The entire army is commanded by a captain-general 8 , later shortened to general. He is assisted by his lieutenant-general 7 , and has other staff members such as the quartermaster-general 6 , scoutmaster-general 6 , and firemaster-general 6 — in charge of artillery, although actual gunners were very often not military personnel during this period, but were civilian contractors.
The companies may be formed into columns or regiments under the command of a colonel 6. If he has any assistants, they are sergeants-major 5 , later shortened to major and not to be confused with sergeants.
Enlisted men are privates, Rank 0. There may or may not be sergeants 2 or corporals 1. Note that every country uses a different system, and certain ranks might not exist in a given army — but the rank costs remain the same. Treat all colonels as Rank 6, for example, even if there are no majors. While common members of the elite guard units for the various European monarchies like Musketeers are Rank 0, at least one level of Status is required for membership.
This reflects not only their social status but also their military status. These troops earn respect from ordinary soldiers — and women! CI28 see pp. B24, CI28 A wealthy mistress can count as a patron — Porthos, for example, made good monetary use of his mistress. Likewise, a wealthy man can be a patron for a swashbuckling woman who is his mistress. La Maupin made such use of her noble lovers. Rapid Healing See Immunity to Disease, above.
Serendipity is appropriate for any level campaign. Ridiculous Luck might fit in a slightly cinematic campaign. Both Ridiculous and Super Luck are quite at home in cinematic swashbuckling. Trained By a Master see p. CI31 This advantage is required to learn any of the cinematic skills or maneuvers associated with the martial arts styles described in Chapter 2.
A fighter who lacks Style Familiarity with a given style defends at -1 against an adversary who uses that style. When a fighter encounters an opponent using a familiar style, he will recognize it after the first round of combat.
Anyone trained in a style is assumed to be familiar with it for free; additional familiarities cost 1 point apiece. To acquire familiarity during play, a student must not only spend character points, but must also have access to appropriate teachers — a single day of sparring with a teacher is enough. Weapon Master Varies A Weapon Master is someone with a high degree of training or unnerving talent with muscle-powered weapons swords, bows, etc.
He is familiar with, if not proficient in, every sort of primitive weapon within a given class see below. These benefits do not apply to default use, and never apply to guns of any kind. A Weapon Master may also learn any cinematic skills allowed in the campaign like Power Blow or Pressure Points , as long as they could reasonably be used with his weapons of choice.
The GM is the final arbiter in all cases. In all cases, if a weapon can be thrown, then the benefits above also apply when throwing that weapon. Disadvantages Code of Honor see p. B31 Codes of Honor come in many forms. These bold robbers see p. One principle is courtesy — they are always polite if not resisted. Another is generosity — they return enough money for the traveler to spend the night and get home by coach.
A highwayman with this Code of Honor will not refuse a request for money from any poor person. A third point is graciousness to the ladies and a flirtatiousness that many women find flattering. And if the robber is a Cavalier see p. An honorable highwayman may not rob the poor, and Cavalier highwaymen will not rob Royalist supporters during the Commonwealth. Highland Scots and Irish are extremely proud people. They have ancient codes of behavior followed to the death. If it is not forthcoming, you must issue a challenge.
If you are beaten, you must try again, though you are allowed to recuperate first. If a truce is called, it must be observed — only Englishmen violate a truce. The back line in battle is dishonorable — you must try to be the first into combat. Highland Scottish battles against the English were lost because the clans would race each other across the battlefield to be the first at the enemy. Carefully-laid battle plans would be ignored to further clan honor. Lying to an ally is impossible, though standard diplomatic subterfuge is allowed with an enemy.
You may agree to a plan of action that an ally proposes just to shut him up. Of course, in the actual battle, you will do whatever honor demands, not necessarily what you agreed to do. You are not allowed to take advantage of an unsuspecting enemy. Killing a single opponent from a distance is dishonorable; it is preferable to inquire his name and issue the correct challenges before killing him.
In actual war, of course, this last bit of politeness can be neglected. You will also be distrustful of other clans, as admitting that they might be respectable is to lessen the honor of your own clan. Most Celts also have the Sense of Duty to Clan disadvantage. See pp. Cowardice points see p. B32 In this age of duelling and honor, a coward receives a -3 reaction rather than the -2 as listed on p. Even in a pirate community, societies are so conscious of honor that there is a -3 reaction to cowardice.
Delusion Genteel Proficiency points see p. The character can also take an Odious Personal Habit: Publicly insults trained combatants.
