Defender Discipline

 

Image by Nicco Salonga

Also known as the Protection Discipline, these Skills defend their users and/or their user’s allies. Invest in this Discipline if:

  • You want to focus on improving your defenses in combat

  • You want to be able to protect others

  • You want to play a bodyguard, focus on shield use, or play an armored juggernaut.

Relevant Rules:

Skill Augments: Other Skills and items may allow you to augment these defenses for greater functionality or to bypass certain limitations. (E.G. “Uncanny Defenses” allows you to augment a defense and prefix it with “Uncanny” in order to bypass the limitation on Ambush attacks

  • Aftereffects: abilities that can only be used as a response to a specific occurrence. For simplicity’s sake, these have the following limitations:

  • One Aftereffect only: if you have multiple options you can use to respond to a specific occurrence, you may only choose one of them. On the other hand, a single occurrence may activate an Aftereffect from multiple affected people.

  • Can’t follow your own Aftereffect: You may not use an Aftereffect in response to your own Aftereffect. However, you can use one as a response to someone else’s Aftereffect.

DISCIPLINE OVERVIEW

BASIC SKILLS 

Battle Bracing: After you use a Defense, gain Resolve 1 as a step effect. 

Guardian Ally: Gain the ability to use the Guard or Intervene defenses.

Stalwart Defense: Gain the ability to use the Block, Dodge, or Parry defenses.

COMPLEX SKILLS

Block and Bash: Inflict defensive rebuke as an Aftereffect when you use a Defense.

Defensive Techniques: Augment a Defense based on your fighting style

Deft Deflection: Mitigate the damage of Piercing Attacks

Furious Rebuke: Knock an enemy away after they are able to injure you in melee.

ERUDITE SKILLS

Defender Aspect (ATN): Turn into a bastion of defense and protection.

Doubled Defenses: Augment your defenses to use them quickly in succession.

Nimble Defense: Use your enemy’s strengths against their allies.

Supreme Bulwark (1/P): Briefly become an impenetrable fortress.

Uncanny Defense: Use a Defense against an attack from behind.

BASIC SKILLS

BATTLE BRACING

(Basic Defender; Aftereffect-Defense)

Your defensive skill rallies your willpower against injury. This Skill is used as per below:

  • Step 1: Use Dodge, Parry, or Block

  • Step 2: Invoke “Resolve 1”, as an Aftereffect* of the defense

  • Step 3: Mentally take note of your Resolve total

Special: If you have the Willful Tenacity ATN, you gain “Resolve 2” instead.

GUARDIAN ALLY

(Basic Defender; Active-Focus, Defense, Aftereffect)

You can expertly defend your allies from attacks, although you cannot use this Skill to negate your own attacks upon them. Guardian Ally is used as per below:

  • Step 1: An ally is hit by an attack while within your step and arm’s reach

  • Step 2: As a Reaction, expend 1 Focus.

  • Step 3: Tap your ally via melee touch (i.e. melee weapon or hand)

  • Step 4: Invoke a Defense from below, each has its own limitations*

  • Step 5: Negate the attacks upon your ally, specifically those within the last second.

  • Step 6: Stop forward momentum and/or take 1 step away from your ally

Guardian Ally Options

— Option 1: “Guard” - Must be wielding a shield or melee weapon. Cannot negate Ranged attacks and/or Master attacks (e.g. “Master 3 damage”)

— Option 2: “Intervene” - Negate the attacks but transfer them to yourself, suffering their effects. Cannot negate Master attacks (e.g. “Master 3 damage”)

This Skill also allows for one additional function:

Bonded Guardian (Aftereffect) Whenever you defend others, you can extend that defense to your Bonded allies.

  • Step 1: Use “Guard” or “Intervene”

  • Step 2: As an Aftereffect, you immediately repeat that defense on a different ally, who must be Bonded to you via the Bond of Blood, Bond of Oaths, or Bond of Command skill.

  • Step 3: Invoke this augmented defense as “Bonded Guard” or “Bonded Intervene”, waiving its Focus cost.

  • Step 3: As per above, stop forward motion and/or take 1 step away from your ally.

STALWART DEFENSE 

(Basic Defender; Active-Focus, Defense)

This skill reflects fundamental but lifesaving defensive training. This allows a person to negate one or more attacks they just received via the Defenses below. Using this Skill is detailed below:

  • Step 1: Receive a melee or ranged attack

  • Step 2: Expend 1 Focus, mentally noting your new total.

