"And is he a man to encounter Tybalt?"
"Why, what is Tybalt?"
"More than Prince of Cats, I can tell you. O,
he is the courageous captain of compliments. He fights as
you sing prick-song, keeps time, distance, and proportion;
rests me his minim rest, one, two, and the third in your
bosom: the very butcher of a silk button. A duelist, a duelist!"
- Mercutio and Benvolio "Romeo and Juliet" Act II Scene IV
The Italian School of Fence represented the second of the major
forms of swordsmanship to take fighting to the "scientific" level.
Following the social trends of the time, the Italians followed the
Spanish into the arena of planned and reasoned personal combat.
The Italian School of Fence developed during the Renessaince,
a time of scientific growth and learning in the sixteenth century.
Starting with a master named Agrippa in 1553, the formerly heavy style
of swordplay, typically used by knights to break through the plate
armor that few wore anymore, transformed into a lighter,
thrust-oriented form. The Italians began to employ the factors of
timing and distance rather than speed and stamina. The design of
civilian weapons followed along the same lines as the Spanish Rapier,
becoming thinner and lighter. This scientific approach to combat led
to the dropping of most of the religious and mystical guises that
previous styles used.
Agrippa, and the masters that followed, reasoned that several
improvements could be made in swordplay. Since no one wore plate armor
in the cities, one didn't need to wield a heavy cutting weapon designed
to combat that kind of enemy. Civilians would, therefore, be able to
fight in whatever method would quickly dispatch an unarmored opponent.
Since a line is shorter than an arc, the Italian Masters decided that a
thrust would work faster than a cut. Secondly, whatever was closest
would hit first, so the weapon was held out, between the two swordsmen,
rather than in the backward position that would allow for a stronger
cut. Other "discoveries" were made about the mechanics of the weapons
themselves, leading to the Italian Rapier, but more importantly was the
use of timing and distance. An Italian Fencer would examine his
opponent's fighting style, observing how fast moves work and judging
how fast other moves would probably work. An attack could then be
properly timed, taking advantage of the point where an enemy is too
busy moving into an attack to properly defend. This led to specialized
moves; such as the disengage, time thrust, and riposte; to take
advantage of those times.
Beyond pure science, most teachers also discussed the concepts
of honor to their students. It was generally felt that if everyone
dealt with everyone else in an honorable fashion, there would be fewer
duels as there would be no reason to fight. This idea, while
reasonable, fell through. Noblemen would use honor to find reasons to
fight, and the common man just didn't care. Nevertheless, most
teachers did their best to teach a student of when it was proper to
fight, as well as how to fight. Concepts such as who to behave toward
a friend who challenges you to a duel.
As with other forms of Western Martial Arts, Italian Rapier
Fencing faces the problem of few people knowing about the realities of
rapier fighting. 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 is 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. Like other Western duelists, the Italian Fencer will approach a
fight in a calm and composed manner. They treat fighting with the
seriousness and respect that it deserves, and not with the hot-blooded
flashiness of the average Errol Flynn movie. They will hold back,
prefering to feel out the opponent until they feel they have a good
enough knowledge of their opponent's moves before moving in for the kill.
Entrance Requirements: IQ of 10 or higher Skill Cost: 6 years Costume: Street clothes of the period the character lives in, but the prefered outfit will be
loose, allowing for full movement of the legs, crotch, and shoulders. Stance: Sword between the Fencer and his opponent, with the off weapon hand held forward to help with parrying (often holding a dagger). Weight is on the balls of the feet and slightly forward, off-weaponside leg forward, back foot at a 45-degree angle.
CHARACTER BONUSES
Add 2 to M.E. (concentration)
Add 1 to P.P. (balance and control)
Add 1 to P.E. (aerobic workout)
COMBAT SKILLS Attacls per Melee: Four Basic Defensive Moves:Parry, Automatic Parry, Dodge Advanced Defenses: Disarm, Maintain Balance, Circular Parry, Combination Parry/Attack. Hand Attacks: Strike (Punch), Roundhouse (See Choy-Li-Fut Kung Fu, does 1D10 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).
Time Thrust (SPECIAL!) The Time Thrust
is an attack made as an opponent prepares to attack, similar to a
Simultaneous Attack. This move takes
one action and is done in place of a Parry.
