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View Full Version : Unarmed Techniques [3.X]



Dark.Revenant
2013-08-22, 09:28 PM
Foreword: See here: http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=299369

Unarmed Techniques

As opposed to Weapon Techniques, Unarmed Techniques depend on your proficiency level with Unarmed Strike. Unarmed Techniques can be performed as long as the required limbs are free for use or are holding an item suitable for the particular technique desired. Other situational requirements may apply.

All Unarmed Techniques that a character qualifies for are available for use. Unarmed Techniques provoke attacks of opportunity unless otherwise specified, or if the character has the Battle Maneuvering feat, or if the character has the Improved feats for the constituent combat maneuvers required for the technique. [Note: Battle Maneuvering is a feat that appears in my other houserules and can be safely ignored here. One of its effects is making it so that no combat maneuvers provoke attacks of opportunity, and the other is the ability to replace an attack in your full attack action with a combat maneuver, once per turn.]

Techniques that involve throws can deal additional damage from falling, hitting hard objects, etc. As a general rule, the lateral distance thrown translates into falling damage at a 2:1 ratio. If the subject is thrown into a hard surface like a wall or the ground (by sacrificing a number of feet thrown laterally), the falling damage is done at a 1:1 ratio. Acrobatics checks to reduce the damage have double the DC in these scenarios. The specifics are typically up to the DM to decide.

Tackle [Proficient]
Requirements: Standing, cannot be wielding a two-handed weapon
Description: The simple tackle technique involves charging your foe in an all-out shoulder spear while tripping their legs, acting as an effective takedown.
Effect: As part of a charge attack, you can tackle your opponent. Rather than making an attack at the end of the charge, you make a bull rush and a grapple attempt, applying the +2 bonus from the charge. The usual effects of bull rush and grapple are ignored. If either the bull rush or the grapple attempt is successful, then both you and your opponent are prone, and your opponent takes damage as if he had been hit with your unarmed strike. If both attempts are successful, your opponent is also grappled. The tackle technique can be used with the Battle Maneuvering feat, if you have some method of making a full attack after a charge.

Throw [Proficient]
Requirements: Standing, must have one free hand
Description: The simple throw technique involves physically throwing a grappled opponent away from you, typically onto a hard surface or object.
Effect: As a standard action, you can throw your grappled opponent. As part of the throw technique, make a trip and a grapple attempt. If your opponent is pinned, these attempts are made with a +5 bonus; otherwise, this attempt is made with a -2 penalty. The usual effects of trip and grapple are ignored. If either the trip or the grapple attempt is successful, your opponent is moved 5 feet in a direction of your choosing (this does not provoke attacks of opportunity) and staggered for one round. If both attempts are successful, your opponent is instead prone and thrown an additional 5 feet for each 5 points by which your higher-rolling attempt was successful. The throw technique can be used with the Battle Maneuvering feat.

Chokehold [Expert]
Requirements: Can reach target’s neck, must have two free hands or wielding choke bars or a garrote
Description: The chokehold technique involves cutting off your opponent’s blood supply to the brain. Your opponent quickly falls unconscious and can even be killed outright. This technique is silent and powerful, but requires careful preparation or superior strength to succeed.
Effect: As a full round action, you can perform a chokehold on your opponent. Your opponent must currently be choked or pinned by you. Alternatively, only if a garrote is used, your opponent need not be grappled, but must be flat-footed and unaware of you. As part of the chokehold technique, make a grapple attempt with a -5 penalty. If a garrote or choking bars are used (certain weapons may apply), the penalty is ignored. The usual effects of grapple are ignored. If the grapple attempt is successful, your opponent is now choking and gains a higher state of grapple (none to grappled, grappled to pinned). If the grapple attempt fails, your target is no longer grappled or choking. While being choked, your opponent must make a Fortitude save (DC equal to your 10 + 1/2 the result of the grapple attempt). If he succeeds, he is unaffected. If he fails, he is staggered as he attempts to gasp for breath, but is still able to act on his turn. One round later, he suffers an amount of nonlethal damage equal to his maximum hit points. One round later, he drops to -1 hit points and is dying. One round after that, he dies. Each round, your opponent can delay that round's effects from occurring by making a successful Fortitude save, but the choking continues for as long as successful chokehold attempts are made, and each time your opponent fails his Fortitude save, he moves one step further along the track to suffocation. The chokehold technique only affects living creatures that must breathe. It is impossible to defeat the effects of choking by simply holding one's breath; if the victim fails the initial Saving Throw, the oxygen supply to his brain is cut off.

