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Old 01-24-2023, 09:43 AM   #1
Otaku
 
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Default GURPS Martial Arts Jumping Scissors Hold

Hey, all!

Someone asked a GURPS Martial Arts question under an Avengers-based, screen-cap campaign comic. If that last bit makes no sense, it is one of those webcomics that takes stills from something popular (in this case, Marvel movies) and presents it as if it all came from a gaming group's table.

This one does not run on GURPS, but there's some annoying fanboy who brings GURPS up all the time (*waves) and surprisingly, one or two other readers actually engage with me! XD In this case, someone asked:

Quote:
Also Otaku, if you're here, got a GURPS question. How would you do the Black Widow leg scissor throw move in GURPS? Does that exist in something, like GURPS Martial Arts, do you need to homebrew it, what's up?
Now, if it is in GURPS Martial Arts, I couldn't find it. XP I did hazard a guess on how to construct it, which I'll post below. Anyone who knows the real answer, or just wants to evaluate my attempt, feel free to chime in!

Quote:
Let me check...

Not seeing it, but I am seeing enough related Techniques to hazard a guess:

Scissors Hold
Hard
Default: Wrestling-2.
Prerequisite: Wrestling; cannot exceed Wrestling skill
level.

This technique allows you to grapple an adversary’s legs using your own. You must have both legs free. You must also be lying face-up, sitting, or standing – but if you’re
standing, then successful or not, you automatically end your turn on the ground. Scissors Hold isn’t possible from other postures (kneeling, crouching, etc.).

Roll against Scissors Hold to hit. Your opponent defends normally. If you succeed, you’ve grappled his legs with yours. He may try to break free on his turn. If he fails, or chooses not to try, you’ve locked your legs around his. He may attempt to break free on subsequent turns, but at a cumulative -1 per turn.

If your foe is standing, Scissors Hold leads naturally to a takedown (p. B370). Having both of his legs grappled this way gives you +3 in the Quick Contest!

I'd probably use the above as the basis; a Scissors Hold that begins with a jump, enabling it to target higher hit locations, like the neck. The "throw" at the end is a just that, a run of the mill "throw" only special because you're using your legs to perform it, and as such, probably safe enough to just make it a function of our new technique. For other attacks that have a "jumping" variant, there a -2 difference in the default e.g. Kicking is Brawling-2 or Karate-2; Jump Kick is Karate-4. So a hypothetical "Leg Scissor Throw" probably should be Wrestling-4 at best; I could see there being more of a penalty to it, but I'll stick with that Wrestling-4...

...but there's more. We have to consider the target. Not the person, but the body part. If you're large enough (relative to your opponent), you could use it on their torso, for most person versus person action, that won't work. While Black Widow is going for necks, it could easily be used for arms (for example). What this means is you will face the usual "To Hit" penalty for the chosen Hit Location, but unless we decide that's the only legitimate target, I'm not going to require it be part of the Technique's default.

As a Hard Technique, it costs 0 Character Points (CP) to keep the Technique at Default. Learning it at Default+1 costs 2 CP, 3 CP at +2, 4 CP at +3, 5 CP at +4, etc. until you reach the Technique's maximum. A Leg Scissor Throw (Jumping Scissors Hold?) will be at -5 to target the neck, which may make it sound impossible to land a hit... but I'd wager Black Widow has something like Wrestling at Skill 20, and since she seems to love using that technique, she probably bought it up as high as she could. Using Scissors Hold and Jump Kick as examples, even though it seems a bit outlandish I suppose you can study the Leg Scissor Throw (Jumping Scissors Hold) to the point it is equal to your base Wrestling Skill... and that would only cost 5 CP. So we're talking Leg Scissors Throw (Jumping Scissors Hold) - 20. The -5 penalty means she's rolling against a 15, and on 3d6 (what GURPS uses), that'd still be 95.4% chance of success.

Of course, it would still be a bad idea if they've got a good defense; I would assume that a miss (including someone successfully defending against the attack) would result in you falling, or at least having to roll against the appropriate Skill to avoid falling.

Anyway, the above has not been tested by me in the slightest. ;)
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Old 01-24-2023, 11:09 AM   #2
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Default Re: GURPS Martial Arts Jumping Scissors Hold

Martial Arts page 79, "Using your legs"

That scene is a "Leg Throw", where you are using your legs to throw them.

It is definitely a combination attack, though.

Grapple the head with legs + sacrifice throw to take them down.
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Old 01-24-2023, 11:17 AM   #3
DouglasCole
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Default Re: GURPS Martial Arts Jumping Scissors Hold

Technical Natasha: Black Widow in Iron Man 2

For what it's worth. :-)
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Old 01-24-2023, 04:29 PM   #4
Otaku
 
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Default Re: GURPS Martial Arts Jumping Scissors Hold

Not surprised I missed something and overcomplicated the matter. Thanks for the answers!
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Old 01-24-2023, 11:04 PM   #5
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Default Re: GURPS Martial Arts Jumping Scissors Hold

Quote:
Originally Posted by DouglasCole View Post
I wish we had this for every femme fatale combat scene in every film and episode of everything
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