Nightside: Fighting Schools

Fighting Schools

7th Sea

Unlike in 7th Sea, Fighting Schools do not reduce the cost of the "Noble" advantage.

Fighting Schools give the curriculum skills for free (e.g., Mantok gives Athlete and Pugilism for free).

As for other knacks, the maximum you can start at in any given knack at character creation is 3.

To reach Adept level, a practioner of a given fighting school must reach rank 4 in at least 4 knacks. To reach Master level, the practioner must reach rank 5 in at least 4 knacks.

Some schools (Mantok and Koto) have additional knacks that can only be learned at the Adept and Master level. In those cases, to reach Master level the practioner must reach rank 5 in at least 4 Apprentice knacks AND rank 3 in at least 4 Adept knacks. That means there aren't that many Masters around, relatively speaking.

Fighting Schools' cost in Hero Points is indicated in the table.

7th Sea

Fading Suns

(to be continued)

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Fighting Schools
School	Cost	Weapons	Curriculum	School Knacks	Comments/Mastery Levels
Hawkwood	Hawkwood 25, Others 35	Broadsword or claymore	Athlete, Fencing	All start at rank 1. Beat Lunge Pommel Strike Exploit Weakness (Hawkwood)	Based on MacDonald. Apprentice: You ignore the heavy weapon’s one unkept die penalty to their Attack roll. Journeyman: Before rolling to hit, you may set aside any number of Action Dice. If you do damage, add those dice as unkept damage dice to the damage roll. Master: You roll and keep one extra die on damage rolls for the broadsword or claymore (making it a 5k3 weapon).
Li Halan	Li Halan 25, Others 35	Sword, Main Gauche.	Fencing, Knife	All start at rank 1. Double-parry Feint Tagging Exploit Weakness (Li Halan)	Based on Valroux. Apprentice: Negates the off-hand penalty when using a dagger or main gauche. Get +5 on Active Defense parry with dagger or main gauche in off hand. Journeyman: Whenever you Raise when attacking an opponent, they must Raise at least as many times on their next attack against you. Master: +1 Panache on achieving this level (also raises your maximum by 1).
Decados	Decados 25, Others 35	Sword, Main Gauche. Advantage: Left-Handed.	Fencing, Dirty Fighting	All start at rank 1. Feint Pommel Strike Riposte Exploit Weakness (Decados)	Based on Ambrogia. Apprentice: Negates the off-hand penalty when using a main gauche or dagger. May choose to do +2 damage by twisting weapon as you hit. (CM 6) Journeyman: When you inflict a dramatic wound on an opponent, you may choose to take a dramatic wound on yourself to do an addition dramatic wound to your opponent. Master: If opponent attacks you and misses (active or passive defense), your next attack this round has their passive defense TN=5.
Hazat	Hazat 25, Others 35	Sword	Courtier, Fencing	All start at rank 1. Feint Riposte Tagging Exploit Weakness (Hazat)	Based on Aldana. Apprentice: Roll one additional unkept die for initiative for each level of mastery (Apprentice=1, Journeyman=2, Master=3). (CM 6) Journeyman: +5 TN for your passive defense. Master: Each round you get your Wits in “Focus” dice. These can be used up to add unkept dice to Attack or Active Defense rolls (decide before rolling).
Al Malik	Al Malik 25, Others 35	Sword, Knife	Fencing, Knife	All start at rank 1. Double-parry Feint Stop-thrust Exploit Weakness (Al Malik)	Based on Villanova. Apprentice: Negates the off-hand penalty when using a knife. Get +5 on Parry (Knife) rolls. Journeyman: You get +1 rank in Feint. Your maximum Feint rank is now 6. Master: At the start of a phase, you may lower your passive defense TN by increments of 5 (to a minimum of 5). If you are attacked and perform a Stop-thrust, you get +5 to hit for every 5 you lowered your passive defense by.
Mantok	Brother Battle 25	Unarmed	Athlete, Pugilism	Starts with 3 at rank 1, 1 at rank 2: Apprentice Knacks: Step Forward, Deliver the Sermon Bend Knee, Turn the Page Grasp Hand, Bow to Pray Grasp Hand, Send Gift to Heaven Exploit Weakness (Mantok) Adept Knacks: Close Palm, Reach the Heart Raise Foot, Spin the Prayer Wheel Spread Palm, Speak the Truth Leap Forward, Embrace the Sun Clasp Neck, Wring Out the Robes Master Knacks: Thrust Hand, Pluck the Coal Step Forward, Sweep the Floor Lower Arms, Call the Faithful to Prayer Stretch Spine, Speak the Word Wave Hand, Put Out the Light	Popular with players because of the cool knack names...
Jox Kai Von	Ur-Ukar 25	Unarmed	Dirty Fighting, Wrestling	Starts with 3 at rank 1, 1 at rank 2: Eye Gouge Groin Punch Ear Pull Grapple Exploit Weakness (Jox Kai Von)	Anything goes
Graa	Vorox 25	Unarmed	Pugilism, Wrestling	Starts with Banga, Drox, and Exploit Weakness at rank 1: Banga Drox Throx Exploit Weakness (Graa)	Not physically possible for non-Vorox. Apprentice: Negate the off-hand penalty on one arm. Journeyman: Negate the off-hand penalty on two arms. Master: No off-hand penalties on any arm.
Shaidan	Hazat 25, Others 35	Unarmed	Pugilism, Wrestling	Starts with 3 at rank 1, 1 at rank 2: Royal Palm Peasant Heel Bid Thee Kneel Sword Fist Noble Decree Cannon Fist Imperial Decree Shadow Strike Exploit Weakness (Shaidan)	Fist actions, honour-based. Apprentice: You get +5 on all Pugilism rolls. Journeyman: Your barehanded attacks are 0k2 instead of 0k1. Master: When you fail a Wounds Check, divide by 2 the number you failed by before checking for additional dramatic wounds.
Koto	Al Malik 25, Others 35	Unarmed	Courtier, Pugilism	Starts with 3 at rank 1, 1 at rank 2: Apprentice Knacks: Jagor Strikes the Amenta Step to Sky Throw the Net to Catch the Fish Fling the Monkey Exploit Weakness (Koto) Adept Knacks: Royal Vorox Decrees Weathervane Predicts the Storm Tortoise Wins the Race Prophet Walks on Clouds Singing the Lullaby Master Knacks: Snake Surprises the Sleeper Monkey Tail Plays While Hands Surrender Fool Follows Fool, All Will Follow Comet Strikes the World Mantis Injects the Poison	Trickery + mystical philosophy
Iron Heel	Muster 25	Unarmed or improvised weapon	Wrestling, Dirty Fighting	Starts with 3 at rank 1, 1 at rank 2: Grappling Bear Hug (treated as a basic knack) Disarm Fortitude Beat Improvised Attack Exploit Weakness (Iron Heel)	Based on Dobrynya with additional Manoeuvres. Apprentice: +5 on Grappling and Disarm knacks. Journeyman: +5 on Disarm rolls. You may treat improvised weapons as if they were normal weapons. They do not break and your dice explode as normal. Master: Whenever you fail a wounds check, divide the amount you failed by two before checking for additional dramatic wounds.

