GURPS Core Resources: Techniques

You (or your GM!) may want a way to improve your ability with a specific application of a skill without increasing the overall skill level. This is realistic - people do train at particular tasks to the exclusion of others - but allowing this in the game makes play (and character sheets) more complex. As a result, this section is purely optional.

A 'technique' is any feat that you can practice and perfect separately from the skill that allows you to perform that task. It is a specific action covered by the parent skill, studied on its own. It differs from an optional specialty, which covers a body of theory, not an action. Techniques work a lot like skills, but with a few important differences.

There are six steps to creating a technique. We'll walk through these steps using two examples. Even those who plan to use only the sample techniques at the end of this section should read these rules, as they explain the basic concepts involved.

Decide what you want the technique to do, in general terms, and give it a name that clearly describes the feat it represents.

Example 1: Both still and motion-picture cameras require Photography skill. A photographer could study just motion-picture equipment in order to get rid of the -3 to use it; therefore, 'Motion-Picture Camera' would be a reasonable Photography technique.

Example 2: Karate skill covers both kicks and punches. A karateka could spend extra time on kicks, with the goal of eliminating the -2 to kicking attacks. Thus, 'Kicking' would be a logical technique for Karate.

A technique should never be the 'core' action undertaken with the skill. For instance, Punching would not be a valid technique for Boxing skill, which is all about punching! To get better at the primary task covered by a skill, you must improve the skill itself.

The skill with which a technique is associated is automatically its prerequisite - that is, you must have at least one point in a skill before you can improve its techniques. If more than one skill lets you perform the task covered by the technique, any of these skills can count as the prerequisite. The GM may require other skills and advantages as prerequisites for particularly complex techniques.

Example 1: The prerequisite of Motion-Picture Camera is Photography skill.

Example 2: Either Brawling or Karate skill can be the prerequisite of Kicking, since both allow you to kick.

A technique always defaults to one of its prerequisites. Usually, the default penalty equals the modifier given for the feat in the skill description or elsewhere. There can be more than one default. If a technique offers a choice of defaults, those who learn it must specialize in the version of the technique associated with the chosen default.

Example 1: Photography skill states that motion-picture cameras are used at -3, so Motion-Picture Camera defaults to Photography-3.

Example 2: Both Brawling and Karate let you kick at -2 to skill, so Kicking defaults to Brawling-2 or Karate-2. Those who use the Brawling default must specialize in Kicking (Brawling), while those who use the Karate default must specialize in Kicking (Karate).

Techniques come in only two difficulties: Average and Hard. Feats that have severe negative consequences on a failure, or that allow only one attempt, are Hard; all others are Average. This affects point cost:

Example 1: Motion-picture photography is rarely dangerous, and you can usually do a second take if you fail; therefore, Motion-Picture Camera is an Average technique.

Example 2: On a failed kick, you can fall down - a potentially fatal turn of events in combat - so Kicking is a Hard technique.

Tightly focused practice can only take you so far. Eventually, you'll have to learn new fundamentals in order to improve. To reflect this, techniques often specify an upper limit relative to parent skill. On attaining this level, the only way to improve further is to raise the underlying skill. For a technique that covers an important use of a skill, maximum level is usually equal to prerequisite skill level. More peripheral techniques might be able to exceed prerequisite skill level, or have no maximum level.

Example 1: An adventurer could make a career of motion-picture photography without affecting game balance. Thus, it seems believable and fair to leave Motion-Picture Camera open-ended and specify no maximum level.

Example 2: Kicking is a potent attack, and one of the main reasons to learn Brawling or Karate skill; therefore, Kicking cannot be improved past prerequisite skill level.

The prerequisite skill description provides the necessary rules for most techniques, but some techniques supply optional additional detail, or outline entirely new uses of the skill.

Example 1: There isn't a lot to be said about Motion-Picture Camera - it lets you use motion-picture cameras, per Photography skill.

Example 2: Kicking does +1 damage relative to a punch, and you must roll vs. DX to avoid a fall if you miss. These rules bear mentioning in any formal description of Kicking.

Buying a technique is a lot like buying a skill - point cost depends on difficulty and desired relative skill level - but there are two differences. You buy up a technique relative to its default, not relative to a controlling attribute, and you determine its point cost using the Technique Cost Table (above) instead of the Skill Cost Table.

To improve a technique, pay the difference in point cost between the desired level and your current level - exactly as for a skill. And just as skills increase for free when you raise attributes, techniques improve for free when you raise the skill on which they are based. For instance, if you have Karate-15 and Kicking-15, and raise Karate to 16, Kicking also goes to 16 at no extra charge!

You need not buy a technique to use it. If you have even one point in a skill, you may use all of that skill's techniques at default. To avoid a cluttered character sheet, though, only note techniques that you know at better than default level.

A technique works just like a skill in play: make a success roll against your level in the technique. Unless noted otherwise, all general modifiers to a skill - for culture, language, equipment, tech level, and so forth - apply to its techniques, as do any special critical success or failure results.

Special moves in combat are by far the most common techniques, and can give warriors a 'bag of tricks' similar to a wizard's spells. If a combat technique has multiple defaults, you must specialize by prerequisite skill. For instance, learning a technique for Axe/Mace skill gives no special ability with the Broadsword version of that technique!

Techniques marked with a * are cinematic in nature. Many of these are so risky – or so unlikely to be effective in a real situation – that few instructors teach them. This doesn’t mean they are impossible, only that stylists need an appropriate cinematic advantage to improve them. Anyone can attempt a cinematic technique, if the GM permits.

Using Techniques Together: Techniques that aren’t mutually exclusive (as Dual-Weapon Attack and Fanning are) can be used together in a way that combines all of their effects in a single success roll. For instance, you could use Dual-Weapon Attack with Fast-Firing to shoot two pistols rapidly, rolling only once per pistol rather than rolling against Dual-Weapon Attack and Fast-Firing for each. In such situations, determine each technique’s relative level by taking the difference between its level and that of its parent skill. To calculate your level with the combined technique, sum the relative levels of all the techniques involved and add the total to the underlying skill.

Example: In the above situation, if you knew Dual-Weapon Attack (Pistol) at Guns (Pistol)-1 and Fast-Firing (Pistol) at Guns (Pistol)-2, you’d roll against Guns (Pistol)-3 for each weapon.

Martial artists practice dozens of distinct attacks and defenses that they call “techniques.” The majority of these aren’t techniques in the sense of GURPS. GURPS lets fighters use their combat skills to try hundreds of permutations of maneuvers, movement, and combat options; e.g., a swordsman can use Attack to turn in place and stab to the face, which is nothing like using All-Out Attack to dart forward and hack at a foot. Most “techniques” that martial artists study are simply variations of this kind. To underline this, the GM may opt to deny certain actions to the relatively untrained (see Limited Maneuver Selection).

Below are examples of “non-techniques.” Warriors generally can’t improve these independently of skill – although highly optional Targeted Attacks and Combinations can remove hit location and Rapid Strike penalties.

Every martial art has specialized stances, many of which bear interesting names: “cat stance” (from Karate), “boar’s tooth” (from Longsword Fighting), and so on. Defensive stances allow the Defensive Attack (p. 100) and All-Out Defense maneuvers. Forward-leaning, aggressive stances justify All-Out Attack (Long). Low, broad stances are less vulnerable to takedowns, and explain why high grappling skills help resist such attacks. Knowledge of effective fighting stances isn’t an independent technique – it’s one of the most basic elements covered by any combat skill.

Any straight or crossing blow with a closed fist is a basic punch at Boxing, Brawling, or Karate skill. The name for such a strike depends on the style and the combat maneuver. Crosses, hooks, and reverse punches are typical Attacks; a jab is the archetypal Defensive Attack; and a lunge punch, roundhouse, or haymaker is a Committed Attack or All-Out Attack.

Many famous punches from sports and cinema are nothing more exotic than punches that use specific combat options. For instance, a “rabbit punch” is a punch to the back of the head or neck; the opening strike of Bruce Lee’s “straight blast” is a Deceptive Attack that relies on sheer speed (see Jeet Kune Do); and the classic two-jab combination favored by boxers is a Rapid Strike. Only punches that use unorthodox striking surfaces – the side of the hand, an open hand, an extended finger, two clasped hands, etc. – or that deliver extra damage without going “all-out” merit distinct techniques. These strikes are tricky without extra training. Examples include Exotic Hand Strike, Hammer Fist, Two-Handed Punch, and Uppercut.

Almost every standing kick to a frontal target – including crescent, rising, side, and snap kicks – is a straight kicking attack at Karate-2 or Brawling-2. Short, jabbing kicks are Defensive Attacks. Hard-hitting hook and roundhouse kicks are Committed Attacks or All-Out Attacks. Combat options often enter the equation, too. For instance, the “double side kick” of Tae Kwon Do is a Rapid Strike – and also a Telegraphic Attack (p. 113).

To improve all of these kicks, raise Kicking – or increase Karate or Brawling. Only kicks from unusual positions (Back Kick), those with limited target selection (e.g., Axe Kick and Stamp Kick), and those that require the attacker to hop, spin, or jump (such as Jump Kick, Spinning Kick, and Drop Kick) can justify distinct techniques. The additional training is needed to work around the risk or awkward angles involved.

Armed stylists – especially swordsmen – often name or number their art’s basic guard positions, thrusts, and swings. These are by definition standard attacks and parries, not explicit techniques. Most “advanced” methods add in maneuvers other than Attack. Draw cuts, flicking blows from the wrist, and so on are Defensive Attacks. Aggressive tactics – flèche, lunge, pass, stab-and-twist, etc. – are Committed Attacks or All-Out Attacks. The “floor lunge” is an All-Out Attack (Long).

Even some unusual modes of attack are normal blows combined with combat options. A dramatic, circular sword cut (called a moulinet by saber fighters) is a Telegraphic Attack. Sliding a weapon along the enemy’s to bypass his guard (a “glide” or coulé) is a Deceptive Attack. Using the tip of a blade to cut is a Tip Slash. Striking a two-handed blow using a one-handed weapon is an application of Defensive Grip. Attacking with an inverted blade is an example of Reversed Grip.

Weapon techniques are mainly for difficult combat conditions (horseback, close combat, etc.) or non-striking attacks (especially sweeping and grappling).

Grapples, takedowns, and pins – and many follow-ups, such as strangling and the options in Grab and Smash! – are possible even for average, untrained people. The Judo, Sumo Wrestling, and Wrestling skills teach moves that make such actions more effective, but these are left abstract, not bought as techniques. Grappling the arms from behind is called a “full nelson” and a takedown made by hooking your leg around your opponent’s, a “reap”… but Full Nelson and Reap aren’t techniques. The same applies to so-called “sticking hands”: situational awareness is simply part of basic skill, and explains why more skilled fighters have a higher Parry and better odds in Quick Contests.

Grappling techniques are reserved for locks, breaks, and throws that require precise body positioning to be effective. Anyone can grab a foe, but it takes training to apply an arm bar. Examples include Arm Lock, Neck Snap, and Piledriver.

Attacking into an adversary’s attack is a Stop Hit, and a standard option for anybody who takes a Wait maneuver. Converting a parry into an attack is a Riposte, and possible for any fighter who can parry. To be successful at either, one must be good at attacks and parries in general. It makes little sense to train at these things exclusively!

Techniques and Gunslinger: Gunslinger’s ability to add some or all of Acc to a shot (or to eliminate Bulk, where applicable) aids attacks with all shooting techniques unless noted otherwise.

Defaults: Acrobatics-6.
Prerequisites: Acrobatics; cannot exceed prerequisite skill.

This represents training at quickly regaining your feet in a fight; see Acrobatic Stand for details. A successful roll lets you go from lying down to standing as a single Change Posture maneuver; on a critical success, you do so as a “step.” Failure means you go to a sitting posture. Critical failure leaves you lying down, wasting your turn. You can also use Acrobatic Stand to go from crawling or sitting to standing as a step. In this case, failure means you stand as a Change Posture maneuver, not as a step. Critical failure means you fall down!

Modifiers: A penalty equal to your encumbrance level.

Default: prerequisite skill Parry-1.
Prerequisite: Boxing, Brawling, or Karate; cannot exceed prerequisite Parry.

Only a few “hard” styles teach this tactic. Instead of merely deflecting a blow, you attempt to injure your attacker with an especially forceful parry. This is incompatible with Cross Parry.

Roll against Aggressive Parry to defend, at the usual -2 for Boxing vs. a kick, or -3 for Boxing or Brawling vs. a swung weapon. You cannot retreat. Failure means you’re hit; your attacker may choose to hit his original target, your parrying arm, or your parrying hand. Success means you parry and may roll against the underlying skill to strike the attacking body part or weapon, modified as follows.

Modifiers: Against unarmed, -2 to hit an arm or leg, -4 to hit a hand or foot; -2 for Boxing vs. a leg or foot; -1 if your foe knows Rapid Retraction (p. 51). Against armed, a basic -3; another -3 to -5 for weapon size (see p. B400); a further -3 for Boxing or Brawling vs. a swung weapon.

Success on this skill roll inflicts thrust-4 crushing damage or thrust-2 at -1 per die, whichever is worse, on the targeted weapon or body part. Skill bonuses apply normally. Failure means you didn’t parry forcefully enough to inflict damage.

Weapon parries against unarmed attacks are essentially aggressive “for free”; see Parrying Unarmed Attacks (p. B376).

Default: prerequisite skill. Prerequisite: Judo, Wrestling, or appropriate Melee Weapon skill; cannot exceed prerequisite skill+4.

An arm (or wrist) lock is an attempt to restrain or cripple an opponent by twisting his arm. It normally uses Judo or Wrestling skill. This technique lets you improve effective skill for this purpose only.

To use Arm Lock, you must have two hands free and make a successful barehanded parry with Judo or Wrestling against your opponent’s melee attack. On your first turn following the parry, you may attempt to capture your attacker’s arm if he’s still within one yard. This is an attack: step into close combat and roll against Arm Lock to hit. Your foe may use any active defense – he can parry your hand with a weapon! If his defense fails, you trap his arm.

Your foe may attempt to break free (p. B371) on his next turn, but you’re at +4 in the Quick Contest. If he loses, he has a cumulative -1 on future attempts to break free.

On your next turn – and each turn thereafter, until your foe breaks free – you may try to damage the trapped arm. Roll a Quick Contest: the higher of your ST (including your Wrestling bonus) or Arm Lock vs. the higher of your victim’s ST or HT. If you win, you inflict crushing damage equal to your margin of victory. The target’s rigid DR protects normally. Flexible armor, including natural DR with the Flexible or Tough Skin limitation, has no effect.

If you cripple your victim’s arm, he drops anything in that hand. You can inflict no further damage on a crippled limb but you can continue to roll the Contest each turn. If you win, your target suffers shock and stunning just as if you had inflicted damage.

Rolls to inflict damage are completely passive and don’t count as attacks. You can simultaneously make close combat attacks on your opponent, who defends at -4 in addition to any penalties due to injury caused by the lock itself. If you decide to throw him using the lock, this does count as an attack; see Throws from Locks.

You can use this ability offensively as well. Instead of waiting to parry an attack, grapple your foe normally with Judo or Wrestling. If he fails to break free on his next turn, you may try Arm Lock on your next turn, just as if you had parried his attack.

You can also apply this lock with a weapon. Default and prerequisite skills become a weapon skill. To initiate the lock requires a weapon parry or an Armed Grapple. A reach C weapon gets +1 in the Quick Contest to cause damage; anything longer gets +2. Edged weapons can inflict crushing or cutting damage, but you must make a DX roll when you roll to inflict injury. Failure does thrust cutting damage to your off hand (DR protects normally). Otherwise, use the rules above.

Arm Lock uses precision and skill to cripple a foe’s limb. For a brute-force technique, see Wrench (Limb).

Defaults: Cloak, or other prerequisite skill-2.
Prerequisite: Cloak or appropriate Melee Weapon skill; cannot exceed prerequisite skill.

Many armed styles teach how to step close to a foe, maneuver a weapon past him, and then pull it in tightly to restrain him. This results in an actual grapple of his body in close combat. To snag an opponent at full reach, use Entangle for a flexible weapon or Hook for one with a hook or other projection. To lock blades with him, use Bind Weapon.

To initiate an armed grapple, roll against weapon skill at -2 – this is an awkward and unconventional attack for most weapons. It’s a standard move with a cloak, however, and uses your unpenalized Cloak skill. Use the hit location penalties for grappling, not those for striking.

Your opponent may use any normal defense. If he fails to defend, you’ve successfully grappled him with your weapon. While using your weapon to grapple, you can neither attack nor defend with it. On your turn, you can follow up with a takedown, pin, choke, or Arm Lock (options depend on the body part grappled). Releasing the grapple is a free action. A one-handed weapon other than a cloak can only grapple if you grip it in two hands first. This requires a Ready maneuver.

Default: prerequisite skill-2.
Prerequisite: Any unarmed or Melee Weapon skill; cannot exceed prerequisite skill.

Some styles teach techniques for pouncing on a foe from above. This technique lets you buy off the -2 to attack described in Attack from Above. It’s particularly suitable for cinematic ninja!

Default: Karate-4.
Prerequisite: Karate; cannot exceed Karate skill.

This kick involves lifting a leg and smashing it down onto the target heel-first. It’s a special option for Committed Attack and All-Out Attack. Use the rules below instead of the normal rules for those maneuvers.

An Axe Kick has reduced vertical reach. If your foe’s SM exceeds yours by +1, you can’t target his head while he’s standing. If he’s larger, you can’t hit his head unless he’s crawling or on the ground. Resolve an attack to the foot as a Stamp Kick rolled at your Axe Kick level.

As a Committed Attack, an Axe Kick does thrust+1 crushing damage – or thrust at +1 per two dice, if better – plus skill bonuses. Roll against Axe Kick to hit. Afterward, you can’t dodge or retreat until your next turn, and are at -2 on all remaining active defenses.

As an All-Out Attack, an Axe Kick does thrust+2 – or thrust at +1 per die, if better – plus skill bonuses. Hit or miss, you have no defenses until your next turn!

