NWoD Fantasy:martial order

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The Martial Order

Unlike the other orders, the martial order has no spells to speak of. Instead, training in the martial order grants you access to special merits called 'techniques'. These special merits function fundamentally the same as any other merit, however, they cost slightly more at new dots x 3. The list of techniques are as follows.

Name	Effect	Cost
Arced Strike	Ranged attacks can arc around corners or walls	●●●
Armored Hulk	Gain 1 damage absorption while wearing heavy armor	●●●●●
Call Weapon	Call a dropped or lost weapon into your hand instantly	●●
Cleave	Grants an extra attack after felling an opponent	●●
Great Cleave	Extra attack deals aggravated damage	●●
Deadly Strikes	Makes your brawl attacks deal lethal damage	●
Precise Blow	Grants damage bonus to unarmed attacks	● to ●●●●●
Stunning Fist	Initiates an attack which may stun the target	●●●
Deflect Arrows	Negate one arrow or bolt attack	●●
Dodge	Gain +1 defense against a chosen opponent	●
Double Edge	Take stamina score in lethal and deal the same as aggravated	●●●
Energy Weapon	Manifests a weapon of pure energy into your hands	●●
Flying Kick	Deliver a deadly flying kick as part of a charge	●●●
Improvised Weapons Master	Additional benefits when using improvised weapons	●●
Longshot	Increases chosen weapon's range by 1.5x	●
Master Grappler	Perform two maneuvers in a grapple at once	●●●
Mighty Blow	Trades successes on an attack roll to push the enemy back	●●●
Phasic Weapon	Initiates an attack that bypasses armor	●●●
Rage	Fly into a deadly rage gaining various combat bonuses	●●●●
Mighty Rage	Improves the rage ability	●●●
Second wind	Heal lethal damage equal to stamina score once per day	●●●
Sunder	Attacks on weapons/armor bypass durability	●●
Sweeping Blow	Initiates an attack that may knock opponent prone	●●●
Opportune Strike	Gain free attack when knocking an opponent prone	●●●●
Thief	Gain a +1 on Larceny and Stealth skill	●●
Secret Blade	Attacking with concealed weapon deals extra damage	●●●
Surprise Attack	Attacks from behind or on unaware subjects gain 3 damage	●●●●
Throw Weapon	Gives chosen weapon an aerodynamic range	●
Tuned Weapon	Weapon glows when a certain enemy is close-by	●
Favored Enemy	Deal +1 damage when attacking a specific enemy	●●
Weapon Focus	Gives damage bonus with a specific weapon	● to ●●●
Slay	Allows a single attack to deal aggravated damage	●●●
Whirlwind Attack	Deadly attack hits all opponents within range	●●●●

Arced Strike (●●●)

Effect: When selecting this technique, choose a class of ranged weapon (bow, spear, or otherwise) to use it with. When using the chosen weapon, you can cause ranged attacks to arc up to 90° in mid-air. At the expense of 1 willpower, your attacks can change angle up to 360° in mid-flight.

Armored Hulk (●●●●●)

Effect: While wearing size 3 or higher armor, gain 1 lethal damage absorption from physical attacks. 2 bashing damage equals 1 lethal for this purpose. This ability is ineffective against aggravated damage and ceases to function if you are unaware of the attack

Call Weapon (●●)

Effect: When taking this merit you can mark one chosen weapon. With that weapon, you can call it back into your hands from any location as an instant action. You can only mark one weapon at a time, and you can change the marked weapon once per day.

Cleave (●●)

Effect: After successfully slaying or rending an opponent unconscious in combat, you gain a free instant action which may be dedicated to making an immediate melee attack against the nearest available target.

Great Cleave (●●)

Prerequisite: Cleave

Effect: When gaining an extra attack from cleave, convert all damage rolled during the attack to aggravated damage.

Deadly Strikes (●)

Effect: When fighting unarmed, you may treat your brawl attacks as lethal instead of bashing.

Double Edge (●●●)

Effect: While making a melee or ranged attack, you can choose to take an amount of

lethal damage equal to your stamina score, and deal the same amount of aggravated damage to the your opponent. You may only perform this technique a number of times per day equal to your stamina.

Energy Weapon (●●)

Effect: When choosing this technique you gain the ability to summon a single elemental weapon. The weapon itself mimics any other standard weapon, selected when this technique is taken. However, the weapon can also be summoned as a free action on your turn. When the weapon is 'dormant' it is considered fully concealed and impossible to see. When summoned, the weapon glows brightly casting dim illumination around in a 10 yard radius. Bows and crossbows form their own ammo, and thrown weapons appear back in the owners hands at the beginning of their next turn. This technique can be taken multiple times, each time applying itself to a new form of energy weapon.

Flying Kick (●●●)

Effect: When charging and making a brawl attack in the same round, treat the attack as having the 8 again trait. This technique can only deal bashing damage.

Improvised Weapons Master (●●)

Effect: When using improvised objects as a weapon, you gain a +2 bonus on damage rolls. Improvised weapons come in a variety of forms, for a final rule on what designates an improvised weapon, defer to the storyteller. Note: Most improvised weapons have a damage bonus equal to their size.

Longshot (●)

Effect: When selecting this technique, choose a class of ranged weapon (bow, spear, or otherwise) to use it with. When using the chosen weapon, increase its range by 1.5x the original amount.

