NWoD Valdera:merits FS
Merits: Fighting Styles[edit]
A number of Fighting Styles from the core books already fit well with the world of Valdera and are listed below with their book and page number. As always any ST is welcome to allow other fighting styles if they like. Additionally several fighting styles unique to Valdera are presented below.
Archery (Armory p208)
Berserker (Armory Reloaded p113)
Grappling (Armory Reloaded p67)
Langschwert (Armory Reloaded p83)
Sword and Shield (Armory Reloaded p 92)
Two Weapon Fighting (WoD p 112)
Fighting Style: Myranthian Swordsmanship
Prerequisites: Strength 2, Composure 3, Weaponry 3
Effect: Your character has devoted years to learning the Myranthian style of sword fighting. Perhaps he grew up in Myranthia and was raised in one of its military schools or he grew up in a Noble house and was privileged enough to have a Myranthian tutor.
Dots purchased in this Merit allow access to special combat maneuvers. Each maneuver is a prerequisite for the nex. So, your character can't have "Final Blow" until he has "Flury of Steel." The maneuvers and their effects are described below. All of the following maneuvers work only with one or two handed swords.
Analyze Opponent (•) - Your character has learned to watch an opponent and quickly discover their strengths and weaknesses. For each round of combat past the first you ignore 1 point of your enemies defense. This is cumulative. So the second round you ignore 1 point of their defense, the third 2 points, etc. This starts once initiative has been rolled and continues even if there is a pause in the combat. When facing several opponents you can only Analyze one at a time.
Killer Instinct (••) - Long hours of practice with the sword has made dodging and parrying second nature, you may use the higher of your Wits or Dexterity to determine your defense.
Decisive Strike (•••) - Your inner calm is so great that even in the heat of battle you can keep a cool head. When performing an all out attack you gain a number of dice equal to your composure score instead of +2.
Flurry of Steel (••••) - Capitalizing on your momentum in combat you can deliver a flurry of blows. You can make a number of attacks equal to your composure score. Each attack beyond the first suffers a cumulative -1. So the 2nd attack is at -1, the 3rd at -2, etc.
Drawback: You can not use your defense on the turn you use Flurry of Steel.
Final Blow (•••••) - Understanding their opponents defense, your character makes a single attack with the intent of ending the combat with a decisive blow. If you score even a single success on your attack roll then you gain your Composure in automatic successes on the attack. You must spend a point of Willpower to use Final Blow.
Drawback: You can not use your defense on the round you attempt Final Blow.
Fighting Style: Arkadian Swordsmanship
Prerequisites: Strength 2, Wits 3, Weaponry 3
Effect: Through years of training and experiance your character has learned the Arkadian style of Swordsmanship. Perhaps he studied to be a Halqin, or maybe he grew up in a court that owned one of the Assassins and was trained by him.
Dots purchased in this Merit allow access to special combat maneuvers. Each maneuver is a prerequisite for the nex. So, your character can't have "Fatal Blow" until he has "Defensive Blow." The maneuvers and their effects are described below. All of the following maneuvers work only with one handed swords, and may not be used if also using a shield.
Way of the Mongoose (•) - Speed, both of mind and of body, is often the deciding factor in a conflict of steel. Through long hours of practice your character has honed their speed to almost inhuman levels and is rarely the last to strike. Your character adds their Wits + Composure + Dexterity to their initiative rather then just their Dexterity + Composure.
Precise strike (••) - A suit of armor is only as strong as its weakest point. Your character has learned to target the joints and gaps were an enemies armor is weakest and strike where he can inflict the most damage. He gains +1 Armor penetration.
Sandstorm Strike (•••) - Sometimes the Halqin must face down multiable foes. An assassin with this level of training can attack two enemies with a single strike. After making a successful attack against a foe the assassin can make a single attack against one additional foe, but suffers -1 on the roll.
Drawback: You can not use your defense on the turn you use Sandstorm strike.
Defensive Blow (••••) - Even a master of the blade may find himself on the defensive. By spending a willpower point the Halqin can make a single attack at -2 on the same round as he performs a dodge.
Fatal Blow (•••••) - The Assassin delivers a fatal blow, targeting an enemies weakest point and exploiting it. On the turn the Halquin uses fatal blow they may make a single attack as a rote action. Doing so costs a willpower. Fatal blow may only be used once per scene.
Drawback: You may not use your defense on the turn you use Fatal Blow.
