Combat Techniques

The Combat Techniques mechanic is unlocked by one of the following methods:

• Martial Arts I feat
• 1st Degree in any combat school
• Weapon Focus feat
• Armored Defense talent
• Endurance skill training

A character may only have a number of combat techniques readied for use equal to their Intelligence Modifier + Wisdom Modifier + 1 (minimum 1), plus an additional technique readied at level 7 and every 6 levels thereafter. Changing readied combat techniques can be done by practicing for five minutes.

Stances and Stance Enhancements

Stances do not count against the number of combat techniques a character can ready. A stance is a special way of standing developed by practitioners of various fighting styles to enhance the goals of that style. As long as a character is not flat-footed, he may gain the benefits of his stance, but characters that are proficient in more than one stance may not gain the benefits of multiple stances. These characters are more versatile, however, as they can change stances from round to round to gain different benefits and to throw off their opponents. Once per round, as a free action, a character may adopt or change his stance during his action. Stances remain active until you spend a swift action to change them, combat ends, or you fall unconscious.

Some stances also have Stance Enhancements which boost or alter the effects of a given combat stance. Stance Enhancements must be readied as a combat technique and activate immediately upon entering the corresponding stance.

Armor Optimization

By taking care to minimize the exposure of weak points in your armor, you improve it’s ability to protect you.
REQUIRES: Armor Proficiency (Light), Armor Proficiency (Medium)
You increase the bonuses your armor provides to your Fortitude and Reflex Defenses by 2. In order you maintain this extra protection, your movements become determined and ponderous, lowering your speed by 2 squares.

Assault Gunner

Rather than walking your fire across targets to maximize accuracy, you try to direct your attacks to the vital areas of your opponents to maximize effectiveness.
REQUIRES: Weapon Focus (Rifles) or Weapon Focus (Heavy) While under the effect of this Stance, you deal one more die of damage with all your attacks with autofire-only weapons and with weapons set to autofire. All attack rolls you make suffer a -2 penalty as you forfeit traditional means of improving accuracy for the chance to deal extra damage. Pistols and Simple Weapons cannot benefit from this stance.

Back Kick

The Back Kick gives you the ability to kick an opponent behind you, which is a very useful tool for deterring multiple attackers.
REQUIRES: Martial Arts I or 1st Degree of any combat school that has feet as an associated weapon
As long as you have not been denied your Dexterity bonus to Reflex defense, you cannot be flanked.

Battle Dancer

REQUIRES: Musician or Trained in Acrobatics
While under the effect of this stance, you can move at full speed while using the Tumble aspect of the Acrobatics skill. Due to your constant movement and dodging, it's very difficult to bring any but the lightest weapons to bear, so you take a -2 penalty to any attack that isn't made with an unarmed strike or light melee weapon.

Pole Dancer

STANCE ENHANCEMENT: Battle Dancer
No, not like that, you perv. While you are in the Battle Dancer stance you can use any weapon that is your size or larger which has a shaft (spear, quarterstaff, electrostaff, electropole, static pike, force pike, shockstaff, etc) as if it was a light melee weapon.

Cantina Shootout

With a panache and brashness that belies your true skill, you are a truly terrifying opponent in a close-range shootout.
REQUIRES: Weapon Focus (Pistols) or Weapon Focus (Rifles)
While you are in this stance, you gain a +1 bonus on all ranged attack rolls made against targets within 10 squares of you and a +1 bonus to Reflex Defense against ranged attacks made by opponents within 10 squares of you. Because you are so focused on the opponents near you, however, you double all range-related penalties to attack rolls and, if applicable, damage rolls.

Centered Stance

You’re trained to endure great punishment, overcoming injuries through sheer willpower.
REQUIRES: Endurance skill, Martial Arts I, or 1st degree training in any combat school
While under the effect of this Stance, you gain a number of temporary HP equal to your Will Defense – 10. Any damage you take comes out of these temporary hit points first. These hit points are lost when you leave this stance. You can only gain this benefit once per encounter.

Circle Kick

By spinning your entire body, you increase the damage from your feet attacks.
REQUIRES: Martial Arts I, or 1st Degree of any combat school that uses feet
While under the effect of this Stance, unarmed attacks made with your feet have their damage increased by one die size (d4->d6->d8->d10->d12->each d12 is replaced with 3d6).

Techniques

Techniques must be readied. Some techniques can have use frequency restrictions.

Armored Deflection

With a quick adjustment to your position, you place the maximum amount of protective gear between you and your attackers.
REQUIRES: Armor Proficiency (Light), Armor Proficiency (Medium)
As a swift action once per encounter, you can double your equipment bonus to Fortitude defense from your armor along with any Damage Reduction you might have from species abilities, classes, or equipment. This doubling lasts until the start of your next turn.

Axe Kick

An Axe Kick is a vicious kick in which you bring your leg up above your head, then bring your heel down on your target.
REQUIRES: Martial Arts I or 1st Degree of any combat school that has feet as an associated weapon
Your feet damage is increased by one die size (d4->d6->d8->d10->d12->each d12 is replaced with 3d6), and you add one-and-a-half times your Strength modifier to your damage. You may only use this technique once per round, but you may make additional, non-Axe Kick attacks, provided that you have the ability to make multiple attacks.

Block

You have mastered the basic art of intercepting incoming melee attacks.
REQUIRES: Martial Arts I or Weapon Focus (Simple) or Weapon Focus (Advanced Melee)
If you are hit in melee combat, you may make an attack roll of your own in an attempt to block the attack. If your attack roll is higher than that of the attack that hit you, the attack is treated as a miss. You may only use this ability against melee weapons if you are armed. This is a Reaction and counts as making an attack of opportunity.

Breathing Room

By taking a bit more time to catch your breath, you gain a buffer between you and a critical injury.
REQUIRES: Trained in Endurance
By taking an extra swift action when you use the Second Wind action, you gain a number of bonus hit points equal to your level. Any damage you take is deducted from these hit points first, and they go away at the start of your next turn.

Deceptive Attack

REQUIRES: Combat Trickery
Once per round when you attack a target that you have flat-footed via Combat Trickery, you add your Charisma modifier to the damage roll.