Techniques
Techniques are a way improve a specific application of a skill without increasing the overall skill level.
Technique Cost Table
Most Techniques have maximum levels. For instance, a technique that “cannot exceed prerequisite skill level” and that defaults to skill-5 tops out at default+5. Some, like Acrobatic Stand have more then five levels while some, like Aggressive Parry only have one.
| Your Final Skill Level | Default | Default+1 | Default+2 | Default+3 | Default+4 | +1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average cost | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | +1 |
| Hard cost | 0 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | +1 |
Making and Using New Techniques
A fighter wants to be able to better disarm opponents with his shortsword. While the List of Techniques doesn't have something that exactly fits that the Hit Location to the hand is -4 and the closest Techniques are Targeted Attack which are all Hard.
Talking with the GM they figure the new technique works similar to Targeted Attack, Grapple with a max at the skill the player has in the weapon skill being used. So the most the player can spend on his Technique (Disarm Weapon Hand) is 4 points which means he can now disarm opponents with the same base skill as to hit them with his weapon.
List of Techniques
A
Acrobatic Stand: Standing from prone normally takes three actions. Acrobatic Stand 'kips up' and reduces this to a single action.
Aggressive Parry: A "parry" that is essentially an attack on the opponent's weapon during a strike. It still rolls at half the weapon skill, but it also deals its damage to the attacking weapon. Parrying an unarmed strike with a weapon is essentially an aggressive parry for free.
Arm or Wrist Lock: An unarmed technique that requires only a quick contest every round to determine damage, with a cumulative -1 for an opponent to break free (max -10).
Armed Grapple: The ability to grapple even when your hands are full. IE: grappling with a cloak as a net with no penalty or even using a baton or rifle to gain leverage.
Attack from Above: Attack from Above is a combat option available to anyone sneaky enough to pull it off. Roll a Quick Contest of Stealth vs the defender's Vision. A victim walking along a trail, alley, etc is at -2 unless otherwise looking up. If they are looking up (such as an avid birdwatcher or tourist), their Vision roll is at +2 instead. Peripheral Vision has no special value in this situation.
On a success, the defender gets no active defense against the attack. On a failure, the defender is still at -2 against the attack. Note that an alerted foe with a polearm can use a Wait and ready a stop thrust -- attacking such a defender is a good way of turning oneself into a kebab.
Either way, the attacker is at -2 to attack this way
| Technique | Difficulty | Prerequisite | Default | Maximum | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Acrobatic Stand | Average | Acrobatics | Acrobatics-6 | Acrobatics | NA |
| Aggressive Parry | Hard | Any SS | Parry-1 | Parry | Worse of thr-4 or thr-2 at -1/d cr‡ |
| Arm or Wrist Lock | Average | Judo, Wrestling, or app. MWS | PS | PS+4 | QC |
| Armed Grapple | Hard | Cloak or app. MWS | PS-2 | PS | Grapple |
| Attack from Above | Average | Any MWS or UCS | PS-2 | PS | Per attack |
| Axe Kick | Hard | Karate | Karate-4 | Karate | Better of thr+1 or thr at +1/2d cr‡ |
B
Back Kick: Kicking to the rear, with practice the normal -4 for kicking outside of view can be overcome.
Back Strike: As Back Kick but for striking with a punch or melee weapon.
Backbreaker: This technique involves grappling a foe and breaking their spine over one's knee. As expected, the attacker must be able to lift their opponent (BLx4) and make a successful grapple.
Failing this technique means the opponent has somehow slipped your grasp, meaning you are now kneeling and your opponent ends face-up on the ground.
Beheading Blow: A technique meant to end a fight quickly by aiming between the jaw and shoulder with a cutting weapon. If the technique is successful and penetrates armor, catastrophic damage has been done to the opponent's neck. If they're human, they likely have a cut throat and will die. A critical success that penetrates any armor over the neck results in a decapitation.
Bind Weapon: A parrying technique that prevents the opponent from conducting further attacks by putting pressure on their weapon with yours, ensuring that if they did pull away you would be able to strike at them instantly.
