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- Weapon and Shield Style (Physical 50) — This style provides the character with the defensive
benefits of a shield and still allows a decent offense. Warriors,
priests and psionicists normally know the Weapon and Shield fighting
style.
- There are two disadvantages to this style. First, the character
is limited to using a single one-handed weapon, since his other
hand has the shield. Secondly, if he wants to quickly empty a
hand, he has to drop his weapon. Most shields are strapped to
the arm and take a full round to remove.
- A character employing a shield in his off-hand can: shield-rush,
shield-punch, block or trap as if the shield were a secondary
weapon (normal penalties for attacking with two weapons apply).
The disadvantage is that the shield’s AC bonus is forfeited during
any round in which it is used in this way.
- Specialization: A character who specializes in Weapon and Shield Style can choose
to make a secondary attack (shield-rush, shield-punch, trap or
block) every round without losing the AC benefit for carrying
a shield. In a heroic fray, the character only gets one secondary
attack, not two, but his primary weapon attacks are still doubled.
- Wilderness Fighting Style (Physical 50) — The wilderness is dangerous and an adventurer
often run across orcs, ogres and even giants during his travels.
The intelligent character seldom attacks such creatures by himself.
With help from allies, however, he can utilize this fighting style
to help bring down a more powerful enemy.
- To learn the Wilderness Fighting Style, the character must fulfill
three prerequisites. First, he must be proficient in a melee weapon
of medium- to large-size. Second, he must possess either the One-handed Weapon or Two-Weapon Fighting Style. Third, the character must be a rogue, Variquesti elf or kobold
to use this skill. When all three prerequisites have been met,
the character may purchase this style for 50 physical skill points.
- The wilderness style provides two benefits. First, it allows the
character to make one attack of opportunity per round, but only
if he can strike from behind or if he can strike while an ally
is fighting the creature at simultaneously. Basically, the rogue
leaps in, makes his attack, and then gets out of the way before
he can be attacked himself. If conditions are right, the rogue
may backstab with his attack of opportunity.
- Second, a rogue with the Weakness Identification skill can use the distractions caused by the attacks of his allies
to more effectively locate a vulnerability on a creature. To locate
a weak spot in a creature requires the rogue to spend a round
studying the opponent without attacking. Then, a Weakness Identification
skill check is made with a +20% bonus to the skill score. If the
check fails, the rogue cannot locate a weakness. If the check
succeeds, the rogue has found a vulnerability in the creature
and may attack that area using the same rules described for the
Weakness Identification skill.
- Wild Fighting (Physical 2, Constitution/Health) — A character with this fighting
style, also known as berserking, has the ability to whip himself
into an attack frenzy, employing a fierce combat style which is
devoid of discipline.
- To use Wild Fighting, the character must make a skill check just
before combat ensues. If the check succeeds, he receives the following
benefits and penalties:
- One additional attack (beyond the normal limit) each round;
- +3 bonus to all damage rolls;
- Armor Class is penalized by 3 (to a limit of AC 10);
- To hit rolls are penalized by -3.
- If the check fails, the character receives both of the penalties
but neither of the benefits. Regardless of whether the check succeeds
or fails, the effects last for the duration of the battle or for
one hour, whichever comes first.
- After the battle ends or an hour passes, the character must rest
for an hour before he can use the skill again. While he rests,
the character may take no actions other than light travel (such
as riding a slow-moving horse). If he must walk, he can’t use
the skill again until four hours have passed. If he does not rest,
he suffers the following penalties:
- -15% penalty to all skill checks;
- -5 penalty to Armor Class;
- -5 penalty to hit;
- +1 per die of damage suffered by the character.
- The penalties remain in effect until the character rests for the
indicated period.
- Zero-Gravity Combat (Physical 50) — Only a character who has experience in Wildspace
can learn this fighting style.
- A character who learns the Zero-Gravity Combat fighting style
is skilled in fighting in the absence of gravity. When fighting
in conditions of zero-gravity, the character suffers only a one-phase
penalty to action in combat and a -1 penalty to hit (as compared
to a three-phase combat action penalty and -2 penalty to hit for
characters without this skill). Furthermore, the character retains
the ability to use special combat abilities, such as martial arts,
while drifting in space. Finally, the character can roughly steer
a course in space by throwing objects away from him and by shifting
toward large objects. He cannot control his speed, however, and
can only slightly affect his course.
- Specialization: A character that spends 100 physical points (total) on this
skill is considered a style specialist and negates all penalties
when fighting in conditions of zero-gravity.
 
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