Martial-Arts Maneuvers
General
Throw
Having grappled an opponent (or used a counter throw), the martial artist slams them into a convenient surface. In game terms, the attacker needs a Dexterity + Martial-Arts dice pool equal to, or higher than, their opponent’s Dexterity. With a successful roll, the martial artist can throw an opponent up to one yard for each success they scores on their attack roll.
So long as the martial artist has a straight shot at the location, they can choose where their opponent lands. When they land, they takes damage based on the martial artist's strength. If they'd been charging at the time they were thrown, the impact also inflicts an additional +1 die for every 10 feet they’d been traveling at the time (+10 dice maximum).
If the impact inflicts more than three health levels in damage (after soaking), the opponent must make a Stamina roll (difficulty 8) or else be stunned for one turn.
Should the martial artist throw one opponent into another one, the flying enemy inflicts one die bashing damage for each point of Stamina he has, plus one additional die for the momentum and impact if one or both of the opponents were moving at the time. (A Stamina 3 bad guy, for example, who’d just run 20 feet before being thrown would inflict five dice of bashing damage on his buddy.) Throwing one opponent into another one adds +2 to the roll’s difficulty for that throw, but it does indeed smash two birds with one throw.
Minimum Ability: Martial Arts (any style) 2
Roll: Dexterity + Martial Arts
Difficulty: hard 7/ soft 6
Damage: Strength + movement/B
Actions: 1
Counter Throw
Directing an attacker’s momentum against him, the martial artist sends him flying into the nearest wall… or the ground… or worse. A basic soft-style maneuver, this remains an effective technique. When the martial artist is attacked, make a resisted roll of Dexterity + Martial Arts against the attacker’s Dexterity + Brawl, Melee, or Martial Arts (depending on the Ability that the opponent is using to attack). If you score more successes than your attacker does, then you deflect the attack and may – immediately and without having to divide up your dice pool – try to throw him (as below). If you fail the throw, you still sidestep his attack.
Minimum Ability: Martial Arts 1, Athletics 1 (soft style)
Roll: Dexterity + Martial Arts
Difficulty: 6
Damage: As Throw Actions: 1
Death Strike
Aiming a rigid hand at an organ, joint, or other incapacitating location, the attacker directs devastating force at that target. This strike inflicts lethal damage.
Minimum Ability: Martial Arts 3 (hard style)
Roll: Dexterity + Martial Arts
Difficulty: 5
Damage: Strength +2/L
Actions: 1
Deflecting Block
Evading an attacker’s blow, the martial artist redirects the attacker’s force against her. In game terms, the defender rolls Dexterity + Martial Arts in Phase Two: Defense. Each success subtracts one success from the attacker’s roll. If the defender scores more successes than his attacker, then the attacker must roll Dexterity (difficulty 8) or else fall to the ground (or smash into a nearby surface), taking her own Strength in bashing damage.
Minimum Ability: Martial Arts 2 (soft style), Athletics or Acrobatics 2
Roll: Dexterity + Martial Arts
Difficulty: 6
Damage: Attacker’s Strength/B Actions: 1
Dragon Tail Sweep
A spinning leg sweep that knocks an opponent sprawling. In game terms, the effects work like a throw, but the martial artist doesn’t need to grab her opponent first.
Minimum Ability: Martial Arts 1 (hard style), Athletics or Acrobatics 1
Roll: Dexterity + Martial Arts
Difficulty: 8
Damage: Opponent’s Strength/B
Actions: 1
Elbow/ Knee Strike
A quick, brutal blow with an elbow or kneecap, usually directed at a vulnerable spot at close range.
Minimum Ability: Martial Arts 1 (any style)
Roll: Dexterity + Martial Arts
Difficulty: 5
Damage: Strength +1/B Actions: 1
Flying Kick
Leaping through the air, the martial artist combines her body weight and momentum into a powerful blow.