Binding: Knowing how to arrange a person under your physical control to prevent their escape, either by holding them down or by tying them up with rope. A successful bind prevents them from moving at all and requires specialized Skills (Escape Artist) to overcome.
Bow & Palette Firestarting: A technique for starting fires using common detritus to make friction and light kindling, which can be used to light a more robust fire.
Breakfall: A counter to a slam attack.
| Technique | Difficulty | Prerequisite | Default | Maximum | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Back Kick | Hard | Karate | Karate-4 | Karate | Kick |
| Back Strike | Hard | Any MWS | PS-2 | PS | Per attack at worse of -2 or -1/d with swung |
| Backbreaker* | Hard | None | ST-3 or Wrestling-3 | ST+3 or Wrestling+3 | sw cr |
| Beheading Blow | Hard | Any MWS capable of swung cutting attacks | PS-5 | PS-2 | NA |
| Bind Weapon | Hard | Jitte/Sai or any fencing | PS-3 | PS | Bind |
| Binding* | Hard | Judo or Knot-Tying | PS | PS+4 | Tie Up |
| Bow & Palette Firestarting | Average | Survival or having seen the skill practiced before | Survival | PS+4 | NA |
| Breakfall | Average | Acrobatics, Judo, or Wrestling | PS | PS+5 | NA |
C
Camouflaged Mind Block: A Mind Block Technique that misleads anyone attempting to read your mind. This can either make them believe that your inner thoughts are something innocuous, or it can fool a mindreader into thinking that you're a moron with very little going on upstairs.
Cavalry Training: Attacking from the back of a moving vehicle with a melee weapon (such as swinging a chain from a gravcycle or a spear from the cuppola of a wheeled vehicle). Often considered something of a lost art.
Choke Hold: Once control of a grapple has been established, an opponent with an unarmored neck can have their blood choked off from their brain. If this technique is successful for 7 seconds (2 1/3 rounds) then the opponent loses consciousness.
Close Combat: You can fight in C range with any melee weapon, even those with a range of 1 or 2.
Close Combat - Ranged: You can fight in C range with a ranged weapon at this technique's level.
Coded Thoughts: You hide your thoughts behind codes or images with meaning only to you. Mindreaders can read these thoughts, but they won't be able to break the code without a separate roll.
Combinations: Combinations are Techniques designed to buy off Rapid Strike penalties.
Controlled Pair: A rapid pair of shots with a pause to re-aim in between, allowing the attacker to fire twice without the usual -1 recoil penalty.
Coordinated Attack: Multiple people coordinate an attack in a practiced order, building on each others' damage. Every participant must make the Wait maneuver until the slowest one's turn. Then the leader makes a Leadership roll at -3 per participant beyond the second. They then attack in the designated order. If the Leadership roll was successful, every successful attack adds +1 to the damage of the next successful attack. Reductions in armor are calculated after each attack as well.
Counterattack: Accepting a voluntary penalty to a Parry roll and committing to attacking as the first action on your turn, you can apply the penalty accepted to the attack roll.
Crack: Flipping a whiplike weapon (most often a whip) by yanking back on the weapon in mid-swing, the tip breaks the sound barrier. If successful, this gets more damage out of the weapon than would otherwise be possible.
| Technique | Difficulty | Prerequisite | Default | Maximum | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Camouflaged Mind Block | Hard | Mind Block | PS-4 | PS | NA |
| Cavalry Training | Hard | Riding and any MWS | PS-2 | PS | Per attack |
| Choke Hold | Hard | Judo, Wrestling, or app. WS | Judo-2, Wrestling-3, or app. WS-3 | PS | QC |
| Close Combat | Hard | Any MWS | PS-4, -8, or -12 | PS-2, -4, or -6 | Per attack |
| Close Combat – Ranged | Hard | Any RCS | PS-Bulk | PS | Per attack |
| Coded Thoughts | Hard | Mind Block and Cryptography or Memetics | Mind Block-6 | Mind Block | NA |
| Combination – 2 Attacks | H+2 | Any 2 TAs, even defaults | TAs-6 | TAs | Per attacks |
| Combination – 3 Attacks | H+3 | Any 3 TAs, even defaults | TAs-12 | TAs | Per attacks |
| Combination, 2H – 2 Attacks | H+2 | Any 2 TAs, even defaults | TAs-4 | TAs | Per attacks |
| Combination, 2H – 3 Attacks | H+3 | Any 3 TAs, even defaults | TAs-9 | TAs | Per attacks |
| Controlled Pair | Average | RCS with an RoF of at least 2. | RCS-1 | RCS+4 | Per attacks |
| Coordinated Attack | Hard | PS | PS | Per attacks | None |
| Counterattack | Hard | Any MWS or UCS | PS-5 | PS | Per attack |
| Crack | Average | Whip | Whip-4 | Whip | Per attack+2 |
D
Disarming: An attempt to remove a weapon from an enemy's grip.