The point value of this Delusion reflects the physical threat it poses to its bearer in combat, not public reaction. See sidebar, p. Intolerance Openly advocating religious tolerance of Christian groups other than the dominant sect of the region is an Odious Personal Habit worth either -5 or points.
Openly advocating religious tolerance of non-Christian faiths is worth points if the campaign takes place in Europe or the respectable circles of European colonies. Reputation see p. In an age when Paris has only , people, and no TV or movie actors to talk about, many people will have heard of anyone connected with the Court.
Cowardice is probably the worst reputation available during this time. B34 Intolerance of other religions is the norm. There is no point value for Intolerance Religious p. Blatant religious tolerance can be an Odious Personal Habit see below. Intolerance toward other nationalities is a disadvantage. If it is toward all foreigners, it is worth points. If it is only toward one commonlyencountered nationality, it is worth -5 points. If it is toward an uncommonly-encountered nationality, it is a -1point quirk.
Lecherousness see p. B34 The French and some Latin cultures are famous for their weakness for romance, and Lecherousness is a very common disadvantage in The Three Musketeers hardly surprising if one reads a biography of Dumas. It may be more refined than the term Lecherousness implies, but whether the lecherous character woos with flowers and courtly bows or with leers and grabby paws, the desired reward is the same.
Odious Personal Habits see p. B26 A very common disadvantage for all types of swashbucklers is the Odious Personal Habit of Boasting. They each had a distinctive, well-known Jolly Roger, and most ships surrendered without a fight. No one molested them in the ports they were allowed to enter, though many ports were closed to them.
The GM must decide each case individually. Self-Centered, Selfish see p. Social Stigma see p. If a Celt were to attempt to act like the English, the disadvantage is only points Minority Group , but there is a -2 reaction from other Celts. If the Celt is able to speak English without an accent and tries to hide his origins, this should be a Secret worth -5 points. Any foreigner might have a -5 or Social Stigma, even in the most enlightened areas.
This does not apply if the PC expects to spend a significant proportion of his time in his home country. Skills This section describes skills with notes relevant to Swashbucklers campaigns.
Black Powder Weapons see p. B49 Matchlocks, wheellocks, and flintlocks each count as an unfamiliar weapon to one who normally uses another. It would be common for a fighter trained before to be familiar with all three types. One trained after would probably be familiar only with flintlocks. Fencing see p. See the sidebar on p. Savoir-Faire see pp. B64, CI This is an era when a faux pas can end a life.
Whenever the PCs have to explain themselves to someone of higher Social Status, add! Tactics see p. Land tactics is assumed unless the character sheet states Tactics Naval. Both Tactics specializations mutually default at Theology see p. To pass as a member of the clergy, a successful Theology roll is needed to fool a lay person.
Roll a Contest of Theology to fool a clergyman. Boxing, Brawling, see pp. What is true is that most upper-class gentlemen eschewed the European unarmed arts in the midth century and did not rediscover them until the middle of the 18th although some unarmed techniques were still taught by swordmasters. To learn any unarmed combat skill except for skills explicitly associated with a fighting style pp. For campaigns set between , a similar 5- point Unusual background is charged for status 0 characters who want to learn any unarmed combat skill not part of a rapier or smallsword style.
It is meant to model the unearthly affinity for swords of s-era swashbuckling movie heroes. The Sword! B50 ; i. It does not work with weapons other than swords — even those that can normally be used with sword skills. If the fighting styles on pp. In addition, you may substitute The Sword! Finally, you may roll vs.
To learn The Sword! Characters from fiction who have The Sword! Many European languages have some default to each other, especially the written forms. French defaults to either Italian or Spanish at -5, Latin at Spanish, and Italian default to each other at -2, Latin at German and Dutch default to each other at -3, and the Scandinavian languages to them at Danish and Norwegian default to each other at -1, and Swedish to each of them at English and Dutch default to each other at English and German default to each other at While much of the vocabulary of English might be Romance-based, more of it is Germanic, as is its underlying grammar.
Welsh and Breton default to Gaeilge or Gaelach at -8 -3 to each other. Languages defaulting to each other should not be taken to mean that there is a word-to-word correspondence. For time travelers, the languages of the 17th century default to their 20th-century descendents at It would not be difficult for a 20th-century person to pass as a foreigner in England, but it would be nearly impossible to pass as a native — even for a modern Englishman!
