Champion

Champion

Some take up arms for glory, wealth, or revenge. Others do battle to prove themselves, to protect others, or because they know nothing else. Still others learn the ways of weapon craft to hone their bodies in battle and prove their mettle in the forge of war. You are a protector. One who sees their worth in service to others and their defense of those around them. Many Knights, Samurai, and bodyguards call this class theirs. Champions excel at combat but specifically shutting down opposing aggressors. Weapon based attacks and defenses against all onslaughts are their bread and butter. Champions are the classic frontline warrior, clad in heavy armor and shields. They are skilled in almost all forms of melee combat and can learn the peak of defensive abilities.

Armor Proficiency: Champions can wear up to Battle Armor.

Weapon Proficiencies: Champions are skilled with the following weapons: Small Shield, Medium Shield, Short Weapon, Medium Weapon, Long Weapon, and Spear. They are the only Fighter archetype that can learn the use of a Large shield without the use of a power.

Energy: Champions use Energy to fuel their techniques.

Class Features:

Defend: This skill allows the character to protect others from harm by getting in the way of the attack. To use this skill, the character must be within weapon reach of a target, have a weapon or shield in hand, and call “Defend”. When used, this skill will redirect a single attack to the character using the skill, which may then be negated normally with defenses. If the attack had a numeric value, the damage will be reduced by half. This skill can be used once each Encounter initially and twice per encounter at 20th level and above.

Armored Core: While wielding a shield the character gains additional armor points. These points go above the character maximum and are refit with their normal armor. As long as they are wielding a shield they gain 10 additional points of armor.

Defensive Specialist: Your defensive skills are treated as Passive.

Skill	Cost	Prerequisite	Combat Technique	SP Cost	Energy Cost
Focus +1	15		Deflect	2	1
Focus +2	15	Focus +1	Clarity	2	1
Focus +3	15	Focus +2	Exhaustion Strike	2	1
Focus +4	20	Focus +3	Weapon Ward	2	1
			Slowing Strike	4	2
			Parry	4	2
Large Shield	7		Knockdown	4	2
Energy 1-16	1		Vitality	4	2
Energy 17-32	2	16 Energy	Aura Blade	6	3
Energy 33-38	3	32 Energy	Riposte	6	3
			Impunity	7	4
Taunt	6		Stun	7	4
Advanced Skills
Skill	SP Cost		Skill	SP Cost
Shield Wall	3		Die Hard	3
Rugged	5		Destructive Blow	4
Patch Job	2		Bolster	7
Phalanx	3		Take Cover	6
Recovery	3		Woven Defense	4

Champion Skills

Aura Blade - This skill adds the Flavor Carrier Magic to the character's weapon damage calls and increases the weapon's Base Damage by 1 for 5 minutes or one Encounter. This Flavor overrides any other Flavor that the weapon normally has.

Bolster - This skill is used by the Champion as a self healing mechanism. While this skill is active, any hit the Champion blocks whether through use of his skill at arms or use of energy such as Deflect, Parry, Riposte, or Impunity, heals the Champion for 1 body Point. This healing cannot take the champion over their maximum body at any point. This skill lasts 5 minutes or 1 encounter.

Clarity - This skill allows the character to briefly harden their minds and Resist the following effects: Charm, Command, Sleep, and Terror.

Deflect - This skill negates a single melee weapon attack that strikes them, or another within melee weapon reach, that has a numerical damage as part of the call; and does not have a Delivery Type, or the Massive carrier. To use this skill, the character must call “Deflect”.

Destructive Blow - This skill, with a melee weapon strike as the delivery method: destroys one weapon, up to a large-sized shield, suit of armor, of other object which is no larger than a Large Shield; making the item unusable and giving it the Broken status. To use this skill, the player must declare aloud “Destroy<targeted weapon/item> Strike” then must land a legal weapon blow with a melee weapon or make weapon contact with the item to be Destroyed. This skill may NOT target a portion of an otherwise whole object, or ANY natural weaponry (i.e. claws, tails, etc). This skill is one swing, hit or miss.

Die Hard - This skill allows the character to survive near death and keep fighting. This can be used only when a character reaches -1 Body Points. When activated, the character can continue to take actions instead of falling down, and can continue to act until they reach negative Body Points equal to their unadjusted maximum Body Points; at which time they will enter the Dying state but only have a 60 count Bleed Out. This effect will end if the user is healed above 0 Body Points.

Exhaustion Strike - This strike causes the target to become weary and tired. If not negated it causes the target to only be able to walk and cannot benefit from "Flee". This skill is used by calling “Exhaustion Strike” and landing a legal weapon blow; this is one swing, hit or miss.

Focus +X -  This is directly added to a character's base weapon damage with any weapon in which the character is proficient. Focus is purchased per hand and does not stack when using a two-handed weapon. Ambidexterity may never be used to stack it over your class maximum.

Impunity - This skill allows the character to fend off all physical attacks for a brief time. When activated the character will announce “Impunity”, and for the next 10 seconds all physical/natural attacks against the user that can be defended with the Parry skill are considered negated.

Knockdown - This skill allows the character to strike a target, hampering them for 10 seconds, during which time they can use no Active Skills or Abilities, and cannot walk. Unlike normal weapon strikes, this skill works even if it strikes the targets Hand Held items or Costume. To use this skill, the character must announce, “Knockdown Massive!”. This skill can only be used with 2 handed melee weapons or when using Large shield and is one swing, hit or miss (Reminder, you CANNOT swing your shield at someone)

Parry - Parry is called as a defense to a melee attack and stops all negatives associated with the blow.  Parry may be used on melee attacks that normally take effect even on hits to shields.  

