Martial Arts: Optional Rule: Combinations

Martial artists often practice executing a particular sequence of techniques in rapid succession with the goal of economizing movement to the point where the separate moves become a single, fluid motion. A skilled fighter can perform such a "combination" almost as quickly as he could a single technique. Reflecting this reality in the game adds significant complexity; thus, this section is optional.

A Combination is a technique that lets a warrior buy off the Rapid Strike penalty for a specific sequence of two or three attacks. A three-attack Combination does enable a martial artist to exceed the two-attack limit for a realistic Rapid Strike...if he spends points on it (see below).

To design a Combination, specify two or three Targeted Attacks (TAs) and their order. Almost any TA is "legal," including a basic attack to the torso or a TA the fighter hasn't improved; e.g., treat an ordinary rapier thrust to the torso as TA (Rapier Thrust/Torso). An attack can appear multiple times if it doesn't involve a weapon that becomes unready (or stuck) after attacking. Grapples and grabs are acceptable, but the only subsequent attacks that the grappling hand(s) can make are those that require a grip on the target; e.g., Judo Throw.

A Combination lets a fighter eliminate the Rapid Strike penalty – bypassing the usual "precision for speed" tradeoff – by omitting the extra step of matching attacks to targets. This means it always goes off the same way. Thus, it cannot include untargeted attacks or leave the order of attacks unspecified.

A Combination is a special technique with "split" skill levels, one per attack, written as follows:

Combination (Skill 1 Attack 1/Target 1 + Skill 2 Attack 2/Target 2 + Skill 3 Attack 3/Target 3)-Level 1+Level 2+Level 3

Each portion defaults to the underlying attack at -6 for two attacks or -12 for three, halved for Trained by a Master or Weapon Master. When improving the Combination, buy it as a Hard technique but add an extra point cost equal to the number of attacks: default+1 costs 4 points for a two-attack combo, 5 points for a three-attack one. Fighters without one of the two advantages above can only use a three-attack technique if they've spent the minimum 5 points to raise it above default. Improvements adjust all levels by the same amount and can at most buy off the default penalty.

Example 1: Don Ortiz has Rapier-18 with TA (Rapier Thrust/Vitals)-16 and Brawling-15 with Kicking (Brawling)-15. He knows a Combination that involves a rapier thrust to the vitals using his TA and then a Brawling kick to the torso using Kicking. At -6 for two attacks, his default is Combination (Rapier Thrust/Vitals + Brawling Kick/Torso)-10+9. He could improve this to 16+15 for 9 points.

Example 2: Sifu Chen has Trained by a Master, Judo-20, and Karate-22. He uses a Combination to grab and then throw his foe (both at his unmodified Judo level), and then boot him in the head (Karate at -2 for a kick and -5 for the face, or 15). Three attacks default at -12 but Chen halves this to -6 for Trained by a Master. His default is Combination (Judo Grapple/Torso + Judo Throw + Karate Kick/Face)-14+14+9. He can raise this as high as 20+20+15 for 10 points.

Treat a Combination like any Rapid Strike – subject to all the usual rules for multiple attacks (see Multiple Attacks) – with these exceptions:

• Certain attacks require an earlier attack as a "setup"; e.g., a Judo Throw requires a grapple. If the setup attack fails, the follow-up attack is impossible. This immediately ends the Combination, even if it has a third attack.
• The target of the Combination defends normally, but if he makes his defense roll against an attack – or if his attacker misses with one – he gets +3 to defend against the remainder of the Combination.
• If you use the same Combination twice on a given opponent in a fight, he defends at +1 against your third and later uses.

Two-Handed Combinations: A two-attack Combination consisting of a one-handed attack with either hand works the same way but the penalty is -4 (not -6). Adding a third attack to the Combination – either before or after attacking with either hand – makes the penalty -9 (not -12). Cinematic warriors are generally better off learning Dual-Weapon Attack.

Defensive Combinations: Many realistic "combinations" involve a defense that leads into an attack. Don't use these rules for that! Instead, see Riposte.