Fighting Schools

School

Cost

Weapons

Curriculum

School Knacks

Comments/Mastery Levels

Hawkwood

Hawkwood 25, Others 35

Broadsword or claymore

Athlete, Fencing

All start at rank 1.
Beat
Lunge
Pommel Strike
Exploit Weakness (Hawkwood)

Based on MacDonald.

Apprentice: You ignore the heavy weapon’s one unkept die penalty to their Attack roll.
Journeyman: Before rolling to hit, you may set aside any number of Action Dice. If you do damage, add those dice as unkept damage dice to the damage roll.
Master: You roll and keep one extra die on damage rolls for the broadsword or claymore (making it a 5k3 weapon).

Li Halan

Li Halan 25, Others 35

Sword, Main Gauche.

Fencing, Knife

All start at rank 1.
Double-parry
Feint
Tagging
Exploit Weakness (Li Halan)

Based on Valroux.

Apprentice: Negates the off-hand penalty when using a dagger or main gauche. Get +5 on Active Defense parry with dagger or main gauche in off hand.
Journeyman: Whenever you Raise when attacking an opponent, they must Raise at least as many times on their next attack against you.
Master: +1 Panache on achieving this level (also raises your maximum by 1).

Decados

Decados 25, Others 35

Sword, Main Gauche.

Advantage: Left-Handed.

Fencing, Dirty Fighting

All start at rank 1.
Feint
Pommel Strike
Riposte
Exploit Weakness (Decados)

Based on Ambrogia.

Apprentice: Negates the off-hand penalty when using a main gauche or dagger. May choose to do +2 damage by twisting weapon as you hit. (CM 6)
Journeyman: When you inflict a dramatic wound on an opponent, you may choose to take a dramatic wound on yourself to do an addition dramatic wound to your opponent.
Master: If opponent attacks you and misses (active or passive defense), your next attack this round has their passive defense TN=5.

Hazat

Hazat 25, Others 35

Sword

Courtier, Fencing

All start at rank 1.
Feint
Riposte
Tagging
Exploit Weakness (Hazat)

Based on Aldana.