Double Eye-Poke: A finger in each eye. If the eyes are unprotected, or if an unarmed attack is capable of breaking their eye Protection, this causes temporary blindness.
Drop Kick: A running jumpkick. Damage is for a slam (HP x Movement)/100. You must move at least 1 yard and the reach for the attack is 2 yards. Succeed or fail, you fall down. Until your next turn, you may block or parry from the ground, but you cannot dodge nor retreat.
Dual-Weapon Attack: Attacking with a weapon in each hand.
Dual-Weapon Defense: A parry with two weapons.
| Technique | Difficulty | Prerequisite | Default | Maximum | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Disarming | Hard | Any MWS or UCS | PS | PS+5 | Disarm |
| Double Eye-Poke† | Hard | Brawling or Karate | PS-5 | PS | Blind |
| Drop Kick | Hard | Brawling, Sumo Wrestling, or Wrestling | Brawling-1, Sumo Wrestling-1, or Wrestling-2 | PS | Slam+2 |
| Dual-Weapon Attack* | Hard | Any UCS or 1H CS | PS-4 | PS | Per attack |
| Dual-Weapon Defense* | Hard | Any MWS or UCS | Block-1 or Parry-1 | Block or Parry | NA |
E
Ear Clap: An open-hand swinging strike on both ears at the same time, causing a sudden burst of pressure in their inner ears.
Elbow Drop: A falling elbow strike after which the attacker is prone. It is dodged or parried at -2.
Elbow Strike: A close combat technique that can be in any direction, including the attacker's blind spot.
Entangle: Using a flexible weapon such as a cloak, net or whip, you wrap it around an enemy to force them to disentangle themselves or perhaps as a precursor to a Bind.
Evade: Allows you to move as a defensive maneuver; for instance, to get out of range of a grenade or backing away from an opponent's swinging fists. It is not considered a Dodge, and therefore doesn't roll at half skill.
Eye-Gouging: A direct unarmed attack on the eyes, usually with the thumbs. The intention is to destroy the eyes rather than provide a temporary Blindness, and requires the commitment of an All-Out Attack
Eye-Pluck: An exotic technique requiring enormous skill and training where the attacker uses their fingers to crack the zygomatic and lacrimal bones of the eye socket and pluck the eye out.
Eye-Poke: The age old technique of getting a finger into an eye to cause pain and temporary blindness in that eye.
Eye-Poke Defense: If you know an eye poke is coming, you can generally intervene with your hand and knock their fingers off course.
Eye-Rake: A swipe of the fingers across both eyes, either laterally or vertically. Causes pain and temporary blindness, but little permanent damage.
