Matador Files

by Steve Wilcoxon

Musashi Flex

This bioware implant replaces an organic muscle tendon, either in the arm or leg, with an artificially produced tissue. This tissue, created from the genetic material of the person receiving it and modified with plant fibers, is stronger and more elastic than the tendon it replaces. This replacement creates a “whip-lash” effect, causing a person’s unarmed strikes to be faster and more devastating.

The Musashi Flex increases the damage done by unarmed strikes by +1 level (Light to Moderate, Moderate to Serious, etc.). This effect stacks with other unarmed combat bonuses. The implant may only be purchased for one limb at a time, and a person may only have two implants maximum (one for each arm or each leg, or one arm and one leg).

Essence Cost: 	0.3 per implant
Cost: 		¥18,000 per implant
Availability: 	8/14 days
Street Index: 	3
Legality: 	Legal

The Musashi Flex is getting very popular in the arena fighting circles. I’ve seen a couple of trolls with double arm flexes that can literally punch through brick walls. Of course, you need to be a pretty good fighter to begin with to make it worthwhile.
Arena Rat

Word of warning - if you get this installed, make sure you get the real thing and not some knockoff. I knew a guy who got a cheap version and his tendon snapped in the middle of a fight. He was crippled for months.
Bones

The Maze

The Maze is an experimental drug that enhances spatial awareness and hand-eye coordination. Originally developed as a training aid for fighter pilots, it has found its way onto the streets as a combat drug.

The Maze provides the following effects:

• +2 dice to all Ranged Combat tests
• +1 die to all Perception tests involving spatial relationships
• Duration: 1 hour per dose
• Addiction: 5
• No obvious side effects during use

When the drug wears off, the user suffers -1 to all Reaction tests for 2 hours.

Long-term use (more than 3 doses per week for 3 consecutive weeks) can cause permanent spatial disorientation: -1 to all Perception tests involving depth perception.

Cost: 		¥200 per dose
Availability: 	10/14 days
Street Index: 	3
Legality: 	6-Q

Maze is some serious drek. Yeah, it makes you a better shot, but I’ve seen people get hooked on it bad. They start seeing things that aren’t there, walking into walls, that kind of thing.
Street Doc

The military boys love this stuff. Rumor has it that some special forces units use a legal version for training. The street version is a lot more potent, though.
Soldier Boy

Fugue Skill: Combat Instinct

This new use of the Fugue skill allows a character to enter a trance-like state where combat becomes almost automatic. The character’s conscious mind steps aside, allowing pure reflex and training to take over.

To activate Combat Instinct, the character must make a Fugue (Willpower) test against a target number of 6. If successful, the character enters the fugue state and gains the following benefits:

• +2 dice to all Combat Pool allocations
• Immune to surprise penalties
• May split Combat Pool between defense and attack without penalty
• +1 to Reaction for determining initiative
• Duration: (Willpower) Combat Turns

While in Combat Instinct, the character suffers the following penalties:

• Cannot communicate effectively (can only grunt or shout single words)
• Cannot make tactical decisions beyond basic combat actions
• Must make a Willpower (4) test to retreat or take cover
• All non-combat tests suffer a +4 modifier

When the fugue state ends, the character suffers mental fatigue: -2 to all Mental tests for 1 hour.

A character may only enter Combat Instinct once per day. Attempting to enter the state more frequently requires a Willpower (8) test, and failure results in 2D6 boxes of Stun damage as the character’s mind rebels against the forced trance.

I’ve seen a samurai use this in a fight. It was like watching a machine - no hesitation, no fear, just pure violence. Scary as hell, but effective.
Witness

Combat Instinct is based on old meditation techniques from Japanese martial arts. The idea is to let your body fight without your mind getting in the way. It works, but it’s dangerous - you can lose yourself in it.
Sensei

Some military units train their soldiers in this technique as a last-ditch survival mechanism. The problem is that once you go into the fugue, you don’t really control who you’re attacking. Friend or foe, if they move wrong, you’ll hit them.
Vet

Improved Combat Sense (Spell)

Type: Mana, Ranged
Target: Voluntary
Duration: Sustained
Drain: [(Force ÷ 2) + 1]M

This spell is an enhanced version of the standard Combat Sense spell. Like Combat Sense, it provides the target with a supernatural awareness of danger and hostile intent. However, Improved Combat Sense goes further, actually allowing the target to sense attacks before they happen and react accordingly.

