User:MisterSinister/Martial Artist's Manual (3.5e Sourcebook)/Mundane Arts/Ravenous Beast

Ravenous Beast
Most individuals that see a practitioner of Ravenous Beast would not consider them a martial artist at all. Surely someone so massively overweight couldn't possibly fight well? However, many who assume that the fat man or woman doesn't present a danger to them couldn't be more wrong; those who practice Ravenous Beast are some of the most dangerous warriors around. Using their bulk and endless hunger as their weapons, Ravenous Beast practitioners seek to defeat their enemies by literally devouring them.

Two origin stories are taught about Ravenous Fiend; both of them are true. One story claims that Ravenous Beast was developed by the doomed citizens of Ghul to defend themselves against the invading army that would eventually lead to the cannibalistic practices that created ghouls. As the citizens of Ghul grew more feral, and began to feast on humanoid flesh more and more, they began to incorporate the use of their teeth and the consumption of their enemies into their fighting style. Although very few of the first ghouls survived with their intellect intact, enough of their fighting style was witnessed by others to emulate it. Unsurprisingly, those few ghouls who are not completely mindless often learn at least some of the techniques of Ravenous Fiend. Another story instead tells of a nobleman named Warwick Antunes, who was more fond of good food and wine than of the fencing ring and the running track. He soon grew too fat to ride a horse, and was believed to be useless as a warrior by his family, who threatened to lock him in a room to starve unless he could get himself into fighting shape. Within a month, Warwick's hungry ingenuity had developed fighting techniques that allowed him to match anyone else in his family's employ, but still indulge in his favourite food and drink without restraint. Warwick used his bulk as a weapon, employing crushing techniques and disarming his enemies with his bulk. The modern Ravenous Beast combines both sets of techniques.

Seeing a Ravenous Beast practitioner fight would be comical if it were not so dangerous. Ravenous Beast combines powerful body bulk techniques with deadly biting and tearing of flesh (and frequent consumption thereof), making its practitioners fight in a savage, dangerous, and strange way. Seeing a giant fat man rip into his opponents with his teeth before literally crushing them with his bulk while wielding an oversized fork is impressive and hilarious - often at the same time.

Learning Ravenous Beast: Those who wish to learn Ravenous Beast must first become fat - really fat. Only by developing an unending hunger, and the bulk that results from indulging it, can someone understand and use the techniques of this art properly. The dojos that teach Ravenous Beast typically alternate bouts of intense training with bouts of intense eating; the explosions of vomiting by the students after both are legendary.

Only those who show an equal aptitude for fighting and feasting are deemed suitable to teach Ravenous Beast, and they tend to be enormously fat, but surprisingly capable warriors. Due to the many biting-related techniques taught by this style, many monstrous practitioners of this style also exist - although their training may well include rituals and practices which more humanoid practitioners would consider disgusting at best.

Style Weapons: Unarmed strike, bite, any weapon that resembles a knife (swords and daggers, for example), any weapon that resembles a fork (such as tridents, ranseurs, sai, etc). If you can somehow find a spoon-resembling weapon, it also counts as a style weapon.

Style Bonus: You count as being one size category larger if it would be advantageous to you.

Style Skill: Athletics, Survival

DC Ability Score: Strength or Constitution

Level 2

 * Bite Of The Monster