Martial arts

In the Retroverse, "martial arts" refers to combat styles
loosely modeled on mythical and pop cultural representations of
East Asian martial arts.

Each martial arts style is provided by a skill.  This skill is
used as the weapon skill for that particular style to increase
damage, has a majority impact on the final WC of the style and
determines the chances of additional attacks.  Only style
skills, ambidexterity, whirling and monk path skills affect the
number of attacks when using martial arts.  Brawling and other
weapon skills have no impact on the damage when using martial
arts.  Martial arts do not benefit from the stun skill, only
from the pressure points skill, which works a bit differently.
Martial arts, although generally unarmed, do not benefit from
the pugilist path skills.
 
The marts-form command is used to pick which form you are
currently using. Between boots, the chosen style will revert to
martial arts soft.
 
Styles each have either a damage type or use weapons.  They list
the number of attacks for that style, assuming ambidexterity is
in use.  They may include a WC bonus which is added in after
other relevant figures are included.  Read the relevant skill
help files for specific values.
 
Styles are separated into two broad categories: hard and soft.
Many monk skills are only usable in one category or the other
but not both.  Training in various monk skills and spells
determines the WC within either hard or soft styles, except for
Aikido, which is based on Abjurer skills and spells but is
otherwise handled as a soft style.  See help martial arts skills
for a full list.  Hard styles crit more often but stun less
frequently and can only stun for a single round with regular
melee, although stun palm and related skills can compensate.
Soft styles can stun for multiple rounds and will stun more
often but don't crit as often.  Crit chance is further modified
by the use of edged weapons in the armed styles. 
 
Unarmed versus armed:
 
Generally, unarmed styles will hit more often but do less damage
per attack.
 
Unarmed WC is capped at 90 after all bonuses.  In addition to
style and training effects, racial natural weapons add a bonus.
Unarmed attacks have zero mass but are still affected by player
size (see also: help weapons).
 
Weapon based styles cap at 70 from training and are then
averaged with the WC of the weapons used.  Size and mass affect
damage as per help weapons, and attacks will take into account
any bonus to hit and damage on the wielded weapons. Special hits
operate as normal.  Without an actual weapon, the WC of the
weapon is treated as 0, halving the effectiveness of the style.
 
Martial arts damage is severely reduced against non-humanoid
targets.

See also: marts-form, wc, level limits, weapons, size, martial
arts skills