Gladiators
Gladiators are warriors who have been trained for the arena fighting that is so common throughout Avendar. Learned in a variety of dirty and showy techniques designed to incapacitate their opponents, they nonetheless are fearsome warriors all their own, often specializing in a wide assortment of exotic weapons.
Gladiator Skills Notes From the Legends
Skills
Ordinary Skills Gladiator Specific Skills
1 axe
Axes are a primarily offense weapon, most favored by the barbarians for its sheer ferocity. Axes come in many varieties (both one handed and two), but most all consist of a short shaft topped by either one or two wedge-like blades, occasionally topped with a spike. Axes usually slash, slice, cleave or chop in their attacks.
1 mace
A mace is a blunt weapon, consisting of a block of metal attached to a shaft, occasionally covered with spikes or edges to do more damage.Maces usually attack with crushes or pounds, and are often employed by barbarians, who are known for using their ferocious bludgeoning attacks. Maces are also occasionally employed by footman, or the occasional scholar or templar.
1 sword
Swords are perhaps the most common of weapons in Avendar, known and used by all professions save those of the scholars and druids. A sword typically consists of a hilt (place to hold the sword), a crossbar, and a blade. Blade lengths can be anywhere from 2' to 8', with the very largest swords usable only by the giant races. Blades on swords can either be one or two-sided, curved, straight, or even barbed to inflict more lasting damage. Usually, a sword will inflict stabbing,
slashing, chopping, cutting, piercing, or cleaving damage. Swords have traditionally been the weapon of choice for enchantments and other such magics.
1 spear
A spear is a long shaft topped by a sharpened tip. The shaft of a spear may also occasionally be barbed to inflict more damage. The attack of a spear is typically a pierce, stab, or impaling jab, and the weapon is favored by gladiators, who often use the spear to strike at vital organs. The spear is also occasionally used by barbarians, who use it to hamstring their victims, or fighters, who are often trained to use it in organized phalanxes.
1 dagger
Daggers are short bladed weapons, most commonly used by the rogueish classes and those of scholarly bent who lack the time to learn more complicated weapons. Dagger attacks usually involve quick thrusting, piercing or stabbing attacks. Daggers offer very little in the way of parrying, but their quick speed makes them hard to dodge.
1 flail
Flails are a rather uncommon class of weapon, used by and large by gladiators. Similar to a whip, a flail also consists of a handle and a cord. Unlike the whip, however, the cord is not a single lash - it instead links a series of objects together. These objects are typically balls of metal, usually with with some sort of spikes or other sharp protrusions designed to inflict damage.
1 whip
A whip consists of a flexible cord attached to a handle. The cord can be made from any number of materials, but is most commonly leather. Oft times, other sharp materials (such as glass or bits of metal) may be embedded in the cord to inflict more damage. Whips are most commonly used by gladiators (who are known for their exotic lashing and disarming techniques), but also see some usage among some templars and scholars.
1 enhanced damage
This skill allows you to strike at your enemies with harder blows.
1 parry
Parry is a skill learned for deflecting attacks, and is succesful more often than dodge. Parry requires a weapon for full success, the hand-to-hand skill may also be used, but results in reduced damage instead of no damage. The best chance of parrying occurs when the defender is skilled in both his and his opponent's weapon type.
1 recall
RECALL prays to the gods for miraculous transportation from where you are back to the appropriate temple of your hometown.
4 dodge
The dodge skill exploits a character's natural agility to the point where many blows will miss the target. The chance of dodging is also affected by the dexterity of the attacker and the target.
5 rescue
Rescue allows you to intercede in combat, protecting weaker characters from bodily harm. Success in rescuing depends on the skill rating, as well as a comparision of level, dexterity, and speed between the character and the target.
5 second attack
The second attack skill allows one to make two attacks per round. Possessing this skill does not ensure two attacks will be attempted, but it does increase the liklihood of this occuring.
6 hand to hand
The ability to use one's bare hands to inflict more damage than normal is a skill known to adventurers in Avendar. The skill is automatically attempted whenever no weapons are being used, and will cause these blows to inflict more damage than normal.
6 fast healing
This skill allows you to regenerate hit points faster.
8 shield block
Shield block is the art of parrying with a shield. Characters with no shield block skill will not be able to defend themselves well with a shield.
8 kick
The kick skill is an extra attack performed in combat, used for extra damage. Kick can be attempted each round if desired.
