Wrestling: In wrestling combat, a successful roll will give the character a + 1 to his Force Rating (see the “Unarmed Combat” rules in Chapter 8). Higher skill scores give higher bonuses, so a character with Wrestling +1 would receive a + 2 bonus, and so on.
🤼 Racial Variants #
| Variant | Name | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Dwarven | Low-Grip Stone-Lock | Dwarves use their low center of gravity to become immovable. They gain an additional +1 bonus (total +2) when defending against being thrown or tripped. |
| Elven | Flowing Willow | Elves use a target’s momentum against them. On a successful roll, they can choose to shift the target 5 feet in any direction rather than just holding them. |
| Halfling | Under-Foot Tangle | Halflings focus on the legs. They gain a +2 bonus to their Force Rating when attacking creatures at least two size categories larger than themselves. |
| Lizardfolk | Death-Roll Grip | Using their powerful tails and jaws for leverage, they gain a +1 bonus to damage whenever they successfully maintain a hold for more than one round. |
🗺️ Regional Variants #
- The Pit-Fighter (Metropolitan/Urban)
Trained in the brutal, no-holds-barred gambling dens of the city.
- Specialty: Dirty Tactics. They use headbutts and eye-gouges to soften a target. If they win a wrestling check, the target suffers a -1 penalty to their next attack roll due to the sheer pain.
- The Great-Plains “Bull-Tamer” (Wilderness/Plains)
Trained to bring down large animals by the horns or neck.
- Specialty: Cervical Leverage. They are experts at grabbing “unconventional” anatomy. They ignore the usual -2 penalty for trying to wrestle a non-humanoid creature (like a wolf or a goat).
- The Desert “Scorpion” (Arid/Waste)
Trained in a style that emphasizes joint locks and disabling limbs to conserve water and energy.
- Specialty: Arid Pin. Once they have a successful hold, the target must make a Strength check at -2 to break free, as the wrestler knows exactly how to “bind” the target’s joints.
- The Coastal “Boarding-Grappler” (Coastal/Maritime)
Trained for combat on the slippery, crowded decks of ships.
- Specialty: Railing-Use. They use the environment to anchor themselves. If they are near a wall, mast, or railing, their Force Rating bonus increases to +2 because they can use the structure for extra leverage.
🥊 The “Unarmed Combat” Synergy #
As per the rules in Chapter 8, Wrestling is a foundational part of unarmed combat.
- Design Tip: If a character has both Wrestling and Acrobatics, they can perform a “Tumbling Takedown.” If they move at least 10 feet toward an opponent and succeed on an Acrobatics check, they gain Advantage on their initial Wrestling roll to start the grapple.
