Choke Hold Skill
Choke Hold
Hard
Defaults: Judo-2, Wrestling-3, or appropriate weapon skill-3.
Prerequisite: 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. 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 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. 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 dam age. 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).