When the time for talk is over, and the time for senseless violence begins, a nice repertoire of action moves can be a real face-saver. Punches and kicks are all right, but spicing them up with flying jump kicks, feints, and the ever-so-important stake through the heart is where the Slayers are separated from the girly-girls. The Combat Maneuver area on the character sheet gives players a place for all the information on the diverse ways in which their Cast Members can inflict pain and suffering on the forces of evil. The most common ways to do unto others before others do unto you are described in detail over the next several pages. The appropriate roll modifiers and the base damage inflicted is also listed (damage is discussed more on p. 137). Everything is also gathered in a nice neat reference table in the Appendix (see p. 264). Handy or what?

To make things quicker, Attributes, skills, and modifiers should be summarized in the Maneuvers section of the character sheet or Quick Sheet. These areas should have the character’s favorite moves already pre-figured. Note that any character may list any maneuver on her sheet; there’re no requirements or limits. Still, don’t go nuts here; it makes little sense to list most or all maneuvers, regardless of whether the character has the skills or equipment to perform them.

Aiming: Sometimes it pays to take careful aim—if the character misses the vampire’s heart with a crossbow shot, she may not get a second chance. Aiming delays the shot action until near the end of a Turn. The player adds Perception and the appropriate skill (Gun Fu for guns, Getting Medieval for archaic ranged weapons) to the roll or just uses the Brains Score. The shot action roll gets a bonus equal to the Success Levels of the Aiming roll.

Bow Shot: The Robin Hood maneuver. A character can fire a bow as fast as she can draw and shoot; multiple shots use the multiple actions penalties (see p. 134). A Bow Shot uses a Dexterity and Getting Medieval - 2 roll, or Combat Score - 2, and its base damage is (4 x Strength) points (Slash/stab type; to a maximum of 20). Modifiers due to range are applicable (see p. 136).

Break Neck: Before this maneuver may be attempted, the character must succeed at a Grapple (see p. 131). After that, the attacker rolls and adds Strength and Kung Fu, or just uses the Muscle Score. The defender rolls and adds Strength and Constitution. If the attacker’s roll is higher, the base damage is (4 x Strength) points (Bash type). If the total damage reduces the defender to -10 Life Points, she must pass a Survival Test (see p. 142) with an added penalty equal to the Success Levels of the Break Neck attack (in addition to any normal Survival Test modifiers; this is due to the very sensitive nature of the neck for us normal human types). If she fails, you get that telltale crunching sound with fatal results. If the defender is a vampire and the successful attack reduces it to -10 Life Points, she has to pass a Survival Test (but no special modifiers are applied; undead aren’t so sensitive—in any sense of the word). On the vamp’s failure, her head is ripped off and she is dusted—gruesome but pretty impressive.

Catch Weapon: Isn’t it super cool when Buffy just snatches sharp stuff out of the air? Don’t try it at home—it’s only for trained professionals. This maneuver uses a Dexterity and Kung Fu - 5 roll, or the Combat Score - 5. If the catcher’s roll is not greater or equal to the thrower’s roll, the weapon attack does an additional +5 base damage (nothing like jumping into the flight path of an object built for harm). On the other hand, if the catcher’s roll works, she has a weapon all ready to go. And remember, reusing helps save the Earth.

Choke: Before this maneuver may be attempted, the character must succeed at a Grapple (see p. 131). After that, the attacker rolls and adds her Strength and Kung Fu, or just uses her Muscle Score. The defender rolls and adds her Strength and Constitution (or again uses the Muscle Score). If the attack result is higher, the base damage is (Strength - 1) points (Bash type). Furthermore, the defender cannot breathe (see Suffocation, p. 143). She is at -2 to all actions—being choked to death can be quite distracting.

Crossbow Shot: Crossbows are easier to use than bows, but they take longer to reload. It takes one Turn to reload a crossbow (very hard to do when a vampire is charging). Crossbow shots use a Dexterity and Getting Medieval roll, or the Combat Score, and do 16 points of base damage (Slash/stab type). Modifiers due to range are applicable (see p. 136).

Decapitation: Your basic samurai killing slash; it needs a sword, axe, or similar big slashing weapon. Decapitation uses a Dexterity and Getting Medieval - 5 roll, or the Combat Score - 5, but damage is multiplied by five (after Success Level bonuses are added and armor effects subtracted; damage type is not applied; weapon damage is listed on p. 266). If the damage is enough to bring the victim to -10 Life Points or less, a Survival Test is in order (see p. 142). If that fails, the head comes off, and the rating of the show goes up to TV-M. Flashy way to dust vampires (see p. 192).

Disarm: Great for those times when a character needs to borrow someone’s knife and its current owner isn’t in the mood to share . . . or only wants to let her have it pointy-end first. Disarm uses a Resisted Action with a Dexterity and Getting Medieval - 2 roll, or Dexterity and Kung Fu - 3 roll, or the Combat Score - 2 against the target’s Parry action.