Double Leg Takedown [Expert]
Requirements: Cannot be wielding a two-handed weapon
Description: The double leg takedown technique involves flipping your opponent from below by lifting at their legs. This technique is a powerful takedown, if you have the right timing.
Effect: As a standard action, you can perform a double leg takedown on your opponent. Your opponent must currently be grappled by you or otherwise be denied his Dexterity bonus to AC. As part of the double leg takedown technique, make a trip and a grapple attempt with a +2 bonus. The usual effects of trip and grapple are ignored. If either the trip or the grapple attempt is successful, your opponent is prone and thrown 5 feet, plus an additional for each 5 points by which your higher-rolling attempt was successful, in a direction of your choosing (this does not provoke attacks of opportunity). If both attempts are successful, your opponent is also grappled. The double leg takedown technique can be used with the Battle Maneuvering feat.

Improvised Fighting [Expert]
Requirements: Wielding an improvised weapon
Description: The improvised fighting technique involves making the most use out of found objects as improvised weapons. When used properly, it can catch an opponent off-guard and badly hurt him, or open him up for additional attacks.
Effect: As a standard action, you can perform improvised fighting on your opponent. You must be wielding an improvised weapon that your opponent is unaware of, or an improvised weapon that you picked up earlier this turn or on the previous round (if drawn from your person, the improvised weapon must have been hidden). As part of the improvised fighting technique, make an attack with the improvised weapon. Your opponent is flat-footed against you for one round. If your opponent was already flat-footed, then your attack automatically threatens a critical hit. The improvised fighting technique can be used with the Battle Maneuvering feat.

Submission Strike [Expert]
Requirements: Must have one free hand
Description: The submission strike technique involves attacking a pinned opponent’s vulnerable spots, depending on the type of pin. Common attacks involve neck wrenching, arm and knee bars, camel clutching, and several others.
Effect: As a full round action, you can perform a submission strike on your pinned opponent. As part of the submission strike technique, make a called shot on your opponent with your unarmed strike. This unarmed strike deals double damage and is made with additional bonuses as if you had used the Shatter Combat Action to its fullest [Note: For example, someone with BAB +15/+10/+5 would increase the critical range by 5 and 2, for a total of 13-20/x2, or could increase the critical range by 5 and the attack by +5, or increase the attack by +10 and the critical range by 2, or increase the attack by +10 and +5 for a total of +15.], even if you do not have the Critical Strike feat. If the called shot is successful, you may maintain the grapple with a swift action. If the called shot is unsuccessful, your opponent is no longer grappled. The submission strike technique is not subject to Combat Actions.

Suplex [Expert]
Requirements: Standing, must have two free hands
Description: The suplex technique involves flipping your grappled opponent over, onto his head. Suplexing is a particularly deadly technique if done correctly.
Effect: As a standard action, you can perform a suplex on your grappled opponent. As part of the suplex technique, make a grapple attempt. If your opponent is pinned, this grapple attempt is made with a +2 bonus; otherwise, this attempt is made with a -5 penalty. The usual effects of grapple are ignored. If the grapple attempt is successful, your opponent is prone and moved to one of your adjacent squares, and your opponent takes damage as if struck with a critical hit from your unarmed strike. If the attempt succeeds by 5 or more, your opponent instead takes damage as if struck with a critical hit on a called shot to the head from your unarmed strike. After attempting a suplex, your opponent is no longer grappled. The suplex technique can be used with the Battle Maneuvering feat.

Bound [Master]
Requirements: Charging
Description: The bound technique involves charging at your opponent and using your forward momentum to leap over that opponent. Bounding can be assisted by various means, such as using your opponent as a stand for extra leverage.
Effect: Before performing an attack at the end of a charge action, you can perform a bound on your opponent. As part of the bound technique, roll acrobatics to jump over your opponent. If you have a free hand, you may perform a touch attack as part of this technique to assist the jump, but this provokes an attack of opportunity from your opponent. If the touch attack is unsuccessful, or if you do not attempt it, you suffer a -10 penalty to your acrobatics check. The DC for this acrobatics check is 20 against an opponent of your size, 10 against an opponent smaller than your size, and 40 against an opponent one size category larger than your size. You cannot bound over an opponent two or more size categories larger than you. If the acrobatics check succeeds, you land in a square behind and adjacent to your opponent, you may complete your charge attack against that opponent, and that opponent is considered to be flanked against your charge attack. If the acrobatics check fails, you do not perform your charge attack and your movement ends.

