##### Rules Fighting skills can be purchased as styles. Each style is a ‘package’ of multiple weapons, related by culture, career or even schools of combat, which avoids the necessity of learning each individual weapon separately. Deciding how many weapons should be included into a single style is ultimately a choice determined by the Games Master. However, some guidance is provided here to help tailor Combat Styles to match a particular campaign theme. The most important aspect of Combat Styles is that the character learns how to use each weapon in the style, both singly and in combination, so that they might be interchanged as necessary. Combat training does not focus merely on using a specific weapon or weapons under best conditions, but also covers what to do when placed at a severe disadvantage. Such cross-training is a primary part of preparing a combatant for the unpredictable events of the battlefield, where weapon breakage or becoming disarmed is always a potential possibility. Note that combat style focus on specific _weapons_, contrary to skills. For example, learning the Broadsword as part of a combat style is not the same thing as the "Sword, One Handed (1H)" skill. Someone with that combat style at 80% can use a Broadsword as well as someone with "Sword, One Handed (1H)" at 80%, but would be less efficient with a Shortsword whereas someone with the skill would still be at 80%. Almost all characters begin with the chance to learn a cultural combat style. This is supposed to reflect a basic education in those weapons available for a member of that society and social rank, reflecting the training given for community (or perhaps personal) defence. Thus a barbarian carl may be expected to know how to use a spear, hand axe, and bow – the fundamental weapons and tools of a commoner; whereas a thane from the same community, growing up with access to better weapons, may be trained in swords, spears, and shields instead. Some careers such as hunter or warrior offer the option to learn different or further styles. These should reflect more unusual weapons, or weapons normally restricted from someone not of their profession. So continuing the previous example, if the carl decided to become a mercenary he might learn a new style, diversifying his competence to include glaives, great axes, and thrown axes. Finally, a character can choose a style if either his primary (main parent) or secondary (other parent) occupation correspond to that style. ##### Character Generation Available to all Occupations: Fyrdman Available for the following Occupations: * **Herder**, **Farmer**, **Forager**: Slinger * **Hunter**: Wolf Hunter, Slinger * **Noble** Weapon Thegn, Horse Thegn * **Warrior**: Two Styles amongst Berserker, Weapon Thegn, Horse Thegn, Wolf Hunter ##### Combat Styles Description **Fyrdman**: Short Spear (2H), Handaxe, Wooden Buckler, Sling **Berserker**: Greatsword or Great Axe, Broadsword or Battle Axe, Target Shield, Intimidating Scream (Style encourages frequent yells and bellows in combat to intimidate foes, making any psychological resistance rolls inflicted on an opponent one grade harder) **Weapon Thegn**: Broadsword, Battle Axe, Barbarian Shield, Target Shield, Self Bow, Swashbuckling (Style allows the user to engage in attacks and evades made whilst jumping or swinging into (or disengaging from) combat, ignoring any skill cap placed on it by the Athletics skill.) **Horse Thegn**: Short Spear (1H), Shortsword, Horse Bow, Target Shield, Mounted Combat (Style allows rider to ignore the skill cap placed upon combat rolls by the Ride skill.) **Slinger**: Sling, Handaxe, Target Shield, Skirmisher (The style permits launching ranged attacks whilst at a run (but not whilst sprinting)) **Wolf Hunter**: Longbow, Handaxe, Dagger, Ranged Marksman (One level of [[Guided Attack (Ranged)]] for free with a longbow) ##### Combat Style Benefits Combat styles possess another function beyond simply learning a group of weapon skills. Since each style is taught by a particular culture or career, they are inherently optimised for the environment or military tactics that group normally fights with; for instance a horse nomad learns to fight from the saddle, or an infantryman trains to fight in close order formation. Therefore, as an additional bonus, every Combat Style may gain one or more traits which grant it an advantage under certain circumstances. This can be thought of as an inbuilt technical advantage the style offers for those particular situations. However, a trait is only intended to be used with the weapons and situations of that particular style. There are limitless diverse and potential benefits a Combat Style can enjoy. The adjacent table merely suggests a few possibilities, and is intended to offer flavour rather than overwhelming tactical advantage. Games Masters are encouraged to create further ones to match their campaign setting. Note that some of these benefits can potentially be applied, by extension, to the Unarmed skill – either learned via culture or added later as part of a profession. ##### Use of Weapons not Covered by a Combat Style Occasionally characters may be forced to pick up an unfamiliar weapon, using it either independently or in conjunction with a trained weapon. A character with a Sword and Shield style might, for example, be forced to use a mace, or mace and shield together. By rights, using an untrained weapon forces the user to fight at his base Combat Style percentage. However, much depends on the weapon and how similar it is to something the user is experienced with. Some guidelines on using unfamiliar weapons are as follows: * If a weapon is substantially different from a trained weapon – in weight, size, length and method of use – then offensive and defensive actions are made at the base Combat Style skill (ie, STR+DEX). * If a weapon is reasonably different from a trained weapon – say a greatsword when the combatant is trained with a broadsword – then offensive and defensive actions are based on the existing Combat Style but are two grades more difficult. * If a weapon is broadly similar to a trained weapon – say a shortsword when the combatant is trained with a broadsword – then offensive and defensive actions are one grade more difficult. * If a weapon is similar to a trained weapon – a scimitar say, as opposed to a broadsword – then the character uses his existing Combat Style with no penalty. * If a combatant is using an unfamiliar weapon in conjunction with a trained weapon, such as a shield, then the trained Combat Style is used, but is one grade harder. This simulates the compensation in the overall style the combatant must make (adjusting balance, accounting for heft, and so on) necessary to use a combination of trained and untrained weapons. * The penalty imposed by use of an unfamiliar weapon cannot reduce the user’s skill below the default level of STR+DEX. #RQ #RQ/Rules