From: rorice@nickel.ucs.indiana.edu (rosalyn rice) More spring cleaning. This section substantially expands the GURPS close combat system. Specifically, it adds rules for wrestling and tackling foes. Part 4 - Close Combat UNARMED COMBAT Sometimes you will have to fight without weapons, or with improvised weapons. This is unarmed combat. Anyone can engage in unarmed combat, but there are certain skills -Judo, Wrestling, Boxing, Karate and Brawling - that will make you a more effective unarmed fighter. IMPROVISED WEAPONS IN UNARMED COMBAT - If you have no weapons, you can sometimes improvise them. If you can pick up a rock, roll of coins, etc. you can use it in your fist. A small heavy object will give you +1 to the damage you do when you throw a punch. A larger object (such a beer mug, pistol butt or sword pommel) will add +2. Anything larger must be treated as a weapon - usually a club. Boots or other heavy footgear will give +1 to kicks. Fantasy monstrosities like spiked boots do +2 damage to a kick. Armored gauntlets, cesti or brass knuckles will give +1 to punching damage, if they are spiked they will do +2 points of damage. PUNCHING - A punch is an attack. Your "skill" with a punch is your basic DX if you don't have a skill in Karate, Boxing or Brawling. Damage is based on your ST and does Thrust-2. KICKING - A kick is treated exactly like a punch, except your are at -2 to hit, and you do damage equal to Thrust . If you kick at a foe using your default skill and miss you must make a DX roll to avoid falling down. PARRYING BARE HANDED - If you are fighting bare-handed, you may parry a kick or punch with your hands, using 2/3 of your DX as your "parry" defense. Unarmed combat skills give you a better bare-handed parry, equal to your skill level. As usual, your skill level at parrying can't exceed 16. If you parry a weapon bare-handed, your defense is at -3 unless you are parrying a thrust or are using Judo, Brawling or Karate, in which case you parry normally. If you lose the contest of skills, the opponent has his choice of whether to do damage to the limb you used to block with or his original target. CLOSE COMBAT Using the Move, Attack and Defend, or All-Out Attack maneuvers, you may move into an enemy-occupied hex if you can reach it. When you move into an enemy's hex, you may attack in any of several ways. Attacking a foe in the same hex is close combat. You may also try to evade and slip past the enemy without contact. If you use the Move maneuver to enter an enemy occupied hex, you must either try to evade or to slam the opponent. When you enter an enemy-occupied hex, you occupy half the hex. You have the half of the hex from which you entered; you foe has the other half. To enter any of your front hexes on the enemy's side, you will have to evade him and "move through" him. WEAPONS FOR CLOSE COMBAT - Most weapons cannot be used in close combat. The exceptions are small weapons - knives and daggers, pistols, small magic items, brass knuckles and similar devices, and any thing else small and easily managed. Hatchets, shortswords and clubs can be used as long as you have an arm free. Unarmed attacks (except for fists and knee attacks) are at -2 for close combat. Small melee weapons, like knives are at -2. Larger melee weapons like swords attack at -4. Weapons with a 2 or more hex reach can't be used in close combat (exception: quarterstaves and short spears or pole-arms can be thrusted for 1/2 damage). Pistols fire at +4 for point blank range, -2 for close combat for a +2 net bonus. Long guns fire at +4 for point blank range, -6 for close combat for a -4 net penalty. Crossbows fire at +4 for point blank range, -6 for close combat for a -4 net penalty. Bows can't be used in close combat. If both combatants are standing all 1-hex reach weapons and ranged weapons attack normally. Two hex or longer reach weapons still attack at -4, with the exception of quarterstaves and the like. Brass knuckles, armored gauntlets and the like add +2 to the damage you do with your fists. BRASS KNUCKLES - A set of brass knuckles (one for each hand) costs $30 and weighs one pound. It takes 2 seconds to put each brass knuck on. Brass knuckles cannot be grabbed by the enemy or dropped accidently. You use another weapon at -2 while you wear brass knuckles, unless it has been specifically adapted to use with brass knuckles (like a trench knife). BLACKJACK - A blackjack, or "sap", can only be used in close combat or when you are adjacent to a helpless or unsuspecting foe. A blackjack does Thrust/Crush damage. GARROTE - A garrote, can only be used from the rear or side of a helpless or unsuspecting foe. A garrote does Thrust/Cutting damage. The DR of any neck protection protects against this damage. Any neck protection with a 2 DR or more protects