Of course, this wealth may also form the down payment on a ship. The exceptions are Status 0 and Status 1 — these years were the time of the rise of the middle classes. People in these classes could hope to rise, if they were good or lucky enough at what they did.
Though a bold and lucky fellow might find himself among the higher levels of society eventually, players may create beginning characters of no higher Social Status than 3. Use the Status and Cost of Living table on p. B as an idea of Status in the Swashbuckling era. Status for Musketeers is covered in the sidebar on p. Use the table on p. B for player characters.
Note that living below your Status level may reduce your Status! Roll vs. IQ each month; a failure means Status drops by 1. The point value of a character drops if his Status drops. Of course, not every job is available in every part of the world — there is little call for a slaver in Paris! The Job Table on the next page lists a number of possible. HT-1 or be crippled, Roll vs. B for more information on jobs and freelancing. For those who demand more realism, though, read on.
There was no national paper money. Gold, silver, and copper coins were the currency of all nations, silver being the most common. Each colony also had its own currency, so the proliferation of types of money is staggering. This is not really so much of a problem as it seems, however, since all the coins were made of the same metals. Merchants took coins by metal type, not by national origin.
They would weigh the lot and give value based on current local rates. Even in areas where foreign coins are scarce, weighing money is a common practice. Many rogues shave some silver off each coin, gradually saving enough to melt down and sell.
Weighing the coins effectively reduces the risk of getting less than one bargained for. The coin names do help set the mood, though! A chest large enough to hold that adds at least 40 lbs.
Port Royal, Jamaica even issued letters of credit to buccaneers and pirates! In the 16th century, a Doubloon was worth 16 Pesos. The list above should suffice unless you also want to include escudos, ducados, marks, krone, thalers, cruzados, tostaos, dobroas, ackies, taccae, reis, lira, skillings, piastres.
Matters are expected to come to blows. Thus, the combat techniques of the Swashbuckling era are handled as martial arts and described using the rules in GURPS Martial Arts, summarized here for those without that text.
The rules in this chapter can be used for duelling pp. Maneuvers A maneuver is a specific type of attack or defense. Maneuvers are treated like skills: each one defaults to one or more prerequisite skills, or to DX, usually at some penalty. When figuring a maneuver from default level, always use the best default. Others are restricted to weapon skills, or to a specific subset of weapon skills. For maneuvers like these, a separate version is required for each skill see Specialization, below.
Learning Maneuvers: If a style see p. Otherwise, he can only have it at default. Maneuvers will also improve when DX or the prerequisite skill is increased. Some maneuvers can be improved beyond the level of the controlling skill; others cannot. This is noted for each maneuver. Note that a fighter with no points in a maneuver may still use the default! Specialization: Most maneuvers require specialization to a particular skill.
They can default from several skills, but the user must name the specific skill s for which the maneuver is learned. He can learn the same maneuver for several different skills. Movement: Certain maneuvers e. If using Increased Step for High Move p. CII72 , these maneuvers count as a single step e. Mounted Combat: Most maneuvers are possible when mounted.
Remember that mounted combat uses the lower of Riding skill and weapon skill see p. If this would lower effective weapon skill, all maneuvers that default to it are lowered by the same amount.
An opponent on the ground is too distant to be targeted with these techniques. Maneuvers which give an extra step Attack and Fly Out or which require a step Esquive, Pass, Slip are impossible on horseback; even an expert cannot get a mount to respond fast enough for such footwork!
To launch a moving attack, do an ordinary step and attack while your horse moves. The GM may allow this -2 to be bought off as a Hard maneuver based on weapon skill. B50 is intended to let lightly-equipped swordsmen fight like s cinema heroes. Of course, this book is titled Swashbucklers for a reason, and it is likely that most GMs will want swordplay to work this way many will opt to allow The Sword!
Thus, this chapter assumes that the GM will use Fencing as written. The only necessary change to Basic Set is that Fencing now requires a specialty: one of Fencing Rapier , Fencing Saber , and Fencing Smallsword , which mutually default at As written, though, Fencing skill is not realistic.
Second, it is associated with a suspiciously wide variety of weapons. Anyone who has handled a lateth-century smallsword and a lateth-century rapier will immediately notice that they are less alike than a broadsword and a shortsword!
GMs who would prefer a realistic, historical treatment of sword skills should consider the following optional rule: Broadsword skill requires specialization in either broadsword the basic weapon described under Broadsword skill, p.
