This class owes an obvious debt to deus ex parabola’s Fighters and Rogues.
THE DUELIST
+1 to Hit per Template.
A - Panache, Style, Parry & Riposte
B - Like a Bird
C - Flynning
D - Like a Wolf
Panache
When unarmoured, you add your [level + 2] to your AC, representing dashing charm, fancy footwork and opportunely timed roguish winks. If you’re hobbled, sunk in mud or tied up, your AC is just 10.
When you reduce someone to 0HP, you can choose to non-lethally embarrass them - for example:
Spin their sword out of their hands
Cut their belt and pants them
Trip them down a staircase
Flip a jug over their head
Bonk 'em on the skull
What have you, etc.
This removes them from combat in a kind of a “zorro kicked that guy offscreen and he’s no longer a problem” way, and onlookers and guards like it a lot more than maiming people.
You can make 2 attacks in a round.
Style
Pick one of the Styles from the end of this post. You know two of its techniques and stances, your choice in whatever combination you like.
When you level up or spend a season training, you learn two new techniques or stances from a Style you know. Learning a new Style requires a season of tutelage with a manual or a master.
Techniques are active moves for fights. Fancy attacks, and so on. Flourishes. You can use each Technique once per fight against intelligent enemies, as afterwards, they get wise to your shit.
Stances are passive, at will, and have constant effects. You can only be in one stance at a time, but changing your stance can be done as you please (or at the start of your turn in combat).
Some styles might have lessons, permanent changes to your character, many of which are useful beyond combat.
Parry & Riposte
Once per round, if you can both move and attack, you can parry, and reduce incoming damage from a melee attack by 1d6+[To Hit].
If you reduce the damage to 0 or lower, you may riposte and make a free attack against the target.
Like a Bird
You’re very physically fit.
You can keep your balance perfectly while running, jump your own height from standing, slide down bannisters without falling over, climb anything it’s possible for a human to climb free-handed, and can do sick backflips.
You are immune to high blood pressure and indigestion.
Flynning
You can attack thrice and parry twice in a round.
If someone uses all of their attacks against you and does no damage (either from missing or parrying), they are stunned for a round.
Like a Wolf
You deal double damage to enemies with less HD than you.
STYLES
The Ψ in front of each style name is short for… pstyle, I don’t know, it’s 4am.Ψ - Orbit
The style favoured in Urbis Orbis, the Eternal City. Considered classical.
You might have learned it from a fencing tutor, or from an oft-reprinted manual.
Technique: Disarming Strike
Upon a successful attack, you can knock whatever someone’s holding in their hand out of it. Fighters get a save.
Technique: Finishing Blow
If an attack takes an enemy below [level * 2] HP, but still above 0, you can quickly finish them off with a punch, hilt-strike or rapid slice.
Technique: Hilt-Strike
One of your attacks becomes a sudden bludgeon with your sword’s hilt, dealing blunt damage and having advantage.
Stance: Tempo
For each successful attack in a fight, you get +1 to Hit and +1 Damage for the rest of that fight.
Ψ - Ossean
The style of the Osset League, a collection of mercantile cities to the far north.
You might have learned it from a down-on-her-luck soldier, or an iron-plated book.
Technique: Sweep
If an attack you made this round would also hit the AC of a creature near your target, you damage them too.
Technique: Vom Tag
You may forgo both of your attacks to make one massive strike from above your head. If it hits, you deal +6 damage and knock the target away or prone. Experienced fighters or large monsters may save to keep their footing.
Stance: Bog Fighting
Your extra AC from panache isn’t lost when you’re on unstable or boggy ground.
Stance: Hill Fortress
Enemies attacking you from the low ground have disadvantage on their attacks, and you have advantage to attack them.
Ψ - Admirat
The blessed sword-style taught to Inquisitors of the Seventh Church.
You might have learned it from a visiting quisit, or from a small black book.
Technique: Rose
If you miss an attack, you can flourish and immediately move 15’.
Technique: Carnation
Before you make your attacks for a round, your sword blooms with harsh red weirdlight - an enemy must save or be blinded.
Stance: Careful Analysis
You can See HD and See AC.
Stance: Removing Shadow
Your sword glows with blue weirdlight. This is a stance of the soul, not the body.
Ψ - Excabrian
The old-fashioned military style of the cyclopean-built fortress-city of Excabria.
You might have learned it from a pompous captain, or from a book of iron plates.
Technique: Stratagem
You may forgo an attack to have an ally who can hear you attack instead.
Technique: Portcullis
When you successfully attack, you can sweep downwards and hobble a foe. Fighters get a save.
Stance: Gate and Walls
When in a choke-point, doorway, or other narrow passage, you parry with a d8.
Stance: Control
You add +2 to the damage-reduction rolls when you parry. You get an extra save against being disarmed.
Ψ - Aderran
The strange way they fight in the great port of Aderro. Requires a trained falcon.
You might have learned it from a wild-eyed falconer, or from a scratched-up codex.
Technique: A Bird in the Hand
When an enemy misses you with an attack, you can suddenly throw your falcon in their face, dealing 1d6 damage and blinding them for a round.
