Unlike a fighter who tends to fight by taking on a single opponent at a time, standing their ground and wearing them down; a skirmisher fights many at once, using their enemies as shields and sowing confusion so that their compatriots can mop up.

Many of the Skirmisher abilities require you to be “in motion”. What this means is that you are not focussing all of your attacks on a single target and are instead moving through combat selecting different targets as you go. On an OC note this restriction largely exists because it is not fun for monsters to have to fight an immortal & invulnerable player (even if this invulnerability only lasts 5 to 10 seconds), but it also looks ridiculous.

When a Skirmisher ability requires you to be “in motion” you:

• Cannot use them while standing your ground in a one on one fight (dodging blows from one person chasing you or who you're running past is fine).
• Cannot use them while fighting as part of a shield wall
• Should not make more than 2 sequential attacks against the same target
• Must still roleplay avoiding blows in combat.

Skirmishers have the ability to perform sudden bursts of activity, whether leaping to a new firing position or tumbling through the opponents lines in a whirl of blades. Once per encounter and while in motion you can choose to DODGE all weapon blows that strike you for the next five seconds. If any effect grants you a second use of this ability, you must leave ten clear seconds between usages. If you are hit with any ranged or direct effects (e.g., the ZERO REND from a Share the Pain spell) it will take affect immediately at the end of your 5 seconds agility.

Skirmishers can choose one Combat Path to add to their skill tree, the first skill is free but further skills in the Path must be bought as usual.

You may choose a single weapon background, the skills in this background are available for purchasing as if you had bought the background normally.

You may use a bow/crossbow, arrows from which do a DOUBLE by default and may not be DODGED (unless a skill states otherwise).

You gain 1 DODGE while holding a bow or crossbow, or while you are putting it away.

You may add THROUGH to your damage calls (do not combine effect calls) when using a bow or crossbow.

You may add STRIKEDOWN to your damage calls (do not combine effect calls) when using a bow or crossbow.

You may call TRIPLE with a bow or crossbow, which may be combined with effect calls.

Once per encounter you may call SHATTER after hitting a shield with an arrow or bolt.

You may add REND to your damage calls (do not combine effect calls) when using a bow or crossbow.

Once per encounter you may call MASS TRIPLE STRIKEDOWN in an arc (this is to represent your character firing an improbable number of arrows in a very short time, please do not attempt to physrep this). Once per adventure, you may instead call MASS REND.

All dagger calls may be used with thrown daggers in addition to their melee use, unless otherwise specified.

You may add THROUGH to your base damage with a dagger.

You gain a single DODGE while fighting with either one or two daggers.

You may call DOUBLE THROUGH with daggers.

You may resist all SHATTERS and DISARMS called on any dagger you hold.

You gain Two REND calls while fighting with a dagger in either hand. If you fight with a melee dagger in each hand, you gain this effect for both.

You gain one REND call and one WEAKEN call per encounter while fighting with a dagger in either hand. If you fight with a melee dagger in each hands, you gain this effect for both.

You may call TRIPLE THROUGH with a dagger.

You are adept at applying alchemical potions to daggers for melee fighting. Effects which apply to your next strike may instead be stored and used whenever you wish (although you may only prepare one effect per a weapon). You may only prepare effects which provide use of standard calls.

You may fight with a weapon of any length you can use in either hand.

You gain a DODGE while fighting with a Main Gauche.

You gain a DODGE while fighting with a weapon in each hand.

While fighting with a weapon in each hand, you may call one DISARM per encounter.

While fighting with twin daggers and successfully blocking a melee blow with both daggers, you may call a DISARM. You cannot do this more often than once every 20 seconds.

When wielding two melee weapons that you can use (36in or longer) and you successfully strike an opponent with both weapons at once, you may add the damage calls together subject to the following restrictions:

• If you are also using an effect call that targets a limb¹⁾, then both blows must have hit that limb.
• You cannot exceed QUINT through any means.

