Multiple Opponent Defense

Sometimes you’re banging multiple heads together, other times you have a group of thugs all intent on crushing your skull. In the latter case, use Multiple Opponent Defense to give you a shot at keeping your skull in its proper three-dimensional shape. If you have this and are being attacked in melee combat by multiple assailants, reduce Friends in Melee modifier for the attackers by 1 or reduce the Defender has Defended Against Previous Attacks penalty by 1 (meaning that the –1 die penalty starts on the third attack). Characters can use only one of these options, as noted in their particular martial arts style.