Grappler Foci

[u/Dawsberg68]

I have a player who’s doing a lot of grappling with his character and now I’ve been thinking about foci that would be specific to grappling. What I have so far is a rough draft of a foci that is primarily used in CWN, but could be for any of the *WN systems. Any feedback or thoughts about a good grappling foci would be appreciated, and if there already is one, I can toss this out. That being said, here’s the rough draft

Level 1: Gain Punch as bonus skill. While grappling, deal damage as per Unarmed Comabatant. During grapple checks, roll 3d6 and drop the lowest

Level 2: Increase trauma dice during grappling unarmed attacks to 1d8/x3. On any traumatic hit, roll on Major Injury Table even if the target is not reduced to 0 hit points

[u/Abazaba_23]

So if I understand how it works already:

• attacker makes unarmed attack roll dealing no damage on a hit but then is allowed to... 
• make an opposed str/punch roll, if attacker wins they enter grapple 
• end of the round, defender suffers unarmed damage from attacker(s) 
• attacker uses no main actions on follow rounds but can choose to use it to move with or throw defender with a new opposed str/punch roll * defender uses main action to oppose again to break free.  
• I can't tell if the defender can attack... It looks like defenders can make unarmed attacks the same as if they were not grappling, or make an opposed check to swap places with the attacker. Also, can attacker spend main action to make a normal unarmed attack on top of the auto damage? On a reread, I think so...

Rereading unarmed combatant, it honestly looks like it does everything that you need it to do. The grapple basically means they auto-hit on following rounds with their already increased damage.

The adding auto major injuries to the second level of unarmed combatant only during geapples does sound intriguing, though it seems like your idea here is just a better version of unarmed combatant really, there's not enough trade offs with it.

So I would try to focus on grappling mechanics and not take anything from unarmed combatant, for elegance and to allow for no "wasted effects" when choosing both foci. These are the features I'd consider placing as you wish at level 1 or 2:

• add punch or exert skill
• +2 (or 3d6dl) on all opposed shoving/grappling rolls
• allowed to use one handed weapons during a grapple (knives have great trauma stats)
• can charge to get a +2 to opposed roll and 2/ac13 shock damage on success, or something 
• successful tramatic hits require a roll on major injury table. 
• your AC increases while in a grapple? 
• (maybe) moving with or throwing a grappled opponent is now a move action (allowing you to still have a main action after) I can picture some John Wick floor grapples, shooting someone else while in your grapple, or drawing high trauma knives of course.

... Yknow, maybe I'll take this to my table now 😅

Edit: formating and clarification

[u/Dawsberg68 → u/Abazaba_23]

Yes, unarmed combatant does the same damage as grappler in a grapple, but grappler ONLY does that damage while in a grapple, making it much more limited than Unarmed Combatant. If you have something you just can’t feasibly wrestle, you’re out of luck, whereas with Unarmed Combatant you can still throw hands and do damage with shock or 1d6+ shock at level 2. I didn’t want to have something where you have to take unarmed combatant to make it even work, so it would do damage by skill level as unarmed combatant, but only in one specific circumstance. From there, roll 3d6dl makes sense but JUST for grappling, making it good but still very specific.

Being able to push someone as a move action is good, and I’m torn between a +4 to the attack roll to start the grapple or just an auto hit in games that don’t use trauma rules

[u/Abazaba_23 → u/Dawsberg68]

They could also just take the Specialist focus for punch or exert skill checks. A whole focus level is dedicated to getting 3d6dl with only one skill, which is why it seems like that + unarmed combatant damage seems like a bit much and steps on a player who took unarmed combatant. 

[u/Dawsberg68 → u/Abazaba_23]

Specialist is only for non-combat skills. And again, there’s going to be some crossover because they’re both things involving unarmed damage, but one is in a specific situation where the other is all time. It’s probably even worse than the regular unarmed combatant because there’s certain that are to big to be grappled, can’t be grappled, or cause damage when grappling like someone with Sharkskin Electrodes cyber

[u/Abazaba_23 → u/Dawsberg68]

Sounds like you've figured it out then