This tome focuses on the martial heroes: characters who rely on their combat talents and keen wits for survival. "Martial Power" is the first of a line of player-friendly supplements offering hundreds of new options for D&D characters.

Examines the careers and political thinking of Elizabethan martial men, whose military ambitions were thwarted by a quietist foreign policy.

Reveals the secrets of Chinese internal power development.

A collection of parables and teaching stories from the martial arts traditions of Japan and China that emphasizes their spiritual foundation. • The teaching stories in this book are based on the lives of martial arts masters and are meant to inspire questions and insights for the student. • Written for martial artists and anyone interested in Eastern religions such as Buddhism, Zen, and Taoism. True martial arts should never be confused with simple combat techniques. Rather, martial arts are a way that an individual, after a long and difficult apprenticeship, can gain a profound understanding of the true nature of reality and one's place in it. Over time the apprentice discovers the laws governing the subtle forces of life and realizes that their mastery is only possible after one has mastered oneself. "He who has mastered the Art doesn't use his sword: he compels his adversary to kill himself." This quote from renowned sword master Tajima no Kami perfectly expresses the paradoxical nature of martial arts teachings in China and Japan. These teaching stories are not moral fables; in fact they have nothing to prove. Their purpose is actually to inspire questions and insights that will aid the student to achieve self-realization. Most of the stories in this book are based on actual events in the lives of martial arts teachers who have achieved legendary status. The almost superhuman abilities of some of the masters described here are evidence of the secret powers that can be wielded by those whose martial arts training is not simply the learning of physical techniques but involves the mastering of the subtle energies of the mind and body. Master of the Art of Archery Kenzo Awa could hit the center of a target even when shooting in total darkness. Assailants of Tai Chi master Yang Lu Chan found their blows did more damage to themselves than to their would-be victim. By reading--and comprehending--the tales in this book, we can acquire the same essential knowledge that these masters had--that extraordinary forces are within the grasp of those who have achieved inner peace and self-mastery.

New options for fighters, rangers, rogues, and warlords... Sharpen your sword and tighten your bow! This must-have book is the latest in a line of player-friendly game supplements offering hundreds of new options for D&D® characters, specifically focusing on martial heroes. It provides new archetypal builds for fighters, rangers, rogues, and warlords, as well as new character powers, feats, paragon paths, and epic destinies.

Different styles of martial arts offer contradictory information, philosophies and techniques for the body in combat. As a lifelong student and teacher of multiple styles of martial arts, Steven Pearlman has sought to distill from these disciplines not a fusion of techniques, but rather a compilation of fundamental principles that can guide the individual martial artist to the ideal action. Through his exploration of a set of basic principles that range from the physical to the spiritual, Pearlman arrives at a system open to all martial artists.