Holy Champion of Larissa (Male)

Ok, I have the Path written up and a strong idea for a fighting style based around performance and free strikes. I’ll try and post the fighting style later today or tonight. For the Path I’m not sold on the name. For the Steel Sight talent I put in the restriction on armor there. The current write up grants a bit more flexibility than Henry’s original note. Being able to use Light or Medium armor matches the Oracular Cleric armor proficiency in the original 3.5 system. The requirement to have a Bulk 0 reflects their need to be instantly responsive to what they see in combat.

Unless you’re built on a Martial Archetype you’re limited to Armored Jacket or Leather Armor. It’s possible with a Legendary level Celerity Rune to reduce the Bulk by 1, but that and the Martial’s Advanced Armor Training are the only ways to bring an armor’s bulk to 0. Even with a Martial Archetype, unless you’ve got Exceptional quality armor, the only medium bulk 1 armors are Chain Shirt and Kio Hauberk.

Order of Battle’s Dance (or of the Dancing Blade)
This Order believes in perfecting their body and fighting ability to the level of art. Every move is calculated to be breathtaking, maximizing the showmanship as well as effectiveness. They are able to see the flow of time around a battle and move with its rhythm. This foresight allows them to delight their allies and confound their foes. All done with grace and style.

Initiate
Requirements: Holy Champion of Larissa, Acrobatic (ta)
Trained Skills: Acrobatics, Perform (Dance)
Talents: Cunning Opponent, Steel Sight

Master
Requirements:
Trained Skills: Melee (Any), Perception
Talents: Daredevil, Steel Sight

Special: Having mastered the Order of Battle’s Dance, the Steel Sight Talent is no longer Limited for you.

Steel Sight [Limited, Tiered]
Restriction: May be used with Light or Medium armor as long as your Bulk Penalty for Armor is 0. Must not be more than Light encumbrance.

The character is able to see just a few seconds in the future allowing them to respond.

• Tier I: In response to an attack, as a push action (speed of weapon), make an opposed Melee attack roll against your opponent’s attack. If you beat your opponent, you block the attack. If you beat your opponent by more than 5, you may further make a basic attack as a counter-attack. The speed of the counter-attack is added to the push speed for the response.

• Tier II: Sidestep Danger – As a push 2 action you may increase your avoidance Against a single attack by your Passive Insight.

• Tier III: Your ability to see slightly in the future makes you difficult to catch unawares. You cannot be surprised in combat.

With a sweep of his hat,

Paul

1) I’m not sure about the name, as it doesn’t seem. . . oracular enough to me (or Hedonistic enough, either). I do like the term Steel Sight, but that does seem more appropriate for the talent rather than the Holy Order. Just out of curiosity, who is the primary ‘sponsor’ of this Holy Champion Order (ie: Where is their main training ground), Henry? Milandir? Coryan? Random place in the Blessed Lands?

Maybe something like “Holy Order of Perfection of the Flesh” or “Knight of the Mind’s Eye” or “Order of the Previsant Warriors”?

2) As much as I like Perform Dance, it smacks a bit of the Tal Kanath to me. Maybe move to something like Mettle (to represent their focus on perfection) or Battle (because they have the “eye” for combat)? If we keep Perform (Dance), I’d almost like to see it as a prerequisite rather than a Path skill.

3) I would state that Steel Sight can only be used if you are unarmoured or wearing an Armour with a base bulk no greater than 1. This seems more clear, but I am also for “If you are wearing any armour which provides a Bulk any greater than 0 (ie: Buff coat, some light armour with Advance Armour Training (Ta), or Heirloom Light Armour) you cannot use this talent.”

4) The Tier I ability of Steel Sight should probably just be the cancellation of the attack, and not the other one. It adds an additional level of flavour, but it adds to the complexity by a fair margin.

5) Not a fan of the “Sidestep Danger” name. Maybe something more like “Foresee attack”? Seems more in fluff.

6) All of the Steel Sight abilities are defensive in nature, with none of the offense of “seeing where your enemy will be”. As such, may I suggest the talent “Larissa’s Sight” to take the place of Daredevil?

Larissa’s Sight [Limited, Devout]
You are granted the ability to see slightly into the future, granting you insight into what your opponent will do.
Requirement: , Quickness and Insight 6, Must worship Larissa.
Benefit: By Tier

Tier I: Once per scene, you may add a static bonus equal to the total number of Fate Points you have available to you. If successful, that attack deals an addition (In) damage.
Tier II: When using the Tier I ability, you may add an additional point of damage to this attack equal to the number of Fate Points you have available to you.
Special: If you have Fortune Favours the Bold (Ta), the Fate Point generated by this talent is included when calculating your attack and damage bonus.

This talent only works due to the campaign ruling, so perhaps we must change it to Fate Score rather than Fate Points, but I like that mechanic and think it is appropriate for a Larissan Martial Order.

I looked though a bunch of our notes, we discussed this path/style like a year ago at a PCI meeting..

