La Verdadera Destreza ( Spanish Fencing Style ) (EXCLUSIVE)
By Flash Fire
La Verdadera Destreza, loosely translated as "The True Art and
Skill", was the Spanish school of fencing from the fifteenth through
the seventeenth centuries. The Spanish masters were widely considered
the greatest fighters on the European Continent during that time, and
their teachings were sought after by the most serious of duelists
throughout the region. The form is unique among martial arts in that it adheres
strongly to the principles of mathmatics and geometry. Every motion,
every attack, every parry, every thought of the Spanish rapier duelist
is centered on mathmatic principles. The form begins with an imaginary
center circle, sometimes called the Mysterious Circle or Magic Circle.
This circle represented the distance a combatant would need to
effectivally strike and hit their enemy. Every motion within and
around that circle is planned and executed with precision. Movements
are forseen in the shape of circles, lines, quadrangles, and more
complex shapes, allowing the duelist to plan exactly where and when
they will move. Attacks and parries occur at specific angles and
times, giving them precise control over their weapons and the timing of
the duel. Outside observers would often see the form in use as a kind
of dance, the fighter swirling around in specific steps, designed to
give the fighter the maximum advantage in a fight.
The straight forward advantages in combat were not the only
reasons for use of the circle in dueling. The circle, at the time, was
believed to invoke semi-mystical powers. This period saw a "revival"
of sorts in the use of ceremonial magic, a system that relied heavily
on circles. In this system, the circle and sphere represented the
universe or cosmos. Actions within a drawn circle were thought to
effect the greater "circle" of the cosmos, in a kind of reversed
astrology. The Magic Circle of La Verdadera Destreza used a similar
thought process. The actions within the circle imitated the forces of
Good and Evil, Life and Death. By simulating these powers, the
fighters would be calling on those forces to give meaning and divine
judgement to their duel, in which the righteous would defeat the
transgressor. These metaphysical beliefs, combined with Christian
teachings, formed the mystique of the Spanish school and was likely the
largest part of why the form was sought after so much.
Also unlike many other Western forms, La Verdadera Destreza is
securely grounded in a particular philosophy and history. Its proper
use and history are tied to the beliefs and religion of Renaissance
Spain. This era was marked by several key events, notably the Age of
Explorers, the formation of the Spanish Empire in the New World, and
the ever-popular Spanish Inquisition. The key (and pretty much only)
religion of the period was Roman Catholicism, as the Spanish
Inquisiton stamped out the Jews, Muslims, Protestants, and other
"heretics". Religeon entered into every aspect of daily life,
including combat. Honor and respectability, at least among equals,
also formed a large part of the Spanish character. To a Spanish
gentleman, and therefore a Duelist, a battle must be fought correctly
and honorably, as God and Justice rarely side with uncouth barbarians.
Students of the art use a rapier as their main weapon, usually
with a second weapon (normally a dagger) for parrying held in the
opposite hand. They will always keep their distance from an opponent,
carefully measuring the space between them and their enemy, and will
close only when they believe they have the opportunity to strike and
kill their enemy. Attacks will come almost entirely in the form of
Combination Parry/Attacks, given their preference for using two weapons
at once. The Duelist will always appear to be calm and calculating,
mainly because they are. They will approach a fight in a detached
manner, secure in the knowledge that Right is on their side.
Confidently, they will plan out a strategy and follow it through with precision.
Like other forms of Western martial arts, La Verdadera Destreza
faces a problem in modern environments, beyond the obvious laws against
its practical use. Few people in the world who know about the
realities of rapier fighting, much less the exacting methods of the
Spanish school, and there are even fewer proper teachers. As the gun
became the primary self-defense weapon and weapon of war, the sword was
phased out. Thanks to the pragmatic outlook of most Westerners, the
skill of swordfighting became lost as the more powerful and
easier-to-learn art of gunplay became more and more popular. This
means that the skill most often must be learned in small groups who
recreate the skill, rather than learned in a proper school. To be
turned into an effective martial art, the skill must be practiced day
after day for several years, as well as researched by whatever means
are neccessary. Also, since it has no schools and very few people
study it, the art recieves very little press, and less respect, in the
martial art community. Not that they don't respect someone who can
effectively use a sharp, pointy object, its just "not as good as what they do."
