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Tapak Sutji Pentjak Silat is widely practiced. Finding a
Tapak Sutji school in Indonesia, Europe, and many other
parts of the world is relatively easy. Tapak Sutji students wear
a red uniform with yellow bands on the neck and sleeves.
Skills: Judo; Karate; Knife; Shortsword; Two-Handed
Sword.
Techniques: Arm Lock; Breakfall; Counterattack (Karate,
Knife, or Shortsword); Exotic Hand Strike; Feint (Karate,
Knife, Shortsword, or Two-Handed sword); Jump Kick;
Kicking; Low Fighting (Judo, Karate, Knife, or Shortsword);
Sweep (Judo or Karate); Targeted Attack (Karate Kick/Leg);
Targeted Attack (Karate Punch/Arm); Trip.
Cinematic Skills: Breaking Blow; Hypnotic Hands; Mental
Strength; Power Blow; Pressure Points; Pressure Secrets.
Cinematic Techniques: Springing Attack (Karate).
Perks: Sure-Footed (Uneven); Technique Adaptation (Low
Fighting).
Optional Traits
Advantages: Cultural Familiarity (Southeast Asia);
Weapon Master.
Disadvantages: Delusion (“My kris has magical powers.”);
Vow (Uphold Islam and the traditions of the style).
Skills: Jitte/Sai; Judo Art; Karate Art; Knife Art; Kusari;
Main-Gauche; Shortsword Art; Staff; Two-Handed Sword
Art; Whip.
POLLAXE FIGHTING
4 points
The pollaxe was popular for knightly judicial duels in
15th- and early 16th-century Europe. This weapon wasn’t the
massive “axe-head-on-a-shaft” described on p. B272, which
was primarily suited for use by ranked soldiers. Rather, it
was a shorter “dueling halberd” (p. 216) – sometimes with a
toothed hammer instead of an actual axe blade – designed
specifically for personal combat.
Knights normally gripped the pollaxe two-handed, like a
staff, spacing their hands far apart and holding the shaft
diagonally across the body. In game terms, this would be a
Defensive Grip (pp. 109-111). Fighting was close-in, and
favored jabs with the point and short swings over wide,
sweeping blows that – while powerful – would expose the
attacker. Another popular tactic was hooking the beak, blade,
or spike behind the opponent’s weapon, leg, or neck. Feints
and Defensive Attacks were common, but a fighter would use
Committed Attack (Strong) or All-Out Attack (Feint) if his
rival seemed vulnerable.
Some pollaxes concealed a hollow space in the head that
was filled with an irritant “blinding powder.” Launching this
is a dirty trick (see Dirty Tricks, p. 76). The attacker can use
Polearm skill instead of DX to throw the powder if knows the
appropriate Style Perk. However, roll 1d after any swinging
attack with the weapon. On 1-2, the powder spills prematurely
(and harmlessly). Any critical miss means the powder
affects the pollaxe’s wielder, in addition to the results on the
Critical Miss Table!
Despite its fearsome appearance, the pollaxe was more
popular in tournaments than in wartime. Some scholars
believe that this was because it wasn’t especially effective at
penetrating armor – even a full-force swing would knock
down an armored man without inflicting much injury. This is
more a commentary on the fighters’ armor than their tactics,
which were certainly earnest enough. Practitioners should
definitely learn combat skills, not Combat Sport skills.
The pollaxe lost whatever military utility it might have
had once warfare became an issue of massed pikes and halberds
rather than individual warriors. Some commanders
still carried a pollaxe while leading such troops, however.
Skills: Brawling; Games (Knightly Combat); Polearm.
Techniques: Disarming (Polearm); Feint (Polearm); Hook
(Polearm); Knee Strike; Retain Weapon (Polearm); Stamp
Kick; Sweep (Polearm).
Cinematic Skills: Power Blow.
Perks: Grip Mastery (Dueling Halberd); Unique
Technique (Powder Spill).
Optional Traits
Advantages: Status; Wealth.
Disadvantages: Code of Honor (Chivalry).
Skills: Knife; Polearm Sport; Shortsword; Two-Handed
Axe/Mace; Wrestling.
PRAYING MANTIS KUNG FU
4 points
Tradition has it that a 17th-century Shaolin monk
observed a praying mantis hunting and – inspired by its deft
use of its hooked forelimbs – adapted the insect’s movements
to his own style and added elements from other arts
to create Praying Mantis Kung Fu. Like all legendary origins,
this tale is impossible to verify. Still, several Chinese
martial arts that emulate the mantis’ methods survive today.
The style described below is a type of Northern Praying
Mantis. Southern Praying Mantis also exists but shares only
a name – not techniques or history.
Mantis is noted for its narrow, low stances that mimic
those of its namesake insect, with close-in elbows and both
hands extended forward, often held open or claw-like. Its
signature move is the “hook”: the stylist grabs his enemy’s
arm in order to pull him off-balance, push his guard aside,
apply an Arm Lock, throw him, or otherwise impede him.
This is a grapple attempt – ideally, executed swiftly enough
to be a Deceptive Attack. An attempt to pull the foe offbalance
is a Beat (pp. 100-101) if the aim is to reduce his
defenses, a takedown (p. B370) if the goal is to put him on
the ground. Mantis fighters also use Judo Throw (preferably
a damaging throw; see p. 75) to take down a victim and position
him for a finishing move.
Stylists use Wait and Evaluate until their opponent commits.
They seek to void their attacker’s aggressive movements
by stepping aside or parrying, and then counterattack
with a cascade of precise strikes – often using a Rapid Strike
to launch two attacks, or a feint and attack to overwhelm the
foe quickly. Practitioners value placement and skill over
brute strength. Mantis punches use the open hand, a vertical
fist, and various Exotic Hand Strikes (details depend on
the style variant, and might involve a single finger, a protruding
knuckle, etc.).
STYLES 191