Chapter 3 - Weapon Proficiencies
Style Specializations
There are several types of combat styles that a Warrior can specialize in. Some of these are available to other classes as well on a limited basis. All of these skills are able to be learned by spending a weapon proficiency slots or knowledge slots on them.
There are also Pummeling and Wrestling Specializations that Weapon Proficiencies can be used on. Martial Arts is another type of style specialization that a Warrior from the Oriental Lands can choose.
Fighting Styles are only for melee weapons. Single-class warriors can eventually specialize in all of them if they wish to spend the Weapon Proficiencies other classes can only specialize in one style. It costs one weapon proficiency slot to specialize in a fighting style.
To use a Style Specialization with a specific weapon, you must have proficiency with that weapon. For example, a character might have bought Style Specialization with Two-Hander Style. If he has Weapon Proficiencies with polearms, he can use the benefits of Style Specialization whenever he uses polearms. But if he doesn't also have proficiency with Two-handed Sword, and picks one up to use it, he doesn't get the benefits of Two-Hander Style Specialization with that weapon.
You can have both a Weapon Specialization and a Style Specialization in the same weapon, but neither is dependent on the other; you can have one without the other. For example, a character could have Proficiency with Sabre, Specialization with Sabre, and then Style Specialization in Single-Weapon style; he'd be a master fencer with the Sabre. Or, he could have just Proficiency and Specialization in Sabre, or just Proficiency in Sabre and Style Specialization in Single-Weapon style.
A character may begin play with only one Style Specialization. If he is a single class warrior he may learn others as he gains new Weapon Proficiencies through experience.
Only Warriors, Rogues and Priests can buy Style Specializations. Only Warriors and Rogues can buy the Two-Weapon Style Specialization. Only single-class Warriors can ever learn more than one Style Specialization.
All Warriors start play knowing how to use all four styles. Priests start play knowing how to use Single-Weapon, Two-Hander, and Weapon and Shield styles. Rogues start play knowing how to use Single-Weapon, Two-Hander, and Two-Weapon styles. Wizards start play knowing how to use Single-Weapon and Two-Hander styles.
Characters cannot learn new styles after they're created; these are the styles they are limited to by their choice of character class.
Each style confers some basic advantages and disadvantages when used. These are described in the descriptions of each individual style, below. Additionally, characters can specialize in these styles. Single-class warriors can eventually specialize in all of them; other classes can only specialize in one style.
Multiple Style Specializations
Only a single-class Warrior can take more than one Style Specialization. Weapons such as Bastard Sword, Javelin, and Spear, which can be used one-handed or two-handed, with or without a shield, can have up to four different Style Specializations taken for them.
Example: A single-class Warrior has Proficiency with Bastard Sword. He could theoretically take Single-Weapon Style Specialization, Two-Hander Style Specialization, Weapon and Shield Style Specialization, and Two-Weapon Style Specialization with it. Between fights, or even in the course of the fight, he could change the way he uses his weapon in order to gain different advantages in the course of a combat.
Single-Weapon Style: The character wields a weapon in one hand and carries nothing in the other hand. The weapon can be as short as a Dagger or as long as a Bastard Sword or Long Spear.
Advantages The advantage of single-weapon style is that the character keeps a hand free for grappling, for switching weapons, for surprise maneuvers, for whatever comes along in the course of combat. For instance, two fighters are going at it and one pins the other's weapon; the single-weapon fighter can use his free hand to perform barehanded maneuvers such as pummeling.
Disadvantages The main disadvantage to this style is that the character does not gain the benefit of a shield's AC bonus.
Style Specialization If the character devotes a weapon proficiency to Style Specialization with Single Weapon Style, he gets a +1 AC bonus when using any one-handed weapon (for which he has proficiency) in Single-Weapon Style. He doesn't get the bonus if he carries a shield or weapon in his off-hand. Additionally, he can devote a second proficiency slot to Single-Weapon Style and have a total +2 AC when fighting in this style. That's the limit, though: He cannot devote more than two proficiencies (for a total of +2 AC) with Single-Weapon Style.
Two-Hander Style: The character wields a weapon which requires (or at least accommodates) the use of two hands. Such weapons include those which require two hands (Two-Handed Sword, Polearms, and Quarterstaff, for instance) and those which can be used one-and two-handed (Bastard Sword and Spear, for example). Naturally, many weapons (including polearms, the great axe, the two-handed sword, and others) require two-handed technique. Other weapons (such as bastard sword, javelin, and spear) have it as a listed option.
Advantages The main advantage of two-handed weapon technique is that it allows the character to wield large two-handed weapons which can do substantial amounts of damage. A second advantage is that, if you are using a two-handed weapon, the Disarm maneuver is only of partial use against you. A single successful Disarm against a two-handed weapon user won't knock the weapon out of the wielder's hands; it will merely knock his weapon askew and make him take some time to recover, so he automatically loses initiative on his next round. However, two Disarm maneuvers successfully made against the character in the same round will knock the weapon loose.
Disadvantages As with single-weapon use, two-handed weapon technique has the drawback that the user cannot wear or use a shield, or gain the shield's AC bonus.
Style Specialization Two-Hander Style gives you a very specific benefit: When you're using a weapon two-handed, that weapon's Speed Factor is reduced by 3 or goes one phase faster. For example, a fighter with Two-Hander Style Specialization and wielding a Bastard Sword can wield his weapon faster in two-handed style than in one-handed style. Used in one hand, the Bastard Sword has a Speed Factor of 6. In two hands (normally), it has a Speed Factor of 8 (slow). But used in two hands by someone with Two-Hander Style Specialization, it has a Speed Factor of (8–3) 5 (average). This is because when a fighter wields such a weapon with both hands on the hilt, he has more leverage on the blade and can move it faster.
