Swordsman Maneuvers

Knack

Description

Advance

 Order as per the Army Tactics chart in Eisen, P.101.

Ambush

As per the Ambush Knack in the Criminal Skill.

Arc

 Arc is the fine art of hitting distant targets.  For every Rank in this Knack, you increase the range of that missile weapon by 5.

Bear Hug

 As per the Bear Hug Knack in the Wrestling Skill.

Beat

  When attacking, you can declare a Beat.  Roll Finesse + Beat, but you must also roll a number of Raises equal to your enemy's Brawn in order for your Beat to be successful.  If you are successful, he cannot avoid the attack using any Active Defense.

Bind

   Only usable against an opponent's fencing weapons.  To use this attack, you declare that you are attempting to Bind your oppnent's weapon. and then roll to attack using this Knack.  If successful, you have momentarily bound his sword.  While the two of you are in this Bind, neither can use bound weapons.

   To try and break the Bind, your opponent can spend 1 Action die (remembering the rules on Interrupt and Held Actions), and then rolls a Contested Roll of his Brawn + Parry (in his bound weapon) versus your Brawn + Bind.  If he wins, the hold is broken; otherwise, it holds fast.  You, on the other hand, may spend Action Dice (remembering the rules on Interrupt and Held Actions) to improve your hold.  Each Action Die you spend gives you one Free Raise from now on when you oppnent tries to break that hold.  If your oppnent wishes, he may simply release his weapon, but that would leave it in your hands.

Boarding

  When your vessel is engaged in a boarding action (see Advanced Naval Combat Rules in Pirate Nations), you gain a bonus to all rolls in that boarding equal to your Rank in that Knack.  If rolling out the combat instead of using the Boarding Action Table, the Brute squads that represent your crew gain this bonus to all of their rolls and to their TN to be hit.

Bob 'n' Weave

  Bob 'n' Weave is the art of ducking to the opponent's weak side (left for right-handers, right for left-handers).  When an opponent misses you (either because of Active or Passive Defense), you may lower your next Action die by 1 for every Rank you have in this Knack.  You may not lower an Action die below the current Phase.

Cavalry Charge

Replaces the Attack Knack when attacking from horseback.

Charge

  Charge is the art of hitting early and often, before withdrawing to a place of safety.  You may lower one of your Action Dice by your Rank in this Knack (to a minimum of 1) just before Phase 1 of the first Round of each combat.

Charge

 Order as per the Army Tactics chart in Eisen, P.101.

Claw Hand

  A special barehand attack that uses the fingers to apply pressure to vulnerable points of your opponent's body.  Roll Finesse + Claw hand against your opponent's TN to be hit plus 10.  Damage is the same as from an ordinary barehand attack, but he will be stunned as well as injured, and lose his next Action Die (if any) for that Round.

Conceal

As per the Conceal Knack for the Spy Skill.

Corps-a-corps

  Corps-a-corps is the art of close, or body against body, fencing.  You declare that you are using this Knack instead of the Attack Knack.  If your attack gets through, you inflict a 0k1 bare-handed attack, and your opponent falls down and becomes prone.

Disarm

  You may only use this Knack after an opponent has just missed your Passive Defense.  Spend an Action Die to make a Contested Roll of your Brawn + Disarm versus his Brawn + Attack (in the weapon he is wielding).  If you win, the weapon is knocked out of his hand, and you can wind up holding that weapon if you choose. 

Double-attack

   Double-attack is making two quick attacks against your opponent, one right after the other.  You must declare you are Double- attacking before you attack, then roll the two attacks using this Knack.  The TN to hit your opponent is raised by 10 for both attacks.

Double-parry

  Double-parry is parrying with two blades (usually a fencing weapon and a main-gauche) crossed before you.  You may declare that you are using this Knack instead of an ordinary Parry as an Active Defense.  You must then make two Raises on the attempt.  Success grants you one free Drama die, which can be used for a number of Phases equal to your Rank with this Maneuver.  In any event, if you do not use the Drama die by the end of the Round, you lose it.

Envelop

 Order as per the Army Tactics chart in Eisen, P.101.

Escape

As per the Escape Knack for the Wrestling Skill.

