Rules Update: Master Warrior

The Master Warrior Higher List has been completely revamped:

* Please read the "Superior Traits" post prior to reading this list so as to understand the power level Higher Lists now provide.

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Rend Limb (Periodic)
Attack, Melee, Superior
Tier: 1
Build: 7
Maximum: 3 Purchases
Pre-Req.: None
Usage: Periodic
This attack skill injures an opponent’s limb, severing it and causing severe pain and leaving no part of the limb attached to the opponent’s body. You must strike the opponent’s limb that you wish to sever for this attack to be successful. The opponent’s limb is lopped off and she can make no attempt to use it.

Crushing Blow
Attack, Melee, Targets Object, Superior
Tier: 1
Build: 6
Maximum: 2
Pre-Req.: None
Usage: Periodic
This weapon attack will break the target's shield, as well as the arm wielding it.  If the shield is unbreakable, the break limb effect still applies on the target's appropriate arm.

Cripple
Attack, Melee, Superior
Tier: 2
Build: 8
Maximum: 2 Purchases
Pre-Req.: 1 Tier 1 Power Skill
Usage: Periodic
This weapon attack breaks both of the target's legs and inflicts 30 points of body damage of the type appropriate to what the Master Warrior is currently wielding (i.e. silver, magic, bane, etc).  A single defensive skill is sufficient to stop the effects of the entire attack.

Unstoppable Force
(None)
Tier: 2
Build: 4
Maximum: 2
Pre-Req.: 1 Tier 1 Power Skill
Usage: Periodic
When used this skill free and or cures the master warrior from any or all of the following conditions; Pinned, Held, and Immobilized.

Devastating Strike
Attack, Melee, Superior
Tier: 3
Build: 5
Maximum: 5
Pre-Req.: 1 Tier 2 Power skill
Usage: Periodic – Requires 2HE/HB or Pole-Arm or Brawlers
This attack skill inflicts five times a character’s normal weapon body damage to an opponent. The proper way to use this ability is to call “Devastating Strike x Body”, where x is the damage total. This ability is both superior and piercing.

Slay
Attack, Melee, Superior, Piercing
Tier: 4
Build: 10
Maximum: 3 Purchases
Pre-Req.:  1 Tier 3 Power Skill
Usage: Periodic
A character that is hit by this skill drops directly to the beginning of a five-minute death count, bypassing death count increasing skills.  This skill does a maximum of four hundred body.  This skill is a superior attack and is hand specific.

Repel
Defense, Superior
Tier: 1
Build: 7
Maximum: 5 Purchases
Pre-Req.: None
Usage: Periodic
This defense skill blocks a weapon, claw or fist attack. The opponent’s attack fails and the attack skill is considered used. This skill is not hand or weapon specific. You must have a weapon or shield in hand to use this skill.

Slam
Attack, Impact, Superior
Tier: 1
Build: 3
Maximum: 5
Pre-Req.: None
Usage: Periodic
This ability may be used to knock prone any person who is attempting to move past, through, over or away from the master warrior via a movement ability. Either the target must start within 5ft of the master warrior or their path must cross within 5ft of the warrior. This ability may only be used once per movement skill in the area. This is a superior attack.

Defensive Fighting
(None)
Tier: 2
Build: 8
Maximum: N/A
Pre-Req.: Rank 1 Protection Skill
Usage: Continuous, Any Armament Readied
While a Armament is being held in an offensive or defensive manner this ability conveys a soak of one.  This soak stacks with all other soaks.

Intercede
Defense, Superior
Tier: 2
Build: 5
Maximum: 3
Pre-Req.:  1 Rank 1 Protection skill
Usage: Periodic
This skill is an Intercept Repel. The Repel component cannot be used alone.

Defiant Cover
Defense, Superior
Tier: 3
Build: 6
Maximum: 5
Pre-Req.:  1 Rank 2 Protection skill
Usage: Periodic – Requires Shield.
This skill will completely negate any attack that would place the Master Warrior into the Serious or Critical condition.

Immaculate Defense
Defense, Superior
Tier: 4
Build:  10
Maximum: 2
Pre-Req.:  1 Rank 3 Protection skill
Usage: Periodic
A Master Warrior with this skill is so good at defending themselves that they can stop practically anything.  Calling this defense works identically to calling the skill Resist.  This is a superior defense.