| Technique | Difficulty | Prerequisite | Default | Maximum | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ear Clap | Average | Any SS | PS-3 | PS-1 | thr-3 cr‡, Deaf, Stun |
| Elbow Drop | Hard | Brawling or Wrestling | Brawling-4 or Wrestling-5 | PS | Better of thr+2 or thr at +1/d cr‡, Knockdown |
| Elbow Strike | Average | Brawling or Karate | PS-2 | PS | thr-1 cr‡ |
| Entangle | Hard | Kusari, Net or Whip | PS-4 | PS | Entangle |
| Evade | Average | Acrobatics or Judo | PS | PS+5 | NA |
| Eye-Gouging | Hard | Brawling, Judo, or Wrestling | PS-5 | PS | thr-4 cr, Blind |
| Eye-Pluck* | Hard | Brawling or Karate | PS-10 | PS-4 | thr-3 cr‡, Cripple |
| Eye-Poke | Hard | Any SS | PS-9 | PS-4 | thr-3 cr |
| Eye-Poke Defense† | Hard | Any UCS | Parry | Parry+5 | NA |
| Eye-Rake | Hard | Brawling or Karate | PS-5 | PS | Blind |
F and G
Failure to Stop: The "Mozambique Drill." Two shots to the vitals, one in the face. This technique uses two actions instead of three, and if the two shots in the vitals hit (regardless of whether they penetrate armor) then the third shot is at a +3.
Feint: You attack with a weapon, committing to doing no damage. If the attack is successful, the enemy might spend their defense uselessly on the attack and your next attack (which must be your first action next round) is performed with no defense.
Fighting While Seated: Attacking while seated normally has a -2 penalty, which can be bought off with this technique.
Grand Disarm: A sweep aimed at two separate opponents' hands with the intention of effectuating a double disarm. Roll the first Disarm as normal, but then a second Disarm with the full penalty.
Ground Fighting: Fighting while prone.
| Technique | Difficulty | Prerequisite | Default | Maximum | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Failure to Stop | Average | Any RCS with a RoF of 3 or better | RCS | RCS+4 | Per Attack |
| Feint | Hard | Any UCS, MWS, or special | PS | PS+4 | Feint |
| Fighting While Seated* | Hard | Any CS | PS-2 | PS | Per attack |
| Grand Disarm* | Hard | Any MWS or UCS | Fencing-9, MWS-11, or UCS-11 | PS | Disarm(s) |
| Ground Fighting | Hard | Any CS | PS-4 | PS | Per attack |
H and I
Hammer Fist: A brutal closed-fist strike with the bottom of the fist.
Hammered Pair: Two shots with a semi-automatic weapon off the same sight picture (without re-aiming between). Allows for two shots to be taken as one action.
Hand Catch: Catching a thrown weapon (or similarly dangerous fast-approaching object of catchable size).
Hand-Clap Parry: Parrying a weapon by slapping the less dangerous part, usually at an angle from the direction of the enemy's swing. Allows for an unarmed parry against a weapon that doesn't damage your hand.
Handcuffing: The technique of applying restraints to someone who has been successfully grappled but is still resisting.
Hands-Free Riding: Steering a vehicle by using the legs, allowing for the use of hands on other tasks (such as firing a weapon)
Hang From Saddle: While riding externally on a vehicle, you can get lower to the ground by hanging on one side and clinging. This is useful for using the vehicle as cover on the move, grabbing something on the ground, or some other more niche situations.
Head Butt: An unarmed attack using the forehead or temporal bone, preferably against something vulnerable like the nose bridge or teeth of the opponent.
Head Lock: A grapple restraint that prevents an enemy from escaping, but doesn't choke them.
Hook: This is the technique used to snag a foe's head, limb, weapon, or shield in order to pull them off balance.
Hook Kick: This is a kick for the peripheral.
Impersonate: Mimicking someone's mannerisms, essential for passing off a disguise.
Initial Carving: Using a sharp melee weapon, carving initials or a simple symbol into a target as a sort of signature. Can be extremely demoralizing to an opponent in the middle of a fight.
