#Combat General Techniques (戰鬪一般特技)

Contents

#§ Scent — Habits Laid Over the Blade

In the core general technique list there are techniques that form the skeleton of combat, such as Tough, Swift, Dual-Wield, and Shieldwork. What this document adds is not the skeleton but the habits laid over the blade. The one more strike after dodging once, the second blow after the first has landed, the sense that lowers the threshold of a Critical Hit(會心) by one notch. These are less an "innate talent" than something close to a conditioned reflex carved into the body by repeated battlefields.

For that reason, the access conditions of these techniques are mostly after-the-fact narratives such as "actual battlefield experience" or "holding a license in a specific weapon or field." They will more often be gained from the 3rd dan onward rather than held from the 1st dan.

#§ Law — 5 New General Techniques

#Riposte (逆襲) [Kata]

• Effect: Within one round, immediately after a successful dodge, immediately pay 1 Energy and make 1 counterattack check against the attacker of the dodged attack (the Attack A formula of the melee weapon in use). Operates separately from opportunity attacks.
• Check: the existing weapon Attack A formula as is (2d10 + Courage + proficiency >= Defense)
• Acquisition conditions: Licensed (3 points) or higher in 1 melee weapon skill + holding the Master of Evasion aptitude is recommended (possible without it)
• Repeatable: No
• Villain/gaijin constraints: Follow the core conventions. When borrowed via a gaijin Adaptation slot, Energy +1 (the core outside-class conventions).
• Recommended play type: counter swordsman, confrontation-centered duelist
• Design note: Different from the core "Master of Evasion" (interrupt-dodge cost -1). If Master of Evasion is a cost reduction on the defending side, Riposte is a shift to offense after defending. However, unlike core Single Flash and other when-hit automatic counterattack effects, its trigger is a successful dodge. A successful Block or merely being hit does not trigger it. It does not stack with the additional check of an opportunity attack — Riposte and an opportunity attack cannot be used at once in the same round (one or the other).

#Block (擋) [Kata]

• Effect: When an enemy's melee attack check is declared, immediately pay 1 Energy and make a defense check. On 2d10 + Physique + (melee weapon skill proficiency) >= the attack check value, success negates the damage. Usable even without a shield.
• Check: 2d10 + Physique + proficiency >= the attack check value (opposed check)
• Acquisition conditions: Trained (2 points) or higher in 1 melee weapon skill
• Repeatable: No
• Villain/gaijin constraints: Follow the core conventions.
• Recommended play type: unarmed or light-armor defensive type, handling offense and defense with a single weapon
• Design note: The core Shieldwork [aptitude] is a constant Defense +2 premised on equipping a shield. This technique is a weapon-agnostic, non-constant active defense that consumes 1 Energy. Stackable — if one who carries a shield uses Block, both Defense +2 and the active defense check apply.

#Combo Strike (連擊) [technique]

• Effect: Within one round, immediately after the first attack hits, pay an additional 1 Energy against the same target for 1 strike of the 2nd hit. The 2nd hit uses the same weapon and formula as the 1st. For the 2nd hit only there is no Domination or position correction (premised on staying in the same zone).
• Check: the same formula as the 1st
• Acquisition conditions: Licensed (3 points) or higher in 1 weapon skill
• Repeatable: No
• Villain/gaijin constraints: Follow the core conventions.
• Recommended play type: single-target focused-kill type, all-out-assault swordsman
• Design note: Different from the core Dual-Wield Combined Strike [Kata]. The Dual-Wield Combined Strike is a simultaneous two-hand strike (two weapons, two checks). Combo Strike is a consecutive one-hand strike (one weapon, sequential checks). Stackable with the Dual-Wield Combined Strike — Combo Strike can be applied to each hand (explosive on Energy, high-dan only).

#Vital-Point Sense (急所感覺) [aptitude]

• Effect: Applies this expansion's §15 Critical Expansion to one's own melee and ranged attack checks (adjacent eyes recognized; double + adjacent eye ±1 = Critical Hit). The core Critical Hit = double + success (10%) → with this technique the Critical Hit chance is 28% (10 doubles + 18 adjacent eyes).
• Check: none (passive)
• Acquisition conditions: Master (4 points) or higher in 1 weapon skill, or Licensed or higher in Perception(感知)
• Repeatable: No
• Villain/gaijin constraints: Follow the core conventions. Not a replacement for the Stratagem or Perception dedicated skills — it operates separately from Stratagem (Stratagem's ambush detection) and Perception (Spirit Eye).
• Recommended play type: one-strike kill, sniper, assassin
• Design note: The core Stratagem Ambush Detection [aptitude] is an effect that defends against the ambusher's Critical Expansion. This technique is Critical Expansion of one's own attack. The directions are exact opposites. For one PC to hold both is possible only in a high-dan combat-specialist build.

#Resolve Against Yoma (對妖魔覺悟) [aptitude]

• Effect: Automatically succeeds on fear, intimidation, and madness checks targeting Elite- and Lord-grade yoma. There is no benefit of this technique against Veteran(練)-grade and lower yoma (the general rules as is). There is no benefit against non-yoma enemies (humans, Outsiders) either.
• Check: none (passive)
• Acquisition conditions: holding Yoma Knowledge [aptitude] + Exorcism License (3 points) or Sorcery License (3 points) or higher
• Repeatable: No
• Villain/gaijin constraints: The 12 villain classes cannot acquire this technique (villains themselves have complex interactions with the yoma category; see core 04-19-villain-guide)
• Recommended play type: yoma hunter, large-boss specialist
• Design note: The core Yoma Knowledge [aptitude] is attack +1 against yoma + revealing weaknesses. This technique is automatic success on psychological resistance. Their roles are separated. The core Indomitable [aptitude] is Physique +3 on a downed check. This technique is defense of one's psychological state during combat. The two are separate.

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#§ Design Perspective — Why These 5

The principles this expansion held to itself when adding combat general techniques:

1. Do not overlap roles with the 18 core techniques. No case of overlapping numbers (Riposte ↔ Master of Evasion, Block ↔ Shieldwork, Combo Strike ↔ Dual-Wield Combined Strike, Vital-Point Sense ↔ Ambush Detection, Resolve Against Yoma ↔ Yoma Knowledge + Indomitable, each verified).
2. Avoiding extreme power spikes. Each technique maintains balance through an Energy cost or a license condition.
3. Not allowing all to be loaded onto one PC. Because the acquisition conditions (license, training) require mutually different skills, dispersion is natural.
4. Explicit villain constraints. Resolve Against Yoma is not available to villains.

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"One who has dodged once comes to know where the second sword will come. That is why a habit is fearsome."