B50 or rapier. These specialties default to one another at Shortsword skill requires specialization in one of shortsword the basic weapon described under Shortsword skill, p.
B52 , smallsword, court sword, hanger, or duelling saber. These specialties mutually default at The fencing saber was originally developed as a training weapon for the dueling saber; those who specialize in the fencing saber should take Shortsword Sport Duelling Saber. This is the only direct default between Broadsword and Shortsword specialties. These specialties default to each other at An ultralight weapon see sidebar, p. Continued on next page.
During the 16th century, however, Italian and Spanish masters began to experiment with making sword parries more efficient.
They discovered that alterations in stance, footwork, and guard could improve matters greatly. It is Average for ultralight weapons, Hard for all others see sidebar, p. It can also be learned for Broadsword Broadsword for styles developed from the 18th century on.
This maneuver relies on footwork, and can only be used by a fighter with no more than light encumbrance. As a result, they became lighter and shorter, and the balance moved closer to the hand.
This changed the basic handling characteristics of these swords, especially compared to military swords and early rapiers. In general, any balanced weapon weighing 1. To attempt this, roll against Attack and Fly Out immediately after a step and attack p.
On a success, you may step one yard directly away from your target. You may still retreat see p. B that turn. On a failure, you step away but are off balance: -1 to active defenses until next turn, and you may not retreat. Critical failure results in a fall! This differs from an ordinary step and attack in that it lets you step forward, attack, and step back — all in one turn. Bind Hard Defaults to weapon skill Prerequisite: Any appropriate weapon skill see below ; must specialize.
If he has a second weapon that can bind, and chooses to commit it, he gets a bonus equal to! He may attempt this once per turn. The fighter who initiated the bind may end it at any time; if he used two weapons, he can maintain the bind with just one, but by doing so loses his bonus for the second weapon. The fighter imposing the bind may attempt a thrusting attack with the weapon he is using to bind or either weapon, if he used two.
His intended victim defends at -2 unless his defense is a parry with the bound weapon. In that case, roll an immediate Quick Contest to free the weapon as above ; the bound fighter has an extra If the defender wins, he frees his weapon and parries automatically and may Riposte or Counterattack ; if he loses, his weapon remains bound and his parry fails.
Close Combat Average Defaults to any close-combat weapon skill-2 or other weapon skill-6 Prerequisite: Any weapon skill; must specialize Cannot exceed prerequisite skill, or skill-3 for long weapons In close combat, weapon attacks with legal close-combat weapons are normally at -2 see p.
B , while longer weapons may not be used to attack at all. This maneuver can be learned to eliminate the -2 for using a close-combat weapon at reach C, or to allow longer weapons to attack in close combat.
For a legal close-combat weapon, this maneuver can be improved to allow the weapon to be used at no penalty, although Close Combat cannot exceed the prerequisite skill level. For a longer weapon, this maneuver allows a normal attack to be made at a reach 1 hex short of its normal range, but at This requires at least 1 hex of clearance behind and to one side of the attacker.
By improving this maneuver, the penalty for using a longer weapon can be reduced to as little as Close Combat Pummeling can be learned to facilitate this. It defaults to any of these skills at -2, and cannot exceed the prerequisite skill level. If he has a second weapon and chooses to commit it, he gets a bonus equal to! Win or lose, this counts as an attack. If the attacker wins, the blades are locked and both fighters are at -2 on all other combat rolls.
If he succeeds, he may immediately step out of close combat. An escape may be attempted once per turn, and counts as an action. Escape is automatic and a free action if the target drops his weapon, but his opponent may then flip the dropped weapon to any adjacent hex with a weapon skill roll. This maneuver works just like Riposte p. Second, the initial defense may be any active defense. A dodge, or a parry with the weapon that will be used to attack, is at -1; a parry with a second weapon, or a block with a buckler, cloak, or shield, is at no penalty.
Third, if this defense fails, the attack still goes ahead! A Quick Contest of Counterattack vs. In general, any balanced weapon weighing more than 1. Normal weapons include all balanced weapons that weigh 3 lbs. This also includes bare hands, which are the lightest weapon of all, but which cannot match the speed of the business end of a weapon.
Heavy weapons include all unbalanced weapons. Treat as normal weapons in the hands of someone strong enough to ready them every turn see p. WM In any Quick Contest of Skill where weapon speed and maneuverability matter, the fighter with the higher WM has a bonus equal to the difference between modifiers; e. This includes feints p. B , Quick Contests of weapon skill in wait situations p.
