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Technically physical merits, Figthing Styles deserve enough extra attention that I think it's worthwhile to have a separate page for them. So here is where we'll put either the fighting styles themselves, or links to individual pages for fighting styles (if we get a lot of 'em).
Place your fighting styles here!
Epitomized by Royce Gracie in his UFC domination, Groundfighting includes Brazilian jiujitsu and other similar styles. Such techniques focus on grappling, ground combat, and submission moves. While far from a pretty style (indeed, a fairly well-considered tactic in this style is "sit on your opponents chest, pin his arms with your knees and punch him in the face until he stops moving) it more than makes up for it in sheer lethality and effectiveness.
Pre-requisites: Strength ••, Dexterity ••, Brawl ••, Willpower •••••. While not particularly hard to learn nor overly physically dependent, this style does require a full-blooded willingness to seriously and permanently injure, one which some people simply do not have. A certain degree of mental fortitude is required.
Ground Control ( • ) Most fights end up on the ground unless both fighters agree to let each other stay on their feet. Fighters who understand how to fight on the ground therefore gain an advantage very swiftly. The character suffers no penalties in close combat for being prone, nor do his opponents gain any bonus for attacking him while he is prone. This does not apply to any attack made with firearms, either by the character or an opponent.
Hold 'em Tight ( •• ) At the heart of the style are grapple based attacks. A good attacker clinches his opponent, renders them helpless, and then hurts them. The character gains an extra dice to all grapple and overpower attempts.
Blue in the Face ( ••• ) A properly administered choke can knock someone unconscious in seconds. The fighter gains two bonus dice on any attempt to apply a Damage Opponent overpowering maneuver. (See World of Darkness, page 157.)
Pin and Grin ( •••• ) The character learns how you can successfully render someone incapable of counter-attack while still remaining free to inflict pain upon them. This can take the form of martial-arts style holds, joint locks, or simply sitting on top of them. After successfully immobilizing an opponent (see World of Darkness, page 157-158) the character can keep the opponent immobilized while retaining their actions each turn. And yes, you do count as "outside the grapple" for further attacks. Drawbacks: The opponent must be prone before the immobilization is achieved for this Merit to be used. In addition, while using this Merit, the character's defense is lost: You simply can't dodge blows while sitting on someone's chest or holding them in an elbow lock. Obviously, your actions can't take you away from the opponent you're immobilizing. Tripping up a second opponent trying to help while holding his buddy in an ankle lock is fair enough, as would shooting a runner while sitting on his chest, but anything requiring you to stand is right out.
Damage ( ••••• ) At the heart of the form, Groundfighting is about seriously hurting your opponent in any way possible. This technique, (which involves eye gouging, nerve breaking, organ damage and other unsavory tactics,) puts this to its logical extreme, doing permanent damage to an enemy. A strike does lethal damage instead of bashing. Furthermore, it removes one dot (not point) of Health from the opponent. This dot may never be regained, although additional dots may be gained by raising Stamina (or, with more difficulty, Size) as normal. Drawbacks: This technique can only be used as part of a Damage Opponent overpowering maneuver, and furthermore the Blue in the Face bonus does not apply. (This sort of attack is a long way from the choke style attacks it represents.) It also requires the expenditure of one Willpower point. This expenditure adds no dice to your pool.
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