completely. SWORDS IN CLOSE COMBAT - Swords can do limited damage in close combat. The blade does Swing-3 Cutting damage with the edge (a draw cut) and Thrust-3 Impaling damage with the tip or Thrust-2 Crushing damage to strike with pommel or basket hilt. KNIVES IN CLOSE COMBAT - Knives and daggers can be used normally, with the usual -2 to hit in close combat modifier. OTHER WEAPONS IN CLOSE COMBAT - It might be possible to use other weapons in close combat, if the GM allows it. In general, a 1 hex weapon can be used in melee if the character is standing, crawling on his hands and knees, or kneeling and the character has his weapon arm free and ungrappled. Most normal attacks are at an additional -2 penalty to hit (for a -4 total penalty), except for Wrap Shots which can be performed at the normal -2 penalty. In certain situations (like if you are straddling or stepping on a prone foe) a longer weapon can be used. MANEUVERS IN CLOSE COMBAT ATTACK AND DEFEND You step into the foe's hex and attack him. If you are already in his hex, you can step out and attack with a 1-hex weapon - or stay in the hex, make a close attack and step out - unless he has grappled you. If he is holding you, you may still choose to maneuver every turn, but you can't leave the hex until you break free - you're trapped. GRAPPLE - You grab the foe. To do so, you must win a quick contest of skills (Judo, Wrestling, Karate, Brawling or DX, whichever is better vs. your foe's skill in these areas or his Dodge score, whichever is best). You are at +3 in this contest. You must have at least on empty hand to grab with. Grappling does no damage, but prevents the foe from leaving until he breaks free, or you let go. You may grapple with both hands, or only with one. If you are holding your foe with both hands, the only further attack you make is to try for a Stranglehold, Take-Down, Joint Lock or Pin. If your foe is kneeling, lying down, etc. You are at +6 to the contest of skills. But you must kneel or lie down yourself to grab him. You may do this as part of your grapple attack - you just dive on top of him. You may attempt to grab a specific hit location at the usual penalty (though you may not grab "special locations" like the eyes, nose or vitals). If you grab a foe by one hand and he doesn't break free on the next turn, you may automatically grab the same location or a different location with your other hand on the next turn. GRAPPLING HEAVIER OR STRONGER OPPONENTS - If you grapple with a foe of more than twice your ST or triple your mass, you do NOT prevent him from leaving. At most, you're a nuisance. If you grapple a foe of equal or greater ST, roll a contest of ST each turn, to see if the foe can move with you attached to him. If the foe can move, your weight counts as Encumbrance to his move score, irregardless of his ST. GRAB THE FOE'S WEAPON - You must have an empty hand and win a quick contest of skills, as above. On later turns, you may try to wrest it from the foe; each attempt takes one second and requires you to win a contest of ST, Karate, Judo or Brawling skills. If you lose the contest, you lose your grip on his weapon. If you win the contest, you now have your foe's weapon, but it will take a turn to ready it. GRABBING POLE-ARMS - If you are in melee and are not engaged with any foe you can grab an opponent's pole-arm if he attacks into or through your hex. This isn't a really a close combat attack, though, see Melees. In close combat, a pole arm or other large weapon can be grabbed at +2 to the attacker's DX. However, unless the attacker is grabbing with both hands, he is at -4 to effective ST in the contest of skills to wrest the weapon from his opponent. GRABBING BLADED WEAPONS - If it is a bladed weapon, you take damage to your hand, unless your hand is suitably protected. This is per contest, not per second and is usually 1d6-4 points for a normal bladed weapon. Thick leather or mail gloves will usually protect against this damage. If you attack bare-handed sharp weapons will always do at least 1 point of damage to your hand. If you are so stupid as to grab a futuristic force-sword, mono-wire or vibro- weapon you take normal damage from the weapon each second you hold it. This won't be long, unless you have an abundance of fingers. GRAB THE FOE'S WEAPON ARM - As above, but for a weapon you cannot grab safely (like a dagger). If you win the contest of skills, you grab the weapon arm or hand. You cannot take the weapon away, but you can force the foe to drop it by winning a contest of skills as above; you could then try to pick up the weapon yourself. This attack also counts as a grapple if you succeed. TURNING A WEAPON AGAINST ITS OWNER - If you win a contest of ST, you can turn a very short weapon like a knife or pistol back on the opponent