An Axe Kick is difficult to back away from. If your opponent’s retreat bonus makes the difference between a hit and a miss for an attack aimed above the foot, the kick still hits a lower body part. Head or neck shots strike the torso; torso, arm, or hand blows hit a leg; and kicks to the groin or leg stomp a foot.

This move also beats down the target’s guard. A successful attack roll gives the defender -1 to parry any attack following the Axe Kick until his next turn – even if his defense against the kick succeeds. Axe Kick is a good opener for a Rapid Strike or Combination!

Default: prerequisite skill-2, or -4 for a kick.
Prerequisites: Karate or any Melee Weapon skill; cannot exceed prerequisite skill.

This technique lets you kick or use a melee weapon against a foe to your rear without making a Wild Swing or changing facing – although your legs must be free in order to change stance. Back Kick defaults to Karate-4. Back Strike defaults to Melee Weapon-2 and you must specialize; e.g., Back Strike (Staff). To throw a “back punch,” use Elbow Strike.

To use this technique, you must know that your adversary is behind you! Roll against Back Kick or Back Strike to hit, at an extra -1 if you target a specific hit location.

A Back Kick has standard reach and damage for a kick. A Back Strike can only reach an enemy within one yard, regardless of weapon length. Thrusting attacks do their usual damage; swinging attacks have -2 damage or -1 damage per die, whichever is worse. A Back Strike from a Reversed Grip uses the reach and damage effects of that grip instead of those given here.

In all cases, you’re at -2 to all active defenses until your next turn. This is cumulative with the -2 to parry with a weapon in a Reversed Grip!

Default: prerequisite skill -5.
Prerequisite: Any Melee Weapon skill capable of swung cutting attacks; cannot exceed prerequisite skill-2.

This technique buys off the -5 to hit the neck when swinging an edged weapon.

Default: prerequisite skill-7. Prerequisite: Any shooting skill; cannot exceed prerequisite skill (or prerequisite - 4 in realistic campaigns).

This technique lets you shoot under your armpit, over your shoulder or head, or between your legs to peg a foe behind you without firing wildly or changing facing. The arm(s) used to control the weapon must be free to move in order to position the gun, and you have to be aware that your target is there in the first place!

Roll against Behind-the-Back Shot to hit. This is a standard ranged attack, at an extra -1 if you target a specific hit location. You can only Aim first if you can see your target in a reflective surface; even then, the bonuses are halved. Likewise, Gunslinger gives half its usual bonus.

In all cases, you’re at -2 to all active defenses until your next turn. Realistic campaigns may limit this technique to Guns -4.

Default: prerequisite skill-3.
Prerequisite: Jitte/Sai or any fencing weapon skill; cannot exceed prerequisite skill.

Fencers with swords that have crosspiece hilts can lock blades or hilts in a so-called bind. With a pronged weapon such as the jitte, it’s possible to bind any weapon. This technique covers all such tactics.

To bind, you must first successfully parry your opponent’s fencing blade with your own such sword – or use a Jitte/Sai weapon to parry any weapon. On your first turn after the parry, roll against Bind Weapon to try to bind the weapon you parried; this is an attack. If you’re using a fencing weapon, your adversary must be within a yard and you must step into close combat. With a Jitte/Sai weapon, the target weapon must merely be in reach.

Your foe’s only legal defenses are a dodge or a parry with the targeted weapon. He may retreat for the usual bonus. If his defense fails, you bind weapons – and if he tried to retreat, he can’t step back.

You can use Bind Weapon offensively rather than after a parry. Step into range (see above) and roll against Bind Weapon to hit. The only difference is that your foe may try any defense, not just a dodge or a parry with the target weapon.

While a bind is in effect, neither fighter can use the weapons involved to attack or defend. All other actions taken by defender and attacker alike are at -2 DX.

Your foe may attempt to free his weapon on his turn. This counts as an attempt to break free, and requires a full turn and a Quick Contest of his weapon skill against your Bind Weapon technique. If he uses finesse to disengage, make DX-based rolls. If he uses brute force, the rolls are ST-based. If he wins, the bind ends – and if he used ST, you must make a skill or Retain Weapon roll or drop the weapon you used to bind!

Either of you can escape by dropping the weapon in the bind. This is a free action at any time. You can end the bind without losing your weapon. This, too, is a free action – but only on your turn.

This tactic is common for two-weapon fencers – especially those with a main-gauche. The objective is to bind the enemy’s blade and attack with a secondary weapon. Jitte/Sai fighters use paired weapons to similar effect.

Defaults: Acrobatics, Judo, or Wrestling.
Prerequisite: Acrobatics, Judo, or Wrestling; cannot exceed prerequisite skill+5.

This technique covers ways of controlling or absorbing the shock of a fall: shoulder rolls, slapping the ground, and so on. When you’re thrown for damage (see Judo Throw), a successful Breakfall roll deducts one plus your margin of success from damage. If this prevents all damage, you may opt to end up crouching instead of lying down. You can also try to end up crouching after a non-damaging throw, but the lack of momentum makes it tricky: roll at Breakfall-3. Finally, you may substitute Breakfall for Acrobatics when rolling to reduce the effective distance of a fall (see Falling, p. B431); any success lets you end up crouching, if you wish.

Default: Guns or Melee Weapons-2. Prerequisites: Riding† and Guns/Melee Weapons; cannot exceed Guns/Melee Weapon skill.

This technique lets a mounted warrior buy off the -2 for attacking on the same turn as his mount (see Attacks by Mounts, p. B397). In addition, improving Cavalry Training to skill-1 lets him use only half his mount’s speed when assessing speed/range penalties, where favorable, while improving it to full skill means only target speed matters.

Skill with a mounted attack can’t exceed Riding skill – or Combat Riding (below), if better – and modifiers for a rough ride require Mounted Shooting.

It also helps when he attacks while his mount’s velocity is 7 or more relative to his target. Such an attack is normally at +1 to damage and -1 to skill (see Cavalry Weapons, p. B397), but improving Cavalry Training to Melee Weapon skill-1 eliminates this -1. Raising Cavalry Training to full skill eliminates both penalties.

† For similar benefits for vehicle-operation skills, see Motorized Training.

Defaults: Judo-2, Wrestling-3, or appropriate weapon skill -3.
Prerequisites: Judo, Wrestling, or appropriate weapon skill; cannot exceed prerequisite skill.

This close-combat attack involves locking the target’s neck and applying pressure. It requires two hands. Roll against Choke Hold to hit. If you come from in front of your victim, you’re at -1.

Your victim may try any legal defense. If he fails, you apply the hold, which counts as a grapple. If you struck from behind, he can only defend if he knew you were coming (see p. B391). Otherwise, all he can do is attempt to tuck his chin to counter your hold. This is a parry at -2 with a grappling skill. He can’t retreat. If he succeeds, you grapple him but get no hold; critical success means he completely ducks your attack.

On your foe’s next turn and on subsequent turns, he may try to break free. You’re at +5 in the Quick Contest for using two hands. You control only his neck and head, not his arms and legs. He can attack you at the usual -4 for being grappled. If you came from behind, he may only try the strikes detailed under Pain and Breaking Free (p. 119) or attempt to grapple your arm, which allows the usual follow-up techniques on later turns.

On your next turn – and on each turn thereafter, until your prey breaks free – you may apply pressure to your victim’s carotid arteries to subdue him or to his trachea to choke him. This counts as an attack. Roll the Quick Contest described in Choke or Strangle (p. B370). Your hold gives you +3 ST. A carotid (“blood”) choke inflicts fatigue damage. A tracheal (“air”) choke delivers crushing damage.

You can apply this hold using a weapon. Default and prerequisite skills become a weapon skill. The lever gives a further ST bonus to restrain or injure your victim: +1 if reach C, +2 if longer. You can choke with the flat or the edge of a sword; if using the edge, you may only choke for cutting damage. You must grasp a sword with one hand on the handle, one on the blade. Make a DX roll when you roll to inflict injury. Failure does thrust cutting damage to your off hand (DR protects normally).

Defaults: prerequisite skill-4, -8, or -12.
Prerequisite: Any Melee Weapon skill; cannot remove more than half the default penalty.†

In close combat (p. B391), a weapon without “C” in its Reach statistic gives a skill penalty based on its reach: -4 for reach 1, -8 for reach 2, or -12 for reach 3. In addition, swing damage is at -1 per yard of reach; e.g., a broadsword does -1 damage, a greatsword gets -2, and a full-sized halberd has -3. Thrusting attacks do normal damage. Calculate skill and swing damage penalties using the weapon’s longest reach, not the reach at which it’s currently ready.

This technique lets you buy off half the skill penalty. You may buy it up to skill-2 for a reach 1 weapon, skill-4 for a reach 2 weapon, or skill-6 for a reach 3 weapon. All of this assumes a normal grip. See Reversed Grip for an alternative. Hilt punches and the like use Pummeling instead of these rules; this technique doesn’t apply.

† Close Combat is also available for ranged weapons. This lets you buy off the entire Bulk penalty for close-combat purposes only; see Weapons for Close Combat (p. B391). Those with Heroic Archer (p. 45) don’t need this technique.

Default: Guns.
Prerequisite: Guns; cannot exceed Guns+3.

“Hip shooting” refers to shooting done without raising the gun high enough to use its sights. A special application of hip shooting is to engage an adversary at arm’s reach – that is, in close combat, where a gun normally gives a penalty equal to its Bulk (p. B391). The Close-Hip Shooting technique represents training for this contingency: the shooter holds his weapon close and fires instinctively. In close combat, apply the Bulk penalty to your Close-Hip Shooting level, then use the lower of your modified technique or your unmodified shooting skill to figure your attack.

If you have Gunslinger, this technique is redundant for you.

Default: Guns.

Prerequisite: Guns; cannot exceed Guns+4.

You’ve practiced shooting on the run at nearby targets – a situation known to tactical shooters as “close-quarters battle” (CQB). Whenever you take a Move and Attack maneuver (p. B365) to fire at a target whose distance from you in yards doesn’t exceed your Per plus Acute Vision (if any), apply the penalty for shooting on the move (-2 or firearm’s Bulk, whichever is worse) to your Close-Quarters Battle level. Then use the lower of your modified technique or unmodified shooting skill to figure your attack.

If you have Gunslinger, this technique is redundant for you.

Default: Riding. Prerequisite: Riding†; cannot exceed Riding+4.

This technique represents training at riding under combat conditions. Use it instead of Riding whenever you roll to control your mount in battle. It doesn’t cover fighting – for that, learn Cavalry Training and Mounted Shooting – but where the rules limit weapon skill to Riding, your limit is Combat Riding instead. Combat Riding never aids Riding rolls to mount up, stay mounted, or direct your mount hands-free, or such non-combat activities as dressage, racing, and travel.

† Modern warriors can learn Combat Driving or Combat Piloting instead. This has the relevant vehicle-operation skill as its prerequisite and default, and cannot exceed skill+4.

Default: prerequisite skill-2. Prerequisites: Any Beam Weapons or Guns specialty; cannot exceed prerequisite skill.

This technique enables you to buy off the -2 to Guns when firing around a corner at a target that you can see by way of an optical, electronic, or other aiming aid. Long arms, but not handguns, suffer additional penalties due to the awkward unsupported stance (Tactical Shooting, p. 12); these can’t be bought off.

Default: prerequisite skill-5.
Prerequisite: Any unarmed combat or Melee Weapon skill; cannot exceed prerequisite skill.

Counterattack represents attacking as soon as possible after defending in order to take advantage of the momentary “hole” an attacker must leave in his defenses. You can only attempt it on your turn immediately following a successful active defense – and only vs. the foe against whom you defended. If you blocked or parried, the Counterattack doesn’t have to use the hand(s) you used to defend, although it can if you wish.

Roll against Counterattack to hit. Your foe is at -2 to Parry, or to his resistance roll if you tried a grappling move that uses a Quick Contest (e.g., takedown), or at -1 to Block or Dodge. If you hit, your attack inflicts its usual damage. You can use another technique as your counterattack; see Using Techniques Together (p. MA64) to find effective skill level.

Default: Whip-4.
Prerequisite: Whip; cannot exceed Whip skill.

You can “crack” any ordinary whip – this is the sound of the tip breaking the sound barrier! Such an attack is at -4 to skill but +2 to damage. Crack lets you buy off the skill penalty. In a cinematic (or silly) campaign, Crack might work with anything whip-like: ropes, belts, long braids, wet towels…

Default: Stealth-10.
Prerequisites: Stealth and Trained by a Master or Weapon Master (Ninja Weapons); cannot exceed prerequisite skill.

Disappear – trademark move of many a ninja – lets you buy off the -10 to use Stealth to vanish from sight in combat by dashing behind cover.

Default: Prerequisite skill.
Prerequisite: Any unarmed combat or Melee Weapon skill; cannot exceed prerequisite skill+5.

If you know this technique above default, you may use it instead of the underlying skill whenever you attack to disarm (see Knocking a Weapon Away, p. B401) – both for the roll to hit and in the ensuing Quick Contest. For instance, if you have Broadsword-14 and Disarming (Broadsword)-17, you disarm as if you had Broadsword-17. Penalties to hit the target weapon, including the -2 for using a non-fencing weapon, and modifiers in the Quick Contest (such as the +2 for Jitte/Sai and Whip weapons) apply normally.

When attempting a barehanded disarm, you may try to snatch the weapon instead of knocking it away - this is commonly used by cinematic action heroes to obtain an enemy's gun. Declare this before attacking. You have the usual -2 to hit for a non-fencing weapon. Your rival may parry your hand, potentially injuring it – and a gunman can use 3 + (Retain Weapon/2) for such a parry!

On a hit, roll the usual Quick Contest. Against a weapon that can do cutting damage, including any gun with a bayonet, you’re at -2. If you win, you have the weapon in hand. Unless you win by 5+, though, it will be unready until you take a Ready maneuver.

Prerequisite: Acrobatics.
Cost: skill-4 [0], skill-3 [1], skill-2 [2], skill-1 [3], or skill [4].

This lets you buy off the -4 to Acrobatics for Diving (Exploits, p. 19).

Default: Fast-Draw (Ammo)-2.

Prerequisite: Fast-Draw (Ammo); cannot exceed Fast-Draw (Ammo) skill.

You’ve practiced reloading two chambers of a multi-barreled gun or a revolver at once. A successful Double-Loading roll gives all the benefits of Fast-Draw and means that each Ready maneuver taken to insert or manually extract one cartridge affects two cartridges. This shaves off one extra second per pair of cartridges if the firearm ejects all of its casings at once, or two extra seconds per pair if the weapon requires you to extract each empty by hand.

Defaults: Brawling-1, Sumo Wrestling-1, or Wrestling-2.
Prerequisite: Brawling, Sumo Wrestling, or Wrestling; cannot exceed prerequisite skill.

This attack uses two feet in an attempt to injure and knock down an opponent. It’s a special option for Move and Attack. Use the following rules instead of the normal rules for that maneuver.

A Drop Kick is a type of slam (p. B371). You must move at least a yard towards your target. The kick itself has a reach of 2 yards. Roll against Drop Kick to hit. Damage is as for a slam, at +2 for going feet first (or +3 if wearing heavy boots). Brawling, Sumo Wrestling, or Wrestling adds its usual damage bonus. Succeed or fail, you immediately fall down. Until your next turn, you may block or parry from the ground at the usual penalties, but you can’t dodge or retreat.

In a cinematic game, GMs may allow an Acrobatics-5 roll for the attacker to land on his feet after a successful Drop Kick. A miss results in a fall!

Default: Prerequisite skill-4.
Prerequisite: Any suitable combat skill; cannot exceed prerequisite skill*.

* You may also learn this technique for Guns (Pistol) and similarly sized weapons, even in a realistic campaign. In cinematic campaigns you can learn this technique for any weapon you can use one-handed.

Normally, you are at -4 to attack with two weapons at once unless you make an All-Out Attack or have Extra Attacks. This technique lets you 'buy off' that penalty. (Note that you must still be Ambidextrous or learn Off-Hand Weapon Training to reduce the -4 for using the 'off' hand!) For detailed rules, see Dual-Weapon Attack maneuver.

In ranged weapons, Dual-Weapon Attack (DWA) is primarily for Beam Weapons (Pistol), Guns (Pistol), and Liquid Projector (Sprayer). High ST, perks like Army of One and One-Armed Bandit, and weapon modifications (like sawing off a shotgun) can let you learn this for any shooting skill, however – and of course a four-armed gunman could shoot two rifles two-handed. The only absolute requirement is that you can use two weapons at once.

You must learn DWA separately for each skill. For instance, attacking with two revolvers requires two DWA (Guns (Pistol)) rolls, but attacking with a revolver and a blaster pistol requires a DWA (Guns (Pistol)) roll and a DWA (Beam Weapons (Pistol)) roll.

Per p. B417, when both attacks target the same foe, he defends at -1. Against guns, this only affects parries; attempts to slap the gun away in close combat, Area Defense perk, Precognitive Parry, etc. Dodge is unaffected.

Defaults: Boxing-3, Brawling-3, or Karate-3.
Prerequisite: Boxing, Brawling, or Karate; cannot exceed prerequisite skill-1.

This is an attack on your foe’s ear using a cupped or open hand. The goal is to pop his eardrum, stunning and deafening him. You must be in close combat and have at least one free, empty hand.

Roll against Ear Clap to hit. Your opponent may use any active defense. If the attack succeeds, it does thrust-3 crushing damage plus skill bonuses. In addition, roll a Quick Contest: Ear Clap vs. the victim’s HT. If you win, your target is physically stunned (p. B420); he’s also at -1 DX and deaf in one ear (treat as Hard of Hearing) for 1d seconds. On a critical failure on the HT roll or critical success on Ear Clap, the victim must roll as if for a crippling injury to see how long he’s partially deaf; see p. B422. Permanent harm is possible!

