a Test or Strike as a free action with the new weapon
Veteran	Blade Circle Breaker	When surrounded by 2+ foes, can perform a Whirlwind melee weapon attack at no penalty

Iron Body Style: Stone Cannot Bleed

Philosophy: Defense, resilience, and overpowering stillness

Stance Bonus: +2 Toughness while unarmored

Favored Maneuver Tags: Strike, Counter

Favored Weapons: Staff, Iron Bracers, Halberd

Rank	Signature Technique	Effect
Novice	Stone Posture	Ignore 1 point of Wound penalty for 1 round (once per turn)
Seasoned	Iron Pulse	Force all enemies adjacent to you to make Strength rolls or be pushed 1d4" and Distracted
Veteran	Mountain Will Not Fall	Once per session, ignore all Wound penalties for 1d4 rounds

Mantis Style: Patience Holds the Blade

Philosophy: Grapples, traps, and relentless pursuit

Stance Bonus: +1 to rolls made to maintain or escape Grapples

Favored Maneuver Tags: Grapple, Strike

Favored Weapons: Claw Gauntlets, Hook Sword

Rank	Signature Technique	Effect
Novice	Hook and Hold	On a Fighting success, you may Grapple instead of dealing damage
Seasoned	Mantis Bind	If you win a Grapple, target is both Bound and Distracted
Veteran	Cracking Carapace	Once per fight, automatically inflict a Wound on a Bound foe (Vigor roll negates)

Monkey Style: Laughter Before Death

Philosophy: Agility, unpredictability, and trickery

Stance Bonus: +1 to Athletics rolls when jumping or climbing

Favored Maneuver Tags: Movement, Strike

Favored Weapons:Jo Staff, Improvised Weapons

Rank	Signature Technique	Effect
Novice	Flip-Strike	Leap 1" as a free action before attacking; gain +1 if attacking from above
Seasoned	Trickster’s Rebound	If you succeed with a Trick, gain +2 to your next Fighting roll
Veteran	Laughing Fool’s Fury	When you take a Wound, make an immediate attack against your attacker

Moth Style: To Fly Into Flame Is Still to Fly

Philosophy: Hypnotic movement, evasive misdirection, baiting

Stance Bonus: +1 to all Performance Tests made in combat

Favored Maneuver Tags: Strike, Grapple

Favored Weapons: Twin Daggers, Throwing Needles, Silk Scarf

Rank	Signature Technique	Effect
Novice	Flutter Drift	After a successful Performance Test, impose Distracted on two targets
Seasoned	Folded Wing Trap	Turn a successful Parry into a disarm attempt with +2
Veteran	Final Ember Spin	Once per session, turn a Wound into a cinematic final strike: +4 to attack and damage

Ox Style: Stand, Endure, Break

Philosophy: Earthbound, powerful, defensive, unstoppable force

Stance Bonus: +2 to resist Shove, Knockback, or Grapple attempts

Favored Maneuver Tags: Strike, Movement

Favored Weapons: Tonfa, Jo Staff, War Club

Rank	Signature Technique	Effect
Novice	Rooted Stance	Gain +1 to resist Shove, Grapple, and Tests to unbalance
Seasoned	Horn Charge	After moving at least 4", your next melee attack gains +1d6 damage
Veteran	Earth Splits Open	Once per session, spend a turn focusing; on next round, your attack causes all targets in a Medium Burst Template to be Knocked Prone and Distracted (Strength roll to resist)

Scorpion Style: Strike Fast, Sting Hard

Philosophy: Precision, subtlety, and pressure-point mastery

Stance Bonus: +1 Parry against enemies who have already acted this round

Favored Maneuver Tags: Strike, Counter

Favored Weapons: Dao Saber, Hook Sword, Twin Daggers

Rank	Signature Technique	Effect
Novice	Curled Tail Counter	If you avoid a melee attack, can immediately make an unarmed counterattack at –2. On a hit, the target is also Distracted until the end of their next turn
Seasoned	Sting Beneath the Heart	Called shots that hit cause target to suffer –1 to all Trait rolls for 1d4 rounds
Veteran	Whiplash Wake	After a successful attack, immediately make a free Test with Agility or Boast