and use it to attack him. Roll for the attack at your weapon skill - 1/2 ST of foe and the penalty for attacking in close combat. Failure means that the foe thwarted your attack, critical failure means you attacked yourself for normal damage. Only sharp weapons and pistols can be used in this way. GRAB SHIELD - This is treated as an attempt to Grab a Weapon, but the penalty is PD of the shield-4. ATTACK WITH A LEGAL WEAPON - If you have a legal close combat weapon in hand, you can attack with it at a penalty to hit. ATTACK BARE-HANDED - This may be an ordinary punch, a "dirty" attack, like kneeing, biting or scratching, or a trained attack using Karate, Boxing or Brawling skill. ATTEMPT A TAKE-DOWN - You may only do this if your foe is standing and you have a hand free. It may be attempted simultaneously with or after a grapple. Roll a contest of Judo, Brawling or Wrestling skills or your ST or DX (whichever is better) vs. your opponent's best skill from this list. Use the following modifiers: -5 prone or supine. -2 kneeling or sitting. -3 attacking one-handed, unless you are trying to trip your opponent. If you win, your opponent falls in the same hex and any adjacent hex (your choice - remember, a prone man occupies two hexes). If he was holding you, he loses his grip. If you lose, you suffer the same effects. If nobody wins nothing happens. ATTEMPT A PIN - You may only do this if your foe is already on the ground. Roll a contest of ST or Judo, Wrestling or Brawling skill, using the following modifiers: +2 for the person with the higher ST if using skill +1 for the person with the higher DX +2 for the person with the higher skill if using ST. +1 for each 10 lb. of weight and encumbrance the heavier fighter has over the lighter fighter. If you win, your foe is pinned and helpless; you must stay there and hold him down. If you wish you may apply a joint lock at a +4 bonus to hit. Your opponent may attempt to break the pin. If the foe doesn't struggle, or it is impossible for him to succeed in breaking the pin, you can use one hand to do something else. If you lose or tie the contest of skills to pin, nothing happens. BREAKING A PIN - If you are pinned you may continue to struggle, roll a contest of ST, Judo or Wrestling skill each 10 seconds, using the Break Free maneuver. STRANGLE - You must have already grappled a foe by the neck with both hands. Note that this keeps you from doing anything else with your hands until next turn. Roll a quick contest of Judo, Karate, Brawling or Wrestling skills or ST whichever is best. If you are behind your opponent you are at +2 to the contest. If you are to the side you are at -1. Otherwise there is no bonus. If you win the contest of skills, you may start to Choke and Suffocate your foe. Roll a contest of ST vs. your foe's HT. You do as many points of choking damage as you win the contest by. The DR of any neck protection protects against this damage, and rigid neck protection of 2 DR or more protects against all choking damage. BREAK NECK - This is very hard to do and only works if the foe is signicantly weaker than you and you are very strong. If the head is grappled with both hands, you may attempt to break your foe's neck. Roll a contest of ST. If the attacker wins he does 1 point of damage to the foe's spine/neck for every 3 points he won the contest by. The attacker gets +4 if the foe is wearing some sort of tightly attached headgear with handles or projections on it. He gets +4 if the foe isn't resisting or is surprised. PULL OFF ARMOR OR CLOTHING - If a helmet or other piece of armor or clothing is not firmly attached, you can pull it off the foe if you can win a contest of DX. If the armor is firmly attached, you can't normally pull it off (unless you have super strength). Clothing is likely to be ripped if you pull it off. CLINCH - This is the close combat version of Jamming an Attack. It can be combined with a Grapple Maneuver. BREAK FREE - For maneuver purposes, this is an "attack", even though it does no damage. If you are grappled you can't move away until you break free by winning a contest of ST or Judo, Wrestling, Brawling or Karate skill, using the following modifiers: +6 to your foe if he pins you using both hands. +3 to your foe if he is using one hand. +2 to your foe if he has grappled you from the rear. +2 for the person with the higher ST if using skill +1 for the person with the higher DX +2 for the person with the higher skill if using ST. +1 for each 10 lb. of weight and encumbrance the heavier fighter has over the lighter fighter. -1 cumulative. Each subsequent attempt to break free. If you successfully break free, you can immediately move one hex in any direction, even if you are prone. If your foe falls unconcious or dies you are automatically free in most