Fighting Styles

Responsive action: Only fighting styles that allow a counter maneuver are responsive actions. This maneuver must be done on the attacker’s Initiative turn. You must have a higher Initiative turn to hold to meet theirs or the same initiative as the attacker. All of them are specifically called out below. Quick Draw: Can be part of a responsive action.
Many fighting styles have several passive effects associated with them, but to make this system easier on us all, once a benefit or maneuver is used in a turn, defensively or offensive, the Player must only rely on that Fighting Styles ability, maneuvers or benefits for the remainder of the Turn.

Archery: Prerequisites: Strength ••, Dexterity ••, Athletics ••
Must have a drawback bow in hand to benefit from (no cross bows.) All maneuvers are useable in the same turn.

• Draw and loose: Gains +1 Strength for the purposes of a bow’s minimum Strength, Damage and Range.

• Rapid Nock: Once per turn, you may “reload” a bow as a reflexive action.

• Arcing Fire: Double the Ranges of any bow your character uses.

• Plunging Fire: Your character’s bow attacks suffer no penalties for target concealment behind solid objects, so long as the target lacks overhead protection and your character can see any part of the target by which to gauge her location. For example, a target hiding behind a log with their foot sticking out applies no penalty, but a character in a fetal curl on a van’s floorboards receives normal protection. Your character may use this maneuver only outdoors or in enclosed spaces large enough to provide for several hundred feet of vertical flight (e.g., football stadiums).


Boxing: Prerequisites: Strength •••, Stamina •• and Brawl ••
Must be completely unarmed to use any of these. Ranks of this merit can only be used together if explicitly stated here. Haymaker is always used with Body Blow in the same turn but neither can mix with any other maneuver besides Duck and Weave. Duck and Weave can be used with all maneuvers in the same turn. Brutal Blow with Combination of Blows can be used together.

• Body Blow: If success inflicted in a single brawl attack equals or exceeds the Stamina of your target, your target loses their next action. Body Blow has no effect on kindred.

• Duck and Weave: Chose the higher of Dex or Wits for your defense only when dealing with brawl-based attacks used against you.

• Combination Blows: Make two brawl attacks against the same target as a single action. The second attack suffers a -1. The attacker loses their Defense for the turn. You cannot perform Combination of Blows on any turn that you have already used your defense in (when being attacked before your action for example.)

• Haymaker: Make a single Brawl attack; if it equals or exceeds the target’s Stamina in success it might knock him unconscious. A Stamina roll is made for the victim. If it succeeds, (needs one success on stamina challenge) the target is conscious but still loses their next action due to the Body Blow effect (see above). If it fails, your target is knocked unconscious for a number of turns equal to the damage dealt. The attacker loses their Defense for the turn. You cannot perform Haymaker on any turn that you have already used your defense in (when being attacked before your action for example.)

If in the case of a Kindred opponent (who cannot fall unconscious) they are affected by the Knockdown rule. As above, if the boxer scores more successes in damage then the kindred’s Stamina + Resilience (if active) then the victim must make a successful Dexterity + Athletics roll, allowing him to maintain his footing as a reflexive action. If the roll succeeds, the character behaves normally. If the roll fails, the character is forced to go prone (see Going Prone, p. 164). If he has not performed an action in the turn, he loses his action that turn. He cannot perform any tasks and cannot travel that turn; he just hits the ground. He can rise again as an action in a subsequent turn. Or once he lands, he always has the option of remaining prone. In case of a dramatic failure on the Dexterity + Athletics roll, a character falls hard or at an odd angle and suffers one Health point of bashing damage (which may be absorbed automatically if armor is worn).
Brutal Blow: A brutal blow inflicts lethal damage instead of bashing damage. The attacker must spend a willpower point before the attack. When using Brutal Blow with Combination of Blows, only the first attack is upgraded to lethal damage per turn.

Chain Weapons: Prerequisites: Strength ••, Dexterity •••, Weaponry •••
none of the maneuvers mix with each other. All maneuvers’ attacks are based upon the Weaponry Skill.

