Fisticuffs

Here are some additional rules for stuff players can do in mêlée combat. They are loosely based around the supplemental fighting rules in Golden Comback; although some GMs thought they were too complicated for what they were. This is an attempt to give the bang without the book-keeping. Created by Ben Wright (chthonic.games@gmail.com) 2003.

Holds

Holding a guy immobile is a good way to stop him in his tracks, or lay him up for a big clout in the face from one of your buddies. To attempt a hold, you need to make a normal Martial Arts attack roll against them. If successful, you can then make a Strength check against their Strength. Once you have them held, they receive Impairment equal to your Strength. They may still make attacks against you or other characters, although they may not actively dodge (they may still actively parry). They can attempt a standard action (without the Impairment, natch) to escape by rolling their Strength against your Strength. If they have some special ablity such as Blast or Abysmal Spines that might let them escape, they can roll their impaired AV against your Strength instead. You may not make attacks or actively dodge while the hold lasts, although you can actively parry with your hostage if circumstances permit. While using your hostage as cover or to parry with, an attack that would have hit you hits them instead, doing appropriate damage. Assuming both you and your hostage are similar in size, they'll give +3 cover. You can release the hold when you choose to as a one-shot action. If you have some sort of special attack you can use against your held target, the hold is released when you use it.

Incapacitating

Be it strangleholds, a tap on the head in just the right place, or good old-fashioned mesmerism, taking someone out for the count gently and humanely often comes in handy. For mooks, no special rules are required. Strangling or whatever is just some welcome colour. Although in real life it takes precious seconds to strangle someone, in the high-octane world of Feng Shui the director can't be bothered to wait that long. Incapacitating a named character is more tricky -- you make a Martial Arts attack against them and deal Impairment equal to Outcome - Constitution. This Impairment last only until the victim's next action, and they can spend one shot to clear their head instead of acting. If the victim has Impairment equal to their highest AV, they slip into unconsciousness. Unconscious characters always wake the instant before they are attacked, or just in time to escape a dangerous situation. If you have Fu powers that increase your AV, you can use them with an incapacitating attack. Damage boosting Fu cannot be used.