Sunder (●●)

Effect: When striking an opponent's weapon or armor, your attacks can bypass up to 5 points of durability per hit.

Sweeping Blow (●●●)

Effect: On your turn, you may attempt to trip your opponent instead of damaging them

directly. Your target must succeed on a dexterity + athletics check VS your melee attack pool – the target's defense. If you meet or beat your opponent's roll, they fall to the ground prone.

Opportune Strike (●●●●)

Prerequisite: Sweeping Blow

Effect: When you force your opponent to fall prone via sweeping blow, you gain an immediate free melee attack against them.

Thief (●●)

Effect: When selecting this technique, you gain a permanent +1 to your stealth and larceny skills.

Secret Blade (●●●)

Prerequisite: Quick Draw, Thief

Effect: When drawing and attacking with a concealed weapon in the same round, that attack bypasses all defense and receives the 8 again trait.

Surprise Attack (●●●●)

Prerequisite: Thief

Effect: Whenever you initiate a melee or ranged attack from behind, on a surprised opponent, or on an unaware opponent, you automatically deal 3 lethal damage in addition to your normal attack, you must gain at least 1 success on your normal attack to gain this damage bonus.

Throw Weapon (●)

Effect: With this technique you can throw any melee weapon at no penalty, in addition, when calculating the range of the weapon, treat it as an aerodynamic object.

Precise Blow (● to ●●●●●)

Prerequisite: Deadly Strikes

Effect: Each dot invested in this technique increases your brawl damage by 1 lethal or 1 bashing. This damage bonus doesn't stack with any weapons used as part of a brawl attack.

Stunning Fist (●●●)

Prerequisite: Deadly Strikes

Effect: Once per encounter, you may attempt to stun your target with a unarmed strike in addition to dealing damage. To perform this technique, you must first make a standard brawl attack against the intended target, defense and armor apply normally. If you deal damage, the target must make a stamina + composure check VS the amount of damage dealt. If the target fails to beat the amount of damage dealt with their roll, they are stunned for 1 round.

Deflect Arrows (●●)

Prerequisite: Dexterity ●●●●

Effect: As a reflexive instant action you may attempt to avoid a single ranged arrow or bolt attack per round. You must make a brawl + dexterity + athletics roll VS the incoming ranged attack pool. If you meet or beat the attacker's roll, you completely deflect the oncoming attack. Performing this maneuver denies you your defense until the end of your next turn.

Dodge (●)

Effect: During your action, you designate an opponent and receive a +1 defense against attacks from that opponent. You can select a new opponent on any action. You can only apply your dodge bonus to a target you are aware of.

Master Grappler (●●●)

Effect: When preforming a grappling maneuver, you can perform an extra maneuver immediately after the first. You cannot, however, perform two of the same maneuver (such as damage an opponent twice).

Mighty Blow (●●●)

Effect: When making an attack, you can trade successes gained to push your opponent back. For each success gained on your attack, you push your opponent back 1 yard. When knocking your opponent beyond 3 yards they must succeed on a dexterity + athletics check or be knocked prone.

Phasic Weapon (●●●)

Effect: At the expense of 1 willpower, your weapon gains the ability to bypass all armor for 3 consecutive rounds.

Rage (●●●●)

Effect: Once per scene, you can fly into a rage for a number of rounds equal to your stamina + composure. While raging you suffer a -2 penalty to defense and gain a +2 bonus to your strength and stamina. After the rage ends, you are physically exhausted and move at half your speed and suffer a -1 to strength for the remaining duration of the encounter.

Mighty Rage (●●●)

Prerequisite: Rage

Effect: When you fly into a rage, you now gain a +4 to your strength and stamina instead of a +2. You still suffer the same defense penalty and become fatigued after the rage ends.

Second Wind (●●●)

Effect: Once per day, you can channel your own strength into healing any injuries you may have suffered. You may heal a number of lethal points of damage equal to your unmodified stamina score. You may also heal 2 bashing in place of 1 lethal, or heal 1 aggravated wound per 2 lethal.

Tuned Weapon (●)

Effect: When selecting this technique, choose a type of enemy (Ghosts, vampires, werewolves, ...etc) When that enemy comes within 500 yards of your location, your weapon glows a chosen color. This merit can be taken multiple times, each time it applies to a new type of enemy.

Favored Enemy (●●)

Prerequisite: Tuned Weapon

Effect: When attacking an enemy type chosen as the focus of your tuned weapon technique, you gain a +1 damage pool bonus when fighting them. This technique applies against all chosen enemies associated with the tuned weapon technique.

Weapon Focus (● to ●●●)

Effect: When selecting this technique, choose a type of weapon to use it with. When using the chosen weapon, you gain bonus damage equal to the amount of dots invested in this technique. The type of damage added to the attack is native to the weapon chosen, be it lethal or bashing.

Slay (●●●)

Prerequisite: Weapon Focus

Effect: At the expense of 1 willpower, you can cause one attack to deal aggravated damage once per scene. The attack must be initiated with a weapon affected by the weapon focus technique.

Whirlwind Attack (●●●●)

Effect: Once per encounter, you can initiate this technique to quickly strike all opponents within melee range. Each attack is rolled separately, dealing 2 dice less damage on each attack after the first. Armor and defense apply normally. Executing this technique leaves you vulnerable, causing you to lose your defense bonus until the beginning of your next turn.