• Impenetrable Defense: To take this action the chain wielder must have a chain in hand. If he or she is armed with a chain at the start of the round they can activate this ability before their initiative. If they are not armed with it yet, they must wait on their initiative to arm their chain before gaining the effect of this maneuver. Impenetrable Defense involves spending the entire turn, regardless of Initiative (when armed), swinging chains around to keep opponents at bay. You may add +2 to your character’s Defense to deflect incoming blows. Your character also takes no penalty for defending against multiple opponents until she faces three attacks. The first and second attacks made against her cause no negative modifiers to your defense.

• Hand Bind: This is a Responsive Action. This defensive maneuver is made against an incoming attack (Brawl or Weaponry-based). When a foe attacks with a weapon or with his body, your character captures the attacking limb if your character obtains a single success, and is grappled per the grappled rules. The foe’s Defense is not subtracted from this roll, but his successes on the attack roll are as well as and any Celerity the foe may have. If your hand bind has more success than the success of your foe's attack then you take no damage from his attack. If the foe achieved more successes on his attack than you did on your Hand Bind roll then his attack’s damage is still diminished by any successes you rolled on the Hand Bind roll. This maneuver must be done on the attacker’s Initiative turn (You must have a higher Initiative turn to hold to meet theirs), and performing this action means your character cannot make an attack this turn.

• Outside Choke: Your character attempts to wrap the chain around your opponent’s neck. This maneuver does not cause damage or kill the opponent — this maneuver is to render them unconscious by pressing the chain against the arteries of the neck, thus halting blood flow to the brain. If your character is successful on the grapple, you can begin to choke the victim on the following turn. For every turn that the choke hold is not broken, the victim suffers an additional –1 on all rolls to resist. When your character has accumulated a number of uninterrupted turns equal to the victim’s Stamina, they fall unconscious. Your target is knocked unconscious for a number of turns equal to the successes dealt on the final turn they were still conscious. This maneuver, when complete, causes a single point of bashing damage to the victim. Breaking the grapple is done the same per the grappling rules except Strength + 1 is subtracted. Your character can continue choking an unconscious victim. This inflicts lethal damage equal to the attacker’s Strength + Brawl successes every turn. This combat maneuver is ineffective against characters who need not breathe. Outside Choke does not work on Kindred.

• Whirl and thrust: On a targeted attack, you can ignore up to –2 of penalties associated with directed attacks. In other words, attacks to an opponent’s torso or limbs are done at no penalty; attacks to the head would be at –1, to the hand –2 and to the eye –3. The attacker loses their Defense for the turn. You cannot perform Whirl and Thrust on any turn that you have already used your defense in (when being attacked before your action for example.)

Combat Marksmanship: Prerequisites: Strength ••, Dexterity ••, Composure •••, and Firearms ••
Only Shoot First can be used with a cross bow. All other ranks are exclusively for use with firearms. Double tap and rapid fire cannot be used in the same turn. All other ranks can be used together. Kindred take only bashing against Firearms, even against head shots in close combat.

• Shoot First: Whenever your character begins combat with a firearm already in her hand, you gain a bonus to your Initiative roll equal to your Firearms Skill. If you also have the Quick Draw Merit for firearms (see the World of Darkness Rulebook, p. 113) and draw a firearm during the first turn of combat, this bonus is added retroactively, at the beginning of the second turn of combat.

• Tactical Reload: Once per turn, you may reload a firearm that feeds from a detachable magazine or use a speedloader to reload a revolver, as a reflexive action.

• Double Tap: When using a lever-action, pump-action or semi-automatic firearm your character may make short burst attacks as if your gun were capable of autofire.

Bayonet Range: The target’s Defense does not apply to firearm attacks your character makes within close-combat range (see p. 155, the World of Darkness Rulebook).