Minimum Ability: Martial Arts 1 (hard style), Athletics or Acrobatics 1
Roll: Dexterity + Martial Arts
Difficulty: 7
Damage: Strength +2/B
Actions: 1
Hard Strike/ Soft Strike
Here’s a basic combat blow, focused with more skill than a wild punch. The hard variant involves a clenched fist or rigid fingers (the Tiger Claw technique), whereas a soft blow typically involves tripping the opponent or otherwise using his own force to hurt him.
Minimum Ability: Martial Arts 1 (any style)
Roll: Dexterity + Martial Arts
Difficulty: hard 5/ soft 6
Damage: Strength +1/B
Actions: 1
Joint Lock
Having already grappled his opponent, the martial artist applies pressure to joints and pressure points. If he chooses to exert force against that spot, he can dislocate or break limbs, joints, or possibly even the neck. The player rolls Dexterity + Martial Arts to grapple his opponent (see Grapple, above), then may immediately (without dividing his dice pool between attacks) roll Dexterity + Martial Arts to inflict damage. Each success rolled inflicts one health level’s worth of lethal injury.
Minimum Ability: Martial Arts 2 (any style), Athletics or Acrobatics 2
Roll: Dexterity + Martial Arts
Difficulty: 5
Damage: Successes/L Actions: 1
Nerve/ Pressure Point Strike
Targeting a vital location, the martial artist directs precision force against it. If the attacker scores at least three successes to hit his opponent, then the opponent must make a Stamina roll (difficulty 8) or else be stunned on the next turn. A botch on that roll stuns her for three turns instead.
Minimum Ability: Martial Arts 3 (any style)
Roll: Dexterity + Martial Arts
Difficulty: 7
Damage: Strength +3/B
Actions: 1
Snake Step
Shifting away from the blow, our martial artist deftly sidesteps a close or ranged attack. Naturally, he must be able to see it coming first. This maneuver acts as a dodge, with a thee-dice bonus and Dexterity + Martial Arts as the dice pool involved.
Minimum Ability: Martial Arts 1 (any style), Athletics or Acrobatics 1
Roll: Dexterity + Martial Arts
Difficulty: hard 6/soft 5
Damage: N/A
Actions: 1
Snap Kick
Focusing her energy on a simple yet effective kick, the martial artist directs her lower body strength into the blow.
Minimum Ability: Martial Arts 1 (hard style)
Roll: Dexterity + Martial Arts
Difficulty: 5
Damage: Strength +1/B
Actions: 1
Spinning Kick
Our martial artist spins around and plants a solid kick into the object of his attention.
Minimum Ability: Martial Arts 2 (hard style), Athletics or Acrobatics 2
Roll: Dexterity + Martial Arts
Difficulty: 6
Damage: Strength +3/B
Actions: 1
Thunder Kick
A devastating flying kick. Hurling himself through the air, the martial artist focuses his chi and mass into a strike potent enough to end most fights immediately. In game terms, each success adds one additional die to the kick’s damage. A character cannot use the Thunder Kick more than once every five turns, however, as it demands intense focus and commitment to the blow.
Minimum Ability: Martial Arts (hard style) 3 Athletics or Acrobatics 2
Roll: Dexterity + Martial Arts
Difficulty: 7
Damage: Strength +3 + successes/B
Actions: 1
Vital Strike
A sharp-handed blow to an organ or joint inflicts lethal injury.
Minimum Ability: Martial Arts (hard style) 2
Roll: Dexterity + Martial Arts
Difficulty: 7
Damage: Strength/L
Actions: 1
Withering Grasp
Grabbing his foe in a painful hold, the martial artist inflicts damage and may disarm her as well. To get the weapon from an enemy’s hand, the martial artist must score at least three successes; with five successes, he can take it away from her and use it himself in a following turn.
Minimum Ability: Martial Arts (soft style) 3
Roll: Dexterity + Martial Arts
Difficulty: 7
Damage: Strength/B
Actions: 1