Master Proficiency
(None)
Build: 6
Maximum: N/A
Pre-Req.: None
Usage: Continuous
Allows the warrior use any melee periodic weapon-based skills that come from a lower list with any melee weapon they know how to use, regardless of what hand is wielding the weapon. The ability conferred by this skill allows the use of weapons that are normally prohibited for specific tag skills (for example, a character with Master Proficiency can use the Waylay skill with a Two Handed Edged weapon, contrary to the description of the Waylay skill). This skill does not allow the warrior to use tagged combat skills with ranged weapons. This ability also allows the user to wield two weapons as per the Florentine and Master Florentine skills.

Bypass Armor
Social, Naming, Augment
Tier: 1
Build: 2
Maximum: 4 Purchases
Pre-Req.: None
Usage: Periodic
By studying an opponent during battle for 20 seconds, the character learns how his opponent’s armor operates, and where the weak points are.  This allows them to call Body damage against that one opponent only for the remainder of the battle.  During the time they are studying their opponent, the character may do nothing but defend them self in combat.

Follow Through
Attack, Melee
Tier: 2
Build: 4
Maximum: 4
Pre-Req.: 1 Tier 1 Finesse ability
Usage: Periodic
Follow-Through:  This skill represents a succession of rapid blows, it demonstrates the Master Warrior's ability to find an opening after first striking the target. After striking a target, whether it lands successfully or is defended against via a skill or latent defense, the Master Warrior can call ‘Follow Through’ and automatically hit the target with a subsequent attack. Said attack may be defended against as if it was normally delivered.

Perfect Balance
Defense, Augment
Tier: 2
Build: 6
Max: 2
Pre-Req.:  1 Tier 1 Finesse ability
Usage: Periodic
For the duration of one battle, the Master Warrior gains Blind Fighting and is immune to the trait Knock Back.  This ability may be used at any point during a battle including as a defense to any of the abilities it protects against.

Ambidexterity
Proficiency
Tier: 3
Build: 7
Maximum: 4
Pre-Req.: 1 Tier 2 Finesse ability and Florentine
Usage: Continuous, requires two weapons to be used.
The Master Warrior chooses a weapon and hand she has learned Weapon Proficiencies on and applies 25% of these Proficiencies to one other specific weapon and her opposite hand.  Once a weapon is chosen you may not purchase this skill for another weapon, but each additional purchase stacks to a total of 100% transfer.


Perfect Strike
Attack, Melee, Piercing
Tier: 4
Build: 5
Maximum: 3
Pre-Req.:  1 Tier 3 Finesse ability
Usage: Periodic
This ability allows the Master Warrior to strike their opponent with perfect accuracy. The Master Warrior states "Perfect Strike" followed by any other skill they wish to couple with it and the target must defend or succumb to the attack.  The character must be within her weapon’s reach of the intended target to use this skill.  If coupled with a Parry or Deflect those defenses become Superior.  You may not Follow Through on a Perfect Strike.

Will Master Warrior's pre-requisites remain the same, or are they being re-evaluated as well?

Am I right to assume people who's characters have Master Warrior will have a chance to make their changes/re-spends at the January 7th Awards Banquet?  I say this as on that date, people are allowed to self teach a skill and the character cards will be made available.

A few questions about the Finesse path:

1) Can Perfect Strike be used in conjunction with a higher-list attack skill?
2) Does a lower list attack skill gain the superior trait when paired with Perfect Strike?
3) Do the weapon profs for Ambidexterity round up or down?
4) If a PC already knows Florentine and Master Florentine, are they discounted the build spent on those skills when they learn Master Proficiency?
5) If a PC knows Master Proficiency but not Florentine/Master Florentine, can they still teach Florentine/Master Florentine?
6) Can Master Proficiency be used in place of Florentine as the prerequisite for Ambidexterity.
7) Can you use Follow Through off of a Follow Through?

And one about the Protection path:

Can Immaculate Defense defend against Naming effects, such as Gypsy Hex?

1) Can Perfect Strike be used in conjunction with a higher-list attack skill?
2) Does a lower list attack skill gain the superior trait when paired with Perfect Strike?
3) Do the weapon profs for Ambidexterity round up or down?
4) If a PC already knows Florentine and Master Florentine, are they discounted the build spent on those skills when they learn Master Proficiency?
5) If a PC knows Master Proficiency but not Florentine/Master Florentine, can they still teach Florentine/Master Florentine?
6) Can Master Proficiency be used in place of Florentine as the prerequisite for Ambidexterity.
7) Can you use Follow Through off of a Follow Through?

And one about the Protection path:

Can Immaculate Defense defend against Naming effects, such as Gypsy Hex?