Patch Job: This skill allows the character to make a quick recovery in combat by Repairing a suit of armor. By performing a 10 second counted action, the target’s armor will be set to its full value, removing the Breached status, though future Breaches will affect the armor normally.

Phalanx - This skill allows the character to raise another character’s armor value while they are wielding a shield. When used the character grants up to four targets, who are wielding a shield, 10 points of armor, these points go above the characters’ maximum and can be repaired with their normal armor points. These points will last for a single encounter or up to 5 minutes.

Recovery - This skill increases the amount of healing received from Expendable Healing effects by 5 points. If the character additionally has the Toughen power the bonus is increased by an additional 5 points (+10 total). This skill can only be purchased once.

Riposte -  Riposte causes an attacker to suffer the effects of his own melee strike.  Riposte makes no guarantees of success - many attackers can employ effects to which they themselves are immune - but does guarantee the Champion’s safety regardless of the outcome of the retaliatory strike.  Riposte does not affect Riposted attacks; this is a gameplay consideration with mirrors facing mirrors.

Rugged - This skill allows the character to withstand assaults that would stagger a lesser hero. This skill can be used to reset the effects of a spell or “Magic” deliver effect; that is not Binding/Contain. When resisted the character will suffer 5 Body Points of damage and be Slowed for the encounter, instead of suffering the effect resisted.

Shield Wall - This skill allows the character to take a defensive stance to shrug off damage. While the stance is active, the character will gain Damage Cap 5, lasting for an Encounter or up to 5 minutes, or they become Helpless. Additionally, the character cannot use Offensive Special Attacks until this skill has ended.

Slowing Strike - An almost direct upgrade to Exhaustion strike, Slowing the target. This skill is used by calling “Slowing Strike” and landing a legal weapon blow; this attack is a single swing hit or miss.

Stun Strike - This effect causes a target to be rendered Stunned for 10 minutes. This skill is used by calling “Stun Strike” and landing a legal weapon blow; this attack is a single swing hit or miss.

Vitality - This skill allows the character to recover from wounds in the heat of combat. This skill takes a 30 second counted action to recover up to 10 points of body. Alternatively, this skill can be used immediately after incapacitating a foe in combat. If done in this way, it is instant and negates the counted action.

Weapon Ward - This skill will negate any Disarm/Shatter effect that targets a hand-held object in the possession of the character. If an effect hits multiple targets simultaneously, such as an explosive trap, it will protect a single item per use.

Woven Defense: Your ability to block a flood of incoming strikes tires out combatants you face, wearing down their ability o engage in combat. This is called as 'Voice Enemies Weakness Burst' and can be used once for each time purchased.

Take Cover - This mastery skill grants everyone on your side of a module one use of 'Resist Ranged' which can be used to avoid any ranged attack be it an arrow, spell, or other effect delivered via range except via Voice vector. This lasts for the remainder of the module.

Taunt: Taunt causes the target to focus their attack the generator of the effect. Until Taunt expires, the victim pays twice the cost for any abilities used against any opponent other than the Taunter. Taunt lasts for five minutes, one encounter, or until the generator of the effect disengages. A Taunter that flees, or moves to interpose a third party in between himself and his target, or simply stops fighting, immediately ends the duration of the effect. In the chaos of combat, this can get fuzzy; a Champion can't control someone else moving into his line of effect, for example, and we expect a certain degree of latitude in "intentional disengagement". This can only be used used after a successful melee strike. This is delivered as "Voice (target) Taunt"

Champion Powers

Bulwark - This power improves upon the champions’ prowess with their shield, allowing them to block more types of attacks than normal. Bulwark allows them to now block, with their shield or via another technique such as Deflect or Parry where applicable, any attack with the Elemental vector.

Defender - This power allows the character to use the Defend skill 1 additional times each Encounter. Additionally, it allows the character to use Weapon Ward to protect others so long as they are within weapons reach.

Defense is Good Offense - This power allows the Champion to harness their need to eradicate the threats to their charge. Upon receipt of this power the Champion may use the Blitz+Critical Strike skill twice a day for free. (Twice daily 4 swings of +5 temporary weapon damage adding the Critical Modifier)

Specialization - This power increases the character weapon damage with a chosen weapon (Long Sword, Medium Axe, etc.) by 1 point.

Strong Arm - This power only functions while the character is wielding a shield they are skilled with. While wielding a shield they are skilled with they are not affected by the Massive modifier, treating all such attacks that strike their shield as normal weapon swings. Additionally, they can use Deflect and Parry with their shield alone without the need of a weapon.

Champion Heroic Powers

Body Guard - This Power allows the character to safeguard a single target, which must meet one of the following restrictions: Must have a character level less than half of the user, or have maximum base Body Points less than half of the user’s base Body Points. While the Power is active, the recipient will gain Reduced: Half from all physical attacks; additionally, the user can use the Deflect, Parry, and Weapon Ward Defensive Special Attacks on the recipient; so long as they are in the same Encounter and are themselves not prevented from using skills. This Power can be used twice each reset, and lasts for 1 hour or Module.

Combat Challenge - prerequisite Taunt x2 Once per Encounter the character can challenge a foe across the battlefield to single combat. By doing so the character must invoke their Taunt skill via voice delivery "Voice [Target] Taunt"