These rules present special cases that come up when fighting without weapons.
This is a list of examples:
Bite
A human’s teeth do –1 bashing damage. Other creatures treat their teeth like weapons, dealing lethal damage to mortals (see “Weapons,” below). Animals have a weapon bonus depending on the kind of creature: a wolf applies +1, while a great white shark gets +4.
Humans can only bite as part of a grapple, using the Damage move.
Grapple
To grab your opponent, roll Strength + Brawl – Defence. On a success, both of you are grappling. If you roll an exceptional success, pick a move from the list below.
Each turn, both grappling characters make a contested Strength + Brawl versus Strength + Brawl action on the higher of the two characters’ Initiatives.
The winner picks a move from the list below, or two moves on an exceptional success.
- Break Free from the grapple. You throw off your opponent; you’re both no longer grappling. Succeeding at this move is a Reflexive Action, you can take another action immediately afterwards.
- Control Weapon, either by drawing a weapon that you have holstered or turning your opponent’s weapon against him. You keep control until your opponent makes a Control Weapon move.
- Damage your opponent by dealing bashing damage equal to your rolled successes. If you previously succeeded at a Control Weapon action, add the weapon bonus to your successes.
- Disarm your opponent, removing a weapon from the grapple entirely. You must first have succeeded at a Control Weapon move.
- Drop Prone, throwing both of you to the ground (see “Going Prone”). You must Break Free before rising.
- Hold your opponent in place. Neither of you can apply Defence against incoming attacks.
- Restrain your opponent with duct tape, zip ties, or a painful joint lock. Your opponent is immobilized. You can only use this move if you’ve already succeeded in a Hold move. If you use equipment to Restrain your opponent, you can leave the grapple.
- Take Cover using your opponent’s body. Any ranged attacks made until the end of the turn automatically hit him (see “Human Shields”).
A mage can cast spells in a grapple regardless of if she wins the grapple, but she will suffer a –3 penalty to the spellcasting roll if she failed, and she must operate under restrictions regarding Yantra use. (See Casting During a Grapple)