Channel-Block [Master]
Requirements: Must have one free hand
Description: The advanced channel-block technique involves striking pressure points and spots where multiple vital channels cross. These spots must be struck with the utmost precision and with impeccable timing; otherwise, the effort is wasted because these areas are naturally resistant to damage. The effect of such a difficult technique is complete incapacitation; an affected opponent is temporarily unable to cast or manifest and can even be rendered immobile.
Effect: As a full round action, you can perform the channel-block technique on your opponent. As part of channel-blocking, make a full attack using only unarmed strikes. If your opponent is grappled, these attacks are made with a +5 bonus. The usual effects of these unarmed strikes, such as damage dealt, are ignored. If one or more attacks are successful, your opponent must make a Fortitude save (DC equal to 10 + 1/2 your Base Attack Bonus + the higher of your Intelligence and Wisdom modifiers). Your opponent takes a -1 penalty to this saving throw for each successful attack beyond the first. If your opponent fails the Fortitude save, his spellcasting and manifesting abilities are negated for 1 round, plus an additional round for each 5 points by which your opponent failed the Fortitude save. In addition, if your opponent fails the Fortitude save by 5 or more, he is also staggered during this time. If your opponent fails the Fortitude save by 10 or more, he is paralyzed rather than staggered during this time. Channel-blocking (and its corresponding full attack) is not subject to Combat Actions.

One-Inch Punch [Master]
Requirements: Must have one free hand
Description: The advanced one-inch punch technique involves quick and powerful wrist movement to produce a damaging punch with no wind-up. While useful in extreme close-ranged fighting, the one-inch punch technique can also be used to add extra power to a conventional unarmed strike.
Effect: You must choose to use the one-inch punch technique before making an attack roll, and the effect persists until the start of your next turn. While making one-inch punches, your attack rolls suffer a -4 penalty. This penalty instead becomes a +4 bonus if your opponent is flat-footed. While one-inch punching, you may perform a full attack action consisting of unarmed strikes even while grappled or staggered, and you may make a standard action unarmed strike attack even while pinned (unless you are tied up), but your unarmed strikes add only half of your Strength modifier to damage. Alternatively, you may use the one-inch punch technique to augment your normal unarmed strikes, taking a -4 penalty to attack (even if your opponent is flat-footed) but adding one and a half times your Strength modifier to your unarmed strike damage instead of just your Strength modifier. You may not use both modes of the one-inch punch technique on the same turn.

Dark.Revenant
2013-08-22, 09:30 PM
As always, criticism of the system is appreciated. Please suggest more ideas for Unarmed Techniques; I would like to have a good variety in stock. I will stat anything you suggest, so long as it's physically possible.

DragGon7601
2013-08-23, 04:24 AM
... If he fails, he is staggered as he attempts to gasp for breath, bus is still able to act on his turn. ...

Who is bus? J/K :smalltongue: I think you mean "but"


If both attempts are successful, your opponent is instead prone and thrown further -- up to a number of feet equal to the interval by which the higher-rolling attempt was successful (rounding down to a multiple of 5, minimum 5).

I could be wrong but I think this maybe better worded something along the lines of:

"If both attempts are successful, your opponent is instead prone and moves an additional 5 feat for each 5 points by which your higher-rolling attempt was successful."

It follows the standard Dungeons and Dragons wording that way. But they don't normally give you two rolls like that... Makes things a bit harder to understand. I know I had to read it twice to get it.

I have no ideas off the top of my head for more moves sorry.

Stoney
2013-08-23, 04:38 AM
Cool powers, Dark!

One suggestion I would have for more powers is things that interact more with the magic/psi system of the world. You could make a power that damages someone's ability to cast magic (arcane/divine/psionic) for a limited period of time, drains a target's PP, spell slots, etc.

Thanks for this, I may use some of these as inspiration for my session!

Dark.Revenant
2013-08-23, 04:39 AM
I've clarified the wording for you.

I think I'll get my WWE fanatic friend to fire off some moves. He's probably giggling like a madman now that he'll have a chance to use this with his Monk.

Edit: You mean like the chi-blocking moves from Avatar? Great idea, actually.

Dark.Revenant
2013-08-24, 01:34 AM
Bump with Channel-Blocking and Improvised Fighting.

Dark.Revenant
2013-08-29, 02:04 AM
I've now added Submission Strike and One-Inch Punch. Keep in mind these are meant to go with the Weapon Techniques in the other thread; Power Attack and such have been rewritten to not differentiate between weapon handedness; a -1 to attack translates to +2 to damage on all weapons: a two-handed weapon, a one-handed weapon, a light weapon, a ranged weapon, and an off-hand weapon. So one-inch punch ends up being -4 to attack for maybe a +5 to damage rather than a much higher amount; this is not always a tradeoff worth taking.

These are meant to add options rather than being simply better than existing methods. Plus, historically, close quarters combat tended to be extremely important, especially when fighting in full plate. Two opponents who didn't end up grabbing each other or resorting to a little bit of wrestling were either both really good or both really bad.