Combat Maneuvers

Combat Maneuvers Table
Combat Maneuver Descriptions

Fighting is far more than simply injuring or killing an opponent. Combative arts teach many methods of defeating a foe, perhaps rendering them helpless or forcing them into situations where they must capitulate, without necessarily needing to cause them harm. Combat Maneuvers represent these techniques and control how they occur in play.

Whenever opponents engage in a Differential Roll of their respective fighting skills, any resulting difference in success levels indicates an opportunity for Combat Maneuvers to occur. This reflects one combatant maneuvering their opponent into a disadvantageous situation which can be exploited using a cunning trick or tactic.

The number of Combat Maneuvers received depends on the difference between the levels of success, as illustrated on the Differential Levels of Success Table.

If any Combat Maneuvers are won during an exchange, they must be selected before Damage is rolled. In cases where the recipient is badly wounded in addition to receiving a Combat Maneuver, Endurance rolls are resolved after the application of the effect.

Combat Maneuvers cover a diverse range of situations and techniques. Some are designed specifically for attacks, while others are intended for defense and a few are adaptable for either circumstance. Certain Combat Maneuvers can also be limited to specific weapon types or specific dice rolls, requiring a Critical or Fumble result on their skill check for instance.

When two or more Combat Maneuvers are gained, the combatant may freely mix and match which are selected, providing the prerequisite conditions for each are met. Some effects can be stacked. For example, an attacker who rolls a Critical Success and wins two Combat Maneuvers could choose Maximize Damage twice rather than choosing two separate offensive maneuvers.

Combat Maneuvers Table

Combat Maneuver Descriptions

Accidental Injury

The defender deflects or twists an opponent’s attack in such a way that the attacker fumbles, injuring themself. The attacker must roll damage against himself using the weapon used to strike. If unarmed, the attacker tears or breaks something internal, the damage roll ignoring any armor.

Arise

Allows the defender to use a momentary opening to roll back up to their feet.

Bash

The attacker deliberately bashes the opponent off balance. How far the defender totters back or sideward depends on the weapon being used. Shields knock an opponent back one meter for every 2 points of damage rolled (prior to any subtractions due to armor, parries, and so forth), whereas bludgeoning weapons knock back one meter for every three points. Bashing works only on creatures up to twice the attacker’s SIZ. If the recipient is forced backward into an obstacle, then they must make a Hard Athletics or Acrobatics skill roll to avoid falling or tripping over. For large ranged weapons, since Bash relies more on catching an opponent off balance, rather than throwing them backwards by pure force, it is perfectly reasonable for projectile ammunition to cause a target to stagger if it strikes an extremity.

Bleed

The attack cuts open a major blood vessel. If the blow overcomes Armor Points and injures the target, the defender must make an Opposed Roll of Endurance against the original attack roll. If the defender Fails, then they begin to bleed profusely. At the start of each Combat Round, the recipient loses one level of Fatigue, until they collapse and possibly die. Bleeding wounds can be staunched by passing a First Aid skill roll, but the recipient can no longer perform any strenuous or violent action without re-opening the wound. See Blood Loss, in the Game System section. For ranged weapons, since most produce narrow wound paths, it is actually more difficult to nick or sever a major blood vessel than it is with a slicing or stabbing weapon. Due to this Bleed should be a Critical Success only.

Blind Opponent

On a Critical the character briefly blinds their opponent by throwing sand, reflecting sunlight off their shield, or some other tactic that briefly interferes with the opponent’s vision. The opponent must make an Opposed Roll of their Evade skill (or Weapon skill if using a shield) against the character’s original roll. If the opponent fails, they suffer a situational modifier of Hard or Formidable for the next 1d3 Turns, depending on the method of blinding.

Bypass armor

On a Critical the attacker finds a gap in the defender’s natural or worn armor. If the defender is wearing armor above natural protection, then the attacker must decide which of the two is bypassed. This effect can be stacked to bypass both. For the purposes of this effect, physical protection gained from magic is considered as being worn armor. Although Bypass Armor can ostensibly be used with any sort of attack, some types of ammunition might either be prevented from accessing this effect (shot gun pellets due to their spread) or built into their base performance, granting it as a bonus Combat Maneuver in addition to any others won (Teleportation rounds). Much depends on how the Game Runner wishes to model the weapon.

