MA. Maneuvers all or nothing?

[h-leqin]

Dear Steve,

here's a question regarding MA. Maneuvers:
If a character got for example a block-throw or block-grab
maneuver, does he need to throw or grab or could he
throw or grab? meaning: does the effect target falls, grab
one limb automatically happen, or could the character decide? what about an attack maneuver doing damage (thereby unbalancing the opponent) and by only a small push the opponnt lands on the floor - does the character need to
make the last push?

thanks for answering

[Steve Long]

There’s no quick and easy answer, because it depends on how the maneuver is defined. Most Throw-based maneuvers, for example, do their damage in whole or in part by slamming the target to the ground, so not using the Target Falls element makes the maneuver meaningless. Some maneuvers use the “Must Follow” element, which obviously indicates that one part of the maneuver must follow another. So, you have to look at the maneuver from the perspective of special effects, common sense, and dramatic sense. In light of that, the GM could allow a character to use only part of a maneuver if he wanted — but even in that case, that should be the exception, not the rule. Maneuvers with multiple elements are packaged together specifically because they’re meant to be used together; a character who doesn’t want to do those things together should purchase two maneuvers that each do one of the things the “combo” maneuver does all at once.