WARRIOR-FIGHTER KIT

Duelist

Description:  A Duelist is a sophisticated, urbane, witty, and generally lightly 
armed and armored hero who flourishes best in a city-based campaign, plying 
their immense skill at fencing and fighting to the benefit of themselves and 
their allies.  While a Duelist is certainly capable of putting on heavy armor 
and toting a heavy mace or bastard sword alongside other tank-like warriors, he 
or she really shines when free to move and flow with catlike grace through the 
dance he or she lovingly knows as battle.  In a campaign, a Duelist tends to be 
a happy-go-lucky hero with a ready wit and a flashing blade, always ready to 
meet any challenge with a disarming smile and a slightly contemptuous smirk.  
For a Duelist, a sword fight is not a job, it is an artist, and every Duelist 
strives to become a master at his or her craft.  While a Duelist's appearance 
and charming manner are generally less than imposing, he or she is a deadly 
warrior, and enemies often underestimate him or her and learn their error only 
too late.  Duelists are noted for their blinding speed in combat and often 
prefer to live a solitary life, not closely engaging with any of their many 
superficial friends and acquaintances, for their first love is always the sword.

Requirements:  A Duelist can be of any alignment, though the freedom embodied in 
chaotic alignments tends to fit better with the mindset of most Duelists than 
highly restrictive lawful mores.  Humans, elves, half-elves, aasimar, and 
tieflings can all become Duelists, as long as they have scores of at least 13 in 
Intelligence and Dexterity and 9 in Strength and Charisma.

Weapons & Armor:  A Duelist will rarely wear any armor at all as a matter of 
choice, nor will they use a shield, though they can do so (heavy armor hinders 
their kit abilities--see Special Hindrances).  Duelists can become proficient in 
any weapon they wish, though they prefer to use 'Fencing Blades' whenever 
possible.

Special Benefits:  Duelists can be very charming when they wish to be, 
particularly with respect to characters of the opposite sex; hence, they gain a 
+2 reaction bonus with such characters.  In addition, they gain the following 
special abilities:

Continuous Conditioning:  As a standard Fighter, save that a Duelist trains in a 
very focused way at improving balance and agility to the exclusion of all other 
abilities.  Thus, they gain the benefits of this ability only with regard to 
Dexterity.  They do, however, add 3d10 per level after 1st to their Dexterity 
score, rather than the usual 2d10.

Fencing Mastery:  All Duelists are experts in the use of traditional fencing 
weapons, and they begin with free Narrow Group proficiency in Fencing Blades.  
They can use any of these weapons to great effect, and all of the following 
benefits of Fencing Mastery apply whenever a Duelist uses one of these blades 
(though they cannot be used with other weapons).

A Duelist can utilize a variety of special combat maneuvers (e.g., Block, 
Disarm, Weapon Pin, Called Shot) while fencing, gaining a +1 bonus to attack 
rolls and applying a -1 penalty to opponent saving throws (where applicable) for 
every four levels of experience (rounding up).  In fact, a Duelist can attempt 
one such maneuver every round of combat in addition to his or her normal 
actions.

Duelists are highly skilled in using their weapons for defense as well as 
attack.  Hence, Duelists gain an AC bonus equal to their level if they do 
nothing but Parry for an entire round (rather than the usual warrior parrying 
bonus), and they are able to slip in attacks against those who strike at them in 
melee while Parrying (see Riposte below).

Even if a Duelist does not spend the round parrying in this fashion, he or she 
gains considerable defensive benefits from his or her exquisite swordsmanship.  
In any round in which a Duelist wins initiative, he or she gains a bonus to 
Armor Class equal to one-half his or her level (rounding up).  Even if a Duelist 
fails to win initiative, he or she gains a bonus to AC equal to his or her level 
of specialization with the blade in his or her primary hand.  These AC bonuses 
apply only when a Duelist is battling creatures of size L or smaller using size 
S or size M weapons hurled or hand-held weapons.  Larger creatures or larger 
weapons are able to ignore the parries and blocks and defensive cuts and thrusts 
of a Duelist's slim blades.  These bonuses also do not apply vs. missile fire 
with bows and similar weapons.  They also do not apply if a Duelist is surprised 
or struck from behind, being essentially similar to Dexterity-type bonuses.

