Duelist

Duelist

“In this waltz, your every step is anticipated, your every move countered. I suggest you savor the final notes; they're the most thrilling.”

Berserkers, Guardians and Warriors all exist to protect their allies. The Duelist is different. The Duelist exists only to end lives. They combine speed, grace and a sharp tongue with a canny patience, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. Their mastery of their weapons is second to none, as is their speed and wit.

Duelists are renowned for their agility on the battlefield. Every step is calculated, every maneuver executed with finesse. They weave through the chaos, avoiding blows with a dancer's grace, and retaliating with a lethal elegance that catches foes off guard.

Patience is a virtue the Duelist understands well. They bide their time, waiting for the opportune moment to unleash devastating strikes. Their mastery over their chosen weapons is unparalleled. Whether wielding a langsax, dagger, or dual blades, they move with a fluidity that blurs the line between art and combat. Every strike is a testament to years of discipline and dedication.

Attributes

When you select Duelist as your Class, increase your Agility score by +1. You will receive a second attribute improvement when you select your Style.

Stamina

When you select this class, increase your maximum stamina by twenty, plus five times your Body score. Your recoveries are equal to three plus your Body score.

Training

You are trained in shields. You receive one training rank in each of Blades, Insight and Unarmed Combat. Choose three skills from the following list, plus a number equal to your Education score: Acrobatics, Athletics, Deception, Diplomacy, Intimidation, Perception, Performance, Sleight of Hand, Society. You receive one training rank in each of the selected skills.

Defences

You are trained in Agility and Foresight defences. Add your level to the total of these defences.

Basic Attacks

The Duelist specializes in melee combat, and as such, their ranged basic attacks are not very powerful.

Melee: Skill vs Agility.

Hit: 2[W] + Agility damage. The damage dice increase by 1[W] per level past the first.
Miss: 1[W] + Agility damage. The damage dice increases to 2[W] at level 4.

You lose your Agility bonus damage if you are using a heavy weapon.

Ranged: Skill vs Agility.

Hit: 2[W] + Dexterity damage. The damage dice increases to 2[W] at level 4.
Miss: 1[W] + Dexterity damage.

Master of Blades

When using a Light or Medium Blade, or any Light melee weapon, the Duelist may use Agility as their controlling attribute, rather than the usual controlling attribute for that weapon's skill.

Panache

To the Duelist, it is not enough to simply defeat your foes; you must do it with style! At the start of each combat, the Duelist receives one point of Panache for every Victory that their party has claimed.

The artful dance of dodging and parrying fuels the Duelist's style. At the start of your turn, if your character was attacked and missed since the end of your previous turn, you gain one point of Panache, to a maximum of your level plus your Style's attribute (Foresight for the Cunning Strategist, Charisma for the Gallant Blade, or Dexterity for the Keen Edge).

When you make a melee attack of any sort against a foe, and are not using a heavy weapon, you may spend one point of Panache. If you do so, you take favour on your attack roll against that foe, and may embellish the description of your attack.

Finishing Moves

A Duelist who has Panache may use Finishing Moves against a foe. However, not only must the Duelist have Panache to use a Finishing Move, but they must also have favour on the attack roll against that foe. If you choose to spend Panache to get that favour, you must still have Panache remaining to use the Finishing Move.

Style

The Duelist thrives in the dance of blades, their movements a deadly ballet of precision and lethality. These warriors hone their skills not just in raw power, but in mastering specific fighting styles. Choosing a Duelist Style allows you to tailor your combat prowess to your strengths, becoming a master of precision, a clever tactician, or a wisecracking scoundrel, all while maintaining the elegance and lethality that defines the Duelist class.

Cunning Strategist

The Cunning Strategist relies on careful planning, observation, and anticipation to gain the upper hand in combat. They are adept at reading their opponents' movements and exploiting weaknesses in their tactics.

If you select this style, increase your Foresight attribute by +1. If your Insight skill is not trained, you receive one training rank in that skill, or into any untrained skill if your Insight is already trained.

Gallant Blade

The Gallant Duelist is a charismatic and flamboyant fighter who dazzles opponents with their charm and grace. They are masters of both the blade and the art of persuasion, using their charisma to control the flow of combat and win over audiences.

If you select this style, increase your Charisma attribute by +1. Then choose an untrained skill from either Deception or Intimidation, and grant it one training rank. If you have both of these skills trained, choose any other skill and increase its training rank by one instead.

Keen Edge

The Keen Edge is a master of precision and finesse, wielding their blade with unmatched accuracy and skill. They rely on their dexterity to deliver precise strikes that find weak points in their opponent's defenses.

If you select this style, increase your Dexterity attribute by +1. If your Sleight of Hand is untrained, give it one training rank; otherwise, choose any other untrained skill, and grant that skill one training rank instead.

Duelist Features

When you select the Duelist as your class, choose one of the following Heroic Duelist features and add it to your character.

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