The six fighters of The Rookie
Real-world fighters from other ages, coughed up by the Driftwell. Each one plays differently and wears its own pixel-art costume.
Choose your fighter type
Boxer
A prize-ring brawler the Driftwell coughed up. Balanced, tough, always taking bets.
Sumo Wrestler
Enormous strength and stamina. Slow to start, impossible to move.
Knight
Plate armour from a forgotten war. The hardest shell in town.
Karateka
Headstrong striker with iron shins and a shout to match.
Capoeirista
Dances until the kick lands. Blindingly fast, fragile.
Ninja
Slippery, precise and patient. Gone before the dust settles.
How the types differ
Every type has stat weights (where most of its 12 starting points go), a starting bonus and favoured schools that its random primary school is drawn from.
| Type | Starting bonus | Stat habit | Favoured schools |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boxer | +1 strength, +1 endurance | even | Hammerfist, Tavern Rules |
| Sumo Wrestler | none | strength and endurance | Rootgrip |
| Knight | +2 endurance | endurance first | Rootgrip, Old Steel |
| Karateka | +1 strength, +1 speed | strength, then speed | Thornkick |
| Capoeirista | +1 to every stat | speed first | Willow Step, Thornkick |
| Ninja | +1 to every stat | agility, then speed | Old Steel, Willow Step |
Balance
The six types are balanced against each other: in early levels each wins about half of its fights against rivals of its own level, and at level 50 they stay within a few points of each other. Pick for style, not for a hidden tier list.
Customising a fighter
Whatever you pick, you can dress it with cosmetics: outfits dye its clothing, and each type has four exclusive outfits. Cosmetics are only visual and never change combat.
All fighters are drawn empty-handed. The weapon you hold sits in the fighter's own taped fist (every fighter tapes their hands before a bout), so any type can hold any weapon.