  • Step 3: React with a Defense from the list below, each has unique limitations*.

  • Step 4: Retroactively negate the mentioned attacks below:

  • Step 5: Stop forward momentum and/or take 1 step back.

Stalwart Defense Options:

Option 1: “Block” - must be wielding a shield that is not Sundered. Cannot negate “Master” attacks or Ambush-type attacks.

Option 2: “Dodge” - can’t be used with worn Armor or while slowed/immobile (e.g. Hobbled, Snared, Grappled, Tied up, etc). Cannot negate “Master” attacks or Ambush-type attacks.

Option 3: “Parry” - must be wielding a melee weapon that is not Sundered. Cannot negate Ranged, “Master” attacks, or Ambush-type attacks.

Definitions:

  • Master attacks: These attacks will be prefixed with “Master” (e.g. “Master: 5 damage”). They can only be negated by defenses prefixed by “Master”, which are rare,

  • Ambush attacks: These are attacks that hit a subject from behind AND upon their back torso.

  • Ranged attacks: These are attacks delivered by voice/global, packet, or foam dart.

COMPLEX SKILLS

BLOCK AND BASH

(Complex Defender; Defense-Aftereffect)

Requires: Any two Basic Defender skills plus the ability to use one of the listed defenses.

You can strike powerfully at your enemies after you’ve defended against their attacks.

  • Step: 1: Receive an attack (or your ally is attacked for Guard)

  • Step 2: Use “Guard”, “Block”, or “Parry” to defend against them

  • Step 3: As an Aftereffect, use one of the options below within the next 3 seconds, depending on what weaponry you are wielding.

Option 1: Any Style (Aftereffect):

-- Perform a melee attack with any type of melee weapon. This inflicts “Knockback”

Option 2: Behemoth Style (Aftereffect)

-- With a Heavy weapon or a melee weapon and Shield, perform a melee attack. This inflicts your choice of “Piercing Knockback” or “Hobble”.

Option 3: Tempest Style (Aftereffect)

-- While using a Stave or 2 small/medium weapons, perform a melee attack. This inflicts your choice of “Knockback”, “Hobble” or “3 damage”. This damage’s type can be modified by anything that alters “Smite” damage type,

DEFENSIVE TECHNIQUES

(Complex Defender; Defense-Aug, Aftereffect)

Requires: Any two Basic Defender skills

Your weapon training allows you to augment your martial defenses. This manifests in the following subfunctions:

Defend and Fade (Aug, Aftereffect): When you use “Parry”, you can augment and invoke it as “Fading Parry”. This has the following benefit:

  • Aftereffect: In the next 10 seconds, invoke “Minimal” once and stop forward momentum to reduce the damage of an attack you received to 1 point. It keeps its damage type. This has no effect on Control effects or basic attacks,

Behemoth Style (Aug, Aftereffect): While wielding a weapon and a Shield, a Heavy-type weapon, or a Medium weapon in two hands, you can brace yourself and tank a second brutal hit. This requires that you use “Block” or “Parry” and augment it as “Forward Block” or “Forward Parry”.

  • Forward: Instead of stopping forward momentum, you can take 5 steps forward if it is safe and there is no one within melee reach.

  • Aftereffect: In the next 10 seconds, invoke “Negate” if you are hit by a melee attack.

Tempest Style (Aug, Aftereffect): While wielding 2 Small/Medium weapons or a Stave weapon, you can perform whirling technique that makes hits harder to land .When you use “Parry”, augment and invoke it instead as “Spinning Parry” This has additional effects as per below:

  • Ranged Parry: It can be used against Ranged attacks

  • Aftereffect: In the next 10 seconds, invoke “Minimal” as per Fading Parry. However, you can invoke “Minimal” up to two times in the next 10 seconds.

DEFT DEFLECTION

(Complex Defender/Masker; Active-Damage, Piercing-Defense)

Requires: Any two Basic Defender or Masker skills

Through cunning and/or agility, you are able to use this Defense to deflect the worst of a Piercing attack. Normally, Piercing attacks that hit one’s wielded weapon/shield are considered to have hit their wielder,

  • Step 1: A Piercing attack hits your wielded Shield/Weapon

  • Step 2: Invoke “Deflect” in response as an Aftereffect defense

  • Step 3a: The attack’s damage is reduced to 2, though it retains its damage type.

