Martial Power 2.pdf

to weapon mastery. In selecting such a weapon, youmight be clinging to noble values and high ideals.Light Blade: Speed and accuracy characterizelight blades, making them favored weapons forrogues. Ifyou specialize in light blades, you rarelytake the front line against your enemies. Instead, youstep in, attack, and dart away after delivering a nastycut. You might seek nontraditional methods to overcomingproblems, thinking around challenges ratherthan strong-arming your way through them.Mace: Characterized by a heavy head usedto break bones and damage armor, the mace is asimple kind ofweapon. You don't need to devotea lot oftime to training in the weapon. IfyolI're amace wielder, you probably take a less than artfulapproach to combat and prefer for direct solutions toout-of-combat problems.Pick: Perfect for punching through heavy armor,a pick held in your hands can pin enemies in place.You're not a subtle combatant, and you employextraordinary force when others would use more discreetoptions. You have a talent for reaching the heartofany problem quickly, ifmessily.Polearm: The polearm's primary asset is reach.You can keep enemies at a distance and make it hardfor them to strike back. Ifyou're a warlord who fightsbehind the front lines, a polearm is ideal. With apolearm as your primary weapon, you display a penchantfor teamwork.Sling: This inexpensive alternative to the handcrossbow offers you similar damage and range withoutthe expense. A peasant weapon, the sling is morecommonly found in the hands ofshepherds and smallgame hunters than in those ofveteran warriors. Youruse ofthe sling suggests a common or rustic origin.Spear: The spear is a widespread weapon. Itmakes a warrior out ofeven the worst troops, sincethe basic fighting techniques require little study.Spears are also cheap to manufacture, giving rulersa steady supply ofarms for their legions. As a spear ~wielder, you might have started out as a part-time 0warrior or a dabbler in the martial arts. As an adven- ..JI­turer, you have devoted your training to mastering :Jthis simple weapon, elevating it from its humble roots oto being the equal of more complex weaponry.Staff: Although most warriors are experiencedwith staffs, few rely on them in combat. You mighthave started using a staff because you couldn't affordfiner tools. You probably began your career amongcommon folk , as a peasant or brigand. This simple WJ:weapon reflects your uncomplicated nature and your I-practical, common-sense approach to problems.SEEKING RICHESFew adventurers are immllne to the lure ofgold. Theyconsider gaining wealth to be part of rising to power.For mercenaries, dwarffighters, and other martialarchetypes, riches can be their own reward . Whetheryou are dutifully providing for your kin, senSibly settingaside something for your retirement, or seekingto drown the memory of humiliating poverty beneathan ocean offinery and largesse, you'll want to takeon minor quests that offer stepping stones on yourroad to riches. It's best ifthese quests can be achievedwithout spending your precious gold.Ifyou have treasure on hand that you can eaSilyconvert to items that aid your character, do so. Goldpieces are your operating capital, and you can maximizeyour future earning potential by investing insuperior gear and in martial practices such as ThoroughSearch. To gain fantastic wealth, you'll need toleverage intangibles and seize opportunities othersmight overlook. Ifyou have to kill an enemy, see ifthere's someone else interested in seeing that persondead as well. When you clear out a haunted castle,determine ifyou can sell the property to a land-poorbaron, find a buyer willing to haul away the ancientfurnishings that were too bulky for transport, or useThe greatest heroes of fantasy literature have borne weaponsthat had minds of their own, and in the earliest editionofthe DUNGEONS & DRAGONS game, every sword that wasmagical was also intelligent. Nevertheless, martial characterswould rather use their weapons as tools that servetheir ends instead of the other way around_ legendaryweapons gain names for themselves over time_ A weaponthat starts with a name might have already accomplishedgreat deeds. On the other hand, a weapon could receive aname from those that witness its power over the course ofthe wielder's career. The usual source for a weapon nameis the wielder or creator.A few warriors, such as the hero Tral in his later years,have claimed that their weapons spoke to them in voicesno one else could hear. Whether or not this tale is true,NAMED WEAPONS it's common fo r warriors to talk to their weapons, just asa lonely hunter might hold conversations with his dogs.This kind of nuance can be a great roleplaying hook. Yourcharacter might call his or her morni ngstar Big Biter, andwhen the party bogs down in debate over whether to takea rest you announce, "Big Biter's getting hungry!"Mundane details can add character to a weapon as well.A blade that bears one notch for every foe it has killed isan evocative addition to the game whether you find it in atreasure parcel or start the tally yourself during play. YourDM might encourage players to treat a magic weaponthey've found as a personality by giving it minor powersthat aren't under the player's control, such as a flail thatglows a dim red in the presence of reptilians and growswarm to the touch when such a foe is bloodied.CHAPT E R 5 I Martial Options