Combat Maneuvers
A combat maneuver is a fighting move that can give you a brief edge against your opponent. When you want to do something tricky or launch an attack that does more than simply inflict damage, you must use a combat maneuver.
To use a combat maneuver, you must declare which maneuver you’re using before the test is made and spend a point of Willpower. You can only activate a single combat maneuver per round.
Any character may attempt to use a combat maneuver as long as she has a logical way to incorporate the specific combat maneuver into her attack. For example, you might try to Grapple someone with your bare hands or with a net, but you cannot attempt to Grapple someone by shooting at her with a sniper rifle.
If you are Strength-focused, you may perform one of the following combat maneuvers once per combat without spending Willpower: Disarm, Grapple, Knock Down, or Pierce the Heart.
If you are Dexterity-focused, you may perform one of the following combat maneuvers once per combat without spending Willpower: Burst of Speed, Disarm, Fighting Blind, or Quick Draw.
If you are Stamina-focused, you cannot be Knocked Out or Knocked Down by a combat maneuver unless your attacker has a higher Physical attribute than you.
Most Social and Mental actions can’t benefit from combat maneuvers, but there are exceptions. Fighting Blind can be used in conjunction with any type of action. For example, you may attempt to Entrance someone you can’t see, if you use the Fighting Blind maneuver.
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Burst of Speed
[DEX] This combat maneuver allows you to take your simple action immediately, out of order, and then take your standard action on your normal initiative. This maneuver doesn’t allow you to take an additional action, but it does allow you to use your simple action before your initiative. If you try to act at the same time as another character, the character acting on her natural initiative goes first. If two players use Burst of Speed at the same time, the character with the highest initiative goes first.
Blinding Attack
If you succeed with a Blinding Attack, your opponent suffers 3 less damage (minimum 0), but is blinded until she spends two simple actions clearing her eyes.
Disarm
[STR] [DEX] Modify your attack test pool by -2. If you succeed in the challenge, you force your target to drop one item of your choice. Picking the item up requires a standard action. If you are Dexterity-focused and have a free hand, you may choose to end up holding the disarmed object. Normally this maneuver can only be used on an object the target is holding in her hands, but the Storyteller may allow you to use this maneuver to take unsecured items off the target, such as a cord tied around her neck, a hat, or a rod sticking out of her pocket. Disarm cannot be used to remove large or secured items, such as a jacket or chain mail.
Grapple
[STR] If you succeed with a Grapple attack, your opponent takes 3 less damage (minimum 0) and is grappled. While grappled she can’t move and cannot use her standard action to take a Physical action. She can escape from your Grapple by using a simple action and besting you in an opposed challenge (Brawl or Melee). Upon escaping, the target regains full use of her standard action. (She doesn’t have to wait until the next round to use it.) You relinquish your Grapple if you take any action that targets anyone other than the character you’re grappling, or if you move more than one step per round. If a single character is being grappled by more than one opponent, she need only best one opponent to escape. If the grappling characters cannot decide who will resist the attempt to break out, the Storyteller decides. As long as your character is grappled, she is considered the target of a Physical challenge each round (allowing others to only target her with one additional Physical attack per round).
With the right equipment or supernatural power, it is possible to Grapple at range, but a Grapple cannot be used as a prerequisite for a supernatural attack unless you Grapple with your hands. For example, you can’t throw a net at someone and then use Cauldron of Blood, because you have not grappled the target with your hands.
Knock Out
[STR] [STA] If you surprise your target, you may attempt to knock her unconscious. Modify your attack test pool by -2. If you succeed, your target is unconscious for 10 minutes. You can only use this maneuver during the first round of combat, and you can’t use it if your target is expecting an attack. (Some supernatural creatures, such as vampires, cannot be knocked unconscious.)
Quick Draw
[DEX] You can draw one weapon or other small item on your person without using a simple action.
Knock Down
[STA] If you succeed with a Knock Down attack, your opponent takes 1 less damage (minimum 0) and ends up lying on the ground. While prone, your opponent may use an action to crawl one step. A prone character can use a simple action to stand up and move up to one step.
Fighting Blind
[DEX] If you can’t see your opponent, you must use this combat maneuver to attack her. If you don’t use this combat maneuver, your attack will automatically miss.
Pierce the Heart
[STR] If your opponent’s wounds are in the Incapacitated wound track, you may attempt to use a melee or ranged weapon to Pierce her Heart. Modify your attack test pool by -3 when attempting this maneuver. If you hit a mortal with this attack, she is instantly killed. If this attack hits a vampire and your weapon has the staking quality, the vampire is staked. A successful Pierce the Heart maneuver stakes Stock NPCs regardless of how much damage they currently have, since they do not utilize wound tracks.
Chapter 4: Introduction to Core Systems