  • Step 3b: If this attack’s damage is 2 or 1, then it negates the attack.

  • Step 4: Safely stop forward momentum AND take one step away from your attacker(s).

Skill Limitations: This skill does not work on Control effects, Psychic attacks, or Shadow attacks unless you have certain Skills:

  • Resist Fear or Veiled Visage: “Deflect” Psychic attacks

  • Resist Warp or Quell the Warp: “Deflect” Shadow attacks

Usage with Armored Rush: If you are using this with Armored Rush, you need not stop forward momentum/take one step away vs. ranged attacks that you “Deflect”.

FURIOUS REBUKE

(Complex Defender; Defense-Aftereffect)

Requires: Any two basic Defender skills

You lash out when injured, allowing you to drive your foes back.

  • Step 1: Take damage from a melee attack.

  • Step 2: Invoke “Rebuke” in response, as an Aftereffect

  • Step 3a: Perform a Melee attack vs. your aggressor

  • Step 3b: Invoke and inflict “Knockback 5”

  • Step 4: “Rebuke” can’t be used again until after approximately 10 seconds

Claymore Style: If you have a Battle, Defender, or Dodger Aspect active, you can empower your retribution with a two handed weapon. While wielding a Heavy weapon, or a Medium weapon in both hands, you may inflict “Piercing Knockback 5” instead.

ERUDITE SKILLS

DEFENDER ASPECT 

(Erudite Defender; Active-Task/ATN, Resolve, Defense-aug, Aspect, Aftereffect)

Requires: Any two Basic Defender skills and any two Complex Defender skills

This skill allows you to mantle yourself with a Defender Aspect, allowing you additional defensive options. When you learn this Skill, you choose one of the Defender Aspects below and you are stuck with that choice unless you unlearn this Skill and learn it again or use a Milestone.

  • Step 1: Have no other Aspect ATNs on your person

  • Step 2: Write one of the Aspects below to two empty ATN slots

  • Step 3: Perform 5+ minutes of meditation in private

  • Step 4: Gain the benefits and limitations below. This Aspect lasts for 1 Event.

While thusly Attuned, you become able to gain a special status called "Valorous", provided certain conditions are fulfilled. The purpose of having the Valorous status is so that you can spend it to gain a special benefit -- how you become Valorous and what you spend it on is dependent on the specific type of Aspect.

  • You are a fortress of defense and Resolve for your allies.

    Becoming Valorous: Perform the Block, Parry, Guard, or Intervene defense. As an Aftereffect, gain the Valorous status for 5 minutes, until you expend it, or become unable to use Defenses (e.g. Pain, Downed, etc). Bloodsworn Sentinel, Shielding Binder, and Grav Barrier weaponry are good ways to continuously gain Valorous.

    Expending Valorous: Augment and prefix your Intervene or Guard defenses with “Bastion”, waiving the Focus cost then imbue an ally with a “Resolve 1” via melee touch- you cannot replace this Aftereffect. If you have Bloodsworn Sentinel, you can grant “Resolve 2” to your ally instead.

    Restriction 1: Defensive Mindset -- the damage of your weapon attacks or spells may not exceed one point of damage. Death Blows are exempt from this restriction.

    Restriction 2: All for One -- Your protectiveness and nurturing spirit is such that you are unable to use or benefit from Escape or Pursuit effects while you have living Bonded allies on the field. You may do so if granted to you by a Bonded ally or if you take one such ally with you.

  • Becoming Valorous: Perform the Block, Parry, or Aegis defense to gain the Valorous status as an Aftereffect. It lasts until 5 minutes have passed, you move faster than a walk or until you drop to 0 HP. Gaining the Quick Patch status from an ally or self-repair is a good way to continuously gain Valorous.

    Expending Valorous: Perform a “Smite” attack prefixed with “Dreadnaught” -- this augments it so that the Focus cost is waived and as an Aftereffect, imbues you with “Resolve 2”. This is “Resolve 3” if you have Willful Tenacity.

    Restriction 1: Defensive Mindset -- the damage of your weapon attacks or spells may not exceed one point of damage. Death Blows are exempt from this restriction.

    Restriction 2: Armored Will -- You must be wearing Heavy or Ultraheavy Armor to gain or expend the Valorous status. Individuals with this Aspect are often overconfident and reckless in and out of battle.