| Technique | Difficulty | Prerequisite | Default | Maximum | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hammer Fist | Average | Brawling or Karate | PS-1 | PS | thr-2 cr‡ |
| Hammered Pair | Average | RCS with an RoF of at least 2. | RCS-2 | RCS+2 | Per attack |
| Hand Catch* | Hard | Any GS | Parry-3 | Parry | Grab or Grapple |
| Hand-Clap Parry* | Hard | Judo or Karate | Parry-5 | Parry | Grab, Disarm |
| Handcuffing | Average | None | Binding, DX-2, Judo-1, or Wrestling-2 | Binding, DX, Judo, or Wrestling | Cuff |
| Hands-Free Riding | Hard | Riding | Riding-3 | Riding | NA |
| Hang From Saddle | Hard | Riding | PS-3 | PS-1 | NA |
| Head Butt | Hard | Brawling or Karate | PS-1 | PS | thr-1 cr |
| Head Lock | Hard | Judo or Wrestling | PS-3 | PS | QC |
| Hit Location | Hard | Any combat/weapon skill; must specialize | Combat Skill-Hit Location (Combat Skill-3) | Combat Skill | normal |
| Hook | Hard | Any app. MWS | PS-5 | PS | Hook |
| Hook Kick | Hard | Karate | Karate-3 or Kicking-1 | Karate | Kick |
| Impersonate | Average | Mimicry (Speech) | PS-3 | PS | NA |
| Initial Carving* | Hard | Any fencing | PS-4 | PS | Per attack |
J through L
Jam: You strike a ranged weapon in combat with the intent of misaligning the mechanics of the weapon. The misalignment has to be fixed using actions by the user before the weapon can be fired again.
Judo Throw: After a successful standing grapple or unarmed parry, you can immediately throw an opponent.
Jump Kick: A leaping kick, after which you land on your feet.
Kicking: An unarmed attack that uses more of your strength than a punch.
Knee Drop: An unarmed attack on a prone enemy.
Knee Strike: A close-range attack with the knee.
| Technique | Difficulty | Prerequisite | Default | Maximum | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jam | Hard | Brawling or Karate | Parry-1 | Parry | Worse of thr-3 or thr-1 at -1/d cr‡ |
| Judo Throw | Hard | Judo | Judo | Judo | thr-1 cr, Knockdown, Stun |
| Jump Kick | Hard | Karate | Karate-4 | Karate | Better of thr+1 or thr at +1/2d cr‡ |
| Kicking | Hard | Brawling or Karate | PS-2 | PS | thr cr‡ |
| Knee Drop | Hard | Brawling or Wrestling | Brawling-3 or Wrestling-4 | PS | Better of thr+2 or thr at +1/d cr‡ |
| Knee Strike | Average | Brawling or Karate | PS-1 | PS | thr cr‡ |
L
Leg Grapple: An attempt to initiate a grapple using the legs, usually because the hands are busy.
Leg Lock: A submission hold using the legs.
Leg Throw: As part of parrying an opponent's kick, you use their own leverage against them and throw them by their leg.
Lethal Eye-Poke: Penetrating damage with a finger in order to seriously damage an eyeball.
Lethal Kick: Penetrating damage with a kick in order to kill rather than incapacitate an opponent.
Lethal Strike: Penetrating damage with strikes in order to kill rather than incapacitate an opponent.
Lifesaving: The ability to pull someone along the water, even if they are struggling or unconscious, in order to rescue them.
Low Fighting: The ability to fight from a crouch to present a lower silhouette for targeting.
Low-Line Defense: Maintaining a low center of gravity to avoid being grappled.
Lower-Body Locks: Techniques using the legs to lock down an opponent's various body parts.
| Technique | Difficulty | Prerequisite | Default | Maximum | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leg Grapple | Hard | None | DX, Wrestling, or Judo | DX+4, Wrestling+4, or Judo+4 | Grapple |
| Leg Lock | Average | Judo or Wrestling | PS | PS+4 | QC |
| Leg Throw | Hard | Judo | Judo-2 | Judo | thr-1 cr (ST+2), Knockdown, Stun |
| Lethal Eye-Poke* | Hard | Karate | Karate-11 | Karate-5 | thr-2 pi‡ |
| Lethal Kick* | Hard | Karate | Karate-4 | Karate | thr-1 pi‡ |
| Lethal Strike* | Hard | Karate | Karate-2 | Karate | thr-2 pi‡ |
| Lifesaving | Hard | Swimming | Swimming-5 | Swimming | NA |
| Low Fighting | Hard | Any CS | PS-2 | PS | Per attack |
| Low-Line Defense | Hard | Boxing or Sumo Wrestling | Parry-2 | Parry | N/A |
| Lower-Body Arm Lock | Average | Judo or Wrestling | PS-2 | PS+4 | QC (ST+2) |
| Lower-Body Arm Lock | Average | Judo or Wrestling | PS-2 | PS+4 | QC (ST+2) |
| Lower-Body Head Lock | Hard | Judo or Wrestling | PS-5 | PS | QC (ST+2) |
| Lower-Body Leg Lock | Average | Judo or Wrestling | PS-2 | PS+4 | QC (ST+2) |
M through O
Motion-Picture Camera: Taking rapid individual pictures without much camera movement to create a series of photographs that can be analyzed as individual frames of motion.