B , and Quick Contests of Fast-Draw skill. Some maneuvers give other benefits; some highly speed-dependent maneuvers give bonuses in addition to the above, effectively double-counting WM for lighter weapons! Finally, only light and ultralight weapons get the multiple parries bestowed by Fencing skill, whether as defined on p. B50 or in the sidebar on p. The disadvantages of lighter weapons? They break more easily see pp.
In addition, light weapons are at -8, and ultralight weapons at , to parry flail weapons a change from the blanket prohibition on p. The shortsword is an exception to the latter limitation: being quite stout, it parries flails at only Weapons can be made one or two weight classes lighter but no lighter than ultralight ; this was done with sport cudgels.
Swing damage and Min ST are both -1 per weight class lighter and heavy weapons suffer an extra -1 damage if made lighter. Finally, making a weapon one step lighter doubles cost; making it two steps lighter triples cost. Less material is needed, but prodigious workmanship is required to get the balance right. GURPS recognizes the importance of weapon length to combat: some weapons have superior reach, and the longer weapon strikes first in a wait situation see p. However, weapon length can make a critical difference to combat even when it is insufficient to change reach in GURPS terms.
For game purposes, all hand weapons fall into one of the following length categories relative to other weapons of the same reach: Extremely Long: polearms, quarterstaves, spears. Long: bastard swords, rapiers, slashing rapiers. Short: batons, hatchets, small maces, shortswords, smallswords. Very Short: blackjacks, daggers, fists, knives. A weapon of longer reach always goes first in a wait. After , some rapierists became enamored of extremely long blades, partly to keep the foe at a distance, partly for fashion.
Divide excess length in inches by 6 and round up to nearest whole number. This is the penalty to all attacks, parries, and other maneuvers made using such a weapon. An extremely long broadsword is not a bastard sword; most of the extra length of a bastard sword is in the grip, not in the blade!
Methods for rendering outright retreats more effective were also discovered. This technique was perfected over several centuries, and came to dominate defense until the advent of ultralight weapons see sidebar, p. A successful Esquive roll gives the fighter a bonus to his active defenses similar to that for retreating p. B , but without necessarily giving ground. He cannot step closer to his foe but see Slip, p.
To use Esquive against a cutting attack except one aimed at the head , the defender must step out of his hex. A failed Esquive roll means the defender did not move fast enough to get a bonus he may still step aside or back, however. Critical success means the attack is evaded automatically. Critical failure means the defender falls down!
The weight modifier see sidebar, p. Esquive may be attempted against one attacker per turn; the defense bonus applies only against attacks from that foe. It can be raised up to 4 levels past the prerequisite skill level. A player should not know in advance whether his opponent is attacking or feinting, since his character would not know the GM should do the same for NPCs.
A fighter who thinks that his foe is attacking can react with Counterattack p. His maneuver will work normally, but he will resist the feint at -3! When using two weapons, the benefits of a feint apply to any attack with either weapon on the following turn — or to all attacks on the following turn in the event of an All-Out Attack. Players should be required to describe their ploys! Treat this as kneeling; he will have to spend a turn getting up, during which he will not be able to retreat see p.
All active defenses by the attacker are at -2 on the turn of the lunge. If he has multiple attacks, this takes the place of two normal attacks. This low-line attack can surprise fighters who are unfamiliar with it: the -1 defense penalty for lack of Style Familiarity p. Damage is unchanged, but the attack is parried at There is no modifier to block or dodge the attack, nor to parry with a second weapon.
Glide can only be used with a thrusting attack. Glide is similar in intent to the unarmed Shuto maneuver on p. MA54 which defaults to Karate-3 or Boxing-4 , but differs in execution. No further improvement is possible. This can never result in a net bonus to hit; it can only be used to offset hit location penalties. GMs who want to simulate the speed advantage of a thrust over a swing can optionally rule that in a wait situation p.
This is in addition to the effects of weight modifiers p. Step and Wait p. The following optional rule reflects this and makes life much tougher for unarmed fighters : If a standing, armed fighter just attacked or parried with his weapon, and if his weapon is still ready, draw an imaginary line from the center of his hex to the center of the hex of the foe he last attacked or parried.
Anyone who moves closer to him through any hex touched by this line must evade his weapon to approach unhindered. If the mover wins or ties, his approach is unhindered. He may defend normally against this, but he may not retreat. This does not count as an attack for the standing fighter! Note that this rule will always apply when you charge a foe who has just attacked or parried you.
