Melee Combat Style Skills
options for Shadowrun melee combat

Introduction:

Normally, melee combat in Shadowrun is a simple opposed test, with the fight going to the opponent with the most dice and lowest target number. Although they don’t change that structure, Style skills reflect advanced melee training not just by giving the player more dice to roll on the test, but by changing its difficulty or outcome in a way basic melee combat skill use can not. They also frequently provide some other benefit, such as extra combat pool dice for their use or skills useful outside of combat. Players who do not care to have their characters use these skills can ignore them and play melee combat as normal, with no conflict arising. Characters dedicated to studying melee will find them an edge that can allow them to beat the odds, or add more versatility.

Melee Combat Style special skills represent training beyond the basics of any single martial art or combat system. However, they often reflect the strengths of particular martial arts systems and can be used to model special training in those schools, without requiring that any of the basic rules of melee combat be altered.

A combatant who learns Combat style skills sometimes has to choose between gaining a maneuver’s effect or rolling a few more combat pool dice than their Style skill will allow. The most powerful Style Skills have drawbacks or limitations on their use as well- using Berserk Style Skill can be very dangerous! The skills are written so that hopefully, with that and their cost in karma, they give their user an edge but not an unbeatable advantage.

A combatant using a Melee Style Skill still makes a combat test using the normal procedure, with a few variations. First, they may have a use as a stand alone skill. Second, they can be used for Maneuvers that produce a particular effect. Third, they determine Combat pool that can be used in a melee Combat test. Normally, only one Style skill and its associated Maneuver may be used to affect any single combat test.

First, as a stand alone skill, the style skill’s use or effect will be noted in its description. This may be an additional effect on melee.

Secondly, to use a Maneuver, before the test is made a Maneuver is declared based on the Style skill the combatant decides to use, and its effect assigned a level. The Maneuver’s impact on the test or its out come is figured based on the Style skill used and the level assigned the maneuver. To reflect the attackers slight edge, she may choose her Maneuvers after hearing her targets Maneuver choices, if any.

The maximum level a Maneuver effect may be assigned is equal to the lower of the combatant’s Style skill rating or the appropriate melee general Combat Skill rating. The rating of the concentration or specialization used to attack has no impact on the Maneuver’s valid level of effect. Note that you may also choose to use a lower level Maneuver effect than this maximum if you wish, to avoid possible consequences of certain Maneuvers.

Third, the number of dice the Style skill user rolls for the Combat test may change. As usual, she rolls a base number of dice equal to the Combat Skill used. Dice from combat pool may be added to this roll; up to as many dice as the rating of the Style skill used. This may be higher or lower than the combat skill used, and as such is both a benefit and a drawback to using Style Skills. Since some styles provide combat pool dice when used, this may result in fewer normal combat pool dice being used in the test. Some Maneuvers provide dice themselves.

When on Full defense, combat pool use is unaffected, but the Maneuver’s level of effect is still limited as above. Some style Skill Maneuvers also affect the number of dice rolled and their source, or the TN of the Combat Success test. Note that a Maneuver can be given an effect level of "zero", meaning the Style skill may be used only for the combat pool dice it allows. This is useful if your Style skill is higher than the combat skill you are using, or if your Style grants extra combat pool dice.

Style skills cannot be used in a test with Two Weapon Combat special skills, and may have other limits listed with the skill.

Learning styles is not easy: each style is a separate Skill, with concentrations and further specialization’s in armed, unarmed, and astral combat. Physical adepts can "buy" bonus levels in Style Skills for .25 magic points per level, with the bonus actually adding to that skill rating. Reflex Recorders bought for a Style Skill actually raise the skill, unlike other skills, but add no dice directly to the test. Enhanced Articulation and other items or magic that add dice to a melee test do not affect Style Skills use, as the do not affect the actual skill rating. A weapon focus does actually add to the characters skill, and will help style skill use.

Example: Bobby bruiser above gets Enhanced Articulation and a Reflex Recorder for her Physical Style skill. Her Physical Style Skill is now 6 for all uses, including determining combat pool use. Her enhanced articulation adds a die to her melee tests, but has no effect on how good a physical maneuver she can incorporate in an attack- her general Unarmed Combat skill is still 4, so that is the maneuvers maximum level.

Combat Styles may not normally be used as Skillsofts, since the style would over-ride the users Armed or Unarmed skill. However, a character with an Encephalon and Skillwires may use Melee Style softs, each limited to the rating of the Encephalon and by the Skillwire’s normal limits. Such chips are rare (double availability, time, and street index) and at least as expensive as Knowsofts. Style skills may also be purchased as Skill Hardwires, but also require the use of an Encephalon of equal or higher level.

