South House Games


Campaign Setting Index => Gameplay Index => Skills

Fighter Archetype Skills

These skills may each be taken once and in order unless otherwise noted. In cases where a certain type of weapon or equipment must be specified, the character must be proficient with that item or have the previous skill with that type to take the next skill.


Armor Mastery

Armor Proficiency: Fighter may wear a Mid-Layer armor over their Base Layer.
Armor Focus: Fighter may wear a Mid-Layer or Plate armor over their Base Layer, but not both.
Armor Specialization: Fighter may wear Chainmail and Plate armor over their Base Layer.
Armor Mastery: Add 1 to the DR value of each piece of armor worn by the Fighter.

Bow Mastery

These skills apply to short bows, longbows, and crossbows. These skills may be taken in any order.

Point Blank Shot: Fighter may spend 1 EP to make a ranged attack normally even if an enemy is adjacent to them.
Precision Targeting: Fighter may spend 1 EP after declaring an attack to ignore an enemy's half-cover. This may not be used in conjunction with the Double (Triple) Target skill.
Rapid Reload: As a Special Action, Fighter may spend 2 EP to make a ranged attack right after an Attack Action where they fired a bow.

Critical Hit Mastery

The Fighter chooses to train relentlessly with a certain weapon, learning its use in all situations. When taking this skill a character must choose a weapon type from the Weapon Statistics Tables.

Efficient Strike (Type): Spend 1 EP when declaring an attack to increase Critical Threat Range of one weapon (Type) by 1 until the start of your next turn. For example, if a weapon currently gets a critical hit on a 20, it now gets the same on a 19 or 20.
Precision Strike (Type): Spend 1 EP when declaring an attack to increase Critical Threat Range of one weapon (Type) by 2 until the start of your next turn.
Vorpal Strike (Type): Spend 1 EP when declaring an attack to increase Critical Threat Range of one weapon (Type) by 3 until the start of your next turn.

Crowd Control Mastery

The Fighter is adept at dealing with multiple enemies at once. These skills may be taken in any order.

Sublime Footwork: Overwhelm attacks cannot be made against the Fighter unless at least three enemies focus on them. This skill may be taken up to three times and each successive time increases the enemies required for an Overwhelm by 1.
Deadly Follow Through: As a Special Action, the Fighter may spend 2 EP immediately after killing an enemy and make another attack against a different enemy in melee range (no movement allowed).
Punish Error: If the Fighter is the target of an Overwhelm attack and an enemy misses them with their attack roll, the Fighter may as a Reaction make an attack of opportunity against that enemy.

One Weapon Mastery

The Fighter chooses to fight with a single weapon and master its use. When taking this skill a character must choose a weapon type from the Weapon Statistics Tables.

Weapon Proficiency (Type): Fighter becomes proficient with weapons of (Type).
Weapon Focus (Type): Spend 1 EP when declaring an attack to make the to hit roll Easy.
Weapon Specialization (Type): Spend 2 EP when declaring an attack to gain the benefits of Weapon Focus and, in addition, increase critical threat range by 1.
Weapon Mastery (Type): Spend 3 EP when declaring an attack to gain the benefits of Weapon Specialization and, in addition, add your Dominant modifier to damage.

Shield Mastery

The Fighter understands how to position a shield to frustrate the designs of a foe rather than simply using it as a mobile section of wall. When taking this skill a character must choose a shield type from the Shield Statistics Table.

Shield Proficiency (Type): Fighter becomes proficient with shields of (Type).
Shield Focus (Type): As a Reaction to being targeted by an attack, spend 1 EP to add your shield's DR to Defense until the start of your next turn.
Shield Specialization (Type): The Fighter adds their shield's DR to their Defense at all times.
Shield Mastery (Type): The Fighter may add their shield's DR value to their melee attack rolls.

Two Weapon Mastery

A Fighter chooses to wield a weapon in each hand, trusting in their speed and a flurry of attacks to overcome a lack of shield or the power of larger weapons. To benefit from these skills a character must be wielding two One-Handed weapons and be proficient with both.

Two Weapon Focus: Fighters may choose which weapon to attack with during their Action and may attack with the other as a Special Action.
Two Weapon Specialization: +1 to hit, damage, and Defense vs melee weapons.
Two Weapon Mastery: +1 to hit, damage, and Defense vs melee weapons. In addition, may attack with both weapons as part of a normal Action. Roll separately for each attack. The AP and damage from each weapon is considered to be from one attack for the purposes of penetrating armor.

Unarmed Combat Mastery

These skills must be taken in order.

Hammer Hand: The Fighter's unarmed attacks do 2d3 damage.
Practice: Add your Dominant Element modifier to AP for Unarmed attacks.
Knowledge: Add your second highest element modifier to AP for Unarmed attacks.
Wisdom: Add your lowest element modifier to AP for Unarmed attacks.

Unarmored Mastery

Unarmored is defined as equipping no armor beyond a Base Layer and no shield larger than a Buckler.

Unarmored Focus: Character may Defend as a Special Action for 1 EP or as an Action for no EP cost.
Unarmored Specialization: Add the second highest Elemental Modifier to Defense.
Unarmored Mastery: Add the lowest Elemental Modifier to Defense.

Advanced Skills

The following skills cannot be taken until a character has 10 or more levels in Fighter Archetypes:

Balanced Essence: Regain 1 HP at the start of each turn. In addition, the Bandage action heals 2 HP instead of 1. This skill may only be taken once and only if each element modifier is 4 or higher.
Deflect Element: When using an Imbued Shield they are proficient with, a character targeted by a ranged element attack or manipulation may as a Reaction spend 1 EP to deflect the attack harmlessly away. If the Fighter has the Shield Mastery skill, the attack may be deflected at any target within the attack's range.
Element Strike (Element): When using a weapon imbued with (Element) or Empowered Fists, you may spend 1 EP to add your (Element) modifier to the damage for that attack. This cannot be used with Charged Weapons. This skill can be taken once for each element.
Empowered Fists (Element): Unarmed attacks do 2d4 damage and are considered weapons imbued with (Element). May be taken once for each element.
Essence of Earth: Gain 1 Heart. This skill may only be taken once and only if the fighter's Earth modifier is 7 or higher.
Essence of Air: Unless they are Surprised, this character always goes first in combat. This skill may only be taken once and only if the character's Air modifier is 7 or higher.
Essence of Water: If the Fighter is Incapacitated and their Miraculous Recovery roll is higher than the Area DC, they automatically become Stable. If the roll is above 20, they get up with 1 HP. This skill may only be taken once and only if the character's Water modifier is 7 or higher.
Veteran Fighter: Fighter has 2 Reactions during their turn instead of 1.