Combat 2nd edition

All listed techniques from this page hereon are Special Maneuvers.

Athletics

Backflip

Prerequisites: Athletics 3
XP Cost: 3

Description: Using this retreating defensive maneuver, a well-trained fighter can avoid nearly any attack. The Backflip is actually a series of handsprings that can take a competent gymnast halfway across the battlefield while he dodges projectiles and other attacks.

System: While executing this Maneuver, the fighter can only move in a straight line away from his foe, but while doing so, he cannot be harmed by any attack. However, he is vulnerable to attack both before and after the maneuver is executed.
Cost: 1 Willpower
Initiative: +3
Accuracy: +0
Damage: 0
Move: +2

Breakfall

Prerequisites: Athletics 1
XP Cost: 1

Description: Many styles, such as jujutsu and aikido, emphasize throwing techniques. But before one can learn how to throw, one must know how to fall without suffering serious injury. Breakfall can be performed as a roll onto the shoulders and arms, with the head tucked in to prevent injury to the neck. Another version is to simply slap one's hands to the floor, letting the slaps take the brunt of the throw, exhaling (usually in a kiai) to prevent getting one's air knocked out of one's lungs.

System: Breakfall is practiced until it becomes instinctive; it requires no declared action. It is considered a Reflexive Maneuver. Anytime the character is thrown or suffers a blow from a Maneuver that causes a Knockdown, this Maneuver permits him to reduce the damage suffered. For each success on a Dexterity+Athletics roll (difficulty 6), the character takes one less level of damage. (Note: Breakfall only protects from Maneuvers that rely on the damage of a fall; Maneuvers that only cause Knockdowns as the side effect of, say, a punch, are not so resisted). Additionally, Breakfall allows the character to ignore the -2 Initiative penalty one suffers from a Knockdown. When the Breakfall is used, the character instantly gets back up to his feet, and a turn's action nor roll are necessary.
Cost: none
Initiative: see above
Accuracy: +0
Damage: 0
Move: see above

Duck & Roll

Prerequisites: Athletics 3
XP Cost: 3

Description: Athletic and experienced combatants are able to employ this acrobatic, evasive tumble in conjunction with their attack. To either avoid gunfire or roll under an enemy's close-range attack, the character remains crouched low while he retaliates.

System: This Maneuver is Reactive and successes scored may be used as a dodge. If used to evade bullets, use the Firearms/Dodge chart for the difficulty. The character may choose to dodge and counter with any Brawl/Martial Arts, Melee, or Firearms attack. Use the modifiers below. This is a Crouching Maneuver.
Cost: 1 Willpower
Initiative: +1
Accuracy: -3
Damage: +0
Move: 2

Drunken Monkey Roll

Prerequisites: Athletics 2
XP Cost: 2

Description: Practitioners claim that this Maneuver was developed by an ancient master who watched the antics of monkeys after becoming inebriated on stolen wine. By copying the monkeys' drunken tumbles, the master developed a series of evasive rolls and the Drunken Monkey roll was born.

System: This is a good all-purpose evasive technique. It is a Crouching Maneuver. It can also be used to interrupt and evade projectile attacks, as per Jump (see below).
Cost: none
Initiative: +3
Accuracy: +0
Damage: 0
Move: +2

Groundfighting

Prerequisites: Athletics 4
XP Cost: 4

Description: It's said that 50% of all fights end up on the ground. Those who cannot defend themselves while on the ground then are at a major disadvantage. This ability permits the skilled fighter to beat his opponents, even while they remain standing and he down.

System: This Maneuver is Reflexive and requires no separate action or roll of its own. Anytime the fighter finds himself prone or on the ground, he gains the benefits of this Maneuver. The fighter does not have to rise from the ground (though if he does, he suffers the same -2 Initiative penalty and one turn action penalty to stand back up unless he knows the Breakfall or Kippup Maneuver). When fighting from the ground, the character may use any Basic or even Special Maneuvers, other than those derived from hip-torquing action (many Throws), Aerial Maneuvers, and any other techniques the Storyteller disallows. Fighters who do not have this Maneuver are at -3 Initiative and Damage if they try to use a Maneuver from the ground - even if their opponent is also on the ground. Fighting against a groundfighting opponent can be difficult, too. Maneuvers that are specially designed to work against Crouching characters and other "low" attacks function normally. All other physical strikes suffer a -2 penalty to Initiative and Accuracy.
Cost: 1 Willpower
Initiative: see above
Accuracy: see above
Damage: see above
Move: see above

Jump

Prerequisites: Athletics 1
XP Cost: 1

Description: This is a simple Maneuver that allows the character to vault over incoming projectiles, most obstacles, and so forth. It is a prerequisite to many other Maneuvers. Note that this is not the same jumping system as described in the corebooks. It is more graceful and agile, and often takes the character farther as well. One should realize this maneuver isn't entirely realistic, and should feel free to downplay it if it becomes too unseemly.

