Character Creation	Character Classes	Skill Mastery	Weapon Mastery

        eapon Mastery allows a character to focus on a few select weapons showing superior training in a few select weapons at the cost of no real ability in others.  Demihumans and humanoids have the advantage of receiving a basic level of training in all weapons commonly used by their respective races.  While humans lag behind quickly, the warriors and fighting orders of men learn much more quickly letting them advance to far greater skills more quickly than even the most stalwart of veteran dwarves.

Free Weapon Choices

Number of Choices by Class & Level

New Weapons

         Because of the dangerous and violent nature of the world characters find themselves in all are considered to have a basic level of skill with a few very common fighting styles.  These do not count against the normally alotted amount for any character class.  A meta-game logic was also applied because fighters frequently have no aptitude in wielding either a dagger or a club, yet these are two of the most commonly used and seen weapons in the Known World.  An argument could easily be made that adventurers are atypical in nature resulting in offbeat training compared to the experiences many others have to represent the choices players made.  This is a fair argument; however, our own group has been using this optional rule and it has led to no major changes or upheavals in the campaign.

        The following short list are the fighting styles known at a basic level by all classes:

        •  Unarmed Strikes
        •  Wrestling
        •  Clubs (note magic-users cannot advance their Mastery of this weapon above Basic)
        •  Daggers (note that clerics are typically not allowed to wield daggers in combat)

        Standard Mastery Advancement rules apply (unless noted otherwise), so while a character starts with a Basic level of Mastery in these choices, they cannot spend any additional Choices to improve beyond basic until at least 3rd level.

 

        When human characters are first created they are given a certain number of weapon choices that can be used to learn any weapon normally available to the chosen class.  As the character advance additional Choices are received that can be used to learn new weapons or increase their level of mastery in a weapon already known to them.  At first all classes receive Choices at the same rate, but at the higher levels fighers gain Choices more quickly giving the warriors a chance to showcase an dizzying level of ability in the greatest number of weapons.

       •  Cleric Weapons Allowed: Any weapon not edged or pointed (note some immortals grant specific exceptions to this limitation)

       •  Fighter Weapons Allowed: Any

       •  Thief Weapons Allowed: Any missile weapon and any one-handed melee weapon

       •  Magic-User Weapons Allowed: Dagger, Staff, Blowgun, Flaming Oil, Holy Water, Net, Thrown Rock, Sling, and Whip

        As human characters advance in level additional Choices are earned at the levels on the table below.  Demi-humans gain additional choices on levels 3, 6, and 9 (dwarves also earn an additional Choice at 11th level).  After reaching their maximum normal level additional Choice is recieved at every other Attack Rank (or Variant Level) Advanced.

Experience Level	Fighters	Clerics	Thieves	Magic Users		Experience Level	Fighters	Clerics	Thieves	Magic Users
1	6	4	3	2		20	13	10	9	8
3	7	5	4	3		23	14	10	9	8
6	8	6	5	4		26	15	11	10	9
9	9	7	6	5		29	16	11	10	9
11	10	8	7	6		32	17	12	11	10
14	11	9	8	7		34	18	12	11	10
17	12	9	8	7		36	19	12	11	10

 

        There are an amazing number of different weapons that can be found across the Known World used by its many different peoples and lands.  What follows is a small listing of additional weapons available for use.

       •  Flail
       •  Karaash Sword
       •  Morningstar
       •  Rapier

 

Flail          From the Vaults of Pandius
	Mastery	Ranges	Damage	Defense	Special
[P = H]	Basic	---	2d6	---	---
	Skilled	---	1d6+2	H: +1 AC / 1	Deflect (1)
Cost: 5gp Enc: 40cn 1-Handed Shields   allowed	Expert	---	1d8+2	H: +1 AC / 2	Deflect (2)
	Master	---	P: 1d8+4   S: 1d6+3	H: +2 AC / 2	Deflect (3)
	Grand Master	--- 10 /20 /30	P: 2d6+5  S: 1d8+4	H: +2 AC / 3	Deflect (4)

 

Karaash Sword           Inspired by Gaz 8: the Orcs of Thar
	Mastery	Ranges	Damage	Defense	Special
[P = H]	Basic	---	1d10	---	---
	Skilled	---	1d10+3	---	Deflect (1) + Stun
Cost: 5gp Enc: 40cn 1-Handed Shields   allowed	Expert	---	1d10+6	---	Deflect (2) + Stun
	Master	---	P: 1d10+10   S: 1d10+8	---	Deflect (3) + Stun
	Grand Master	--- 10 /20 /30	P: 1d8+16  S: 1d8+12	---	Deflect (4) + Stun
	Note:  If the wielder of a Karaash sword is Skilled or above and has a Strength of 16 or greater they can use this weapon one handed. Note: Because of this weapon's orcish origins, no demihuman starts with training in this weapon and humans have it only under very unusual circumstances.

 

Morningstar          From the Vaults of Pandius
	Mastery	Ranges	Damage	Defense	Special
[P = H]	Basic	---	1d6+1	---	---
Cost: 5gp Enc: 30cn	Skilled	---	1d8	H: +1 AC / 1	Disarm (save) +      Stun
	Expert	---	1d8+4	H: +1 AC / 2	Disarm (save +1) +      Stun
	Master	---	P: 2d6+4   S: 2d4+4	H: +1 AC / 3	Disarm (save +2) +      Stun
	Grand Master	--- 10 /20 /30	P: 2d8+4  S: 2d6+4	H: +1 AC / 4	Disarm (save +3) +      Stun

 

Rapier           From Dragon Magazine , #176, p. 46
	Mastery	Ranges	Damage	Defense	Special
[P = H]	Basic	---	2d4-1	---	---
	Skilled	---	1d8+1	H: +2 AC / 2	Deflect (1**)      Disarm (save)
	Expert	---  -- /10 /20	1d8+2  1d8+1*	H: +2 AC / 3	Deflect (2**)      Disarm (save + 2)
	Master	---  -- /10 /20	P: 1d12   S: 1d10*	H: +3 AC / 3	Deflect (3**)      Disarm (save + 4)
	Grand Master	--- 10 /20 /30	P: 1d12+1  S: 1d10+1*	H: +4 AC / 4	Deflect (3**)      Disarm (save + 6)

 

 

Return to the Table of Contents