Finally, Duelists have the unique ability to trade off their offensive and 
defensive capabilities in the course of combat.  During any melee round, a 
Duelist can sacrifice one or more points of THAC0 and add them to his or her AC, 
reflecting defensive positioning and skill at the expense of aggressive attack.  
They can also do exactly the opposite, leaving themselves somewhat open to 
counterstrike in order to gain a favorable attack position and improve their 
chance to hit (i.e., improving their THAC0 at the expense of a worsened AC).

This adjustment can never cause the Duelist's AC to become worse than 10, nor 
can it worsen his or her THAC0 beyond 20, and it cannot exceed one-half the 
Duelist's level (rounding down).  A bonus or penalty to AC applies for all 
attacks made against the Duelist during a round, and THAC0 penalties also apply 
for all attacks made during the round (missile or melee).  A bonus to THAC0, 
however, can be applied to all to one attack (up to a maximum of +3) or spread 
out over several attacks; it does not apply to all attacks made that round.  If 
a Duelist elects to sacrifice sufficient AC to grant a bonus beyond +3, he or 
she must apportion out the bonus over several attacks, and the bonus to be 
applied must be declared prior to the attack roll.

Fencing Styles:  A Duelist learns these in lieu of the Style Specialization of a 
standard Fighter.  As usual, each Fencing Style must be learned for use with a 
particular weapon, which must be a Fencing Blade.

  Amnian:  use a fencing blade in the primary hand and a main-gauche in the 
other without penalty even if different actions are taken with the primary and 
secondary weapons (e.g., one attack and one parry).

  Capopero:  force enemy to save vs. petrification each round (modified by 
difference in levels between attacker and defender) or lose one-half of all AC 
bonuses related to blocking or deflecting maneuvers with weapons and shields 
(including Parrying) or based on terrain cover or concealment.  This includes 
other Style Specializations that provide AC bonuses.

  Hizaglipa:  same as Capopero, but applies instead vs. speed or agility-based 
AC bonuses (e.g., Dexterity, Tumbling, boots of speed).  In addition, it negates 
the use of Tybalt.

  Tybalt:  adds +2 to hit for Block, Disarm, and Weapon Pin attacks.  In 
addition, it cancels out Capopero (i.e., save automatically successful).

  Venzetti's Defense:  can only be used in rocky terrain or other areas with 
uneven footing and irregular obstacles; provides a +2 bonus to AC.

Heroic Fray:  As a standard Fighter, but only against weapon-using opponents.  A 
Duelist cannot engage in a Heroic Fray against weaponless foes.

Riposte:  Duelists are masterful at the art of disarming their foes and parrying 
their blows and still being able to get in an attack at the same time.  As a 
result, any time a Duelist successfully executes a Block, Disarm, or Weapon Pin 
he or she is entitled to also take a 'free' attack at a -4 penalty to hit 
against the same target.  A successful hit will inflict half normal damage.  A 
Duelist does not gain this Riposte if his or her initial combat maneuver failed.

In addition, if a Duelist chooses to spend the entire round Parrying (see 
Fencing Mastery) any creature attempting to attack him or her in melee must save 
vs. petrification (at -1 per three levels of the Duelist, rounding up) or suffer 
damage equal to half the Duelist's level (rounding up).  Of course, the damage 
inflicted in this way cannot be greater than normal for the weapon being used to 
parry; e.g., a 12th level Duelist Parrying with only a main-gauche dagger could 
not inflict his or her normal 6 points of Riposte damage unless he or she 
possessed a Strength bonus or a magical dagger.

Specialization:  As a standard Fighter, save that a Duelist must specialize in 
all Fencing weapons before he or she gains Specialization in any other weapon.

