Martial-arts schools
Six schools, each with its own signature passive and its own way to win. Mix them to make a fighter nobody else has.
How schools work
Every fighter has one primary school, rolled at recruitment and weighted towards the schools its fighter type favours. The primary school gives the fighter its signature passive skill.
Skills from other schools make them secondary schools, and a fighter can have at most two of those. Generic skills, with no school, can always be learned. A skill always uses the poses and effects of the school that owns it, so a mixed fighter visibly switches style in the middle of a duel.
Well-known combinations that read nicely: Hammerfist + Thornkick (the kickboxer), Rootgrip + Tavern Rules (the bar bouncer), Willow Step + Old Steel (the dancer-fencer) and Old Steel + Rootgrip (the armoured warden).
The six schools
Hammerfist
Boxing + karate straight punches. Compact, relentless strikes.
Iron Knuckles
One-Two
Knockout Punch
Haymaker
Opening Bell
Back to the Ropes
Rootgrip
Folk wrestling, judo throws and sumo pushes. Immovable.
Rooted Stance
Hip Throw
Mountain Body
Bear Hug
Catch Breath
Bell Tabard
Willow Step
Capoeira sway, acrobatic kung-fu, parkour. Hard to touch.
Ginga Sway
Cartwheel Tempo
Untouchable
Rooftop Run
Showboat
Gap in the Guard
Old Steel
Fencing and sword schools. Precise cuts and ripostes.
Blade Discipline
Parry-Riposte
Disarming Bind
Heron Lunge
Padded Doublet
Thin Cut
Thornkick
Kick-boxing, savate and clinch knees. Fast and sharp.
Snap Kicks
Flying Knee
Shin Guards
Clinch Knees
Warm-Up
Closing Kick
Ankle Kick
Tavern Rules
Street brawling and drunken feints. Never stays down.
Liquid Courage
Bottle Break
Rowdy Roar
Hair of the Dog
Second Helping
Sore LoserWhere to go next
Every skill, with its description and whether it is passive or active, is on the skills page. To see how a skill fits into a duel, read the combat guide.