Slinger Discipline

Sometimes called Marksmanship or Sharpshooting training, those who train in this Discipline do so to master the various intricacies of arrow, knife and bullet.

Invest in this Discipline if:

• You want to play a sly sharpshooter, bold gunslinger, or versatile archer.

• You want to focus on ranged “Smite” and improving its use

• You want foes to burn precious defenses or fall from your brutal attacks.

Relevant Rules:

Targeting: Most ranged attacks require a Targeting count (aka Targ) before they can be launched (usually Targ-5). As per Concentration, you may not move during this count and targeting should be outwardly obvious. You may continue Targeting beyond the required count, this is called “Over-targeting”

TARGETING EXAMPLE: Targ count (5 counts) --> (Attack invocation, if any) --> Throw packet and invoke effect/damage.

DISCIPLINE OVERVIEW

BASIC SKILLS

Gunsmith: You can use a firearm to inflict Piercing attacks.

Ranged Expertise: You are able to perform the "Smite" attack with a ranged weapon.

Steady Concentration: Augment your Concentration or aim to move while doing so.

COMPLEX SKILLS

Ballistic Push: You are able to knockback an enemy using a ranged weapon. 

Bow Defense: Use a specially prepared Bow or Crossbow in melee or in defense.

Pinpoint Accuracy: When you “Smite”, inflict Control effects.

Sharpshooter Aspect (ATN): Enter a state where you can "Smite" without Focus.

ERUDITE SKILLS

Ballistic Retort: You may gain a quick shot when injured.

Iron Concentration: Allow your Concentration or aim to persist beyond damage.

Perfect Accuracy: Retry a "Smite" if it misses or is otherwise negated by a Defense.

Repeating Smite: When "Smite", you make more than one ranged attack.

Supreme Salvo (1/P): Launch a barrage of high damage attacks or Control effects.

BASIC SKILLS

GUNSMITH

(Basic Slinger/Weaponer; Active-Craft, Create-Weaponry, Ranged-Attack)

You are skilled in the use of firearms and if you can make weaponry, you can make firearms: pistols, shortarms, longarms, and siege casters.

• Ballistic Expertise (Non-aug): When using firearms, you can opt to preface their damage or effect with “Piercing” . This can be used on firearm basic ranged attacks (aka BRAs) and firearm “Smite” attacks.

  • Piercing attacks affect a target even if they hit the target's weapon or shield.

• Create firearms (requires Weapon Maker, or a similar Skill that creates weaponry)

  When you use a Skill to create Weaponry, you can opt to create a basic firearm weapon. If you can make higher quality weaponry, you can also create that quality of firearm.

RANGED EXPERTISE 

(Basic Slinger; Active-Focus, Ranged-Attack)

You may expend Focus to strike a distant enemy at their weak point.

To use this skill, you need to be holding a Ranged Weapon (e.g. a pistol, longbow) that is not Sundered while wearing an Ammo Pack at the same time. Alternatively, you can instead hold a Spell Packet/Thrown Knife prop while wearing a Knife Pack

• Step 1: Perform at least 5-counts of Targeting (aka Targ-5), while aiming at your target

• Step 2: At Targ-5 or higher, expend 1 Focus

• Step 3: Invoke “Smite”

• Step 4: Launch the prop/packet/foam dart.

• Step 5: Invoke “Piercing 2 damage” mid-attack. This inflicts the invoked damage if it hits a legal targeting area or their wielded weapon/shield (because of Piercing).

Special Rules:

-- Dmg Cap: Skills and other effects can’t improve “Smite”, past the damage cap of 5.

-- Longbows, Arbalests, Shortarms, and Longarms hit for “Piercing 3 damage” instead.

-- Gecko Style: While holding 2 pistols/hand crossbows, you can apply the weapon augments of one to the other when you “Smite” or combine damage bonuses.

-- Siege caster Smites: inflict their basic ranged attack damage (aka BRA dmg). This has the benefit of being a Targ-5 instead of Targ-10.

-- Extended damage cap: longbows and siege casters have a dmg cap of 7.

STEADY CONCENTRATION 

(Basic Defiant/Slinger; Conc-Aug)

Through training, you are able to maintain your concentration or aim while walking.

