Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Doji Grovesai
September 5, 2007
2 WoD: Melee
Preface know that they might be left with nothing but their
own bodies as a line of defense.
In the past (commonly referred to as the “Old
World of Darkness”), White Wolf produced a book
entitled “Combat” as an attempt to satisfy the need
for all kinds of different fighting styles. It was a
noble attempt, but became lost in its own over-
complicated rules set (hexes? power points?). And
fighting styles that just did not seem to mesh well
with the rest of the system.
With the current iteration of the World of Dark-
ness, we found more abstraction, more responsi-
bility given to Storytellers and Players, with the
core texts acting guides and markers, as opposed
to canon. As an aside, it should be noted that
while the “Golden Rule” has always applied, if you
put more rules into a system, expect more people
to insist on using those rules. This new iterations
attempt at abstraction makes applying said Golden
Rule much easier for all parties involved.
All this said, there is much more to unarmed
combat than “Boxing” or “Kung-Fu” (though far
be it from me to say whether or not these are the
most popular/common). This short piece is my
attempt to broaden that horizon with new mer-
its to enrich the combat experience. Please note,
however, that the Golden Rule applies here just as
much as any other White Wolf sourcebook. I felt
the need to write this only because I personally
determined that codifying additional merits would
enrich the playing experience mechanically as well
as adding a new dimension to character creation
(you learn a lot about a person by watching him
fight).
But combat is always a source of contention.
Who wants to see their character die anyway? So
as an official reminder: Players and Storytellers
should work together to determine what will and
will not work in their games.
Introduction
The fact that the World of Darkness is a messy, World of Darkness: Melee is meant to be a sort
sinister, frequently violent place is not lost on any- of addendum to Armory, adding some merits that
body. Combat of many forms and flavors occurs are unique to melee (especially unarmed) combat.
in illegal underground arenas, back-alleys, subur- It should also be noted that many of these additions
ban homes, and sometimes out in the open streets. are colored (some might say “tainted”) by my own
While some take no thought except to follow in- personal experience with the martial arts (both as
stincts in a time of crisis (usually running), others a student and an observer).
New Additions to Melee Combat 3
Merits Slip (• • •)
each attack thereafter reduces his Dodge by -1. So, Throw (•): Your character can effectively use
if your character (with 2 Defense and 3 Brawl) de- leverage and/or your opponent’s momentum to put
clares a dodge, the first three incoming attacks suf- them on the ground. When rendering your oppo-
fer his full Dodge trait as a penalty (-4). The fourth nent prone (see World of Darkness p.157), your
suffers a -3 penalty, and so on. Basically, your char- character has the option to be “not prone.” If this
acter evades so naturally that opponents in close is the case, successes translate to bashing damage
combat have trouble assaulting him. and the grapple is broken.
Au Malandro (• • •): Your character has Trapping and Entanglement (••): Your
learned to combine his acrobatic evasions with ef- character is comfortable fighting both on the
fective strikes to his opponents. When using this ground and in the clinch. Instead of using Strength
ability, your character gains +2 to his defense, but in place of Defense, you can choose to use your
any attack he makes suffers a -2 penalty. He can Brawl rating (i.e. an opponent will roll Str+Brawl
move no more than his Speed during this time. - your Brawl to break free or overpower).
Golpes Mortais (• • ••): Your character has Control Position (• • •): Your character has
honed his accuracy to the point that his attacks hit learned to apply techniques to neutralize his op-
with deadly precision and force. Such a strike deals ponent in a grapple. If successes gained in a single
lethal damage, instead of bashing damage. Draw- overpower maneuver (see World of Darkness p.157)
back: Spend one Willpower point per attack. Note equal or exceed the opponent’s size, the opponent
that this Willpower expenditure does not add three loses their next action.
dice to your pool. Submission/Joint Lock (• • ••): Your char-
Furacao (• • • • •): Your character can unleash acter can put incredible strain oh his opponent’s
a hurricane of spinning attacks on your opponent. joints, breaking or dislocating them. A submis-
Your character may make a number of consecutive sion/joint lock deals lethal damage instead of bash-
attacks (in a single turn) up to his brawl rating. ing damage during grappling. Drawback: Spend
The kicks may be directed at multiple targets (pro- one Willpower point. Note that this expenditure
vided they are within range) with the expenditure does not add three dice to your pool.
of a Willpower point. Drawbacks: You may not
move from your spot. If an attack fails, you may Fighting Style: Special Forces
not continue making attacks (i.e. failing on the first
(• to • • • ••)
attack finishes the turn and your character can-
not roll again no matter how many dots in brawl Prerequisites: Strength (••), Dexterity (••),
he has). Additionally, after the maneuver is com- Stamina (• • •), Brawl (••)
pleted (whether a success or a failure), roll Stamina Effect: Your character has been trained in spe-
to maintain footing. cific techniques to take down opponents whenever
and wherever necessary. Perhaps he was trained as
Fighting Style: Grappling (• to • • • •) a Navy SEAL, or he holds the secrets of Ninjutsu
passed down through generations. In any event,
Prerequisites: Strength (••), Dexterity (••), your character was trained to fight as a covert op-
Brawl (••) erative.
Effect: Your character has trained to fight in the Dots in this merit represent access to special
closest proximity of all: the grapple. Whether as a combat maneuvers. Each dot is a prerequisite to
prize-fighter, concerned citizen, or merely for recre- the next. So you may not purchase the maneuver
ation, your character can effectively manipulate his “Improvised Weapons” until you purchase “Preci-
opponents to the ground and into submission. sion Strikes.” The maneuvers and effects are listed
Dots in this merit represent access to special below, most of which involve the Brawl skill.
combat maneuvers. Each dot is a prerequisite Precision Strikes (•):Physical conditioning
to the next. Thus you cannot purchase “Ground and accuracy allow your character to deliver blows
Fighting” until you have purchased “Throw.” The at vulnerable spots on targets. Penalties to hit spe-
maneuvers and effects are listed below, most of cific targets are reduced by one (see Specified Tar-
which are based on the brawl skill. gets, World of Darkness p. 165.) Even when a
6 WoD: Melee