Ear Clap works best if you box both ears simultaneously. To do a double Ear Clap, you must have two free, empty hands and use All-Out Attack (Double) or another form of multiple attacks. Dual-Weapon Attack with the appropriate unarmed combat skill is one option; add the penalties for that technique to Ear Clap to determine effective skill. If only one hand hits, resolve it as above. If both hit, roll one Quick Contest. If you win, your victim is deaf in both ears (treat as Deafness) for 2d seconds. Once again, a critical failure on HT or critical success on Ear Clap indicates a crippling injury that could become permanent.

Defaults: Brawling-4 or Wrestling-5.
Prerequisite: Brawling or Wrestling; cannot exceed prerequisite skill.

This is a devastating elbow strike delivered using the whole body. It’s normally done by dropping from a standing posture, driving an elbow into the victim and landing on top of him. You can use it against a kneeling, sitting, or lying foe, making it an ideal follow-up to a takedown. Elbow Drop is a special option for Committed Attack or All-Out Attack. Use the rules here instead of the usual ones for those maneuvers.

Roll against Elbow Drop to hit. The victim may dodge or block, or parry at -2. If he parries, your body counts as a weapon with weight equal to your ST; see Parrying Heavy Weapons (p. B376).

As a Committed Attack, Elbow Drop inflicts thrust+2, or thrust at +1 per die if better. Brawling adds its usual damage bonus; Wrestling adds damage equal to its ST bonus (+1 at DX+1, +2 at DX+2 or better) instead. As an All-Out Attack, damage is thrust+3, or thrust-1 at +2 per die if better, plus skill bonuses. If an Elbow Drop causes knockback, the target goes nowhere – but if he’s sitting or kneeling, he must make the usual DX roll or be knocked down.

If you miss, you hit the ground and suffer the damage you would have inflicted. The same thing happens if your opponent blocks with a shield.

Succeed or fail, you end up lying face-up on the ground. After a Committed Attack, you’re at -2 to defend and unable to retreat. After an All-Out Attack, you’re defenseless!

Defaults: Brawling-2 or Karate-2.
Prerequisites: Brawling or Karate; cannot exceed prerequisite skill.

You can jab an elbow into an enemy behind you in close combat. Roll against Elbow Strike to hit. There’s no modifier for not facing him, but add an extra -1 if you target a specific hit location. A hit inflicts thrust-1 crushing damage, plus skill bonuses. Treat an elbow to someone in front of you as a punch.

Elbows are short-ranged and hard to hurt. You may not select All-Out Attack (Long) (pp. 97-98). Hurting Yourself (p. B379) applies, but damage is 1/10 of what you roll – not 1/5 – and both it and injury from enemy parries affects the arm, not the hand.

Defaults: Kusari-4 or Whip-4.
Prerequisite: Kusari or Whip; cannot exceed prerequisite skill.

You can use a flexible weapon such as a whip or a kusari to entangle a foe. Roll against Entangle to hit. If your opponent fails to defend, the weapon wraps around him.

If you hit your victim’s arm or torso, you ensnare it. On subsequent turns, you must take a Ready maneuver to keep your opponent snared. Roll a Quick Contest of ST each turn. If you win, you immobilize your foe. If you lose, he pulls your weapon from your grasp. On a tie, he immediately breaks free without disarming you.

If you entangle the neck, use the same rules but your opponent has -5 in the Contest. If you win, the whip or kusari cuts off the victim’s breathing – see Suffocation (p. B436).

If you entangle a foot or a leg, the target must make a DX roll to remain standing (this is instead of the Contest above). He’s at -4 if he was running. If he falls, he takes 1d-4 crushing damage – or 1d-2 if running. On subsequent turns, use the rules above to keep him entangled.

You must keep your weapon taut at all times to immobilize or suffocate your victim. This requires a Ready maneuver each turn. If you’re mounted and your mount is trained to do this for you, substitute its ST for yours in the Quick Contest.

To escape from a taut whip or kusari, you must attack and cut it (the damage required depends on the weapon). To escape from a limp weapon – including one pulled from the attacker’s grasp – you need a free hand and must make three successful DX rolls. Each attempt counts as a Ready maneuver, during which you may take no other action.

Defaults: Acrobatics or Judo.
Prerequisite: Acrobatics or Judo; cannot exceed prerequisite skill+5.

This technique represents training at avoiding opponents who wish to obstruct your movement. Evade (Acrobatics) lets you flip over, tumble under, or twist around your foe, while Evade (Judo) allows you to ward off your enemy’s hands as you run past. Either replaces DX when trying to evade (see Evading, p. B368). All normal penalties apply.

Default: Karate-1.
Prerequisite: Karate; cannot exceed Karate skill.

Certain hand strikes use unusual striking surfaces: the edge of the hand, a single protruding knuckle, a claw-shaped fist, etc. These do extra damage to fleshy or fragile targets at the cost of being much more vulnerable to injury when striking a hard surface such as armor or bone. Roll against Exotic Hand Strike to hit. Standard hit location penalties apply. Damage is thrust crushing plus Karate bonuses. Hurting Yourself (p. B379) applies if your target has any DR – not just DR 3+.

Defaults: Brawling-5, Judo-5, or Wrestling-5.
Prerequisite: Brawling, Judo, or Wrestling; cannot exceed prerequisite skill.

This close-combat attack consists of grabbing someone’s head and pressing your thumbs into his eyes. It usually requires two empty hands. Roll against Eye-Gouging to hit. Your foe may defend normally. If he fails, you grapple him and he cannot see! He can try to break free (p. B371) as usual on his turn.

Until your victim breaks free, you can drive your thumbs into his eyes on subsequent turns. This counts as an attack but doesn’t require an attack roll. Each eye takes thrust-4 crushing damage. This can cripple and blind the eyes but never gets the x4 wounding modifier for the skull – the thumbs are too short! (Exception: The GM may give some nonhumans the perk “Long Thumbs,” in which case the wounding modifier does apply. The same goes for fighters with Talons or Long Talons.)

You can gouge one-handed. The attack roll is against Eye-Gouging-4. Only one eye takes damage on later turns.

Blinding your foe is an effective tactic – but while the eyes are fragile, they’re also too small for most strikes to get at them effectively. Eye-Gouging is one solution but hardly the only one!

All of these close-combat strikes require an empty hand. If one of them hits and the target fails to defend, the victim must roll vs. Will. Any failure means he flinches and has -1 to attack and defense rolls until the end of his next turn, in addition to the technique’s other effects.

Defaults: Brawling-10 or Karate-10.
Prerequisite: Brawling or Karate; cannot exceed prerequisite skill-4.

This cinematic technique involves using the clawed fingers of one hand to grab an enemy’s eye and pull it out. It’s a strike, not a grapple. You can try it repeatedly but you can’t “hold onto” your enemy’s eye. Roll against Eye-Pluck to hit.

Damage is thrust-3 crushing, plus your Brawling or Karate bonus. Injury over HP/10 cripples the eye. Any excess is lost. The difference between this and Eye-Poke is that if you cripple the eye, your victim must make an immediate HT roll. Failure means you pluck out his eye – a permanent crippling injury! See p. B422.

If your foe’s Size Modifier exceeds yours by +5 or more, his eye is too big for you to grab and your Eye Pluck counts only as an Eye-Poke.

Defaults: Boxing-9, Brawling-9, or Karate-9.
Prerequisite: Boxing, Brawling, or Karate; cannot exceed prerequisite skill-4.

This is a jab to the eye using an extended finger. It can blind but it never gets the x4 wounding modifier for the skull (compare Lethal Eye-Poke, below). Roll against Eye-Poke to hit.

A hit inflicts thrust-3 crushing damage. Injury over HP/10 cripples the eye. Any excess is lost. A miss by 1 strikes the protective bone around the eye, damaging the face instead – but as you’re hitting bone, skull DR (usually DR 2) protects. Hurting Yourself (p. B379) applies if your target has any DR, not just DR 3+, or if you hit bone.

Due to the risk of finger injury, many fighters pull this blow (see Subduing a Foe, p. B401). Little damage is needed to cripple an eye in any event!

Defaults: Brawling-5 or Karate-5.
Prerequisite: Brawling or Karate; cannot exceed prerequisite skill.

This technique attempts to blind the foe by scratching a clawed hand across his face and eyes. It’s easier than most strikes to the eyes because you’re using a broad striking surface against a large target (the upper face), but actual injury is superficial at best.

On a successful hit, roll thrust-1 crushing damage. However, this isn’t a hard strike and normally inflicts no injury. Instead, the victim must make a HT roll at a penalty equal to the damage that penetrates DR. Failure means he’s blinded for 1 minute times his margin of failure. Critical failure means one eye suffers HP/10 of real injury (round down) and is crippled!

Default: Karate-11.
Prerequisite: Karate; cannot exceed Karate-5.

This is an attempt to drive an extended finger through an eye socket and into the brain. Treat it as Targeted Attack (Karate Lethal Strike/Eye) for all purposes. It inflicts thrust-2 piercing damage, plus Karate bonuses. It can blind and gets the ¥4 wounding modifier for the skull – just like any other piercing attack. With sufficient damage, it can kill.

Default: Guns (Pistol)-4.† Prerequisite: Guns (Pistol); cannot exceed Guns (Pistol) skill.

This technique lets you buy off the basic -4 to Guns (Pistol) for fanning a single-action revolver with RoF 1 held in one hand.

† Default is Guns (Pistol)-2 for those with Gunslinger.

Default: Fast-Draw (Any)-5, Judo-5, or Wrestling-5.
Prerequisite: Any Fast-Draw skill; cannot exceed prerequisite skill.

This technique allows you to Fast-Draw a weapon carried by another person. If the weapon isn’t visible to you, then you’re at an additional -2 to draw it (if there’s even a weapon there!) – and all penalties to draw a concealed weapon are doubled. Critical failure means that you have no active defense against your opponent’s next attack. Your foe can try to dodge or parry this Fast-Draw attempt, and may use 3 + (Retain Weapon/2) for such a parry.

Default: prerequisite skill-4.† Prerequisite: Any shooting skill; cannot exceed prerequisite skill.

This technique lets you buy off the -4 to skill for fast-firing a weapon with RoF 2 or 3. See Fast-Firing (p. 11).

† Default is shooting skill-2 for those with Gunslinger.

Default: prerequisite skill.
Prerequisite: Any suitable combat skill; cannot exceed prerequisite skill+4.

If you know this technique above default, you may use it instead of the underlying skill whenever you feint (see Feint maneuver). For instance, if you have Broadsword-14 and Feint (Broadsword)-16, you feint as if you had Broadsword-16.

Feints aren’t always phony attacks. They include breaks in rhythm, false steps, head fakes, and other ploys to misdirect the foe. This technique represents training in all such methods. If you know it above default, use it instead of the underlying skill whenever you feint (p. B365) or someone tries to feint you. For instance, with Broadsword at 14 and Feint (Broadsword) at 16, you would make and resist feints at 16.

Feint includes knowledge of Beats (pp. 100-101) and Ruses (p. 101). Make a ST-based roll to attempt a Beat or to use ST to resist one, an IQ-based roll to try a Ruse, or a Per-based roll to use Per to resist a Ruse. To find your level, add the difference between the relevant score and DX to Feint; e.g., DX 12, IQ 14, and Feint at 16 would allow a Ruse at 18.

† Some styles include a Style Perk that permits a default to Acrobatics, Dancing, or another non-combat skill; see Feints Using Non-Combat Skills (p. 101).

In a campaign that uses Tricky Shooting, this technique can be used with ranged weapons to represent practice with ranged feints.

Default: Arm Lock-3.
Prerequisite: Arm Lock; cannot exceed Arm Lock.

This technique lets you grab fingers and twist them painfully. Use the rules for Arm or Wrist Lock, except that all damage is to the hand - which is easier to cripple than the arm.

Default: prerequisite skill-2. Prerequisite: Any shooting skill; cannot exceed prerequisite skill.

You normally have -10 to shoot outside your arc of vision (see p. B74 or p. B389). Turning toward your target to remove this penalty is easy enough, but that requires movement points and may place other threats in your blind spot. Flank Shot offers an alternative: a sharp shoulder check, boosting awareness at the cost of balance.

This technique enables you to shoot to your side (not behind you) without changing facing. Make a standard ranged attack at your Flank Shot level, with an extra -1 if you target a specific hit location. Gunslinger gives half its usual bonus, and you cannot Aim at all. You suffer -2 to all active defenses until next turn.

Cinematic pistoleros often shoot two one-handed weapons, one to each side! It doesn’t matter what weapon shoots to which side – that’s a matter of crossing your arms, at most. Apply the modifiers for the “off” hand (-4) and Dual-Weapon Attack (-4 on both), plus -2 for Flank Shot. To be proficient at this, improve Flank Shot and eliminate the other penalties the usual way.

If you have Peripheral Vision, you don’t need this technique!

Default: Prerequisite skill-4.
Prerequisite: Any combat skill; cannot exceed prerequisite skill.

This technique lets you buy off the -4 to attack while crawling, lying face-up, or lying prone. Roll against Ground Fighting instead of the prerequisite skill when you use that skill to attack from the ground. For instance, if you had Wrestling at 14 and Ground Fighting (Wrestling) at 13, you could grapple from the ground at skill 13.

For every two points invested in Ground Fighting, you may also ignore -1 of the -3 to defend from the ground. Ground Fighting at skill-3 or skill-2 means you’re at -2, while at skill-1 or full skill, you have only -1. This replaces the rule on p. B231.

Defaults: Brawling-1 or Karate-1.
Prerequisite: Brawling or Karate; cannot exceed prerequisite skill.

A “hammer fist” is a punch using the side of a clenched fist. This technique includes both the true hammer fist and similar attacks meant to prevent injury to the attacker at the cost of less damage to the target: forearm smashes, punches with the palm or heel of an open hand, etc. In all cases, the striking surface is larger and less rigid than for a normal fist, reducing damage – but it’s much harder to injure yourself, making this strike ideal for hard targets.

Roll against Hammer Fist to hit. Damage is thrust-2 plus skill bonuses. If Hurting Yourself (p. B379) would apply, damage is 1/10 of what you roll, not 1/5. Furthermore, you suffer a point less damage if your hand is parried aggressively or with a weapon, or otherwise stopped painfully.

If your hand is crippled, you may use Hammer Fist to deliver a forearm smash. Use the above rules, but any self-inflicted injury affects the arm instead of the hand.

Defaults: Binding, DX-2, Judo-1, or Wrestling-2; cannot exceed Binding, DX, Judo, or Wrestling.

This is a limited, realistic version of Binding (pp. 82-83) for handcuffing a target quickly. It only works in close combat – and only if you grappled your target on a previous turn or parried his melee attack immediately prior to your turn.

On your turn, roll a Quick Contest: Handcuffing vs. the higher of your victim’s DX or best grappling skill. This counts as an attack. Victory means you’ve handcuffed a limb of your choice. On later turns, you can repeat the process to cuff another limb or make an uncontested Handcuffing roll to attach the cuff to an inanimate object (pole, car door, bomb…) within a yard.

You can handcuff a pinned opponent automatically in 2d seconds. A successful, unopposed Handcuffing roll reduces this to two seconds (one second on a critical success).

Escape attempts use the Escape skill (p. B192) or Slip Handcuffs technique (p. B233). This takes a minute. Time reductions give the usual penalties; see Time Spent (p. B346). The GM may permit cinematic heroes one attempt at -10 to escape in a turn – effectively instantly.

Default: Riding-3. Prerequisite: Riding; cannot exceed Riding skill.

Using only one hand to control your mount gives -1 to all Riding rolls, while using no hands at all gives -3; see Mounted Combat (p. B396). This technique represents training to buy off these penalties. Roll against Hands-Free Riding instead of Riding to control your mount using no hands. If you’ve improved this technique at all, you may ignore the -1 for using only one hand.

Defaults: Brawling-1 or Karate-1.†
Prerequisite: Brawling or Karate; cannot exceed prerequisite skill.†

This is a close-combat strike using the forehead. Natural targets are the face (-5) and skull (-7) of a standing adversary, but you can attack anything! However, while the skull is hard, it has poor reach and leverage for striking.

Roll against Head Butt to hit. Damage is thrust-1 crushing. Your victim may defend normally; if he parries, any damage this causes affects your face. Self-inflicted injury for a target with DR 3+ applies to the skull; however, your skull’s DR 2 protects normally. If you have rigid head protection – e.g., a metal helm – add +1 to damage and apply your armor’s DR against self-inflicted injury.

† Head Butt requires practice to be effective; fighters without Brawling or Karate strike at DX-2 and do only thrust-2 damage. This move is sometimes used while grappling and (illegally) in boxing matches, but it doesn’t benefit from Boxing, Judo, Sumo Wrestling, or Wrestling. Races with Strikers (p. B88) on their head don’t need Head Butt – they attack at full skill and do superior damage.

Defaults: Judo-3 or Wrestling-3.
Prerequisite: Judo or Wrestling; cannot exceed prerequisite skill.

This attack involves controlling an enemy’s head and neck using two arms. It targets similar body parts to Choke Hold (p. 69). However, the goal is to lock your victim’s neck in a way that lets you injure it or his throat – not to cut off his blood or air supply.

To apply this lock, you must first grapple your opponent by the neck; see Grappling (p. B370). Your victim may attempt to break free on his turn. If he fails, then on your next turn, you have two ways to injure him: you may attempt to choke him as described under Choke or Strangle (p. B370), substituting Head Lock for ST if better, or you may try to throw him as explained in Throws from Locks (pp. 118-119). You can alternate between these attacks for as long as you maintain the lock.

Treat sports-wrestling locks that seek to avoid causing injury as simple head or neck grapples. The same goes for the so-called head lock seen on the street (an arm around the neck).

Default: prerequisite skill-5.
Prerequisite: Any combat skill capable of striking the face; cannot exceed prerequisite skill-2.

This technique buys off the -5 to hit the face with one particular weapon skill. If the weapon is capable of several attack forms (e.g., thrust or swing), pick one.

Default: prerequisite skill-5.
Prerequisite: Any appropriate Melee Weapon skill; cannot exceed prerequisite skill.

This is the technique of using a weapon with a projection – usually a hook – to snag a foe’s head, limb, weapon, or shield in order to pull him off-balance. You can learn it for any Melee Weapon skill, but you’ll need a suitable weapon to use it.

