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skirmisher

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Skirmisher

Skirmishers and being 'in motion'

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.

Class Feature - Agility

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.

Combat Paths

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.

Skill Effects

Bow Skills

Use Bow

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

Bow Mastery 1

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

Piercing Arrows

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

Bow Talent 1

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

Bow Mastery 2

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

Cracking Shot

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

Bow Talent 2

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

Bow Supremacy

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.

Dagger Skills

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

Use Dagger

You may call SINGLE THROUGH with daggers.

Dagger Mastery 1

You gain one dodge while fighting with a dagger in either hand.

Dagger Mastery 2

You may call DOUBLE THROUGH with daggers.

One With Your Dagger

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

Dagger Talent 1

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.

Dagger Talent 2

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.

Dagger Supremacy

You may call TRIPLE THROUGH with a dagger.

Poisoned Dagger Use

You are adept at applying alchemical paste to daggers for melee fighting. Once applied, you may choose which blow the alchemical paste’s effect is used on (without this skill, the effect applies on the next blow struck).

Poisoned Dagger Efficiency

Each time you apply an alchemical paste to a dagger, you may use that effect TWICE.

Ambidextrous

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

Main Gauche Swiftness

You gain a dodge while fighting with a Main Gauche.

Twin Defensive Swiftness

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

Weapon Catching

While fighting with a Main Gauche or dagger in your off hand, you may call one DISARM per encounter.

Other Skills

Hardy

You have +1 body hit

Tough

You have +2 body hits

Light Armour Swiftness

You gain +1 dodge while in light armour

Light Armour Training +1

You gain 1 additional armour hit from wearing light armour.

Nimble

You have +1 dodge per encounter.

Light Footed

You may resist one STRIKEDOWN per encounter.

Larceny

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

Pickpocket

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.

Backstab

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 QUAD THROUGH.

Hamstring

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

Improved Backstab

You may now use your backstab calls with any bladed weapon up to 36”.

Getaway

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

Edificier

You are a skilled climber. The effects of this are at GM discretion, but it’s very useful for breaking and entering.

Flanking

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.

Ambusher

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

Diplomacy

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.

Fast Talk

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).

Distraction

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.

Disguise

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

A Thousand Faces

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.

Improved Agility

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

Survivalist

As long as you are travelling through relatively normal terrain (woods, plains, tracks, hills etc.) 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.

Advanced Survivalist

As above, but applied to harsher terrains (mountains, deserts etc.).

Master Survivalist

As above, but pretty much anywhere, up to and including the lip of an active volcano.

Good Footing

As long as you have a Survivalist skill sufficient to cover the terrain you’re travelling in, gain a dodge.

Guide

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 DOES stack with good footing.

Using the Land

As long as you have a Survivalist skill sufficient to cover the terrain you’re travelling in, gain one STRIKEDOWN per encounter.

Whirling Dervish

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

skirmisher.1359325120.txt.gz · Last modified: 2015/05/14 21:08 (external edit)