Country of Origin: Avalon (Highland Marches)
Salon: Dunscaly (Average)
Founded: 1567

Description: The MacKenzie fighting style dates back over a century, the creation of a proud Highlander named Scott Mackenzie. Scott was just one in the latest wave of young Highlanders who had devoted himself to bare-knuckle fighting. And Scott lost. And he lost. And he lost some more. It burned him up so badly that he went to see his grandfather Connor, who according to local legend once knocked out an angry bull with one punch. Pressed for the secret of his success, the old man smiled and said, “Watch.” Scott settled in, expecting a demonstration, but Connor merely nodded sagely, smiled, and went to sleep. In a foul temper, Scott left his grandfather’s home and went to the local tavern where the other fighters passed the time. Scott was itching for a fight, but there were already two men doing battle in the sandy circle that dominated one corner of the common room. So Scott waited…and he watched…and he understood.

One fighter kept his feet moving, which provided a great defense…until he walked into a haymaker that left him reeling. The other fighter moved in to follow up, but was driven to his knees when the off-balance fighter drove a knee into his opponent’s side, putting him on the ground. Scott declined an offer to fight and watched two more combatants step into the circle, each keeping their distance and exchanging a few blows until one man shot in for an attack and was felled with an uppercut to the chin. Another fight ended when one opponent tripped the other, followed him to the ground, and clamped on a choke hold. Scott began competing in fewer fights and watching more, and over the next few months, he lost less…and eventually, he stopped losing altogether, and a comprehensive fighting style was born.

A Mackenzie fighter moves in quickly, standing head-to-head with his opponent. Attacks launched at the incoming fighter are blocked by his forearms, and when he is close enough, he aims for the stomach and the chin, setting up for a wraparound punch to the side. When he isn’t launching punches, the MacKenzie fighter looks for any opportunity to tie his opponent up in a grapple or knock him to the ground. The close quarter stance of a MacKenzie fighter does not lend itself to combination punches or lateral movement, so he focuses on force rather than speed, and on intercepting attacks (even weapon attacks) rather than dodging them.

On the downside, MacKenzie’s reliance on close combat leaves it vulnerable. An opponent familiar with this strategy can remain in motion, making it harder for a MacKenzie fighter to close and use his devastating Techniques.

Basic Curriculum: Pugilism, Wrestling
Knacks: Corps-á-Corps, Counterpunch (Pugilism), Exploit Weakness (MacKenzie), Hook, Uppercut

New Swordsman Knack: Counterpunch. A counterpunch is a Block followed up immediately with a counterattack. You first attempt an Active Defense against the incoming Attack, and then, if the Active Defense is successful, make an Attack of your own on the person who just attacked you. When performing a Counterpumch, you receive half the dice from your Block Knack (rounded down) for your Active Defense, and half the dice from your Attack Knack (rounded down) for your counterattack. For every Rank in Counterpunch, you may add one die to either the Active Defense attempt or the counterattack. These dice are added after you’ve halved the appropriate Knacks.

Apprentice: MacKenzie students are trained to intercept incoming attacks with their wrists rather than blocking with their hands. This allows them to use Block (Unarmed) as a Defense Knack against daggers, knives, and similar small weapons that require the Knife Skill.

As an unarmed fighting style, MacKenzie will never be sanctioned by the Swordsman’s Guild, and is unlikely to find acceptance with the Duelist’s Guild. Therefore, Apprentices receive a free Rank in one of their Swordsman Knacks in lieu of Guild Membership.

Journeyman: A Mackenzie Journeymen excels at the art of infighting: once he rocks an opponent with a punch, the Journeyman can tie him up to prevent a counterattack. After successfully hitting an opponent with an Uppercut, the Journeyman may spend a Current, Held, or Interrupt Action to immediately attempt a Grapple against that opponent. The TN to initiate the Grapple is reduced by the amount of damage inflicted with the Uppercut.

In addition. Journeymen have expanded on their Apprentice Technique and can now use Block (Unarmed) as a Defense Knack against sabres, rapiers, cutlasses, and similar weapons that require the Fencing Skill.

Master: Masters of MacKenzie learn to deliver a particularly nasty punch which leaves an opponent weakened and nauseous. By making a successful Called Shot to an opponent’s torso (requiring two Raises), the Master may target an opponent’s liver or kidney. This punch inflicts normal damage, but for the rest of the Round, the opponent rolls one less die (-1k0) on all Attack Rolls, Damage Rolls, and Active Defenses; if the attack inflicts a Dramatic Wound, the opponent rolls and keeps one less die (-1k1) instead. The duration may be extended by one full Round for every extra Raise taken on the Attack Roll (not including those Raises required for the Called Shot, or any Raises taken for extra damage).

Additionally, Mackenzie Masters have perfected their Apprentice Technique, and can now use Block (Unarmed) as a Defense Knack against longer and heavier weapons such as broadswords, battle axes, and similar weapons that require the Heavy Weapon Skill.