GURPS - Compendium 1..

Horse Archery (Hard)
Defaults to Bow-4
Prerequisites: Bow and Riding at 12;
cannot exceed Bow skill
This represents lengthy training in the use of the short, composite bow from
horseback, and associated tactics. It might conceivably be learned "in play," but
the sheer amount of practice involved would make this hard; it is probably best
limited to steppe nomads (and characters with an appropriate Unusual
Background).
This reduces the penalties for using a bow from horseback (see p. B137).
For example, 1 point decreases the penalty for turning in the saddle to fire to the
rear to -3 (and removes the Riding penalty); 2 points will reduce the penalty to -
2. and so on. Other trick shots will take only half the usual penalties (round up) if
the archer can make his Horse Archery roll. The character can also use horsearcher
tactics and will recognize others' use of them on an IQ roll.
Jab (Average) Defaults to Boxing-3 or Karate-3
Prerequisite: Boxing; cannot
exceed Boxing skill level
This is a quick snapping blow which can either allow multiple light attacks or
be used as a feint for a more powerful attack. Using a jab allows one extra attack
that round, but both attacks must be jabs. Jab damage is thrust-3 plus Boxing
bonuses. Also, a single jab can be used instead of a Feint maneuver; the jab is
counted as an attack, and if it hits can do damage normally, but the same to-hit
roll is used as a Feint roll (see p. B105); the next attack will get the bonuses of
the Feint (if any).
Example: Leon "the Drill" Martinez has Boxing-14 and Jab-13. He attacks an
adversary with Boxing-12 with a Jab. He rolls a 9, making his Jab roll by 4; the
other boxer rolls his Parry successfully. However, the boxer also has to roll
against his Boxing skill; he rolls a 12, losing the Contest by 4 points. On the
next round, Leon throws a punch; his enemy will be at -4 to defend.
Just Watch This One!
(Continued)
Example: Two ST 11 characters doing a
voltige maneuver with a two-yard running
start could get the voltigeur's feet
68" (5" 8") off the ground! If the
voltigeur were six feet tall, he could
grasp the top of a 13-foot wall, since the
arms stretched upward add two feet to the
reach. The advantage of voltige over
stacking is speed: stacking takes at least
four seconds, while voltige is a single action.
There are other voltige maneuvers.
Some are more complicated, even involving
three persons, such as one person being
swung for momentum by two people, then
"tossed" upright to a stacking position atop
the other acrobats' hands, which are held
straight up! Each member needs to make a
Team Acrobatics-2 roll, but it takes only
one second to prepare (if the voltigeur is
already lying down), and two seconds to
swing into position.
Stilt Walking (Average)
Defaults to Acrobatics
An acrobat may walk on stilts with a
successful Stilt Walking roll every ten minutes.
Skill dictates how high the feet may
be off the ground: an acrobat's feet may be
Stilt Walking-8 feet off the ground for
hand-held stilts (minimum one foot), and
Stilt Walking-12 feet for strapped-on stilts
that do not come above the knee (allowing
both hands free). Other acrobatic feats
while wearing strap-on stilts are at -5: combat
is at -3. Both hands are needed to operate the
stilts for hand-held stilts. Ladder Walking
defaults to Stilt Walking-3.
Aerial Acrobatics (Hard)
Defaults to Acrobatics-2
The Aerial Acrobatics maneuver includes
swinging on ropes, chandeliers, suspended
rings, trapezes, etc. It is called
Rigging Acrobatics in circuses.
Simple, straightforward swinging with
the arms is rolled at Aerial Acrobatics+2
(defaults to Acrobatics), while anything
involving active use of the legs or flipping
or twisting is at Aerial Acrobatics - or
worse, at the GM's option. Aerial Acrobatics
is the maneuver to use for any fancy
maneuvers while hanging by your arms or
legs - such as swinging up to a balcony
you're dangling from, for example, or imitating
Tarzan.
Aerial Acrobatics effects are too complicated
to give in detail here - notice that
rules for simple rope and chandelier
swinging take up a full page in GURPS
Swashbucklers! (Such swashbuckling
maneuvers will also appear in Compendium
II.)
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