• Rapid Fire: In a single action, you may make one extra Firearms attack for each point by which your Composure exceeds 2. Each extra attack is made at a cumulative –1 modifier. Thus, you can perform a total of two attacks at Composure 3 (the second of which is at –1), three attacks at Composure 4 (the third of which is at –2) and four at Composure 5 (the fourth of which is at –3). You must declare the targets of all attacks before rolling the first one. Each attack not directed against your initial target suffers an additional –1 penalty. All attacks made with this maneuver must be single shots. In addition, your character may not use this maneuver with bolt-action or break-action firearms. The attacker loses their Defense for the turn. You cannot perform Rapid Fire on any turn that you have already used your defense in (when being attacked before your action for example.)
Without Gunslinger Merit
Composure 2- Standard Action (No Penalty)
Composure 3- 1st Rapid Fire Attack (-1)
Composure 4- 2nd Rapid Fire Attack (-2)
Composure 5- 3rd Rapid Fire Attack (-3)

If attacks aren’t focused at 1st initial target in the Standard action then additional -1 penalty
With Gunslinger Merit
Composure 2- Standard Action (No Penalty)
Gunslinger- Same target as Standard (-1* /-3)
Composure 3- 1st Rapid Fire Attack (-1)
Composure 4- 2nd Rapid Fire Attack (-2)
Composure 5- 3rd Rapid Fire Attack (-3)


* This is with the Ambidextrous Merit
If attacks aren’t focused at 1st initial target in the Standard action then additional -1 penalty

Fencing & Kendo: Prerequisites: Dexterity •••, Weaponry •••
No combination of Feint, Riposte, and/or Moulinet can be used in the same turn. Thrust can be added to all other ranks. Respective Fencing and Kendo names are used interchangeably in these rules. For example, because Thrust can be used with all other ranks, so can Kaburi.

• Thrust & Kaburi: When your character makes a thrust attack, plunging the blade toward an opponent, he does so with a +1 bonus. When your character makes an overhead attack, he does so with a +1 bonus. There is no stacking of these bonuses.

• Feint & Kiai: Make a “normal” attack roll (Strength + Weaponry). This roll is penalized by the opponent’s Defense, par usual. This attack is fake it does not strike the foe or do any damage. If your character achieves even a single success your target may not apply Defense against the next attack at him. (This may be from your character the following turn or may be from some other source beforehand).

• Riposte & Uchiotoshi Waza: Responsive action: A Riposte requires an attack to be made against your character. He steps out of the way of the attack using his Dodge (i.e., her Defense, doubled). While his opponent is open, he can then make a sudden and quick attack, which is performed at a –1 penalty. However, the opponent’s Defense does not further penalize the attack roll. If your character suffers any further attacks on a turn where you used Riposte, your character cannot apply their Defense against them. This maneuver must be done on the attacker’s Initiative turn (You must have a higher Initiative turn to hold to meet theirs.) Spending a point of willpower is required to use this action.

• Moulinet & Nidan Waza: If your character makes a successful hit on an adversary with his sword, you may then rotate your wrist and perform a quick spiral cut with the tip of the weapon. This additional cut requires no additional roll; the cut does lethal damage to the opponent equal to your character’s Dexterity. To perform this maneuver, the character must spend a Willpower point before he makes the initial attack. If the initial attack roll fails, the Willpower point is wasted and the Moulinet may not be added. The attacker loses their Defense for the turn. You cannot perform Moulinet on any turn that you have already used your defense in (when being attacked before your action for example.)

Filipino Martial Arts: Prerequisites: Dexterity •••, Weaponry •••
can only be used with the Escrima Sticks, Telescopic Baton, Tonfa (Nightstick), and Wooden Club. All maneuvers are based upon the Weaponry Skill when used with the listed weapon. Once the character reaches the fourth and final level of this style, you can then choose to use any of the maneuvers unarmed. At this stage you learn the “empty hand” techniques of Filipino Martial arts which are based on the brawl skill and must be done unarmed.

• Lock and Block: This is a Responsive Action. This defensive maneuver is made against an incoming attack (Brawl or Weaponry-based). When a foe attacks with a weapon or with his body, your character captures the attacking limb if your character obtains a single success, and is grappled per the grappled rules. The foe’s Defense is not subtracted from this roll, but his successes on the attack roll are as well as and any Celerity the foe may have. If your lock and block has more success than the success of your foe's attack then you take no damage from his attack. If the foe achieved more successes on his attack than you did on your lock and block roll then his attack’s damage is still diminished by any successes you rolled on the lock and block roll. This maneuver must be done on the attacker’s Initiative turn (You must have a higher Initiative turn to hold to meet theirs), and performing this action means your character cannot make an attack this turn.