1) As of right now, yes.
2) No :: Edit :: Sorry for anyone who saw my previous response. As per the written rule, no a perfect strike non superior skill does not become superior.
3) probably down, we usually always round down.
4) Things like this are still being discussed.
5) Yes
6) Yes
7) No

Immaculate Defense is a resist, and thus can pretty much stop nearly everything in the game.

is cripple in a trap superior or will it be renamed and stay as is?

is cripple in a trap superior or will it be renamed and stay as is?

As a general rule players will be unable to gain superior abilities from lower lists and lower list skills. Note that promotional skills are not technically lower list skills and that they are their own tier.

Im probably getting a little ahead of myself, but is the old higher list Deflect (now seemingly named Repel) going to change on all lists that had it, such as Templar? Or will that stay as Deflect until the list is rewritten?

There is going to be a long list of minor changes to all of the higher lists to bring them in line with the superior trait change. I imagine you are wondering about templar, and I can say with confidence that it will be made into repel.

Clarification for Defensive Fighting.

"Maximum: N/A" gives me the impression that you can keep buying it to pump up your soak more and more, but I imagine that's not the intention?

Continuous higher list skills can be purchased only once unless otherwise specified.

With the new wording on Slay, is this separate from your standard Critical stage?  Can normal healing work out of it?

I'm going to be honest. With the big change coming in regards to superior attacks and our want to get this information to the public we kind of posted this before a final clean-up of the skills happened. The general effect and intent is there but the complete wording isn't. In regards to slay it is intended to put them into their critical stage and to bypass any effects that extend death count. I believe the only thing that will be an exclusion to this will be abilities that pause someone's death count such as spirit stasis and the bard spell. The text on many of the effects should be updated before the ball but till then if you see any logical fallacies like the one you already pointed out do not hesitate to post them.

A minor nit, but should not the word "free" be "frees?"
Also, "and or" should be "and/or"

Unstoppable Force
(None)
Tier: 2
Build: 4
Maximum: 2
Pre-Req.: 1 Tier 1 Power Skill
Usage: Periodic
When used this skill free and or cures the master warrior from any or all of the following conditions; Pinned, Held, and Immobilized.

Repel
Defense, Superior
Tier: 1
Build: 7
Maximum: 5 Purchases
Pre-Req.: None
Usage: Periodic
This defense skill blocks a weapon, claw or fist attack. The opponent’s attack fails and the attack skill is considered used. This skill is not hand or weapon specific. You must have a weapon or shield in hand to use this skill.

Should this be specifying melee weapons, or do bows count?

Should this be specifying melee weapons, or do bows count?

Repel is what Deflect was until Repel existed. Repel is Superior Deflect.

It wasn't specified in deflect either, and I never got a ruling when I asked the same question.

Based off the trait system you could deflect and as such repel with a bow in hand as they are weapons. That being said obviously someone should never attempt to block an attack with their bow for real.

Say I'm hit with a Shield Bash and use Perfect Balance.  Am I correct in assuming that I would remain where I am but still be dazed for 5 seconds?

Yes.

Can Crushing Blow be used on someone without a shield? (i.e. - just as a Superior Break Limb?)

I would say no.  Because the skill specifically targets the shield (With the Target Object trait), the intent behind the skill is that the broken limb is an after effect of it.

Does deflect still count as a superior defence as it currently is in the rulebook or will it no longer be such?


Chris d

Deflect is no longer a Superior Defense.

Two questions

1) Can you Follow Through with a Feint+Skill?

2) Would Master Proficiency allow someone with the Power tree to use Devastating Strike with a 1hand weapon/staff/etc?

With the way Perfect Strike is currently, is it possible to use it in conjunction with attacks from behind such as achilles strike and assail to have them land while facing your opponent's front?

Two questions

1) Can you Follow Through with a Feint+Skill?

2) Would Master Proficiency allow someone with the Power tree to use Devastating Strike with a 1hand weapon/staff/etc?

1) yes.
2) no.

With the way Perfect Strike is currently, is it possible to use it in conjunction with attacks from behind such as achilles strike and assail to have them land while facing your opponent's front?

yes.

Skimmel

Does that extend to Waylay?

Yes.  Perfect Strike allows you to land a blow on an opponent regardless of where you are standing in relation to them.

Sean

Does deflect still count as a superior defence as it currently is in the rulebook or will it no longer be such?


Chris d

Keep in mind that with the change to Superior skills, ALL lower list skills have become non-Superior.

Sean