Unarmed Combat

Any character may choose to make an unarmed attack instead of attacking with his weapons. There are four basic types of unarmed combat: punching, wrestling, overbearing, and martial arts. Refer to Chapter Five for more information on resolving unarmed attacks.

A character can perform an unarmed attack on his base initiative if he doesn’t have to move to reach his target, or he can take a half-move action to close for combat. Attacking armed opponents (including monsters with natural attacks) is dangerous for an unarmed fighter; if the character attacks an armed creature that is threatening him, he suffers an immediate attack of opportunity from his intended victim. The armed defender gains a +4 bonus on his attack roll and his damage roll against an unarmed attacker.

Monsters with natural weaponry almost never make unarmed attacks. However, it is possible for intelligent creatures to “pull in their claws” and try to batter a character into unconsciousness. Monsters without natural attacks may resort to unarmed combat if they are disarmed or want to capture their enemy.

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