I went and wrote up new melee rules, I thought a lot about it, honest! Options Track this topic Email this topic Print this topic Download this topic Subscribe to this forum Display Modes Outline Switch to: Standard Switch to: Linear+

[Wounded Ronin]

Hand To Hand Combat system ver. 2.0

This is a hand to hand combat system for SR3 that I have created in which I try to balance realism and manageable game mechanics with a system that also does not disrupt game balance by not changing the power level of hand to hand combat overall very much. Furthermore it is designed so that players and busy gamemasters may still take a hand to hand combat skill that acts exactly like the old SR3 "Unarmed Combat".

I am aware that there is already an advanced melee system available in the Cannon Companion. However, I feel that that system is very flawed because it presents a lot of manuvers that would work in point fighting but not in the street or full contact competition, because it messed up the damage code on throws, created artificial divisions between various martial arts based on what people decided to call the martial arts, and by not really implementing a good grappling engine.

The goal of this hand to hand combat system was not to be strictly realistic since that would have disrupted game balance pretty severely. After all, in real life, punches are almost never effective against someone with a shotgun. On the other hand, though, the blatant fantasyland bullshido nightmare that was the Canon Companion advanced hand to hand combat rules made me gnash my teeth in rage every time I read them. The goal of these rules, therefore, is to provide a SEMIREALISTIC hand to hand combat system that is relatively simple, which dosen't disturb game balance, and which is relatively easy to use in terms of game mechanics.

What you are reading here is a culmination of writing and thought since the summer of 2004. Between then and now I wrote up an entire hand to hand combat system, scrapped it, simplified it, streamlined it, and changed it into what you are reading here. It has not been playtested yet, so I'd be interested to hear any comments or thoughts that you might have.


Table of Contents:

Section 1: Pugilism and grappling

Section 2: Manuvers Overview

Section 3: Manuvers Described In Detail

Section 4: Melee Weapons

Section 5: Killing Hands






Section 1: Pugilism and grappling


I have replaced Unarmed Combat with two new skills linked to STR. They are "Pugilism" and "t3h gr4ppl3" (or "grappling"; the l33t is a bullshido.net injoke since people there began sarcasting l33t speak to make fun of 13 year old Gracie fanatics.) [EDIT - Changing t3h gr4ppl3 to "grappling" just for you guys, since so many people complained.] Both of them function like Unarmed Combat in that when you would make an Unarmed Combat test you would instead roll either your Pugilism or t3h gr4ppl3. However, since the UFC has demonstrated the value of cross training pugilism and grappling are treated as complimentary skills. That way someone with Pugilism 6 and grappling 6 will get more dice in an opposed test than his opponent with only grappling 6. This introduces a nice element of realism since after a point it becomes less efficient to improve your fighter by focusing only on standup or only on grappling and more efficient to start crosstraining a little.


Section 2: Manuvers Overview


Both Pugilism and grappling allow their users to attack or defend using particular manuvers. Although there is some overlap between the manuvers and the Pugilism-grappling dichotomy splits apart some skills that in reality people are likely to learn together I feel what I have set up works pretty well in terms of smooth game mechanics. The manuvers listed below will be fully explained further below.

Pugilism has the manuvers: Pugilistic Physical Damage, Pugilistic Positioning, M Stun, Pugilistic Throw, Pugilistic Disarm.

When you get the Pugilism skill it comes with M Stun for free. Thereafter, for each level of skill beyond 1 you have you may add one of the 5 remaining manuvers to your repertoire until at skill level 5 you have them all.

t3h gr4ppl3 has the manuvers: Grappling Positioning, Groundwork, Grappling Physical Damage, Grappling Throw/Takedown, Grappling Disarm.

When you get grappling it comes with Grappling Physical Damage for free. Thereafter you can add manuvers in exactly the same way as with Pugilism.

When attacking or defending with either Pugilism or t3h gr4ppl3 you must use one of the manuvers. All of the manuvers are rolled for just like for Unarmed Combat; an opposed test between the combatants to determine whether you or the opponent succeeded, and with the net succeses determining the degree of success.


Section 3: Manuvers Described In Detail


All of the manuvers are rolled for just like for Unarmed Combat; an opposed test between the combatants to determine whether you or the opponent succeeded, and with the net succeses determining the degree of success.

Pugilism Manuvers Described In Detail:

M Stun: This works exactly like regular Unarmed Combat from SR3 where the damage code is STR M Stun. It represents the skill of hitting fast, hard, and skillfully at targets like the groin, head, solar plexus, and ribs. This is what you are likely to see in a boxing match, a muay thai match, or a full contact karate match.

Pugilistic Positioning: This is similar to Take Aim in some ways. It's complicated but important so it gets a few paragraphs. Every net 2 successes on Pugilistic Positioning that you gain on your opponent gives you a -1 TN bonus and your opponent a +1 TN penalty the next time you use a Pugilism manuver against the opponent whom you have positioned on.