The target gains dice equal to the spell’s Force to add to their Combat Pool. These dice may be used normally, but they provide an additional benefit: any time the target uses dice from this pool for dodge or defense, they may reduce the attacker’s target number by 1 (in addition to the normal defensive benefits).

This spell does not stack with standard Combat Sense or any other spell that provides Combat Pool dice. If multiple such spells are active, only the one with the highest Force takes effect.

This spell is a lifesaver if you can find a mage willing to maintain it for you. The problem is that most mages don’t like sitting on the sidelines sustaining spells when they could be throwing fireballs.
Runner

I’ve heard of some merc units that pay their mages extra just to sustain this spell on the heavy hitters. It’s expensive, but when you’re going into a hot zone, it’s worth every nuyen.
Merc Commander

Multi-Opponent Combat

This is an optional rule for handling combat against multiple opponents more realistically.

When a character is engaged in melee combat with multiple opponents, they suffer penalties to their defense. For each opponent beyond the first, the character suffers a +1 modifier to all defense tests. This penalty applies regardless of whether all opponents attack in the same Combat Turn.

Example: Sarah is fighting three gangers. When the first ganger attacks, she defends normally. When the second ganger attacks, she suffers a +1 modifier to her defense test. When the third ganger attacks, she suffers a +2 modifier.

A character may reduce or eliminate these penalties through the use of Combat Pool dice or by taking defensive actions (Full Defense, Dodge, etc.). However, the penalties still apply to the base target number.

Optional: Characters with the Martial Arts skill may reduce the penalty by 1 for every 3 full ranks they have in a martial art that emphasizes multiple opponent combat (such as Jeet Kune Do or Krav Maga). This reduction applies before Combat Pool allocation.

This rule makes gang fights a lot more dangerous. If you’re outnumbered, you’d better have a way to even the odds or you’re going down hard.
Street Fighter

Smart runners know to control the engagement. Use terrain to funnel enemies so you’re only fighting one or two at a time. Standing in the open surrounded by hostiles is a good way to get geeked.
Tactical Advisor

Pressure Point Strikes

This optional rule allows characters with appropriate training to target pressure points on an opponent’s body for devastating effect.

A character with the Martial Arts skill (at least 3 ranks in a style that teaches pressure point strikes, such as Kung Fu or Aikido) may attempt a pressure point strike as a Called Shot. The attacker declares they are attempting a pressure point strike and chooses one of the following effects:

Nerve Strike: Target must make a Body (6) test or be stunned for (attacker’s net successes) Combat Turns.

Joint Lock: Target must make a Body (4) test or suffer a -2 penalty to all actions using that limb for (net successes) minutes.

Knockout Strike: Target must make a Body (8) test or fall unconscious for (net successes) minutes.

Pressure point strikes require a Called Shot (+4 modifier) and the target’s armor provides full protection. However, if the strike lands successfully, the target must immediately make the appropriate resistance test.

Each pressure point strike may only be attempted once per target per combat, as the target’s body adapts to the specific pressure points being targeted.

I studied with a guy who could knock you out with one finger. He said it was all about hitting the right spot at the right angle. Scary stuff, but it takes years of training to master.
Student

Pressure point strikes are great if you can land them, but good luck hitting a specific pressure point on a target wearing armor and moving at combat speed. Still, when they work, they’re devastating.
Skeptic

Some people swear by pressure point fighting, others say it’s all Hollywood bullshit. The truth is somewhere in between. It works, but it’s not a magic win button.
Realist