cases. SLAM - See Move READY DRAW A WEAPON - This should be a weapon you can use in close combat. Use the Ready maneuver to draw a weapon, or to pick it off of the ground in your hex or an adjoining one. Make a DX roll or roll vs. Fast-Draw skill to get it successfully. A critical failure means that you dropped the weapon while trying to draw. If you want to fast-draw your weapon, you have to make two rolls (both vs. Fast-Draw skill if you wish) one to get the weapon successfully and one to fast-draw it. If you miss the second roll, you ready the weapon normally. CHANGE POSITION You may change positions freely during close combat, but you may not attack while doing so, unless you are going from standing to kneeling, crawling or prone to grapple a foe who is on the ground. If you are pinned, you can't move. If your opponent doesn't want you to change position and has grappled you roll a quick contest of ST, DX or Judo, Wrestling or Brawling skill to see if you can make your maneuver, using the modifiers for Breaking Free. If you win the contest of skills, you have the option of breaking free in addition to changing position. GAIN POSITION - Who is on top is very important in close combat. A fighter who is above his opponent can use most hand weapons and can use his strength more effectively. To gain position you and your opponent must be in any other position besides standing or crouching and be grappled. Roll a quick contest of either ST, DX or Wrestling, Judo or Brawling skill, using the following modifiers: +6 to your foe if he pins you using both hands. +3 to your foe if he is using one hand. +2 to your foe if he has grappled you from the rear. +2 for the person with the higher ST if using skill +1 for the person with the higher DX +2 for the person with the higher skill if using ST. +1 for each 10 lb. of weight and encumbrance the heavier fighter has over the lighter fighter. -1 cumulative. Each subsequent attempt to break free. The winner of the contest is on top of his opponent. He gets +2 to grapple, pin, break free, or draw a weapon. If he is kneeling, he can use any one hex hand weapon or pistol to attack his opponent. REVERSALS - You can attempt to reverse the positions of you and your opponent if you are on the bottom of a close combat. The maneuver is the same, but all negative modifiers are doubled, except for the cumulative -1 penalty for subsequent attempts. If you win the contest of skills you have changed positions with your opponent and you have broken the pin if you were pinned. MOVE SLAM - You may try to slam a foe when you first enter his hex. You are trying to run into him and knock him down. A shield helps. You cannot make a slam attack if you start in the same hex with your foe. To hit your foe, roll a quick contest of DX, Wrestling, Brawling or appropriate Sports skill (like Rugby or Football). He is at -2 if you entered his hex from the side; -5 if you entered from behind. If you win or tie, you Slam into him. If you lose, he avoided you and you must move 2 more hexes, this turn or the next turn. If you can't stop before you hit something solid, you might take damage. FALLING DOWN - If you slam into a foe, each of you must make a roll vs. ST, Wrestling, Brawling or appropriate Sports skill to see if you fall down. The following modifiers apply to both contestants: +1 for each 25 lbs. mass you have over your foe in weight and encumbrance. +2 if you moved more than one hex towards the foe, or if you were running last turn and you moved one hex this turn. +2 per extra set of legs beyond 2 you have. +2 if you have a medium or large shield. +2 if you slammed your foe from the side. +4 if you slammed your foe from behind. -1 per 10 mph over 10 mph you were travelling. -2 if you were not standing -2 if you didn't see the attack coming. -2 if you were Partially Suprised. -4 if you were Fully Suprised. -4 if you have only one leg, or a crippled leg. Anyone who misses his roll falls down, and may be knocked back or in the direction opposite the direction from which the slam came. Roll vs. DX or Acrobatics to land on your hands and knees rather than your belly. On a critical failure you do 1d6-4 points of damage to yourself when you fall and must roll vs. HT or Sprain something. On a critical success, you land on your knees and can stand up next turn if you wish. KNOCKBACK FROM SLAM ATTACKS - When fighters fall during a slam attack, there is a chance that the fallen fighter will be knocked in the direction opposite the direction from which the slam came. Roll a quick contest of ST with all the modifiers above, to see if a fallen fighter is knocked back. IF YOU INITIATED THE SLAM ATTACK AND YOU FALL BUT YOUR OPPONENT DOESN'T: If you initiate a slam attack and you are knocked down, and your opponent doesn't fall, you hit