Example:

1. You wield 2 hammers, can call DOUBLE with each hammer, and have 2 uses of STRIKEDOWN. You manage to land simultaneous blows against each of your targets legs, and call QUAD STRIKEDOWN.
2. You wield 2 swords, can call DOUBLE with each sword, have 2 uses of WOUND 10, and are currently Strengthened. You land 2 simultaneous blows against your targets left arm and call QUINT WOUND 10.

You have +2 body hits

You gain +1 DDOGE while in light armour

You gain 1 additional armour hit from wearing light armour.

You have +1 DODGE per encounter.

You may call IMMUNE to ENTANGLE. You may trivially slip out of mundane bonds like rope, handcuffs, or manacles. Arcane bindings are a different story, and will usually be capable of keeping you bound unless you have some additional tricks up your sleeve (basically arcane bounds work or not at GM discretion).

You may call IMMUNE to all STRIKEDOWN calls, and ignore the strikedown effect. You still suffer any damage component of the call.

You have basic criminal talents, such as lockpicking or sneaking past a sleepy guard at night.

If you spend five seconds uninterrupted in close proximity to another person without them paying attention to you, you may tell a GM and you will have stolen something from their pockets.

You are exquisitely skilled at striking deadly blows on unprepared targets. If you strike a blow on someone from behind with a dagger without them noticing you before the blow struck, you may call BACKSTAB 20.

You are skilled at disabling foes with a backstab. You may choose to call BACKSTAB 40 when using a backstab.

You may now use your backstab calls with any bladed weapon.

After backstabbing a target and while in motion, you may call DODGE against ALL blows that strike you for three seconds.

You are a skilled climber. The effects of this are at GM discretion, but it’s very useful for breaking and entering. Additionally, you may use any skill which requires an appropriate terrain in an urban environment.

You are skilled at stealthily ranging ahead of the party and getting into prime positions. Any time a combat starts that is not a sudden surprise to your party, you may choose to begin the encounter in cover away from the main party. Monsters will usually not notice you until you move or take an offensive action.

You are always ready to leap out on foes, and can ALWAYS use the flanking ability, even when the party is assailed by surprise.

You have a basic understanding of the channels of power, and can usually find out who you need to speak to to address an issue in a new area.

You’re good at spinning tales, which people tend to listen to. As long as full blown combat is not in progress, you can, once per encounter, say “Just hear me out” and follow it with up to thirty seconds of talking. If you do, intelligent creatures will always listen to the end before kicking anything off, giving you a chance to give your side of the story (or for your three mates to sneak up on them).

Once per encounter, you can say “Look behind you!” to a monster. If they are intelligent, they should stop where they are and look behind them for a few seconds, giving you either a chance to scarper or backstab them.

You are adept at putting together a disguise to cover your looks.

You have a large number of convincing disguises, and fabricated evidence to support who you are claiming to be at any time. You can put together a new disguise of this quality with a few hours work in any settlement.

You gain an additional use of your Agility class feature per encounter.

As long as you are travelling through relatively normal terrain (woods, plains, tracks, hills etc.), and somewhat more challenging ones (dense forests, mountains) you never receive any penalties for extended travel, and can keep party members happy for longer on the road. You will also find it easier to hunt, track, and otherwise function in these terrains. You gain a DODGE while in any of these terrains.

You can lead a trek through pretty much anywhere mundane, up to and including frozen tundra, searing deserts and the lip of a volcano that's rumbling ominously. In addition, you can occasionally seize an advantage from the terrain - three times per adventure, when you DODGE an attack, you can immediately make the call you were struck with back at the attacker.

As long as you have a Survivalist skill sufficient to cover the terrain you’re travelling in, the whole party gains a dodge. For you, this is in ADDITION to the one you get from Survivalist.

As long as you have a Survivalist skill sufficient to cover the terrain you’re travelling in, gain one ENTANGLE per encounter that can be called at anyone within five metres.

As long as you are in terrain you have an appropriate survivalist skill for, your Agility class feature's duration increases to TEN seconds.