GURPS - Compendium 1..

Just Watch This One!
Expanding the Acrobatics
Skill with Maneuvers
These rules are from an article by
Steffan O'Sullivan in Roleplayer magazine,
issue #25.
The concept of maneuvers can be easily
expanded to the Acrobatics skill - in fact,
some of the martial arts maneuvers default
to Acrobatics already. Many people feel
that the Acrobatics skill is too comprehensive
to be only one skill; by using maneuvers,
we can expand the skill to the dimensions
it deserves without crippling the
basic skill by dividing it.
Ground Rules
The Acrobatics skill includes all of the
following maneuvers, at the defaults listed.
No one with Acrobatics needs to raise any
maneuvers to be able to try them!
In order to raise an individual maneuver,
the character must have Acrobatics at
skill 12 or higher (i.e., Acrobatics is a prerequisite
for all of these maneuvers).
An individual maneuver cannot have
more points put into it than the character
has in Acrobatics itself. E.g., if an acrobat
wishes to put 4 points into the Tightrope
Walking maneuver, he must have at least 4
points in Acrobatics first.
Points in all Acrobatic maneuvers
totalled cannot exceed twice the points in
Acrobatics skill. E.g., a character with 4
points in Acrobatics can put no more than
8 points into Acrobatic maneuvers.
All maneuvers have a maximum of
Acrobatics+4.
Please note that Tumbling is of Special
difficulty. It cannot be raised above the level
of Acrobatics, since it is what people consider
Acrobatics for most game purposes.
The Acrobatics Maneuvers
Acrobatics is divided here into six
maneuvers - individual GMs are free to
expand this.
Back Kick (Hard) Defaults to Karate-4 or Kicking-2
Prerequisite: Karate; cannot exceed Karate skill level
This maneuver lets a fighter attack back hexes without changing facing. The
roll is at Karate-4, in addition to any other modifiers. The user must be aware of the
attacker behind him. The kicker's Active Defenses against all attacks are at -2 for
that round.
Breakfall (Average) Defaults to Judo or Acrobatics
Prerequisite: Judo
This is a basic Judo maneuver, involving slapping the mat or ground to
absorb the shock of landing. When the user is thrown for damage (see Judo
Throw, p. MA51), a successful Breakfall roll will prevent damage. In any fall, a
roll against Breakfall will reduce the effective distance of the fall by one yard.
This is not cumulative with the results of a successful Acrobatics roll (p. B48).
Choke Hold (Hard) Defaults to Judo-2 or Wrestling-3
Prerequisite: Judo or Wrestling; cannot
exceed prerequisite skill level
This special grapple consist of locking one forearm around the target's
neck, applying pressure to the windpipe and effectively shutting off the vic -
tim's oxygen supply. A Choke Hold is very difficult to break: the more the
target struggles, the tighter the choke becomes. This maneuver can also result in
permanent damage to the target's throat. It was used by police to control
dangerous criminals until its potential lethality prompted the authorities to
ban it.
To effect a Choke Hold, the attacker must have grappled the victim with
both hands from behind. After a successful grapple, a Choke Hold roll is necessary
to place the victim in the hold (the target can make any Active Defense
against this; PD does not protect). Once the hold is in place, the victim starts to
suffocate (see p. B122). Breaking Free is very difficult; the victim is at -5 to all
rolls to do so (attacks like Elbow Strikes can be used without any additional
penalties, however). Also, the Choke Hold can inflict damage as per
Strangling (see p. Bl12), if the user so desires; this may happen accidentally, if
the victim is struggling wildly. Against an uncontrolled victim, make a
Choke Hold roll at an additional -2 to avoid inflicting damage. If the attacker
intends to hurt a thrashing victim, add +3 to the ST of the attacker for damage
purposes.
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