Style Foci:

A variation on weapon foci is the style foci. The style foci can be either a weapon or an item related to unarmed combat, such as martial arts clothing. The style focus adds it rating to an armed or unarmed (or astral) style skill, even granting the skill if the character has none. Bonding cost it the same as a spell catgorie foci, and the purchase price is usually half that of a weapon foci. Armed combat and astral combat style foci must also be weapon foci of at least the same rating. so they are all combined purpose foci.  Any character who can use a wepon focus can use this focus type.

Melee Combat Style Skills:

Berserk Style: The classic art of "going berserk". Anyone using Berserk Style skill makes melee tests as if she had an equal level of Pain Resistance.
    To use a Berserk maneuver, decide the Maneuver effect level and conduct the attack as usual. However, before determining damage, both the attacker and the defender roll an additional number of dice equal to the Maneuver’s assigned level against the same TN as the combat test. If the total number of successes you roll from the combat test dice plus extra Maneuver dice exceeds the number of successes your opponent rolled in the initial combat test alone, you have scored a hit. Your opponent must resist damage as if you had rolled that many net successes in your combat test. This style can be used in any melee test.
    A defender using full defense with or against a Berserk attack Maneuver also uses the above procedure, and may score a hit, in addition to using combat pool as usual for the damage resistance test. A defender using full defense and a Berserk Maneuver also may add combat pool dice up to the Maneuver’s level to the normal combat test.

Blind Fighting Style: A user of this style can rely partly or wholly on cues from sound and tactile sensation to make successful melee attacks and counters. As such, the skill’s level can also provide a dice pool for certain non-visual perception tests.
    Using a Blind Fighting Maneuver reduces the your visibility TN penalties by the Maneuvers level, including the complete dark / blindness penalty. Unfortunately, this usually requires you to get close to your opponent and possibly touch him before attacking; add half the maneuver’s level (rounded down) in dice to your opponents test. This style can be used with any melee test, even if there is no visibility penalty- it includes general melee techniques.

Classic Style: This is "by the book" perfect form, the result of intense, repetitive practice. A classic maneuver adds its level in dice to the test. No combat pool dice from any source may be used in the test with a classic maneuver. As always, the total maneuver levels cannot exceed the basic Combat skill. This style can be used with any melee test, even with the full defense option, as combat pool dice are rolled for damage resistance in that case.
    Classic Style can be used for knowledge tests pertaining to melee combat subjects, including many uses of magic theory relating to physical adepts, or certain parts of military theory. It may also be used as a teaching skill when teaching any melee skill or style.

Close Style: This is the ability to move close to you opponent and still fight effectively, getting past their weapons ideal striking range and making it clumsy to use, while you strike unblocked.
    First, a Close Maneuver negates 1 point of your opponents total reach advantage, per 2 levels of maneuver. This can not reduce the targets reach to less than the users reach, but can make them equal.
    Additionally, if your opponent is using a weapon with greater reach than yours, and you have negated his reach advantage completely, you may use additional maneuver levels equal to the difference between your weapon’s reach. This allows you to turn the tables; each additional Maneuver level used this way subtracts 1 from the your melee combat TN or adds 1 to the target’s melee combat TN, your choice.

Defensive Style: A style that focuses on blocks and avoidance. Normally, a defensive maneuver adds its level in dice to the users melee damage resistance test, if she looses the opposed test and is hit.
    If used with full defense, the user instead gains the Maneuvers level in dice to either add to that combat success test (but he may not score a hit, even due to a Berserk maneuver), or he may use them as extra combat pool dice for that melee damage resistance test, which may result in a miss as normal for full defense.
    A character with defensive style has no melee combat TN penalty for using a riot shield or other kind of shield. This style can be used with any melee test.

Dirty Fightin' Style: Maneuvers that mostly focus on causing the target pain, by means of sophisticated nerve punches, cuts, low blows, or even "Stooge Fu". The maneuver adds +1 to all the victims TN's per net combat success, up to the maneuvers level. However, base damage of the attack is one level less, but never less than L. Pain tolerance negates the TN penalty, on a level per level basis. A pain editor (and certain BTLs) eliminate it, as will a resist pain spell of higher force than the maneuvers level. Other effects, like Hyper dosing, double the effect. The effect lasts the maneuvers level in turns, minus 1/2 the targets impact armor, minus successes from Body or Willpower against TN 6, for a minimum of the whole next turn. This style can be used with any melee test. Dirty Figtin’ can be used as a torture or intimidation skill.

Flying Strike Style: If the user is jumping or voluntarily "falling" towards the target, gravity can be used to add the number of meters traveled to the attacks power, limited by the maneuver level. Such manuevers can be combined with a levitation spell, leg jacks, or a high athletics ability for impressive leaping or flying attacks. This style has few applications in defense, and can generally only be used when attacking. It might be used on defense if the users jump was intercepted, in midair or at its endpoint. The maneuver has no effect if used by purely astral characters, who are not affected by gravity, but the style may still be used if the character is "flying".
Characters with Flying Strike skill may be use it in addition to athletics when avoiding damage from falling, and may add dice from their combat pool equal to their Flying Strike skill to the falling damage resistance test.  This is good, as the using this attack usually involves risking such injury.