Dodge: This is where the hero ducks, somersaults or leaps out of the way of an attack. Dodging hand-to-hand attacks can be done once per Turn without penalty; dodging missile attacks (bullets, ninja stars, harpoons) suffers a -2 penalty on top of any other modifiers. Use a roll and add Dexterity and the highest appropriate skill (Acrobatics, Getting Medieval, or Kung Fu), or just use the Combat Score.

Feint: The art of faking out the adversary and smacking her from an unexpected direction. A Feint counts as a Resisted Action. It uses an Intelligence and Kung Fu or Getting Medieval roll, or the Brains Score, and is resisted by the target’s roll adding Perception and either of those skills, or just the Brains Score. If the attacker wins, she can add the Success Levels of the Feint roll to her next attack action roll against the same opponent.

Grapple: Sometimes a character wants to grab someone and shake ‘em until her teeth rattle in her head. She has to grapple them first, though. Grabbing people is fairly easy; use a Dexterity and Kung Fu + 2 roll, or the Combat Score + 2. The victim resists with a Dodge maneuver. Vampires and other goon types often try to grab their victims either to capture them or set them up for some necking action. The attacker has to decide what part of the body to grab: limbs, the whole body, or the neck. When Grappled, the target is at -2 to actions that involve the grappled limb, or -1 to all actions if grappled around the body. If both arms are grappled by two attackers, the victim is at -4 to most rolls, and cannot Dodge. A neck grapple doesn’t impair the target, but sets him up for either the Break Neck or Choke action. The victim can try to break free with a Strength (doubled) roll, or the Muscle Score versus another Grapple maneuver.

Groin Shot: Hitting below the belt may be frowned upon by the old-school pugilists, but they’ve been dead like forever, so who cares what they think? The attack employs another attack maneuver, with a -3 penalty to the roll or score. Damage is normal, but a male victim must gain at least one Success Level with a Willpower (doubled) roll (or the Brains Score) minus double the Success Levels of the attack. If not, he is knocked down and unable to do anything for the Turn. Females aren’t completely unscathed either, but the Willpower roll (or Brains Score) suffers only a -1 penalty. Every Turn after the first, the character can make a new roll with a cumulative +1 bonus to recover.

The groin shot can be used with several different maneuvers. Kicks are the most common, but a punch, a weapon attack (nobody wants a baseball bat impacting there), and even a head butt (you do what you gotta do sometimes, eh?) may be used.

Gunshot: Your basic assault with a deadly weapon. Point towards enemy, pull trigger. Big boom ensues. Use a Dexterity and Gun Fu roll, or the Combat Score. Base damage varies depending on the gun used (see p. 266), but all benefit from Bullet type damage (see p. 138). Modifiers due to range are applicable (see p. 136).

Head Butt: Sometimes, a character has to use the old noggin in ways not recommended by the Surgeon General. Head butts are very effective if the target is grappled or very close, because it’s hard to dodge out of the way. If the Head Butt misses, though, the attacker hits the target with the wrong part of the head, and she takes the damage instead of the victim. Head Butts use a Dexterity + Kung Fu - 2 roll, or the Combat Score - 2, and do (2 x Strength) base points of damage (Bash type).

Jump Kick: To impress friends and smite foes, few things beat a Jump Kick. It’s not easy to do, but when done right, it puts the kick back into “butt-kicking.” Jump Kicks require two rolls, but count as a single action. The first is a Dexterity and Acrobatics roll, or use the Combat Score, to get airborne; the second is a Dexterity + Kung Fu - 3 roll, or Combat Score - 3. The kick does 3 x (Strength + 1) base points of damage (Bash type), and gains an additional damage bonus equal to the Success Levels of the Dexterity and Acrobatics roll or Combat Score. Of course, if either of the rolls miss, the Jump Kick becomes a Jump Stumble (the Cast Member falls down and loses untold style points). A Jump Kick is the only attack action the character can attempt on that Turn (no multi-actions with this puppy).

Kick: The plain vanilla kick is a simple yet effective way to put a hurting on someone. If a kick is parried, the target has a golden chance to try and grapple the leg, though. The Kick uses a Dexterity and Kung Fu - 1 roll, or the Combat Score - 1, but football and soccer players can replace Kung Fu with Sports if they like. Ditto for ballet dancers (use Art instead of Sport). Base damage is 2 x (Strength + 1) points (Bash type).

Knockout: Sometimes a character wants to take somebody out without inflicting permanent damage. Any Bash attack (punches, kicks, baseball bats, and so on) can be turned into a Knockout attack, using a Dexterity and Kung Fu - 2 roll, or Dexterity and Getting Medieval - 2 roll, or the Combat Score - 2. The total damage of the attack is halved, but the victim has to make a Constitution (doubled) roll (or use the Muscle Score) with a penalty equal to the Success Levels of the Knockout roll, or she goes down for the count. Recovery from a knockout is in your fiendish Director-y hands; the victim may recover in a few turns, or wake up an hour later … possibly in captivity.

Melee Weapon: This covers swinging swords and axes, stabbing, and other close combat actions that involve sticking foreign objects into other people, or smashing said objects onto them. It uses a Dexterity and Getting Medieval roll, or the Combat Score. Baseball or hockey players can substitute Sports to swing stick-like weapons (fencers and archery enthusiasts use Getting Medieval, though). Since weapons do different types and amounts of damage (see p. 266), each weapon should have its own listing in the Combat Maneuver area of the character sheet.