  • Becoming Valorous: After taking 15 steps that cover at least 15 feet away from where you started counting, you become Valorous for 5 minutes, until you expend it, or you stop moving for more than 5 seconds, or take any damage/Control effect.

    Expending Valorous: Augment a Dodge as “Zephyr Dodge” to waive the Focus cost. As an Aftereffect, you must gain “self-inflict Pain 10” immediately from the strain of doing so - you cannot replace this Aftereffect.

    Restriction 1: Unfettered -- You may not gain or expend “Valorous” while wearing Body Armor, Heavy Armor, or Ultraheavy Armor.

    Restriction 2: Distracted Mindset -- The Healing or Resolve you grant to yourself or others may not exceed 1 point. Individuals with this Aspect are prone to be easily distracted or prone to multitasking as they attempt to pay attention to as many stimuli as possible.

DOUBLED DEFENSES

(Erudite Defender/Runner; Defense-Aftereffect)

Requires: Any two basic Defender skills and any two Complex Defender skills

Your skill allows you to buttress your defensive techniques with even more defense.

Any Style (Aftereffect)

  • Step 1: Use “Dodge”, “Parry” or “Guard”

  • Step 2: Within the next 3 seconds, invoke “Expert Guard” to defend a nearby ally. “Expert Guard” is augmented and is an Aftereffect to the initial defense and does not cost additional Focus to use.

Beastclaw Style (Aftereffect)

  • Step 1: Use “Parry” while wielding two Small/Medium weapons,

  • Step 2: Within the next 3 seconds, invoke “Off-hand Parry” to negate a melee attack “Off-hand Parry” is augmented so that it does not cost additional Focus and is an Aftereffect to the initial defense.

Phalanx Style (Aftereffect)

  • Step 1: Use “Block”

  • Step 2: Within the next 3 seconds, invoke “Off-hand Block” to negate an attack. “Off-hand Block” is augmented and is an Aftereffect to the initial defense and does not cost additional Focus to use.

NIMBLE DEFENSE 

(Erudite Defender; Defense-Aug, Aftereffect)

Requires: Any two basic Defender skills and any two Complex Defender skills

You can redirect an attack onto a nearby target, forcing enemies to strike their own allies.

  • Step 1: Be subject to an attack

  • Step 2: Use the Dodge, Block, Parry, or Aegis defense to negate the attack.

  • Step 3: Augment and prefix the defense with “Veering” (e.g. “Veering Block”)

  • Step 4: As an Aftereffect, make a melee attack against a different creature

  • Step 5: In mid-swing, invoke “Piercing” followed by one of the damage or effects you just negated.

-- This may not target the source of the original attack

-- You may not take more than one step during the Aftereffect.

SUPREME BULWARK

(Erudite Defender; Active-Periodic, Defense-Aug, Aftereffect)

Requires: Any two basic Defender skills and any two Complex Defender skills

Concentrating your defensive prowess into a single moment, you can briefly become an impenetrable fortress

Once per Period, use this Skill as per below. As a Periodic Skill, it cannot be used again until the next Period and after you have completed a 10 minute Rest.

  • Step 1: Invoke “Supreme Bulwark”

  • Step 2: Gain the “Bulwark” status for 10 seconds. Its benefits are listed below

  • Step 3: Invoke and gain “Resolve 5” as an Aftereffect after you lose “Bulwark”. This bypasses any limitations you might have that reduces the Resolve you grant yourself.

Bulwark Status benefits:

  • Duration: This lasts for 10 seconds unless you are Downed/Critical, you move faster than a slow walk, or you expend all of its defenses below

  • Defenses x5: Use “Dodge”, “Block”, “Parry”, and/or “Guard” up to five times without expending Focus. After using the 5th defense, Bulwark ends.

  • Master-level: Prefix these defenses with “Master”, allowing them to negate Master-level attacks.

UNCANNY DEFENSE

(Erudite; Defense-Aug)

Your skills are honed well enough to protect you even from sneak attacks.

  • Step 1: You receive 1 or more attacks, including an Ambush-type attack

  • Step 2: You are about to use “Block”, “Dodge”, or “Parry” as a Reaction to them.

  • Step 3: Invoke the defense but prefix it with “Uncanny” (e.g. Uncanny Dodge)

  • Step 4: This works as normal, but you can also negate Ambush attacks.

In addition, if you are suffering from a Blind effect of any duration, you are able to use these augmented defenses. Normally, you would not be able to use most defenses while Blinded.