Swiftstrike:  Duelists favor blindingly swift strokes with their flashing 
blades, and unlike other Fighters their speed factor can drop below zero as a 
result of Specialization or other modifiers with their weapon.  In addition, 
because of their quick reflexes and extensive training a Duelist has the ability 
to provide an additional bonus to his or her initiative rolls throughout the 
course of a battle.  During the course of any combat encounter, a Duelist can 
allocate a number of points equal to his or her experience level in order to 
modify one or more initiative rolls.  The decision of whether to modify a roll 
and by how much (maximum bonus of -3) must be made before initiative is rolled, 
and it applies only to the Duelist, not to his or her allies.

In addition to this initiative bonus, once per day a Duelist can attempt to 
double his or her normal number of attacks per round.  This ability requires a 
successful Wisdom check with a +1 bonus for every three levels of the Duelist in 
order to marshal his or her concentration for this amazing feat.  If this check 
is failed, the ability cannot be used that day.  If it succeeds, the Duelist is 
able to double his or her usual number of attacks (or to take a full round of 
movement and still attack without penalty).  Note that an off-hand weapon used 
in this way is also entitled to doubled attacks (though all normal penalties for 
two-weapon use apply).

Use of this ability is not without risk, however, as at the end of each round of 
doubled attacks the Duelist temporarily loses Strength due to the rapid onset of 
exhaustion.  After one round of doubled attacks, the Duelist loses 1 point of 
Strength (or 'step' of exceptional Strength), and with each round of doubled 
attacks thereafter he or she loses 1d4 points of Strength.  A Duelist who drops 
to 0 Strength collapses from exhaustion and remains unconscious until fully 
rested (see below); however, since the loss of Strength occurs at the end of the 
round he or she is still entitled to a full round of attacks before this occurs.

At the beginning of each round of doubled attacks after the first, the Duelist 
must make a Constitution check with a cumulative -1 penalty per round of doubled 
attacks or else be unable to continue.  All normal Strength-related factors 
(e.g., combat bonuses, weight allowance) are figured based on the Duelist's 
current Strength level.  Lost points of Strength are restored as soon as the 
Duelist spends one turn resting completely for every point of Strength that was 
lost.

Taunting:  Duelists are highly skilled at boasting, goading, teasing, and 
generally annoying and being irritating to their opponents.  A Duelist may 
attempt Taunting at any time, though if his or her opponent cannot understand 
his or her speech it will have no effect.  If the Duelist's Taunting is 
understood, his or her opponent must make a save vs. paralyzation with a -1 
penalty for every three levels of the Duelist (rounding up) or become becomes 
enraged, suffering a -2 penalty to attack rolls and a -1 penalty to Armor Class 
as they become so blinded by rage that they fail to notice the small details 
essential to good combat.  It is important to note that the Duelist's opponent 
does gain a +1 bonus to damage while so enraged.  

Creatures with Wisdom of 15 or greater or who are 5 or more levels higher than 
the Duelist's level are unaffected by Taunting, as they recognize it for what it 
is and may choose to disregard its effects if they wish.  Player characters are 
not immune to Taunting, though when possible they should play out their natural 
reactions to Taunting.  Thee DM should always take the personality of the 
taunted character, whether PC or NPC, into account.

Note that while a Duelist's Taunting may be very colorful and provocative and 
may involve considerable boasting on the part of the Duelist, a Duelist will 
almost never directly show contempt or derision for his or her foe and their 
fighting skill (though they may mock treachery or cowardice or even just bad 
taste in clothes on the part of their opponent).

Weakness Identification:  This ability allows the Duelist to assess an opponent 
for signs of weakness by spending a round in combat with that foe.  A successful 
Intelligence check means that the Duelist has located the foe's weakness, 
whether it lies in fighting style or a fault in the opponent's armor.  Note that 
a Duelist can add a +1 bonus for every three levels of experience if he or she 
is willing to spend a round observing his or her opponent without attacking 
(though parrying is allowed), simply allowing his or her opponent to reveal weak 
points under the careful and watchful eye of the Duelist.  A Duelist can also 
attempt Weakness Identification without actually engaging a creature in combat 
if he or she can observe it fighting another creature for a round (during which 
time the Duelist cannot attack but may parry) or by simply watching a creature 
and carefully examining it in a noncombat situation for a full turn; in either 
of these cases, the check is made at only half the normal chance of success 
(using the Duelist's Intelligence plus the level bonus described above) because 
of the relative difficulty of finding a creature's weakness without engaging it 
directly.