• Disarm: (Note that this is different than the Disarm Merit.) To enact this maneuver, make a normal attack roll (Strength + Weaponry). Compare the successes on this roll against the opponent’s Stamina. If the successes are equal to or exceed their Stamina + Resilience (if active) score, the weapon is dropped. This attack causes one level of bashing damage to the opponent.

• Off-Balancing Attack: The attack is made at a –2 penalty. If successful, the attack does full damage and the opponent’s next attack is made at a –3 penalty.

• Many-Handed Defense: You may apply your character’s full Defense (or Dodge) to all attacks against him in a single turn. They are not diminished at all by attacks made after the first.

Grappling: Prerequisites: Strength ••, Dexterity •••, Stamina ••• and Brawl ••
You may use Sprawl in the same turn that you use any other Grappling rank’s maneuver. You may use Submission Hold in the same turn that you use any other Grappling rank’s maneuver. You cannot use Takedown/Throw and Chokehold together.

• Sprawl: The User subtracts the higher of Strength +1 or Dexterity +1 from dice pools of their opponent trying to do an overpowering maneuver in a grapple. This doesn’t apply to the initial attack to grapple, but subsequent attacks from the grip.

• Takedown/Throw: If you are successful in starting a grapple you can render your opponent prone in the same turn. Furthermore, if you take an opponent down this way, you can choose whether or not to go prone with the target. If you do not go prone with the target you are not in a grapple, though the target is prone. Otherwise, both combatants fall to the ground. Either party must break the hold in order to stand again in a subsequent turn. Rising is considered an action in a turn. (See “Going Prone,” on p. 164.) If one combatant manages to rise, close-combat attack rolls to hit the prone opponent gain a +2 bonus.

• Chokehold: The choke inflicts a cumulative –1 die penalty to the opponent’s actions for each turn it’s maintained. To maintain it you must consecutively overpower your opponent every turn without your opponent breaking the grapple. The victim falls unconscious after the chokehold has been maintained a number of consecutive turns equal to his Stamina. Your character can continue choking an unconscious victim. This inflicts lethal damage equal to the attacker’s Strength + Brawl successes every turn. Chokeholds don’t work on opponents who don’t need to breathe. Chokehold does not work on Kindred. Your target is knocked unconscious for a number of turns equal to the successes dealt on the final turn they were still conscious.

• Submission Hold: If your character scores more successes than your opponent’s Size in an immobilization attempt, the victim can’t attempt any physical action – including breaking free – without suffering a point of lethal damage. This penalty lasts from the moment of immobilization to end of the next turn. Furthermore, your character can always choose to inflict one point of lethal damage whenever he damages an opponent with an overpowering roll. The character’s first Strength + Brawl success inflicts a point of lethal damage; subsequent successes inflict bashing damage. Submission holds don’t work on creatures that don’t have bones.

Kung Fu: Prerequisites: Strength ••, Dexterity ••, Stamina •• and Brawl •• You must be fully unarmed to use any of these. Defensive Attack cannot be used in the same turn as Whirlwind Strike or Lethal Strike. Focused Attack and/or Iron Skin can be used in the same turn with any other Kung Fu rank’s maneuver. Lethal Strike and Whirlwind Strike can be used together. This cannot be combined with Protean Claws!

• Focused Attack: When making unarmed attacks your penalties to hit specific targets are reduced by one. Also armor penalties to your character’s brawl attacks are reduced by one.

• Iron Skin: Gives an effective armor trait of one. Always in effect besides when you have armor on. (Armor bonuses do not stack).

• Defensive Attack: When using this maneuver, your character gains +2 to defense for the turn, but any attack he makes suffers a -2 penalty. You cannot dodge while performing defensive attack. You can move no more than your Speed while performing a Defense Attack maneuver in a turn.

• Whirlwind Strike: You can make a number of extra Brawl attacks for each point of Dexterity you have above 2 in a single action. Each extra attack is made at a cumulative -1 modifier. Thus, he can perform a total of two attacks at Dexterity 3 (the second of which is at -1), three attacks at Dexterity 4 (the third of which is at -2), and four at Dexterity 5 (the fourth of which is at -3). Each attack not directed against your initial target suffers an additional –1 penalty. The attacker loses their Defense for the turn. You cannot perform Whirlwind Strike on any turn that you have already used your defense in (when being attacked before your action for example.)