Circumvent Parry

On a Critical the attacker may completely bypass an otherwise successful Parry.

Damage Weapon

Permits the character to damage their opponent’s weapon as part of an Attack or Parry. If attacking, the character aims specifically at the defender’s Parrying weapon and applies their damage roll to it, rather than the wielder. The targeted weapon uses its own Armor Points for resisting the damage. If reduced to zero Hit Points the weapon breaks.

Disarm Opponent

The character knocks, yanks, or twists the opponent’s weapon out of their hand. The opponent must make an Opposed Roll of their Combat Style against the character’s original roll. If the recipient of the disarm loses, their weapon is flung a distance equal to the roll of the disarmer’s Damage Modifier in meters. If there is no Damage Modifier, then the weapon drops at the disarmed person’s feet. The comparative size of the weapons affects the roll. Each step that the disarming character’s weapon is larger increases the difficulty of the opponent’s roll by one grade. Conversely, each step the disarming character’s weapon is smaller makes the difficulty one grade easier. Disarming works only on creatures of up to twice the attacker’s STR.

Drop Foe

Offensive, large ranged weapons only. Assuming the target suffers at least a minor wound from the shot, they are forced to make an Opposed Roll of their Endurance against the attacker’s hit roll. Failure indicates that the target succumbs to shock and pain, becoming incapacitated and unable to continue fighting. Recovery from incapacitation can be performed with a successful First Aid check or using some form of technological or narcotic booster if such exists in the campaign. Otherwise the temporary incapacitation lasts for a period equal to one hour divided by the Healing Rate of the target.

Duck Back

Offensive, mechanical ranged weapons only. This Combat Maneuver allows the shooter to immediately duck back into cover, without needing to wait for their next Turn to use the Take Cover action. The character must be already standing or crouching adjacent to some form of cover to use Duck Back.

Enhance Parry

On a Critical the defender manages to deflect the entire force of an attack, no matter the Size of their weapon.

Entangle

Allows a character wielding an entangling weapon, such as a whip or net, to immobilise the location struck. An entangled arm cannot use whatever it is holding; a snared leg prevents the target from moving; while an enmeshed head, chest, or abdomen makes all skill rolls one grade harder. On their following turn, the wielder may spend an Action Point to make an automatic Trip Opponent attempt. An entangled victim can attempt to free himself on their turn by either attempting an Opposed Roll using Brawn to yank free, or win a Combat Maneuver and select Damage Weapon, Disarm Opponent, or Slip Free.

Force Failure

Used when an opponent Fumbles, the character can combine Force Failure with any other Combat Maneuver which requires an Opposed Roll to work. Force Failure causes the opponent to Fail their resistance roll by default – thereby automatically be disarmed, tripped, and so forth.

Grip

Provided the opponent is within the attacker’s Unarmed Combat reach, they may use an empty hand (or similar limb capable of gripping) to hold onto the opponent, preventing them from being able to disengage from combat. The opponent may attempt to break free on their turn, requiring an Opposed Roll of either Brawn or Unarmed against whichever of the two skills the gripper prefers.

Impale

Roll weapon damage twice, with the attacker choosing which of the two results to use for the attack. Assuming the weapon is a melee weapon, if armor is penetrated and causes a wound, the attacker has the option of leaving the weapon in the wound or yanking it free on their next turn. Leaving the weapon in the wound inflicts a Difficulty Grade on the victim’s future skill attempts. The severity of the penalty depends on the size of both the creature and the weapon impaling it, as listed on the Impale Effects Table below. For simplicity’s sake, further impalements with the same sized weapon inflict no additional penalties. To withdraw an impaled weapon during melee requires use of the Ready Weapon Combat Action. The wielder must pass an unopposed Brawn roll (or win an Opposed Brawn roll if the opponent resists). Success pulls the weapon free, causing further injury to the same location equal to half the normal damage roll for that weapon, but without any Damage Modifier. Failure implies that the weapon remains stuck in the wound with no further effect, although the wielder may try again on their next turn (barbed weapons such as harpoons inflict normal damage instead of half upon withdrawal). Armor does not reduce withdrawal damage. While it remains impaled, the attacker cannot use their impaling weapon for Parrying.

For ranged weapons, the ammunition of most bows or crossbow-like weapon will be able to impale.