When you perform a Concentration or Targeting count, you can augment and prefix each count with “Steady” (e.g. “Steady concentration 1, Steady concentration 2, etc”)

While thusly Augmented, you can move at a slow walk while Concentrating or Targeting, to a maximum of 2 paces per count

COMPLEX SKILLS

BALLISTIC PUSH 

(Complex Slinger; Attack-Aug)

Requires: Any two Basic Slinger skills

You are able to knock an enemy back from the sheer force of your shot.

When you perform an Basic Ranged Attack (BRA), you may augment it to replace its effect with “Knockback 5”

Gunsmith skill: This attack may be prefixed with “Piercing” if used with a firearm.

Siege caster, Longbow, Arbalest, Shortarm, Longarm: inflict “Knockback” instead.

BOW DEFENSE

(Complex Slinger; Melee-Attack)

Requires: Any two Basic Slinger skills

While wielding ranged weapons, you can defend yourself in melee.

Archer Style: Your bows and crossbows are counted as a melee weapons for the purposes of the Parry defense. Also, if it is made of combat safe material and approved by a Staff member, you may attack and defend with it in melee. It never deals more than 1 point of damage or any other effect except Knockback when used this way.

Gunslinger Style: You may count a pistol, shortarm, or longarm that you are wielding as a melee weapon for the purposes of the Parry defense. However, this does not allow you to use such weapons in melee (defensively or offensively), even if they are combat safe.

PINPOINT ACCURACY 

(Complex Slinger; Attack, Blind/Knockback/Pain/Silence/Snare)

Requires: Any two Basic Slinger skills plus the ability to perform a ranged “Smite” attack

Your trick shots can blind your foe, mangle their limbs, or even take the breath out of them.

When performing a ranged “Smite”, you may replace the damage of your attack with one of the Control effects below. Control effects limit the abilities of your opponent or force them to move away. Unless specified below, the effects below last for 30 seconds or 10 steps for Knockback. This does not count as a Skill Augment.

• Blind

• Knockback 5

• Mangle

• Pain

• Silence

• Snare 10 (Knife Packs, Arrow Packs only)

Focus Use: If your “Smite” costs 1 Focus, these effects are more effective. They become of the Wound duration ,which persist until removed via a Cure Wounds effect, such as from “Treat Injury” or “Restore Control”. Add “Wound” to the effect (i.e. invoke “Mangle Wound”).

“Snare 10” and “Knockback 5” are the exceptions, they become “Snare” and “Knockback” respectively.

Special Note: If your Smite allows for multiple attacks, change only the first attack into a Control effect.

SHARPSHOOTER ASPECT 

(Complex Slinger; Active-Task/ATN, Aspect)

Requires: Any two Basic Slinger skills plus the ability to perform a ranged “Smite” attack

This skill allows you to mantle yourself with a Sharpshooter Aspect, allowing you to “Smite” without depleting your Focus. When you learn this Skill, you choose one of the Sharpshooter 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 on 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.

ERUDITE SKILLS

BALLISTIC RETORT 

(Erudite Slinger; Damage-Aftereffect)

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

You can exhaust yourself to avenge attacks against your person.

This skill grants the following Aftereffect when you take at least 1 point of damage from a ranged attack.

• Step 1: Self-inflict “2 damage”, overlapping with the damage you received.

• Step 2: Invoke “Retort”

• Step 3: Immediately perform a Basic Ranged Attack (BRA) without a Targeting count. This must be aimed at your aggressor’s direction.

• Step 4: If this hits a legal targeting area, your target takes the damage.

  -- OR you can inflict “Knockback 5” instead.

  -- This attack cannot be made into a Piercing or a Master attack.

Siege caster, pistol, hand crossbow or knife pack: You may also use Ballistic Retort as a response to melee attacks.

IRON CONCENTRATION 

(Erudite Defiant/Slinger; Conc-Aug)

Requires: Any two Complex Defiant/Slinger skills and any two Basic Defiant/Slinger skills

Your trained mind allows you to maintain concentration even through injury.

When you perform a Concentration or Targeting count, you can augment and prefix each count with “Iron” (e.g. “Iron concentration 1, Iron concentration 2, etc”) You may not have more than one augment on your Concentration or Targeting at a time.

