Re-ARM the Wild
In honor of Min Min joining Super Smash Brothers Ultimate, here is some ARMS-related material that couldn’t wait until April first!
The ARMS phenomena is a mystery that affects animals and plants. Dedicated research by experts has yielded no clues in its origin, whether it is hereditary, a mutation, extraterrestrial experimentation, or even just plain magic.
Most people suddenly develop spring-like anatomy and the accompanying spiral eyes while asleep. A rare few develop it within the womb. A mask is necessary to stabilize the arm enough to use it in battle.
New Technique: ARMed and Dangerous
6 tokens
Learn requirement: GM Approval
Cost: 3 Stamina (Bind)
Minor action
Effect: All Melee Weapons gain the Extending quality, including your Bare Hand. Weapons that are Extending by default deal 1 Extra Damage.
This technique forms the core of the fighting style in the sport of ARMS. With it you can make melee attacks and Combat Maneuvers like Grapple at a range, using any weapon you like. Activating ARMed and Dangerous may involve putting on the mask required to properly control the ARMS in spiral form.
Who should get ARMS?
This is a decision ultimately up to the GM, but here are some ideas:
Anyone: the simplest option, this basically ignores what little lore exists and just allows anyone with the tokens to gain the technique.
Only those from the ARMS world: in a game where the various Nintendo settings are separate and meet together – such as in Super Smash Brothers – it may seem best to only allow those from the ARMS world to get the ability. This may be accompanied with various other differences that may provide advantages and disadvantages to each setting. For instance, those from ARMS, Metroid, F-Zero, and Star Fox worlds may know how to drive cars and use computers, while those from a Zelda world may not. Though, unique people from non-ARMS worlds, such as Lanky Kong, may also be able to take the technique.
Some people: Though the lore behind the ARMS phenomena is scant, it does provide some basis for selectively allowing certain races to take the technique. Animals and plants gain the gifts, while machines can simply have springlike equipment. In addition, there is Helix, an artificial person that seems to resemble the ooze/slime types of creature that show up in Zelda as chuchus, gels, and zols.
The following races may be eligible to receive ARMS on the basis of being an animal, machine, plant, or otherwise thematically appropriate: Acheman, Bob-omb, Deku Scrub, Gerudo, Hylian, Inkling, Keaton, Rito, Sheikah, Talking Animal, Twili, Weapon Spirits that inhabit an Extending weapon (such an ARMS), Zora.
The following races would likely not have ARMS, on the basis of being magic or mineral: Demons, Fairies, Gorons, most other Weapon Spirits.
The one race that may potentially fit in any of these categories are the Subrosians, due to the mystery of their true nature. A GM is well within their rights to declare them animals, minerals, or magic, and thus (dis)allow the technique as appropriate.
Enchantments
The various weapons (“ARMS”) in ARMS can have one of eight attributes, which have some overlap with the Elements in Reclaim the Wild, and with enchantments. While the attributes and elements are not perfectly equivalent, the Elemental Weapon enchantment can serve as a good substitute. As such, the Elemental Blow technique – shown below – approximates the charging of a weapon attribute and attack, with the potential for a secondary effect appropriate to that Element.
New Benefit: Elemental Weapon
If your Weapon has the Elemental Weapon enchantment, you gain access to the following technique in addition to Elemental Chaff:
Elemental Blow
Cost: 3 Stamina
Use Requirement: A Weapon with the Elemental Weapon Enchantment
Range: Weapon
Damage: Weapon + (Enchantment Rank), of the weapon’s Element
Effect: Roll To-Hit target’s Concentration; on success, target is inflicted with the element’s corresponding status effect (see the table for Elemental Weapon).
The following enchantment is a good fit for the Wind attribute, as well as those who want the Gale Boomerang:
New Enchantment: Windy
Uses: Topaz
Equipment Type: Any Weapon
Effect: The weapon lets out a gust of wind with every use, which adds (Rank + 1) squares to any Push effects.
If you use the Push combat maneuver as a Standard action with this weapon, double the damage dealt by any collision.
Finally, the user gains access to the Cyclone Push attack, below.
Cyclone Push
Cost: 3 Stamina
Use Requirement: A Weapon with the Windy enchantment
Range: Weapon
Damage: Weapon + (Enchantment’s Rank)
Effect: Roll To-Hit target’s Fortitude; on success, target is Pushed (Enchantment’s Rank + 1) squares. Do not include the benefit from the Windy enchantment; it is already part of this technique.
If you want something like the Explosion attribute, try checking out the Bob-omb weapon style.
