English Swordsmanship
By FlashFire

"I've got a knife! Gimme your-- WHAT THE F&!@ IS THAT?!?"

English Swordsmanship has a history spanning thousands of years. Honed over the millenia through action against almost every invader on the European Continent, the art of the sword is highly regarded throughout English history. The blades of Great Britian have been used and abused against Romans, Vikings, Normans, Picts, Germanic barbarians, Angles, Saxons, Danes, French, Spainiards, and each other. Naturally, they got very good at what they did. This form, in particular, represents the art of swordsmanship in England shortly before and into the Renessaince (circa 1550-1600). The preferred English weapon, before the rapier came into play, was the hand-and-a-half sword. A cut-and-thrust weapon, the sword had an edge along both sides of a wide blade that slightly tapered toward the point. The weapon had a bar-shaped crossguard that often bent outwards in the direction of the tip. Pommel shapes varied anywhere from crescents and rings to rectangular blocks and leaf-shapes. The weapons also tended to be very well balanced, making them feel much lighter than they look. The prime advantage to the English style of swordplay in personal combat over the thrusting style that the rest of the continent was adopting was its use in melee. The English had a tendancy to use whatever worked best, so they adopted the standard combat form of swordfighting (meant for use on the battlefield) even in one-on-one duels. This provided a few advantages over the newer rapier style, mainly the quick and brutal kill as well as its natural advantages when facing more than one opponent.

Modern use of this form is mostly limited to displays and SCA combat, but some have been working on restoring it as a legitimate martial art form. It is still extremely rare, almost to the point of being an Exlcusive form (not so thanks to its use in the SCA), making teachers hard to find. Most swordsmen (and swordswomen, of course) will be forced to research the form, rather than learn it in a proper school. Still, once learned, the art is extremely effective and deadly against nearly any combatant, even with its near total lack of Oriental-style Internal Training.

Entrance Requirements: PS and PE of 10 or higher
Skill Cost: 8 Years (6 Years as a Secondary Form)
Costume: English swordplay traditionally required heavy protection, running towards full plate armor. For more reasonable clothing, a swordsman will prefer something loose that allows for full body movement, particularly in the waist and shoulders.
Stance: Stands upright, knees only slightly bent, both feet in solid contact with the ground. The exact position of the primary weapon varied, but was most often held back or above the head in preperation to strike, point forward.

CHARACTER BONUSES

Add 2 to P.S.

Add 1 to P.P.

Add 2 to P.E.

COMBAT SKILLS
Attacks per Melee: 3
Escape Moves: Roll with Punch/Fall/Impact
Basic Defensive Moves: Parry, Automatic Parry, Dodge
Advanced Defenses: Disarm, Maintain Balance, Circular Parry
Hand Attacks: Strike (Punch), Roundhouse (See Choy-Li-Fut Kung Fu, does 1D10 Damage), Uppercut (See Choy-Li-Fut Kung Fu, does 1D8 Damage)
Basic Foot Attacks: Snap Kick, Tripping/Leg Hooks
Special Attacks: 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). Knee, Elbow, Grab, Entangle, Death Blow
Holds/Locks: Arm Hold, Body Hold, Automatic Arm Hold
Weapon Katas: WP: Hand and a Half Sword (3rd level), WP: Buckler Shield, WP Hand and a Half Sword and Buckler Shield (paired), Select one from the list below
Modifiers to Attacks: Critical Strike, Critical Strike from Behind

SKILLS INCLUDED IN TRAINING
Martial Art Powers: Dam Sum Sing. Can be traded for any Body Hardening Exercise (excluding Chi Gung) or any Basic Skill Program.
Languages: English
Physical Skills: Wrestling
Other Skills: Research

If this is your Primary Martial Art Form, then the following other forms can be learned in a shorter time: Jujutsu (4 years), Isshin-Ryu Karate (4 years), Zanji Shinjinken-Ryu (5 years). Special Notes: Unless noted above, any Martial Art that teaches a Philisophical Skill will take 1 more year to learn. This is due to the Duelist's pragmatic outlook and its effect on the philosophy ofthe fighter. Should the game be run in its correct historical time period, or in a fantasy setting, drop the Research skill above and add an extra +1 to strike and parry.

LEVEL ADVANCEMENT BONUSES
Level 1: +2 to Roll/Pull Punch, +1 to Parry, Critical Strike, Critical Strike from Behind
Level 2: +1 to Strike, +1 to Dodge
Level 3: +1 Attack Per Melee, +1 to Disarm
Level 4: Select two Weapon Katas from the list below and one Martial Art Power from the list below.
Level 5: +2 to Damage, +1 to Maintain Balance
Level 6: +1 to Parry, +1 to Roll with Punch/Fall, Critical Strike on Natural 19-20
Level 7: +1 Attack Per Melee, +1 to Disarm
Level 8: Death Blow on Natural 20, Select one Weapon Kata from the list below
Level 9: +1 to Strike, +1 to Dodge
Level 10: Select one Weapon Kata from the list below, Critical Strike on Natural 18-20
Level 11: +1 Attack Per Melee, +1 to Maintain Balance
Level 12: +1 to Roll with Punch/Fall, +1 to Parry, +1 to Disarm
Level 13: Select one Weapon Kata from the list below, Critical Strike on Natural 17-20 (weapon only)
Level 14: +1 Attack Per Melee, Select one Martial Art Power from the list below
Level 15: +1 to Strike, +1 to Dodge, Death Blow on Natural 19-20 (weapon only)