The Fencer rolls to Strike (using Time Thrust bonuses rather than
Strike). If the Fencer gets higher than the attacker, the Fencer's
weapon lands first and interrupts the
other, meaning no damage is done. If
the attacker gets higher, standard
Simultaneous Attack rules apply. The
attacker can try to defend against the move, but they are at half their
normal Parry bonus, due to the suddeness and surprise of the move.
Base Time Thrust bonus is equal to one-fourth of the character's IQ
(round up, maximum of 7) plus the character's PP bonus.
Lunge (SPECIAL!) The Lunge is a fast
attack used to close distance quickly.
The front foot is thrown towards the
opponent, carrying the body and the weapon towards him. The Lunge
basically is a standard attack that
only works at Long Range and produces a Critical Strike.
Successful or unsuccessful, the Lunge requires a Maintain Balance roll
of 5 or better to get back into a position of being able to move. This
recovery takes an additional attack,
making a total of two required for the
move. Attacks and parries can still
be made while in the lunge position, but are both at -3 and moving is
impossible.
Disengage (SPECIAL!) The disengage is
a fast move that brings the weapon underneath the opponent's weapon to
attack in the opposite line. This is a defensive move that
can only be done in response to an attack on the blade or weapon arm
itself, such as an Arm Hold, Entangle, or direct damaging attack on the
weapon. It uses the character's normal bonuses to parry, but grants
the character +3 to strike on the following attack due to the speed and
ease of the "parry," as well as the opponent being slightly off-balance
after the failed attack. This is an Automatic move.
This move can be combined with the Riposte, resulting in an
additional +2 to strike.
Combination Attack/Grab (SPECIAL!) The
Combination Attack/Grab is a move that requires agility and speed. The
Fencer starts by striking the blade
to the side, called beating the blade in modern fencing. He then steps
forwardand snatches the opposing weapon by the guard. A Grabbed weapon
cannot be used against the Fencer,
preventing the enemy from even trying to lever their weapon into him.
The attack starts with the beat. The Fencer rolls to Strike
(full bonuses). Then, roll to Grab (PP bonuses only). If the Grab is
successful, several things happen. This is effectivally a Weapon Hold,
requiring the same escape rules as a Hold. The Fencer can follow it up
with a Disarm on his next attack at
+3. Alternately, they can attack with
their own weapon, which the defender
will not be able to use the Grabbed weapon to parry with.
This move can only be performed on a weapon with a signifigant guard.
So, while it will work against rapiers, cutlasses, basket-hilt
claymores, and even greatswords, it
will not work against anything with a
tiny guard, such as a katana or most
combat knives. It can also only be used once per melee round.
Inquartata (SPECIAL!) Called the three
point lunge in Modern Fencing (and an
illegal move, too, since no part of
the body except the feet can touch the
strip), this move consists of throwing
the rear leg back and dropping the whole body under an incoming attack.
The non-weapon hand is placed flat on
the ground to aid in balance. The weapon is thrust outward into the
attack, one that the defender will have to struggle to defend against.
This works just like a Combination Dodge/Attack. The Fencer
rolls to Dodge at full bonuses, then
rolls to Strike at no bonuses. The
opponent must use an attack to defend
against it, as Automatic Parry won't
work. In addition, the character is at +3 to Maintain Balance after a
successful Dodge roll, regardless of
the Strike Roll, until they rise back
into the guard position. This move
can only be used once per melee round.
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.
Duelist's Critical Strike (SPECIAL!)
Duelists train for the singular purpose of ending human life. To this
end, they train particularly to strike
at the points that will best result in
instantaneous death 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).
Knee, Elbow, Grab, Entangle, Death Blow Holds/Locks: None Weapon Katas: WP: Rapier, WP: Rapier and Dagger (paired), WP: Rapier and Buckler Shield (paired), WP: Rapier and Cloak (paired). Rapier and one other Kata of choice start at 3rd level. Modifiers to Attacks: Critical Strike, Critical Strike from Behind
SKILLS INCLUDED IN TRAINING Martial Art Powers: Wrist Hardening. Can be traded for any Body Hardening Exercise (excluding Chi Gung) or any Basic Skill Program. Languages: Italian at 25%, +5% per level Physical Skills: Fencing, Running 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), and other Western Fencing systems (half time). Special Note: Unless noted above, any Martial Art that teaches a Philisophical Skill will take 1 more year to learn. This is due to the Fencer's pragmatic outlook and its effect on the philosophy ofthe fighter.