Exploit Weakness

  Gain unkept dice, equal to your Rank in EW, to all Attack and Active Defense rolls when fighting someone who is using that particular school.

Feint

   When attacking an enemy, you can declare a Feint.  Roll Finesse + Feint, but you must roll a number of Raises equal to your oppnent's Wits.  If you manage this, he cannot avoid the attack using any Active Defense. 

Flank

 Order as per the Army Tactics chart in Eisen, P.101.

Fortitude

  For each Rank in this Knack, the Character gains a +1 to all of his Wound Check rolls.

Hold Ground

 Order as per the Army Tactics chart in Eisen, P.101.

Horse Archery

 As per the Horse Archery Knack in the Archery Skill.

Joint Lock

As per the Joint Lock Knack for the Martial Arts - Soft Skill.

Kick

  A Kick inflicts 2k1 damage, but raises the TN you are trying to hit by 10.  You must declare a Kick before rolling the attack, and use this Knack instead of your normal attack.  Same as the Kick Knack in the Dirty Fighting skill.

Knife Hand

As per the Knife Hand Knack for the Martial Arts - Hard Skill.

Lance

  Lance (Attack) replaces the Attack (Polearm) Knack when using a Polearm from horseback.

Leaping

As per the Leaping Knack for the Athlete Skill.

Lunge

  A Lunge is an aggressive attack that leaves you open for a moment.  When you declare a Lunge, use this Knack to attack with.  You roll two extra unkept dice for damage if your attack is successful.  However, your TN to be hit drops to 5 for this Phase only, and you may not use any Active Defenses for the rest of this Phase.

Missile Defense

  You can deflect arrows and other missiles fired in your direction, without being injured by them, as an Active Defense.  To actually catch a missile, roll Wits + Missile Defense with two Raises.  Success means you gain a Drama Die that will disappear at the end of that Round.

Pin

  You may use a missile weapon to pin an opponent's hand to a nearby surface, such as a tree.  To do this, you must throw a single missile weapon using this Knack instead of the normal Attack Knack, and add 10 to the TN to hit (which cannot be negated with Trick Shooting).  If you succeed, your opponent's arm is pinned, and he drops whatever is held in his hand.  In addition, he must spend 1 Action to free himself.  This Knack can onlybe used on targets wearing cloth or other soft clothing.  Pinning a suit of Dracheneisen armor to a tree just isn't feasible.

Pirate Trick

See P.94-95 of Pirate Nations.

Power Block

  The act of hitting your opponent as he attacks you so that even your defenses injure him.  Use it as an Active Defense against any barehand attack.  If successful, the attack is blocked as per normal.  If any Raises to the Active Defense TN, then inflict 1k1 of damage to the attacker (Brawn is NOT added to this damage).  Additional Raises may do additional damage as per normal, but Called Shots cannot be made.  

Poison

 As per the Poison Knack for the Whaler Skill.

Pole Vault

  Use of a pole and a running start to extend the height and/or length of your jumps.  The pole must be at least as long as you are tall.  By making a roll of Brawn + Pole Vault (TN 15), you may add your height to the height of a jump, or twice your height to the length of a jump.  For each Raise made to the roll, a foot made be added to the height or two feet to the length.  The jump's height may not be extended by more than the length of the pole, nor the jump's length by more than twice the length of the pole.  Also an Advanced Knack for the Athlete skill.

Pommel Strike

  A Pommel strike is when you smash the hilt of your sword into your target's face.  You declare that you are using this Knack instead of the Attack Knack.  If your attack gets through, you inflict a 0k2 attack, and your opponent's TN to be hit is reduced to 5 until the end of the next Phase.  

Reflect

  You attempt to mirror an opponent's fighting style, and use one of his Swordsman's Knacks against him as if you had that Knack yourself.  The first time he uses a Knack againts you, you may make a Wits check with a TN equal to your opponent's rank in this Knack times 5.  If the check is successful, you gain that Knack at Rank 1 for the duration of that Scene.  Each time thereafter that he uses the same Knack against you in that Scene, you may make another Wits check.  Each success improves your skill in that Knack by another Rank.  The maximum Rank you can gain iseither your Rank in Reflect or your opponent's Rank in his Knack (whichever is lower).

