“To master the sword, learn to fall. To master the fist, learn to flow.”

— Sifu Yao the Blind

Combat Maneuvers

In kung fu cinema, combat is more than numbers—it is expression. The arc of a foot. The spiral of a scarf. The crunch of gravel beneath sandals. Every move tells the audience who you are.

Characters in Five Fists of the Burning Temple have a much wider range of attack and defense types than normal SWADE fighters. This page presents a robust menu of combat maneuvers, usable by any martial artist possessing Martial Arts [Style] at d4 or more.

Effective use of Combat Maneuvers, including chaining maneuvers together into devastating combinations, is discussed in Combat Tactics.

Favored Tags

Every character with Martial Arts can use any combat maneuver.

Each combat maneuver carries a tactical tag, indicating the general approach used during the maneuver:

Strike
Grapple
Movement
Counter
Special

Each martial style has a list of Favored Tags—maneuver types that stylists can perform without penalty.

To use a Strike, Grapple, or Movement maneuver, roll your Martial Arts skill and apply any bonuses or penalties shown for the maneuver.

To use a Counter maneuver, choose the maneuver you want to use after your opponent has made a successful attack. You can use a Counter even though you’ve already acted that turn.

Using an Unfavored Maneuver

If your style favors the maneuver's tag, use it normally.

If your style does not favor any of the maneuver's tags, suffer a –2 penalty to any associated roll.

If the maneuver clearly contradicts your style, the GM may increase the penalty to –4.

Optional Rule: Spend a Benny to ignore the penalty on one maneuver, representing desperate adaptation or a stolen technique.

Strike Maneuvers

Straight Punch

A classic forward punch aimed at vulnerable openings.

Effect: Standard unarmed attack.

Bonus: +1 to hit if the target is Shaken or Bound.

Raise: Bonus damage as normal.

Spinning Back Kick

A turning heel kick that uses your own momentum to deliver a punishing blow.

Effect: –2 to hit, but adds +1d4 damage.

Special: If you moved at least 3”, take a –1 penalty instead of –2.

Raise: Bonus damage as normal.

Palm Strike

A flat-hand strike to disrupt flow without breaking bones.

Effect: Inflicts nonlethal damage.

Raise: Push the target 1d4” and apply Distracted.

Flying Strike

A leaping or diving attack launched from above or mid-motion.

Requirement: Must jump or fall at least 2” this turn.

Effect: +2 damage.

Failure: If the attack misses, roll Agility or fall Prone.

Wall Run Attack

Sprint along a vertical surface for a spectacular offensive arc.

Effect: Move along a wall or similar surface up to half your Pace.

Bonus: +1 to your next unarmed attack this turn.

Vaulting Kick

Spring from a surface to deliver a flying strike.

Roll: Athletics TN 4

Success: +2 to hit and +2 damage on your next unarmed attack.

Failure: No bonus; attack normally.

Distracting Flurry

An overwhelming series of blows designed to obscure intent.

Effect: Make two unarmed attacks at –2.

If either hits, the target is Distracted until their next action.

Sweep Kick

A low, circular sweep targeting multiple legs.

Effect: Wild Attack at –1 to hit all adjacent foes.

Raise: Each hit target is knocked Prone.

Elbow/Knee Smash

Close-range punishment from inside clinch or guard.

Effect: +1 to hit targets who are Grappled or behind Cover.

Drawback: You suffer –1 Parry until your next turn.

Push Back

Overpower your foe and drive them back.

Roll: Strength vs Strength

Effect: Push the target 1d4”. If they fail an Agility roll, the target becomes Prone.

Raise: Also deal Str+d4 damage.

Grapple Maneuvers

Shoulder Toss

Redirect momentum to flip an opponent.

Effect: Throw the target 1d4” and knock them Prone.

Raise: Also deal Str+2 damage.

Sacrifice Throw

Commit your whole body to the throw—even at cost.

Roll: Agility vs Athletics

Success: Both you and the target fall Prone.

Raise: You remain standing and deal Str+d4 damage.

Vault Throw

Leverage a wall, post, or platform to launch your foe.

Effect: If using terrain, gain +2 to the Grapple check.

Both combatants fall Prone.

