Way of the Warrior

I understand that unlike magic, the HERO system doesn't have a good base for character advancement; however, using super-talents and some enhanced effects I believe I can offer the pure warrior an advancement track that is just as interesting as the wizards. It is that type of material that I will outline in my upcoming Miranda supplement.As a sneak peak at some of the things I am talking about I will include a short description of my new Martial Arts layout.

Martial Arts

It is well-known within the HERO community that their martial arts system, while acceptable in a superhero game, really unbalances a heroic level game. This is because for a small investment, martial arts returns a large benefit in skill levels and additional damage. This benefit is compounded by the ability to add multiple weapon groups for just a little bit more. Therefore, if the difference between a beginning and experienced warrior is the experienced warrior's martial arts — then how much farther must a world-class warrior reach. This arms race is unacceptable and leads to a great deal of unbalance.

With this in my mind I have gathered my martial arts into groups and set down skills that must be purchased before the extras can be bought. This requires a warrior to have knowledge of advanced fighting techniques before they can get the benefits of those techniques. Then the difference between experienced and superb warriors comes down to special abilities that are HERO super-talents. To reach the pinnacle takes not only natural talent, but a great deal of training and dedication.

Below I will give a rough sketch of a common martial art learned by Dakarian knights during their training. Not all knights learn all of the skills, which depends on their style and teachers — but overall this describes their mindset. Needless to say the requirements of the previous selections carry through to the more advanced sections. Some with be game related and others are system related, but all must be met or exceeded before a warrior can advance. Dakarian Knights

The Dakarian knighthood has its roots in a group of warriors that dedicated themselves to Byrne and rallied behind the dakarian people. These tribes went on to conquer their neighbors, force the elves to conceed them land, and forged the Dakarian Kingdom. At each step of the way were their knights, who struck fear in their enemy's hearts with their dwarven steel and stout hearts.

  • Squire training
    • Requirements
      • OCV 3+ and DCV 3+
      • CON 12+, STR 12+
    • Purchases
      • Perk: Squire
  • Knightly Training
    • Requirements
      • Riding 13-
      • Weaponsmith 12-
      • PS: Dakarian Knight 14-
      • KS: Dakarian Knights History 13-
      • KS: Temple of Light 13-
      • KS: Byrne's laws 13-
      • OCV 6+ and DCV 5+
      • FAM: Knightly weapons
      • PRE 12+
      • Witnessed act of heroism in the defense of Dakar
    • Purchases
      • Martial Arts
        • Offensive Strike
        • Defensive Strike
        • Passing Strike
        • Martial Block
        • Weapon Group: Knightly weapons
        • Weapon Group: Mounted weapons
      • Perk: Dakarian Knight (can upgrade from Perk: Squire)
    • Freebies
      • Rep: Dakarian Knight
      • Dakarian Knight by-laws
      • +2 PRE
      • +1 to all PRE-based skills with Dakarian commoners
  • Knight Champion
    • Requirements
      • Riding 18-
      • Weaponsmith 16-
      • PS: Dakarian Knight 18-
      • KS: Dakarian Knights History 18-
      • KS: Temple of Light 18-
      • KS: Byrne's laws 18-
      • OCV 12+ and DCV 11+
      • FAM: Knightly weapons
      • 4 manuevers from martial arts package
    • Purchases
      • Martial Arts
        • Martial Strike
        • Sacrifice Strike
      • Danger Sense, Intuition
      • Defensive Manuever
      • True Strike: +3 OCV for a single blow, RSR
      • Focus: +3 all PER-rolls, RSR
      • Concentrate: +5 EGO
    • Freebies