Mounted Shooting: Shooting while in a moving vehicle.
Neck Snap: Twisting a head quickly to internally sever the spine. If successful and enough damage has been done exceeds their HP, this is an instant and stealthy way to kill someone.
No-Landing Extraction: Flying low enough for people on the ground to mount the vehicle, either by hopping on or by grabbing hanging ropes/ladders/harnesses etc.
No-Mind: If a Psion attempts to read your mind, they get nothing. They pick up no ambient thought and aren't going to be alerted to your presence psionically.
Overwatch: You ready a weapon and keep guard. If successful, you may take a shot immediately upon noticing an enemy.
| Technique | Difficulty | Prerequisite | Default | Maximum | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Motion-Picture Camera | Average | Photography | PS-3 | No limit | NA |
| Mounted Shooting | Hard | Riding or any vehicle and any RCS | RCS-4 | RCS | Per attack |
| Neck Snap | Hard | None | ST-4 | ST+3 | sw cr |
| No-Landing Extraction | Hard | Piloting | PS-4 | PS | NA |
| No-Mind | Hard | Invisibility Art and Mind Block | Mind Block-5 | Invisibility Art | NA |
| Overwatch | Average | RCS | per-2 | per+5 | Per attack |
P through R
Point Shooting: Shooting with body positioning rather than aiming, usually used for close quarters combat. Circumvents surprise so long as your weapon is ready.
Purse Cutting: This technique uses a knife to sever an externally stored object for quick-and-dirty theft.
Quickdraw Fire: If you don't have a weapon out, you can attack as part of drawing it, typically with less accuracy. If both sides are holstered, a Quick Contest of Quickdraw Fire can be rolled.
Quick Mount: Jumping onto a vehicle with an external diver's seat (such as a gravcycle) with one action.
Remote Hypnosis: A Telepathic technique for hypnotizing someone mentally, without verbalizing the words.
Retain Weapon: Resisting Disarm
Return Strike: An extra attack; if you miss your initial attack, you can pull back your weapon to attempt another attack on the pull back.
Reverse Grip: An attack with one step lower reach.
Roll With Blow: When receiving crushing damage, you can mitigate it with this technique. You reduce the incoming damage by the amount which you succeeded.
Rope Up: Using a rope to climb.
| Technique | Difficulty | Prerequisite | Default | Maximum | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Point Shooting | Average | RCS | RCS-4 | RCS+5 | Per attack |
| Purse Cutting | Hard | Knife | PS-5 | PS | NA |
| Push Kick | Hard | Karate or Brawling | PS-3 | PS | Knockback |
| Quickdraw Fire | Hard | WS | WS-3 | WS+2 | Per attack |
| Quick Mount | Average | Acrobatics, Jumping, or Riding/vehicle | PS-3 | PS | N/A |
| Remote Hypnosis | Hard | Hypnotism; Telepathy Talent 1, or any other talent relevant to influencing others’ minds | Hypnotism | special limits | No limit |
| Retain Weapon | Hard | Any MWS | PS | PS+5 | N/A |
| Retain Weapon – Ranged | Hard | Any RCS | DX | DX+5 | N/A |
| Return Strike | Hard | Flail or Kusari | PS-5 | PS | Per attack |
| Reverse Grip | Average | Any MWS | PS-6, -4, or -0 | PS | N/A |
| Roll with Blow* | Hard | Acrobatics or any UCS | PS-2 | PS | N/A |
| Rope Up | Average | Climbing | PS-2 | PS | N/A |
S
Scaling: Freehand climbing.