Clinch

A tight-body lock to control the fight.

Roll: Martial Arts or Athletics vs the same

Success: Target becomes Entangled.

Raise: Target becomes Bound.

Bonus: +1 to maintain the grapple on future turns.

Drawback: You may not move while maintaining the Clinch.

Weapon Trap

Use flexible material to control the fight.

Requirement: Must be wielding cloth, sleeves, chains, rope, or similar.

Effect: +1 to rolls to Disarm or Entangle.

Reversal

Turn defeat into advantage.

Trigger: After losing a Grapple on a Raise.

Effect: Spend a Benny to reverse control and immediately counterattack.

Note: Reversal is a unique reactive maneuver used only in Grapples. It functions like a Counter but is not triggered by standard attacks. It costs a Benny and reverses control when you lose a Grapple on a Raise. Styles like Mantis and Drunken favor it.

Movement Maneuvers

Acrobat Vault

Leap over enemies, props, or terrain.

Roll: Athletics

Success: Move an additional +2”, ignoring difficult terrain.

Raise: Land behind a foe within Reach and gain +1 to your next attack.

Failure: Lose your next Free Action.

Chimney Climb

Use walls or tight spaces to ascend rapidly.

Requirement: Two vertical surfaces within 3” (for example, alley walls).

Roll: Athletics (–2 if slick, loose, or narrow)

Success: Climb up to your full Pace vertically.

Raise: Gain +2 Avoid against melee attacks from below.

Failure: Fall to base and become Distracted.

Circle Step

Slide laterally after striking to reposition.

Effect: After making an unarmed attack, move 1” in any direction without provoking a Free Attack.

Counter Maneuvers

Deflect & Counter

Redirect and retaliate in one motion.

Roll: Martial Arts vs attacker’s Fighting or Martial Arts

Success: Nullify the incoming hit; your next attack gets +1 to hit.

Raise: The attacker becomes Distracted.

Low Parry

A grounded defense used while off balance.

Effect: Once per round, use Agility instead of Parry to defend while Prone or on uneven terrain.

Catch the Blade

Catch a strike meant to kill, and absorb the pain.

Effect: Nullify a weapon hit. Instead, suffer 1 Wound or 1 Fatigue, your choice.

Note: Cannot be used to defend others.

Special Maneuvers

Qi Disrupt

Strike a foe’s meridian, disrupting their internal flow.

Roll: Spirit vs Spirit as a Test

Success: Target becomes Distracted and loses use of Signature Techniques until the end of their next turn.

Raise: Target also becomes Vulnerable.

Limit: Use only once per target per encounter. No effect on enemies without Signature Techniques.

Combat Maneuver Summary

Maneuver	Tactical Tag	Effect
Straight Punch	Strike	Standard attack; +1 to hit if target is Shaken or Bound
Spinning Back Kick	Strike	–2 to hit, +1d4 damage; –1 penalty if moved at least 3"
Palm Strike	Strike	Nonlethal; on Raise, push 1d4" and Distract
Flying Strike	Strike	Must jump or fall 2"+; +2 damage; Agility roll or fall Prone on miss
Wall Run Attack	Strike	Move along wall; +1 to next attack
Vaulting Kick	Strike	Athletics TN 4; next attack gains +2 to hit and damage
Distracting Flurry	Strike	Two attacks at –2; if either hits, target becomes Distracted
Sweep Kick	Strike	Wild Attack at –1 to hit all adjacent foes; Raise knocks Prone
Elbow/Knee Smash	Strike	+1 to hit Grappled or Covered foes; –1 Parry until next turn
Push Back	Strike	Strength vs Strength; push target 1d4", Agility or fall Prone; Raise = Str+d4 damage
Shoulder Toss	Grapple	Throw foe 1d4" and Prone; on Raise deal Str+2 damage
Sacrifice Throw	Grapple	Agility vs Athletics; both Prone; Raise lets you stay standing and deal Str+d4 damage
Vault Throw	Grapple	Use terrain; +2 to throw, both fall Prone
Clinch	Grapple	Success = Entangled, Raise = Bound
Weapon Trap	Grapple	Use cloth, sleeves, chain, or rope; +1 to Disarm or Entangle
Reversal	Grapple	Spend Benny after Grapple loss by Raise to reverse control and counterattack
Acrobat Vault	Movement	Athletics check; Success = +2" movement; Raise = behind foe and +1 next attack
Chimney Climb	Movement	Vertical climb between walls using Athletics
Circle Step	Movement	Move 1" after attack without provoking Free Attack
Deflect & Counter	Counter	Opposed roll; success nullifies hit, next attack +1; Raise Distracts foe
Low Parry	Counter	Use Agility instead of Parry while prone or on uneven terrain
Catch the Blade	Counter	Prevent a weapon hit, suffer 1 Wound or Fatigue instead
Qi Disrupt	Special	Success = Distracted and lose Signature Techniques; Raise = also Vulnerable