This rule does not apply when approaching an unarmed foe, a stunned foe, or someone who is not standing. See Slip p. Just replace Fencing skill with Force Sword p. B50 and allow sword maneuvers to default to that skill.
Energy swords rate as ultralight see sidebar, p. See Force-Swordsmanship p. MA for a swashbuckling style dedicated to ultratech weapons. For notes on swashbuckling in space, see the sidebar on p.
Lunge [cut or thrust] Average Defaults to sword skill-2 Prerequisite: Appropriate sword skill see below ; must specialize. Cannot exceed prerequisite skill This is a full-extension attack, with the attacker stepping as widely as possible to reach as far and as fast as he can.
There are two variations on Lunge: Lunge [cut], which defaults to any sword skill that permits a swinging attack, and Lunge [thrust], which defaults to any sword skill that permits a thrusting attack. These must be learned separately for each weapon. This maneuver allows one to eliminate the -4 off-hand penalty, but only for that particular weapon. Pass [cut or thrust] Average Defaults to weapon skill-2 Prerequisite: Appropriate weapon skill see below ; must specialize.
In the 16th and early 17th centuries, this was considered to be some sort of attack against which no defense could be mounted. As far as can be determined, the reality was far more prosaic: the original Botte Segrete was most likely the lunge.
The 18th-century Universal Parry was probably nothing more than the reliance upon sword parries permitted by the smallsword. In a cinematic game, these secret moves could be the cinematic abilities see p. Some might even have Delusions about invincible moves! Treat as a step and attack p. B , but the step must bring the attacker closer to his foe. If the Pass fails, the attacker must roll vs.
DX or lose his balance -2 to defenses until next turn ; critical failure means he falls down. There are two variations on Pass: Pass [cut], which defaults to any weapon skill that permits a swinging attack, and Pass [thrust], which defaults to any weapon skill that permits a thrusting attack. Retain Weapon Hard Defaults to weapon skill Prerequisite: Any weapon skill; must specialize Your level with this maneuver can replace DX, ST, or weapon skill whenever someone tries to disarm you by any means.
If he succeeds, he can instantly attack or feint with the weapon used to parry, rolling vs. His foe is at -1 to defend against this attack he is still recovering from his own attack , with an additional -1 per point by which the riposting fighter made his defense roll. If weight modifiers are being used see sidebar, p. This can never result in a net bonus to defense. Such fencers were taught to give their opponent time to recover safely before riposting. After , the fencing mask came into common use and this pause was no longer taught, so the full penalty applies.
Riposte cannot be attempted while retreating see p. It can be used with Esquive p. Riposte uses up your attack for the turn; in effect, you attack early, right after your opponent and before any other battlefield events can interfere.
When your turn comes, you are already considered to have attacked, and may do nothing but take a step. A combatant who simultaneously defends with one weapon e.
Over the years, a mythology grew up around this stroke, guaranteed to grant victory in any duel, regardless of skill. In reality, it was nothing more than a feint followed by a cut to the hamstring muscle. When this works, it renders the foe effectively immobile, ending the fight.
It can be used instead of a dodge or a parry against any attack aimed above your waist areas on p. B by an attacker in a front hex. If you succeed, you avoid his attack and step one hex closer to him, possibly entering close combat.
Slip defaults to Dodge-3 counts as a dodge for Boxing skill, Parry-3 counts as a parry for other skills. The bonus to Dodge given by Boxing skill adds to a Dodgebased Slip. A Slip roll benefits from PD like any active defense. Slip may only be attempted once per turn, and cannot be combined with Acrobatic Dodge p. B48 , retreating p. B , or Esquive p. If the victim loses, he falls down unless he can make an Acrobatics-5 roll to somersault in the air and land safely.
See p. MA56 for details. PCs can certainly learn such maneuvers, and sadistic GMs should encourage this by having sword masters regale the swashbucklers with inflated claims for pet secrets. Instead of using Lunge, Pass, and the like, players describe their actions and the GM applies beneficial modifiers e. The GM can get a feel for what is fair by reading the maneuvers in the main text.
The GM can model this as follows: the more dramatically appropriate a move is, the more likely it is to succeed. Similarly, inappropriate or caddish moves are penalized. Bonuses for the Daredevil advantage p. CI23 or an appropriate Higher Purpose p. CI26 should always apply to appropriate cool moves! This does not mean that they are reserved for Weapon Masters, or that they are unrealistic. This placement is simply intended to indicate that these skills would not be taught by a sword master in a realistic campaign, but are de rigeur for swordsmen in cinematic games.
