Unarmed Attacks List
All characters begin with the basic unarmed attack for no XP cost. However, you may purchase the following attacks with XP to give your character more versatile arsenal of unarmed strikes, takedowns, and other attacks. (Note that we will not be using the reach rules.)


Choke Slam
Attempting this attack requires the attacker already have an Advantageous or Superior Position in a grapple, or that the opponent is immobilized. Upon a successful attack with the choke slam, the target is automatically knocked prone, as if the attacker had triggered the Knockdown weapon quality.
Choke Submission
If a choke submission is successful, it downgrades the difficulty of the next choke submission attack against the same target once, unless the target successfully escapes. If making a choke attack against a target that is already incapacitated, reduce the choke submission’s Crit Rating by 1, to a minimum of 1, for each successive attack against an incapacitated target.
Clothesline
The move does take a moment to set up, but if well-executed, it can be a game changer. If a clothesline attack is successful and activates the knockdown quality, the player can spend 2 Advantage or Triumph to cause the target to also be either Staggered or Immobilized for one round as they writhe in pain on the ground.
Dropkick
On a successful attack with the dropkick, triggering the Knockdown weapon quality requires one fewer Advantage to activate than normal (minimum 1 Advantage). No matter the outcome, the attacker is considered prone after the attack is resolved.
Elbow
Elbow attacks ignore one point of Melee Defense, unless an opponent is wearing a fully enclosed helmet.
Head-Butt
If a head-butt attempt generates 3 Threat or Despair, the character making the attack is staggered for two rounds, regardless of if the attack triggered the Concussive quality or not. In many cases, characters can perform head-butts even if they are bound, immobilized, or suffering from other conditions or situations where they cannot reasonably perform other unarmed attacks.
Joint Submission
If a joint submission is successful, it deals damage as normal, and that character is considered to have a superior grappling position. Should the attack deal a critical hit, roll as normal on the Critical Injury Result table. After looking at the result, the attacker may choose to inflict the Critical Injury, or withhold dealing the Critical Injury and write down the result and wait until the next turn. This may give their opponent an opportunity to escape. However, if the opponent fails to escape, when it is the attacker’s turn, they may again make the same attack. If successful, and the attack triggers a Critical Hit, they may add their previous result to the new roll, to a maximum Critical Injury Result of 130.
Kick
A basic striking attack, but one that is exhausting over time.
Knee
If you have an advantageous position in a grapple (no matter if you’re standing or on the ground), reduce the crit rating of knee attacks by 1 (minimum 1). Reduce the crit rating twice if you have a superior position (minimum crit rating 1).
Pile Driver
Attempting this attack requires the attacker already have an Advantageous or Superior Position in a grapple, or that the opponent is immobilized. Upon a successful attack with the pile driver, the target is automatically knocked prone, as if the attacker had triggered the Knockdown weapon quality.
Punch
The bread-and-butter of many fighting styles.
Takedown
If a takedown attack is successful, it automatically activates the Ensnare 1 weapon quality without spending any Advantage. Further, if the attacker does not have the Advantage necessary to activate the Knockdown weapon quality, they may delay dealing damage by one round, and bank any excess Advantage for their next attempt. On their next turn, assuming the target hasn’t successfully escaped the grapple, the attacker may make another takedown attempt. After tabulating the check results, if the attack is a success, they may choose to add the banked Advantage to activate the Knockdown weapon quality, or bank more Advantage. If the Knockdown weapon quality is activated, then damage is calculated from the results of the most recent check.
Unarmed Attack
The standard unarmed attack can narratively represent all manner of unarmed strikes, including those on Table 4–1. Every character begins with this attack. However, the character using this attack has incomplete training, and their punches, kicks, knees, and elbows use inefficient technique, dealing less damage than other, trained fighters.