Creating Attack Combos

“A single strike is noise. A chain is rhythm.” — Sifu Lu Ying, Last Master of the Tidal Palm

In Five Fists of the Burning Temple, combat is more than action and reaction—it is a flowing dance of movement, pressure, and interruption. Whether you fight with stormlike aggression or liquid grace, chaining maneuvers into cohesive sequences is the key to turning duels into dazzling set pieces.

Action Economy: The Foundation of Chaining

You may attempt multiple maneuvers on your turn by using Multi-Actions. Each additional action imposes a –2 penalty to all Trait rolls that turn, unless mitigated.

You can:

Chain two or more maneuvers together
Include movement-based maneuvers as part of your turn
Use maneuvers that grant bonuses to offset multi-action penalties

You cannot:

Chain a maneuver with a Counter in the same round, unless using Reactive Edges
Combine two maneuvers that require your full Action, unless stated otherwise

Movement-Based Maneuvers Are Free

Some maneuvers, such as Acrobat Vault, Circle Step, or Wall Run Attack, affect your movement rather than consuming your Action. These can be used without triggering multi-action penalties unless combined with other movement rules such as running or jumping.

Use movement maneuvers to set up powerful attacks, confound opponents, or escape counters.

Raise-Triggered Combos

Many maneuvers trigger bonus effects on a Raise. Use these moments to leap into the next technique.

Examples:

Palm Strike on a Raise pushes and Distracts → follow up with Flying Strike
Clinch or Weapon Trap → then Shoulder Toss
Qi Disrupt on a Raise causes Distracted and Vulnerable → follow up with Spinning Back Kick

Raising the stakes is not just damage—it is the opening move of a devastating chain.

Style Synergy Makes Chains Reliable

When chaining maneuvers with Favored Tags from your style:

You ignore the usual –1 penalty
You are more likely to land combinations under multi-action pressure
Some Signature Techniques combine directly with base maneuvers

Optional Rule: Maneuver Momentum

If you successfully perform a maneuver that clearly sets up a second maneuver of a different tag, you may make the second at –1 instead of –2, as long as both maneuvers are Favored by your style. This rewards style mastery and tactical choreography.

Sample Chaining Sequences

Moth Style: Dance of Blossoms

Free Action: Acrobat Vault → Land behind foe, +1 to next attack
Action 1: Distracting Flurry (–2) → Distract the target
Action 2: Palm Strike (–2) → Push and double debuff
Follow-up: Circle Step (Free) to disengage

Tiger Style: Tiger’s Pounce

Push Back → Target is shoved and maybe Prone
Flying Strike (–2) → Leap in with +2 damage
Spinning Back Kick (–2) if you moved at least 3”
Palm Strike to end the chain nonlethally, if needed

Scorpion Style: Still Fang

Distracting Flurry → Cause Distracted
Qi Disrupt (–2) → Lock out Signature Techniques
Deflect & Counter on opponent’s response
Next round: Shoulder Toss or Reversal

Remember:

Movement sets up range
Disruption weakens your foe
Positioning changes outcomes
Chaining is both an art and a strategy

A real martial artist does not just win a fight—they write a poem with fists.

Tricks In Combat

“Mastery is knowing how to strike. Legend is knowing how to slip on a noodle and still win.”

— Big Nose Wu, Drunken Master

Tricks are narrative actions used to confuse, unbalance, distract, or humiliate an opponent using your surroundings, clever movement, or sheer nerve. While Savage Worlds uses Tests to mechanically disrupt enemies, kung fu cinema takes things a step further.

