Monday, September 9, 2013

Notes on Technical Grappling

Here are some notes on grappling according to +Douglas Cole Technical Grappling supplement. I may have to alter these if I'm grossly wrong, but I think that it distill the contribution well enough.

Note 1) Your wrestling ST is now increased a bit by your skill level. This is called your "trained ST". Trained ST implies that highly skilled folks fight at a higher effective ST, which I think is great. Lifting ST and Arm ST also apply. 

Note 2) When grappling, you inflict trained ST thrust damage in control point. Consider it like an affliction. Each 2 CP counts as a -1 to ST and DX action involving the grappled body part. This is called active control. This replaces the flat -4 for grappling from the basic set. 

Note 3) CP can otherwise be used to penalize your opponent in grappling related contests: force posture, shove, etc. they can also be used to break free and offset location penalties. Finally, they must be used if you try to inflict pain or more damage. 

Note  4) Most wrestling actions, including break free are considered to be attacks.

Note 5) Your effective ST changes with the number of limbs that you use. This makes sense. 

Note 6) Disarming is now an attempt to reduce someone passive Grip to 0. It is now possible to unready a weapon as a consolation prize. Grappling a blade is also a possibly dangerous operation...

Note 7) Impaling weapons that are left stuck inside an opponent provide as many CPs as the damage of the blow. Shoving, forcing posture change and inflicting more pain are allowed follow on moves. That is a great use of such weapon to force a rapid end to a fight.

There is a lot more, but I think that this stuff can be applied without disturbing ongoing games and possibly adding awesome where it makes sense. Combat going south often end in a wrestling matches, and these new rules turns the process into interesting tactical challenges. 

A cheat sheet of techniques would be awesome here. I may work out an example combat if I have time.

3 comments:

  1. Thanks for the digest!

    Note recursion:

    Note 1) I shied away from too much multiplication, but basically training in something that uses the fast progression can add up to 50% to ST.

    Note 3) They do not BOOST contests on your side. They can be used to lower your foe's scores to increase margin of victory. Because many rolls require you to make your own roll AND beat your foe in a Contest, the general theme is "scoring CP does NOT make YOU a better grappler; it makes your foe's skill less effective." It's a subtle point, but important - because boosting your skill makes you better, more likely to critically succeed, more able to pull of deceptive attacks, etc.

    Note 6) The "Instant Disarm" is retained, but I think it's harder to pull off. The "build up CP and reduce Grip ST" is even more effective if you put your foe's limb in a lock and inflict pain. All of that reduced Grip ST - including striking that grip and injuring it, IIRC.

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    Replies
    1. Thanks, I misunderstood the bit in Note 3. I'll change the text in the post accordingly.

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  2. This is awesome! Lolz, I should gotten a pick for drolf or had a mace pick.

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