Professions that cover the areas of combat skills, self-defence and teaching them to player characters.
Four for combat skills (two for largelly unarmed brawling, two for armed fighting) and two for teachers and trainers of combat skills and self-defence.
1.) BOJOVÉ A STRÁŽNE PROFESIE
BRIGAND
You
know these types… Clothed in worn-looking, incongruous, rummaged
apparel, they’re usually unarmoured, with a sheathed weapon or two
dangling from their old belts… You walk past them on a street, and
if you trespass or upset them in any way, they give you dirty looks.
Or, at their worst, they stop you, rough you up and tell you to stay
out of this particular place. It’s their turf. Or the turf of the
guild they work for. And you’re not welcomed, lest you uncover a
heist-in-the-making, or even an already up-and-running smuggling
business. Maybe you’re not as easily intimidated and you’ve come
armed. Maybe you’re even a member of the police (undercover or not)
and are ready to take on a few of these fops. But that’s where you
might be unpleasantly surprised. Unlike Thugs, Brigands won’t
hesitate to carry weapons and draw them whenever provoked. And unlike
Guards or Fixers, Brigands have zero problems leaving the areas they
guard and following you around the city streets and alleys. Beware.
Though it is true that Brigands love fighting dirty whenever they’re
pushed to the wall, their prowess in skills such as swordfigting are
not to be underestimated. Many people even consider Brigands to be
among the best “self-taught” unarmoured swordsmen - fighters that
are as light-footed, agile and playful as they are unpredictable,
ruthless and deadly. Though you can find Brigands among virtually all
the sapient species of Aporue, the Stoatfolk (and to a lesser extent,
Otterfolk) are particularly iconic as swift-bladed, smirking rogues
with more than one ace up their sleeves. The specialisation is fairly
useless to freelancer thieves, aside from adopting it in order to
improve one's existing fighting skills.
Type of profession:
Security
Profession in a nutshell: Security
provider for professional thieves. Need a street agent and bodyguard
who can really go toe-to-toe with other armed men and bring in some
expert swordfigting and dirty blows when needed ? Hire a Brigand,
obviously. If you are content with a mostly unarmed and less fancy
combatant, try a Thug instead. If you want to have a more static and
guarding-focused variation, try an armed Guard or an
unarmed/lightly-armed Fixer instead.
Recommended combinations
with: Driver, Dogsbody, Squealer, Guttersnipe, Smuggler, Melee
Teacher
See also: Combat and self-defence, Melee weapons, Ranged weapons, Armour
THUG
In
the world of brawling escapades, what is more archetypal than the
street ruffian from a city's slums and narrows ? The rogue ready to
literally pull no punches and redecorate one's facial
features ? Aye, hardly anything is as archetypal as the thug. Thus,
you'd be forgiven for thinking that the thugs working for thieves are
little more than hired dumb muscle, deployed when one needs to teach
some nosy troublemaker a (bruise-laden) lesson. However, the role and
use of thugs in the thieving world (at least that of Melza) tends to
be a bit more complex than just the typical “smack-pow” clichés.
As a field agent and security staff member of either a fellowship or
guild of thieves, a Thug is a travelled, dynamic character,
patrolling the streets much in the same way a Brigand would. And
though every bit as agile and mercurial a fighter, he (or she)
differs from the Brigand by wearing no armour and using only very
little in the way of actual weaponry. In comparative terms, the Thug
as a security profession is basically a Brigand with a skillset of
abilities more akin to that of the Fixer. Weaponry isn't much of a
concern to Thugs, as they and the Fixers follow the combat philosophy
of wearing no armour and using only fisticuffs, or at the very most,
knuckledusters, small knives, small throwing weapons, cudgels and
whatever they can find in an alley. Focusing on a Thug specialisation
can be a desirable career choice for a thieves' guild member who'd
like to eventually advance to a Brigand role. The downside to being a
Thug is that, though one is never too far from a bit of action, the
risks of getting injured in a tussle or going through generally
exhaustive stuff might not be for everyone (hint, hint: Some might
prefer the “cosier” work of a Guard or a Fixer). The
specialisation is fairly useless to freelancer thieves, aside from
adopting it in order to improve one's existing fighting skills.
Type of profession:
Security
Profession in a nutshell: Security
provider for professional thieves. Need a street agent and bodyguard
who can deliver the brawns and bare-handed blows when needed ? Hire a
Thug, obviously. If you want to arm him better and teach him some
swordfigting and fancier tactics, try a Brigand instead. If you want
to have a more static and guarding-focused variation, try an armed
Guard or an unarmed/lightly-armed Fixer instead.