Stance: Bird and Sword, in Accord
If you made a successful attack on this round, your falcon may attack any target you can see once, using your To Hit and dealing 1d6 damage.
Stance: Eagle Eye
What your falcon sees, you do.
Stance: Look Up!
You can parry arrows and bullets. If your parry is successful, your falcon can riposte the people that fired them.
Ψ - Marcione
Named for the style’s inventor, the sword-genius Ana de Marcione.
Maybe you learned it from her, the most dangerous old woman in the world - or you bought her book.
Technique: Feint
After a missed attack, immediately make another attack with advantage.
Technique: Deflect
You can make one free parry with a durable object held in your offhand (such as a metal gun-barrel) though you cannot riposte off of it.
Technique: Quick Step
You can dodge one melee attack with a quick backstep.
Stance: Crystal Sphere Resonance
You can see magic (though only a wizard can read magic) and your sword is a +1 Weapon. When under the open sky, you can hear it hum.
Ψ - Requiem
The style of the grim city of Requiesa. Designed for killing the dead once more.
You might have learned it from a weary gravedigger, or found it carved into ancient stone walls.
Stance: In Pacet
Your attacks deal full damage to all undead, and people you kill are rendered incorrupt, like a Saint.
Technique: Quickshot
After making two attacks, you can make one free attack with a gun held in your offhand. No sense relying only on old tools. This doesn’t mean you can reload guns one-handed.
Technique: Turn Undead
When you make a successful attack against an undead creature, you can force them to test morale or flee you. If they have the same or more HD than you, they will stop fleeing at the end of their next turn.
Stance: Sure and Certain Hope
While in this stance, you see in black and white, but are immune to fear, XP drain, possession and add +[level] to saves vs. death.
Ψ - Tamburo
The style of the sword-master Plato of Aviso, who bodyguards the Archpriest.
You might have learned it from the pious swordsman himself, or bought his book.
Technique: Crash
When you make a successful attack and are holding a shield, you can follow up and clap the target round the head - they must save for be stunned for a round.
Technique: Thud
When you are reduced to 0HP and are holding a shield, you are reduced to 1 instead.
Technique: Clang
When you riposte and are holding a shield, you may bash with the shield instead of attacking, dealing +2 damage and knocking the target prone. Fighters get a save.
Stance: O Useful Buckler
When holding a shield, you parry with a d8.
Ψ - Talpa
The secretive style of the Populares, who control the dark undercity of Urbis Orbis.
You might have learned it from a lantern-carrying woman with black eyes, or an old vellum scroll.
Technique: Strike from the Dark
When attacking a target that can’t see you, have advantage and deal double damage.
Stance: Lantern Hand
A lantern counts as a shield for you.
Stance: Tunnel Fighting
You can parry and use panache while crawling, crouching or in the foetal position.
Stance: Pack Tactics
If you’re attacking a target an ally of yours has hit, you have advantage.
Ψ - Volpe
An elegant, showy style, favoured by criminals and rakes.
You might have learned it from a retired footpad in a smoky room, or from a loose sheaf of papers.
Technique: Daylight Robbery
When you could riposte, you can instead take an item from an enemy’s inventory.
Technique: The Goad
When you make a successful attack, you can embarrass the target (such as by cutting your monogram into their clothes) - enraged, they will attack you next round if able. Fighters may save against this.
Stance: Defense in Motion
While moving, you have +2 AC and can parry arrows and bullets.
Stance: The Dangerous Dance
When you parry you can move up to 10 feet, passing through other creatures by tumbling or sliding between their legs.
Ψ - Cynical
The style of the Cynocephali of the north-east. Designed to maim.
You might have learned it from a dog-faced mercenary or a dog-eared codex.
Stance: Aggro
When you hit two successful attacks on the same target, you can make another for free.
Technique: Humerus
When making an attack, you can lash out violently - target must save or have one of their arms (your choice) disabled for 1d6 days.
Technique: Sudden Cut
You draw your sheathed sword and immediately make one attack. You can do this before initiative rolls.
Stance: Manhunter
You deal +2 damage to humans. The scars of your weapons ache.
Ψ - Wose
The unrefined style of the Woses, who live in the god-ruled wilds to the north.
You might have learned it from a hirsute wildman, or a barkcloth scroll.
Technique: Ambush
Attacking an unaware target, deal double damage and knock them prone if they fail a save.
Stance: Run Quick
In a straight line, you move as fast as a horse so long as you have no fatigue.
Stance: Walk Lightly
You are invisible in foliage and leave no footprints.
Stance: Eat Well
You deal +2 damage to animals and wild beasts.
Alright fuckers I did twelve fuckin’ Styles I am personally challenging YOU to do like five or something. Yeah, you, motherfucker, you reading this.
- Archon's Court, and it was answered well, these styles are better than mine.
- Craggenloch Tribune also did some excellent, interesting styles.
- Spiceomancy also answered, with the finesse they often show in RPG design.
- Dungeonfruit also answered with some really good styles.
- The City Draws Breath also made some wonderful contributions.
- Grimawlkin also answered! I release you from this curse!
- Numbers Aren't Real answered with an excellent kung-fu themed hack of the class!