Snake Style: To Strike, One Must First Coil

Philosophy: Precision, subtlety, and pressure-point mastery

Stance Bonus: +1 to Called Shots

Favored Maneuver Tags: Strike, Counter

Favored Weapons: Chain Whip, Rope Dart, Twin Daggers

Rank	Signature Technique	Effect
Novice	Needle Fang	Ignore 1 point of armor (AP 1) on your melee damage
Seasoned	Serpent’s Whisper	When you Test with Taunt, target is Vulnerable even on a Success
Veteran	Venom Lash	Raise on a Fighting attack causes the target to take –2 to all Trait rolls for 1 round

Tiger Style: The Claws of the Proud Beast

Philosophy: Power, directness, and righteous fury

Stance Bonus: +1 to attack rolls against enemies who are Shaken

Favored Maneuver Tags: Strike, Movement

Favored Weapons: Iron Claws, Cestus, Short Sword

Rank	Signature Technique	Effect
Novice	Pouncing Strike	Move 1" before attacking without triggering Free Attacks
Seasoned	Iron Roar	Intimidate as a free action once per round
Veteran	Tiger Breaks the Cage	+2 damage vs targets in Grapples or who are Bound

Style-Specific Edges

Requires Martial Arts [Style] d8+ and Seasoned Rank. One Edge per style unless the GM rules otherwise.

Crane Style: Feather Step

Ignore penalties from difficult terrain and maintain perfect balance on narrow or unstable surfaces.

Drunken Style: Staggering Flow

Once per round, after succeeding on an Agility Trick, you may immediately move 2” in any direction without triggering Free Attacks.

Eagle Claw Style: Rending Talon Grip

When you grapple a foe, you may immediately make an opposed Martial Arts [Style] roll as a free action. If successful, the target suffers –2 Parry and –2 to Strength rolls until the grapple ends.

If you gain a Raise on the initial grapple, the target also becomes Distracted.

Fan Style: Blinding Sweep

Once per turn, when wielding a fan or slashing weapon, you may make a free Agility-based Test against an adjacent foe. If successful, they suffer –2 Parry until the end of their next turn.

Horse Style: Unbridled Momentum

When moving at least 6” in a straight line before attacking, you gain +1 damage and +1 to resist being Shaken that round.

Hundred Forms Style: Adaptive Flow

Once per round, after an enemy misses you in melee, you may switch your Stance as a free action—even if it is not your turn.

Iron Body Style: Breath of Stone

Once per combat, spend a Bennie to gain +2 Toughness and +2 to resist being Shaken for 3 rounds.

Mantis Style: Hook and Trap

Once per round, when your Fighting attack hits with a Raise, you may force the target to make a Strength roll or be Entangled until the end of their next turn.

Monkey Style: Trickster’s Rebound

After a successful Trick, gain +2 to your next Martial Artist or Athletics attack before the end of your next turn.

Moth Style: Shimmering Guard

Enemies suffer –2 to hit you with ranged attacks if you moved at least 4" this turn. Your flowing footwork disrupts aim and timing.

Ox Style: Unyielding Frame

While Shaken, you gain +1 Toughness and your movement is not restricted. The Ox does not break under pressure.

Scorpion Style: Venom Skin

Immune to mundane poisons; gain +2 to resist magical, qi-based, or alchemical toxins. Can identify poisons by scent or taste.

Snake Style: Coiling Defense

When fighting Defensively or taking the Defend maneuver, enemies take an additional –1 to attack rolls against you.

Tiger Style: Relentless

Reroll damage against Shaken foes using Tiger-style strikes. Take the better result.

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