Hook is a common technique for Axe/Mace, Polearm, and Two-Handed Axe/Mace, but while picks and most axes can hook, maces and knobbed clubs can’t – and only a few polearms sport hooks. It’s possible to add hooks to weapons that normally lack them, such as spears and staffs. Some swordfighting schools even taught (gauntleted!) fighters to grab their weapon by the blade and hook with the pommel and crosspiece. Swords wielded this way use the Axe/Mace or Two-Handed Axe/Mace skill, and are unbalanced. See Martial Arts Chapter 6 for more on suitable weapons and the associated skills.

Roll against Hook to hit, modified for the target as noted below. Your adversary may defend normally. Hook doesn’t usually inflict damage, but some weapons have an edged hook (see below). While using a weapon to hook a foe, you can’t use it to attack or parry. You can always release or drop it as a free action on your turn, however.

If hooking the head or a limb, apply standard hit location penalties. If you succeed, then on subsequent turns you may attempt to pull your victim off-balance or even to the ground. Roll a Quick Contest of ST. If you win, you drag your opponent into a kneeling posture; if he’s kneeling or crouching, he falls down. He can’t stand until he breaks free or you release him. If you lose or tie, nothing happens. If you critically fail, you drop your weapon! Your foe may try to break free normally on his turn.

Hooking a weapon is an attempt to disarm; see p. B401. Apply the usual penalty to hit the weapon but ignore the -2 for a non-fencing weapon. You get +2 in the ensuing Quick Contest, in addition to the usual modifiers. If you lose the Contest, your opponent retains his weapon and escapes from your hook.

If hooking a shield, roll to hit at -4 plus its DB. If you succeed, you may attempt to pull it out of line. Treat this as an attempt to disarm, but your opponent gets +4 in the Quick Contest if his shield is strapped to his arm. You get +2 if hooking with a two-handed weapon. If you win, the shield becomes unready – it’s still on your foe’s arm but he can’t block with it or benefit from its DB until he breaks free and takes a Ready maneuver to reorient it.

Certain weapons designed for hooking are sharpened on the inside of the hook. These include the Chinese hook sword and the European bill. Such weapons inflict the damage listed for their hook in addition to the above effects. If using the optional Pain and Breaking Free rule (p. 119), such weapons are very effective against lightly armored foes!

Default: Bow-4.
Prerequisites: Bow and Riding; cannot exceed Bow skill.

“Horse Archery” is shorthand for Mounted Shooting (Bow/Horse). See Mounted Shooting (p. 77).

Default: prerequisite skill-4. Prerequisite: Armoury or any shooting skill; cannot exceed prerequisite skill.

The quick procedure most likely to return a malfunctioning firearm to service is called Immediate Action. See Stoppage (p. B407) for basic rules. The -4 to the Armoury or IQ-based shooting skill roll mentioned there can be bought off with the Immediate Action technique; when learning Immediate Action, base shooting skill on IQ, not on DX. Shooting skill versions default to the Armoury specialty used with the relevant weapons, also at -4, but you must still choose a shooting skill specialty, not an Armoury one.

Modifiers: Any penalties to shoot the weapon that the gunman would have for tech level (p. B168), unfamiliarity (p. B169), and/or default between shooting skill specialties (p. B199); +1 for Weapon Bond (p. 23); +2 for Armorer’s Gift (p. 17).

The time needed for Immediate Action varies by gun. The average is three Ready maneuvers. Reduce this to two Ready maneuvers for a magazine-fed automatic weapon or to one for a revolver. The Tap-Rack-Bang perk makes Immediate Action a free action!

For more on Immediate Action, see High-Tech (p. 81).

Default: Armoury (Small Arms)-5.
Prerequisites: Armoury (Small Arms) and any unarmed grappling skill; cannot exceed Armoury (Small Arms) skill.

This move lets you disarm a gunman by taking his weapon apart. First, roll against your grappling skill at -4, not this technique, to grab his weapon (see Grabbing, p. B370). On a success, immediately roll a Quick Contest: Instant Arsenal Disarm vs. your foe’s DX or Retain Weapon (p. 29). Victory means you remove an important component of his weapon, such as the slide of a semiautomatic pistol, rendering it unable to fire. If your opponent wins, but by less than 3, his weapon is intact but unready. On any critical failure, your rival isn’t disarmed and may opt to roll at full skill to shoot you in the hand!

You must specialize by type of gun. While the technique defaults to Armoury, its specialties correspond to those for shooting skills.

Default: prerequisite skill Parry-1.
Prerequisite: Brawling or Karate; cannot exceed prerequisite Parry.

A Jam is an attempt to parry a low-line attack – typically a kick – by interposing a foot or leg aggressively enough to injure the attacker. It’s only useful against attacks on your lower body (feet, legs, or groin). You may attempt it instead of a non-damaging leg or foot parry once per turn; see Parries with Legs or Feet (p. 123).

Roll against Jam to defend, at the usual -3 for Brawling vs. a swung weapon. You cannot retreat. Failure means you’re hit; your attacker may choose to hit his original target, your parrying leg, or your parrying foot. Success means you parry and may roll against the underlying skill to strike the attacking body part or weapon, modified as follows.

Modifiers: The usual -2 for kicking. Against unarmed, +0 to hit a leg, -2 to hit an arm or foot, -4 to hit a hand; -1 if your foe knows Rapid Retraction (p. 51). Against armed, a basic -3; another -3 to -5 for weapon size (see p. B400); a further -3 for Brawling vs. a swung weapon.

Success on this skill roll inflicts thrust-3 crushing damage or thrust-1 at -1 per die, whichever is worse, on the targeted weapon or body part. Skill bonuses apply normally. Failure means you didn’t parry forcefully enough to inflict damage.

Default: Judo.
Prerequisite: Judo; cannot exceed Judo skill.

This is the primary attack of the Judo skill. On the turn immediately after a successful Judo parry, you may attempt to throw your attacker if he’s within a yard. You must have at least one hand free to do so. This counts as an attack. Roll vs. Judo to hit. (On an All-Out Attack, you can’t try two throws but you can make one attempt at +4.) Your foe may use any active defense – he can parry your hand with a weapon! If his defense fails, you throw him.

A thrown foe falls where you please. On a battle map, he lands in any two hexes near you. One of these hexes must be his starting hex, your hex, or any hex adjacent to one of those hexes. Your victim must roll against HT. Failure means he’s stunned. If you throw him into someone else, that person must roll vs. the higher of ST+3 or DX+3 to avoid being knocked down.

The intent of Judo Throw is normally to put your rival on the ground – not to injure him – but you can throw him in a way that maximizes the impact of the fall on a specific location, injuring it. This is frowned upon in sport matches! Treat a damaging throw like any other, but at -1 to hit plus any hit location penalty (not halved for grappling). Any location but the eye, vitals, or groin is valid; common targets are the skull, neck, and arm. Damage is thrust-1 crushing; there’s no bonus for skill. The victim may attempt a Breakfall (pp. 68-69) roll to reduce injury. Other effects are as for a regular Judo Throw.

You may also throw a grappled foe. Instead of parrying first, you must grapple your opponent. On a later turn, try to throw him. This is an attack resolved as a Quick Contest: Judo vs. the highest of your adversary’s ST, DX, or best grappling skill. If you attempt a damaging throw, the extra penalties do modify your roll. If you win, you throw your victim as above. Otherwise, you don’t – but unless you critically failed, you retain your grapple and may try again on a future turn.

Default: Karate-4.
Prerequisite: Karate; cannot exceed Karate skill.

This showy, dangerous move lets you leap into the air to increase range and damage with a kick. Some sources claim it was used to unhorse riders! It’s a special option for Committed Attack (pp. 99-100) and All-Out Attack (p. B365). The rules below replace the standard ones for those maneuvers.

As a Committed Attack, a Jump Kick involves a short jump forward or sideways that ends in a sharp kick. You must take two steps toward your foe; this effectively gives an extra yard of reach. Roll against Jump Kick to hit. A hit does thrust+1 crushing damage – or thrust at +1 per two dice, if better – plus Karate bonuses. Afterward, you cannot dodge or retreat until next turn, and have -2 on all other active defenses. On a miss, make the usual DX roll to avoid a fall; see p. B274.

An All-Out Attack involves hurling your body at your opponent foot-first. You must move at least half your Move (minimum 2 yards) forward. Roll against Jump Kick to hit. Your target parries at -2. A hit inflicts thrust+2 – or thrust at +1 per die, if better – plus skill bonuses. If you miss, or if your target successfully defends, you fall down unless you can make a DX-4 or Acrobatics-2 roll. Hit or miss, you have no defenses at all until next turn!

These rules are intended for Martial Arts campaigns. The GM is free to use the less-realistic version on p. B231 in games that don’t focus on the martial arts.

Defaults: Brawling-2 or Karate-2.
Prerequisite: Brawling or Karate; cannot exceed prerequisite skill.

Kicking covers all kicks not defined as standalone techniques: crescent kicks, hook kicks, rising kicks, roundhouse kicks, snap kicks, etc. Knowledgeable players are free to embellish, but in all cases, a kick requires an attack roll against Kicking and inflicts thrust crushing damage. Use Brawling or Karate skill – not Kicking – to determine the damage bonus, and use only the highest bonus. If you miss, roll vs. Kicking or DX to avoid falling down.

Combine Kicking with Committed Attack (pp. 99-100) or All-Out Attack for devastating kicks like roundhouses or stepping side kicks, or with Defensive Attack (p. 100) for close, jabbing kicks. Add in Deceptive Attack (p. B369) for fast snaps and other tricky moves, or Telegraphic Attack (p. 113) for slow kicks with big windups.

Defaults: Brawling-3 or Wrestling-4.
Prerequisite: Brawling or Wrestling; cannot exceed prerequisite skill.

This brutal attack involves dropping your entire weight onto your foe knee-first. It’s normally executed from a standing posture by driving your knee into your adversary and landing on top of him. You can only use it against an opponent who’s lying down, but it’s an ideal follow-up to a takedown. Knee Drop is a special option for Committed Attack or All-Out Attack. Use these rules instead of the usual ones for those maneuvers.

Roll against Knee Drop to hit. Your victim may dodge or block, or parry at -2. If he parries, your body counts as a weapon with weight equal to your ST; see Parrying Heavy Weapons (p. B376).

As a Committed Attack, Knee Drop inflicts thrust+2, or thrust at +1 per die if better. Brawling adds its usual damage bonus; Wrestling adds damage equal to its ST bonus (+1 at DX+1, +2 at DX+2 or better) instead. As an All-Out Attack, damage is thrust+3, or thrust+1 at +1 per die if better, plus skill bonuses.

On a miss, you hit the ground and one leg takes the damage you would have inflicted. If your opponent blocks with a shield, it has the same effect. Succeed or fail, you end up kneeling. You’re at -2 to defend and unable to retreat after a Committed Attack. After an All-Out Attack, you’re defenseless!

Defaults: Brawling-1 or Karate-1.
Prerequisite: Brawling or Karate; cannot exceed prerequisite skill.

This is a snapping blow with the knee. Unlike a kick, it’s only useful in close combat (reach C). Roll against Knee Strike to hit. If you’ve grappled your opponent, he defends at -2; if you grappled from the front, you may attack his groin at no penalty! On a hit, roll thrust crushing damage, plus your Brawling or Karate bonus.

Some fighters like to grab an opponent’s head and pull it down into a Knee Strike. For details, see Grab and Smash! (p. 118).

Defaults: DX, Wrestling, or Judo; cannot exceed DX+4, Wrestling+4, or Judo+4.

Leg Grapple is an attempt to catch the leg of a kicking foe. It’s a common response to high kicks. To use it, you must have one hand free and successfully parry a kick to your upper body – skull, eye, face, neck, torso, vitals, arm, or hand.

On your first turn following the parry, you may attempt to capture your opponent’s leg if he’s within a yard. This is an attack. Step into close combat and roll against Leg Grapple to hit. Your foe can only dodge; this represents retracting his kick before you can catch him. If you succeed, you’ve grabbed his leg.

Your foe may attempt to break free (p. B371) on his next turn, but you’re at +4 in the Quick Contest. Most fighters follow this technique with Leg Lock or a takedown (p. B370). If you try a takedown, you’re at +3 in the Quick Contest.

This technique is frowned upon in competition – and often outright illegal in the ring – but very common in street fights. If the campaign emphasizes high-kicking cinematic warriors, the GM may not want to let fighters improve Leg Grapple.

Defaults: Judo or Wrestling.
Prerequisite: Judo or Wrestling; cannot exceed prerequisite skill+4.

A leg lock is an attempt to restrain or cripple an opponent by twisting his leg. This technique allows you to improve your effective Judo or Wrestling skill for this purpose only.

To use Leg Lock, you must have two hands free and already have a successful Leg Grapple (p. 76) on your opponent. On your first turn following the Leg Grapple, you may attempt to place your foe’s leg in a lock. This is an attack. Roll against Leg Lock to hit. Your victim may use any active defense – he can parry your hand with a weapon! If his defense fails, you trap his leg in a lock.

Your foe may attempt to break free (p. B371) on his next turn. If he loses, he has a cumulative -1 on future attempts to break free.

On your next turn – and each turn thereafter, until your opponent breaks free – you may try to damage the trapped leg. Roll a Quick Contest: the higher of your ST (including your Wrestling bonus) or Leg Lock vs. the higher of your victim’s ST+4 or HT+4. If you win, you inflict crushing damage equal to your margin of victory. The target’s rigid DR protects normally. Flexible armor, including natural DR with the Flexible or Tough Skin limitation, has no effect.

If you cripple your victim’s leg, he’ll be unable to stand on it. You can inflict no further damage on a crippled limb, but you can continue to roll the Contest each turn. If you win, your target suffers shock and stunning just as if you had inflicted damage.

Rolls to inflict damage are completely passive and don’t count as attacks. You can simultaneously make close-combat attacks on your opponent, who defends at -4 in addition to any penalties due to the damage caused by the lock itself. An attempt to throw him using the lock does count as an attack; see Throws from Locks (pp. 118-119).

You can also apply this technique offensively. You must first use Judo or Wrestling to grapple your victim’s leg with two hands. If he fails to break free on his next turn, you may try Leg Lock on your next turn.

Leg Lock uses finesse to cripple a foe’s limb. For a brute-force technique, see Wrench (Limb) (p. 82).

Defaults: DX or Brawling.
Prerequisite: None; cannot exceed DX+3 or Brawling+3.

Limpet mines can be attached to opponents in combat by hand or using a limpet mine dispenser; in either case, roll against DX or Brawling to hit. This technique represents long practice with the task; roll against the technique level instead.

Default: prerequisite skill-2.
Prerequisite: Any combat skill; cannot exceed prerequisite skill.

This technique lets you buy off the -2 to attack from a kneeling or crouching posture. Roll against Low Fighting instead of the prerequisite skill whenever you use that skill to attack from a low posture. For instance, if you had Wrestling at 14 and Low Fighting (Wrestling) at 13, you could grapple from your knees at skill 13.

Low Fighting affects the -2 to defend while kneeling in the same way. If you know it at skill-1, you’re at -1 to defend, while at full skill, you have no penalty.

Default: prerequisite skill Parry-2.
Prerequisite: Boxing or Sumo Wrestling; cannot exceed prerequisite Parry.

Kicking is illegal in the boxing or sumo ring, so boxers and sumotori don’t normally train to face it – which is why Boxing and Sumo Wrestling parries are at -2 against kicks. Fighters who cross-train against kicking martial artists or use their skills outside the ring can certainly learn to parry kicks, however! This technique lets them buy off the -2.

Default: shooting skill-4. Prerequisites: Riding or a vehicle-operation skill (Bicycling, Driving, Teamster, etc.)†, and a ranged weapon skill; cannot exceed ranged weapon skill.

You’ve practiced shooting a ranged weapon from a moving mount or vehicle – chariot, horse, howdah, etc. You must specialize by both weapon skill and mount or vehicle type. Use the specialties listed for the two skills chosen as prerequisites. Mounted Shooting (Bow/Horse) is extremely common and called “Horse Archery” for brevity (p. B231).

If you’ve improved this technique, modifiers for a rough ride and/or limited mobility (see Attacking from Moving Vehicle or Mount, p. B548) – including those for turning in the saddle to shoot – can’t reduce your weapon skill below your Mounted Shooting level when using your chosen weapon from the specified platform. Other penalties apply normally. For instance, if you had Thrown Weapon (Spear)- 13 and Mounted Shooting (Thrown Spear/Chariot)-11, the penalties for a bumpy chariot ride couldn’t reduce Thrown Weapon (Spear) below 11, before other modifiers.

Remember that your skill with a mounted attack can’t exceed Riding skill (p. B397). Combat Riding (p. 69) mitigates this for the rider himself, but his passengers are limited by his Riding skill.

† The GM may allow Mounted Shooting with other skills involving device-assisted movement; e.g., Parachuting.

Default: ST-4; cannot exceed ST+3.

This brute-force attack consists of grabbing and suddenly twisting the victim’s head, with the intent of snapping the neck. Unlike most techniques, Neck Snap defaults to ST, not a skill. Wrestling gives its usual skill-based ST bonus.

To use this technique, you must first grapple your opponent by the neck using two hands; see Grappling (p. B370). Your victim may attempt to break free on his turn. If he fails, then on your next turn, roll a Quick Contest: Neck Snap vs. the higher of his ST or HT. This counts as an attack.

If you win, you inflict swing crushing damage on your victim’s neck, with the usual x1.5 wounding modifier for hit location. The target’s rigid DR protects normally, but flexible armor – including natural DR with the Flexible or Tough Skin limitation – has no effect. Neck injury can have serious consequences; see Lasting and Permanent Injuries (pp. 138-139).

Otherwise, you inflict no damage. You may make repeated attempts on later turns. Your opponent may attack you or attempt to break free during this time, subject to the usual limitations of being grappled.

Default: prerequisite skill-4.
Prerequisite: Any Melee Weapon skill; cannot exceed prerequisite skill.

