Combat Maneuvers

The combat maneuvers listed below fall into two categories: general and trained. General maneuvers are available to everyone, from the most battle-hardened veteran to the most combat-averse fop. Trained maneuvers represent those techniques and styles which require advanced training to even attempt. Note that training does not require formal study: the battlefield is an unforgiving instructor that can teach how to survive quite quickly.

General Techniques

Everyone is able to knock someone down, throw someone through a window, or trip someone without special martial arts training (though training will make it considerably easier to do so).

Grapple

In order to initiate a grapple the fighter needs to take an aggressive stance and roll at a goal of -2. If she wins, she and her opponent are grappling. Small melee weapons or pistols can be used at -2 goal in a grapple. Medium or larger melee weapons and anything larger than a pistol cannot be used while grappling. Grappling damage is per unarmed combat, and characters may use either Dex or Str while grappling.

A character who is grappled may break free by gaining the edge and declaring the grapple broken. Characters can move a few meters while grappled- this represents uncoordinated pushing and pulling, or even rolling around on the ground.

Trip/Throw

In order to knock an opponent down or throw/push her into another object the fighter must take an aggressive stance and beat her opponent by 3 Vps. A character that was thrown or tripped is at -2 the next round. Damage done by a throw or trip is per unarmed combat (minus the 3 Vps required to cause the trip or throw), though obviously environmental hazards may increase the damage.

Pin

While grappling a character may attempt to pin her opponent. In order to do so she must make an aggressive or balanced attack, and achieve 4 Vps. Once pinned a character is helpless for as long as her opponent maintains the pin.

Disarm

A character can strike at an opponent's weapon in an effort to either damage the weapon or knock it free from her opponent's hand. A character may attempt a disarm in either aggressive stance or defensive stance. If the fighter is attempting a disarm in aggressive stance she rolls using her Strength attribute paired with her combat skill. If the fighter is attempting to disarm from a defensive stance then she rolls using her Dexterity attribute paired with her combat skill. She must score 3 VPs greater than her opponent to succeed in disarming.

Certain weapons are more difficult to disarm. A two handed weapon requires an additional VP to disarm (for a total of 4 greater than the opponent).