Brawling skill

The Brawling skill encompasses the use of a character's body and improvised or brawling-specific weapons to cause damage in combat. This can mean anything from kicking or punching, bashing someone over the head with a rock, using elbow or knee spikes, etc.

Brawling is commonly trained as an auxiliary weapon skill, with many players throwing the occasional KICK or PUNCH into their weapon training routines. While of dubious effectiveness at low skill levels, brawling attacks have the potential to become an extremely valuable set of combat options. Some characters forego weapon training entirely and focus on brawling as a primary method of fighting.

Brawling Maneuvers

The non-violent maneuvers BOB, WEAVE, and CIRCLE train Tactics skill instead of Brawling.

Standard

Mostly executed at melee, most brawling commands are done outside of grapple mode. Brawling maneuvers usually have less of defensive penalty than normal weapon attacks. Brawling attacks differ in terms of their speed, fatigue use, accuracy, and major damage category. They are as follows:

• PUNCH: A straightforward attack using your fist.
• CLAW: Rake the enemy with your fingertips (or claws, if you've got them).
• GOUGE: Jab at the enemy with the fingertips.
• SLAP: An open-handed attack with the palm. Dreadfully embarrassing.
• ELBOW: Strike the enemy with your elbow, does not require a free hand.
• KICK: Attack by kicking your foot at the enemy. Can be done with both hands full.
• GRAPPLE: A tactical maneuver, attempts to enter grapple mode, see below.

Grappling

Some maneuvers can only be executed while grappling (but kick can not). It is interesting to note that while grappling, some weapons are usable while others are not. A skilled grappler can deny the enemy use of his weapon while still freely using his own. Below is a list of moves that either change dramatically or are only usable while grappling.

• BITE: Bite at the enemy with your teeth.
• BUTT: Headbutt the enemy. Always good for a laugh.
• KNEE: Bring your knee up to hit an opponent.
• RETREAT: You attempt to break the grapple by retreating. Relies on reflex and agility.

Tactics while grappling

• CIRCLE: Circling while grappling attempts to spin your enemy off balance bodily. This can actually knock an opponent off of their feet while maintaining the grapple, giving you a serious advantage.
• SHOVE: This attempts to break the grapple by pushing the enemy away. Relies on strength and stamina.

Weapons Usable While Grappling

• Light Edged
• Light Blunt
• Short and Quarter Staves

Brawling Equipment

Brawling With Improvised Weapons

Many foragable items, such as tree branches and rocks, may be used for brawling. While not particularly powerful, these items can be useful in particular situations, such as when playing with fire.

Playing With Fire

If you manage to douse an enemy with naphtha, you can strike them with a burning object and set them on fire! Being engulfed in flames will cause your opponent to suffer vitality damage and numerous wounds over time. If they attempt to extinguish the flames, they will be at your mercy, as the most effective way to put out the fire is for them to LIE on the ground and ROLL. Good items for this are logs and branches, as they tend to hit more effectively than other burnable items.

Armor

Armor adds a minor amount to your damage, based on the armor type and nothing else. The heavier the type of armor, the more damage you will do, with plate armor doing the most, and leather doing less. In order to do this extra damage, you must have armor on the body part you are attacking with: hands for punch, arms for elbow, legs for knee and head for butt.

Brawling Items

A small number of special brawling items are available for purchase around Elanthia and some can be forged. Parry sticks, footwraps, elbow spikes, and knuckles are all items which can significantly add to your offensive and defensive capabilities while brawling. Similar to armor, these items cover a specific area and converts type of damage done with that body part. Brawling items override any damage boost you'd get from your armor type. You can tell what item, armor or brawl gear, is causing the damage from the combat messaging system. It is recommended to use brawling items with the lighter armors. The heavier armors will have a reduction in damage if brawling items are used, unless you are attacking a critter or a player spell which may be resistant to one type of damage, brawling items lets you better choose what type of damage is inflicted.

Special Attacks

Certain races receive special attacks based on their anatomy. Some guilds also receive bonuses or special maneuvers.

• Prydaen - Prydaen claws are much stronger than normal and do quite a bit of slice damage. They receive a damage bonus to the claw and gouge commands.
• Rakash - Rakash in moonskin can bite without grappling and do a hefty amount of extra damage.
• S'Kra - S'Kra Mur have sharp fangs, and while they lack the Rakash ability to bite without grappling, they do additional damage while grappling.
• Barbarian - Barbarians can choke enemies while grappling them. Note that you have to specify the enemy in the command, so type choke goblin, rather than just choke. The first choke begins strangling the enemy, which will slowly drain its vitality. By choking it a second time, a Barbarian can attempt to inflict an instant death by snapping his foe's neck.
• Paladin - A Paladin's hands can be blessed against the undead with the Holy Warrior spell
• Warrior Mage - The Mantle of Flame spell causes additional fire damage while brawling, which is reflected in the attack messaging. A grappled opponent will be burned.

Mechanics and Strategy

Stats and Brawling Damage:

Different stats will increase the damage dealt by particular brawling maneuvers.

• Strength & Stamina: PUNCH, GOUGE, KICK, ELBOW, KNEE, BUTT
• Strength & Agility: SLAP
• Strength & Reflex: BITE
• Agility & Reflex: CLAW

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