This technique lets you 'buy off' the -4 for using your 'off' hand with one specific Melee Weapon skill. Use your level with this technique instead of the prerequisite skill whenever you use that skill to attack or parry with your offhand. For instance, if you had Rapier-14 and Off-Hand Weapon Training (Rapier)-14, you could attack and parry at full skill with your off hand.

With the GM's permission, you can learn this technique for any DX-based skill that requires only one hand.

Default: prerequisite skill-6. Prerequisites: Any shooting skill and Observation; cannot exceed shooting skill.

This technique enables you to buy off the -6 to shooting skill when rolling to claim extra Aim bonuses as below. Rifle is by far the most common specialty!

When learning this technique, base shooting skill on IQ, not on DX.

By taking considerable extra time, you can exceed the usual limits on Aim (p. B364). This is a specialized use of Time Spent (p. B346). It requires at least three of the following: somewhere to brace, a scope, ballistic tables, a wind gauge, and a trained spotter (Observation 12+) equipped with optics (unless you have the Deadeye perk, p. 18). Extended aiming works as follows. The first three steps are simply ordinary Aim maneuvers. For each step past the third, make an IQ-based Guns roll at -6; learn the Precision Aiming technique (pp. 28-29) to buy off the -6. Success grants the bonus listed in the table; you may shoot or keep aiming. Failure costs you all aiming bonuses – start over. Critical failure means the target sees a protruding barrel or glint off the scope! The final bonus to Accuracy can’t exceed the lower of your scope’s bonus and your gun’s basic Accuracy. Bonuses for scopes and bracing add normally. For more complete rules, see High-Tech (p. 84). This version is streamlined for Gun Fu campaigns.

Prerequisite: Boxing, Brawling, or Karate. Cost: skill-4 [0], skill-3 [2], skill-2 [3], skill-1 [4], or skill [5]. Proxy Fighting lets you buy off the -4 to hit when you kick or punch objects into foes, as explained in Shoving Stuff into People.

Defaults: Brawling-3 or Karate-3.
Prerequisite: Karate or Brawling; cannot exceed prerequisite skill.

This is a kick that shoves your adversary away instead of injuring him. You hit him with the flat of your foot and push. Many kickboxing styles use this technique to shove an opponent into the ropes or far enough away to allow a full-extension finishing move.

A Push Kick is a shove (p. B372) in all respects except that it’s done as a kick. Roll against Push Kick to hit. Your opponent may defend normally. If you succeed, roll your usual kicking damage and double it. This damage causes no injury – use it only to work out knockback (p. B378).

The above rules assume a Push Kick to the torso. A Push Kick to the leg gives the victim -2 to any DX roll to avoid falling down as a result of knockback. Targeting the skull, face, or neck makes the penalty -3. No other hit locations are valid.

Defaults: Acrobatics-3, Jumping-3, or Riding-3.
Prerequisite: Acrobatics, Jumping, or Riding†; cannot exceed prerequisite skill.

This technique represents training at quickly mounting a horse or similar beast. Roll against it instead of Acrobatics, Jumping, or Riding for this purpose. See Mounting Up (p. B396).

† The GM may allow Quick Mount for motorcycles and even cars (a speedy slide through an open window into the driver or passenger’s seat). This technique requires Acrobatics, Jumping, or the appropriate Driving skill.

Default: prerequisite skill-6.†
Prerequisite: Any shooting skill; cannot exceed prerequisite skill.

This technique lets you buy off the -6 to perform a Ranged Rapid Strike with a RoF 2+ gun. See Multiple Attacks (pp. 9-10).

† Default is shooting skill-3 for those with Gunslinger.

Default: prerequisite skill.†
Prerequisite: Any Weapon skill; cannot exceed prerequisite skill+5.†

If you know this technique above default, you may use it instead of the underlying skill whenever somebody actively tries to disarm you (see Knocking a Weapon Away, p. B401). For instance, if you have Staff-13 and Retain Weapon (Staff)- 16, you resist disarms as if you had Staff-16.

Should an adversary try to disarm you using brute strength, you may make a ST-based Retain Weapon roll instead of a ST roll. Find your level by subtracting DX and adding ST. For example, if you have ST 14, DX 12, and Retain Weapon-15, your ST-based level is 15 - 12 + 14 = 17.

† When learning this technique for missile weapons such as guns and bows, it defaults to DX and cannot exceed DX+5.

Defaults: Flail-5 or Kusari-5.
Prerequisite: Flail or Kusari; cannot exceed prerequisite skill.

This technique capitalizes on a kusari or flail’s flexibility to strike the enemy from behind while facing him. To attempt it, you must have sufficient reach to attack a yard beyond your opponent – that is, reach equal to his range from you plus a yard.

Roll against Return Strike to hit. If the target has never seen this move (GM decides), treat it as an attack from behind. This usually allows no active defense! Otherwise, it’s considered an attack from the side, which gives -2 to most defenses. See pp. B390-391 for detailed rules. Damage is unchanged, but only the DR on your victim’s back applies.

You can combine Return Strike with Close Combat (p. 69) to do a “wrap shot” while in close quarters; see Using Techniques Together (p. 64). Treat this as striking into close combat (p. B392). If you miss your target or he dodges, you may hit yourself!

Defaults: prerequisite skill-6 for most one-handed weapons, skill-4 for two-handed ones, or full skill for Tonfa (only).
Prerequisite: Any Melee Weapon skill; cannot exceed prerequisite skill.

This technique – useful only with weapons that can make thrusting attacks – lets you avoid the need for a Ready maneuver to switch between a regular overhand grip and an underhand grip more suitable for close-quarters stabbing. A successful Reverse Grip roll lets you change grips instantly. Failure means you drop the weapon and your turn ends… and critical failure also inflicts Tip Slash (p. 113) damage on your torso!

Once reversed, most weapons work differently – see Reversed Grip (pp. 111-112) for details. The main uses for this technique are to prepare a long weapon for close combat and to sheathe your weapon more quickly (see Quick Sheathing, p. 102).

You can also use this technique to spin a tonfa (p. 225). It defaults to full Tonfa skill, as the weapon’s side handle makes this move exceptionally easy

see p. B233
Prerequisite: Climbing.
Cost: skill-2 [0], skill-1 [1], or skill [2].

This technique lets you buy off the -2 to Climbing skill for climbing up a rope. See Climbing (Exploits, p. 19).

Prerequisite: Acrobatics or Jumping.
Cost: skill [0], skill+1 [2], skill+2 [3], skill+3 [4], skill+4 [5], skill+5 [6], or skill+6 [7].

If you’ve raised this technique, use it instead of Acrobatics or Jumping when rolling for the stunts under Running Climb (Exploits, p. 19).

Default: Judo.
Prerequisite: Judo; cannot exceed prerequisite skill level.

This technique involves grappling your opponent, falling with him, and using your entire weight to throw him. It’s risky, but difficult to resist. You may only attempt it if a regular Judo Throw (p. 75) would be possible; that is, on your turn immediately following a successful Judo parry or grapple. Sacrifice Throw is a special option for All-Out Attack (p. B365). Use these rules instead of the standard ones for All-Out Attack.

Before you attempt the throw, you must declare whether you intend to land face-up, face-down, or kneeling, as well as where you plan to end up. One of your landing hexes – the only one, in the case of kneeling – must be your hex, your foe’s hex, or a hex adjacent to one of these. You must also state whether you want your victim to end up face-up or face-down, and where, subject to identical restrictions. You can end up in the same place; that is, you can land atop him or pull him down on top of you.

After stating your goal, roll against Sacrifice Throw to hit. Succeed or fail, you immediately end up in your declared posture and location, defenseless due to your All-Out Attack! Your opponent has -1 to dodge or block. He’s at -3 to parry if you fell or at -2 if you only dropped to your knees. If he fails to defend, you throw him exactly as you planned. If you were grappling him, you may let go as a free action, but you don’t have to – it’s common to hang on and follow a Sacrifice Throw with a pin or choke.

This throw is dangerous in combat but common and useful in point-based matches.

see p. B233
Prerequisite: Climbing.
Cost: skill-3 [0], skill-2 [2], skill-1 [3], or skill [4].

This technique lets you buy off the -3 to Climbing skill when scaling a building. See Climbing (Exploits, p. 19).

Default: Wrestling-2.
Prerequisite: Wrestling; cannot exceed Wrestling skill level.

This technique allows you to grapple an adversary’s legs using your own. You must have both legs free. You must also be lying face-up, sitting, or standing – but if you’re standing, then successful or not, you automatically end your turn on the ground. Scissors Hold isn’t possible from other postures (kneeling, crouching, etc.).

Roll against Scissors Hold to hit. Your opponent defends normally. If you succeed, you’ve grappled his legs with yours. He may try to break free on his turn. If he fails, or chooses not to try, you’ve locked your legs around his. He may attempt to break free on subsequent turns, but at a cumulative -1 per turn.

If your foe is standing, Scissors Hold leads naturally to a takedown (p. B370). Having both of his legs grappled this way gives you +3 in the Quick Contest!

Cost: DX-2 [0], DX-1 [1], or DX [2]. This technique lets you buy off the -2 to DX (or, if you have it, Skiing) when making use of Skidding (Exploits, p. 19).

Prerequisite: Acrobatics.
Cost: skill [0], skill+1 [1], skill+2 [2], skill+3 [3], skill+4 [4], skill+5 [5], or skill+6 [6].

If you’ve improved this technique, it replaces DX or Acrobatics when rolling for the feats under Sliding (Exploits, p. 19).

You cannot eliminate the full penalty for a standing slide – Sliding at skill+6, with the -8, lets you try this at Acrobatics-2.

Prerequisite: Acrobatics or Running.
Cost: skill-2 [0], skill-1 [1], or skill [2].

This technique lets you buy off the -2 to Acrobatics or DXbased Running assessed in Spinning (Exploits, p. 20).

Defaults: prerequisite skill-2, or -3 for a kick.
Prerequisite: Karate or any Melee Weapon skill; cannot exceed prerequisite skill.

This technique involves turning in a circle before attacking. You must specialize. Spinning Punch defaults to Karate- 2, and covers all forms of spinning hand and arm strikes. Spinning Kick defaults to Karate-3. Spinning Strike defaults to Melee Weapon-2, and you must specify the skill; e.g., Spinning Strike (Knife). All of these are special options for All-Out Attack or Committed Attack (pp. 99-100) – use the rules below instead of the normal ones for those maneuvers.

The goal behind spinning before attacking is to deceive your opponent. This might work on a less-skilled adversary, but a skilled fighter is likely to detect your ploy and defend more easily. To simulate this, roll a Quick Contest of Spinning Attack against your opponent’s best melee combat skill before you make your attack roll. If you win, you may subtract your margin of victory from your victim’s defense roll against the blow. If you lose, you “telegraph” your intentions and your foe may add his margin of victory to his defense! Thus, this move is risky… but it’s still common in tournaments and sport martial arts.

Next, make an attack roll against Spinning Attack. Your target may use any active defense, adjusted by the modifier determined in the Contest. This does add to the penalty for a feint, Deceptive Attack, etc. – a well-executed Spinning Attack can increase the defense penalty while a bad one can cancel it out (or worse). However, if you wish to try a Deceptive Attack, you must apply the penalty for that option to both your roll in the Contest and your attack roll.

As a Committed Attack, a Spinning Attack does normal damage for your punch, kick, or weapon. It leaves you at -3 on all defense rolls and unable to retreat. If you struck with a hand or a weapon, you can’t use it to parry. If you kicked, you can’t dodge at all. These penalties last until your next turn.

As an All-Out Attack, a Spinning Attack involves putting your full weight behind the blow, using an exaggerated spin (360° or more!), and/or a making a wide, looping attack. You’re at -2 to skill for both the Contest and your attack roll. However, your damage is at +2 or +1 per die, whichever is better. You have no defenses.

In either case, if you throw a Spinning Kick, balancing during the spin is especially difficult. If your kick misses or your foe successfully defends, the roll to avoid falling is against DX-2.

You can combine Spinning Punch with Elbow Strike (p. 71), Exotic Hand Strike (p. 71), Hammer Fist (p. 73), or Lethal Strike (p. 85). Likewise, you can mix Spinning Kick with Lethal Kick (p. 85). The GM may permit other techniques, and may allow armed techniques to work with Spinning Strike. See Using Techniques Together (p. 64) to find effective skill level.

Defaults: Brawling-3 or Karate-3.
Prerequisite: Brawling or Karate; cannot exceed prerequisite skill.

This kick consists of a swift, downward stamp with the heel, using your entire body weight to give additional force to the kick. It does more damage than a normal kick, but it can only target an opponent who’s lying down or the foot or leg of a standing foe.

Roll against Stamp Kick to hit. Damage is thrust+1, plus your Brawling or Karate bonus. On a miss, you stomp the ground and must make a DX roll to avoid ending up off-balance and unable to retreat until your next turn.

Default: Riding. Prerequisite: Riding; cannot exceed Riding+4.

This technique represents special training in the art of staying on the back of a mount. When rolling for any reason to avoid falling off your mount (for instance, the situations on p. B397), use Staying Seated instead of Riding. The GM may allow a similar technique for Driving (Motorcycle).

Default: prerequisite skill-3.
Prerequisites: Appropriate Melee Weapon or unarmed combat skill; cannot exceed prerequisite skill.

This technique lets you knock down an opponent in a single attack rather than by grappling him and executing a takedown or throw. It isn’t aimed at his center of mass with the goal of pushing him away, like a Push Kick or shove. It’s an attempt to “clothesline” his neck or head, knock his legs out from under him, or otherwise unbalance him.

Roll against Sweep to hit. Hit location is a special effect – don’t apply a penalty for it. Your target may defend normally. If he fails, roll a Quick Contest: your Sweep or ST vs. his ST, DX, Acrobatics, or best grappling skill. Use the highest value in both cases. If he loses, he falls down.

Many combat skills can Sweep. You can try an armed version with any two-handed weapon with reach 2+. This defaults to Polearm, Spear, Staff, Two-Handed Axe/Mace, Two-Handed Flail, or Two-Handed Sword, and has the weapon’s usual reach. You can also Sweep with Judo, Karate, or Sumo Wrestling. When you attack, specify a stiff arm to the upper body (reach C, requires a free hand), a sweeping kick (reach C, 1, uses a leg), or a pull in a clinch (reach C, only when grappling). Those with Strikers, especially tails, can learn Sweep (Brawling) and attack at their usual reach.

Regardless of the weapon used, Sweep is a slow, pushing attack that doesn’t inflict damage.

Default: see below.
Prerequisite: see below.

Hits on “high-value” targets – face, chinks in armor, weapons, etc. – are effective fight-stoppers. Policemen often aim for the legs; special-ops soldiers, for the head; and cinematic gunfighters, for the opponent’s pistol.

Skill: The Melee Weapon, ranged weapon, or unarmed combat skill used.

Attack: The specific strike or grapple involved. For weapon skills, this is either “Swing” or “Thrust.” For unarmed striking skills, this is generally “Punch.” Either can instead name a striking technique such as Disarming, Kicking, Lethal Strike, or Return Strike. For grappling skills, options are “Grab,” “Grapple,” and – for Judo – “Throw.”

Target: This can be a hit location other than the torso (Eye, Face, Arm, etc.), chinks in armor at a specific hit location (Torso Chinks is valid, although the GM may rule that some hard armor isn’t vulnerable), or Weapon. The attack must be able to target the location in the first place – a condition that most often affects attacks to the vitals, eye, or chinks in armor (see pp. B399-400).

The default penalty equals the modifier to hit the target. For strikes, this is -2 for Arm or Leg, -3 for Groin or Vitals, -4 for Hand or Foot, -5 for Face or Neck, -7 for Skull, or -9 for Eye. It’s -10 for chinks in armor on any of these locations (this replaces the usual penalty), but only -8 for chinks in torso armor. All strikes at weapons default at -4. Blows (Swing, Punch, etc.) intended to break a weapon have no extra penalty; attempts to disarm must specify Disarm as their attack and have a further -2 except with a fencing weapon (see p. B400).

Grapples use half the usual hit location penalty: -1 for Arm or Leg, -2 for Hand or Foot, -3 for Face or Neck, etc. Grabs for weapons are at -4. Judo throws can target any body part but the Eye, Vitals, or Groin, at the penalties given for strikes. Such throws damage the targeted location and require a HT roll to avoid stun (see Judo Throw, p. 75).

If defaulting from a skill, add the penalty for any special attack: -1 for Knee Strike; -2 for Elbow Strike, Kicking, or Lethal Strike; -4 for Lethal Kick; and so on. If defaulting from a technique, don’t apply this penalty – the technique’s default already includes it! Disarms default to skill and Disarming at the same penalty.

By improving Targeted Attack, the fighter can buy off up to half of his default penalty (round up) for a strike, grab, or throw, or the whole penalty for a grapple. Write the TA as “TA (Skill Attack/Target).” Some examples:

• TA (Boxing Punch/Face): Defaults to Boxing-5; cannot exceed Boxing-2.
• TA (Broadsword Disarm/Weapon): Defaults to Broadsword-6 or Disarming (Broadsword)-6; cannot exceed Broadsword-3 or Disarming (Broadsword)-3.
• TA (Broadsword Swing/Neck): Defaults to Broadsword-5; cannot exceed Broadsword-2.
• TA (Judo Throw/Skull): Defaults to Judo-7; cannot exceed Judo-3.
• TA (Karate Knee Strike/Groin): Defaults to Karate-4 or Knee Strike-3; cannot exceed Karate-2 or Knee Strike-1.
• TA (Rapier Thrust/Vitals Chinks): Defaults to Rapier-10; cannot exceed Rapier-5.
• TA (Wrestling Grab/Weapon): Defaults to Wrestling-4; cannot exceed Wrestling-2.
• TA (Wrestling Grapple/Arm): Defaults to Wrestling-1; cannot exceed Wrestling.

Roll against Targeted Attack to hit. A TA against a weapon assumes -4 to hit; roll at +1 vs. large weapons (-3 to hit), -1 vs. small ones (-5 to hit).

Repeating a Targeted Attack makes you predictable. If you use the same TA twice on a foe in a fight, he defends at +1 against your third and later uses!