Entrance Requirements: IQ of 9 or higher, PP of 10 or higher, and a
calm, calculating disposition in combat. Skill Cost: 7 Years Costume: Whatever the common street clothes are of the
period the character lives in. Prefered
outfits will have enough room in the shoulders,
arms, legs, and crotch to allow free movement. Stance: Arm and main weapon extended straight out,
parrying weapon held out and to the side, body
turned towards the opponent, one leg before the
other, both feet remain flat on the ground.
CHARACTER BONUSES
Add 1 to I.Q. (constant mathmatic thought)
Add 1 to M.E. (concentration)
Add 1 to M.A. (honor and religion)
Add 2 to P.P. (balance and coordination)
Add 1 to P.E. (aerobic exercise)
COMBAT SKILLS Attacks per Melee: Four Escape Moves: Roll with Punch/Fall/Impact Basic Defensive Moves: Parry, Automatic Parry, Dodge Advanced Defenses: Circular Parry, Disarm, Maintain
Balance, Combination Parry/Attack, Multiple Dodge Hand Attacks: Strike (Punch) Basic Foot Attacks: Tripping/Leg HooksSpecial Attacks:
Straight Attack (SPECIAL!) The Lunge
was developed and used by the Italian
masters of the time, and so attacks
for the Spanish school take the form
of a thrust and a step forward. This
allows for finer control of the weapon
when attacking, though it lacks the reach of the Italian move.
A Straight Attack is always a called shot. The attacker declares
where on the body they are striking
before rolling (else, they strike at the lungs). Unlike normal Called
Shots, the Straight Attack requires a 10 or greater to succeed.
False Attack (NEW!) The False Attack
is just that, a fake attack. It is
used to draw a parry or reaction out
of the opponent. The exact method of
attack the character fakes varies and can be any type of attack the
character possesses.
This is a Combination Move,
used in conjunction with another attack. The character chooses what
attack to fake and rolls to strike. On a roll of 5 (or equal to the
opponent's AR) or greater, the false attack succeeds. The opponent can
(and should) attempt to defend against the false attack. Whether they
successfully defend against the fake
attack or not, the attacker then moves
into the second attack. The character
is at +3 to strike with second attack
and the defender must use an attack to defend against it (no Automatic
Defenses).
Off-Hand Parry (SPECIAL!) The off-hand
parry is a parry with whatever hand a
weapon is not held in. It uses the same bonus as the normal parry and
produces a +2 to Strike with a following attack or a +5 to Grab or
entangle, depending on the mode of attack chosen.
This is not an Automatic move and is not a prefered method of
defense, because if the attacker is using an edged weapon, there is a
chance of cutting oneself on their
blade. If the parry roll is close (3 or less) to the attack roll, the
defender will take one-quarter damage from the weapon to their hand.
Binding the Blade (SPECIAL!) Binding or "enveloping" the blade is a
defensive move made with the sword that traps the other person's arm or
weapon in a position they can't attack
from. Specifically, a Bind involves making contact with the opponent's
weapon at two points along the blade/attacking surface. One contact
is made with the blade, the other contact is made with the guard. This
prevents the weapon from moving into a position it can attack from.
This allows the Duelist to perform a few different actions. They
could move in and strike with the off-weapon hand or foot, they could
slide their weapon up the attacker's
arm/weapon to strike with less chance of defense, attempt to disarm the
opponent, or could simply hold the
opponent's weapon there. Any action
made during the Bind is at +3 and the
defender cannot use their bound arm to defend against it.
Escaping from a bind is fairly simple, just retreat or move your
blade back and/or out. This leaves
the defender able to parry with their
weapon, but the person who performed
the Bind is still at +3 to strike for the next melee attack while the
defender sets themselves back up into a defensive posture.