Impale Effects Table

Maximize Damage

On a Critical the character may substitute one of their weapon’s damage dice for its full value. For example, a Hand Axe which normally does 1d6 damage would instead be treated as a 6, whereas a great club with 2d6 damage would instead inflict 1d6+6 damage. This Combat Maneuver may be stacked. Although it can also be used for natural weapons, Maximize Damage does not affect the Damage Modifier of the attacker, which must be rolled normally.

Offensive Force

The attacker sets up for an aggressive attack on their next turn, forcing their opponent to only take defensive action on their next turn.

Pin Down

Ranged weapons only. Similar to Offensive Force, this Combat Maneuver forces the target to make an Opposed Roll of their Willpower against the attacker’s hit roll. Failure means that the target hunkers down behind whatever cover is available and cannot return fire on their next Turn. Note that Pin Down works even if no actual damage is inflicted on the target (perhaps due to a successful evasion or shots striking their cover instead), as it relies on the intimidation effect of gunfire passing very close by.

Although a pinned victim is unable to fire back for the requisite time, they can perform other actions provided they don’t expose themselves to fire in the process, such as crawling away to new cover, communicating with others, reloading a weapon and so on.

Prepare Counter

The defender reads the patterns of their foe and prepares a counter against a specific Combat Maneuver (which should be noted down in secret). If their opponent attempts to inflict the chosen Combat Maneuver upon him during the fight, the defender instantly substitutes the attacker’s effect with one of their own, which succeeds automatically.

Rapid Reload

When using a Ranged Weapon, the attacker reduces the reload time for the next shot by one. This effect can be stacked.

Scar Foe

The combatant inflicts their opponent with a scar that will be the talk of all for the rest of their life – such as an almost-severed-throat, or the letter ‘Z’ artfully inscribed across the chest.

Select Target

When an attacker Fumbles, the defender may maneuver or deflect the blow in such a way that it hits an adjacent bystander instead. This requires that the new target is within reach of the attacker’s close combat weapon, or in the case of a ranged attack, is standing along the line of fire. The new victim is taken completely by surprise by the unexpected accident and has no chance to avoid the attack which automatically hits. In compensation, however, they suffer no Combat Maneuver.

Slip Free

On a Critical the defender can automatically escape being Entangled, Gripped, or Pinned.

Stun Location

The attacker can use a bludgeoning weapon to temporarily stun the body part struck. If the blow overcomes Armor Points and injures the target, the defender must make an Opposed Roll of Endurance vs. the original attack roll. If the defender Fails, then the Hit Location is Incapacitated for a number of Turns equal to the damage inflicted. A blow to the torso causes the defender to stagger winded, only able to defend. A head shot renders the foe briefly insensible and unable to act.

Sunder

The attacker may use a suitable weapon, such as an axe, to damage the armor or shield used by an opponent. Each successful Sunder damages armor (or a shield if used to parry the Sunder), lowering its protection value by one die. For example, Sundering Full Armor lowers its protection from 1d10 - 1 to 1d8 - 1.

Tail Whip

The character whips their tail into their opponent's face, causing an Opposed Roll vs. the opponent's Willpower. Failure means that the opponent is startled and distracted, causing one level of Difficulty Grade on their next action This does not cost an Action Point.

Trip Opponent

The character attempts to overbalance or throw their opponent to the ground. The opponent must make an Opposed Roll of their Brawn, Evade, or Acrobatics against the character’s original roll. If the target Fails, they fall prone. Quadruped opponents (or creatures with even more legs) may substitute their Athletics skill for Evade and treat the roll as one Difficulty Grade easier. For ranged weapons, assuming they actually shoot ammunition with mass, there is no reason that this effect couldn’t be used when shooting at the legs of an opponent, even if no damage penetrates any worn protection.

Weapon Malfunction

Attacker Fumbles, mechanical ranged weapons only. The attacker’s weapon malfunctions in such a way that it is rendered useless until time can be spent field stripping and cleaning it.

Withdraw

The defender may automatically withdraw out of reach, breaking off engagement with that particular opponent. The defender may then move half their base Movement Rate.

Based on Mythras Imperative, Written by Pete Nash and Lawrence Whitaker, and published by The Design Mechanism, Copyright 2023.

Material on this site not covered by other ownership or copyright statements is Copyright © 2024 Robert Prince.