Targeted Attacks are realistic but complex. The GM is welcome to forbid them if they seem too fussy.

Default: Brawling-3, Judo-2, or Wrestling-2. Prerequisite: Brawling, Judo, or Wrestling; cannot exceed prerequisite skill.

The Testicle Grab (sometimes called the “Nutcracker”) is an attempt to seize and crush something near and dear to a male opponent. It’s of no value against women, eunuchs, nonhumans and robots that lack suitable anatomy, etc. While it normally defaults to Wrestling, it’s also a common Brawling move and occasional Judo technique.

To use Testicle Grab, you must have a hand free. Roll against your level in this technique to hit. Your foe may use any active defense – he can parry your hand with a weapon! If you hit, your target may attempt to break free (p. B371) on his next turn.

On your next turn – and each turn thereafter, until your victim breaks free – you can squeeze. This counts as an attack, but requires no attack roll; just roll thrust-4 crushing damage on his groin (p. B399). Brawling or Wrestling bonuses apply normally. His rigid DR (such as an athletic cup; see Martial Arts, p. 234) protects normally. Flexible armor, including natural DR with the Flexible or Tough Skin limitation, has no effect.

This attack is painful! Your victim suffers a steadily worsening affliction (p. B428) based on the accumulated injury from the Testicle Grab: moderate pain after just 1 point, severe pain after 2 points, terrible pain after 3 points, and agony after 4+ points. High Pain Threshold and Low Pain Threshold work as usual against these afflictions. These effects replace both the usual Shock (p. B419) rules and Inflicting Pain with Locks (Martial Arts, p. 119).

This move lacks the leverage to let you use Throws from Locks (Martial Arts, p. 118). You can use Shoving People Around (Martial Arts, p. 118) and most other actions after a grapple, however. You can also reach down and use this on someone who’s grappling you in order to capitalize on Pain and Breaking Free (Martial Arts, p. 119).

Default: Guns (Pistol)-2.† Prerequisite: Guns (Pistol); cannot exceed Guns (Pistol) skill.

This technique allows you to buy off the -2 to Guns (Pistol) for thumbing a revolver.

† Default is Guns (Pistol)-1 for those with Gunslinger.

Default: Dodge-2; cannot exceed Dodge.

This technique helps you defend against opponents who use acrobatics or speed to get behind you and attack. It lets you buy off the -2 to Dodge against “runaround” attacks (p. B391).

If you’ve improved this technique, you can alternatively use it to keep track of an enemy who ends up behind you because you moved. Designate one foe before moving. If he attacks you before your next turn, you may use Timed Dodge against his first attack.

Whichever application you choose, you may use Timed Dodge only once per turn.

Cost: DX-5 [0], DX-4 [1], DX-3 [2], DX-2 [3], DX-1 [4], or DX [5]. This lets you eliminate the -5 to DX for Flipping a Weapon to Your Hand (Exploits, p. 39). You must specialize by Melee Weapon skill. If you know Fast-Draw for a given weapon type, you may base this technique on it instead of on DX.

Default: prerequisite skill Parry-1.
Prerequisite: Judo, Sumo Wrestling, or Wrestling; cannot exceed prerequisite Parry.

Trip lets you cause a two-legged foe to stumble and miss with a slam. It counts as a parry with the prerequisite skill. Success means you avoid the slam and your attacker must make a DX or Acrobatics roll at -5 or fall down!

Per p. B376, a charging fighter’s “effective weight” as a weapon equals his ST. Since your weight limit with an unarmed parry equals your Basic Lift, Trip fails automatically if your foe’s effective weight exceeds your BL. At ST 8 and BL 13, you couldn’t stop a ST 14+ opponent. With ST 14 and BL 39, only ST 40+ giants would be a problem.

Shield DB doesn’t benefit Trip. You can’t retreat for a bonus, either – or use a Slip or Sideslip (see Retreat Options, pp. 123-124). You can Dive by assuming a crawling posture across your foe’s path. Apply the usual modifier to your roll and use 2xBL to determine whom you can trip.

You can’t attack with Trip – use Sweep (see above) for that. However, you can use Trip to intercept someone running past you (not merely stepping) within a yard. On a battle map, that’s through your hex or an adjacent hex. This works like a regular Trip and counts as a parry.

Trip can use many body parts: arms, legs, a hip, etc. You must Dive or use a free foot to intercept a runner who isn’t trying to slam you.

Default: Brawling-2.
Prerequisite: Brawling; cannot exceed Brawling skill.

This technique involves either knitting the fingers of two hands together to strike or striking with two fists held together. A common move in movies and on television, it’s not terribly safe or effective in reality.

Roll against Two-Handed Punch to hit. Your opponent defends normally, but if he successfully parries and inflicts damage, both of your arms take full damage. If you take damage from striking DR 3+, both hands take full damage. Damage is thrust+1 crushing – or thrust at +1 per die, if better – plus your Brawling bonus.

On a turn when you attempt a Two-Handed Punch, you can only parry once with your hands. This does count as a Cross Parry (p. 121) – the parry is more effective but you only get one.

Default: Guns (Pistol)-2.†

Prerequisite: Guns (Pistol); cannot exceed Guns (Pistol) skill.

This technique permits you to buy off the -2 to Guns (Pistol) for thumbing a single-action revolver held in two hands.

† Default is Guns (Pistol)-1 for those with Gunslinger.

Much as you can kick as well as punch, you can use your legs to grapple. To do so, you must be facing your adversary and not pinned. You have -2 to DX or skill, but +2 to ST. The DX penalty stems from using your legs, not from posture. You only suffer penalties for a non-standing posture against a standing foe; Low Fighting and Ground Fighting affect these normally. Your enemy’s posture might give additional penalties to grapple certain hit locations from some postures; see Postures, Hit Locations, and Techniques (pp. 98-99). If you grapple with legs from a standing start, you avoid all posture penalties but end your turn lying face-up. It counts as a step to leap up, use your legs, and fall; see Change Posture (pp. 98-99).

Grapples using legs allow all the usual follow-ups – takedown, pin, strangle, bear hug, Neck Snap, etc. – at -2 DX, +2 ST. You can learn leg-based versions of grappling techniques for this. Each is a separate technique with an extra -2 on its default. All get +2 ST – or +1 to damage, if there’s no ST roll. Options include:

• Leg Throw: As Judo Throw (p. 75), but defaults to Judo-2.
• Lower-Body Arm Lock: As Arm Lock (p. 65), but defaults to Judo-2 or Wrestling-2.
• Lower-Body Head Lock: As Head Lock (p. 74), but defaults to Judo-5 or Wrestling-5.
• Lower-Body Leg Lock: As Leg Lock (p. 65), but defaults to Judo-2 or Wrestling-2.
• Triangle Choke: As Choke Hold (p. 69), but defaults to Judo-4 or Wrestling-5.

Defaults: Boxing-1, Brawling-1, or Karate-1.
Prerequisite: Boxing, Brawling, or Karate; cannot exceed prerequisite skill.

This is a short punch directed upward from a low stance. It delivers a powerful blow to an opponent standing in close. You can only use Uppercut against the upper body – skull, eye, face, neck, torso, arm – of a standing foe. (Exception: If his SM exceeds yours, you can target everything but his feet.) Damage is thrust crushing plus skill bonuses. Your target defends normally.

Uppercut is a very close-range punch. Many fighters throw it after getting their adversary in a clinch with the other arm. Grappling an opponent around the back of his head and punching is illegal in modern sport boxing, but very effective (see Grab and Smash!, p. 118).

Default: ST-4; cannot exceed ST+3.

This technique involves grabbing and suddenly twisting an enemy’s limb to dislocate or break it. It defaults to ST – not a skill – and must be learned separately for each limb: Wrench Arm, Wrench Leg, and so forth. Wrestling gives its usual skill-based ST bonus.

To use this technique, you must first grapple your opponent by the desired limb using two hands; see Grappling (p. B370). He may attempt to break free on his turn. If he fails, then on your next turn, roll a Quick Contest: Wrench (Limb) vs. the higher of your victim’s ST or HT. He gets +4 if you’re wrenching his leg. This counts as an attack.

If you win, you inflict swing crushing damage on the limb. The target’s rigid DR protects normally. Flexible armor – including natural DR with the Flexible or Tough Skin limitation – has no effect.

Otherwise, you inflict no damage. You may make repeated attempts on later turns. Your opponent may attack you or attempt to break free during this time, subject to the usual limitations of being grappled.

Defaults: ST-4 or Wrestling-4; cannot exceed ST+3 or Wrestling+3.

Some old wrestling manuals depict techniques for breaking an opponent’s back: pick him up, hoist him over both shoulders, and then pull his leg and arm (or neck) to snap his spine. While not difficult, this procedure is slow and requires great strength. For a rapid, cinematic spinesnapper, see Backbreaker.

Wrench Spine takes several turns to execute. On your first turn, you must grapple your opponent with two hands around the torso. Resolve this as a normal grapple.

If your victim fails to break free on his turn, roll against Wrench Spine on your next turn to hoist him into position. Success means you lift him up and swing him over your shoulders. Any failure means you fall down with your foe on top of you and take thrust damage to your own neck. If your opponent’s weight exceeds your BLx4, you simply can’t pick him up; your attempt fails but you don’t fall or hurt yourself.

On later turns, roll a Quick Contest of Wrench Spine vs. the higher of your victim’s ST+4 or HT+4. If you win, you inflict swing crushing damage. The target is the spine. There’s no wounding multiplier for this location but sufficient injury can mean severe and possibly permanent crippling; see New Hit Locations (p. 137). Even if the GM isn’t using the spine hit location in general, he should use those rules for Wrench Spine.

The target’s rigid DR protects normally. Flexible armor, including natural DR with the Flexible or Tough Skin limitation, has no effect. The spine’s own DR doesn’t help, either – you’re not striking the spine but applying continuous pressure to break it.

You may make repeated attempts on later turns. Your opponent may attack you or attempt to break free during this time, subject to the usual limitations of being grappled.

Default: prerequisite skill-5.
Prerequisites: Broadsword, Staff, or Two-Handed Sword; cannot exceed prerequisite skill.

Whirlwind Attack is a special All-Out Attack that lets you attack every foe adjacent to you with lightning speed! If you use this technique, it is all you can do that turn, no matter how fast or skilled you are. Furthermore, since this is an All-Out Attack, you will have no active defenses after - see All-Out Attack maneuver.

When you launch a Whirlwind Attack, you spin in place, attacking all adjacent foes within one yard. You must attack them in clockwise or counterclockwise order - your choice. All your attacks must be swung attacks, and you cannot combine a Whirlwind Attack with other techniques (such as Disarming) or with cinematic skills (such as Power Blow).

Determine a random hit location for each target, and then roll against Whirlwind Attack to hit, with the usual hit location penalties. Your opponent may defend normally. Resolve each attack completely before moving on to the next one. If any of the attacks is a critical miss (or if any of your opponents critically succeeds on his defense), that attack and all remaining attacks are critical misses - roll on the Critical Miss Table once per attack!

You may end a Whirlwind Attack facing in any direction you wish.

Default: prerequisite skill-5.

Prerequisite: Any shooting skill; cannot exceed prerequisite skill.

Whirlwind Barrage is a special All-Out Attack that lets you shoot as many foes as your RoF allows, regardless of where they’re standing. Its rules replace the regular All-Out Attack rules. It’s all you can do on that turn, and it leaves you with no active defenses.

The firearm you use must be capable of RoF 2+. If it’s a full-automatic weapon or one that fires bursts, use listed RoF. Otherwise, use the highest RoF you could achieve with any applicable rule under High-Speed Shooting. In all cases, RoF cannot exceed remaining shots.

To perform the Whirlwind Barrage, spin in place (you cannot step) and attack all foes surrounding you in clockwise or counterclockwise order – you choose the order and how much of your RoF to expend on each target. Determine a random hit location for each enemy and then roll against Whirlwind Barrage to hit, with the usual modifiers for rapid fire, range, and hit location, but ignoring modifiers for any implied Fanning, Fast-Firing, etc. Gunslinger adds Acc or half Acc (with a one- or two-handed weapon, respectively) as usual, but only against one opponent of your choice, plus one additional foe per level of Enhanced Tracking. If any attack is a critical miss, then it and all remaining attacks become critical misses. Roll on the Critical Miss Table (p. B556) once per attack!

Your opponents defend normally. You may end a Whirlwind Barrage facing in any direction.

These techniques are so risky – or so unlikely to be effective in a real fight – that few reputable real-world schools teach them. This doesn’t mean they’re impossible, only that a martial artist needs Trained by a Master or Weapon Master to improve them. Anybody can attempt a cinematic technique at default, if the GM permits.

The GM is free to forbid a technique - even at default - if he feels it would spoil the game’s “feel.” This might be because the campaign is realistic, but cinematic techniques don’t automatically fit every cinematic setting, either. Conversely, if the GM believes that a technique is realistic, it is… at least in his game.

Defaults: ST-3 or Wrestling-3; cannot exceed ST+3 or Wrestling+3.

Some cinematic wrestlers – and strongmen in general – can pick up an opponent and break his spine over their knee. To attempt this, you must first grapple your foe with two hands around the torso. Resolve this as an ordinary grapple.

If your opponent fails to break free on his turn, roll against Backbreaker on your next turn. Success means you lift up your victim, drop to one knee, and smash his back across your other knee. Failure means you drop him; he ends up face-up on the ground and you end up kneeling, but neither of you suffers damage. If his weight exceeds your BLx4, you simply aren’t strong enough to pick him up – you waste a turn trying to lift him and can’t proceed with the technique.

A successful Backbreaker does swing crushing damage to the spine. This location has no special wounding multiplier but sufficient injury can do serious harm; see New Hit Locations (p. 137). Even if the GM isn’t using the spine hit location, he should use those rules for Backbreaker. The target’s rigid DR protects normally. Flexible armor, including natural DR with the Flexible or Tough Skin limitation, has no effect. The spine’s DR does apply, as this is a direct blow to the spine.

Default: prerequisite skill.
Prerequisite: Judo or Knot-Tying; cannot exceed prerequisite skill+4.

This is the technique of binding a victim limb-by-limb while parrying his attacks. In Japanese legend, guards and police used it to restrain criminals, while ninja used it for abductions. To use Binding, you must have a rope (or handcuffs) ready in two hands.

Binding only works in close combat. On your turn after a successful grapple or parry – unarmed or using the rope – you can attempt to bind a limb. To do so, win a Quick Contest of Binding vs. your foe’s DX or best grappling skill. This is an attack. To tie up successive limbs, repeat the process. You can bind two limbs with cuffs, any number with a rope. Your victim can try to free himself on his turn; use the rules for Bolas (p. B410).

If you bind all of your victim’s legs, he must roll vs. DX-6 every turn or fall down. His DX and ST are at -6 to resist takedowns and techniques intended to knock him down. If you bind all of his limbs, he’s helpless – although he can attempt an Escape or DX-6 roll to free himself (see Escape, p. B192).

Default: prerequisite skill-4.
Prerequisite: Any unarmed combat or one-handed Melee Weapon skill†; cannot exceed prerequisite skill.

If you attack with two weapons at once, you’re normally at -4 on each attack unless you All-Out Attack. This technique lets you buy off the penalty. To eliminate the extra -4 for the “off” hand, you’ll also need Off-Hand Weapon Training (p. 50). See Dual-Weapon Attacks (p. B417) for other important details.

You must learn Dual-Weapon Attack (DWA) separately for each skill. For instance, attacking with two axes requires two DWA (Axe/Mace) rolls, but attacking with an axe and a whip requires a DWA (Axe/Mace) roll and a DWA (Whip) roll.

Dual-Weapon Attack is a valid combat option even in realistic games. The technique is cinematic because you need Trained by a Master or Weapon Master to improve it.

† This technique is also available for Guns (Pistol) even in realistic campaigns and for Bow in cinematic ones. DWA (Bow) lets you shoot two arrows at once from a bow, possibly at different targets! Heroic Archer halves the default penalty to -2. Readying a second arrow requires an extra Ready or use of Multiple Fast-Draw (p. 103).

Defaults: prerequisite skill Block-1 or Parry-1.
Prerequisite: Any combat skill that gives a Block or Parry score; cannot exceed prerequisite Block or Parry.

You’re normally at -1 to defend against a Dual-Weapon Attack (p. B417). This technique lets you buy off that penalty. To ward off both attacks, you must make two defense rolls simultaneously: a parry with either hand or a parry with one hand and a block with the other. Roll against DualWeapon Defense for the weapon or shield in each hand.

You can also learn Dual-Weapon Defense for use with a two-yard or longer Polearm, Spear, Staff, or Two-Handed Sword weapon. This lets you buy off the -1 to parry both halves of a Dual-Weapon Attack with a single parry; see Parrying with Two-Handed Weapons (p. 123).

Default: prerequisite skill-2.
Prerequisite: Any combat skill; cannot exceed prerequisite skill.

Some cinematic martial artists show their contempt for lesser opponents by remaining seated when attacked. This technique replaces the prerequisite skill while seated; e.g., if you have Karate at 20 and Fighting While Seated (Karate) at 19, you can punch or feint from a seated position at 19, kick at 17, etc. Fighting While Seated also helps with the -2 to defend while seated. If you know it at skill-1, you’re at -1 to defend, while at full skill, you have no penalty.

You may stand on your turn by taking a Change Posture maneuver. To stand instantly, roll against Acrobatic Stand (p. 65) at +4. Success lets you take any maneuver normally. Failure means you must take a Change Posture maneuver.

For rules on fighting while sitting on the ground rather than seated in a chair, see Postures, Hit Locations, and Techniques (pp. 98-99).

Defaults: prerequisite skill-4, or -7 for a kick.
Prerequisite: Karate or any thrusting Melee Weapon skill; cannot exceed prerequisite skill.

A “flying” attack is a devastating blow that gets extra power from a full run and jump at the enemy. Realistic martial artists practice this stunt for show – never for combat. In the movies, though, all bets are off! Flying Jump Kick defaults to Karate-7 and ends in a kick. Flying Lunge defaults to Melee Weapon-4 for any thrusting weapon, and involves hurling yourself weapon-first at the foe.

