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Weaponless Combat

Combat is not always based on weapons being swung or thrust into the enemy. In a fantasy game, magical attacks are often made. Additionally, some fights will be fist fights in a bar, which shouldn’t result in anyone’s death -- although that is still possible. Further, there are martial artists and masters of wrestling techniques, all of which could be used as forms of attack. This next section will discuss those various options and how the game mechanics work.

Touch-Based Attacks
Going To The Ground
Grappling
Pushing
Tackling

Touch-Based Attacks

There are several invocations and axioms which require touch to deliver the magic against an opponent. Unless specified in the description, these will be reactions after the action of a touch attack. The benefit of using these as a reaction is the action must succeed before expending the Mind or Spirit points. However, that initial touch attack requires one of two options.

The caster must either make a successful hit against the victim’s armor class, which does not inflict any damage. The other option is to make a successful grappling attack, see below. However, if using grappling, then the result is merely a successful touch for delivery and the victim is not held or physically harmed in any way from this success roll. Further, if the touch is unsuccessful, the cost of points will be in the description of the axiom or incantation, but no effect manifests.

With the proper additional skill, the caster may have a third option to use sleight of hand to make contact. There are situational benefits to this technique, as it is possible the touch might go unnoticed. This is performed with a check (not a save) against a base DC:10, which means it may be easier or more difficult depending on modifiers and the target. However, the only variables that adjust the DC come from parts of the victim’s AC. These are the sub-attribute modifier and the “Other” component. The sub-attribute depends on one’s armor. This would be Agility in leather suits, but Faith if earing a bishop robe. As an example, if a caster with a 4 Agility score (modifier +1), uses sleight of hand to make contact. The DC of the feat is 10. The target, wearing leather, has a 6 Agility score, boosting the DC to 12. Also, the target is wearing a ring of protection which ups the DC to 13. However, these modifiers would be unknown to the caster, who rolls a d20 with a +1 bonus to the die.

To delivery the touch clandestinely, using sleight of hand or stealth would be needed to set a DC against the victim making a Perception check. However, unskilled use of stealthy methods uses 2d6 as the DC; thus, it is possible for anyone to be sneaky -- just not likely. Obviously, if the spell effect delivered causes pain, damage or something very noticeable, then the GM would ignore the clandestine factor.

There will be times that touching an ally to produce an effect will be desired. Assuming the ally is willing, which is nearly always the case, then the person touching the other must be standing in an adjacent hex from the recipient or move there before completing the action.

Going To The Ground

Sometimes striking the enemy with a weapon is not the best method. There are times when limiting the enemy’s offense is more effective while a party member inflicts the weapon damage. Of course, many of the monsters who survive by violence understand this concept as well. Thus, finding oneself in a prone position will happen often.

One of the reasons to force another to the ground is that without special skills, traits or enhancements, being prone places one at disadvantage for melee attacks or magic-use that requires gesturing. Further, those in melee against a prone target will attack with advantage.

Despite those hassles, there are times when one may want drop to the ground. Choosing to drop prone can be performed at no cost of movement. However, recovering takes more effort and requires half of one’s species movement to accomplish. Thus, if a human, regardless of armor or encumbrance, would need to expend 25 feet of movement to stand up. If the character has fewer movement points remaining, then standing up is not possible until the start of his or her next turn. Furthermore, if standing is not possible due to lack of movement remaining, then a reaction to do so cannot be used.

The timing of the stand-up reaction is important to understand. When knocked prone, if having a reaction available and the movement remaining to return to one’s feet, then this can be performed. However, there is a minor delay before the character regains his or her feet to remove the prone restriction. As the initiative values of the round count down from highest to lowest, then regaining one’s feet does not happen until the first result of the next lower initiative. For example, if a character is knocked prone in initiative 7, then he or she remains prone throughout all actions and turns of 7. Should other monsters have a 7 other than the thing that knocked the victim down, then actions against the prone creature are still with whatever benefit or deficit during their actions, even when using a reaction to stand. The character standing up will be out of the prone restriction before any actions take place in initiative 6.

If prone and not standing, then movement is only possible by crawling. For every foot crawled, it costs an extra foot in movement. If crawling through rough terrain, then 2 extra feet are lost. Moreover, dash and other effects which increase movement through speed cannot be employed while crawling.

Grappling

There may be times when grabbing and hold a person in place is a strategic plan. There are no skills that grant extra dice for grabbing other persons or monsters. Only one die is used unless advantage or disadvantage apply, but even then, the special attack works like a competition, comparing body die-rolls from both sides using a d12. For a modifier in the grappling competition, one can choose either Strength or Agility to add the modifier from that sub-attribute. If the grappler wins the competition, then during his or her action, the victim is held by the grappled restriction (see Combat Restrictions). Otherwise, the attacker could not maintain the hold. Further, on the victim’s turn, he, she, or it can initiate another competition to escape.

