Racial attacks as combat moves

[Fidoric]

My son is has been playing a lizardman with tail and claw attacks for some times now. This afternoon we have made another character from a taurine race able to make horn attacks.

If I make no mistake, each of this character has to develop a specific skill to fight with their natural weaponry. OTOH, a human character may use any one of his body parts in a fight (head butt, elbow, punch, kick...) with a single skill (brawling or basic MA for example).

Regarding the natural attacks, I am toying with the idea of using only one skill for unarmed attack (brawling, boxing, basic or advanced MA) and make a specific combat move for the natural attack.

For example, a lizardman with a tail attack would gain access to a free tail strike combat move but will have to develop an unarmed skill to  make any use of it. I won't make him develop specific ranks in claws and tail to use them considering them to be natural weapons in the same way that our feet, hands and elbows are.

What do you think about this?

[imported_Rasyr]

In regards to Brawling -- I would treat natural weapons as pretty much the same as any other body part or improvised weapon (i.e. you are not using it in a trained manner, simply rough and tumble).

As for the Natural Weapons themselves....

There are 2 main ways to handle this, I think (there may be others, but I am only going over the 2)

1) Individual Weapon Skills -- Much as with any unique or unusual weapon, the character should be allowed to develop an individual skill for using that weapon. This skill could and likely should include any appropriate Combat Moves....

2) As a specific Martial Art -- One of the nice things about Martial Arts is that they also allow for the use of Weapon Katas. So, if you have a Lizardman with claws and a tail, you could create a Martial Arts style that incorporates those natural weapons. And as such when using Kata Weapons, they can be used with any known Combat Moves that go along with that style....

So, for example, Lizard Fu contains the Combat Move, LegSweep. For Lizard Fu, I would allow this move to be done with the legs OR with the tail (should the tail kata have been purchased).

What I would not do, is to give the character free Combat Moves (other than the ones that are already free, like Basic Strike), nor should you give them free ranks in any skills either. Having a weapon (or two) that cannot be taken away is a huge benefit already, they will need to train with it to be effective, and training basically is the spending of Character Points...

If you want to create some special Combat Moves for those natural weapons, fantastic! However, again, do not make them free... The Basic Strike and other Basic Combat Moves are there SPECIFICALLY to handle the most fundamental types of attacks, regardless of the weapon (i.e. they apply equally to both manufactured and natural weapons).

[Fidoric]

If you want to create some special Combat Moves for those natural weapons, fantastic! However, again, do not make them free... The Basic Strike and other Basic Combat Moves are there SPECIFICALLY to handle the most fundamental types of attacks, regardless of the weapon (i.e. they apply equally to both manufactured and natural weapons).

I agree with you completely. My point is: if a human character wants to perform a headbutt if will certainly let him do so using any unarmed skill with maybe the same DR as a basic punch. If you consider a minotaur, I think I will let him do the same with maybe increased DR (due to its horns, say DR 6). If could then buy specific combat moves like impale. Does this seem right?

[imported_Rasyr]

A headbutt by a human is something that I would consider a brawling type of attack, and brawling should NOT be getting any sort of Combat Moves... -- Remember, a base brawling attack has a DR of 0 (zero). So, that means that the Base Damage is equal to the character's Str Bonus (imporvised weapons can be used, but DR would be based upon the object used)

Brawling attacks by a minotaur would be the same, headbutt having a DR 0. Trying to use their Horns (which MIGHT have a DR 6 when used as a proper weapon, depending upon their size) as an improvised weapon (i.e. saying that the character has no skill in using them as a weapon) in a Brawl, I would cut that trained DR in half (i.e. as an improvised weapon, no more than a DR 3). Yes, this is less than a Dagger, which I also feel is appropriate.

Not to mention, using horns, for a bipedal creature/person, is going to be a problematic experience, since the being would have to bend over and charge to make the best use (Horns are a puncture weapon as they are NOT normally overly sharp, so it is the force behind the stab that punctures, not any sort of edge).

[Fidoric]

That seems fair to me. Reduced DR for untrained attacks and maybe full DR only if you have special training and an appropriate combat moves.

For a lizardman I would say:
- untrained attacks may be made with claws, fists or tail. The latter would deliver the same DR as a basic kick.
- any lizardman may acquire an improved tail attack providing he pays for a weapon kata: tail which cost may be reduced if included in an appropriate racial MA.
- after weapon kata has been paid for, the lizardman may acquire specific tail combat moves like tail sweep, increased tail strike...

Your comment about the horn attack makes sense. The race we are using is a Novus adaptation of the Tauren race from Warcraft. Their anatomy is well-suited to deliver puncturing horn attacks (heavy stooped shoulders, massive head pointing forward...).

Thanks for your help!