Either flying attack is a special option for Move and Attack (p. B365). Use the rules below instead of the normal ones for that maneuver. If you use this technique, it’s all you can do that turn, no matter how fast or skilled you are.

To launch a Flying Jump Kick or Flying Lunge, you must first make a running broad jump; see Jumping (p. B352). This requires a DX or Jumping roll. If successful, then at the end of your jump, roll against your level with this technique to hit.

Your victim parries at -2. If you hit, you inflict your usual damage at +2 – or at +1 per die, if better. Start with kicking damage for Flying Jump Kick, your weapon’s thrusting damage for Flying Lunge.

Afterward, you cannot retreat. Moreover, you cannot dodge if you kicked or parry if you used a weapon. All of your remaining active defenses are at -2. These effects last until your next turn.

This technique is dangerous! If you fail the roll for your jump or your attack – or if your target successfully defends – you fall unless you can make a DX-8 or Acrobatics-4 roll. On a fall, you suffer damage for a collision with an immovable object (the ground) at an effective Move equal to the full distance of your run and jump.

Defaults: fencing weapon skill-9, other Melee Weapon skill-11, or unarmed combat skill-11.
Prerequisite: Any unarmed combat or Melee Weapon skill; cannot exceed prerequisite skill.

Grand Disarm is a special All-Out Attack that lets you disarm every foe adjacent to you with lightning speed. Use these rules instead of the usual ones for All-Out Attack (p. B365). If you attempt a Grand Disarm, it’s all you can do that turn, no matter how fast or skilled you are.

A Grand Disarm involves spinning in place – you cannot step – and trying to disarm every single foe within a yard. You must engage your enemies in either clockwise or counterclockwise order (your choice). You can’t combine this with any technique except Disarming (p. 70).

Roll against Grand Disarm once per foe, in the order chosen above, to hit his weapon. Your opponents may defend normally. If you critically miss on any of these attacks, your Grand Disarm ends immediately and you must roll on the Critical Miss Table (p. B556).

After resolving all of the attack and defense rolls, you may try to disarm everyone who didn’t successfully defend! Use the rules on p. B401; you roll against the higher of your weapon skill or your Disarming technique (not Grand Disarm). Resolve each disarming attempt completely before moving to the next. Should you be disarmed during one of these Contests, don’t keep rolling – your turn ends immediately.

Since Grand Disarm is an All-Out Attack, you have no active defenses afterward. In a cinematic game, though, it’s traditional for those disarmed this way to gape and gawk on their next turn – not to attack with another weapon or bare hands. The GM should make an IQ roll for each foe (in over-the-top games, at -1 per successful disarm after the first). Those who fail are mentally stunned (p. B420) by your awe-inspiring move!

Default: prerequisite skill Parry-3.
Prerequisite: Judo, Sumo Wrestling, or Wrestling†; cannot exceed prerequisite Parry.

This technique – popular with cinematic warriors, muscular henchmen, and super “bricks” – involves catching an incoming attack in your hand. It isn’t realistic! It’s a one-handed parry, even if the prerequisite skill usually parries with two hands, and incompatible with Cross Parry (p. 121).

Roll against Hand Catch to defend, at the usual -2 for Sumo Wrestling vs. a kick, or -3 for Sumo Wrestling or Wrestling vs. a weapon. You cannot retreat. Failure means you’re hit. The attacker may choose to hit his original target, your parrying arm, or your parrying hand. Success means you parry and may roll against the prerequisite skill to grab your attacker, modified as follows.

Modifiers: Against unarmed, -2 to hit a hand or foot; -2 for Sumo Wrestling vs. a foot; -1 if your foe knows Rapid Retraction (p. 51). Against armed, a basic -3; another -3 to -5 for weapon size (see p. B400); a further -3 for Sumo Wrestling or Wrestling vs. a weapon.

Success on this skill roll means you grapple the extremity or grab the weapon! On later turns, you can use any combat option or technique that requires a grab or grapple to set up – Disarming, Finger Lock, Judo Throw, Snap Weapon, Wrench Limb, etc., as applicable. Failure means you deflect the attack but fail to catch your attacker.

The GM may let realistic fighters try this technique at default. The consequences of failure are steep enough to keep it under control.

† You can also learn Hand Catch for Parry Missile Weapons in order to catch ranged weapons. If you have Precognitive Parry, you can use any Hand Catch specialty for this. Hand Catch can only trap projectiles (not beams) that the underlying parry could deflect. Use the standard modifiers for such parries instead of those above. Success plucks the weapon from the air, regardless of hand DR. Failure means you’re hit. Don’t use Hand Catch to catch something thrown to you – use Catching (p. B355).

Default: prerequisite skill Parry-5.
Prerequisite: Judo or Karate; cannot exceed prerequisite Parry.

This often-foolhardy cinematic technique – common in samurai stories – lets you trap an opponent’s weapon in midstroke. By clapping your hands together, you capture the weapon’s blade, haft, or head.

Roll against Hand-Clap Parry to defend against an attacker’s weapon. Success means you stop the attack and trap the weapon. Failure means you’re hit, and your assailant may choose to hit his original target or either of your hands! Succeed or fail, this is the only parry you may make with your hands this turn.

If you trap the weapon, your enemy’s turn ends immediately. He loses any additional attacks or maneuvers he might have had, and can’t step. He can’t use the trapped weapon to parry or attack until you relinquish it. On future turns, he may try to break free. If he opts to give up his weapon, it’s a free action on his turn.

On your next turn, you may attempt to disarm or use Snap Weapon (p. 87). You don’t have to do either – you can act normally while holding onto the weapon, as long as you leave two hands on the weapon and don’t step away from your victim. Relinquishing the weapon is a free action on your turn.

If you make a successful disarm attempt – or your foe releases his weapon – you may try to reverse the weapon and ready it yourself on your next turn. This requires a DX roll. Success means you catch the weapon, which counts as a Ready maneuver. On a critical success, you ready the weapon instantly! Failure means you drop it. On a critical failure, you also inflict Tip Slash (p. 113) damage on your torso.

Default: prerequisite skill-4. Prerequisite: Any fencing weapon skill; cannot exceed prerequisite skill.

A cinematic swashbuckler can try to carve an initial using his blade. Determine where he’ll carve the initial and the number of strokes he’ll need to carve it – for instance, a Z takes three. The first stroke is at no penalty beyond that for hit location; it’s at -0 on the torso, -5 on the face, and so on. If the stroke inflicts at least a point of cutting damage, it will mark anything but metal or similarly hard materials, ripping cloth (but not armor), scarring skin, and delivering any poison vile enough to need only a scratch. An impaling weapon can make a Tip Slash (p. 113) to do cutting damage.

It’s more difficult to align the remaining strokes of the initial relative to the first. The attack roll is at -4 (in addition to hit location modifiers) for an initial roughly 4”x4”. If a subsequent stroke fails by 4 or less, it makes a slash but it isn’t properly connected to the earlier lines – there’s a gap or an overlap (roll a die). This can be bad form; it might even change the initial to another letter! It’s possible to connect lines that are too far apart; try again at the same modifier. The victim might object to the erasing process, however, as this involves at least half a dozen crisscross lines. Initial Carving is generally the realm of the incredibly skilled… or those named Inigo, Ignatz, or Irene.

You must learn a separate technique for each letter. It lets you buy off the -4 for the second and later strokes. To remove the penalties for carving in a specific hit location, buy a Targeted Attack (p. 68).

Example: Don Lorenzo Estrada wishes to leave the initials L.E. on the skin of several (unwilling) acquaintances, so he practices long and hard. He spends 4 points on the L and 5 on the E (which takes four strokes, so he wants to get it right the first time). His Rapier skill is 14; he’ll make the first stroke of each letter on a 14 or less. The next part of the L is at default+3, giving a net -1 to skill – he needs a 13. The E is at default+4; he has no penalty to carve it at all.

Default: Karate-4.
Prerequisite: Karate; cannot exceed Karate skill.

This kick focuses all of your strength onto a toe or toes, converting your blow from crushing to piercing. This lets you target the vitals or eyes. Roll against Lethal Kick to hit, applying the usual hit location penalties. Damage is thrust-1 plus your Karate bonus. Hurting Yourself (p. B379) applies if your target has any DR – not just DR 3+.

Lethal Kick is generally impossible while wearing fully enclosed shoes or boots, but the GM might allow it with such pointy footwear as cowboy boots and stiletto heels – especially in a cinematic campaign!

As combat options, Lethal Kick and Lethal Strike are reasonable even in a realistic game. The techniques are cinematic because only warriors with Trained by a Master can improve them.

Default: Karate-2.
Prerequisite: Karate; cannot exceed Karate skill.

This is a hand strike with stiffened fingers. It uses the rules for Lethal Kick, above, but damage is thrust-2 plus your Karate bonus. It’s possible while wearing gloves with individual fingers, even gauntlets, but incompatible with mitts, boxing gloves, etc.

Defaults: ST-5 or Wrestling-5.
Prerequisite: Wrestling; cannot exceed ST or Wrestling. Piledriver involves grappling your opponent, turning him upside down, and driving his skull into the ground by sitting down hard. This is a clumsy, risky move, rarely seen outside professional (“entertainment”) wrestling. It’s a special All-Out Attack option – use these rules instead of the usual ones for that maneuver.

To execute a Piledriver, you must first grapple your opponent with two hands by the arms, torso, or legs. Resolve this as an ordinary grapple. Your foe may defend normally.

If your enemy fails to break free on his turn, then on your next turn, make a Piledriver roll to turn him head-down and drop to a sitting posture. This counts as an attack. If your victim’s weight exceeds your BL¥4, you aren’t strong enough to pick him up – your attack fails automatically but you must still roll to see if you critically fail!

Your victim may defend at the usual penalties for being grappled. If he knows the Wrestling skill, he can counter your move by pivoting to make the attack mechanically difficult. This defense counts as a Wrestling parry and is possible even if your foe has no hands free.

A successful Piledriver does thrust+4 crushing or thrust+2 at +2 per die, whichever is greater, plus damage equal to your ST bonus from Wrestling (+1 at DX+1, +2 at DX+2 or better). Apply this to the skull. Immediately afterward, you can attempt a pin as a free action. Your opponent may resist as usual – but he’s still grappled and may be stunned or otherwise suffering from his injuries.

If your Piledriver fails for any reason but being too weak to lift your foe, including a successful enemy defense, you still drop to a sitting posture. You must also roll vs. HT. A failed HT roll means you sit down too hard, strain your gut, etc. Apply the damage you would have inflicted to your own torso. Critical failure on the Piledriver roll means you end up sitting and injure yourself automatically (no HT roll).

A variation is to grapple your adversary, pick him up, and smash him skull-first into the floor, wall, or other fixed object. This is a common tactic for strong men in mixed martial arts bouts – often in response to being grappled. (If you do this without lifting your foe, use Grab and Smash!, p. 118, instead.) This move works as described above with three important differences:

• 1. If your foe is grappling you with two hands and you have a free hand, you can opt to grapple his head or arm with only one hand as your initial grapple. This is a standard grapple; your rival defends normally. However, if he lets go of you on his turn, you can’t attempt a Piledriver on your next turn (you still keep your grapple).
• 2. The attack roll is at +3, because you’re not trying to invert your victim after you pick him up.
• 3. Damage drops to thrust+2 crushing or thrust at +1 per die, whichever is greater, plus the Wrestling bonus.

Default: Karate-4.
Prerequisites: Jumping and Karate; cannot exceed Karate skill.

This technique is a variation on Jump Kick (p. 75) that uses a pole – typically a quarterstaff but sometimes a sword stuck in the ground or even a convenient banister – to vault into a kick. It involves a short pole-vault forward or sideways that ends in a sharp kick. It’s a special option for AllOut Attack. Use the following rules instead of the normal ones for that maneuver.

To attempt a Pole-Vault Kick, you must have two hands on a pole, sword, or similar vertical lever. You must take at least two steps toward the foe; this effectively gives you an extra yard of reach. Roll against Pole-Vault Kick to hit. Your target parries at -2.

If you hit, you do thrust+3 crushing damage – or thrust+1 at +1 per die, if better – plus your Karate bonus. If you miss, or if your target successfully defends, you fall down unless you can make a DX-4 or Acrobatics-2 roll. Hit or miss, you have no defense at all until your next turn!

As strange as it may seem, some real-world martial artists do practice this kick, although its effectiveness is doubtful. At the GM’s option, realistic warriors who practice especially flashy styles can buy a Style Perk that lets them improve this technique.

Default: prerequisite combat skill-2.
Prerequisites: Either Pressure Points or Pressure Secrets, and a combat skill that’s useful with those skills; cannot exceed combat skill.

Attacks with the Pressure Points and Pressure Secrets skills are normally at -2 to hit. This technique lets you buy off this penalty.

Default: prerequisite skill-2.
Prerequisite: Acrobatics or any unarmed combat skill; cannot exceed prerequisite skill.

This represents special training at presenting little resistance to the force of a punch or other bludgeoning attack, resulting in less injury. Whenever you’re hit by a crushing attack, you may roll against Roll with Blow to reduce damage.

Success means you take half damage (round up) before subtracting DR… but double the basic damage roll to calculate knockback (p. B378). This doubling is cumulative with the effects of attacks that normally cause extra knockback. Make a DX roll at -1 per yard of knockback to avoid falling down. Critical success on Roll with Blow means you take only 1 point of damage (extra knockback still applies).

Failure means you take normal damage and extra knockback. On a critical failure, you also fall down automatically and are physically stunned!

Roll with Blow is risky in places where knockback is likely to mean a collision. In a superhero game, the GM may let anyone learn this skill – people being knocked great distances into and through things is very much in-genre!

Defaults: ST-4 or ST-based Jitte/Sai-4; cannot exceed ST+3 or ST-based Jitte/Sai+3.

Cinematic strongmen often use brute strength to snap weapons. You can only attempt this if you trapped the target weapon with a barehanded grab or Bind Weapon (Jitte/Sai) on an earlier turn – or on your turn after making a successful Hand Catch or Hand-Clap Parry. Roll a Quick Contest: Snap Weapon vs. the weapon’s HT. Use HT 10 for missile weapons, HT 12 for melee weapons. Cheap weapons get -2; fine ones, +1; very fine ones, +2. This is an attack. If you win, you inflict thrust crushing damage on the weapon.

Default: prerequisite skill-2.
Prerequisite: Any unarmed combat or Melee Weapon skill; cannot exceed prerequisite skill.

Springing Attack represents an attack made from the kind of deep stance that some cinematic fighters use to “store up” energy for a powerful strike. To make an attack like this, you must first crouch. This takes your entire turn – you may do nothing else.

On your next turn, make a roll against Springing Attack – not the prerequisite skill – to hit with your first attack. If you hit, that one attack is at +2 to damage or +1 per die, whichever is better. If you miss, you have -2 to DX and all active defenses until your next turn. On a critical miss, you fall down! If your foe defends, you suffer no special ill effects.

You may combine Springing Attack with another striking technique. See Using Techniques Together (p. 64) to find effective skill level.

Default: active defense-2; cannot exceed active defense.

This technique helps you defend against opponents who use acrobatics or speed to move behind you and attack. It lets you buy off the -2 for a flank or “runaround” attack (p. B391) for one active defense. For Block or Parry, you must specialize by combat skill. You may use Timed Defense (Dodge) only once per turn.

Default: prerequisite skill-5.
Prerequisite: Boxing, Karate, or any Melee Weapon skill; cannot exceed prerequisite skill.

Whirlwind Attack is a special All-Out Attack that lets you attack every foe adjacent to you with lightning speed! If you make a Whirlwind Attack, it’s all you can do that turn, no matter how fast or skilled you are. Since it’s an All-Out Attack, it leaves you with no active defenses. Otherwise, the rules below replace the usual ones for that maneuver.

When you launch a Whirlwind Attack, you spin in place (you cannot step) and attack all foes within a yard. You must attack them in clockwise or counterclockwise order – your choice. All of your attacks must be kicks, punches, or strikes with a swung weapon, and you cannot combine Whirlwind Attack with another technique (such as Disarming, but see Grand Disarm, p. 84) or with cinematic skills such as Power Blow.

Determine a random hit location for each foe and then roll against Whirlwind Attack to hit, with the usual hit location penalties. Your opponents defend normally. Resolve each attack completely before moving to the next one. If using a weapon that can get stuck (see Picks, p. B405), your Whirlwind Attack ends on the first successful attack. If any of the attacks is a critical miss – or if any of your enemies critically succeeds on his defense – then that attack and all remaining attacks are critical misses. Roll on the Critical Miss Table (p. B556) once per attack!

You may end a Whirlwind Attack facing in any direction.

Nearly any task that calls for a skill roll at a penalty could become a technique. The main purpose of such techniques is to buy off skill penalties, but the GM might wish to provide additional details. For example, those from low-tech worlds might develop their skill in techniques to get around the limitations of their equipment. Anybody who knows the prerequisite skill can attempt these at default.

Prerequisite: Acrobatics. Cost: skill [0], skill+1 [1], skill+2 [2], skill+3 [3], skill+4 [4], or skill+5 [5].

If you’ve raised this technique, use it instead of Acrobatics with Balancing (Exploits, p. 19). This trick is redundant if you have Perfect Balance!

Default: First Aid-3.
Prerequisite: First Aid; cannot exceed First Aid skill.

This technique is a substitute for using a tourniquet. It can stop bleeding from the scalp, ear, or other location that can’t be tourniqueted but that has accessible blood vessels. The patient must be cooperative or restrained. The caregiver presses against an artery, reducing blood flow and slowing bleeding as for a successful First Aid roll. He may opt to make a ST-based (rather than IQ-based) roll. He must maintain the hold for a full minute, at the cost of 1 FP.

If using Bleeding (p. B420) and the initial Blood Vessel Pressure roll fails, the medic can maintain the hold at a cost of 1 FP per additional minute. Each minute allows another Blood Vessel Pressure roll, as well as the patient’s HT roll. If either succeeds, the wound doesn’t bleed in that minute.

