Way to inflict more dmg in Melee (Martial Arts and Technical Grappling)

[TheOneRonin]

Originally Posted by Mailanka

Aha.

First rule when it comes to tactics: Focus on the goal, not the implementation. You've asked how to improve your damage when what you really need is a way to dispatch an opponent quickly. In fact, you can dispatch opponents quickly without doing lots of damage. You don't need to kill your foe to remove him from a fight, particularly the way you're describing fighting foes.

I 100% agree. I'm well aware that raw damage isn't the only way to deal with enemies. In fact, a core part of my strategy is Sweeps, Throws, and Posture changes to take them temporarily out of the fight. However, some of the bad guys will eventually pass their HT checks and recover from stun, especially those still in positive HP.

In cases where I just need to buy time or delay my opponents long enough to escape, putting them on the ground has worked flawlessly. But in scenarios where I have to make sure multiple enemies do not get back up (either by beating them into unconsciousness or killing them), I've found that the more damage I am capable of doing, the faster I can get to my goal.

Any attack to the face, skull, eye or vitals that does any damage at all instantly forces a stun check.

Any attack? Which book is that in? I completely missed this. I thought it had to be a Major Wound to those areas to force a Stun Check. Do you have a page number I can reference?

A swift stamp kick (which can be done with Karate) inflicts more damage than a standard kick AND is ideally suited for finish off someone who has been downed.

Funny you should mention that. It's EXACTLY what I did last game. My previous turn, I had thrown a mook from an arm lock for 6 dmg (he had 10 HP), crippling his arm and stunning him, AND I had enough CP left to maintain the lock. So I started my next turn with a Committed Attack Strong (there were still enemies about, so no AoA) and a Stamp Kick to the skull. I used my CP to reduce the hit location penalty and after reducing the damage for DR, I still came out with 24 dmg to the skull.

It was enough to put the mook into -20 HP and force a HT check or die, which he passed (barely).

Then I went on to engage other mooks, but after a couple of turns, the one with the caved in skull had passed his HT checks to maintain consciousness and shook off the stun.

Granted, he made some good rolls, but all of that damage wasn't enough to take him permanently out of the fight, hence my desire to find way to deliver more damage in order to get people out of the fight permanently.

You're already noted throwing from locks. I think this takes a little too long: You need to parry, then lock and then throw, a minimum of 2 turns (or you can grapple, lock and then throw, which is 3 turns).

Doug actually clarified this for me in one of my earlier threads. You can establish the grab with Grabbing Parry on your defense, then use Rapid Strike or a Combo to Lock and Throw all in one turn, which I have used to great effect.

Frankly, I just have mooks leave after this, because they're not paid well enough to throw themselves on the swords of the heroes once their arm has been spirally fractured by a casual throw from a hero.

That actually makes a lot of sense, but my GM tends to make the mooks fight until dead or unconscious. It's not how I would do it, but it's his game.

I note that you don't mention several other Martial Arts techniques that improve damage. I've noted Stamp Kicks. There are also exotic hand strikes (+1 damage but you risk hurting yourself if you hit tough targets, so focus on fleshy points, like the neck), and if you have cinematic techniques available, you can pick up lethal hand strikes or lethal kicks, which will let you inflict piercing damage, which means you can go for the eyes and the vitals.

We aren't playing a particularly cinematic campaign, so none of that type of stuff is going to be allowed. I will, however, look into the exotic hand strikes. I shouldn't have to worry too much about injuring myself as no one really wears much armor in this game, and most of what is used is soft/flexible.