• Lethal Strike: A strike inflicts lethal damage instead of bashing damage. The attacker must spend a willpower point before the attack. When using Lethal Strike with Whirlwind Strike, only the first attack is upgraded to lethal damage per turn.

Spetsnaz Knife fighting: Prerequisites: Dexterity •••, Weaponry ••
Maneuvers from this Fighting Style’s ranks can only be used with the Bowie Knife, Combat Knife, Pocketknife, Trench Knife and Switchblade. You may use Anticipate Attack and/or Vital Attack in the same turn that you use any other Spetsnaz Knife Fighting rank’s maneuver.

• Anticipate Attack: Your character may substitute his Weaponry score for his Composure when determining his Initiative modifier. This is only possible when your character is armed with an appropriate knife. When your character disarms or rearms their knife his or her initiative changes accordingly.
Advantageous Angle: Your knife-wielder knows how to make a feinted attack from the side or rear in a way that grants him advantage. The foe’s Defense is at –1 during such an attack. This maneuver can only be made every other turn.

• Vital Attack: Attacks made with a knife have Armor Piercing 1, and penalties to hit specific targets or body parts (see “Specified Targets,” p.165 of the World of Darkness Rulebook) are reduced by one.

• Slash and Stab: Your character can make two attacks against the same target in a single action. The first attack is a slash, the second a thrusting stab. The first attack is made as normal, but the second suffers a –1 penalty. The attacker loses their Defense for the turn. You cannot perform Slash and Stab on any turn that you have already used your defense in (when being attacked before your action for example.)

Sniping: Prerequisites: Dexterity •••, Resolve •••, Firearms •••, and Stealth ••
All of the following maneuvers work only with rifles (including assault rifles). All maneuvers can be used together in the same attack. Special: To gain the benefit of Tactical Intervention & One Shot, One Kill in the same shot, you must spend at least two turns aiming. Kindred take only bashing against Firearms, even against head shots in close combat or from long range attacks.

• On Scope: The maximum bonus you may receive from aiming (see the World of Darkness Rulebook, p. 162) is increased to your composure +1 for semi-automatic and automatic rifles and your composure +2 for break-action, bolt-action and lever-action rifles. In addition, when using a scope or other long-range optic device (e.g., binoculars), you receive a +2 bonus to all perception rolls (see the World of Darkness Rulebook, p. 45).

• Battlesight Zero: Whenever your character sights in a rifle (see “Sighting Tools,” p. 164- Successfully sighting in a firearm with the proper tools provides a +1 bonus to all medium- and long-range attacks. This effect lasts for a number of uses equal to twice the weapon’s Damage rating. (One “use” is considered to be a single bullet fired from the weapon), you double the number of attacks that receive the bonus from this process. In addition, whenever you make an attack with a rifle that receives this bonus, the weapon’s short range is increased by five yards times your Wits, medium range by twice this amount and long range by three times this amount.

• Focused Shot: When making an aimed shot, you may ignore any amount of penalties for wounds, drugs, disease, pain, fatigue, environmental conditions and similar factors equal to your Resolve. For example, if your character has Resolve 4, has two points of Health remaining (–2), has gone without sleep for 36 hours (–2) and has ingested strong hallucinogens (–3), your aimed shots suffer only a –3 penalty instead of the –7 that affects all your other dice pools.

•Tactical Intervention: When making an aimed shot, all penalties for shooting into close combat and for concealment are halved, rounding down.

•One Shot, One Kill: When making an aimed shot, do not add the rifle’s Damage rating to the attack dice pool (though “9 again” or “8 again” still applies if it would normally). Instead, if the attack succeeds, add the rifle’s Damage rating as extra successes. You must spend one Willpower per attack (one per turn) to use One Shot, One Kill. Remember, all Firearms do only bashing to Kindred.