At the GM’s discretion, this technique can also be based on Pressure Points skill. The prerequisite becomes Pressure Points; the default, Pressure Points-2; and the maximum level, Pressure Points+2.

Default: Electronics Operation (Communications).
Prerequisite: Electronics Operation (Communications); cannot exceed prerequisite skill+4.

Actively maintaining electronic links to more than one recipient at a time is tricky, leading to penalties on Electronics Operation skill rolls – but you are practiced at this. When making such a roll, apply the penalty to this technique rather than to the skill, then use the lesser of the result or your base Electronics Operation (Communications) skill.

Default: prerequisite skill-4.
Prerequisite: Any Per-based social interaction skill; cannot exceed prerequisite skill.

Normally, all the members of a small cohesive group will react to you as indicated by a single reaction roll or Influence skill roll (see Approachability, p. 25). This technique lets you spot one member of the group who is susceptible to being approached as an individual. You receive +1 to his reaction roll (+3 on a critical success); the reaction roll for the rest is unaffected. If you prefer, you can apply the bonus to an Influence roll against your specific target.

Defaults: Alchemy or Chemistry.
Prerequisite: Alchemy or Chemistry; cannot exceed prerequisite skill+6.

Distillation is one of the basic methods for purifying chemical substances. It appears at late TL2, when Roman and Chinese experimenters begin to develop alchemy and chemistry (the two aren’t clearly distinguished until TL5).

It’s used to produce alcohol, among other things. Roll against Chemistry skill for distillation. The proper temperature is vital and must be judged by observation; a distiller can improve his judgment up to Chemistry+6 using this technique. In a TL5+ lab or distillery, with accurate thermometers, getting the right temperature is easy and the full +6 is automatic. Early thermometers, before Fahrenheit’s, are less accurate, giving only +4. Thermometer bonuses replace technique bonuses; the two never add.

Success doubles the concentration of the desired substance; critical success means the yield is nearly pure. Failure doesn’t change the concentration. Critical failure produces the wrong substance, or (at the GM’s discretion) causes a lab accident such as a burst vessel or a fire.

Default:* Dreaming.
Prerequisite: Dreaming; cannot exceed Dreaming+5.

Consciously reliving successful default skill use in dreams can help you acquire the skill. Roll vs. Dream Rehearsal, halve your margin of success, and round up to find your bonus to IQ rolls for points-based learning (Back to School, pp. 5-7). Any success gives a minimum of +1; critical success always gives at least +5.

Default: Teaching.
Prerequisites: Teaching and a combat or athletic skill; cannot exceed Teaching+3.

Creates a series of movements – such as a drill or a kata – suited for practicing the basics of a skill. Useful for the first two points in a skill, but not for higher levels. In addition to improving Teaching skill for the purpose of instructing a class or preparing instructional materials, each point in the technique gives +1 to students’ monthly study rolls (Back to School, p. 5). At the GM’s option, Exercises may be applied to performing-arts skills, intellectual skills, or even some social skills such as Savoir-Faire (High Society, Military, or Servant).

Default: Teamster (Equines)-4.
Prerequisite: Teamster (Equines); cannot exceed Teamster (Equines)-1.

Chariot warriors don’t normally drive their own chariots – their hands are occupied with weapons. They leave the task to a charioteer. If the driver is disabled or unavailable, though, a warrior may loop the reins about his waist or fasten them to his belt, steering by leaning against them. This is never as good as having the reins in hand, and it’s risky; if the chariot is disabled, he’ll be dragged over the ground! He also can’t dodge without losing control of the horses; treat this as a control roll failed by SR or less (see Control Rolls, p. B466).

Default: Propaganda.
Prerequisites: Propaganda and Psychology (Applied); cannot exceed Propaganda+3.

Viral marketing (Social Engineering, p. 62) involves crafting a message to make members of the audience want to repeat it or pass it along. The bonus from improving this technique takes the place of the bonus from spending more on a campaign, without requiring a higher budget; you can’t claim both benefits.

Default: Riding-3.
Prerequisite: Riding; cannot exceed Riding skill.

This technique represents training to remove the penalties under Mounted Combat (p. B396) for controlling your mount using one hand or no hands. Roll against Hands-Free Riding instead of Riding to control your mount using no hands. If you’ve improved this technique, you may ignore the -1 for using only one hand.

Default: prerequisite skill.
Prerequisite: Any Influence skill; cannot exceed prerequisite skill+6.

Hinting makes you skilled at influencing others without being obvious to bystanders. Each Influence skill has its own associated Hinting technique. You can use your technique to offset skill penalties from subtlety (Social Engineering, p. 36), while leaving Perception and Observation penalties in place. Apply all penalties for subtlety to this technique, then roll against the lower of your modified technique or unmodified Influence skill. Thus, skill bonuses from this technique are limited to offsetting penalties for subtlety, but never give a net bonus.

Default: Mimicry (Speech)-3.
Prerequisite: Mimicry (Speech); cannot exceed prerequisite skill.

Through practice, you can improve your ability to mimic one specific person, gradually buying off the -3 to impersonate him. Each person mimicked is a separate technique.

Default: prerequisite skill.
Prerequisite: Public Speaking or Writing; cannot exceed prerequisite skill+5.

You are skilled at negative arguments that undermine an opponent’s position (see Social Engineering, p. 35) and give a bonus to the effective Will of the audience to resist adopting his point of view. This technique lets you offset the resultant penalties to your own effective skill, increasing your ability to make your own points indirectly. Apply all penalties for irony to this technique, then roll against the lower of your modified technique or unmodified presentation skill. Thus, skill bonuses from this technique are limited to offsetting penalties for irony, but never give a net bonus.

Default: Teaching-5.
Prerequisites: Teaching and a relevant special advantage.

You’re one of those rare teachers who train true heroes in their skills, as the centaur Chiron trained Achilles, Heracles, and Theseus. Whether through inspiration, divine wisdom, or advanced scientific methods, you can pass on knowledge extraordinarily quickly, teach cinematic skills and techniques, and even impart mastery comparable to your own. Legendary Teaching is the basis of Heroic Learning (pp. 19-20); the rules for it appear there.

The archetypal “relevant special advantage” for this technique is Trained by a Master, but similar combat-related advantages (Gunslinger, Heroic Archer, Weapon Master, etc.) are no less fitting. Other spheres call for different advantages: Charisma 3+ for Influence and social skills; Gadgeteer for technological skills; Harmony with the Tao (GURPS Thaumatology: Chinese Elemental Powers, p. 15) for peaceful cinematic skills; Magery 3+ for spells and magical skills; and three levels of a power Talent for powers. At the GM’s discretion, three levels of a skill-related Talent may grant access to this technique, as an alternative benefit that replaces the reaction bonus (see GURPS Power-Ups 3: Talents, pp. 18-19). Enlightened Teacher (p. 20) lets you teach any skill you know in this way!

Default: Swimming-5.
Prerequisite: Swimming; cannot exceed prerequisite level.

You can study lifesaving separately from swimming in order to eliminate the basic -5 for that task. See Lifesaving for detailed rules.

Default: IQ-5; cannot exceed IQ.

As described by Roman orators, who called this the method of loci, you visualize a building, including its furnishings and rooms. To retain information (e.g., the key points of a speech), link each fact to an object that you place somewhere in the building. For example, if the murder weapon was a knife, visualize a bloody knife on the kitchen table.

You can roll against Memory Palace to recall specific facts (roll at IQ-5 if you have no training). Each point invested in the technique gives +1 to IQ rolls for Points-Based Learning (pp. 5-7) and to the number of points you can spend on Heroic Learning (pp. 19-20). Putting five points into Memory Palace means you’ve acquired Eidetic Memory! If you already have Eidetic Memory, learning Memory Palace is of no benefit – it doesn’t help you advance toward Photographic Memory, even if that’s learnable in your campaign.

Default: Photography-3.
Prerequisite: Photography.

This technique, common among professional cameramen, allows you to buy off the -3 to use a motion picture camera with Photography skill.

Default: Lower prerequisite skill-3. Prerequisites: Guns and Riding; cannot exceed lower prerequisite skill.

Mounted Reload lets you load a muzzleloader while mounted; see Loading (pp. 94-95). You must specialize by Guns specialty and Riding specialty. Failure means starting over; critical failure means a dropped weapon, spilled powder or shot, or an extinguished match (matchlock or cannonlock only).

This feat is two-handed. Use Hands-Free Riding (above) for riding more complex than straight-line travel. Any failure means you must start over, in addition to its other bad effects.

Default: Piloting-4.
Prerequisite: Piloting; cannot exceed prerequisite skill.

This technique lets you pick up cargo from the ground without landing. You can only fetch cargos outfitted with special no-landing extraction apparatus. Someone on the ground must make a successful Freight Handling roll to prepare the cargo (takes 2d hours). A failed Freight Handling or No-Landing Extraction roll means a missed pick-up or damaged cargo. Critical failure indicates the cargo is lost (critically injured, if a living passenger.)

Defaults: Acrobatics-3, Jumping-3, or Riding-3.
Prerequisite: Acrobatics, Jumping, or Riding; cannot exceed prerequisite skill.

For riders before the invention of the stirrup, getting onto a horse was a challenge. It required either stepping onto a mounting block or vaulting onto the horse’s back using this technique. See Mounting Up (p. B396).

Prerequisite: Climbing. Cost: skill-1 [0], skill [1], skill+1 [2], skill+2 [3], or skill+3 [4]. This technique lets you buy off the -1 to Climbing skill for Rappelling – and even improve your ability above basic skill.

Defaults: First Aid-4 or Physician at TL7+.
Prerequisite: First Aid or Physician; cannot exceed First Aid or Physician+4.

This technique improves the chance that Resuscitation (p. B425) will revive someone who suffers heart attack (p. B429) or suffocation (p. B436), or who dies while a medic is stabilizing his mortal wound (p. B424). If zombification affects the dead and takes more than a minute to set in, this can save him from turning. It might even be possible to “kill” a living zombie for just long enough for the zombie plague to die, and then revive him as his old self. (Good luck!)

Default: Climbing-2.
Prerequisite: Climbing; cannot exceed prerequisite skill.

A climber normally has -2 to climb a dangling rope (see Climbing). With practice, you can buy off this penalty. The 'opposite' technique, Rope Down, defaults to Climbing-1 and can be improved to Climbing+3. Sliding down a rope is significantly easier than any kind of climbing!

Default: Climbing-3.
Prerequisite: Climbing; cannot exceed prerequisite skill.

This technique lets you eliminate some or all of the -3 to skill for climbing a relatively smooth, vertical surface such as a building or rock face (see Climbing).

Default: Explosives (Demolition)-2.
Prerequisite: Explosives (Demolition); cannot exceed prerequisite skill.

With study, you can gain familiarity with 'trap' triggers, allowing you to set traps without the usual -2 to skill. Assassins, commandos, spies, etc. often improve this technique.

Defaults: Musical Instrument-2 or Singing-2. Prerequisites: Musical Instrument or Singing, and cannot have Can’t Read Music; cannot exceed prerequisite skill.

In societies that have musical notation, playing a new piece from written music gives -2 for unfamiliarity. A musician who improves Sight-Reading can roll against it instead to play any unfamiliar piece straight from the written music.

Default: Escape-5.
Prerequisite: Escape; cannot exceed prerequisite skill.

This technique represents study of a specific set of tricks for slipping out of handcuffs. With the GM's permission, you can learn similar techniques for other restraints commonly used in your game world.

Default: Sociology.
Prerequisites: Sociology and Mathematics (Statistics); cannot exceed Sociology+5.

You have mastered a collection of mathematical techniques for describing social networks and identifying key members of such networks. You can identify nonobvious relationships in a social situation (Social Engineering, p. 26), social arbiters of exclusive communities (Social Engineering, p. 59), or alpha users for viral marketing (Social Engineering, p. 62) campaigns.

Default: Varies.
Prerequisite: Surgery.

Low-tech surgeons may learn specialized techniques for particular operations. These offset Surgery penalties, and cannot exceed Surgery skill unless stated otherwise. Some examples:

Bonesetting (TL0): Setting bones isn’t necessarily invasive, but as it involves manual manipulation, and trauma surgeons are trained to do it, it’s part of Surgery. A simple fracture (lasting crippling; see p. B422) requires a Surgery roll, plus or minus the ST difference between surgeon and patient. Bonesetting is possible without instruments, so many of the TL penalties for surgery don’t apply. The technique buys off the -1 for working without X-rays and -2 for working without anesthesia. Compound fractures (permanent crippling) are beyond the limits of low-tech medicine.

Trepanning (TL0): Making a hole in the skull by removing a circular piece of bone, by scraping, cutting away the rim, or drilling. Practiced since the Paleolithic, this procedure can relieve pressure on the brain after a crushing blow to the skull (treat as stabilizing a mortal wound, p. B424) or, at the GM’s option, relieve Chronic Pain (p. B126) due to migraines. Cannot exceed Surgery+4.

Cataract Surgery (TL2): Using a needle to pierce the eyeball and treat cataracts. This can reduce Bad Sight to normal vision or Blindness to Bad Sight, if the problem is due to cataracts. The technique buys off the -2 for eye surgery and -5 for non-field-expedient low-tech surgery for this operation. When learning it, base Surgery on DX (not IQ).

Cutting for the Stone (TL2): Making an incision into the bladder to extract a bladder stone. This counts as minor surgery. This technique buys off the -5 for non-field-expedient low-tech surgery for this operation.

Default: Poetry.
Prerequisite: Poetry; cannot exceed Poetry+4.

You can put information in poetic form to aid in remembering it. Your verses aren’t literary art, but they’re understandable and catchy. For anything you’ve versified, you recall specific details by making an IQ roll, as with Eidetic Memory. If Eidetic Memory would give you +5, you gain +1 to IQ per two points of success at a Versification roll, rounded up. Any success gives +1, and a critical success always gives at least +5.

Default: Lockpicking-5.
Prerequisite: Lockpicking; cannot exceed prerequisite skill.

Lockpicking is normally at -5 if you must work by touch, but if you routinely practice this way, it will eventually become second nature. The GM might permit you to learn a Work by Touch technique for other 'thief' skills - e.g., Explosives and Traps - allowing you to operate in total darkness, which is a common way to use such skills…

Default: Free Fall. Prerequisites: Free Fall and either Beam Weapons or Guns; cannot exceed Free Fall+4.

This technique represents training at shooting in low-to-no gravity (p. B350). It doesn’t cover the actual shooting – for that, improve Guns – but where the rules limit Guns skill to Free Fall (p. B197), your limit is Zero-G Shooting instead. Zero-G Shooting never aids ordinary Free Fall rolls, but you may use it instead of Free Fall if the GM requires a roll against that skill to handle the effects of discharging a firearm.

Defaults: DX or Brawling; cannot exceed DX or Brawling.†

The basic bite attack. Note that you must be in close combat to bite. Brawling adds damage as normal. † With the Biting Mastery perk, use Karate for the default, maximum, and damage bonus.

Default: Ground Fighting (Brawling or Karate)-3. Prerequisites: Brawling or Karate, and the Claws advantage; cannot exceed prerequisite skill.

This technique requires that both the attacker and target are prone, face-up, or crawling, and that the attacker has grappled the target. Some creatures set up this attack for the following turn by taking All-Out Attack (Double) to perform a flying tackle, pounce, or slam followed by a grappling attempt. Note that creatures with unusual postures or numbers of limbs may not need to meet these conditions; in these cases, the GM may wish to modify the technique as required. Rake is a form of All-Out Attack (Double), and replaces the rules for that maneuver.

The aggressor holds his enemy with both hands, tucks his legs up between them, and tears down with both feet, ripping into his target’s abdomen or thighs with his claws. Roll to attack twice, one for each foot. Each successful attack inflicts thrust+2 crushing damage, plus the Brawling or Karate bonus. Claws on the feet add any damage bonus, and may change this damage from crushing. The attacker must choose between targeting the torso with both attacks, or the legs with one attack each. The legs may be targeted without the usual -2.

Defaults: Brawling-2 or Karate-2. Prerequisites: Brawling or Karate, and the Claws advantage; cannot exceed prerequisite skill.

This is a claw attack intended to tear the skin, causing shallow wounds that bleed profusely. Roll damage normally as for a hand attack. If any damage at all penetrates armor and natural DR, the target takes 1 point of injury only, but rolls for bleeding (p. B420) at -1 per scratch sustained. At the GM’s discretion, this can have additional effects. For example, a scratch attack to the face (at a further -5) sends blood into the target’s eyes, causing Vision penalties of -3 or more, while inflicting scratches all over the target’s body for several turns may force a Fright check.

Default: prerequisite skill.
Prerequisite: Any Melee Weapon skill.

Attacks made with melee weapons underwater normally suffer a penalty of -4 per yard of maximum reach, even if used to attack at closer range (p. 22). Someone trained in underwater combat may apply the penalty to his level in this technique, instead of to the prerequisite skill. However, final effective skill with this technique cannot exceed base skill minus half the underwater penalty.

Example: An adventurer with Spear-15 and Underwater Combat (Spear)-21 wields a long spear: Reach 2, 3, for -12 underwater. His effective skill is 21 - 12 = 9. This is also, happily, equal to 15 (base skill) - 6 (half the underwater penalty). If he later picks up a shorter spear – Reach 1, 2, for just -8 underwater – his skill doesn’t rise to 21 - 8 = 13, because it is capped at 15 (base skill) - 4 (half the underwater penalty) = 11.

Underwater versions of other techniques may default from the Underwater Combat technique. The default is based on the fighter’s effective skill, as calculated above. For instance, if the person in the example invested 3 points in Targeted Attack (Underwater Spear Thrust/Vitals), altering the penalty for a vitals strike from -3 to -1, his effective skill when thrusting for the vitals with the Reach 1, 2 spear would be 10 (the capped underwater skill of 11, minus 1 for the Targeted Attack). Both the underwater skill cap and the Targeted Attack skill cap apply. A cinematic underwater warrior with the Terrain Adaptation (Underwater) advantage (p. 24) has no need for this technique.