Grapple Style: This Style concentrates on chokes, joint locks, painholds, and moves that are little protected against by a targets armor. However, they require some control of the targets movement. A grappling maneuver negates its level worth of the targets impact armor for determining the effects of the attack.
    Successful use of a Grapple Maneuver allows the user to make an opposed strength VS body test to force his target prone. The user may also "sustain" the grapple, taking a +2 to TN’s relating to other opponents, but gaining superior position in his next melee combat test with the grappled opponent if the grapple is still "sustained".
    Grappling maneuvers can only be used on attacks that cause "subduing damage"- either in subduing combat, or combined with a subduing maneuver. A character with grapple style may add itsdice to any roll to break free from a hold, such when grappled by this skill, "subdued", orsimply being held down.

Multistrike Style: This style allows the user to better make multiple attacks on his action. The penalty is normally +2 for each target after the first (p. 102 SR2, "Multiple Targets") ; each Multistrike maneuver level used reduces the penalty for attacking multiple targets by 1 for each maneuver level. The user may also make more than one attack on a single target, with the same penalty as attacking more than one target, and the same reduction for using a multistrike maneuver. A Multistrike Maneuver may only be performed when attacking on your action, and all attacks must use the same level Multistrike maneuver.

Physical Style: One box of the damage normally done to the stun track is shifted to the physical track, per level of maneuver used. If more levels are used than boxes of damage inflicted, no more extra damage is done. Ninja sometimes study physical styles. This skill can only be used with attacks that normally would cause stun damage.
    A character with Physical style may easily locate and ready an object to use as an improvised weapon if they succeed in a Physical Style success test, GM sets TN based on surroundings and desired weapon type. They receive no penalty for using such improvised weapons, if they find one.

Power Style: A style that develops strength and focus, using Chi projection, leverage, and other techniques. A power maneuver adds half its level to the power of the attack, rounded down. This effects both damage and knockdown. Karate and Kendo both emphasize Power Styles. This style can be used with any melee test.

Set Up Style: A Set Up maneuver has no effect on the test it is used with. However, if the users next melee combat test is with the character he Set Up, he adds the maneuvers level to the dice rolled for that one melee combat test with that one opponent. The Eleven Martial art of Karamoleg, and "drunken monkey" kung fu, often emphasize holding your actions, using Set Up maneuvers and full defense against an opponents attacks, then launching your own attack. This style can be used with any melee test.

Stun Style: The reverse of physical style, it shifts one box of physical damage inflicted by an attack to the stun track.. It allow the Killing Hands power to be used to cause stun damage. If used with a normally stun-causing attack, a number of boxes of physical overflow up to the level of the maneuver may be ignored, allowing such attacks to cause less physical damage. This skill can only be used with attack types that normally would cause physical damage, and can not be used with a monofiliment whip, or to alter damage from such things as poison on blades.
    A character with Stun style may easily locate and ready an object to use as an improvised weapon if they succeed in a Physical Style success test, GM sets TN based on surroundings and desired weapon type. They receive no penalty for using such improvised weapons, if they find one.

Subduing style: A style that concentrates on holds, grapples, and disabling blows. For each maneuver level used, one box of stun damage done is instead a box of "subduing damage", as on P. 103 of SR2. Attacks with subduing maneuvers will not ever cause stun damageto "overflow"as physical damage, but can knock the target out if enough stun damage is done in addition to the subduing damage. As normal, if the target is "unconscious" partly because of subduing damage, he is conscious but subdued, and the subduing damage must be maintained. Can only be used with attack types that cause stun damage, or (optionally) a Stun style maneuver of higher level.
    Subduing style includes knowing how to hold and tie people up real tight- add half the characters Subduing Style skill to all tests made while in restraints she applies. The Subduing character may also add dice equal to her Subduing style skill to opposed tests to maintain control of a subdued opponent.

Surprise Strike Style: Both the Surprise Strike style and maneuver are usable only if attacking a target you have surprised. A surprise maneuver adds extra dice to the attack beyond combat pool and skill. These dice are equal to however many more successes you got on the surprise test than your target, limited by the maneuver level. Additionally, the modifier for making a called shot is reduced by the same amount. Surprise strike style may be used in place of reaction when you are ambushing a target using a held action.

Takedown Style: A style that concentrates on pushes, throws, sweeps, and intimidation. A successful takedown maneuver adds its level to the number of successes the target must roll to avoid knockdown, knockback, or being forced prone. Even If no damage is inflicted, the target must roll the knockdown test!
    Tai Chi, Judo, and stick fighting arts are often taught with a Takedown Style. Takedown maneuvers can be used as long as gravity is in effect- it is usable underwater, but not in astral space. The style can be used with any melee combat test.