Staff Fighting: Prerequisites: Strength •••, Dexterity ••, Weaponry ••
All maneuvers are based upon the Weaponry Skill. Note that while a quarter-, bo or jo staff are the norm for this fighting style, the maneuvers are not limited to these weapons. A character can use any polearm for these maneuvers, but using other polearms with an item that isn’t one of the aforementioned three staff types requires an additional point of Weaponry (Weaponry •••). A character can also utilize improvised polearms (including post-hole diggers, scythes or other objects at least five feet in length) with these maneuvers. In such cases, the Weaponry ••• is still required, and all attack rolls are made with the appropriate improvised weapon penalties in place (typically -1). Remember as well that utilizing a polearm in combat grants the wielder a +1 Defense. None of this Merit’s ranks can be used in the same turn with each other.

• Trip: Your character can use the polearm to trip a single opponent. It is a contested roll pitting the character’s normal attack roll against the opponent’s Dexterity + Athletics. The character’s attack is penalized by the foe’s Defense, as usual. If the opponent falls, assume Knockdown rules (per p. 168, the World of Darkness Rulebook). In this case, however, the fall to the ground incurs a single point of bashing damage to the opponent.

• Temple Strike: Your character strikes the head of your target. The normal –3 penalty to hit the head still applies, but if the damage meets or exceeds the target’s Stamina, the target falls unconscious for a number of turns equal to the damage done. This damage is usually bashing, as it is meant to be performed with a blunt staff. The damage can be performed with a bladed weapon such as the naginata, however. The effect is the same, but the damage is now lethal instead of bashing.

If in the case of a Kindred opponent (who cannot fall unconscious) they are affected by the Knockdown rule. As above, if the temple strike scores more successes in damage then the kindred’s Stamina + Resilience (if active) then the victim must make a successful Dexterity + Athletics roll, allowing him to maintain his footing as a reflexive action. If the roll succeeds, the character behaves normally. If the roll fails, the character is forced to go prone (see Going Prone, p. 164). If he has not performed an action in the turn, he loses his action that turn. He cannot perform any tasks and cannot travel that turn; he just hits the ground. He can rise again as an action in a subsequent turn. Or once he lands, he always has the option of remaining prone. In case of a dramatic failure on the Dexterity + Athletics roll, a character falls hard or at an odd angle and suffers one Health point of bashing damage (which may be absorbed automatically if armor is worn).

• Dangerous Radius: With this technique, your character can swing the weapon in a wide arc, hitting anyone within three yards. Make a normal attack roll for the character (Strength + Weaponry + weapon bonuses). This roll receives a dice penalty equal to the number of opponents hit with this strike (to a maximum of –5 dice). The user challenges each victim within his radius and subtracts their defense with the previously mentioned penalty. If the weapon is a normal blunt polearm (i.e., a staff), it does bashing. If bladed, the weapon causes lethal damage. This attack cannot distinguish between friend or foe. Any allies within the three-yard radius are hit along with enemies. The technique cannot be pulled to exclude friends from the damage. This maneuver cost a willpower before any rolls are made.

Two Weapons: Prerequisites: Dexterity •••, Weaponry ••• Too use this Fighting Style you must have two weapons in hand to use these. None of the maneuvers mix with each other.

• Whirling Blades: Your character’s Dodge trait (Defense doubled; see p. 156) are not penalized by multiple attacks staged against him in a turn until the number of attacks exceeds your Weaponry dots, at which point each attack thereafter reduces his Dodge by -1. The weaponry Dodge Merit (see p. 110) cannot replace normal Dodge (Defense doubled) when this maneuver is performed.

• Deflect and thrust: When using this maneuver, your character gains +2 to his Defense for the turn, but any attack he makes suffers a -2 penalty. You cannot dodge while performing deflect and thrust. He can move no more than his Speed while performing a Deflect and Thrust maneuver in a turn.

• Focused Attack: Your character can attack a single target twice in the same turn. The second attack suffers a -1 penalty. The attacker loses their Defense for the turn. You cannot perform Focused Attack on any turn that you have already used your defense in (when being attacked before your action for example.)
Fluid Attack: Your character can make a single attack on two different targets in one turn. The targets cannot be a distance apart in excess of your character’s Speed trait. The second attack suffers a -1 penalty. The attacker loses their Defense for the turn. You cannot perform Fluid Attack on any turn that you have already used your defense in (when being attacked before your action, for example).