Recommended
combinations with: Dogsbody, Driver, Squealer, Guttersnipe, Smuggler,
Melee Teacher
See also: Combat skills and self-defence
GUARD
The
best payed, best equipped, most level-headed and most experienced
security employees of any thieving guild, guards are the main
infantry line of defence between a thieves' guild and the outside
world. Guards are, on average, the most heavily armoured of all
possible thief guild members. They frequently wear even the likes of
mail and metal helmets, an otherwise rare sight in the wardrobe of
thieves (as it's more practical to go lightly and not bother with
armour, given the preference for avoiding any direct combat
confrontations). The weaponry of guards runs the gamut from bladed
weapons to polearms to blunt weapons to various projectile weapons.
Focusing on a guarding specialisation can be a desirable and logical
continuation of the career of a thief guild member who had previously
taken up a simpler security role, such as being a Fixer. The downside
to being a Guard is that most of the action is rather sporadic and
that one works and lives in a relatively confined area. If one wants
more armed action in the service of the guild, it is recommended that
he or she try the Brigand specialisation instead. The specialisation
is fairly useless to freelancer thieves, aside from adopting it in
order to improve one's existing fighting skills.
Type of profession:
Security
Profession in a nutshell: Security
provider for professional thieves. Though the area he can serve in is
relatively restricted, a guard in the services of the guild is its
best armed and best trained combat-oriented employee (particularly
when it comes to defence of the guild's turf). If you are content
with a mostly unarmed and less fancy combatant, try a Fixer instead.
If you want to have a more dynamic and reconnaissance-focused
variation, try an armed Brigand or an unarmed/lightly-armed Thug
instead.
Recommended combinations with: Fixer, Melee Teacher,
Marksmanship Teacher
See also: Combat skills and self-defence, Melee weapons, Ranged weapons, Armour
FIXER
It
happened. Someone has been suspiciously prancing about or messing
around on your turf. Not just anywhere. Near your secret cache, your
hideout/safehouse or maybe even the guild's secret compound… We
can't let that slide just like that, can we ? This is a matter of
urgent security ! We… you… need to adress it somehow. Thing is,
the troublemaker is far enough from our premises to make sending out
a Guard too conscpicuous and impractical. And all the Brigands and
Thugs and Footpads and whonot are already away, walking those mean
streets, patrolling and getting into scraps elsewhere, doing their
other daily chores… But we still need to send out someone to yell
at him “Oi ! You there ! Hit the road, scram, skiddadle, if you
know what's good for ya !”. And if he ignores even that warning, we
need to give him a good kick in the behind, just so he'll remember
that valuable life lesson once he's tempted to snoop around again
next time. So, who ya gonna call ? The good ol' Fixer, that's who !
Broadly the same role as a Guard, but with the mobility of a Brigand
and fighting skills/style of a Thug. Weaponry isn't much of a concern
to fixers, as they follow the Thug philosophy of wearing no armour
and using only fisticuffs, or at the very most, knuckledusters, small
knives, small throwing weapons, cudgels and whatever they can find in
an alley. Focusing on a fixer specialisation can be a desirable
career choice for a thief guild member who'd like to eventually
advance to a Guard role. The downside to being a Fixer is that most
of the action is rather sporadic and that one works and lives in a
relatively small radius around thief-held establishments. If one
wants more armed action in the service of the guild, it is
recommended that he or she try the Thug specialisation instead. The
specialisation is fairly useless to freelancer thieves, aside from
adopting it in order to improve one's existing fighting skills.
Type of profession:
Security
Profession in a nutshell: Security
provider for professional thieves. If you want to arm him better and
teach him some swordfigting and fancier tactics, try a Guard instead.
If you want to have a more dynamic and reconnaissance-focused
variation, try an armed Brigand or an unarmed/lightly-armed Thug
instead.
Recommended combinations with: Dogsbody, Guard,
Melee Teacher
See also: Combat skills and self-defence
----
2.) TEACHERS AND TRAINERS OF COMBAT SKILLS
MELEE TEACHERS
Even
if you are the greatest master of stealth in the entire world, odds
are, you’ll get caught redhanded or wind up in a scrap with someone
sooner or later. This is where it genuinely pays off to have at least
some degree of close combat skills, even if they were just basic,
bare-handed martial arts. ("Martial arts" being a bit of a
generous term, one that is perhaps a bit too flattering – what with
the typical fighting philosophy of the city’s mean streets being
"kick, punch, elbow and bite, as long as you bring your attacker
down"…). In addition to fisticuffs, kicks, chops, or elbow, knee
and head "manoeuvres", a Melee Teacher can train any freelancer or
guildsman in those much-cherished arts of defending oneself with a
real melee weapon. Whether it’s a variation on blades, clubs, axes,
staffs, spears, and (last but not least) shields, the Melee Teacher
is ready to show you the ropes of learning how to defend yourself
from anyone who’d try to "rearrange and redecorate" your body.
