Author Topic: The Bladecraft Skill  (Read 1613 times)

Offline sirpercival

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The Bladecraft Skill
« on: December 05, 2016, 07:41:41 AM »
The Bladecraft Skill

"When the sword is once drawn, the passions of men observe no bounds of moderation." - Alexander Hamilton

Bladecraft is a skill, as well as a subsystem. Many blade techniques grant bonus Bladecraft dice to attack rolls, damage rolls, or other situations; the size of a "Bladecraft die" (which may be more than one physical die) is determined by your ranks in the Bladecraft skill.

Bladecraft (Int; Trained Only)
You can learn blade techniques, and can use this skill to identify blade techniques as they are being used.

Whenever the effect of a blade technique you use depends on Bladecraft dice, the number of ranks you have in Bladecraft determine the type of dice you roll, as shown on the following table. Bladecraft dice gained as a bonus to damage are not multiplied on a critical hit. The progression of Bladecraft dice continues in the same way beyond 36 ranks. Multiple sources of Bladecraft dice on the same roll stack.
Ranks
Bladecraft Dice
1-4
1d4
5-8
1d6
9-12
1d8
13-16
1d4+1d6
17-20
1d6+1d6
21-24
1d8+1d6
25-28
1d4+2d6
29-32
1d6+2d6
33-36
1d8+2d6

Check: You can identify combat styles and sword techniques used by a combatant. Identifying a blade technique used by someone you can see requires no action, and the DC is equal to 10 + 1/2 the user's base attack bonus (rounded down, minimum +0). Identifying the current form someone is in requires no action, and the DC is equal to 20 + 1/2 the user's base attack bonus (rounded down, minimum +0).

You can also make a Bladecraft check when using a technique to retain a previously granted tag. If the technique would have granted a tag of the same type as the tag you are retaining, the retained tag replaces the tag you would have been granted. If the technique does not grant a tag of the same type, you retain the tag in addition to the new tags granted by the technique. The base DC for retaining a tag is 15, +3 for each tag the technique normally grants, -2 if the technique would have granted a tag of the same type. Note that, as this use of the Bladecraft skill is always in combat, you may not take 10 when attempting to retain a granted tag.

Action: None
Try Again: Yes
Special: You gain a +2 bonus on Bladecraft checks to identify a technique or form that you know.
Special: Any character with at least 1 rank in Bladecraft has the ability to learn blade techniques.
Synergy: You gain a +2 synergy bonus to Bladecraft checks for each of the following skills in which you have at least 5 ranks: Autohypnosis, Knowledge (History), or Martial Lore. If you have 5 or more ranks in Bladecraft, you gain a +2 synergy bonus to Concentration, Knowledge (History), and Martial Lore checks.
Note: Bladecraft is a class skill for any class which has full Base Attack Bonus progression.
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Offline sirpercival

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Re: The Bladecraft Skill
« Reply #1 on: December 05, 2016, 07:42:09 AM »
Skill Tricks
The following skill tricks can be learned and used in the usual way; see Complete Scoundrel for in-depth rules on skill tricks.

Exotic Articulation [Manipulation]
"You didn't expect that attack, did you?"
Prerequisites: Bladecraft 6 ranks.
Benefit: You can take 10 when making a Bladecraft check to retain a previously granted tag.

Focused Swordplay [Mental]
Your mental training lets you manage unusual tactics during combat.
Prerequisites: Autohypnosis 8 ranks, Bladecraft 8 ranks, ability to assume psionic focus.
Benefit: You can expend your psionic focus as a free action when using a blade technique. If you do so, you may substitute any granted tag for any tag of the same type which is required by the technique. For example, you could substitute the [High] granted tag for the [Diagonal] required tag, but not for the [Bash] required tag.

This is a Knife [Interaction]
"You call that a knife?"
Prerequisites: Bladecraft 6 ranks.
Benefit: You can make a Bladecraft check in place of an Intimidate check to demoralize an opponent.
I am the assassin of productivity

(member in good standing of the troll-feeders guild)

It's begun — my things have overgrown the previous sig.