Blademastery in The Wheel of Time
Back to Skills
Blademastery(2) - Denoted by the coveted heron-mark swords, blademasters are
considered the most effective individual warriors in the known world. Ranks in
Blademastery add on to a character's Swordsmanship ranks for attacking and parrying.
- The Boar Rushes Down the Mountain - A nearly all-out attack, this form is an
attempt to overpower your opponent's defenses. You may make your attack roll
with this skill, using Strength, rather than the normal Blademastery(Deftness) roll.
If that attack roll succeeds, roll an extra number of damage dice equal to your rank
in this skill.
- Heron Wading in the Rushes - Developed as a balance exercise, this form leaves
the character completely open to attack. In so doing, it makes him so tempting that
most enemies will attack, heedless of their own safety. A character performing this
form voluntarily lowers his defense to 3 for the round. He chooses 1 opponent, and
rolls Heron Wading in the Rushes(Presence) against a Will roll of that enemy. If he succeeds,
they must attack. Even if he fails, the enemy can still attack; it is up to that opponent. If
he botches, however, the opponent will not attack, and the Blademaster has lost his action.
If that enemy attacks, the character can strike in return, also against a target of 3,
and if he hits, he does normal damage plus his Heron Wading in the Rushes rank.
- Parting the Silk - A form designed to defeat Beat Attacks, Parting the Silk requires
the blademaster to parry as normal. When the opponent attempts the Beat Attack, the
blademaster rolls Parting the Silk. If the blademaster beats the Beat Attack roll, the Beat
Attack, and the attack that follows it, is automatically stopped, and the blademaster can
strike in return (as a normal attack). Failure means that the Beat Attack functions normally.
A botch lowers the blademaster's defense to 3 for the rest of the round.
- Ribbon in the Air - A defensive form, roll Ribbon in the Air rather than Swordsmanship
for parrying. As long as the character does not botch and is not hit, any number of attacks
this round can be Riposted, gaining a +1 to all Riposte attempts. Any hit prevents
Riposte from being used for the rest of the round. A botch drops the character's defense
to 3.
- River Undercuts the Bank - This form is used to cripple and slow an opponent.
Roll this skill rather than Swordsmanship; a successful hit does damage to the legs,
so that the victim's Movement is reduced by one-half the damage until it heals. The blademaster making this attack
cannot move in the same round he uses this skill.
- The Wood Grouse Dances(2) - A purely defensive form, this skill gives you a bonus
when parrying equal to your rank in it.
Skills
The Wheel of Time RPG Home