Whirling Style: A style with behind the back strikes, spins, acrobatics, and moves that turn your attackers against each-other. Useful for fighting off a gang, or when slam dancing. Good against hordes of watchers in astral space, as well.
    Each Manuever level used negates the effect of one of your opponents "friends in melee". This has no effect once the sides are "even". The user of a Whirling Maneuver also gains access to a dice pool equal to his skill level that adds to combat pool, but these dice can only be used with Whirling Style Maneuvers. Whirling style and maneuvers can only be used if you are in a melee with more than one opponent.

Wild Style: A Improvisational style using every part of the body and the environment to its full advantage. A wild maneuver adds its effect level in dice from the combat pool to the Combat success test, in addition to dice normally allowed for the test. This is a good style to put in the optional combo maneuvers, especially if the other styles limit combat pool use. Useless if combined with Classic Style in one maneuver, but a character may learn both if she wishes. This style can be used with any melee test, as long as you have any combat pool available.
    Zen Style: A person with Zen style gets a "Zen pool" equal to his Zen Style skill that refreshes along with other pools. A Zen Maneuver allows dice equal to half its level to be added to the Combat success test from the "Zen Pool", in addition to any combat pool or other dice. Zen Style and Zen maneuvers can be used with any melee test.
    Zen style can also be used for meditation, replacing willpower in stun recovery tests and other GM approved situations.

Optional Advanced rules for Combo-Maneuvers:

As a slightly more complicated and versatile option, Characters may incorporate multiple Style skills they know into an attack or defense, allowing them to use more than one kind of Maneuver. There is a limit on how complex a combo-Maneuver can be. You cannot use more total levels of Maneuvers than your base armed or unarmed skill for any single combat test. Also, combat pool dice added to the test are limited by the lowest rating Style skill used. All Maneuvers take effect at their assigned level and must otherwise follow the standard rules above. Unless noted, a Style must be valid for the test if used alone to be allowed in a combo.

Example: Phylis Phys-ad has specialized in "Armed combat/ Edged Weapons/ Katana" at 4/6/8, and is using a katana that is an active, bonded, rating 3 weapon focus. She also gets 2 extra dice from improved ability: armed combat. She has Power style, armed:1/5, and wild style, armed: 2/4. Phylis is trying to cream a flesh form insect warrior wearing full heavy armor, and needs all her clout, so she wants to combine maneuvers. She uses a level 3 Wild Maneuver and a level 4 Power maneuver, for 7 maneuver levels total. That’s her maximum; her general Armed Combat skill is 7 because of the weapon focus. She rolls 13 dice, plus 3 from her combat pool for the wild maneuver, plus up to 4 more from combat pool, since her Wild style, the lowest rating Style skill used, is 4. She also gets to add 2 to her attacks power! She rolls all 16 dice, and the force 5 flesh form rolls 12. Reach is equal, so both have TN’s of 4. Phylis uses karma to get 12 successes; the bug rolls 8. With her Strength of 6, she is doing 11 D : 9m, +2 power for the maneuver, with 4 successes. Might even hurt the bug, who rolls 15 (body + threat) dice against 5D because of the 6 points of impact armor. Rolling only 4 successes, the buggy takes a moderate physical wound, and must make a knockdown test, needing two 11’s.

Using this rule, two weapon combat may be used with a style skill maneuver. Because it requires concentration and special training, the Two Weapon Combat special skill’s rating further limits to the combined maneuver levels allowed and combat pool used. In addition to combat pool limits for using Style skills, and normal limits on maneuver levels, each level of the Two Weapon special skill allows only one maneuver level or one combat pool die to be used in the test. This makes certain Style skills, particularly Wild Style, less useful with Two Weapon Combat.

Architype: Human Pit Fighter

Quotes:
"Yeah, so I’m a pit fighter. So what- I don’t throw fights. You want proof, visit my last opponent and his bookie. I’ve got the hospital address."
"I’m the best, but I’m also the cutest, and that counts for a lot with the crowds."
"Takimashi-san? Yeah, he won some money on me last week. You want to meet him?"

Commentary: The pit fighter makes a living putting on a good show winning fights. The trick is to be brutal enough to impress the audience, but not so brutal as to make enemies. She knows a lot of faces from the seats around the pit, and can handle herself on the streets as well as most gang leaders. She needs it to avoid being set up for somebody else’s profit. With a punch as nasty as a Predator’s slug, the pit fighter does pretty well, and picks up some side work as an enforcer.

{creation priorities, per Shadowrun 2: Attributes A, Skills B, Cash C, Magic D, Race E}

{100 build point system, per Shadowrun Companion}