RITTERLICHE KUNST
By Kuseru
Entrance Requirements: While there are technically no alignment restrictions, Knights of principled, scrupulous, and aberrant alignments are men of honor and live by the letter of the Code of Chivalry. Unprincipled and anarchist characters will follow the chivalric code most of the time, but bend or forget the rules when it's in their best interest to do so. Diabolic and Miscreant characters will blatantly ignore them; they are considered to be men of little or no honor, or respect for others. Minimum Attributes include I.Q. of 7, P.S. of 10, P.E. of 10 and a P.P. of 12 or higher.
Skill Cost: 8 Years (6 Years as a Secondary Martial Art Style)
Ritterliche Kunst (The Knightly Art) is the German style of jousting, poleaxe, and swordsmanship. Knights are nobles who are given military discipline and trained in the arts of hand to hand combat and weapons use. They are also excellent horsemen. Knights were typically landowners charged with defending the land they held, keeping peace and order, maintaining produce or manufacturing production and collecting taxes. They also commonly served as judges, administering justice, punishment, and settling disputes as well as representing the people of their region, and setting local laws. Not all knights were landowners fixed to one particular regions, and many wandering knights-errant traveled and fought all over Europe.
Costume: Knights prefer to dress in armor, typically double chain mail, scale mail, and full suits of splint or plate armor. Specifically trained in these armors, they experience minimal restrictions of movement. Knights are -10% to prowl and -15% to climbing walls in full splint or plate armor, -5% to prowl or climb in chain and scale mail. No penalties while on horseback.
Stance: None.
CHARACTER BONUSES
Add +2 to M.E.
Add +3 to P.S.
Add +3 to P.E.
Add +2 to Spd.
Add +10 to S.D.C.
COMBAT SKILLS
Attacks per Melee: 4
Escape Moves: Maintain Balance, Roll with Punch/Fall/Impact.
Attack Moves: Mounted Lance Charge (NEW!)
Basic Defense Moves: Automatic Parry, Dodge, Parry.
Advanced Defense Moves: Disarm, Power Block/Parry.
Hand Attacks: Punch (Human Fist)
Basic Foot Attacks: Kick Attack
Jumping Foot Attacks: None.
Special Attacks: Backward Thrust (NEW!), Body Block/Tackle, Clothesline, Combination Grab/Slash, Crush/Squeeze, Death Strike (NEW!), Hilt Strike (NEW!), Pin/Incapacitate, Shoulder Ram.
Holds/Locks: None.
Weapon Kata: W.P. Large Sword, W.P. Lance, W.P. Poleaxe (Polearm), W.P. Shield.
Modifiers to Attacks: Critical Strike, Pull Punch.
SKILLS INCLUDED IN TRAINING
Martial Art Powers: None.
Languages: German, French, and English
Cultural: Horsemanship: Knight, Heraldry
Weapon Proficiencies: W.P. Large Sword, W.P. Lance, W.P. Poleaxe (Polearm), W.P. Shield. Plus Pick Four from the following: W.P. Axe, W.P. Blunt, W.P. Chain, W.P. Knife, W.P. Paired Weapons, W.P. Siege Weapons, W.P. Spear, or W.P. Staff.
Philosophical Training: Code of Chivalry
If this is your Primary Martial Art then the following other styles can be learned in a shorter time: Arte Dello Spadone (8 Years), Destreza (10 Years), Escrime (7 Years), Hungarian Saber (7 Years), Paradox of Defence (9 Years), Ringen am Schwert (10 Years).
LEVEL ADVANCEMENT BONUSES
1st: +1 to Strike
2nd: +2 to Parry
3rd: +1 to Dodge
4th: +1 Attack per Melee
5th: +1 to Roll with Punch/Fall/Impact
6th: +1 to Damage
7th: +2 to Strike
8th: +1 to Parry
9th: +1 Attack per Melee
10th: +2 to Dodge
11th: +1 to Roll with Punch/Fall/Impact
12th: +1 Attack per Melee
13th: Critical Strike on a Natural 19 or 20
14th: Death Blow on a Natural 20
15th: +3 to Damage
Why Study RITTERLICHE KUNST?
Relatively few special skills. Provides excellent physical training as well. Highly mobile and damaging, but the art is short on defensive maneuvers. For those who seek the true experience of ancient weapon combat, and who understand that there is magic in the blade of a fine weapon, this is the ideal martial art style.