Duelist's Critical Strike (SPECIAL!) Duelist's train for the singular
purpose of ending the fight as quickly
as possible. To this end, they train
particularly to strike at the points
that will best result in instantaneous death or incapacitation for the
opponent.
When entering into combat, a
Duelist must declare whether or not
they intend to kill their enemy. If they have lethal intentions, a
Critical Strike results in damage
directly to Hit Points. No multiplier
is added to the damage roll. If the
Duelist declares that they are only
intending to wound the opponent (ie:
fighting to first blood), then normal
Critical Strike rules are used. If intentions are not declared, then
normal Critical Strike rules apply,
save in situations where a character
would obviously be trying to kill the other character (ie: blood fued
between the characters or the Duelist has an evil alignment).
Grab, Entangle, Death Blow Holds/Locks: NoneWeapon Katas: WP: Spanish Rapier, WP: Spanish Rapier and Dagger (paired). Both are at 3rd Level. Modifiers to Attacks: Critical Strike, Critical Strike from Behind
SKILLS INCLUDED IN TRAINING Martial Art Powers: Wrist Hardening and one Special Kata of
choice. Any of these can be traded
one-for-one for any Basic Skill Program (excluding Physical) Languages: Spanish at 50% Philosophical Skills: Judeo-Christian Physical Skill: Fencing, Running Other Skills: Research, Advanced Mathmatics,
History: Spanish
If this is your Primary Martial Art Form, then the following other
forms can be learned in a shorter time: Any other Western Dueling Art
(subtract 3 years), Jujutsu (4 years), Isshin-Ryu Karate (4 years),
Zanji Shinjinken-Ryu (5 years).
LEVEL ADVANCEMENT BONUSES Level 1: +2 to Parry, +1 to Roll with Punch/Fall, Critical
Strike, Critical Strike from Behind, Duelist's Critical Strike. Level 2: +1 to Dodge, +1 to Strike Level 3: +2 to Disarm, +1 to Maintain Balance, Select One
Martial Art Power from the list below. Level 4: +1 Attack Per Melee, +1 to Parry/Dodge Level 5: Critical Strike on Natural 19-20, +2 to Binding the Blade Level 6: Death Blow on Natural 20 Level 7: +1 to Strike, +1 to Maintain Balance Level 8: +1 to Parry/Dodge, +1 Attack Per Melee Level 9: Select one Weapon Kata from the list below, +1 to Binding the Blade Level 10: +1 to Strike, +1 to Disarm, Critical Strike on Natural 18-20 Level 11: Select two Weapon Katas from the list below (one is
paired with a single Rapier, so the result is Paired
Weapons: Rapier and one weapon of choice) Level 12: Select one Martial Art Powers from the list below, +1 Attack per Melee. Level 13: +1 to Parry/Dodge, +1 to Disarm, +1 to Binding the Blade Level 14: +1 to Maintain Balance, Critical Strike on Natural
17-20, +1 Attack Per Melee Level 15: +1 to Strike, Death Blow on Natural 19-20
MARTIAL ART POWER LIST
Any Body Hardening Excercise (excluding Chi Gung)
Any Special Kata (Weapon Katas can be chosen from any weapon)
One Life, One Shot, One Hit, One Kill (Martial Art Technique)
Iai Jutsu (Martial Art Technique)
Zanshin (Martial Art Technique)
Geometric Attack (Special Kata) (NEW!)
This "kata" represents the scientific and mental
processes of the attack in the Spanish School. Similar to
Kime, Geometric Attack is the single minded focus towards a
given goal. The Duelist spends one melee round circling around
their opponent, striking and defending as normal. The
difference is that the duelist is not really trying to hit
their opponent. What they are trying to do is work their
opponent into a position where they can strike with maximum
effect. What that advantage is exactly depends on the
specifics of the battlefield. It could mean that the defender
ends up standing on slippery ground, an obstacle sits behind
the defender (preventing retreat), a bright light sits behind
the attacker, or any other advantage that may come to hand.
