Unarmed Combat (of all types) counts as a single Weapon for purposes of Weapon Specialisation. Fighter Initial Basic Training includes training to WS1 in Unarmed Combat. Even non Fighters may train to WS1 in Unarmed Combat, which represents basic self defence. Higher levels of WS in Unarmed Combat require further training and the allocation of FtLs, as for any other Weapon.
Unarmed Combat involves taking various Actions, which must be Specifically Plotted as for attacks / parries with Weapons. Actions are plotted as for attacks, except for those with "parry" in their names, which count as parries for the plotting and Initiative rules (e.g. they may be delayed if no attack is made in the second for which they are plotted).
The Unarmed Combat Actions available for a Combatant to plot depend upon the WS he has achieved in Unarmed Combat, as listed below. Certain additional Unarmed Combat Actions are Restricted, and available only to certain Cults.
| Action | minimum WS required | StN | DxN | DAM | vs leather | vs chain | vs plate |
| Punch | 1 | 4 | n/a | d4/2 (FRU)
+1 with mailed fist or knuckleduster |
-1 | -3 | -6 |
| Kick | 1 | 6 | 7 | d6/2 (FRU)
+1 with mailed boot / +2 with bladed boot |
-1 | -3 | -6 |
| Head Butt | 1 | 8 | n/a | d8/2 (FRU)
+1 with mailed helm |
-1 | -3 | -6 |
| Grapple | 1 | 9 | 9 | n/a | |||
| Break Free | 1 | 9 | 9 | n/a | |||
| Throw | 1 | 12 | 12 | n/a | |||
| Claw / Gouge | 1 | 5 | 6 | 1
+ chance of blinding if hit eyes |
-1 | -4 | -8 |
| Bite | 1 | n/a | n/a | d4/2 (FRU) | -1 | -4 | -8 |
| Strangle | 1 | 9 | n/a | n/a | |||
| Chop with Hand | 2 | 6 | 8 | d4
+1 with mailed fist |
-1 | -3 | -6 |
| Jump Kick | 2 | 8 | 12 | d6
+1 with mailed boot / +2 with bladed boot |
-1 | -3 | -6 |
| Parry with Hand | 2 | 6 | 8 | d4 (i.e. ADS 8 + bonuses to Dam) | |||
| Disarm with Hand | 2 | 6 | 8 | n/a | |||
| Disarm with Kick | 3 | 8 | 12 | n/a | |||
| Acrobatic Dodging Parry | 3 | n/a | 14 | attack does no Dam if succeeds | |||
| Somersault | 3 | n/a | 15 | n/a | |||
| Bounce off Walls | 3 | n/a | 16 | n/a | |||
| Dodging Missile Parry | 4 | n/a | 17 | attack does no Dam if succeeds |
3.1.1 Except where special effects are specified below, Unarmed Combat Actions function as normal attacks or parries. If StN or DxN is specified as "n/a", no bonuses or penalties for it apply.
3.1.2 An Unarmed Combat attack which is parried does not cause the Attacker damage. It is assumed the parry has just warded off the blow.
3.1.3 Unarmed Combat Actions may be made by armed Combatants. Actions requiring the use of a hand (including Punching, Clawing and Grappling) need the hand to be free, but may be attempted whilst wearing a Buckler).
3.1.4 Handedness penalties apply to use of the "wrong" hand or foot (assume a right-handed person is also right-footed, or vice-versa if left-handed).
3.2.1 If a Grapple attack hits, it does no Damage. Instead the Attacker holds on to the point on the Defender's body where he hit. This requires one hand for the head or a limb, or two hands for the body.
3.2.2 Once a successful Grapple has been made, other Unarmed Actions may be attempted which are specified as requiring a successful Grapple, or the Defender may attempt to Break Free, requiring a Result on the Break Free attempt < the Result achieved by the Grapple. Further Grapple attempts may be made by the Attacker, to achieve a stronger grip against Break Free attempts. A separate Grapple may be made (where possible) with each hand, and the Defender may also Grapple the Attacker. The Attacker may let go the Grapple by Specifically Plotting so for any sec, without requiring an AMR.
