GURPS Martial Arts - Home

As a Committed Attack, Elbow Drop inflicts thrust+2, or
thrust at +1 per die if better. Brawling adds its usual damage
bonus; Wrestling adds damage equal to its ST bonus (+1 at
DX+1, +2 at DX+2 or better) instead. As an All-Out Attack,
damage is thrust+3, or thrust-1 at +2 per die if better, plus
skill bonuses. If an Elbow Drop causes knockback, the target
goes nowhere – but if he’s sitting or kneeling, he must
make the usual DX roll or be knocked down.
If you miss, you hit the ground and suffer the damage
you would have inflicted. The same thing happens if your
opponent blocks with a shield.
Succeed or fail, you end up lying face-up on the ground.
After a Committed Attack, you’re at -2 to defend and unable
to retreat. After an All-Out Attack, you’re defenseless!
Elbow Strike
Average
Defaults: Brawling-2 or Karate-2.
Prerequisite: Brawling or Karate; cannot exceed prerequisite
skill.
You can jab an elbow into an enemy behind you in close
combat. Roll against Elbow Strike to hit. There’s no modifier
for not facing him, but add an extra -1 if you target a specific
hit location. A hit inflicts thrust-1 crushing damage,
plus skill bonuses. Treat an elbow to someone in front of you
as a punch.
Elbows are short-ranged and hard to hurt. You may not
select All-Out Attack (Long) (pp. 97-98). Hurting Yourself
(p. B379) applies, but damage is 1/10 of what you roll – not
1/5 – and both it and injury from enemy parries affects the
arm, not the hand.
Entangle
Hard
Defaults: Kusari-4 or Whip-4.
Prerequisite: Kusari or Whip; cannot exceed prerequisite
skill.
You can use a flexible weapon such as a whip or a kusari
to entangle a foe. Roll against Entangle to hit. If your opponent
fails to defend, the weapon wraps around him.
If you hit your victim’s arm or torso, you ensnare it. On
subsequent turns, you must take a Ready maneuver to keep
your opponent snared. Roll a Quick Contest of ST each turn.
If you win, you immobilize your foe. If you lose, he pulls
your weapon from your grasp. On a tie, he immediately
breaks free without disarming you.
If you entangle the neck, use the same rules but your
opponent has -5 in the Contest. If you win, the whip or
kusari cuts off the victim’s breathing – see Suffocation
(p. B436).
If you entangle a foot or a leg, the target must make a DX
roll to remain standing (this is instead of the Contest above).
He’s at -4 if he was running. If he falls, he takes 1d-4 crushing
damage – or 1d-2 if running. On subsequent turns, use
the rules above to keep him entangled.
You must keep your weapon taut at all times to immobilize
or suffocate your victim. This requires a Ready maneuver
each turn. If you’re mounted and your mount is trained
to do this for you, substitute its ST for yours in the Quick
Contest.
To escape from a taut whip or kusari, you must attack
and cut it (the damage required depends on the weapon). To
escape from a limp weapon – including one pulled from the
attacker’s grasp – you need a free hand and must make three
successful DX rolls. Each attempt counts as a Ready maneuver,
during which you may take no other action.
Evade
Average
Defaults: Acrobatics or Judo.
Prerequisite: Acrobatics or Judo; cannot exceed prerequisite
skill+5.
This technique represents training at avoiding opponents
who wish to obstruct your movement. Evade (Acrobatics)
lets you flip over, tumble under, or twist around your foe,
while Evade (Judo) allows you to ward off your enemy’s
hands as you run past. Either replaces DX when trying to
evade (see Evading, p. B368). All normal penalties apply.
Exotic Hand Strike
Average
Default: Karate-1.
Prerequisite: Karate; cannot exceed Karate skill.
Certain hand strikes use unusual striking surfaces: the
edge of the hand, a single protruding knuckle, a clawshaped
fist, etc. These do extra damage to fleshy or fragile
targets at the cost of being much more vulnerable to injury
when striking a hard surface such as armor or bone. Roll
against Exotic Hand Strike to hit. Standard hit location
penalties apply. Damage is thrust crushing plus Karate
bonuses. Hurting Yourself (p. B379) applies if your target has
any DR – not just DR 3+.
Eye-Gouging
Hard
Defaults: Brawling-5, Judo-5, or Wrestling-5.
Prerequisite: Brawling, Judo, or Wrestling; cannot exceed
prerequisite skill.
This close-combat attack consists of grabbing someone’s
head and pressing your thumbs into his eyes. It usually
requires two empty hands. Roll against Eye-Gouging to hit.
Your foe may defend normally. If he fails, you grapple
him and he cannot see! He can try to break free (p. B371) as
usual on his turn.
Until your victim breaks free, you can drive your thumbs
into his eyes on subsequent turns. This counts as an attack
but doesn’t require an attack roll. Each eye takes thrust-4
crushing damage. This can cripple and blind the eyes but
never gets the ¥4 wounding modifier for the skull – the
thumbs are too short! (Exception: The GM may give some
nonhumans the perk “Long Thumbs,” in which case the
wounding modifier does apply. The same goes for fighters
with Talons or Long Talons.)
You can gouge one-handed. The attack roll is against
Eye-Gouging-4. Only one eye takes damage on later turns.
TECHNIQUES 71