Advanced Combat

This is for more unusual combat maneuvers. For the basics, see the Combat page.

Martial Arts

• Reference: KotE 83, 140-142
• Available to all races.
• House rule: Martial Arts costs the same as a normal primary ability, but you must have Brawl at an equal/higher level first.
• House rule: Hard style and soft style are two separate abilities. You may learn both.

Simple maneuvers

Name	Summary	Soft style	Hard style
Strike	Same as normal punch		Can substitute Martial Arts (hard style) at -1 difficulty
Kick	Same as normal kick		Can substitute Martial Arts (hard style) at -1 difficulty
Grapple	Same as normal hold or clinch/grapple	Can substitute Martial Arts (soft style) at -1 difficulty
Throw	After a hold or clinch/grapple, roll Dexterity + Martial Arts Damage = thrown character's Strength Dazed/stunned works as usual	Can substitute Martial Arts (soft style) at -1 difficulty

Additional maneuvers

For each dot in Martial Arts after the first, you may pick one of these maneuvers.

Soft style

Name	Description
Counter Throw	Defensive action vs Brawl / Melee / Martial Arts Roll Dexterity + Martial Arts (soft style) If you get more successes, then you deflect the attack and can attempt a Throw (see above) as part of same action
Deflecting Block	Defensive action vs Brawl / Melee / Martial Arts Roll Dexterity + Martial Arts (soft style) If you get more successes, then attacker must roll Dexterity vs 8 (fail = fall to ground and roll their Strength as bashing damage to themselves)
Joint Lock	During a clinch/grapple, roll Dexterity + Martial Arts (soft style), each success does 1 level of damage (soakable)
Mantis Strike	Dexterity + Martial Arts (soft style) vs 7 Kuei-jin target loses 1 chi (attacker chooses type), other vampires lose 1 blood, damage = attacker's Strength Damage vs other targets = attacker's Strength + 1
Withering Grasp	Dexterity + Martial Arts (soft style), damage as usual 3+ successes = target drops a weapon 5+ successes = attacker grabs a weapon

Hard style

Name	Attack	Damage	Notes
Blow to Pressure Point / Thunder Kick	Dexterity + Martial Arts (hard style) vs 8	Strength + 3
Damaging Block			Block roll Substitute Martial Arts (hard style) for Block 3+ successes = roll your Strength as damage to the blocked character No bonus damage dice for extra successes
Dragon Tail Sweep	Throw without requiring a hold or clinch/grapple first, difficulty 8	as above
Elbow Strike	Dexterity + Martial Arts (hard style) vs 5	Strength + 1
Spinning Kick	Dexterity + Martial Arts (hard style) vs 7	Strength + 2

Shifter pack tactics

• Reference: WtA 212-213
• Each shifter pack may pick a number of these maneuvers equal to the lowest Gnosis score among pack members, even if that member isn't participating.
• Includes some minor adjustments/clarifications.

Name	Minimum number of PCs	Description
Fur Gnarl	1	Claw attack (Dexterity + Brawl vs 7), every 2 damage successes (pre-soak) = -1 soak dice when same location is targeted (choose any tier of standard targeting maneuver) until flesh healed or armor repaired
Harrying	4	Pack (Lupus or Hispo or equivalent) surrounds target. Rearmost rolls Dexterity + Athletics vs 5, target resists with same roll. Rearmost gets more successes: Target is chased toward a packmate of rearmost's choice and loses a Willpower. Tie: Target is chased as desired, but does not lose Willpower. Target gets more successes: Rearmost and target roll again, but rearmost's difficulty is increased by target's extra successes. Rearmost gets more successes: Target is chased as desired, but does not lose Willpower. Otherwise, target escapes. Target chooses to fight instead of run: Combat begins normally.
Savage	3	Body tackle or sweep attack, packmates (Lupus or Hispo or equivalent) bite whatever they can reach, target must succeed at Strength + Athletics vs (4 + number of attackers, max 10) to get up
Wishbone	2	Dexterity + Brawl vs (6 - number of grabs that already succeeded) to grab an extremity, then all successful grabbers roll Strength for damage (their choice of lethal or bashing); if any individual does 4+ levels of damage (after soak) then that extremity is broken/severed (ST discretion); can be done in Lupus or Hispo (or equivalent) if target is knocked down first