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- Armor Optimization (Physical 1, Dexterity/Balance -2)—This skill allows a character
to use his armor to best advantage against a particular opponent.
A successful skill check in the first round of any combat gives
a -1 bonus to the character's Armor Class in that situation. (A
situation is any combat in which the character engages.) Any hit
on the character using Armor Optimization negates the AC bonus
for the remainder of the combat.
- The character must be wearing some type of armor or employing
a shield in order to use the Armor Optimization skill. The bonus
provided by this skill is not cumulative with the Gladiator skill
of the same name. However, if a character has a skill score of
90% or higher in this skill, he is considered a specialist and
receive a -2 bonus to AC and looses only one point of the bonus
on a successful hit. Thus, two hits are required to negate the
total bonus.
- Armor Use (Physical 50)—A character can spend time and effort learning
how to use armor more efficiently. While this doesn't provide
a bonus to Armor Class, it can help to offset the hefty encumbrance
penalties of heavy armor. A character who spends 50 physical skill
points to become acquainted with a type of armor gains the special
benefit of only suffering one-half the normal encumbrance of that
armor type. A character who allocates 100 physical skill points
to Armor Use cuts the encumberance penalty for all armor types.
- For example, chain mail normally weighs 40 pounds,but a character
with the Armor Use skill for chain mail only has to count 20 lbs.
toward his encumbrance level. This represents the character's
training in wearing the armor the right way and his practice in
moving aroundwhile wearing 30 or 40 pounds of iron.
- Artillerist (Mental 50)—A character with this skill can direct the siting
and operation of a bombardment engine. The maximum number of engines
the character can control is equal to one-third of the character's
Charisma/Leadership score, provided that the engines are no farther
apart than the character can sprint in a single round.
- Disarm (Physical 50/100)—This maneuver is an excellent way to remove an enemy's advantage due to specialization or a powerful magical
weapon. Schools that stress this option often teach students to
specialize in this technique, allowing them to learn the Disarm
skill. Devoting 50 physical points to this skill allows a character
to make disarm attacks against an AC 2, instead of the normal
AC 0. Spending an additional 50 physical skill points to specialize
in this skill removes all attack penalties, allowing the character
attempting to disarm to attack against AC 4. Offensive disarms
still delay the attackers action by one phase.
- Display Weapon Prowess (Physical 1, Dexterity/Balance)—Characters who have this skill
can put on an impressive display of weapon prowess without fighting
at all—swords whooshing in a blur, daggers flashing, arrows splitting
melons in tow. An individual must use a weapon with which he or
she is already proficient, but weapon specialization has no further
effect. The "show" takes at least one round. Those who are impressed
are forced to make a morale check. (Results are outlined below.)
- Not everyone is swayed by weapon prowess. Characters must pay
attention before this skill has an impact. For example, this skill
might be useful in staring down a guard at the city gate, but
would do nothing against a screaming mob or a charging band of
desert raiders.
- Further, characters who have this skill must be of equal or higher
level (or Hit Dice) than their audience to impress them. For instance,
low-level warriors with flashing blades might awe the equally
low-level city guards. But bullying their way through the sultan's
elite vanguard would be another matter entirely. Creatures of
higher level or Hit: Dice than an individual using Display Weapon
Prowess are not impressed; they do not make morale checks.
- Morale Check Results: Characters who make successful morale checks can see that an
individual with this skill handles a weapon well; otherwise they're
unaffected. Characters who fail their morale checks react in a
manner suited to the circumstances at hand.
- If the situation isn't desperate, and violence isn't inevitable,
characters who fail their checks are likely to try talking to
the individual with weapon prowess; else they'll simply back away.
They won't surrender outright, but they'll realize that the individual
is not the sort to trifle with.
- In some instances, walking away and talking things over are not
viable options. For example, if guards at the sultan's treasury
fail their checks, they'll stay at their posts and remain willing
to fight. If forced into combat, however, they'll suffer a -1
attack penalty.
- Player characters are not affected by morale checks. If an individual
with this skill attempts to awe a PC, the DM should provide a
frank evaluation of the display, based on level and success. For
example, the DM might. say, "She looks darned good with that sword.
Your PC might be able to beat her in a fair fight," or "This son of a dark camel
looks like he picked up his swordsmanship watching jesters in
the marketplace." Then it's up to the player to decide how the
PC reacts.
- Dueling (Mental 1, Charisma/Appearance)—The Dueling skill provides its
possessor with knowledge of all the rules of dueling for the different
nations and states of Fälgorna.This applies to duels with swords,
bows and other weapons, and even martial arts, but not magical
duels. The character can mediate duels and never makes a rules
misstep when participating in one.
- Characters with this skill are also very calm an collected during
a duel. Those who make a successful skill check can stare down
an opponent for a full round and share that opponent’s resolve.
The opponent suffers a -2 pentalty to his or her next attack roll.
In addition, opponents with the Fast Draw skill suffer a -10% penalty on their next attempt to use this
skill. As an exception to these penalties, opponents who possess
the Dueling skill can make a skill check to avoid its effects
when the skill is used against them.
 
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