Aberrant Fighting Styles
Experimental Stuff for Ultimate Aberrant:
Multiple Actions
Characters are limited to up to 2 actions (or full defense) by default. A character may take more actions with higher dexterity or wits.
A character may take 1 additional action at Dexterity (or Wits) 3, and another one at Dexterity (or Wits) 5. These bonuses do not stack-a character with Dexterity and Wits 5 may only take up to 4 actions. A character with Mega-Dexterity or Mega-Wits gains 1 additional action, and gains a further actio nat Mega-Dexterity or Mega-Wits 3 and 5.
Therefore a character may take a maximum of 7 actions. For the purposes of this, a full defense counts as 1 action. Multiple action penalties are otherwise unchanged.
Martial Arts Modification
Martial Arts, instead of being a replacement for Brawl that uses Dexterity, now is a skill with no attribute (like Thought Discipline). Instead, for each dot of martial arts, the character may add +1 to his defense, accuracy, or damage when making hand to hand attacks, the limit being that the character may only add up to half his martial arts rating (rounded up) in any one category. Martial Arts may not be higher than Brawl. Brawl can use either dexterity or strength to attack in this event.
To change over, characters with martial arts should switch that over to Brawl. Characters with both skills should use the higher one as their new Brawl score and the lower one as their Martial Arts score.
Burst Fire Modification
Instead of the standard burst fire rules, bursts add to both accuracy and damage, and take up ammunition and use up a weapon's RoF. If a weapon's RoF is insufficient to fire the requisite number of rounds it cannot use a firing mode. Weapons with the ability to fire bursts and full-auto attacks may fire any of these bursts. Weapons only capable of firing full-auto attacks may only fire long or sustained bursts, while weapons only capable of firing bursts may only fire short bursts. A Nova using burst-fire quantum powers increases the Quantum cost of the attack by 1 and an additional 1 for each burst level.
Short Burst: +2 Accuracy, +1 Damage, uses 3 rounds.
Medium Burst: +3 Accuracy, +2 Damage, uses 5 rounds.
Long Burst: +4 Accuracy, +4 Damage, uses 15 rounds.
Sustained Burst: +5 Accuracy, +6 Damage, uses 40 rounds.
Alternatively a character may attempt to engage multiple targets. A medium burst may hit up to 2 targets, a long burst up to 4, and a sustained burst up to 8. Every target engaged after the first adds +1 difficulty to the roll, and the attack does not benefit from the increased damage (although it does beneift from the accuracy bonus). Attacks with the Spray/Jet extra engage multiple target as if they were Sustained bursts.
Suppressive Fire
Suppressive Fire is always made at the weapon's full rate of fire. The shooter gains a bonus to accuracy (but not damage!) equal to the largest burst the weapon could normally fire when doing so. For example, a character with Dexterity 3 and Firearms 3 suppressing with a Heavy SMG would roll 11d (6d base +5 from sustained burst) against the enemy's Resolve + Resistance. Only characters with a soak of 6L or less would be affected.
Suppressive fire is only effective against targets who are vulnerable to the weaponsfire-if the attack would deal ping damage to the target, the enemy cannot be suppressed by your attack.
Fighting Styles
These changes assume Martial Arts-the-ability no longer exists and Brawl ends up being used all the time. If these changes are used the above changes will not be. All characters gain 4 extra points to spend on Merits or Backgrounds in this case.
Martial Artist (1 or 2 points)
The character is heavily trained in hand to hand combat, allowing him or her to attack with skill and agility instead of unfocused fury. The character may use Strength or Dexterity for Brawl and Melee attacks, depending on how he or she chooses to fight. Most characters with this merit have further study in at least one martial art. The one-point version allows the use of Dexterity or Strength to attack with Brawl or Melee, while the 2 point version allows a character to use both.
FIGHTING STYLES: Fighting styles are a collection of specialized moves that enhance various attack types, from melee to hand to hand to firearms. Fighting styles are 1 to 5 point "backgrounds" in general, with each point of background giving a new maneuver. Note that some of these abilities can be redundant to a Nova-a Nova without formal combat training can still be an extremely powerful combatant.
Unarmed Fighting Styles
Boxing
Requirements: Strength 3+, Stamina 2+, Brawl 2+, Martial Artist
The art of facepunching, codified. Normally used in competitions, nevertheless a trained boxer is still no slouch in a fight.