Set Trap: Setting mines and tripwires.
Sharp Turn: Making an L or even V turn at speed.
Shoot-and-Move: Normally, a turn where you move and fire subtracts the Bulk of the weapon from the roll(s). This can be mitigated using this technique.
Shoot Backward: Firing blind into your blindspot.
Shoot Over Mount: Firing over the front of your vehicle.
Slip Handcuffs: Getting out of handcuffs normally has an Equipment penalty. This can be mitigated.
Snapshot: Firing instinctively, somewhat mitigating surprise.
Spinning Kick: A quick spin before a kick, baiting the enemy. Can be called off during the move as a feint.
Spinning Punch: A quick spin before a punch, baiting the enemy. Can be called off during the move as a feint.
Spinning Strike:A quick spin before a weapon strike, baiting the enemy. Can be called off during the move as a feint.
Spiral Propagation: A mind control technique which focuses most of a target's brain on its own subjugation.
Springing Attack: Using two actions, you crouch and then leap upward into your enemy, utilizing more of your body mass and muscle.
Stamp Kick: Against a prone enemy, you use your full musculature and body weight to strike the enemy with the bottom of your foot.
Staying Seated: Resisting when something would remove you from your seat; be it a bouncer at a bar or a gravcycle crash.
Sticking: Initiating contact in unarmed combat, you then maintain a grip on the enemy which prevents them from dodging and gives you a +2 bonus to attack and parry rolls.
Suppressive Fire: Using your All Out Attack, you simply continue firing around the enemy, ambivalent to scoring hits. If the enemy attempts to fire (with the Suppression penalties in place) then you automatically roll to hit them.
Sweep: An attack where you place an anchor and shove the enemy over it, sweeping the anchor one way and pushing or pulling their upper body the other. The 'anchor' here can be a weapon or a leg.
| Technique | Difficulty | Prerequisite | Default | Maximum | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scaling | Hard | Climbing | Climbing-3 | Climbing | NA |
| Set Trap | Hard | Explosives (Demolition) | PS-2 | PS | NA |
| Sharp Turn | Hard | Vehicle Operation Skill | PS-1 | PS | NA |
| Shoot-and-Move | Hard | RCS | RCS-Bulk | RCS+5-Bulk | Per attack |
| Shoot Backward | Hard | Riding and Bow | Bow-4 | Bow | Per attack |
| Shoot Over Mount | Hard | Riding and Bow | Bow-4 | Bow | Per attack |
| Slip Handcuffs | Hard | Escape | PS-5 | PS | NA |
| Snapshot | Hard | RCS | RCS-2 | RCS+2 | Per attack |
| Snap Weapon* | Hard | None | ST-4 or ST-based Jitte/Sai-4 | ST+3 or ST-based Jitte/Sai+3 | QC |
| Spinning Kick | Hard | Karate | Karate-3 | Karate | Kick, Feint |
| Spinning Punch | Hard | Karate | Karate-2 | Karate | Punch, Feint |
| Spinning Strike | Hard | Any MWS | PS-2 | PS | Per attack, Feint |
| Spiral Propagation | Average | Mind Control, Hypnosis, or Brainwashing | PS-3 | PS+3 | Special |
| Springing Attack* | Hard | Any MWS or UCS | PS-2 | PS | Per attack at better of +2 or +1/d |
| Stamp Kick | Hard | Brawling or Karate | PS-3 | PS | thr+1 cr‡ |
| Staying Seated | Average | Riding | Riding | Riding+4 | N/A |
| Sticking | Hard | Judo at 14+ | Judo-2 | Not Given | attack and parry at +2 |
| Suppressive Fire | Average | RCS | RCS-2 | RCS+4 | Per attack, Special |
| Sweep | Hard | App. MWS or UCS | PS-3 | PS | Knockdown |
T through Z
Targeted Attack, Chink in the Armor: Attacking between armored plates, likely at joints with almost certainly lower DRs.
Targeted Attack, Grab Strike or Throw: Instead of striking a limb, a successful attack either grabs or throws the opponent.
