Fighter Build

Medium armored combatants whose focus includes both melee weapons and hand-to-hand combat, with the ability to fire ranged weapons, these damage dealers make effective all-out attacks intended to put their opponents on the defensive. Taking up arms for glory, wealth, or just to prove themselves, they are often trained by a lone teacher or as part of an informal organization such as a gang. Far more than mere thugs, though, these characters excel at combat, striving to control the flow of combat with aggressive tactics and sheer battle prowess.

Build Notes

Keeping build costs down with two inexpensive specialty skill trees provides them with a large number of starting skills, making it easy enough to trade out for some background skills. Adding the Throw skill through proficiencies adds a third combat options, allowing for multiple methods of melee attack, and simple ranged attacks, though this could be traded out for a shoot skill, depending on weapon preference. Sacrificing some starting skills to pick up the Performance specialty to improve movement or the Statecraft specialty to add diplomacy can add depth to the character. Though it should be noted that it can be challenging beginning with three specialties as this limits the number of starting skills and requires some forethought in the choice of Expert and Master level skills as characters advance.

Background

With the Fighter role, some of the optional Background Packages work better than others, to get started, six  recommendations are listed below:

  • Adventurer
  • Barbarian
  • Gambler
  • Militant
  • Pirate
  • Vagrant

Skill Trees

Armed Combat
(10 + 6 skills = 16 points)
• Evade
• Hack
• Parry
• Stab
• Swing
• Weapon Proficiency

Unarmed Combat
(10 + 3 skill = 13 points)
• Brawling
• Street Fighting
• Takedown

Athletics
(4 skill = 4 points)
• Climbing
• Intimidate
• Jumping
• Running
• Throw
• Weapon Proficiency

Cunning
(2 skill = 2 points)
• Goad
• Observation

Vigilance
(5 skills = 5 points)
• Care
• Dodge
• Search

Starting Gear

Fighters begin play with a suit of armor, melee weapon, and a ranged weapon with starting ammo, the quality of which is based on the starting wealth class. Because these characters might carry a quiver, those who begin with an Explorer Pack may substitute a Haversack for the Backpack or spread the gear across other containers. These packs do not have a specific monetary value, rather they are designed to ensure that starting characters have the basic gear they need to begin play. Substitutes for items of a roughly equal value may be made with GM approval.

These characters are scraping by, living in communal areas when they can and sleeping on the ground when they can’t, with just enough money to manage a decent meal…on most days. Their meager possessions amount to:

  • Hide Armor (Poor)
  • Simple Melee Weapon (Poor) -and-
  • Ranged Weapon (Poor) -or-
  • Pole Weapon (Poor)
  • 3 local coins

Although hardworking, these characters have little to show for it, living in a semi-private communal area. Their careworn possessions include:

  • Scalemail (Poor)
  • Light Helm (Poor)
  • Simple Weapon (Poor) -and-
  • Ranged Weapon (Poor) -or-
  • Pole Weapon (Poor)
  • Explorers Pack (Poor)
  • 25 local coins

Coming from a family of skilled tradespeople, low level civil servants, or lifelong military service, these characters have decent lodgings and a comfortable lifestyle. Their gear is fairly new and includes:

  • Scalemail or Chainmail (Standard)
  • Light Helm (Standard)
  • Simple Weapon (Standard) -and-
  • Ranged Weapon (Standard) -or-
  • Pole Weapon (Standard)
  • Explorers Pack (Standard)
  • 100 local coins

Coming from a family of landowners, business people, or mid level civil servants, wealth and power has long been a part of how they define themselves among their peers. This attitude shows in their gear which includes:

  • Any Medium Armor (Standard)
  • Any Helm (Standard)
  • Any Melee Weapon (Standard) -and-
  • Ranged Weapon (Masterwork) -or-
  • Pole Weapon (Masterwork)
  • Explorers Pack (Standard)
  • 250 local coins

Coming from a lifestyle of luxury beyond anything that most people can imagine, the very best is the only quality they will accept, which includes:

  • Any Medium Armor (Masterwork)
  • Any Helm (Masterwork)
  • Any Melee Weapon (Masterwork) -and-
  • Ranged Weapon (Masterwork) -or-
  • Pole Weapon (Masterwork)
  • Explorers Pack (Masterwork)
  • 750 local coins
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