If you want the Blind attribute, try getting an Inkling style weapon and the Blinding Strike technique below.
Feats
New errata: Chain Rope
The Chain Rope feat has been updated to include information for using your Bare Hand as a Rope, with Rank determined by your Fortitude. Check it out!
Techniques
New Technique: Barrage
9 tokens
Cost: 12 Stamina
Effect: Make three separate Ranged Basic Attacks. These Basic Attacks have their Range halved. You do not need to target the same enemy with each attack. You cannot move between attacks.
New Technique: Blinding Strike
3 tokens
Cost: 5 Stamina
Use Requirement: Inkling, or Messy weapon
Range: (Weapon)
Damage: Weapon + Combat
Effect: Roll To-Hit target’s Concentration; on success, target is Blinded until the end of their next turn.
New Technique: Clear the Area
9 tokens
Cost: 12 Stamina
Range: Burst 2
Effect: Make one basic attack with each weapon you are wielding against each target within the burst and that basic attack’s range. These basic attacks do not need to target the same enemy, but you cannot move between them. You do not take penalties from firing projectiles while in melee.
New Technique: Defensive Stance
3 tokens
Cost: Up to (Combat) Stamina (Bind)
Range: Self
Effect: Grant yourself Extra Defense equal to (the Stamina bound / 2). For every Defensive weapon you wield, increase the Extra Defense by 1.
New Technique: Hook-ARMS
6 tokens
Lean requirement: ARMed and Dangerous
Cost: 8 Stamina
Range: Projectile 8
Effect: If the target is lighter than you, you pull it towards you. If it is an unattended object, you may place it in your hand or inventory; if it is a creature, it lands in the square adjacent to you. If the target is heavier than you, you are pulled towards it, and placed in the nearest empty square adjacent to it.
New Technique: Rolling Dodge
3 tokens
Learn requirement: Agility 3
Cost: 5 Stamina
Use Requirement: You are targeted by an attack and not Halted or Slowed
Reaction
Effect: The enemy targeting you with an attack must reroll their To-Hit roll – or if they automatically hit, must roll a To-Hit roll. If your enemy misses you with that roll, then you can move 2 squares in any direction. If the enemy hits, you cannot use another Reaction against this attack or its damage.
New Technique: Slip Through
6 tokens
Cost: 6 Stamina
Use Requirement: Wielding two weapons; your target performs a Reaction against your attack
Range: Melee
Reaction
Effect: After the initial attack and the target’s Reaction resolves, you make a Strike Basic Attack using your other weapon. The target is Hard to Hit for this attack, but cannot use a Reaction to it.
New Technique: Switch-ARMS
9 tokens
Learn requirements: Hook-ARMS
Cost: 12 Stamina
Use Requirement: You and the target are not in mid-air or in damaging terrain.
Range: Projectile 8
Effect: You switch places with the target.
New Technique: Whip Shot
6 Tokens
Cost: 2 Stamina
Use requirement: ARMed and Dangerous is active
Minor
Effect: Choose a location within (Whipcrack’s range). The next non-Whipcrack Ranged Basic Attack you make this turn is treated as originating within that location. You still use your original position to determine whether you can see a target, and to determine if the enemy can attack you as part of their Reactions. For instance, if you use this technique to shoot around a corner, an enemy using Perfect Deflection can’t return the attack unless they can also bend the attack around the corner.
Weapons
The 12 types of ARMS weapons in ARMS are unique to the particular video game genre, and so cannot always be translated perfectly into Reclaim the Wild. For instance, all ARMS weapons are one-handed, but Reclaim the Wild has two-handed weapons.
If you’re looking to replicate a favorite ARM, this table will help you determine its weapon type in Reclaim the Wild!
| ARMS Type | Reclaim the Wild weapon |
|---|---|
| Beam | Rod or Staff |
| Curve | Boomerang |
| Glove | Fist |
| Hammer | Hammer or Sledge |
| Heavy | (Spiked) Ball and Chain |
| Missile | Crossbow or Hand Gun |
| Multi-Shot | Crossbow or Hand Gun |
| Nunchuck | N/A |
| Shield | Shield |
| Umbrella | Parasol |
| Unique | N/A |
| Whip | Whip |
If you want to make a custom weapon, such as an equivalent to the Nunchuck, check out these guidelines.
Thanks to Discord community member Maddie for letting me publish her Slip Through Technique.
26 July 2020 – New use requirement line added to the Cyclone Push attack.
5 January 2022 – Barrage‘s learn requirement has been removed, but its token cost has increased to 9 tokens.