Targeted Attack, Grapple: Instead of striking a limb, a successful attack initiates a grapple.
Timed Defense: You can use your full Active Defense (instead of halved) if you use an action to prepare to use it first on your turn.
Triangle Choke: A full body choke, extremely difficult to break.
Trip: A simple tripping attack in response to an attack, which knocks the enemy down instead of simply fouling the attack.
Two-Handed Punch: An attack using both fists, either clenched together or simply punching at the same time. Either way, it's one attack and uses one (enhanced) damage.
Uppercut: An upwards attack using more of the body's muscle, directed at the Face.
Work by Touch: Lockpicking (or other delicate work) where you can't see the object being worked on, using muscle memory and vibrations.
Whirlwind Attack: When surrounded, an All Out Attack that makes one attack on everyone within melee striking distance.
Wrench (Limb): Twisting a limb during a grapple to damage it.
Wrench Spine: Twisting the trunk of an opponent's body during a grapple to damage it.
| Technique | Difficulty | Prerequisite | Default | Maximum | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TA- Chink in the Armor | Hard | Any MWS, or UCS | PS-5 | PS | Per attack |
| TA – Grab, Strike, or Throw | Hard | Any MWS or UCS | PS-HL | PS-HL/2 | Per attack |
| TA – Grapple | Hard | Any GS | PS-HL | PS | Per attack |
| Timed Defense* | Hard | None | AD-2 | AD | N/A |
| Triangle Choke | Hard | Judo or Wrestling | Judo-4 or Wrestling-5 | PS | QC (ST+2) |
| Trip | Hard | Any GS | Parry-1 | Parry | Knockdown |
| Two-Handed Punch | Average | Brawling | PS-2 | Brawling | Better of thr+1 or thr at +1d cr‡ |
| Uppercut | Average | Any SS | PS-1 | PS | thr cr‡ |
| Work by Touch | Hard | Lockpicking | PS-5 | PS | NA |
| Wet Willy† | Hard | Brawling or Karate | PS-6 | PS | Squeamish |
| Whirlwind Attack* | Hard | Boxing, Karate, or any MWS | PS-5 | PS | Per attack(s) |
| Wrench (Limb) | Hard | None | ST-4 | ST+3 | sw cr |
| Wrench Spine | Hard | None | ST-4 or Wrestling-4 | ST+3 or Wrestling+3 | sw cr |
Reference Notes
“*” indicates a cinematic technique, usually restricted to cinematic campaigns.
“†” indicates a silly technique, usually available only in silly campaigns.
“H+2” and “H+3” indicate Combinations for Damage, which are Hard and have an extra cost equal to the number of attacks: +2 or +3 points for two or three attacks, respectively.
- Maximum: The Maximum level to which the technique can be increased by someone without Technique Mastery.
- Damage: The technique’s Damage or other effects – or “N/A” for utility and most defensive Techniques. Unarmed attacks often give a formula for crushing (cr) or piercing (pi) Damage based on thrust (thr) or swing (sw) Damage.
“‡” after a formula means that standard skill-based Damage bonuses apply.
“Per attack” means the technique delivers regular Damage for a basic attack with the prerequisite skill, including any relevant skill-based Damage bonus.
“Kick,” “Punch,” and “Slam” mean the technique does the indicated kind of unarmed Damage, including any relevant skill-based Damage bonus.
“QC” means Damage depends on a Quick Contest.
Abbreviations
- 1H: One-handed.
- 2H: Two-handed.
- AD: Active defense (Dodge, Block, or Parry).
- app.: Appropriate.
- CS: Combat skill (any UCS or WS).
- GS: Grappling skill (Judo, Sumo Wrestling, or Wrestling).
- HL: Hit location penalty (e.g., -3 for the vitals).
- MWS: Melee weapon skill
- PS: Prerequisite skill
- RCS: Ranged combat skill (e.g., Bow or Guns).
- SS: Striking skill (Boxing, Brawling, or Karate).
- TA: Targeted Attack.
- UCS: Unarmed combat skill (any SS or GS).
- WS: Weapon skill (any MWS or RCS).
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