Rank 1: Body Blow-the character can deliver powerful blows which can easily stun opponents. The character may reduce the opponent's Stamina by half his or her Brawl (round Brawl down) for the purposes of resisting dazing.
Rank 2: Duck and Weave-the character has trained to avoid an opponent's blows without difficulty. When dodging or parrying melee attacks the character may substitute Wits for Dexterity in the roll.
Rank 3: Combination Blows-the character's training and experience allows him or her to devastate an opponent with a flurry of blows. The character reduces the multiple action penalty for brawl attacks by 1.
Rank 4: Haymaker-the character is capable of knocking an enemy unconscious with a single punch. The character may, when making a Brawl attack, reduce the opponent's Stamina by half his or her Brawl (round Brawl down) for the purposes of resisting both dazing and unconsciousness. The character cannot take any other actions when attempting this maneuver.
Rank 5: Brutal Blow-The character can kill with a well-aimed blow. The character may spend 1 willpower to deal lethal damage with a brawl attack. This willpower expenditure does not give any other bonuses (no bonus dice or successes).
Kung Fu
Requirements: All physical attributes 2+, Brawl 2+, Martial Artist
Kung Fu is a catch-all name in the West for a variety of Chinese martial arts emphasizing hand to hand combat.
Rank 1: Focused Attack-the character has trained him or herself to deliver accurate blows to weakpoints on the body. The difficulty penalty for making called shots with hand to hand attacks is reduced by 1. Furthermore, if the target has armor that provides bashing soak, the armor's bashing soak is reduced by 1 (to a minimum of 0).
Rank 2: Iron Skin-the character has inured his body to physical impact and trauma, increasing his bashing soak by 1.
Rank 3: Defensive Attack-by attacking to keep enemies away, instead of to harm, the character can reduce his chances of being hit. The character may add +1 to the difficulty of hitting him with a melee attack, but takes a -2 accuracy penalty to all attacks for that turn.
Rank 4: Whirlwind Strike-the character can unleash a storm of blows on an opponent. The character may make a "full attack" against an enemy, making a number of Brawl attacks equal to the maximum amount of actions he or she can take, taking a cumulative penalty of -1 on each attack made after the first (so -1 for the second attack, -2 for the third attack, etc.). This is used in place of the standard multiple action calculations. However, most notably, the character cannot defend himself or herself while attempting this.
Rank 5: Lethal Strike-by focusing, the character can kill with a well-aimed blow. The character may spend 1 willpower to deal lethal damage with a brawl attack. This willpower expenditure does not give any other bonuses (no bonus dice or successes).
Melee Weapon Fighting Styles
Fencing
Prerequisites: Dexterity 3+, Melee 3+, Martial Artist
The character has trained in fencing, probably for sport. The character may make the following special combat maneuvers with any fencing sword, rapier, or sword cane.
Rank 1: Thrust-the character has learned to power a thrusting attack with his sword using his legs, increasing its velocity and force. Attacks made with a proper blade gain +1 accuracy and damage.
Rank 2: Feint-the character understands how to make an attack intended only to throw off an opponent. The character makes a normal attack with his blade which the opponent may evade as normal. However, if the attack scores even a single net success, the opponent is left off-balance and may not attempt to defend against the next attack made against him or her, whether it comes from the fencer or someone else.
Rank 3: Riposte-the character is an expert at the counterattack. If the character successfully dodges or parries a melee attack, he may make an immediate counterattack at a +1 difficulty penalty. However, the character may not attempt to dodge any other attacks for the rest of the turn.
Rank 4: Moulinet-if a character succeeds in an attack he or she may make a quick spiral cut with the weapon's tip. This attack deals a character's Dexterity in damage and requires no additional roll. To use this maneuver the character must spend a willpower point before he makes the initial attack roll which gives no other bonus. If the roll fails the willpower point is wasted.
Sojutsu/Jukendo
(aka Spear and Bayonet Fighting)
Requirements: Strength 3+, Dexterity 2+, Melee 3+, Martial Artist
The character has trained in the use of a spear in close combat. These skills also apply to the use of a rifle with an attached bayonet.
Rank 1: Warding Stance-the character has trained in taking maximum advantage from her weapon's length. Whenever an opponent with a smaller melee weapon attacks from the front, the opponent must delay his attack until after the character's initiative.