System: A character can jump three feet up into the air or five feet forward for every dot in Athletics. In combat situations, Jump adds +1 Move when used by itself (not in conjunction with another Maneuver). A fighter can use Jump to avoid projectiles as well, and he must have enough Initiative to know an opponent is declaring him the target of a projectile attack. If he has Initiative, he can try to jump over it or away from it. The characters roll resistantly. The opponent rolls normally "to hit", and the evading character rolls Dexterity+Athletics (difficulty 6, usually). Treat it as a Dodge in this aspect. If the Jump is failed and he is struck, he's out of actions that turn. Note: this option can be used in conjunction with a Basic Maneuver, making it an Aerial Maneuver that sends him sailing over his foe's incoming attack to deliver a counter at the same time. This requires no dicepool splitting, but the character must have the Initiative for it to even have a hope of success. Most shifters in "near-beast" and animal forms can use Jump.
Cost: none
Initiative: +3
Accuracy: +0
Damage: 0
Move: +1

Kippup

Prerequisites: Athletics 2
XP Cost: 2

Description: A very basic athletic technique, fighters can use this maneuver to recover from a knockdown instantly. The fighter curls his legs up, kicks them up into the air, all while arching his back powerfully. The resulting motion virtually bounces him off the ground and to his feet. While impressive, this Maneuver's greatest risk is that it's generally considered unwise to return to one's feet in the exact spot one fell, since one is likely to get put right back down...

System: This Maneuver is Reflexive and requires no dice roll of its own. Practitioners suffer only a -1 Initiative penalty the turn after he suffers a Knockdown (instead of the usual -2), and the effect is instantaneous -- a full action isn't required to get back up on one's feet with this Maneuver. Note that especially well-trained characters may know Kippup and Breakfall; the character may choose which to use.
Cost: none
Initiative: see above
Accuracy: +0
Damage: 0
Move: 0

Maritime Combat

Prerequisites: Athletics 3
XP Cost: 3

Description: Fighting in or underwater proves to be very difficult for the land-based organisms that are humans (and most supernaturals!). Traditional Japanese samurai training included learning how to fight in the water, even when wearing armor. Modern commando training (especially naval commandos such as the SEALs) are likewise taught to fight hand-to-hand in the water, if necessary. Many island nations teach their soldiers and fighters how to do so as well, and thus it bears remarking as a comparative ability for such characters to purchase. The dense liquid that large bodies of water provide (notably large creeks, rivers, lakes, seas, oceans, etc.) prove to be difficult to maneuver about in save for only the most raw athletes and physically fit. By learning this Athletic Maneuver, the character learns how to move her body through the liquid to its utmost proficiency without the usual drain the simple force other swimmers are required to use, involving a familiarity with the body's mechanical timing and the like. Rokea and other "fishy" characters need to purchase this Maneuver only if they intend to fight in the water in Homid form; their natural proclivity to the underwater life otherwise precludes penalties. See World of Darkness: Blood-Dimmed Tides for more expansive information on systems in underwater Chronicles. Note that this Maneuver's benefits apply even if the character is only partially immersed.

System: Learning this Maneuver negates the dicepool penalty that characters receive for underwater physical actions. Normally, no more dice in a physical Ability can be rolled than the character's Athletics rating. For example, if one has Athletics 2, Melee 2, and Dodge 3, one could use all of his Melee dice, but would not gain the benefit of the third dot in Dodge. This Maneuver is primarily meant for this purpose, but in basic swimming/movement rates, it adds a slight bonus of +1 meter/turn of movement after determined normally (see the chart on page 115 of Blood-Dimmed Tides). This Maneuver is considered Reflexive.
Cost: None
Initiative: +1
Accuracy: +0
Damage: n/a
Move: +1

Pounce

Prerequisites: Athletics 2, Jump
XP Cost: 2

Description: The fighter drops down into a crouch and then explodes into a mighty leap at his prey. The ferocity of this attack often takes opponents by surprise, though experienced warriors may be tipped off by the low growl coming from the fighter just before the leap.

System: This is an Aerial Maneuver, and may be used to evade projectiles (as per Jump). At the end of his leap, the fighter ends up on top of his opponent. If any damage is scored, the opponent suffers a Knockdown. Typically, this Maneuver is used by shapeshifters in war-form, near-beast, or beast forms. It's rarely used by vampires if ever (save perhaps for some particularly feral Gangrel).
Cost: 1 Willpower
Initiative: +0
Accuracy: +1
Damage: +2
Move: +4

Retain the Balance

Prerequisites: Athletics 4, Dodge 2, Throw
XP Cost: 4

Description: The martial artist is able to deftly maneuver her body through the air when an opponent attempts to throw her. She can land on her feet with great balance and prepared to defend or attack the opponent with ease.

System: Instead of trying to dodge an enemy's throwing maneuver, the fighter can choose to flow with it, the "path of least resistance". She is thrown where her attacker was directing, but lands on her feet perfectly (often with a mid-air flip to help dilute the throw's kinetic force). This is much like an advanced form of the Breakfall Maneuver, but it is not considered Reflexive. The defender rolls Dexterity+Athletics (difficulty 6). Each success cancels out one of the attacker's "to hit" successes. If none are left, the attacker's throw inflicts no damage and the character does not suffer any ill effects of the throw, such as a Knockdown. This is an Abort Maneuver.
Cost: None
Initiative: -1
Accuracy: +0
Damage: None
Move: See Above

Shoulder Smash

Prerequisites: Athletics 2, Jump
XP Cost: 2

Description: This simple but effective maneuver is most often employed by wrestlers and other types of fighters who don't mind getting in close and really mixing it up. The fighter leaps at his opponent as hard as he can, slamming into him with his shoulder, much like a football player making a tackle.

System: The fighter's opponent must be within a ten foot radius. If not within five feet, the character moves the first five feet, jumps, and completes his movement that turn. This is an Aerial Maneuver.
Cost: none
Initiative: +0
Accuracy: -1
Damage: +2
Move: -1