Morrowind:Hand-to-hand

Skill: Hand-to-hand
Governing Attribute: Speed
Specialization: Stealth
Increase: Successful Attack: +1.0

The Hand-to-hand skill is the martial art of unarmed combat. Hand-to-hand attacks damage only the Fatigue of a standing opponent, but they damage Health when a target has been knocked unconscious by Fatigue loss.

Character Creation

The following races receive bonuses to their Hand-to-hand skill:

• +5 bonus: Imperial, Khajiit

The following classes have Hand-to-hand as a Major skill:

• Healer, Monk, Rogue

The following classes have Hand-to-hand as a Minor skill:

• Acrobat, Crusader, Pilgrim, Thief

Factions

Only the Quarra Clan vampires include Hand-to-hand as one of their favored skills.

Trainers

The Master Trainer of Hand-to-hand is Taren Omothan at Holamayan Monastery. The only other notable trainer is Caius Cosades at his house in Balmora (up to 70). See Hand-to-hand Trainers for the complete list.

Books

The following books will increase your Hand-to-hand skill:

• The Prayers of Baranat
• The Wolf Queen, Book II
• Charwich-Koniinge, Volume 2
• Charwich-Koniinge, Volume 4
• Master Zoaraym's Tale

Notes

• Hand-to-hand attacks have low damage compared to weapon attacks, thus, they are more effective at knocking out enemies rather than damaging them. Knocking out an NPC is often a viable alternative for many quests that would otherwise involve killing.
  • At higher levels, it is effective against single and isolated opponents. Punched repeatedly, enemies can be continuously knocked out and unable to counter.
  • You can knock out opponents faster if you use effects that absorb, damage or drain their fatigue. NPCs also lose fatigue by running; you can wear them down by forcing them to run around first. Burden and Damage Strength are also useful in this regard. Overencumbered enemies will still try in vain to run towards you.
  • If the punch that reduces your enemy's fatigue to 0 hits them in the back, they will be knocked out for longer.
  • If you intend to kill your opponent, it is more effective to switch to a weapon in order to deal actual damage, once they are knocked out. You can also inflict Paralysis; for paralyzed opponents, your Hand-to-hand attacks damage their health, rather than their fatigue.
• Beast races deliver Hand-to-hand attacks differently; they use a different stance and swipe with their claws instead of punching.
• Since your fists are not considered a normal weapon, daedra, undead, vampires and werewolves are not immune to hand-to-hand attacks.
• When fighting a land-based opponent in the ocean or in a shallow pool of standing water, knocking them out may cause them to start drowning.
• Unlike weapon damage, Strength does not affect Hand-to-hand damage at all. Instead, both fatigue and health damage are increased by boosting the Hand-to-hand skill directly.
  • Both the Morrowind Code Patch and OpenMW have an option to make Hand-to-hand damage factor in Strength. OpenMW lets you decide whether to make this change affect werewolves, while the Code Patch explicitly does not affect werewolves.