LEVEL ADVANCEMENT BONUSES Level 1: +1 to Strike, +2 to Parry/Dodge, Critical Strike, Critical Strike from Behind Level 2: +1 to Grab, +1 to Disarm, +1 to Time Thrust Level 3: +1 to Maintain Balance, +1 to Binding the Blade Level 4: +1 Attack Per Melee, +1 to Parry Level 5: Critical Strike on Natural 19-20, +1 to Time Thrust Level 6: +1 to Maintain Balance, +1 to Disarm, +1 to Strike Level 7: Death Blow on Natural 20, +1 to Grab Level 8: +1 Attack Per Melee, +1 to Dodge Level 9: Critical Strike on Natural 18-20, +1 to Time Thrust Level 10: +1 to Strike, +1 Attack Per Melee Level 11: +1 to Binding the Blade, +1 to Disarm, +1 to Parry Level 12: +1 to Maintain Balance, +1 to Time Thrust Level 13: +1 to Dodge, +1 to Disarm, +1 Attack Per Melee Level 14: Critical Strike on Natural 17-20, +1 to Strike Level 15: +1 to Maintain Balance, 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)
JUDGEMENT (Martial Art Technique)
The technique of Judgement represents the ability of a
Fencer to take the measure of their opponent and figure out how
to react appropriately against them. To use this power, the
Fencer must spend two melees sizing up their opponent. This
takes the form of applying basic attacks and defenses to
certain moves, allowing the Fencer to judge what methods of
attack their opponent can use. Note that this is two melees of
watching the opponent fight, but not neccessarily against the
Fencer. If they have the opportunity to watch the combatant
fight for two melees and are using the Technique on them, the
same results will occur. In game terms, this means that the character will be
able to determine the following things about the opposing
character: approximate level of their HTH form as Low (1-3),
Medium (4-7), and High (8 and up); the HTH form being used and
the approximate moves they can use (tell them what form and let
them look at the book to see what they can do); the enemy's
physical attributes; and indicate the general possibility of
other abnormal powers and abilities (only shows generalities,
like odd eyesight, exceptional hearing, abnormal flexability,
and so on, not give them a description of the exact powers
used.). It also grants a few bonuses, as the Fencer begins to
be able to predict how their opponent will react and move.
Bonuses:
+2 to Initative
+2 to Parry/Dodge
+2 to Time Thrust
+1 to Strike
WEAPON KATA LIST 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 4 feet 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: Cut-and-Thrust Sword
The Cut-and-Thrust sword is mis-named slightly, but I
have no better term to use. In this case, the Cut-and-Thrust
Sword refers to any one-handed sword that can be used to both
thrust and cut (duh), like the Basket-hilted Claymore or
Sword-Rapier (the edged version of the rapier). Bonuses are
the same as WP: Large Sword. 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: 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 Shield
Described in Pal Fantasy 1st and 2nd Edition, a Buckler
Shield is basically a small round shield. 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 Italian Fencing?
Because it is meant to get the job done in
the best and most effecient manner possible. This mindset
appeals to those with a practical and analytical turn of mind,
making it a favorite of architects, scientists, and scholars.
In the modern world, it is generally only studied by martial
arts enthusiasts, people enamored with the West's past, and the
occasional Hopeless Romantic.
HISTORICAL NOTES:
Since no-one really knows everything about the use
and abuse of rapier fighting, please don't use this as a
historical reference. Certain facts and dates may be wrong, as
well as some of the concepts. To the best of my knowledge,
they are all correct, but you never know.
If this form is used in its historical period (ie:
your campaign takes place in the 16th century), the character
does not get the Research skill, nor is the form Exclusive
(takes 4 Years as a Secondary Skill).
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.
Rapiers are still somewhat unfashionable, and little
study has been made in their use. This form is only recently
come into being, designed and used by small groups of Scholars
in the Eastern Empire. Drop the Research skill, but the form
remains Exclusive (only the most dedicated of swordsmen will
know it even exists, and it costs 6 OCC Related Skills, or 3
more than HTH Martial Arts).
