Overhauls how combat techniques interact with weapon and armor configuration, and how those configurations affect stamina, exhaustion, and movement speed.

Technique Rules & Changes:
- Dodge favors a free hand for balance.
- Master-Strike requires two hands for technique.
- Riposte favors a 'balanced' weapon for technique.
- Clinch advantage based upon weapon length, leverage.
- Knockout can occur from weapon blows to an under-protected head (Henry affected).
- Helmets provide protection from Stealth Knockout.
- Feint advantage favors a balanced weapon.
- Reloading Light or Medium Crossbows now possible while upright and moving.
- Reloading Guns now possible while crouched and moving.
- Henry's (or horse) movement no longer significantly slowed by melee hit.
- Wearing metal armor now incurs movement, stamina, and fatigue penalties.
- Terrain has less effect on movement speed.

Perk Changes (take these perks while using this mod):
- Hermes Haste level requirement lowered to 8.
- Ironclad now increases movement speed by 10%.

Heavy Weapon
- Riposte significantly penalized.
- Knockout (head) probability 15%.
- Damage to shields and weapons moderate.
- Enemy Perfect Block window slightly reduced.
Longsword
- Dodge stamina cost x2.
- Master-Strike enabled (must be two-handed).
- Clinch advantage significant, +100% damage (half-sword/grapple).
- Knockout (head) probability 10%.
- Feint advantage slight.
Polearm
- Dodge stamina cost x3.
- Clinch advantage great.
- Knockout (head) probability 15%.
- Damage to shields and weapons moderate.
- Enemy Perfect Block window slightly reduced.
Shield
- Dodge stamina cost x3.
- Riposte significantly penalized.
- Clinch advantage great.
- Perfect Block window significantly increased.
- Stamina cost to block hits negligible.
Sword
- Master-Strike disabled.
- Clinch advantage slight, +100% damage (half-sword/grapple).
- Knockout (head) probability 5%.
- Feint advantage moderate.
Unarmed
- Unarmed Master-Strike enabled (requires Tomcat quest).
- Knockout (head) probability 5%.
- Disarming Strike enabled (requires Unarmed level 18, Unarmed Master-Strike).
- Perfect Block window moderately decreased.
- Wearing gauntlets increases damage 25%.
- Feint advantage moderate.

Head Hit Knockout Mitigation:
- Skullcap level helms provide 5% knockout protection, -5% damage.
- Kettle level helms provide 10% knockout protection, -10% damage.
- Bascinet, open or visor level helms, provide 15% knockout protection, -15% damage.

Stamina Changes:
- Stamina cool-down timers for some combat actions have been reduced.
- Base cost for Attack is 20 (default 26).
- Base cost for Dodge is 10 (default 20).

Armor Effects (full set worn):
- Exhaustion rate +35%.
- Real movement speed -20%
- Max stamina -50.

Armor Effects (NPC):
- NPCs with minimum 0.75 Combat Level can sprint while heavily armored.

Armor Effects Breakdown:
Helmets, Gauntlets, Mail Coif, Mail Collar
- Slight increase in exhaustion rate.
- Slight decrease in movement speed.
- Slight decrease in maximum stamina.
Cuirass
- Moderate increase in exhaustion rate.
- Moderate decrease in movement speed.
- Significant decrease in maximum stamina.
Mail Shirt
- Moderate increase in exhaustion rate.
- Significant decrease in movement speed.
- Significant decrease in maximum stamina.
Arm
- Moderate increase in exhaustion rate.
- Moderate decrease in movement
- Slight decrease in maximum stamina.
Leg
- Moderate increase in exhaustion rate.
- Significant decrease in movement speed.
- Slight decrease in maximum stamina.

Additional Notes (PLEASE READ BEFORE SUBSCRIBING):
- Armor, specifically Metal Armor, is no longer cosmetic, and should only be worn when gearing up for a fight. When fast-traveling, it's best to wear only essential protection, since your exhaustion rate will be much higher when armored. In addition, when at low level, it is unwise to wear a lot of armor, since Henry's base Stamina is quite low, and the Stamina penalties for wearing armor are felt more acutely when under-leveled.
- For most engagements, it's best to use the least amount of armor as necessary (head and torso), in order to maintain mobility and stamina. Potions such a Buck's Blood can help mitigate the Stamina penalties incurred.
- Movement speed is heavily penalized while wearing armor. The threshold for preventing sprint is between 10-15% reduction and/or wearing leg armor; therefore, in order to sprint, Henry will need the perk "Hermes Haste", now lowered to level 8 Vitality - or by taking the perk "Ironclad" which has been rewritten and reworked to include a 10% increase in movement speed.
- Master-Strikes, as is my understanding, are based upon the "Five Master Cuts", and are shown to be longsword techniques. Therefore, they are restricted to longswords, and only when the longsword is used in two hands. This also makes longswords unique, and balances out OP one-handed swords.
- Grappling and Half-Swording are now viable means of fighting armored and unarmored opponents. By winning in the clinch, Henry can deal devestating damage with his sword, often overwhelming armor (but so can NPCs).
- Stealth knockouts are restricted to NPCs NOT wearing head protection. The rear-naked choke would not be very effective against someone wearing a helmet and neck protection. Since the game will not allow for "um-ack-tually" specificity, any NPC wearing a helmet can only be stealth killed, not choked out.
- There are NO clinch attacks for Polearms in the game. To enable clinch attacks for polearms, you'll need a separate mod; however, it's non-PTF and hasn't been updated in since March '25, so it could introduce bugs.
https://www.nexusmods.com/kingdomcomedeliverance2/mods/582
- Against bandits, public enemies, or hostile factions, getting knocked unconscious will mean instant death (wear adequate head protection).

Known Issues (Knockout):
If you pick a fight with guards (authority figure):
1. Are knocked unconscious
2. And upon waking you refuse to surrender
3. Are knocked unconscious a second time
As a result, there's a chance the game will bug out and you'll get an endless loading screen, instead of a punishment cutscene. This is because the game doesn't have logic for the new mechanic to connect existing cutscene(s). Building a bridge might be possible in the future, but for now, I have no plans to do so (likely introduce new bugs).

Compatibility: This mod is in PTF format. All buffs, armor_type, and weapon_class files are custom made or minimal edits, therefore compatible with any unrelated mod. Incompatible with mods implementing identical or similar buffs/mechanics, or specifically editing Unarmed MS/Disarm perks, and stamina values in rpg_param, or SoulStateEffectContext.

Installation: Unzip and place mod folder in C:\ ... \KingdomComeDeliverance2\Mods.

Realish Techniques