After having held the victim until the grappler’s following turn the next round, the aggressor may choose to drag the victim along with normal movement; however, one’s movement rate is halved when towing another. However, if the victim outweighs the maximum encumbrance of the grappler, then dragging is not possible. If the aggressor is two size categories larger than the grappled target, then movement is not altered.

Also, if the aggressor is two sizes larger, that grappler may opt to hurl and slam the victim for its Strength bonus in blunt damage (or appropriate damage for the terrain). In the case of slamming, the victim can be placed into any open adjacent space. Obviously, this maneuver frees the victim from the hold.

Lastly, there are a few modifiers when these wrestling maneuvers happen.

Condition	Modifier
Grappler has size advantage	+2 per Size Category Difference
Victim has faster movement rate	+1 per 10-feet Difference
Environment is rainy, icy or slick	+3 for the Victim
One or both sides are prone	-5 for prone Competitor
Footwork skill	Cancels prone penalty
Martial arts skill	+2 for either
Takedown skill	Advantage for Grappler
Throttle skill	See skill for details
Unarmed Combat skill	+2 for Grappler
Whip Master skill	See skill for details

To escape from being grappled, a creature uses its action to force another competition on a d12 with the same optional modifiers as above. The exception is if the one trying to escape is bigger, then the bonus is applied to him, her or it - instead of the grappler.

Alternately, inflicting damage upon the holding grappler may force a release. Whenever struck by body damage, the one maintaining the hold must make a Strength check against a base DC:10, which increases by one points for each point of body damage inflicted. Thus, a 3-point strike requires a DC:13 save, which failing causes the release of the grabbed.

When grappling, if the defender has a usable savage form strike, such as claws or a bite attack, then incidental damage may occur in an attempt to grapple a being or creature. The attacker does not gain this savage form benefit; further, it is not automatic for the defender either. However, if such a defender rolls a “raw 8” or higher on competition, then the attacker suffers 1 point of the appropriate damage, claw damage over biting if both apply. If that attack normally has poison or other special weaponry, then it will be delivered (or trigger a save) whenever a “raw 12” is rolled in addition to the point of damage.

To be perfectly clear, if the competition is the initial grapple to establish the hold, the incidental damage will not require Strength check (for breaking the hold) should the attacker win the competition; however, if the defender attempts to escape, loses the competition but delivers incidental damage, then the grappler must roll a Strength check (DC:11) or lose its clasp.

Additionally, if the attacker is large enough to perform a slam attack, then there a few caveats. If the grappler is ten feet or taller, then slamming can be thrown into any space up to two hexes away. Moreover, when an attacker is that large, it is possible to slam the victim into another target in range. This will deliver the damage to the victim regardless, but also acts as a hurling attack against the AC of the target, which if it strikes also inflicts the Strength bonus damage, which will always be blunt for the target.

Pushing

Another non-damage option that may be used as an action in combat is pushing the opponent. There are two options for this: shoving or tripping. With either option, the target of the pushing must be no more than one size larger, and it must be within reach. This action is very similar to grappling but it is specifically a Strength competition on d12s. If successful for a shove, then the victim is pushed away 5 feet, if the terrain permits. If successful for tripping, then the victim has fallen prone in place. Similar to grappling, there are a few modifiers for either pushing competition.

Condition	Modifier
Size advantage	+2 for larger Competitor
Environment is rainy, icy or slick	-3 for the Victim
One or both sides are prone	-5 for prone Competitor
Drive skill	+1 for the Aggressor
Footwork skill	Cancels prone penalty
Martial arts skill	+2 for either
Takedown skill	Advantage for the Aggressor
Unarmed Combat skill	+2 for the Aggressor

Tackling

There is yet one more untrained wrestling-style option in combat, and this is tackling. In some ways it is like a grapple and a trip combined. With such, the aggressor grabs the opponent while using his own weight and momentum to bring both parties to the ground. However, there can only be one size-category difference between the two to attempt a tackle. If successful, both aggressor and victim end up prone; however, no hold is established. Like a shove, only Strength can be used in the competition, but due to the nature of this attack, the aggressor gains a +2 bonus for success. Further, the delay for either party to use a reaction to stand is 2 counts of initiative rather than 1. On the flip side, if the tackle fails, the aggressor ends up prone alone.

Certain skills can enhance the ability to tackle, as well as defending against it. The charging skill allows the tackler to roll the competition with advantage, assuming a 30-foot run prior to the tackle. Martial arts allows for +2 on the competition but only for the defender. However, unarmed combat does not offer any bonus for tackling.

Condition	Modifier
Tackler	+2 bonus
Size advantage	+2 for larger Competitor
Environment is rainy, icy or slick	-3 for the Victim
Charging skill	Advantage for Tackler
Martial arts skill	+2 for Defender
Takedown skill	See skill for details
Unarmed Combat skill	No Bonus for either

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