Cannot exceed prerequisite skill This is a simultaneous attack with two weapons, aimed at the same foe or two adjacent ones. Dual-Weapon Attack to hit; e.
The weapon in the off hand is normally at -4 to hit. If aimed at a single foe, his attention will be divided, giving him -1 to defend against both attacks. This maneuver can be used to make a pair of feints, in which case a single target resists both feints at -1 and the attacker may choose the better result of the two. Furthermore, early descriptions of the Lunge p. Flying Lunge lets you hit anything you can reach with a standing or running broad jump see p.
B88 ; you can run your full Move, jump, and launch a Flying Lunge! To launch a Flying Lunge, roll vs. Jumping or DX If you succeed, you may roll against Flying Lunge to hit.
Otherwise, you must roll Acrobatics-4 or DX-8 to avoid falling and taking 1d-3 crushing damage for every 2 yards traveled. Active defenses are at -4 during this maneuver, which counts as all of your actions for the turn. Initial Carving Average Defaults to prerequisite skill-4 Prerequisite: Any weapon skill for a sharp weapon; must specialize. Cannot exceed prerequisite skill A swashbuckler may attempt to carve an initial while fighting.
Determine the number of strokes necessary; e. The first cut is an attack made at weapon skill, with no extra penalty to hit. The remaining strokes are more difficult to place accurately, and are made at Initial Carving level instead.
This must be improved separately for each letter. To leave a mark, an attack must do at least 1 point of cutting damage an impaling weapon may make a 1-point scratch for this purpose. Anything but hard materials like metal will be marked: skin will be scarred and cloth but not armor ripped. The GM may also allow Initial Carving with Whip skill, but this is trickier: all rolls are at an extra Every round after that, you must win a Quick Contest of Sentiment du Fer vs.
You cannot dodge without losing contact, however. MA60 for details. Sweeping Counter Parry Hard Defaults to weapon skill Prerequisite: Any weapon skill; must specialize This maneuver lets a skilled fighter brush aside a large number of minor foes. The usual All-Out Defense rules are not followed. Instead, wait until all of your foes have rolled to hit, then roll a simultaneous Quick Contest of Sweeping Counter Parry vs.
You roll at -2 per foe beyond the first e. Each foe makes one skill roll and matches it against yours. If you tie, his attack is parried but his weapon is still ready. If you lose, he hits you and his weapon is still ready. Any critical failure means a dropped weapon.
A critical success by an attacker is handled normally. Many of the old masters made a point of praising the two-handed sword for permitting a man to stand down any number of lesser-armed opponents.
Whirlwind Attack Hard Defaults to prerequisite skill-5 Prerequisite: Broadsword, Katana, Staff, or Two-Handed Sword; must specialize Cannot exceed prerequisite skill Whirlwind Attack allows a beleaguered fighter to attack every foe adjacent to him with lightning speed!
If used, it counts as all of his actions for the turn. Whirlwind Attack is a special form of All-Out Attack. Each attack is resolved before proceeding to the next one, rolling vs.
Whirlwind Attack to hit. All attacks must be swung attacks. This cannot be combined with other maneuvers, and hit locations are determined randomly. The targets may defend normally. If any of the attacks is a critical miss, then that attack and all remaining attacks are critical misses. Roll on the Critical Miss Table once per attack!
The attacker may end his Whirlwind Attack with any facing; if foes remain standing, he will not want to put his back to them! As a result of his All-Out Attack, he is now defenseless. They also give an unarmed parry; this is of limited utility against weapons see p.
B , but better than nothing. Finally, as every swashbuckler knows, nothing beats a swift kick when you have more foes than you do hands! Brawling is most suitable for the realistic swordsman; Boxing is more appropriate for a career pugilist. Judo and Wrestling Some sword styles include Judo skill, which may seem odd at first; it is unlikely that European swordsmen visited 19th- or 20th-century Japan!
The breadth of techniques implied by Judo is realistic for dedicated masters and their fulltime students. In response to this, schools of swordsmanship appeared to cater to wealthy fencers who did not fight. Academic fencing reached its zenith in the 18th century, when the combination of squeamish gentlemen and the lack of simple protection like the mask invented around but not popular until the next century resulted in a remarkably stately academic style, ill-suited for real combat.
