Martial Traditions

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Martial traditions are not simply collections of talents, but are designed to enable character concepts. The martial traditions listed below cover a great many concepts, but there are many more possibilities then are presented below. If a game master (or a player with game master permission) wishes to create a unique martial tradition, they should use the following guidelines.

1. Each martial tradition should include two Equipment talents, typically with at least one discipline, Armor Training, or Shield Training. These determine the weapons, armor, and other equipment a character has available to them (if any).
2. Each martial tradition should include either an appropriate base sphere, or the option to choose between 2 base spheres. The exact appropriateness of any given base sphere depends on the concept.
3. Each tradition should also include one additional thematic talent. This could be a bonus talent in the sphere you gained as part of step 2, an additional base sphere, or perhaps an Equipment talent that is not a discipline but works with the character concept in some way.

In addition, there are a few things that, unless the game master rules otherwise, should be avoided when creating a new martial tradition.

1. Over-specializing in a single sphere other than Equipment. A martial tradition determines a character’s starting tools and characteristics; not only does over-specializing produce a one-dimensional character that is often boring to play, but it can also produce characters with large weaknesses that are unable to contribute to the game outside of their single specialty.
2. Over-specializing in either offensive or defensive talents. This is similar to issue 1; over-specializing in any one direction produces unbalanced characters with glaring weaknesses that make them difficult to play and often leaves them unable to contribute.

As always, the above guidelines may be broken with GM permission, and even some of the traditions listed below break one or more of these rules. As always, martial traditions are a tool for enhancing the game, and are subservient to that goal.

Animal Trainer

Animal trainers fight alongside tamed beasts, wielding the tools used for capturing and training their pets in battle.

Bonus Talents:

Equipment: Bounty Hunter’s Tools

Beastmastery sphere (handle animal) package

Variable: Animal trainers may select two additional talents, each chosen from either the Beastmastery sphere or the Equipment sphere.

Armored Dreadnought

Armored Dreadnoughts specialize in wielding massive shields and titanic suits of armor that would crush lesser men under their enormous weight.

Bonus Talents:

Equipment: Armor Training, Shield Training

Variable: Armored dreadnoughts gains two talents of their choice from the Equipment sphere.

Barbarian

Barbarians are tribal warriors who cultivate their rage for use in combat. Skilled at both hunting and warfare, Barbarians are deadly, versatile fighters. Depending on the traditions of their tribe, a barbarian might fight alongside war animals or focus on their rage, breaking their weapons as often as their enemies.

Bonus Talents:

Equipment: Tribal training

Berserker sphere

Scout sphere

Variable: Barbarians gain either the Barroom sphere or the Beastmastery sphere.

Bolt Juggler

Bolt jugglers are a sight to behold, awe-inspiring on the training ground and dread-inspiring on the battleground. While some use their crossbows to compliment a melee weapon, others wield two crossbows at once in a dizzying display of coordination.

Bonus Talents:

Equipment: Mechanical Training

Dual Wielding sphere

Variable: Bolt jugglers gain either Expert Reloading or Mechanical Savant from the Equipment sphere.

Variable: Bolt jugglers gain either Impossible Reload or Mixed Assault from the Dual Wielding sphere.

Bushido Warrior

Training in the bushido way includes learning how to wear the ceremonial armor of your station, as well as wield weapons like the katana and longbow. Some bushido warriors also train in horsemanship, while others perfect the art of single combat.

Bonus Talents:

Equipment: Armor Training, Bushido Training

Duelist sphere

Variable: Followers of the bushido way gain either the Beastmastery base sphere (Ride package), or Draw Cut from the Duelist sphere.

Canny Hunter

Canny hunters are skilled marksmen and trackers, capable of spotting a creature’s weaknesses and felling them with a single well placed shot.

Bonus Talents:

Equipment: Huntsman Training

Scout sphere

Sniper sphere

Variable: Canny hunters gain one additional talent of their choice from either the Equipment sphere or Scout sphere.

Chemist

Chemists who go adventuring often find the bottle makes as good of a weapon as what might be inside it.

Bonus Talents:

Equipment: Fast Draw

Alchemy sphere (formulae package)

Barroom sphere

Variable: Chemists gain one additional talent of their choice from either the Barroom sphere or Alchemy sphere.

Combat Gunner

Guns aren’t the most friendly of weapons, making the efforts of combat gunners all the more impressive. Willing to duck and weave into melee combat as well as fire from a distance, these masters of close and long range combat lack any fear.

Bonus Talents:

Equipment: Firearm Proficiency, Gun Kata

Open Hand sphere

Variable: Combat gunners gain either Barrage sphere or Sniper sphere.