Combat 2nd edition
Werewolf: The Apocalypse
Gifts
The problem, of course, is that there are hundreds of different Gifts and it isn't the desire of this author and Storyteller to sit down and calculate the details of every single one. Instead, it's best to cover a few Gifts to serve as guidelines for easy, on-the-spot rulings of all the rest.
General Court
Blaze Talons: Vampires must roll to resist Rotschreck/Wave Soul when struck. The shifter's fists inflict fire-based aggravated damage; that fire can catch other flammables on fire like normal flame. Otherwise, it adds +1 Damage and makes all Brawl/Martial Arts attacks aggravated.
Hakken
Storm Winds Slash: Range bonuses or penalties may apply. Fifty yards is the maximum range; 25 is medium, 10 is short.
Kitsune
Blind: Failure to resist this Gift results in blindness, plus a -2 penalty to Initiative the following turn due to the sting.
Imperial Authority: This is harder to use in combat; add +2 to the difficulty.
Marionette/Possession: As it refers to in World of Darkness: Combat under Dominate, a character who can control another's mind so completely has already won the battle. Taking control in the first place, however, is more difficult in a stressful combat situation. The roll must be made at +1 difficulty.
Bolt: This attack may be dodged as if it were a firearms attack (availability of cover determining difficulty).
Call of the Dead: The affected lose an additional -2 from their Initiative til the damage is healed.
Element Meld: In the new form, the Fox gains the strengths of his elemental shape. These may be used in combat as well, depending on the elemental shape taken. Assume that for each success roll, +1 may be added to Accuracy, Initiative, or Damage, depending on the form. The Storyteller should arbitrate carefully.
Shadow-Fan-Flowers: See World of Darkness: Combat in regards to Phantasm, and other illusion powers.
Uzume Sings: Those affected by this power are attacked at +2 Accuracy and Initiative; attacking also breaks the effect of the Gift. Of course, the Kitsune cannot be the one attacking -- she must concentrate on singing.
Moon Dance: Refer to White Tiger Corpse, above, for the benefits of "invisibility".
Kidnap: The Storyteller may permit a dodge roll for the intended victim. If so, the difficulty is generally 8.
Kumo
Shadow Step: Use the rules for White Tiger Corpse, above, should the werespider's enemies suspect an illusion at work.
Nagah
Gaze of the Serpent: Attacks against a paralyzed target automatically succeed on the Accuracy roll; this also ends the Gift's effect.
Tengu
Bloody Feather: Optionally, the Storyteller may wish to make the roll Dexterity+Throwing (difficulty 4), and Thrown Blades as a required Technique (or the difficulty will be higher, as per usual rules).
Zhong Lung
The Dragon's Tongue: This may be dodged (difficulty 8); each success reduces the Middle Dragon's successes by one.
Basics
Forms: Use the information stated in World of Darkness: Combat regarding Maneuvers for all shapeshifters. Animal forms are all considered to be Crouching. All war-forms (Crinos) can be hit by Aerial Maneuvers. In most cases, animal forms gain +2 Move to all Maneuvers they use, while "near-beast" forms gain +1 Move. Use independent Changing Breed books for specific details regarding each shapeshifter's forms.
Frenzy: Like vampires, shapeshifters in frenzy cannot use Special Maneuvers and usually don't bother with dodging, weapons, or much common sense.
Martial Arts: It's understood that few shapeshifters besides the Stargazers learn human martial arts in any form. They hardly have to. The martial arts were developed to make up for the lack of weapons; the Changing Breeds all have natural arsenals at their disposal. The techniques of most martial arts styles were also developed with the human body in mind. So while shapeshifters can learn martial arts, they are best used in Homid or Glabro (or the equivalent). However, this is not to say that the Martial Arts are only about fancy karate kicks or pressure points. This isn't true anymore than saying Brawl is only about caveman-esque fist-swinging. A shapeshifter can learn Martial Arts and not have to also worry about purchasing the Brawl Talent so he can fight in his non-human forms. Basic techniques, even basic clawing and in some styles, biting, can be found in the martial arts. It is not difficult then to allow characters to substitute Martial Arts for Brawl at all times, provided that they do not attempt any inappropriate Special Maneuvers in a non-human form (the same applies to Brawl, too!). Backbreaker is an acceptable Maneuver in Crinos, but Atemi Strike is not. And of course, no Special Maneuvers at all can be used while in frenzy.