One-Handed Weapons Used Two-Handed
Many one-handed weapons can also be used two-handed. Since these weapons don't do any more damage two-handed, there usually isn't much reason to use them this way; however, with Style Specialization in Two-Hander Style, now there's a reason. If you specialize in Two-Hander Style and then use a one-handed weapon in two hands, you also get a bonus of +1 to damage. Thus, if you take a Two-Hander Style Specialization, when using a long sword two-handed, you do 1d8+1 damage instead of the base 1d8 (or 1d12+1 vs. large targets, instead of the base 1d12). The one-handed weapons which can be used two-handed in this fashion include: Battle axe, Club, Footman's flail, Footman's pick, Horseman's flail, Horseman's mace, Horseman's pick, Morning star, Long sword, Warhammer.
Weapon and Shield Style: The character wields a weapon in his good hand and carries a shield on his off-hand. This combination can vary from a street-bravo's choice of dagger and small buckler to the classic knight's choice of long sword and body shield.
Advantages The principal advantage of Weapon and Shield Style is that you get the AC bonus of a shield; this is especially good when you can find a magical shield which confers a better AC bonus. A second advantage is that the character can use the Shield-Rush maneuver.
Disadvantages The disadvantage to Weapon and Shield Style is that the left arm (right arm, for left-handed characters) is dedicated to the shield and is not much use for anything else. If the character is disarmed, all he has to wield offensively is his shield, until he can get back to his weapon. If he is pinned in combat, he can't use his shield hand for grappling.
Style Specialization If you devote a weapon proficiency slot to specialization in Weapon and Shield Style, you receive one extra attack per round - only when using a shield on the shield-hand, that is. You can use that extra attack only for the Shield-Punch and Parry maneuvers. As with the normal "Attacking with Two Weapons" rules, when striking with both hands in a single combat round, the character suffers a –2 to attack rolls with his weapon and a –4 to attack rolls with the Shield-Punch or Parry. (If you have ambidexterity that's a –2 with weapon and –2 with shield.) If you devote a second weapon proficiency slot to Weapon and Shield Style Specialization, that penalty drops to with the weapon and –2 with the shield. (If you're ambidextrous, that penalty is 0 with weapon and 0 with shield.) On any round when you perform two maneuvers, you do not get the AC bonus for the shield for the rest of the round. If you swing your sword and perform a Shield-Punch in the same round, you do not get your shield's AC bonus if anyone attacks you later in the round.
Two-Weapon Style: The character wields one weapon in each hand. Unless both weapons are Small, the weapon in the character's off-hand must be lighter in weight and shorter than his primary weapon. Note - there are significant penalties for Attacking with Two Weapons.
Advantages One great advantage to this style is that you always have another weapon in hand if you drop or lose one. A single Disarm maneuver cannot rid you of your weapons.
Disadvantages The principal disadvantage to this style, as with some other styles, is that you don't gain the AC benefit of a shield.
Style Specialization If you devote a weapon proficiency slot to style specialization with Two-Weapon Style, you get two important benefits. First, your attack penalty drops; before, it was a –2 with your primary weapon and –4 with your secondary, but with Specialization in Two-Weapon Style it becomes 0 with your primary weapon and a –2 with your secondary weapon. (If you have ambidexterity that penalty is 0 with primary weapon and 0 with secondary weapon.) Second, you're allowed to use weapons of the same length in each hand, so you can, for example, wield two long swords. When fighting with two-weapon technique, you can choose for both weapons to try the same maneuver (for example, two strikes, or two disarms), or can have each try a different maneuver (one strike and one parry, one pin and one strike). If the two maneuvers are to be different, each receives a –1 attack penalty. Though rangers don't suffer the off-hand penalties for two-weapons use, they do not get a bonus to attack rolls if they devote a weapon proficiency slot to Two-Weapon Style. They do get the other benefit, of being able to use weapons of equal length.
Shield Proficiency - Warriors only
By spending a weapon proficiency, characters can become more skilled in the use of their shield. The extra protection conferred by the shield varies by the exact type the character becomes proficient in:
| Shield Type | Normal AC bonus | Proficient AC bonus | Number of Attackers |
| Buckler | +1 | +1 | 1 |
| Small | +1 | +2 | 2 |
| Medium | +1 | +3 | 3 |
| Body | +1/+2 vs. missiles | +3/+4 vs. missiles | 4 |
The number of attackers is the maximum number of times the shield bonus can be used in a single round by the character. Normally, shields can only be used against enemies in the character's front spaces or in the flank spaces on the character's shield side.
Armor Proficiency - Warriors only
Characters can spend time and effort learning how to use their armor more efficiently. While this doesn't provide a bonus to Armor Class, it can help to offset the hefty encumbrance penalties of heavy armor. A character who spends a weapon proficiency slot becoming acquainted with a type of armor gains the special benefit of only suffering one-half the normal encumbrance of that armor.
For example, chain mail normally weighs 40 pounds, but a character with a proficiency in chain mail only has to count 20 of this towards his encumbrance level. This represents the character's training in wearing the armor just the right way and his practice in moving around while wearing 30 or 40 pounds of ironmongery.