Once a Duelist has successfully used Weakness Identification, he or she can 
attempt one or more 'called shots' (with the usual penalties of +1 to initiative 
and -4 to hit) in order to inflict double damage with each blow to the opponent 
for all attacks for one round.  A Duelist can attempt to 'share' this bonus with 
his or her allies; however, if the creature under attack understands the 
language used to communicate information about its weakness, anyone attacking 
the creature does so with a -2 penalty, as it is then able to compensate for 
their tactics.

After a round of attacks against his or her weak spot, any creature with at 
least Average intelligence will be able to adjust its fighting style so that the 
weakness is no longer exposed.  Creatures with Low intelligence or less simply 
try to minimize the danger by presenting a different side to the attacker.  
Thus, if two or more Duelists attack such a creature there is a good chance that 
they can continue exploiting its weakness throughout the battle as it shifts the 
damaged area from one side to the other.

Special Hindrances:  Duelists are devoted to their chosen weapons to a fanatic 
degree, and they suffer serious hindrances when using other weapons.  Many of 
their special class abilities function only with Fencing Blades and cannot be 
used otherwise.  In addition, a Duelist can never gain multiple attacks with any 
weapon other than a Fencing Blade, regardless of his or her level, even if 
specialized in a weapon of another type.  They also must spend two weapon 
proficiency slots to become proficient or specialized with any missile weapon or 
with any melee weapon that is not a sword, dagger, or knife.

Duelists also like to be unburdened and to have great freedom of movement, and 
they will suffer handicaps if they are at all encumbered.  A Duelist who exceeds 
his or her unencumbered Weight Allowance will be able to function as if only 
half his or her true level when using special kit abilities.  The same applies 
if they wear any armor heavier than leather.

Duelists have their own very idiosyncratic style of fighting, and they may not 
learn the sorts of Style Specialization that other Fighters can (though they 
have their own special styles).  Duelists are individualistic by nature and do 
not like being tied down, and they will thus almost never build a Stronghold 
(though may retain a fine home) or attract men-at-arms to follow them.  A 
Duelist can attract only half the normal number of henchmen.

Finally, Duelists are very concerned about personal honor and conduct on the 
field of battle.  They will never strike an opponent without warning and will 
never engage in mortal combat with an opponent who is not their equal in skill 
unless they are forced by circumstances beyond their control.  This does not 
mean a Duelist will not defend him- or herself, but rather if attacked by an 
inferior opponent a Duelist will first attempt to drive off or disable the foe 
rather than engaging earnestly in combat.  A Duelist will never strike his or 
her opponent until the opponent is ready to receive his or her blow.  This 
includes opponents who are unarmed, surprised, or unaware of the Duelist.  They 
will also never pursue or attack a fleeing foe (thus, they never take Attacks of 
Opportunity), for it earns the victor no honor to hunt and kill an opponent who 
has already conceded defeat.

Duelists believe that melee should be resolved between two individuals wherever 
possible and that in many ways it is less honorable to suffer defeat than to win 
only through sheer strength of numbers.  It is not uncommon to see a Duelist on 
the field of battle standing around waiting for their friends or allies to 
'settle their own fights', though a Duelist will rally to a friend's aid if he 
or she is confronted by a foe of significantly greater ability, since that foe 
has already acted dishonorably by picking on a weaker combatant in the first 
place.

Bonus Proficiencies:  Etiquette
Preferred Proficiencies:  any Arts, any Urban, Appraising, Charm, Disguise, 
Display Weapon Prowess, Drinking, Eating Fast-talking, Forgery, Gaming, 
Heraldry, Jest, Juggling, Jumping, Persuasion, Reading Lips, Seduction, 
Tightrope Walking, Tumbling, Ventriloquism, Voice Mimicry, Weaponsmithing