  These gained Ranks are not retained, they are merely imitated, and are lost at the end of that Scene.  Furthermore, Reflect can only be used against an opponent who is using the same type of weapon. 

Regroup

 Order as per the Army Tactics chart in Eisen, P.101.

Reload

As per the Reload Knack for the Crossbow Skill.

Riposte

  A Riposte is a parry followed up immediately with a counterattack.

  You first attempt an Actice Defense against the incoming Attack, and then, if the Active Defense is successful, make an Attack of your own on the person who just attacked you.  When performing a Riposte, you receive 1/2 the dice from your Parry Knack (rounded down) and 1/2 the dice from your Attack Knack (rounded down) for your counterattack.  For every Rank in Riposte, you may add one die to either the Active Defense or the counterattack.  These dice are added after you've halved the appropriate Knacks. 

Scout

 Order as per the Army Tactics chart in Eisen, P.101.

Set vs Charge

 Order as per the Army Tactics chart in Eisen, P.101.

Side-step

 As per the Side-step Knack for the Athlete Skill.

Snap Kick

  A quick kick made as your opponent is attempting to attack you, in the hope that your foot will stop him from continuing the attack.  When an opponent attacks, you may use a Held or current Action (not an Interrupt Action) to perform a snap kick.  Roll Wits + Snap Kick as an Attack Roll.  If you hit, the opponent takes 2k2 damage (Brawn is not added to the damage).  If this causes a Dramatic Wound, then the attack he was about to make is cancelled without effect.  Additional Raises may be declared to increase damage or to make a called shot.

Stop-thrust

  A Stop-thrust is a quick jabbing attack made with the point of a fencing weapon as a reaction to an incoming attack, with no attempt to parry the attacker's blade.  It lacks the force of an ordinary attack, but the intention is to make the attacker stop his attack to avoid seriously injuring himself by impaling his body on the stop-thrust.  A stop-thrust is a risky maneuver, because it does not guarantee that you will be able to avoid the damage.

  When an opponent attacks you, you may spend a Held or current Action (not an Interrupt Action) to perform a Stop-Thrust.  To do so, roll Wits + Stop-Thrust as an Attack Roll against your opponent.  If you hit, you do 3k2 Wounds to them.  If this causes a Dramatic Wound to your opponent, then the attack he was about to make is cancelled without effect.

Tagging

  Tagging is a particularly flashy piece of showing off with your weapon, designed to temporarily dishearten your enemy.  This could be anything from cutting off a lock of his hair to carving your initials in his shirt.

  You must use this Knack instead of your Attack Knack for your Attack Roll.  If you successfully hit, the attack causes no damage, but you can cause one of two things to happen.  Either your target loses one Drama die until the end of the battle (at which point it returns), or you can gain 1 Drama die yourself until the end of the battle (at which point it disappears if still unspent).  These Drama dice never become Experience Points, even if the battle was the last thing to happen in the Story.

Throat Strike

As per the Throat Strike Knack for the Dirty Fighting Skill

Throw

 As per the Throw Knack for the Knife Skill.

Trick Riding

As per the Trick Riding Knack for the Riding Skill.

Trick Shooting

  Trick Shooting is used for missile weapons, and each Rank subtracts 5 from any penalties to your shot (range, cover, etc.).  Trick Shooting canot lower your TN below the base Target Number to be hit, nor can it be counted towards Raises to Damage.  However, its bonuses can be applied to Called Shots. 

Trim Line

 Order as per the Army Tactics chart in Eisen, P.101.

Uppercut

As per the Uppercut Knack for the Pugilism Skill.

Wall of Steel

  Wall of Steel is a form of defense against multiple opponents.  If you have not attacked yet this Round, then each Rank of this Knack raises your TN to be hit by 2 if you use Parry to determine your Active Defense.

Whirl

 Whirl is a spinning attack designed to take out multiple unskilled enemies at once.  For each Rank in this Knack, you may add 2 to your Attack Roll when attacking Brutes.

Withdraw

 Order as per the Army Tactics chart in Eisen, P.101.