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Old 06-08-2021, 12:06 PM   #1
oneofmanynameless
 
Join Date: May 2012
Location: New Hampshire, USA
Default Throwing a punch without a skill

Alright, apparently none of the unarmed striking skills (Brawling, Boxing, and Karate) have defaults. So if a scientist with no experience decided to throw a punch what would they roll on to hit? I'd kind of assume that Brawling, like Wrestling, would be a "roll on the better of this or DX" skill. But it is not described as such.
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Old 06-08-2021, 12:14 PM   #2
MrFix
 
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Default Re: Throwing a punch without a skill

In Basic Set, in weapon tables, under Punch and Kick, it lists DX+0 and DX-2 as things to roll to hit with them.
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Old 06-08-2021, 12:16 PM   #3
Celjabba
 
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Default Re: Throwing a punch without a skill

Quote:
Originally Posted by oneofmanynameless View Post
Alright, apparently none of the unarmed striking skills (Brawling, Boxing, and Karate) have defaults. So if a scientist with no experience decided to throw a punch what would they roll on to hit? I'd kind of assume that Brawling, like Wrestling, would be a "roll on the better of this or DX" skill. But it is not described as such.
DX

Character pg 271 list the skill used for each weapon :

Punch : BOXING, BRAWLING, KARATE, or DX
Kick : BRAWLING-2, KARATE-2, or DX-2
Bite, striker : BRAWLING or DX

It is also listed under spell, TK, anf a few other places in Characters
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Old 06-08-2021, 01:43 PM   #4
oneofmanynameless
 
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Default Re: Throwing a punch without a skill

Ah, found it. It's just not described under the skills, or under the "Striking" header of the unarmed combat section of campaigns.
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Old 06-08-2021, 02:27 PM   #5
whswhs
 
Join Date: Jun 2005
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Default Re: Throwing a punch without a skill

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Originally Posted by oneofmanynameless View Post
Ah, found it. It's just not described under the skills, or under the "Striking" header of the unarmed combat section of campaigns.
Well, on one hand, it's not a skill; it's an attribute. And on the other, the "Striking" section refers you to the Melee Weapon Table (with page number) in its first words. So the information in that table is "included by reference," as they put it in legalese.
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Old 06-08-2021, 03:01 PM   #6
Plane
 
Join Date: Aug 2018
Default Re: Throwing a punch without a skill

I'm still trying to get my head around why I could bite a face as easily as I could punch or grab a face, the latter two seem like more natural actions.

Also seems like biting doesn't really make you any more vulnerable unless someone happens to have an 'Aggressive Parry' technique, even though logically trying to lung face-first at someone is probably going to end up getting punched there.

In "Matter of Inches" bite and punch are equated in same range though.
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Old 06-10-2021, 08:05 AM   #7
Tinman
 
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Default Re: Throwing a punch without a skill

Just be aware that punching with DX is not the same as having brawling.
It affects what the unskilled person can do in parrying and anything requiring brawling. It just lets you punch. There's a good discussion of this in Martial Arts.
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Old 06-10-2021, 09:32 AM   #8
oneofmanynameless
 
Join Date: May 2012
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Default Re: Throwing a punch without a skill

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Originally Posted by Tinman View Post
Just be aware that punching with DX is not the same as having brawling.
It affects what the unskilled person can do in parrying and anything requiring brawling. It just lets you punch. There's a good discussion of this in Martial Arts.
Can you link a page(s)? Are you talking about the "unskilled combatants" sidebar? I thought there was but glanced through the book but didn't immediately find anything besides that sidebar which seems mostly about what decisions they can make.
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Old 06-10-2021, 11:45 AM   #9
Stormcrow
 
Join Date: Aug 2004
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Default Re: Throwing a punch without a skill

Think of Brawling as "improved DX for unarmed, blackjack, or sap melee attacks, with benefits."

Think of Boxing as "improved DX for punching attacks, with better benefits."

Think of Karate as "improved DX for punching and kicking attacks, with even more better benefits."

They don't have defaults because their defaults are to use straight DX without the benefits. Each skill has a level at or above DX at which their benefits are enabled, which is why someone who "defaults" can't get anything better than straight DX anyway.

Notice that Brawling is Easy, Boxing is Average, and Karate is Hard. Karate is the most effective, but the costliest.
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Old 06-10-2021, 11:55 AM   #10
DouglasCole
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Default Re: Throwing a punch without a skill

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Originally Posted by Stormcrow View Post
Think of Brawling as "improved DX for unarmed, blackjack, or sap melee attacks, with benefits."

Think of Boxing as "improved DX for punching attacks, with better benefits."

Think of Karate as "improved DX for punching and kicking attacks, with even more better benefits."

They don't have defaults because their defaults are to use straight DX without the benefits. Each skill has a level at or above DX at which their benefits are enabled, which is why someone who "defaults" can't get anything better than straight DX anyway.

Notice that Brawling is Easy, Boxing is Average, and Karate is Hard. Karate is the most effective, but the costliest.
Boxing carries over its benefits even if the boxer is armored/encumbered; karate and judo have some limits there.
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