Rank 2: Thrust-the character knows how to deliver precise, powerful blows with a spear. The character increases the damage of his spear or bayonet by +2L.
Rank 3: Block and Strike-the character has learned to deflect blows with the haft or stock of the weapon then immediately strike back. If used, an opponent attempting to strike the character in melee suffers a +1 difficulty penalty but the character also suffers a +1 difficulty penalty for any attacks she makes.
Rank 4: Great Thrust-the character can put the force of her entire body behind a thrust, causing grievous injury. If the character makes a single melee attack, she may add a number of bonus dice to both accuracy and damage equal to the lower of her Strength or Melee. However, if the attack inflicts more than 5 levels of lethal damage the spear or bayonet lodges deep in the opponent's body and must be dislodged with a Strength + Melee (difficulty 1) roll. Dislodging a weapon inflicts another automatic level of lethal damage.
Firearms Fighting Styles
Combat Marksmanship
Requirements: Strength and Dexterity 2+, Composure 3+, Firearms 2+
Most cops and soldiers are drilled in the rudiments of marksmanship under fire. Elite soldiers, SWAT officers, and special forces take it further, training to be deadly with a weapon much like a martial artist trains to be deadly with his fists and feet. But unlike hands and feet, firearms are already powerful weapons.
Rank 1: Shoot First-the character's trained reflexes give him or her an edge in a gunfight. The character gains a bonus to his or her Initiative equal to his Firearms skill in the first round of any combat as long as the character has a drawn weapon.
Rank 2: Tactical Reload-the character can reload his weapons via muscle memory alone. The character may, once per turn, reload as a reflexive action.
Rank 3: Double Tap-the character's trigger finger is fast enough that he may fire bursts from weapons normally incapable of doing so, as long as the weapon's RoF is sufficient to allow a burst. A character must have Mega-Dexterity to fire Long or Sustained bursts from semi-auto weapons.
Rank 4: Bayonet Range-the character has mastered firearms to the point that he can stay in control even at close range. An opponent may not attempt to block firearms attacks even in hand to hand range (without Mega Dexterity 4 anyways), and furthermore the character doubles the bonus for point-blank shots to +4 instead of +2.
Rank 5: Rapid Fire-the character's skill with firearms is such that he can lay down a withering fusillade of gunfire. The character may make a "full attack" against an enemy, making a number of Firearms attacks equal to the maximum amount of actions he or she can take, taking a cumulative penalty of -1 on each attack made after the first (so -1 for the second attack, -2 for the third attack, etc.). This is used in place of the standard multiple action calculations. However, most notably, the character may not take any other actions when attempting this. All attacks made must be single shots.
Sniper
Requirements: Dexterity 3+, Resolve 3+, Firearms 3+, Stealth 2+
The sniper knows that each of his shots will change lives or more, possibly changing the fates of entire nations. A single gunshot at the right place at the right time can change everything. Those who have trained for years to become one are steely-eyed professionals, patient and skilled enough to spend hours staring through a scope to make one shot that may change the fate of the world. This combat style requires a rifle.
Rank 1: On Scope-the character has spent years training to discern tiny details through a telescopic sight, and has a enclyclopedic knowledge of long-range ballistics. The character's maximum aiming bonus is increased by +2 (to Composure +2).
Rank 2: Battlesight Zero-the character can wring unparalleled performance from a rifle he or she is familiar with. The character gains +1 accuracy with his rifle for medium range and long-range attacks, and increases its Range by 5 meters times his or her Wits.
Rank 3: Focused Shot-the sniper can lurk in ambush for days, ignoring injuries, depriviation, and distractions all in the name of the one golden shot. When making an aimed shot, the character can subtract his Resolve from any internal penalties (wounds, lack of sleep or food, distractions) for the purposes of that shot.
Rank 4: Tactical Intervention-Nerves of steel and trained reflexes allow the sniper to take advantage of the shortest opportunities for accurate shots. The difficulty penalties for shooting into close combat or against enemies in cover are halved, rounded down.
Rank 5: One Shot, One Kill-When your character gets his or her hands on a rifle, people fall down. When making aimed shots with a rifle, the rifle's damage is increased by a number of automatic successes equal to your Firearms skill. A character firing a 12.7mm rifle (6L [4] damage) with Firearms 4 deals 6L [8] damage instead. To use this the character must spend 1 willpower.