Reference: Grappling

[Vutall]

Grappling
Like the iaijutsu duel, grappling is a unique combat situation that is different enough from a standard skirmish that it warrants its own system. Grapples occur within the normal rules for a skirmish, however, and as such use the same rules for Initiative, Actions, Rounds, and Turns. A character may initiate a grapple by making an attack roll using Jiujutsu / Agility. This is always a Complex Action unless the character possesses an ability that specifically renders grapples a Simple or Free Action. To successfully initiate a grapple, the attacking character must hit the target’s Armor TN with his attack roll. This attack roll ignores the benefits of armor to the Armor TN. If the attack is successful, both the attacker and the target are considered to be in a grapple.

When characters are involved in a grapple, one of them is in control. Initially this is the character who initiates the grapple, but it can change every round. A grappled character must try to control the grapple at the beginning of his Turn. All characters involved in the grapple must make a Contested Jiujutsu / Strength Roll. The character with the highest result on this roll is considered to be in control of the grapple until the next character’s Turn. A character who has control of a grapple may do one of the following things on his Turn:

c Hit: As a Complex Action, the character may infl ict normal unarmed damage on any one other participant in the grapple. This damage cannot benefi t from Raises, as there is no attack roll being made. Free Raises can still be applied, however.

c Throw: As a Complex Action, the character may throw one opponent, causing them to become prone anywhere within fi ve feet of the character performing the throw. This removes the thrown character from the grapple.

c Break: As a Simple Action, the character may immediately remove himself from the grapple.

c Pass: As a Free Action, the character may do nothing, choosing to maintain the grapple and retain control.

Certain weapons, primarily chain weapons and certain polearms, may be used to grapple opponents. These types of grapples are identical to normal grapples, except that the attack roll and control rolls use the appropriate Weapon Skill in place of Jiujutsu, and a Hit inflicts damage based on the weapon instead of unarmed damage. There is a risk associated with this, however. If a character using a weapon loses control of the grapple, his opponent gains two free Raises on his next Turn to use the Disarm Maneuver against him.