With the revision to hand-to-hand combat, there are several changes that can be done to the basic hand-to-hand combat skills as well. Most notably, instead of forcing each combat skill to provide a specific combat action at certains levels, such as a character with Hand-to-Hand: Basic always receiving Body Flip / Throw at level 8, these revised skills allow the character to choose which actions they would like to learn, as long as they meet the requirements for that action. To reflect this change, the skills have been reworked to provide the same bonuses at level 15, but the progression is different.
The advanced forms of Hand-to-Hand combat, such as the advanced martial arts from Ninjas and Superspies or Hand-to-Hand: Assassin or Commando were designed with a specific purpose in mind, unlike the more generic combat skills, I have not revised them. Please see Hand-to-Hand Combat Actions for more details on individual combat actions.
Characters with no combat skills whatsoever have all of the following bonuses and abilities, however limited they may be. Characters with this type of combat skill have very little experience in combat and have a much more limited selection of combat actions then other characters. They do not gain the actions listed above and instead get the actions listed below and have no possibility of gaining new combat actions. This type of hand-to-hand combat is the ONLY one that does not provide an automatic parry. Each time the character wishes to parry an incoming attack, they must use one of their attacks per melee.
| Level: | Bonuses: |
| 1 | +2 non-combat melee actions |
| 3 | +1 attack per melee |
| 6 | +1 to dodge
+2 non-combat melee actions |
| 9 | +1 attack per melee |
| 12 | +2 non-combat melee actions |
| 15 | +1 attack per melee |
This is an elementary form of hand to hand combat training available. Although it hardly stands up against the more advanced forms of combat, someone who has been trained in Hand to Hand: Basic still fights with some degree of skill, especially when compared to people with no combat skills. With this type of combat skill, a character can use all basic combat actions.
| Level: | Bonuses: |
| 1 | Bonus combat action
+1 attack per melee |
| 2 | +1 to parry
+1 to dodge |
| 3 | Bonus combat action
+1 to pull punch |
| 4 | +1 attack per melee
+1 to roll with impact |
| 5 | +1 to strike
+1 to damage |
| 6 | Bonus combat action
+1 to pull punch |
| 7 | +1 attack per melee
+1 to roll with impact |
| 8 | +1 to parry
+1 to dodge +1 to damage |
| 9 | Bonus combat action
+1 to pull punch |
| 10 | +1 attack per melee
+1 to roll with impact |
| 11 | +1 to strike
+1 to damage |
| 12 | Bonus combat action
+1 to pull punch |
| 13 | +1 attack per melee
+1 to roll with impact |
| 14 | +1 to parry
+1 to dodge |
| 15 | Bonus combat action
+1 to damage |
This fighting style is often used by soldiers, bodyguards, thieves, and anybody else who will be expected to live by violence. While it lacks the mastery of the martial arts, an expert fighter knows how to scrap quickly and efficiently. At high levels, those with this skill can often hold their own against some martial artists. With this type of combat skill, a character can use all basic combat actions.
| Level: | Bonuses: |
| 1 | Bonus combat action
+1 attack per melee |
| 2 | Bonus combat action
+1 to parry +1 to dodge |
| 3 | Bonus combat action
+1 to strike +1 to disarm |
| 4 | Bonus combat action
+1 attack per melee |
| 5 | Bonus combat action
+1 to parry +1 to dodge |
| 6 | Bonus combat action
+1 to damage |
| 7 | Bonus combat action
+1 attack per melee +1 to roll with impact |
| 8 | Bonus combat action
+1 to parry +1 to dodge |
| 9 | Bonus combat action
+1 to disarm +1 to pull punch |
| 10 | Bonus combat action
+1 attack per melee +1 to damage |
| 11 | Bonus combat action
+1 to parry +1 to dodge |
| 12 | Bonus combat action
+1 to strike +1 to pull punch |
| 13 | Bonus combat action
+1 attack per melee +1 to disarm |
| 14 | Bonus combat action
+1 to parry +1 to dodge |
| 15 | Bonus combat action
+1 to roll with impact +1 to damage |
Considered to be a generic form of martial arts, this combat skill is popular on Earth and takes techniques from many sources. On Rifts Earth, where real the martial arts are extremely rare outside of Japan and China, this generic form has survived through the centuries following the coming of the rifts. With this type of combat skill, a character can use all basic combat actions.
| Level: | Bonuses: |
| 1 | Bonus combat action
+1 attack per melee +1 to roll with impact +1 to disarm |
| 2 | Bonus combat action
Advanced Attack (Snap Kick) +1 to parry +1 to dodge |
| 3 | Bonus combat action
Advanced Attack (Fore-Knuckle Fist) +1 to strike +1 to damage |
| 4 | Bonus combat action
Advanced Attack (Crescent Kick) +1 attack per melee +1 to disarm |
| 5 | Bonus combat action
Advanced Attack (Backhand Strike) +1 to parry +1 to dodge |
| 6 | Bonus combat action
Advanced Attack (Claw Hand) Advanced Attack (Tripping Leg Hook) |
| 7 | Advanced Attack (Double-Fist Strike)
+1 attack per melee +1 to roll with impact +1 to damage |
| 8 | Bonus combat action
+1 to parry +1 to dodge +1 to disarm |
| 9 | Bonus combat action
Advanced Attack (Palm Strike) Advanced Attack (Wheel Kick) |
| 10 | Bonus combat action
+1 attack per melee +1 to pull punch +1 to damage |
| 11 | Bonus combat action
Advanced Attack (Backward Sweep) +1 to parry +1 to dodge |
| 12 | Bonus combat action
Advanced Attack (Jump Kick) +1 to strike +1 to pull punch |
| 13 | Bonus combat action
Advanced Attack (Roundhouse Kick) +1 attack per melee +1 to damage |
| 14 | Bonus combat action
Advanced Attack (Double-Knuckle Fist) +1 to parry +1 to dodge |
| 15 | Bonus combat action
+1 to roll with impact +1 to disarm |