In Five Fists of the Burning Temple, a Trick is any action that:

Uses the environment to gain an advantage
Forces a foe into a compromised position
Embarrasses, surprises, or otherwise throws them off
Creates a “Whoa!” moment worth remembering

Mechanics Of Tricks

Tricks are a form of Test, but with greater emphasis on improvisation, cinematic timing, and environmental interaction.

How To Perform A Trick

Describe the intended trick in detail.

Choose a relevant Trait:

Agility for dodges and fake-outs
Smarts for feints and psychological traps
Athletics for acrobatics, flips, and climbing
Martial Arts [Style] for weapon feints or mock attacks
Taunt or Performance for mockery or flamboyance

Target an opposing Trait, usually Smarts or Agility.

Success: Target gains –2 to next action or suffers Distracted.

Raise: You choose a consequence: target is Vulnerable, Distracted, Off Balance, or Prone.

Adjudicating Difficulty

Circumstance	Modifier
Using obvious terrain feature	+0
Risky or flashy maneuver	–1
Improvised object (broom, noodle bowl, stool)	+1
Dangerous or unstable surface	–2
Combines movement + action	–1

A Trick that is too vague—“I do something clever”—always fails.

A Trick that makes everyone grin? That is kung fu.

Example Tricks

Trick	Trait	Effect
Kick a stool into opponent’s legs	Athletics	Target must roll Agility or fall Prone
Toss wine in the eyes	Agility	Target is Distracted; Raise may cause Blind for 1 round
Fake a stumble, then strike	Smarts	Target is Vulnerable; Raise allows free attack
Bounce off wall to change direction	Athletics	+1 to attack or maneuver due to surprise
Use a wok lid as a shield	Martial Arts	Gain +1 Parry vs ranged attacks next round
Knock down tapestry onto foes	Athletics	Area becomes Difficult Ground; foes make Agility rolls
Slam head on table to intimidate	Spirit	Target Shaken if fails opposed Spirit
Spin a polearm to whip up dust	Performance	Targets in cone Distracted if they fail Smarts roll

Trick Combos

Characters can chain Tricks into combinations with maneuvers or movement:

“I vault off the teahouse balcony, flip in the air, then come down with a Leaping Strike.”

This requires multiple Trait rolls, often with cumulative penalties.

GMs should require a Benny to fuel a big cinematic moment.

On failure, a hard fall, embarrassing fumble, or narrative reversal should occur.

The Law of Flow (or: Stagnation Is Defeat)

In the fiction of the genre, every great fighter moves like water—shifting, adapting, never striking the same way twice. To repeat oneself is to become predictable, and to become predictable is to invite defeat.

When a character uses the same named Technique, maneuver, combo, or attack pattern on consecutive turns:

The second use suffers a –1 penalty
The third consecutive use suffers a –2 penalty
Further repetition remains at –2 (or worsens, if you want it harsher)

This penalty resets immediately when the character:

Uses a different Technique
Changes approach (Test, movement stunt, Support, different weapon, etc.)
Narratively shifts the flow of combat

Using The Environment

In Five Fists of the Burning Temple, combat is not confined to open plains and sterile arenas. True martial duels erupt on rope bridges, in collapsing pagodas, amid rolling wagons, or atop banquet tables. The environment should challenge fighters, offer creative options, and serve as an extension of each character’s fighting style.

Environmental elements are more than window dressing: they are interactive, destructible, and exploitable.

Basic Environmental Rules

Interactive Elements

Any object or terrain feature can become part of the action.

Element Type	Use in Combat	Suggested Mechanic
Barriers	Leap over, dive behind, run along	Athletics roll (TN 4–6)
Objects	Grab, throw, swing on, or break	Fighting or Athletics (opposed if contested)
Hazards	Kick or throw enemies into them	Test (Strength, Agility, or Martial Arts)
Furniture	Jump on, flip, smash, or shield with	Tricks, cover, or improvised weapons

Destructible Objects

Type	Examples	Typical Toughness
Light Objects	Screens, paper lanterns	4
Sturdy Objects	Tables, rails, barrels	6
Heavy Objects	Support beams, wagons	8+

Improvised Weapons

When using scenery, tableware, farm implements, or the like as a weapon, treat it as Str+d4, –1 to hit unless a Trick or Test is involved. Most improvised weapons break on a Raise and are no longer usable as weapons. Certain styles, such as Monkey and Drunken, ignore the improvised weapon penalty or gain a bonus.