Use of this kata requires a roll against Advanced
Mathmatics (at +20%, due to the relative ease of geometery as
opposed to advanced calculus). If successful, the kata begins.
The melee round continues, with both sides manuevering for
position. While defenses remain the same, all attacks made by
the duelist are made at -5 to Strike (total, no other bonuses
apply). If any succeed, the kata is disturbed and the duelist
can not attack for the rest of the round and is at -3 to Parry
and Dodge. At the end of the melee round, the opportunity
comes and the duelist makes his real strike roll. The defender
is at -5 to Parry or Dodge (total) the blow.
Geometric Defense (Special Kata) (NEW!)
The Geometric Defense is a combination of defensive
Kime and Warrior Spirit. The duelist circles around their
opponent in a defensive stance, blocking each attack made by
the opponent with ease. This is done in a precise manner and
with as little emotion as possible. The opposing duelist will
percieve the flowing, almost dance-like defenses as nearly
impenatrable, as every move is countered by a specific and defined motion.
Rather than roll a 20-sider to parry as usual, the
defender rolls against Advanced Mathmatics (at +20%). The
attacker's strike roll is subtracted from the character's
Mathmatics score. Every successful roll results in a blocked
attack, in what is effectively a Circular Parry or Multiple
Dodge. If all attacks are blocked, the end effect, besides not
getting hit, will be a perceived indomitable defense. This
boosts the character's MA to 17 or +4, whichever is higher.
Attackers must roll over the character's Trust/Intimidate score
or will be at -4 to Strike for the rest of the combat.
WEAPON KATA LIST WP: Spanish Rapier:
Uses the WP Large Sword bonuses. The Spanish Rapier is
both a cut and thrust weapon, with an edge designed for
signifigant cutting. The Spaniards, though, prefered the
thrust over the cut due to its greater speed. Due to stance
and the length of the weapon (average of 48 inches overall), it
can be used at Long Range with no penalty, recieves a penalty
of -1 to strike at Combat and -2 at Grappling Ranges.
Spanish Rapiers do 2D6 damage. Average cost: $400-$500 WP: Dagger:
See WP: Knife WP: Blunt/Single Stick: See WP: Blunt WP: Cloak/Net
Described in Pal Fantasy 2nd Edition. The cloak or net
can be used in a whipping motion (1D6 damage), thrown at the
opponent (blinding damage), used to parry an incoming blow, or
to entangle the opponent's arm or weapon. Recieves +1 to
strike or entangle at levels 2, 5, 8, 11, and 15. Recieves +1
to parry at levels 2, 4, 6, 9, and 12. WP: Buckler/Target Shield
Described in Pal Fantasy 1st and 2nd Edition, a Buckler
Shield is basically a round shield. The Target is much the
same, but smaller. Provides a bonus of +1 to parry at levels 1,
3, 6, 9, 12, and 15. The shield can be used to strike with, as
well, doing 1D4 damage. Gains +1 to strike at levels 4, 8, and 12. WP: Lantern/Flashlight
The flashlight or focused-light lantern is used in the
off-weapon hand in combination with other attacks. Best used
in the dark (all effects are at 1/4 strength in the light), the
light is shined into the opponent's eyes, momentarily blinding
them to the attacker's moves. The target of a successful
lantern strike is at -5 to strike, parry, and dodge the lantern
holder's next two attacks. The lantern itself has +1 to strike
at levels 1, 3, 5, 8, 11, 13, and 15. WP: Paired Weapons
See WP: Paired Weapons. The choices are almost always
Rapier, Small Sword, or Cut-and-Thrust Sword, combined with
one other weapon. The individual weapons cannot be used singly
unless that Weapon Kata is also possessed.
Why Study LA VERDADERA DESTREZA?
The art is a deadly force, focusing
on the singular task of slaying an enemy in as precise a
fashion as possible. As such, it appeals not only to those
with a finely tuned sense of honor but to those with clear
intellects and talent at mathmatics.