While thusly augmented, attacks that inflict damage no longer interrupt your Concentration or Targeting count, unless that type of damage is Bane to you. You cannot use this augment while you are at 0 HP or on First Aid. Take note that you are still affected by the damage even if it does not interrupt your count.

Note: If using Iron Concentration while “interlinked” with a target, your Concentration is only disrupted if your target receives Bane damage (to you) or a Control effect.

PERFECT ACCURACY

(Erudite Hunter/Slinger; Active-Focus, Melee/Ranged-Attack, Self-Inflict)

Requires: Any two complex Hunter/Slinger skills and any two basic Hunter/Slinger skills

When it absolutely counts, you can re-attempt a ranged attack that you missed.

• Step 1: Your ranged attack missed or was negated by “Dodge” or “Aegis”

• Step 2: Within the next 3 seconds, invoke “Perfect Accuracy”

• Step 3: Receive a “Self-inflict 2 damage”, which can’t be reduced or redirected.

• Step 4: Repeat the missed/dodged attack against the original target.

This skill cannot be used again until at least 10 seconds (approximately) have passed.

REPEATING SMITE

(Erudite Slinger; Attack-Aftereffect, overflow)

Requires: Any two Complex Slinger skills and any two basic Slinger skills plus the ability to perform a ranged “Smite” attack

Your body moves with lightning speed, reloading and shooting your foes with impunity. This is not counted as a Skill Augment.

Overflow Attacks (Non Aug; Aftereffect)

• Step 1: Perform a “Smite” with a ranged weapon or a knife pack

• Step 2: Perform a second ranged attack as an Aftereffect* at the same or different Target

• Step 3: Invoke this attack’s damage as “X”, where “X” is Overflow** damage.

**Overflow Damage is equal to Uncapped Damage -5 (or -7 with longarms/siege casters) with a minimum of “1 damage”. This allows you to benefit even when bonuses bring “Smite” damage past the damage limit. Overflow attacks may never be Master or Piercing attacks (except as below).

Flurry Overflow (Non Aug; Aftereffect): You can cycle or draw quickly for more attacks.

• Step 1: Wield any ranged weapon/knife pack except for a longarm or siege caster

• Step 2: As Overflow Attacks above with the listed weapons.

• Step 3: As an Aftereffect to the first attack, perform 1-2 attacks against the same or different targets. The third attack inflicts Uncapped Damage minus 10 (minimum 1).

Ballista Style (Non Aug; Aftereffect): This fighting style grants its user pushing power

• Step 1: Wield an arbalest, shortarm, longarm or siege caster

• Step 2: As Overflow Attacks above

• Step 3: Instead of damage, the secondary attack inflicts “Piercing Knockback”

SUPREME SALVO

(Erudite Slinger; Active-Periodic, Aug-Attack)

Requires: Any two Complex Slinger skills and any two basic Slinger skills plus the ability to perform a ranged “Smite” attack

Via this Skill, you can concentrate your fighting power into a devastating fusillade. Your enemies are forced to use their precious defenses or suffer greatly.

Once per Period, you may invoke this special attack as “Supreme Salvo” following the procedure below.

As per normal with Periodic effects, you may not use this Skill again until the start of the next Period and after you have completed a 10 minute Rest.

• Step 1: Wield an non-sundered ranged weapon while wearing an Ammo Pack.

  • Alternatively, use a Knife Pack and hold a spell packet/throwing knife prop

• Step 2: Invoke “Supreme Salvo”, without a Targ count

• Step 3: Perform up to 5 ranged attacks as a Barrage 5

• Step 4: At mid-launch for each attack, invoke your weapon’s “Smite” damage,

• Step 5: As a Piercing attack, this damage affects those it hits (body part or weaponry)

Special Rules:

-- Pinpoint Accuracy skill: You can change the damage to a Control effect.

— Skills or Properties that can change the damage-type of your weapon’s attacks can also change the damage of this attack but they cannot be increased.

-- Siege caster, shortarm, longarm, longbow, or arbalest: “Supreme Salvo” hits for “Smite” damage +3. The dmg cap is temporarily extended to 10 for these attacks.

-- Barrage 5: This is a “Barrage 5 effect”, meaning that you have 10 seconds to deliver all 5 attacks and its use is interrupted if you move your feet or if you take damage.

-- This is not a Smite attack nor a BRA.