your opponent and bounce if you lost the contest of ST. You are knocked back one hex. If you win the contest of ST then you have the option of being knocked back one hex or falling in front of your opponent. IF YOU INITIATED THE SLAM ATTACK BOTH FIGHTERS FALL: If you initiate a slam attack and both you and your opponent are knocked down, you knock your opponent in the direction you were going 1 hex per 3 won the contest by and may land on top of him (gaining favorable position) if you wish. Otherwise you land in the hex next to him. If you lose the contest of ST, you and your opponent are knocked back in the direction your opponent was going 1 hex per 3 points he won the contest by. He may land on top of you if he wishes, otherwise he may land next to you. If he was standing still, you both fall in his hex. IF YOU INITIATED THE SLAM ATTACK AND YOUR OPPONENT FALLS: If you initiate a slam attack and your opponent falls, you knock your opponent in the direction you were going or off to your left or right hex 1 hex per 3 won the contest by. You may immediately fall on top of him grappling him and gaining favorable position if you wish. Otherwise you keep on going, Trampling your foe if he is in the way. You may trample (or try to NOT step on) your foe by rolling vs. DX. If you lose the contest of ST, your opponent is knocked down in his hex (your front hex) or your left or right hex. You "move through" him, and keep on going. You don't get the option of grappling or trampling, though you must still make a DX roll or stumble. IF YOU DID NOT INITIATE THE SLAM ATTACK: Use the above rules but reverse the roles of the combatants. TACKLES - A tackle is a slam combined with an attempt to grapple. The two maneuvers can be done at the same time, but require seperate rolls. Some Sports skills (Rugby, Football) can be substituted for Wrestling skill during the grappling attempt while tackling. If you grapple your your opponent and he falls, you fall with him. If you don't grapple your opponent and he falls due to the slam, you have the option of of falling down with him. FLYING TACKLES - This is a special type of tackle. You get one extra hex of movement if you try a flying tackle. You automatically fall down, even if you don't successfully grapple. The tackler automatically falls down. His opponent rolls to see if HE falls down at -2, -6 if he was attacked from the rear or side. SPEAR TACKLES - You may attempt to combine an attack with a flying tackle. You must target the foe's knees, groin or abdomen and you must attack from the front or side of your opponent. Roll vs. DX. or Brawling or Football skill minus the hit location modifier. If you hit for damage, you automatically do a slam attack as well. If you missed by 1 or 2 points, you do no damage but still Slam normally. You roll normally to see if you grapple. In any case, you automatically fall down. DAMAGE - If you hit the desired area, you do 1d6-5: +1 point of damage for every 3 points of ST over 10 (round up) -1 point of damage for every 3 points of ST under 10 (round down) +1 per each 25 lbs. weight you have over your attacker +1 for each 10 mph of relative speed at which you and your foe collide. If your foe was moving towards you, combine both speeds, otherwise use your speed. You do 1d6-5 damage to your own head or neck, 1d6-4 if your opponent is wearing rigid armor. Add the damage modifiers for speed and weight of your opponent, as above. Your own head armor protects against this damage, except on a critical failure, then the full damage is applied to your neck as spinal damage. Note that both the attacker and the victim can be crippled by this maneuver. TRAMPLING - A large creature can take a turn to trample its foe - or do half damage on a normal "slam" attack, just by moving through a fallen foe's hex. If the foe doesn't fall, he is just brushed off to the side. This damage is halved for creatures without hooves - like barefoot people and most carnivores. WEIGHT OF ATTACKER TRAMPLING DAMAGE 49 lb. or less No Effect 50-199 lb. 1d6-5 200-299 lb 1d6-4 300-599 lb. 1d6-2 600-999 lb. 1d6 1000-1,999 lb. 1d6+1 1-1.99 tons 1d6+2 2-2.99 tons 2d6 3-3.99 tons 3d6 4-4.99 tons 4d6 5-5.99 tons 5d6 6-6.99 tons 6d6 etc. TRAMPLING BY HUMANS - A shod person of at least 50 lb. will still do 1d6-5 points of crushing damage to a fallen person as they move through the hex, 1d6-4 damage for a heavier person or for a person wearing hobnailed boots or the like. If you want to stay in a foe's hex and "trample" him when he's down, you do the same damage. It is more effective to kick him. You must roll vs. DX, to see if you are Off-balance, when you trample a foe. ESCAPE - If you start your turn in a foe's hex and he is not grappling you, you can Disengage from combat by stepping to your rear or side