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),
Breathing (NEW) (Body Hardening Exercise) The Breathing BHE is simply the ability to breathe adequately when engaging in heavy combat, a neccessity when swinging a heavy sword while covered in plate mail. It is the rough equivalent of aerobic training. BONUSES: +1 to PE, +10 to SDC,
Four Governers (NEW) (Special Kata) While all good (read: not dead) swordsmen keep these four virtues in mind, the Four Governers Kata allows the swordsman to combine all four effectivally at once. The first Goverener is Judgement, allowing the swordsman to judge his opponent's style and likely moves. The second is Distance, giving the swordsman an idea of what the proper distance is for him to strike without being hit. Time is the next, granting a better sense of the timing and flow of the battle. The fourth is Place, loosely defined as granting the swordsman the knowledge of how best to align his body against the opponent and the opponent's style. The kata requires one full melee of no strikes. The swordsman can parry and dodge, but no attack moves are allowed. At the end of the melee, the bonuses take effect for the rest of the combat or until the opponent changes martial art forms. BONUSES: +3 to Strike, Parry, and Dodge, +1 attack per melee, Can move more effectivally through the Combat Ranges (does not take an attack, regardless of movement).

Weapon Kata List
WP: Hand and a Half Sword
The traditional knightly Crusader broadsword. See WP: Large Swords for bonuses.

WP: One-handed Sword
The one-handed sword is a cut-and-thrust weapon that is used most effectivally with one hand, like the Basket-hilted Claymore or Sword-Rapier (the edged version of the rapier). Bonuses are the same as WP: Large Sword.

WP: Short Sword
The Short Sword is just that, a short sword. Typical examples would be a cutlass, hoplite, and the occasional machette. Uses WP: Short Sword bonuses.

WP: Two Handed Sword
See WP: Large Swords.

WP: Dagger
See WP: Knife

WP: Blunt/Single Stick
See WP: Blunt

WP: Buckler Shield
Described in Pal Fantasy 1st and 2nd Edition, a Buckler Shield is basically a small round shield. A smaller version, called the target shield, was also used, though the buckler was preferred for its larger size. 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 1/2 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: Short Staff
The short staff is something of a misnomer, in my opinion. The length of this weapon is determined by holding the staff close to one's body with the left hand, reaching up as high as possible with the right hand, then adding a space for the fighter to put both his hands. This puts the "short" staff at between 8 to 9 feet in length. Uses the WP: Staff Bonuses.

WP: Pike/Polearms
Polearms, in this case, is a general combination of spear and staff weapons, from the long staff and javelins to pikes and halberds. The character that chooses polearms has to choose a particular weapon to use, no general types allowed, and it has to be Western in design. Because of the lengths of these weapons, they are best used at greater than Long Range. At Combat and Grappling Range, the weapon effectively becomes a staff. Uses the WP: Spear bonuses.

WP: Paired Weapons
See WP: Paired Weapons. The choices are almost always Half-and-a-half sword, Short 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.

The following Katas are allowed, as a master combatant will learn to use every weapon he can. Keep in mind, though, that these weapons and styles are poorly regarded in this style of combat and will be the last chosen, as a general rule.

WP: Rapier
Uses the WP Large Sword bonuses. The Rapier (in-game context) is a thrust only weapon. Small cuts can be made with its edge, but they only do 1 point of damage. 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 -5 to strike at Combat Range, and is impossible to use at Grappling Range (pending a special move developed by the GM and/or player). Note that some versions of the rapier have real cutting edges and some do not. A rapier with a signifigant cutting edge (ie: blade width of greater than 1.5 inches/3 cm) uses WP: Cut-and-Thrust Sword rather than WP: Rapier. Rapiers do 2D6 damage. Average cost: $400-$500

WP: Small Sword
The Small Sword is essentially the same as a Rapier, but smaller and lighter. The weapon has a penalty of -3 to strike at Grappling Range and uses WP: Small Swords bonuses. Damage: 1D8. Average Cost: $300-$400

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.

PAL FANTASY NOTES: This MA form would probably be better applied to Pal Fantasy than to N&SS, but since it uses N&SS rules... If you are inclined to use this in Pal Fantasy, there shouldn't be much trouble converting it to PFRPG's HTH system. Ignore questions of Range and any other HTH move or term you're not sure on. Also, ignore the few teachers rule and drop the Research skill. There will be a great many more teachers in Pal Fantasy, as well as better techniques.

Why Study ENGLISH SWORDSMANSHIP?

The art is mainly studied for its historical value than effectiveness in modern combat, but it still works as an extremely deadly and impressive force when properly used.

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