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“I stood

like a man at a mark, with a whole army shooting at

me. She speaks poniards, and every word stabs:

if her breath were as terrible as her terminations,

there were no living near her; she would infect to

the north star.”

~ Benedick, “Much Ado About Nothing” (1598)

 

Starting Skills

 

Characters begin with 3 skills from their “archetype”, and then can choose 3 additional skills from this starting skills list:

Combat Strength

  • “Strongarm” - You may wield medium-sized weapons/items ambidextrously (such as two medium-sized swords, or a sword and full-sized shield), or cast spells with your off-hand (whilst also wielding up to a medium-sized item or weapon).

  • "Weaponsmaster" - You may or wield large (two-handed) weapons such as a polearm or staff, which always strike for 2HP/"double" damage.

  • “Stunning Strike” - You may call “Bind” for 0MP up to 3x per encounter with any small or medium-sized melee weapon blow.

  • “Forceful Fighter” - You may call “Fling” (for 0MP) up to 3x per encounter with any small or medium-sized melee weapon blow.

  • “Stifling Slash” - You may call “Silence” (for 0MP) up to 3x per encounter with any small or medium-sized melee weapon blow.

  • “Roll With the Magic” - after taking any ranged spell effect, your next melee strike (with any weapon) can be accompanied by the same magical call (for 0MP).

Resilience and Defence

  • “Intense Training” - increases base HP from 8HP to 10HP.

  • “Extreme Training” - increases base HP from 8HP to 12HP. (Requires “Intense Training” prerequisite).

  • “Exceptional Training” - increases base HP from 8HP to 14HP (Requires “Intense Training” and “Extreme Training” prerequisites).

  • “Sterner Stuff” - increases base bleed time from 3min to 5min.

  • “Screaming Dead” - if knocked to -1HP, you retain consciousness and can talk/scream etc unless under “Silence” effect, though the bleed count still begins.

  • “Artful Dodger” - can call “Resist” for 1MP to ignore the roleplay effect (but not the damage) when targeted by any effect struck by blow.

  • “Stay With Me” - may hold wounds on a target whilst also moving them. They must still use both hands and move slowly unless assisted in moving the target.

Spellcasting

  • “Expanded Soul” - increases base MP from 6MP to 8MP.

  • “Enlightened Soul” - increases base MP from 6MP to 10MP (requires “Expanded Soul” prerequisite).

  • “Curative Charm” - allows the caster to use Chant of Healing - every 10 seconds of appropriate spell vocals heals an unpoisoned target within touch-range 1HP/10 secs. The chant costs 1MP no matter how many HP it heals, but if it is interrupted for any reason, it will take another 1MP to continue/begin healing again.

    • If the caster has also taken the “Strongarm” skill and is not holding any weapons or items, they may use both free hands as spellcasting hands to heal two targets at the same time (for 1MP per target i.e. 2MP).​

  • “Purging Power” - allows the caster to use the “Detect Poison” and “Cure Poison” spells at touch-range, for 1MP each.

  • “Forceful Flight” - allows the caster to use the “Fling” spell once every 30 seconds (at distanced range) for 1MP.

  • “Enchanting Presence” - allows the caster to use the “Enthrall” spell up to 3x per encounter (at distanced range) for 1MP.

  • “Dazzling Aura” - allows the caster to use the “Bind” spell once every 30 seconds (at distanced range) for 1MP.

  • “Hushing Hex” - allows the caster to use the “Silence” spell up to 3x per encounter (at distanced range) for 1MP

Example Character Build:

Claudio begins with the “Lover’s Heart” archetype - the “Sterner Stuff”, “Curative Charm” and “Artful Dodger” skills. In addition, he chooses to take “Purging Power”, “Roll With the Magic” and “Forceful Fighter” skills. His stats are now: 8HP, 6MP, 5min bleed count.

 

He uses one hand to cast spells, and wields a small dagger in the other, which he must sheath to either hold wounds or carry someone unassisted. If he is assisted carrying someone, he may redraw his knife to parry and defend, whilst moving slowly.

 

He can use the spells “Chant of Cure Wounds” (1MP, touch-range, heals 1HP/10sec), “Resist” (1MP when struck by melee combat), “Detect Poison” (1MP, touch-range) and “Cure Poison” (1MP, touch-range - effective on Ordinary Poisons). Each time he is hit by a ranged spell, he can echo the same effect with his next melee strike (with his dagger) for 0MP, and he can also strike for “Fling” up to 3x per encounter (0MP, by melee blow with his dagger).

 

After some time on the island, he uses alchemy to gain a white-ribboned lammie that he applies to his dagger, that also allows him to strike for “Poison” once per encounter for 1MP (as long as his fate - currently tied to Messina - is destined for comedy). His lammied dagger is his and his alone to use, unless he is unattuned (by his fate moving towards tragedy) or he dies (in which case the item is no longer bound to his soul and the lammie can be looted from the corpse, although the personal physrep must be returned to the player).

 

After he performs a Masque with a few friends, he also gains a personal lammie that allows him to call “Mass Cure Poison” (for 3MP, affecting all targets in either a ~2m/6ft radius, or ~3m/10ft if the spell is indicated as cast in a particular ~90° “arc” of direction). If and when he dies, this lammie dies with him - it cannot be transferred.


Claudio now cannot gain any additional lammies, but when facing an opponent on the battlefield, and knocked down to only 2HP, he performs a spectacular Monologue - as such, a Stage Manager informs him that, as his words have power, he has just been magically healed +3HP, and as such he is now on 5 of his maximum 8HP again.

 
 
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