hexes. You can't go "through" your opponent unless you evade first. EVADE AND DISENGAGE - These two maneuvers can be combined. If you successfully Evade, then you automatically are disengaged from combat until you turn around and face your opponent or your opponent turns around and chases you. EVADING "Evading" is moving "through" the foe, to leave the hex on his side. You can attempt this as part of any maneuver that also allows movement. You cannot Evade if the foe is holding you. You must also have enough movement to get out of the enemy's hex. If your movement ends in an enemy's hex, you cannot Disengage or Escape that turn. First you ask your opponent if he is trying to stop you. If he chooses to let you through, you have automatically evaded. If your foe wants to stop you, roll a quick contest of DX, Wrestling, Judo, or the appropriate Sports skill, modified as follows: -5 if the foe is standing or crouching -2 if the foe is kneeling -3 if the foe is trying to TRIP you +2 to the fighter with the higher DX if skills are used +2 to the fighter with the higher skill if DX is used +2 if the foe is crawling +5 if the foe is prone or supine +2 if you entered his hex from the side this turn or last turn. +4 if you entered his hex from the side this turn or last turn. If you win the contest of skill, you have successfully evaded and are free to move out. If you lose or tie he got in your way and stopped you. TRIPPING - A foe can try to trip you, rather than stopping you as you go by. Roll a contest of skills, as above, but if you lose the contest, you must roll to see if you are Off-Balance at -4 to both rolls. GRABBING - A foe can attempt to grab you as you go by in addition to attempting to block your Evasion. He attacks at -3 to grapple but blocks your Evasion normally. If he grabs you, you can't Evade this turn. BREAK FREE AND EVADE - If you win a contest of skills to Break Free, and you are standing, you may immediately attempt to Evade. EVADE AND DISENGAGE - If you successfully Evade, you can keep on running and Disengage. FREE ACTIONS All Free Actions can be performed in Close Combat in addition to the following ones. These can be combined with any maneuver in close combat. RELEASE YOUR GRIP - Let go of the foe, if you are grappling him. THROW AWAY YOUR WEAPON - This is automatically successful and takes no time, unless the weapon was tied to your hand. You may do this to get a useless weapon out of your hand or to deprive a foe of a useful weapon. OTHER MANEUVERS All-Out Attack, All-Out Defense, Attack and Defend, Concentrate, Look Around and Wait maneuvers are not possible in close combat. Any close-combat is - by definition "all-out", and the other maneuvers require planning and coordination that is not possible when you are nose-to-nose with your opponent. If you want to try something else in close-combat, the GM will judge its feasibility. DEFENSE IN CLOSE COMBAT - The only active defense that works in close combat is a Dodge, which is treated normally. If you have Brawling, Judo, Karate or Boxing skill you may Parry bare-handed as well. You may choose to Retreat or Disengage in close combat, if the enemy is not holding you. You back out of one of your rear or side hexes. STRIKING INTO CLOSE COMBAT - If you are not, yourself, involved in a close combat, but your allies are, you might want to help them by attacking their foe. You can do this by standing outside the close combat hexes and striking at a foe who is in close combat. Your attack is treated as a Wild Swing. If you hit, your foe's only legal defense is a dodge. If you miss, or if your foe successfully dodges, you might hit someone else in the hex. Roll randomly to see who you attack first, if there is more than one other target in the hex, give and equal chance to hit the floor or some intervening object. Each attack roll you make is a Wild Swing. If you attack an animate target, your victim may dodge. Keep rolling until you run out of targets, you actually hit someone or you hit the floor. MULTIPLE CLOSE COMBAT - Any number of people may be involved in a close combat. this can be difficult to show with miniatures, especially if some figures are standing and others are lying down. A good compromise is to allow a fighter to allow himself to be in close combat while still in the next hex. Up to three figures may combine in an attempt to take a single foe down; up to six may combine in an attempt to pin a single foe. In either casse, use the ST, DX or skill of the foe with the highest score, and add +1/5 (round down) of the scores of the first 2 helpers. add +1 for each additional helper. Double the number of people who can help if the attackers are small, or for man-sized attackers vs. a large opponent. In very unusual situations more people might be able to help.