Environmental Elements Table

d20	Urban or Indoor Object or Feature	Suggested Use	Natural Object or Feature	Suggested Use
1	Hanging lanterns	Swing, kick down for fire hazard	Waterfall spray	Visibility penalty, slick footing; use to disappear
2	Sloped rooftop	Risk slipping, leap for height	Slippery rock outcrop	Agility roll to balance; high ground advantage
3	Clay urns	Smash, hide, or throw	Wind-blown leaves	Distract, obscure, or conceal movement
4	Paper screen	Crash through, obscure line of sight	Fallen tree trunk	Sprint along, take cover behind, sweep enemy
5	Bamboo scaffold	Climb, collapse, high ground	Hanging vines	Swing across ravine, entangle foe
6	Large gong	Use as shield, ring to distract	Moss-covered stones	Risk of slipping; use in Tricks
7	Barrels of wine	Spill for slippery floor, ignite	Cliff edge	Knock-back risk, increase tension
8	Rickety bridge	Break beneath weight, narrow footing	Bamboo grove	Hide, deflect arrows, Acrobatics-based Tricks
9	Laundry lines	Entangle, swing across alley	Cave mouth	Retreat or luring hazard, echoing kiai
10	Scroll rack	Knock over for cover or hazard	Birds’ nests in branches	Disrupt with loud flutter, gain cover above
11	Pagoda balcony	Leap between levels, push enemies off	Stepping-stone river	Agility roll to cross; kick stones to create hazards
12	Sacred statue	Gain Honor by fighting around it respectfully	Tree roots	Trip hazard, entangle, or springboard jump
13	Tea table	Leap across, break over enemy	Fog or mist patch	Stealth bonus, brief concealment, Qi focus
14	Loose tiles	Trip hazard, throw as weapons	Sacred tree or shrine	Honor bonus or penalty depending on respect shown
15	Water basin	Kick water for distraction, drown attempt	Jagged rocks or thorns	Force enemy into them with Test or Grapple
16	Hanging drapes	Concealment, choke attempt	Small animal burrow	Collapse ground, surprise hazard or movement boost
17	Market stall	Collapse onto foe, use pole as weapon	Wasp or bird swarm	Hit causes swarm burst, Distracted effect
18	Fish pond	Throw enemy in, terrain penalty	High stone pillar	Test of balance; high ground, but risky
19	Scroll-covered altar	Defend or desecrate—affects Honor	Blossom petal rain	Add style bonus to Tricks; conceal motion
20	Swinging signboard	Push, dodge, or springboard attack	Lightning-struck tree	Crumble, spark hazard, or spiritual omen

Boasting: The Verbal Martial Art

“You call that a punch? My grandmother could strike harder—and she’s dead!”

— Shao Liang, adept of the Iron Body style

No kung fu story is complete without a verbal duel to match the physical. Bragging, taunting, and psychological games are part of the warrior’s art. Some masters claim a battle is won with words before a single blow is struck.

The new Boast skill is used to intimidate, demoralize, insult, and shame your opponents in a duel of words. Use Boast as a Test action against your target’s Smarts or Spirit.

On a success, your opponent is Distracted.

On a Raise, they are Distracted and Vulnerable.

Boasting can only be attempted once per round per opponent and works best before or during a duel, never after.

Sample Boasts

“My technique was forged under falling waterfalls—yours is no better than a street beggar’s.”
“You call that style Drunken Crane? More like Hungover Chicken.”
“Even your ancestors would beg to be spared from my fists.”

Optional Rule: Boast-Offs

Two foes may engage in a Boast-Off before a duel. Each rolls Boast vs Boast until one wins 2 out of 3 rounds. The winner gains +2 to all Trait rolls in the first round of the ensuing combat. A tie means mutual respect—or mutual contempt.

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