Parry: Your basic blocking move, used to deflect close combat attacks. Weapons may only be parried by weapons; a hand-to-hand attack may be parried by a weapon and that’s going to cause normal damage for that weapon to the bonehead who rushed in unarmed. A Parry uses a Dexterity and Kung Fu roll, or a Dexterity and Getting Medieval roll, or the Combat Score. Thrown weapons can be parried at a -2 penalty. Arrows and crossbow bolts are parried at a -6 penalty. No character can parry bullets unless she arrived in Sunnydale on a transparent plane from some Amazon island.

Punch: Closed fist, traveling quickly towards the target. Uses a Dexterity and Kung Fu roll, or the Combat Score, and does 2 x Strength points of damage (Bash type). ‘Nuff said.

Slam-Tackle: The All-American football maneuver that can stop touchdowns or bring down fleeing vampires. Tackles use Strength and Sports rolls, or Muscle Scores, and can be Dodged but not Parried. On a successful hit, the target takes 2 x Strength base points of damage (Bash type) and, if she fails to resist with a Strength (not doubled) roll or the Muscle Score divided by two, she goes down hard. At the end of a successful tackle, the attacker can grapple the victim’s legs or torso without rolling. Tackling is the only attack that can be attempted on that Turn (no multi-actions here either, nice try).

Spin Kick: This is a spinning or roundhouse kick, harder to execute but delivering a great deal more damage. When a character really wants to leave a mark, the Spin Kick is the maneuver of choice. This move has the same potential problems as the regular Kick (see p. 132). It uses a Dexterity and Kung Fu - 2 roll, or the Combat Score -2, and does 2 x (Strength + 2) points of base damage (Bash type).

Stake: Poking someone with a sharp pointy thing is going to hurt no matter who it is. Still, if it’s not a vamp, and it’s not in the heart, it’s no different than using a knife. Stake poking uses a Dexterity and Getting Medieval roll, or the Combat Score, and does 2 x Strength points of base damage (Slash/stab type).

Sweep Kick: Just the thing to slow down a charging demon, the Sweep Kick does little damage but sends foes to the ground by kicking their feet out from under them. This special kick uses a Dexterity and Kung Fu - 1 roll, or the Combat Score - 1. If it hits, the defender takes Strength points of base damage (Bash type). Further, the defender must resist with a Dexterity and Acrobatics roll, or the Combat Score to keep her feet. If not, she falls down.

Takedown: This includes judo throws, wrestling moves, trips and similar methods of making an enemy kiss the ground. The Takedown uses a Strength and Kung Fu roll, or the Muscle Score. If the target fails to Parry or Dodge, she hits the mat and takes Strength points of base (Bash type). Otherwise, the defender takes no damage and the Takedown fails.

Through the Heart: A classic, and for good reason—nothing says “Slayer” better than the traditional wood piercing the cold heart of the undead. This attack has no effect on some creatures, but most things, including people, find it hard to survive after a sharp piece of wood gets stuck in or near the old ticker. Attacking the heart uses the appropriate Combat Maneuver with a -3 penalty, or the Combat Score - 3. Damage to non-vamps is quadrupled (after applying the base damage, Success Levels, armor; this multiplier replaces the damage type modifier). It’s even worse for vamps (times five damage), but you have to stick them just right (see pp. 191). Through the Heart is used principally with bows, crossbows, stakes, and thrown stakes but other implements can and will be used.

Throw Weapon: The art of taking a properly balanced weapon and throwing it at a target. The range of this attack is two yards plus two yards per Strength level. Throw Weapon uses a Dexterity and Getting Medieval - 1 roll, or the Combat Score - 1, and the base damage varies by the weapon tossed (see p. 266).

Toss: Your basic “pick up victim, then hurl victim across the room just to prove how badass you are” move. The defender must be grappled first (see p. 131) and the attacker must have a minimum Strength 4. Then, the attacker uses a Strength (doubled) - 4 roll, or the Muscle Score - 4, and the defender resists using a Strength (not doubled) roll or the Muscle Score divided by two. If the attack succeeds, it does Strength points of base damage (Bash type). Also, the defender is tossed one yard for each Success Level in the roll, and is knocked down automatically. If the attack fails, the defender remains Grappled, but takes no damage and doesn’t go anywhere. Oh, and the attacker looks pretty silly.

Wrestling Hold: This is a half-nelson, full-nelson, or pretzel twist, in which the character immobilizes the enemy, usually by grabbing her from behind and twisting one or both arms. This requires a successful Grapple (see p. 131), and then a Strength and Kung Fu -2 roll (or the Muscle Score -2). The defender resists with a Strength or Dexterity (whichever is better) and Kung Fu roll, or the best of her Combat or Muscle Scores. If the attacker wins, the defender is at -1 to all actions for every Success Level in the attack until she breaks free or the attacker lets her go. Otherwise, the defender remains grappled.