3.2.3 Whilst locked in a Grapple, both Attacker and Defender have their normal D against each other, but their normal D and RD are halved against other Combatants. A Combatant may not make attacks, parries or Shielding attempts with an arm held by a Grapple.
3.3.1 A Throw attempt requires a successful Grapple to have been made. A Result on the Throw <= 25 throws the Defender to the ground (doing no Damage). The Attacker may let go or maintain the Grapple when the Throw succeeds.
3.3.2 A Defender Thrown to the ground has his normal D and RD halved against the Attacker and all other Combatants. 3.2.3 above still applies, so if the Attacker maintains the Grapple, the Defender therefore has D/4 against other Combatants and D/2 against the Attacker. If the Attacker does not maintain the Grapple, the Defender may move normally from the next sec, but will have D/2 until he gets up or rolls into a defensive posture. He will therefore have D/2 in the sec following the successful Throw, including against his former Attacker (who is no longer locked in Grapple against him).
3.4.1 Claw attacks are normally made by Beings with claws, rather than by People (such Beings do not take the minuses specified above against armour types). Some Cults have means of giving their members claws, so as to do more Dam using this Action (e.g. the Bear Cultist Bear Claws Spell or the Bird Cultist Talons Spell).
3.4.2 A Claw / Gouge Attack which succeeds in hitting the minimum ADS point in the middle of the head and penetrates the ADS (does >= 0 Dam after ADS) will gouge out an eye, causing blindness in that eye, if the Result is <= 0. If the Result is <= -25, both eyes may be gouged out if physically possible for the Attacker to reach both with one hand.
A Strangle attempt requires a successful Grapple to have been made against the highest HitLoc in the head (e.g. the 10 on a Sz 10 Defender having HitLoc 01-10 in the head). A Result on the Strangle <= 0 causes death by asphyxiation in (Defender's Co) sec (including the sec of the Strangle attempt) less 1 sec per full 5% that the Result < 0, e.g on a Result of -10 against a Co 12 Defender death is caused in the 9th sec after the Strangle attempt. If the Defender Breaks Free before the sec of death, he can fight on. If he Breaks Free on the sec of death, he is stunned for d6 sec. During the secs of strangulation, the Attacker may use AMR to increase the strength of the Grapple or to make further Strangle attempts.
3.6.1 The Defender takes no Damage from succeeding at these Actions.
3.6.2 Parry with Hand deflects the blow, and if it does not ADS all the Dam allows the Defender to move the hitting point by up to 2 * the ADS from the parry.
3.6.3 An Acrobatic Dodging Parry or Dodging Missile Parry avoids the blow completely. Dodging Missile Parry is (exceptionally for parries) used against Ranged and Thrown Weapons (only).
A Disarm attempt must hit the mid point of the arm holding the Weapon to be disarmed, and not be parried or Shielded. If it does, the Defender drops the Weapon. Magic Weapons add 5% times their bonus to A to the Defender's D against a Disarm Attempt. Magic Dancing Weapons may dance back into the Defender's hand after a Disarm.
3.8.1 These are not attacks or parries. They are used to move about rapidly or unexpectedly in Melee for tactical advantage. They are resolved as follows:
Result = d100 - (A of Combatant with Action)
3.8.2 A Result <= 50 succeeds, allowing a Somersault / Bounce off Walls of a max distance of 1 ft per 5% Result < 51 (FRU).
3.8.3 A Result > 50 fails, and the Combatant falls over.
3.8.4 A successful Somersault allows the Combatant to roll one or more times (dependent on distance) in his chosen direction. He may somersault over other Combatants by deducting 10 ft from the distance achieved per Combatant. The distance may also be used to gain extra height.
3.8.5 Bounce off Walls works like somersault, but uses walls / ceilings to achieve the somersault effect. Whilst running up walls, the distance may be trebled, and whilst running along ceilings (usually needs a wall to run up first), the distance may be doubled.
3.8.6 A Thievish Jump may be Specifically Plotted simultaneously with a Somersault / Bounce off Walls. If so, and both succeed the max distance obtained is the sum of that achieved by both, and it may be applied in achieving the above effects.
3.8.7 Some Somersault / Bounce off Walls effects may go beyond what is physically possible in the meta world (outside kung fu films!). Magic is at work here...
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