Like with Take Aim you may use Pugilistic Positioning consecutive times and the bonus and penalty accrued will stack if you are successful repeatedly. Like with Take Aim if you use combat pool for any reason other than attacking or defending against the opponent you were Positioning against all Positioning bonuses will be lost. Getting knocked to the ground or knocked away from your opponent will also cause you to lose your Positioning bonuses.

Just as Take Aim only gives a bonus to one attack, Positioning only will convey the accumulated bonus to one consecutive non-positioning Pugilism manuver.

An opponent cannot disengage or move away from melee combat if he is recieving a net TN penalty from Positioning tests. If an opponent wishes to break free he must neutralize the TN penalty on him by succeeding with his own Positioning tests until the penalty is neutralized or he manages to shift the penalty in his adversary's disfavor.

This is an important rule because if through Positioning you accumulate a negative TN bonus for yourself that is equal to or greater than twice the opponent's melee skill you gain an unbreakable submission hold on your opponent. The opponent cannot escape or take any physical action against you although you may lose the hold if you step away from your opponent, if you use combat pool for any reason, or if you get knocked down or knocked away from the opponent. You may inflict an irresistable D physical wound on anyone whom you have a submission hold on with a Complex Action; this represents snapping their spine. If the GM agrees that you have at least 20 undisturbed seconds (just under 7 combat turns) with someone in your submission hold you may use a blood choke to give them an irresistable D stun.

Pugilistic Positioning represents things like boxing clenchwork, standup judo kuzushi setups, standing joint lock jockeying from classical jujutsu, or wing chun/jun fan trapping.

Pugilistic Physical Damage: This works exactly like Unarmed Combat from SR3 with two important differences. The first difference is that your damage code is equal to (1/2 STR) L physical. The second is that the Power of this code is raised by 1 for each -1 TN bonus that you have gained through Positioning tests.

Pugilistic Throw: Roll your Pugilism dice in melee combat at a +1 TN penalty. If you win your damage code is (opponent's Body score) M stun and you make your opponent drop prone. The Power of this attack is raised by 1 for each -1 TN bonus that you have gained through prior successful Positioning tests.

This represents everything from wussy foot sweeps, kungfu head throws, and massive judo slams. The variable damage code represents whether the throw is more of a takedown or more of a devastating torqued head throw.

Pugilistic Disarm: Roll your Pugilism dice in melee combat against an armed opponent at a +2 TN penalty. If you succeed one of the opponent's weapons that he is holding (your choice) falls down to the ground. If you get at least 2 successes you can instead choose to hold his weapon.

t3h gr4ppl3

Grappling Positioning: This works exactly like Pugilistic Positioning but just as the bonuses from Pugilistic Positioning only apply to Pugilism Manuvers the bonuses from Grappling Positioning only apply to Grappling Manuvers. This skill can represent judo or chin na style standup positioning to set up for a takedown or lock but it also can represent things like brazilian jujutsu positioning on the ground.

Groundwork: Groundwork is a "passive" manuver that automatically gives you a bonus in certain situations; you cannot attack or defend with groundwork. If you are prone and your opponent is prone and you have Groundwork you will get an additional -1 TN bonus to t3h gr4ppl3 attacks or defenses you make for every 2 levels of grappling you have.

Grappling Physical Damage: This works in the same way as Pugilistic Physical Damage but being a Grappling skill it is compatible with Grappling Positioning. It represents limb breaking, eye gouging, and trachea crushing.

Grappling Throw/Takedown: This is like Pugilistic Throw but it has a different damage code and extra successes behave differently. The damage code is (opponent's Body + your Body)/2 M stun. Every 2 net successes instead of raising the damage code counts as 2 successes on a Grappling Positioning test against your opponent. Grappling Throw/Takedown can be followed up with further Grappling Positioning tests to stack bonuses further or to try and complete a submission hold. A character successfully executing Grappling Throw/Takedown against his opponent has the option of falling down on top of his opponent so that he can be prone along with his opponent if he likes. This represents things like a double leg takedown to a mount, a kneeling ippon seionage, or a koshi guruma where you fall on top of your opponent in kesa gatame. Basically, a takedown or throw with the objective of putting the thrower in an advantageous position to initiate grappling.

Grappling Disarm: Same as Pugilistic Disarm.


Section 4: Melee Weapons

Melee weapon skills (i.e. Edged Weapons, Clubs, etc) have manuvers that are the same as Pugilistic Positioning, Pugilistic Throw, and Pugilistic Disarm. You get to add one manuver per two levels of skill.

THIS IS IMPORANT: Emptyhanded combat (i.e. Pugilism, t3h gr4ppl3) is penalized with a +1 TN penalty when fighting against someone who is wielding an edged weapon and who is aware of and capable of responding to the unarmed attack or defense. An emptyhand surprise attack would not be subject to this penalty. This represents the difficulty in fighting emptyhanded against a blade.


Section 5: Killing Hands


Killing Hands may inflict its magical damage whenever damage would be inflicted through Pugilism or grappling, in which case the adept may choose whether he wants to use the normal damage code for his manuver or instead substitute his killing hands damage code. He does not get to inflict damage every time he wins a Positioning test.