[REIGN] Another esoteric discipline

[Chris Cooper]

In order to get back into REIGN now that Liam has said he's started preparing a campaign, I went over some old notes and ideas for esoteric disciplines and martial paths and decided to fix them up with my copy of Second Year. Some are hole-fillers while others are unusual and experimental and hopefully fun.

 

I'm posting them here because it seems I have cluttered up Greg's message boards enough with my submissions.

 

 

DISGRACEFUL MELANGE OF THE GUTTER

Scum get around - often in haste - but how do scum of the street use the occasional, random techniques of secrets they may have learned? By mashing them up together.

 

Rather than a true path, Disgraceful Melange is a “meta” path of techniques that allow characters can combine different martial path techniques from other disciplines and even Esoteric Disciplines - if they fit.

 

It’s designed to use the lower level ranks of a few combat secrets rather than a steady specialisation in one or two.

 

It is uses whatever pool is relevant but the character cannot use any combination of ranks higher than his Coordination or Knowledge stat, whichever is lower.

 

The Melange is only three techniques  and it’s designed to be underpowered because the deviousness of players will more than make up for their losses. Besides there are more variants available to insert or depose the small roster of abilities.

 

Handy in my fist (One point)

The character can swap weapon types from one to another as long as they basically fit the original weapon’s size criteria, so staves can be swapped with spears, daggers with short swords, short swords with long swords, Unarmed Attacks can be used with daggers. Crossbows, however, cannot be swapped with bows.

 

There are certain cases where compatibility issues are sensibly unavoidable like say using a punch attack for a two-handed sword path. Be sensible.

 

The character gets to use his preferred weapon skill.

 

Get dirty quickly (three points)

The gutter melange is able to learn single techniques from Martial Paths on their own without paying for the previous techniques. This is invalidated if the chosen technique is a permutation, combination or adds onto one or more previous techniques. No more than five points worth of secrets may be learnt this way.

 

Roughshod violence (Five points)

If the street scum doesn’t have an appropriate weapon skill he may substitute his Fight skill instead.