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• Flying attacks that permit the fighter to eliminate the
-4 to hit for a Move and Attack and -1 for a Flying Attack, and
bypass the skill limit of 9. These also have a default of -6.
• Spinning attacks that allow the martial artist to reduce
the -5 to hit for a Wild Swing and avoid the usual skill cap
of 9. These, too, default at -6.
See Creating New Techniques (pp. 89-95) for details. The
benefits of these techniques are not “free” to everybody with
Trained by a Master or Weapon Master. However, warriors
with one of these advantages, Acrobatics and Jumping at
DX, and at least a point in an offensive technique may
attempt an “acrobatic,” “flying,” or “spinning” version of
their technique at default (-6), with benefits as described
above.
Chambara Defenses
Retreating great distances by flipping and leaping is the
definitive chambara defense! In chambara campaigns,
those with Trained by a Master or Weapon Master should
have access to the expanded rules under Retreat Options
(pp. 123-124), even if other fighters do not, and all of the following
options:
• They get +3 to all active defenses when they retreat –
including blocks and parries that would normally get only
+1.
•They may retreat more than once, and more than a yard
at a time, up to a distance equal to their Move each turn.
These retreats get the usual +3, but there’s a cumulative -1
per retreat after the first. Any retreat that exceeds one step is
at an extra -1 per yard. For instance, a Move 7 fighter could
retreat 3 yards at +0 (+3 for retreating, -3 for 3 yards), 1 yard
two times at +2 and +1 (the basic +3, -1 and -2 for the second
and third retreat), and finally 2 yards at -2 (+3, -2 for 2 yards,
-3 for the fourth retreat).
• They can use Acrobatics to enhance any defense, not
just Dodge. Treat this just like Acrobatic Dodge (p. B375),
except that it also works with Block and Parry. Any number
of defenses can be acrobatic, at a cumulative -1 to
Acrobatics per defense after the first.
Another feature of chambara movies is that attacks from
behind don’t surprise veteran warriors! A fighter with
Combat Reflexes and Trained by a Master or Weapon
Master can sense such an attack. It counts as coming from
the side – not the rear – exactly like a “runaround” attack
(p. B391), giving the defender -2 to active defenses.
Practitioners of any style can learn the Timed Defense technique
(p. 89) to buy off even this penalty.
Lastly, the GM should permit all options that enable or
enhance multiple blocks and parries – notably Multiple
Blocks (p. 123) and the two special rules under Parrying with
Two-Handed Weapons (p. 123). All chambara fighters should
be allowed to learn Dual-Weapon Defense (p. 83), too,
regardless of their style.
Special Feats for Cinematic Skills
Three cinematic skills are essential in chambara campaigns:
Flying Leap (p. B196), Light Walk (p. B205), and
Lizard Climb (pp. 61-62). These have all their usual functions,
plus a few additional ones.
Flying Leap
A triple-powered leap is sometimes overkill in combat. A
jump that merely doubles jumping distance – and ST, for a
Drop Kick, Flying Jump Kick, etc. – is at +5 to skill.
Wuxia movies simulate flying leaps by suspending actors
from wires, giving such jumps a lazy, floating appearance
instead of an aggressive, ballistic one. Within the story, the
explanation is often “lightening the body.” If you leap like
this, you still have double or triple your jumping distance –
but use only your normal jumping distance to work out your
Move in a slam, and your unmodified ST for a Drop Kick,
Flying Jump Kick, etc. This kind of jump is at +5 to skill.
These modifiers only cancel out penalties for hasty use of
the skill – they never give a net bonus. You can combine the
two options for +10 to skill. This negates the -10 to use the
skill instantly and permits a jump for double distance with
no bonuses to ST or slam damage, which is still very useful
when evading or making a Flying Attack.
Flying Leap costs the usual 1 FP per use with these
options, but since they’re both less exhausting than fullpowered
use, success by 5+ means there’s no FP cost at all!
Light Walk
You can use Light Walk to move across almost any fragile
or flimsy surface without falling through, including a
glass skylight (no modifier), tent (-2), hanging laundry (-4),
dense hedge (-6), or canopy of leaves at treetop height (-8).
Roll once per turn. This is a free action. Success lets you
take your turn normally. Failure means you start to fall. You
can still act, but you should probably use your turn to grab
something!
Light Walk also allows feats of balance. This is much easier
than walking on thin ice or treetops, because it’s actually
possible in real life! All such attempts are at +8, plus the
Size Modifier for the thickness of whatever you’re trying to
stand on (see p. B550). For instance, a 1” rail (-11 for thickness)
would require a roll at -3. Once again, roll every turn.
You can even try to leap up and land on an enemy’s
weapon! This requires an Attack maneuver and is all you
can do that turn. Roll against Light Walk to hit, at the standard
penalty for weapon size. Treat failure as a missed kick.
Success means you hit. Your foe can try any active defense
– he may injure your foot if he parries (see p. B376) – but if
he fails, you’re standing on his weapon! He cannot use it to
attack or parry. He can take a Ready maneuver to dump
you off (roll vs. Light Walk to land; failure indicates a fall),
but this unreadies his weapon. If he chooses to fight with
another weapon, kick, etc., he’s at -4 to hit.
In all cases, if you’re knocked back (see Knockback,
p. B378), apply the penalty for the surface you’re balancing
on to your roll to stay standing. You may use the highest of
DX, Acrobatics, Judo, or Light Walk. Perfect Balance gives
its usual +4. If you fail, you fall through or off the surface!
Lizard Climb
You can use this skill for movement in combat. Each
yard of movement along a wall costs +1 movement point;
see Movement Point Costs (p. B387). You can grab walls and
let go multiple times in the space of a turn, but you must
make a new skill roll each time you cling to a wall, with failure
meaning a fall that ends your turn.
COMBAT 129