Arm Lock

An arm lock is an attempt to
restrain or cripple an opponent by
twisting his arm. It uses Judo or
Wrestling skill. To perform an arm
lock, you must have two hands free
and make a successful barehanded
parry with Judo or Wrestling against
your opponent’s melee attack.
On your first turn following the
parry, you may attempt to capture
your attacker’s arm if he is still within
one yard. This is an attack: step into
close combat and roll against Judo or
Wrestling to hit. Your foe may use any
active defense – he can parry your
hand with a weapon! If his defense
fails, you trap his arm in a lock.
Your foe may attempt to break free
(see Actions After Being Grappled,
p. 371) on his next turn, but you are at
+4 in the Quick Contest. If he loses, he
has a cumulative -1 on future attempts
to break free.
On your next turn – and on each
turn thereafter, until your foe breaks
free – you may try to damage the
trapped arm. Roll a Quick Contest: the
highest of your Judo, Wrestling, or ST
vs. the higher of your victim’s ST or
HT. If you win, you inflict crushing
damage equal to your margin of victo-
ry. The target’s natural DR (unless it
has the Tough Skin limitation) and the
DR of his rigid armor protect normal-
ly. Flexible armor has no effect!
If you cripple your victim’s arm, he
drops anything in that hand. You can
inflict no further damage on a crip-
pled limb, but you can continue to roll
the Contest each turn. If you win, your
target suffers shock and stunning just
as if you had inflicted damage.
The rolls to inflict damage are
completely passive and do not count
as attacks! You can simultaneously
make close combat attacks on your
opponent, who defends at -4 in addi-
tion to any other penalties due to the
damage caused by the lock itself.
You can also use this ability offen-
sively. Instead of waiting to parry an
attack, grapple your foe normally with
Judo or Wrestling skill. If he fails to
break free on his next turn, you may
attempt an arm lock on your next
turn, just as if you had parried his
attack.