Nerve Strike

Cost: 10
Ability Type: Passive Ability
Related Skill: Melee Combat
Prerequisites: First Aid 5 and Power Strike

By studying anatomy in detail and practising precisely aimed strikes at the weakest points of the body you have learnt to cause additional damage and a partial paralysis effect with your unarmed attacks. When performing a damage-causing unarmed attack (including Holds but not Throws) aimed at any location except Eyes or Skull you may take an additional -2 AM in order to inflict a Nerve Strike.

A successful Nerve Strike has +2 WE and applies a -1 Dex penalty to your opponent. Dex penalties suffered thanks to a Nerve Strike fade at one point every three turns, but if a character's Dex is ever reduced to zero by attacks of this kind they are paralysed for a number of minutes equal to their Dex. After such a period of paralysis ends the victim recovers one point of Dex, and the rest is recovered at one point per three rounds, as normal. You may only apply Nerve Strikes against opponents who are of a species you are medically familiar with (I.e. Species that you have studied to some extent). Locations that are covered by Rigid Armour are immune to Nerve Strikes.