There is another thing we wanted to do with this path/fighting style…

here are a few things

1) we need to somehow reward amazing charisma, they are, over all amazingly good looking and ware little in the way of armor.. (see #2 below)

2) the only peace of armor they always use is the Manica (see links below) they use the armor as a shield (due to their ability to see milliseconds into the future) giving them a bonus to Avoidance but lack the shield tricks (maybe it should work like a gauntlet? same proficiency?)
http://img7.imageshack.us/img7/6249/spartacusandywhitfield.jpg
https://s3.amazonaws.com/aworlds_media/ibase_1/00/09/83/00098362_000.jpg
also look at the character on page 182

3) they make some of the best bodyguards…. (again seeing the future in milliseconds)

4) they ALL have blind fighting… they can “feel” the future and take advantage of it.

5) they know how to use the Gladius, a common style among them is the duel Gladuis… as well as Side Sword/Gauntlet. (we don’t need to encourage two weapon fighting at all in the style mind you.)

Okay, so this is what I’m getting from this:

Initiate
Requirements: Charisma 7, Holy Champion of Larissa, Weapon Mastery with a one-handed sword AND Gauntlet, Male.
Skills: Acrobatics, Mettle
Talents: Blind Fighting, Steel Sight

Master
Requirements: Initiate
Skills: Melee (Balanced), Perception
Talents: Larissa’s Sight, Steel Sight

Seem fair? I didn’t include the Manica (yet) because we don’t have rules for it, but now proficiency with a Gauntlet is required so if we do include it in the book and it is tied to a Gauntlet then we can fit that in in the prerequisites.

I’ll write up the stats for the Manica tomorrow

Manica
SB: 1
SM: 2
Cost: 5sp
Weight: 8 lbs
Enc: 2

Qualities: Worn
Weapon Tricks:
Tier I: Shielding

Special: As the Manica is worn, you cannot utilize it while wearing any armor except those with a Base Bulk of 0. Additionally, the Manica does not occupy a Hand, allowing the wearer to either cast spells or wield a two-handed weapon while wearing it.

I like it.

A couple of questions in order to clarify and/or stave off the potential abuse that we all know is coming…

– Is the Manica a shield? Is it Armor? I assume that it falls into the shield category, but that will need to be clearly specified.

I don’t know what Pedro wanted, but I prefer having it as a shield because otherwise it adds WAY too many complications. The use of a Manica (from what I’ve read) indicates they were used more for deflecting damage rather than absorbing it, so I would like to see it stay there. Also, the rules for shields (as confusing as they may be) are already set so we can add weapon tricks to it, as well as qualities that Armour simply doesn’t have.

– If wearing a manica on your right arm, wielding a one-handed weapon in that same hand and wearing a large shield on your left arm, do the shield bonuses stack? Again, I know the answer to this is no. And I think it’s clear enough that shield bonuses aren’t intended to stack. But since, “the rules don’t say I can’t” you might get someone who makes this argument. (Perhaps this is best left until then, but I wanted to bring it up now, just in case.)

It does say in the rules that bonus’ from the same source do not stack. Assuming we keep the Manica as a shield, it would not stack with the bonus from any other shield because they are both Equipment bonus’. They would stack with bonus’ from, say, Inertial Shield because that comes from a spell, but with just a plain, vanilla shield: No.

– Since a buckler only grants its bonus against one attacker at a time, it’s worth asking if the Manica should have a similar restriction. (I can see arguments for either position.)

I really have no opinion about this, as I too can see it going either way. My gut says no, but not strong enough for me to really hold a strong opinion.

– Lastly, if this is considered a shield, you should add the following to the end of the Manica description: “These actions do not cause the wearer to lose his SB from the Manica.” Otherwise it would be reasonable to enforce the text on Page 230 which indicates that you would lose your bonus if you attacked with the shield/manica. (Even though you attacked with that arm, not with the Manica.)

Scott

Have to think about this (all of us) to make sure such wording is VERY clear.

– Is the Manica a shield? Is it Armor? I assume that it falls into the shield category, but that will need to be clearly specified.

Yes but it’s use is VERY rare as one, and thus requires proficiency in that kind of shield, even for Martial heroes.

– If wearing a manica on your right arm, wielding a one-handed weapon in that same hand and wearing a large shield on your left arm, do the shield bonuses stack? Again, I know the answer to this is no. And I think it’s clear enough that shield bonuses aren’t intended to stack. But since, “the rules don’t say I can’t” you might get someone who makes this argument. (Perhaps this is best left until then, but I wanted to bring it up now, just in case.)

Nope.. they are both “shields”

– Since a buckler only grants its bonus against one attacker at a time, it’s worth asking if the Manica should have a similar restriction. (I can see arguments for either position.)

I’m good with that, we can always add a weapon trick that allows it vs. two targets.

– Lastly, if this is considered a shield, you should add the following to the end of the Manica description: “These actions do not cause the wearer to lose his SB from the Manica.” Otherwise it would be reasonable to enforce the text on Page 230 which indicates that you would lose your bonus if you attacked with the shield/manica. (Even though you attacked with that arm, not with the Manica.)

Yes, except the fighting style should allow you to attack with it and retain it’s bonus (part of the advantage of seeing a few seconds into the future)

One note on the Manica looking back over it. The note that is there is that it cannot be used with any armor having a base bulk higher than 1. Given that this was used in gladatorial combats, it would make sense to make it used only with light armor instead.

With a sweep of his hat,

Pal