Styles Each school of swordplay is a fighting style. For our purposes, it suffices to say that a style is a prescribed mixture of skills and maneuvers that collectively represent schooling in a particular form of fighting. Styles include the following elements: Primary Skills: A student of the style must spend at least one point on each of these skills. These points are included in the style cost see below.
No difference greater than two levels is allowed between primary skills. Once all primary skills reach 15, the student must put at least 1 character point into each secondary skill before he can further raise his primary skills. Optional skills never have to be learned. Maneuvers: A student of the style must spend at least!
Some styles require more points in certain maneuvers. This is taken into account in style cost see below. Required maneuvers will always default to primary skills. Advanced students may learn versions of these maneuvers for secondary and optional skills, but this is not reflected in the style cost.
Cinematic Skills and Maneuvers: These aspects of a style exist only in a cinematic campaign, and are restricted to characters who have the Weapon Master advantage p. For those students, these become primary skills and maneuvers, and add their cost to the cinematic style cost see below.
Cinematic martial arts skills are beyond the scope of this book; GMs who wish to allow them are directed to pp. CI or MA The better schools might still offer real combat skills as optional skills. The GM may waive this requirement for soldiers with substantial military experience.
A similar point Delusion Genteel Proficiency is detailed on page This lets the student meet or exceed the requirements above. Contrary to the claims of Victorian antiquarians, this was a mobile style that relied on active footwork, not just standing and bashing.
The abilities below are a composite of techniques taught by these older schools, as would be found across Europe to the end of the 16th century.
By the end of the 17th century, this would be much rarer — although nations on the fringe Scotland, Russia, etc. This increases style cost by 4 points. Thus, Italian schools often taught the rapier side-by-side with older weapons. This practice was carried across Europe by Italian masters and their students. It also favored thrusts over cuts. This style was popular in Italy until the end of the 18th century, and could still be found up to the middle of the 19th century in some places.
The Italians preserved the use of secondary weapons dagger and cloak for longer than any other European country. After , replace Judo with Wrestling. Cinematic Skills: Acrobatics, Jumping. See Cinematic Athletics? Combined with the Spanish sensitivity regarding personal honor, this led Spain to develop the earliest schools of rapier and refine their techniques specifically for civilian encounters.
In combat, a Diestro as practitioners called themselves was to remain detached and project dignity and grace. The Diestro held himself perfectly erect, his point always upon his enemy.
It is intended to protect the hand from blows and can itself be used as a weapon. A basket hilt weighs 1 lb. The added cost is not modified for weapon quality or other improvements, but any amount can be spent on additional decoration. The hilt also gives PD 1 to the entire body, like a very small shield — but only against melee attacks not missiles , and only if the weapon has been used to parry that turn a change from p.
A normal basket hilt is not large enough to permit one to wear anything heavier than a leather glove on the sword hand. A hilt could be custom-built with room for an armored gauntlet, but this would double the price of the hilt and make the weapon unwieldy: -1 to attacks, parries, and other maneuvers another change from p. Any basket hilt changes the balance and handling of a weapon, imposing a -2 unfamiliarity penalty until the user spends a day practicing with the weapon.
DX, Boxing, Brawling, or Karate to hit, at -2 for a weapon in close combat see p. This penalty can be eliminated by learning Close Combat Basket Hilt based on any of the skills above; see p. B is intended chiefly for medieval TL3 campaigns. B did not exist until the 19th century. It was invented by either the Italians or the Hungarians specifically for duelling, and has no place in a campaign set before c.
It has nothing to do with the cavalry saber, which is closer to a broadsword. B would only be appropriate for an extremely light, extremely late weapon — a smallsword in all but name. See the table on p.
Hand Weapons Boarding Axe: Treat as an axe p. Not made for throwing -2 to skill. Common on ships. Boarding Pike: Treat as a spear p. Claymore: Treat as a bastard sword pp. A common weapon of the Scots, and occasionally the Irish, up to Not found elsewhere, but the Russians use something similar. In most European cities, it is illegal to carry a sword larger than a rapier.
Musket p. B : Muskets can be used three ways in hand-to-hand combat. First, if the musket has a bayonet, it can be used as a spear. Treat this as a spear held in two hands p. B , but reach is 1 and skill is Spear On any turn when the musket is used as a spear, roll 1d; the bayonet falls out on Rules and background given include: ship combat, black powder weapons, expanded fencing rules, cutlasses, chandeliers, codes of honor, duelling, compulsive gambling and all the other classic elements of a good swashbuckling time!
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