Weapon Proficiencies can be used to specialize in certain styles of fighting, such as two swords, two-handed weapon, and so on. It gives a campaign more color when the warriors fight with different styles. A huge warrior-knight wielding a greatsword looks and fights a lot differently from a slender fencer carrying a rapier and main-gauche.
Several common combat styles are described along with the interesting things you can do with them by taking a Style Specialization.
All Fighting Styles refer to fighting with melee weapons only. None of them applies to missile weapons.
The Four Fighting Styles
There are four common Fighting Styles employed by anyone using a melee weapon. They are:
Single Weapon Style: The character wields a weapon in one hand and carries nothing in the other hand. The weapon can be as short as a Dagger or as long as a Bastard Sword or Long Spear.
Two-Hander Style: The character wields a weapon which requires (or at least accommodates) the use of two hands. Such weapons include those which require two hands (Two-Handed Sword, Polearms, and quarterstaff, for instance) and those which can be used one-and two-handed (Bastard Sword and Spear, for example).
Weapon & Shield Style: The character wields a weapon in his good hand and carries a shield on his off-hand. This combination can vary from a street-bravo's choice of dagger and small buckler to the classic knight's choice of long sword and body shield.
Two-Weapon Style: The character wields one weapon in each hand. Unless both weapons are Small (S on the Size column on the Weapons chart), the weapon in the character's off-hand must be lighter in weight than his primary weapon. This character can vary from a street-thief wielding two identical daggers, to a fencer using a rapier in one hand and a main-gauche in another, to a heavily-armored warrior with a long sword in one hand and a short sword in the other.
All Warriors start play knowing how to use all four styles. Priests start play knowing how to use Single-Weapon, Two-Hander, and Weapon and Shield styles. Rogues start play knowing how to use Single-Weapon, Two-Hander, and Two-Weapon styles. Wizards start play knowing how to use Single-Weapon and Two-Hander styles. Characters cannot learn new styles after they're created, these are the styles they are limited to by their choice of character class.
A character can use a weapon style he knows with a weapon he does not know how to use. For example, wizards know Two-Hander style so they can learn to use a quarterstaff. If a wizard who doesn't have proficiency with a quarterstaff picks one up, he can still use the weapon in two hands. However, he suffers the -5 attack penalty required by his unfamiliarity and his character class.
Each style confers some basic advantages and disadvantages when used. These are described in the descriptions of each individual style, below. Additionally, characters can specialize in these styles. Single-class warriors can eventually specialize in all of them; other classes can only specialize in one style, ever.
Specializing In the Styles
You take a Style Specialization by devoting one weapon proficiency slot to a fighting style.
Guidelines
To use a Style Specialization with a specific weapon, you must have weapon proficiency with that weapon. For example, a character might have bought Style Specialization with Two-Hander Style. If he has Weapon Proficiencies with polearms, he can use the benefits of Style Specialization whenever he uses polearms. But if he doesn't also have proficiency with Two-handed Sword, and picks one up to use it, he doesn't get the benefits of Two-Hander Style Specialization with that weapon.
You can have both a Weapon Specialization and a Style Specialization in the same weapon, but neither is dependent on the other; you can have one without the other. For example, a character could have Proficiency with Sabre, Specialization with Sabre, and then Style Specialization in Single-Weapon style; he'd be a master fencer with the Sabre. Or, he could have just Proficiency and Specialization in Sabre, or just Proficiency in Sabre and Style Specialization in Single-Weapon style.
Multiple Style Specializations
A single-class Warrior can take more than one Style Specialization. Weapons such as Bastard Sword, Javelin, and Spear, which can be used one-handed or two-handed, with or without a shield, can have up to four different Style Specializations taken for them.
Example: A single-class Warrior has Proficiency with Bastard Sword. He could theoretically take Single-Weapon Style Specialization, Two-Hander Style Specialization, Weapon and Shield Style Specialization, and Two-Weapon Style Specialization with it. Between fights, or even in the course of the fight, he could change the way he uses his weapon in order to gain different advantages in the course of a combat.
Limitations on Style Specialization
A character may begin play with only one Style Specialization. If he is a single-class Warrior, he may learn others as he gains new Weapon Proficiencies through experience.
Only Warriors, Rogues, and Priests can buy Style Specializations. Only Warriors and Rogues can buy the Two-Weapon Style Specialization. Only single-class Warriors can ever learn more than one Style Specialization.
Comments