Apprentice: Roll one additional unkept die for initiative for each level of mastery (Apprentice=1, Journeyman=2, Master=3). (CM 6)
Journeyman: +5 TN for your passive defense.
Master: Each round you get your Wits in “Focus” dice. These can be used up to add unkept dice to Attack or Active Defense rolls (decide before rolling).

Al Malik

Al Malik 25, Others 35

Sword, Knife

Fencing, Knife

All start at rank 1.
Double-parry
Feint
Stop-thrust
Exploit Weakness (Al Malik)

Based on Villanova.

Apprentice: Negates the off-hand penalty when using a knife. Get +5 on Parry (Knife) rolls.
Journeyman: You get +1 rank in Feint. Your maximum Feint rank is now 6.
Master: At the start of a phase, you may lower your passive defense TN by increments of 5 (to a minimum of 5). If you are attacked and perform a Stop-thrust, you get +5 to hit for every 5 you lowered your passive defense by.

Mantok

Brother Battle 25

Unarmed

Athlete, Pugilism

Starts with 3 at rank 1, 1 at rank 2:
Apprentice Knacks:
Step Forward, Deliver the Sermon
Bend Knee, Turn the Page
Grasp Hand, Bow to Pray
Grasp Hand, Send Gift to Heaven
Exploit Weakness (Mantok)
Adept Knacks:
Close Palm, Reach the Heart
Raise Foot, Spin the Prayer Wheel
Spread Palm, Speak the Truth
Leap Forward, Embrace the Sun
Clasp Neck, Wring Out the Robes
Master Knacks:
Thrust Hand, Pluck the Coal
Step Forward, Sweep the Floor
Lower Arms, Call the Faithful to Prayer
Stretch Spine, Speak the Word
Wave Hand, Put Out the Light

Popular with players because of the cool knack names...

Jox Kai Von

Ur-Ukar 25

Unarmed

Dirty Fighting, Wrestling

Starts with 3 at rank 1, 1 at rank 2:
Eye Gouge
Groin Punch
Ear Pull
Grapple
Exploit Weakness (Jox Kai Von)

Anything goes

Graa

Vorox 25

Unarmed

Pugilism, Wrestling

Starts with Banga, Drox, and Exploit Weakness at rank 1:
Banga
Drox
Throx
Exploit Weakness (Graa)

Not physically possible for non-Vorox.

Apprentice: Negate the off-hand penalty on one arm.
Journeyman: Negate the off-hand penalty on two arms.
Master: No off-hand penalties on any arm.

Shaidan

Hazat 25, Others 35

Unarmed

Pugilism, Wrestling

Starts with 3 at rank 1, 1 at rank 2:
Royal Palm
Peasant Heel
Bid Thee Kneel
Sword Fist
Noble Decree
Cannon Fist
Imperial Decree
Shadow Strike
Exploit Weakness (Shaidan)

Fist actions, honour-based.

Apprentice: You get +5 on all Pugilism rolls.
Journeyman: Your barehanded attacks are 0k2 instead of 0k1.
Master: When you fail a Wounds Check, divide by 2 the number you failed by before checking for additional dramatic wounds.

Koto

Al Malik 25, Others 35

Unarmed

Courtier, Pugilism

Starts with 3 at rank 1, 1 at rank 2:
Apprentice Knacks:
Jagor Strikes the Amenta
Step to Sky
Throw the Net to Catch the Fish
Fling the Monkey
Exploit Weakness (Koto)
Adept Knacks:
Royal Vorox Decrees
Weathervane Predicts the Storm
Tortoise Wins the Race
Prophet Walks on Clouds
Singing the Lullaby
Master Knacks:
Snake Surprises the Sleeper
Monkey Tail Plays While Hands Surrender
Fool Follows Fool, All Will Follow
Comet Strikes the World
Mantis Injects the Poison

Trickery + mystical philosophy

Iron Heel

Muster 25

Unarmed or improvised weapon

Wrestling, Dirty Fighting

Starts with 3 at rank 1, 1 at rank 2:
Grappling
Bear Hug (treated as a basic knack)
Disarm
Fortitude
Beat
Improvised Attack
Exploit Weakness (Iron Heel)

Based on Dobrynya with additional Manoeuvres.

Apprentice: +5 on Grappling and Disarm knacks.
Journeyman: +5 on Disarm rolls. You may treat improvised weapons as if they were normal weapons. They do not break and your dice explode as normal.
Master: Whenever you fail a wounds check, divide the amount you failed by two before checking for additional dramatic wounds.

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New School Knacks

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Credits: The picture of the Hazat noble is by the incredibly talented John Bridges and was obtained from the official Holistic Design Fading Suns site. Used without permission, no copyright challenge intended.