11 trip
The trip command attempts to bring an opponent down by knocking their feet from under them. Tripping is most successfully practiced by the quick and nimble, and fails on opponents who are flying or otherwise not tied to the ground. Trip can either be used to start a fight, or in combat, where the argument is optional.
12 dual wield
The ability to dual wield is a skill which classes with at least some devotion to fighting may master. As its name it implies, it allows the user to attempt to wield two weapons at once. In order for this two occur, the following must be true: You must be wielding a weapon in your "main hand", and have your other hand free (not carrying a held item. etc.). You then must attempt the second weapon. If the weapons are compatible, the second weapon will automatically go into your off hand. If the weapons or not compatible, the second weapon will replace the first. Compatiblity depends on a number of factors, but a good rule is that to ensure the proper balance, the second weapon must be two-thirds the weight of the first. Certain small weapons, such as daggers, are an exception to this rule. Giant sized races, such as the alatharya, may be
able to dual some two-handed weapons due to their enormous sizes. Your skill at dual wield will determine how often you are successfully able to use your second weapon to hit.
12 third attack
The third attack skill allows one to make three attacks per round. Possessing this skill does not ensure three attacks will be attempted, but it does increase the likelihood of this occuring.
14 bash
The bash skill is a brute force skill used in an attempt to stun your opponent. Successful bashing depends on a number of factors, including the size and dexterity of you and your opponent, as well as skill in bashing. Bash can either be used to start a fight, or during combat.
15 lash
The lash skill is used to knock an opponent off his or her feet with the use of a whip or flail.
20 grip
The ability to grasp one's weapon to oppose attempts to disarm it is available to gladiators. Requiring both stamina and concentration, it nevertheless drastically reduces the chances of one's weaponbeing disarmed.
21 cross
A trick of the sword, this skill is learned by gladiators in their long experience in the arena. Crossing weapons in a parry against their opponent, they use this opportunity to kick or knee their opponent, in an attempt to disorient them.
22 gouge
A trick learned by the arena-fighting gladiators, this skill is an attempt to tear at another person's eyes. The attack inflicts damage, as well as blinding the victim for a number ofhours.
23 batter
A trick of gladiators, the batter skill uses a mace in an attempt to tire their opponent. Striking punishing blows, the gladiator can often knock the wind out of their opponent, cutting deeply into their stamina.
23 strip
Gladiators can use a whip or flail to in an attempt to disarm their opponent. Occasionally, they will be able to snatch the weapon into their own inventory.
24 meditation
The ability to meditate is a skill which allows for swifter than normal recovery of mana through various mentaltechniques.
24 impale
Using a spear, a fighter can impale his opponent, skewering vital organs. Imapled foes are weakened by the wound, and suffer damaging bleeding for the next several hours.
24 cleave
Gladiators, well versed in bloody and messy combat wounds, can use axes to cleave their opponent. The wounds inflicted by cleave are loathe to heal, often reducing an opponents health for a substantial period of time.
25 fourth attack
The fourth attack skill allows one to make four attacks per round. Possessing this skill does not ensure four attacks will be attempted, but it does increase the likelihood of this occuring.
25 entangle
Gladiators who use nets may attempt to entangle their opponents, knocking them to the ground, and if successful, preventing them from fleeing while they are entangled in the net.
26 legsweep
Using the long-handled shaft of a spear, staff, or halberd, a fighter can attempt to sweep the legs out from underneath their opponents. This attack has no affect on flying opponents.
26 hamstring
This attack uses the sharp tip a spear to strip the tendons of a victim, reducing drastically their ability to move.
26 ensnare
Using a whip or flail, a gladiator may attempt to ensare the legs of his opponents, keeping them bound temporarily.
28 choke
Using a whip or flail, a gladiator may attempt to choke an attempt, temporarily knocking them unconscious.
30 corner
Gladiators, used to fighting in the close quarters of small arenas or cage-fights, are skilled at fighting ferociously against multiple opponents. When targetted by multiple attackers, gladiators can often respond ferociously, doing more damage than normal by exploiting the close quarters of combat.
35 decapitate
Learned from long training in the arena, a gladiator may attempt this showy skill on an opponent who is near death and weakened. Using an axe or sword, they attempt to remove their opponent's
head in one fell swoop.
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Notes From the Legends
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