Punching Specialization

If a character spends one Weapon Proficiency on Punching, thus taking specialization with Punching, he gains the following benefits:

He gains a +1 bonus to all his attack rolls when punching;

He gains a +1 bonus to all damage when punching;

He gains a +1 chart bonus with all punching attacks;

He gains one additional punching attack per combat round (both hands must be free, holding nothing, for the character to gain this benefit); and

If the character wishes, when he pulls his punch, he can also refuse to do the +2 damage that specialization gives him.

The chart bonus is a reflection of the character's superior accuracy with punching. As you already know, when the character successfully hits, the roll itself determines which maneuver was made; you use the chart on page 97 in the Player’s Handbook, and the attack roll also determines the maneuver used.

But on a successful hit, the punching specialist can modify that result. If he has a chart bonus of +1, he can choose the maneuver one higher or one lower on the chart.

Example: Sir Amstard punches a troll. (He's recklessly brave, after all.) He rolls a 12 to attack rolls, and this turns out to be a successful hit. On the "Punching and Wrestling Results" chart, we see that this is a Kidney Punch, doing 1 point of damage, with a 5% chance for knockout. But Amstard is a Punching Specialist with a chart bonus of +1. He can choose instead for the result to be an 11-Hook (doing 2 points of damage and with a 9% chance for knockout), or a 13-Hook (doing 2 points of damage and with a 10% chance for a knockout). He changes the maneuver from a Kidney Punch to a 13-Hook.

Only if a character specializes in punching and thus has a chart bonus can he affect his punch results in this manner.

A character using a Cestus does get to add the bonuses to attack rolls and damage from Punching Specialization to his Cestus damage. If he has specialized in Cestus too, he can decide from round to round which of his bonuses he will apply this round. Additionally, you may use the Cestus attack's attack roll to determine which Punching maneuver was used with the attack; you still use the damage for the Cestus instead of the maneuver, but now also have the possibility of a knockout. This can make combats with cesti a little more complicated, so the DM may disallow this rule if he chooses.

It is possible for a Warrior to continue to improve his Punching abilities: See "Continuing Specialization," below.

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