Athletic Special Moves
by tjedge1Athletic Special Moves. Ok, now I begin the next group of manoeuvres. This is generally a short list. Mostly Acrobatic type stuff that is either automatic, an attack, or stunt.
Name: Breakfall
Prerequisites: Athletics 1
Manoeuvre Cost: 2 Any Style
Usage Cost: none
To Hit: See Below
Damage Bonus: See Below
Round Movement: See Below
Description: Jiu Jitsu, Aikido, and a number of other styles emphasise throwing techniques. Before one can learn how to throw, however, he must first learn how to be thrown without getting hurt. Breakfall is usually performed as a roll onto the shoulders and arms, with the head tucked in to protect against neck injuries.
System: Breakfall is a technique that fighters practice until it becomes instinctive; therefore, you do not need to Breakfall to use it. Whenever your character takes damage from a manoeuvre that does knockdown, you may reduce the amount of damage he takes from the fall by one hit point for each level of Athletics. (Note: Breakfall doesn't help against manoeuvres that do damage and then knock you down, only against manoeuvres where hitting the ground is the source of the damage, such as a Throw.)
Name: Jump
Prerequisites: Athletics 1
Manoeuvre Cost: 1 Any Style
Usage Cost: 1 Chi
To Hit: None
Damage Bonus: None
Round Movement: +0'
Description: Jump is a relatively simple manoeuvre that allows a fighter to vault over wall and other obstacles. A lucky fighter might even time his jump to hurdle an arrow and close with his firing enemy. A fighter can jump 6' + (3' per level in Athletics) into the air. For example, a fighter with Athletics 3 can jump 15' into the air.
System: A fighter can jump along with either of the basic punch or kick, or he can just jump. If the Jump is played alone, the fighter is simply moving by jumping. The fighter uses the modifiers for Jump shown above. A Jump card played with a basic move represents the fighter jumping to an opponent to deliver the punch or kick. Playing the Jump with a basic move turns the standard punch or kick into an Aerial Manoeuvre. Whenever a fighter plays a Jump with a basic move, the move's modifiers are used instead of the modifiers for Jump shown above. If the fighter plans to dodge a projectile attack using the Jump, he must wait for an opponent to declare the fighter as the target of the opponent's projectile attack. If the fighter's makes a successful Dexterity roll, he can avoid the opponent's attack and dodge the incoming attack by jumping over it or away from it. If the Dexterity roll is failed, the attacker continues their attack normally, the jumping fighter can be hit by the projectile (he mistimed his leap, or perhaps the attacker managed to blast him out of the air) and must immediately end his turn. If the fighter used the Jump with a punch or kick move, he may be able to dodge over a projectile and still deliver the punch or kick.
Name: Air Smash
Prerequisites: Athletics 1, Jump
Manoeuvre Cost: 2 Any Style
Usage Cost: 1 Chi
To Hit: -1
Damage Bonus: +4
Round Movement: -5'
Description: This move is popular with large fighters because it uses their weight to flatten an opponent into the ground. The fighter leaps into the air, high above an opponent's head, and then falls straight down on top of him. Most fighters tend to land in an aerial seated position, which has caused the Air Smash to be nicknamed the "Butt Crush."
System: The Air Smash is an Aerial Manoeuvre and acts as a Jump for purposes of avoiding and evading projectile attacks. The fighter must move in a straight line while executing the move, and he will end the move in the same 5' space as the opponent on whom he landed.
Name: Cat Stance
Prerequisites: Athletics 1, Kick 1
Manoeuvre Cost: 2 Any Style
Usage Cost: 1 Chi
To Hit: +3
Damage Bonus: +0
Round Movement: 5'
Description: The fighter prepares to strike with a kick. The Neko-Ashi-Dachi, or Cat Stance, was developed in Ochalea, and is used mostly by Ochalean styles and a few styles in Thyatis. Almost all balance is shifted to the back leg as the slightly raised front leg comes perpendicular to the left foot. The result is that the leg is ready to strike almost instantaneously.
System: It takes a full turn to enter the Cat Stance, during which time the Cat Stance is ruined if the character is damaged, moved, knocked back or knocked down. The next turn the character may perform the basic Kick move with a +3 speed modifier, but the movement of the manoeuvre is reduced to 5'. Needless to say, some fighters have made this the first Manoeuvre in a deadly combination of strikes.
Name: Drunken Monkey Roll
Prerequisites: Athletics 2
Manoeuvre Cost: 3 Any Style
Usage Cost: 1 Chi
To Hit: None
Damage Bonus: None
Round Movement: +10'
Description: It is said that the unjustly imprisoned founder of Monkey Kung Fu invented this evasive manoeuvre after watching a group of monkeys through the bars of his jail cell. The monkeys got inebriated on wine thrown out by prison guards and began staggering and rolling around on the ground. Copying the monkeys' drunken antics, the master developed a series of evasive tumbles, which became the Drunken Monkey Roll.
System: The Drunken Monkey Roll is a good all-purpose evasive technique. It counts as a Crouching Manoeuvre because it stays low to the ground. It can also be used to avoid and evade projectile attacks (use the same rules given under the Jump Manoeuvre).
Name: Kippup
Prerequisites: Athletics 2
Manoeuvre Cost: 1 Any Style
Usage Cost: 1 Chi
To Hit: See Below
Damage Bonus: See Below
Round Movement: See Below
Description: One of the more basic athletic manoeuvres martial artists have found useful is the Kippup. The Kippup is a technique that allows a prone fighter to get to his feet almost instantly. The fighter curls his legs up off the ground and kicks them up into the air while at the same time arching his back powerfully. The resulting motion practically bounces the fighter off the ground and to his feet.
System: A fighter who knows the Kippup Special Manoeuvre suffers no penalty the turn after he suffers a knockdown. Kippup effect is automatic but allows no attack action that round.