If you ever run into an unfortunate situation where the only way out
is via determined brawling, you’ll thank your patient and strict
Melee Teacher immensely. Aside from combat-oriented specialisations,
such as the Thug and Fixer, or the Brigand and Guard, a particularly
good professions combination for the Melee Teacher is with the
craftsman specialisations of the Bladesmith, Poleturner and Armourer.
A combination with these crafting-oriented specialisations can offer
an interesting shift in perspective, because each type of craftsman
tends to focus on melee skills that are closer to his/her area of
expertise. Thus, a Bladesmith Melee Teacher will focus on
swordfigting and parrying skills, a Poleturner Melee Teacher will
focus on polearms and impact weaponry, and an Armourer Melee Teacher
will focus on how to utilise one’s armour and shield for
self-defence and minor offensive skills. Keep in mind that the focus
of all three of these variations concerns only types of weaponry. All
three variations still teach the same basic, bare-handed fighting
skills in an equal way. Similar divisions of teaching exist among the
security specialisations, as Guards and Brigands can teach armed
fighting, while Fixers and Thugs focus on teaching fighting
barehanded, or only with the most minimal of weaponry.
Type of profession:
Teacher/Trainer
Profession in a nutshell: Combat
expert who teaches others how to become proficient in close combat -
whether it's hand-to-hand melee, swordfigting, the use of polearms or
blunt weapons…
Recommended combinations with: Brigand,
Guard, Bladesmith, Poleturner, Armourer (I was thinking of adding
Thug and Fixer too, but those are more hand to hand in terms of
melee, so I don't know)
See also: Combat skills and self-defence, Melee weapons, Armour
MARKSMANSHIP TEACHER
Even if you are the greatest master of
stealth in the entire world, odds are, you’ll get caught redhanded
or wind up in a scrap with someone sooner or later. This is where it
genuinely pays off to have at least some degree of ranged combat
skills, even if they were just basic, throwing-related martial arts.
("Martial arts" being a bit of a generous term, one that is
perhaps a bit too flattering – what with the typical fighting
philosophy of the city’s mean streets being "throw or shoot
anything you’ve got, as long as you bring your attacker down"…).
In addition to training the focusing of one’s eyes on a target and
learning how to throw small objects at various distances with various
degrees of force, a Marksmanship Teacher can train any freelancer or
guildsman in those much-cherished arts of defending oneself with a
real shooting or throwing weapon. Whether it’s a variation on bows,
crossbows, pistols, long guns, throwing stars or knives, and (last
but not least) smoke bombs, the Marksmanship Teacher is ready to show
you the ropes of learning how to defend yourself from anyone who’d
try to "rearrange and redecorate" your body. If you ever run into
an unfortunate situation where the only way out is via a determined
shooting skirmish, you’ll thank your patient and strict
Marksmanship Teacher immensely. Note, however, that unlike melee
skills, marksmanship skills can come in handy also outside of combat
situations. Need to reach spots and spaces that would be impossible
to traverse by foot ? Need to change the environment around you in
subtle, hidden ways, to bolster your ability for stealthy traversing
of a locale ? If yes, consider many types of projectile weapons –
and particularly their more specialised types of ammunition – as
your best friends. Whether its "trick arrows", "trick bolts",
"trick darts", or "trick bombs", all of
these special ammunition types give you a whole range of new options
as a stealthy, professional thief. Aside from combat-oriented
specialisations, such as the Thug and Fixer, or the Brigand and
Guard, a particularly good professions combination for the
Marksmanship Teacher is with the craftsman specialisations of the
Bowyer-fletcher, Gunsmith and Bombmaker. A combination with these
crafting-oriented specialisations can offer an interesting shift in
perspective, because each type of craftsman tends to focus on
marksmanship skills that are closer to his/her area of expertise.
Thus, a Bowyer-fletcher Marksmanship Teacher will focus on archery
skills and practice with bows, crossbows or dartguns/spearguns, a
Gunsmith Marksmanship Teacher will focus on educating you about guns
big and small, and a Bombmaker Marksmanship Teacher will focus on
showing you the tricks of throwing or deploying stun bombs and other
detonators or explosives. Keep in mind that the focus of all three of
these variations concerns only types of weaponry. All three
variations still teach the same basic aiming skills
(bow/crossbow/gun, etc.) and throwing skills (knives, stars, etc.) in
an equal way.
Type of profession:
Teacher/Trainer
Profession in a nutshell: Combat
expert who teaches others how to become proficient in ranged combat -
whether it's archery, throwing weapons or gunplay…
Recommended
combinations with: Bowyer-fletcher, Gunsmith, Adventurer
See
also: Combat skills and self-defence, Ranged weapons, Armour
----
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(C) 2014 - 2024 P. Molnár
(C) 2014 - 2024 Knight-Errant Studios
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