Weapon Master (FiD)

Starfox's Blades in the Dark fan page

As a weapon master you focus on a single weapon, turning its use into an art form. Also known as a kensai or sword saint. A recurring trope in Japan, it can represent the later renaissance sword masters of Europe who focused on the use of a single weapon.

Touchstones Highlander (1986), Kill Bill Vol. 1 & Vol. 2 (2003-2004), Zatoichi (2003).

Special Abilities

1. Blademaster: Expend your Special Armor to resist harm or to push yourself for an attack with your Focus Weapon.
2. Dauntless: Push Skirmish to choose one: strike the impossible, such as a hidden or pinpoint target—engage a gang up to scale based on tier (p. 211) on equal footing—deliver a flawless strike, treating partial success as full..
3. Focused: Gain +1d when resisting a consequence when wielding your Focus Weapon in combat.
4. Mystic Touch: Your unarmed attacks are potent. Improve position against Power effects and supernatural enemies. If you have the Blademaster, Focused, or Unyielding special abilities, you can benefit from them even when fighting without your Focus Weapon.
5. Reflexes: When there's a question about who acts first, the answer is you (two characters with Reflexes act simultaneously).
6. Serene Swirl: On a successful Skirmish roll, prevent opponents within an area defined by your tier (p. 211) from moving except as you allow.
7. Sixth Sense: You automatically notice when someone is hostile to you or your companions, and can make an immediate Survey roll to locate them. You can use Survey to gather information about people just by looking at them.
8. Untouchable: Reduce harm from a source that lack potency by one level. Ignore penalties from the first instance of level 1 or level 2 harm. You cannot use regular armor, but you may still use Special Armor.

Special Abilities

1. Edge of Stillness: Expend your Special Armor to resist harm or to push yourself for an attack with your Focus Weapon.
2. Courageous Arc: Push Skirmish to choose one: strike the impossible, such as a hidden or pinpoint target—engage a gang up to scale based on tier (p. 211) on equal footing—deliver a flawless strike, treating partial success as full..
3. Centered Will: Gain +1d when resisting a consequence when wielding your Focus Weapon in combat.
4. Echoing Strike: Your unarmed attacks are potent. Improve position against Power effects and supernatural enemies. If you have the Blademaster, Focused, or Unyielding special abilities, you can benefit from them even when fighting without your Focus Weapon.
5. Flash of Clarity: When there's a question about who acts first, the answer is you (two characters with Reflexes act simultaneously).
6. Serene Swirl: On a successful Skirmish roll, prevent opponents within an area defined by your tier (p. 211) from moving except as you allow.
7. Wind’s Whisper: You automatically notice when someone is hostile to you or your companions, and can make an immediate Survey roll to locate them. You can use Survey to gather information about people just by looking at them.
8. Immovable Stream: Reduce harm from a source that lack potency by one level. Ignore penalties from the first instance of level 1 or level 2 harm. You cannot use regular armor, but you may still use Special Armor.

Encounters on the Path

˄ ˅ Ashen, a weaponsmith.

˄ ˅ Caldrin, a fabulist.

˄ ˅ Fenric, a sage.

˄ ˅ Rynar, an informer.

˄ ˅ Sorin, a teacher.

Inventory

◯ Binding Cloth.

☐ or ☐☐ Focus Weapon.

◯ Heraldry.

☐ Light Camping Gear.

◯ Touchstone.

☐ Whetstone.

• Binding Cloth ◯: A sturdy length of cloth (about 5 meters) that can serve as a rope or be worn as a belt. Using it in situations where tying, securing, or climbing would help grants +1d to the relevant action.
• Focus Weapon ☐ or ☐☐: Your signature, masterwork weapon. It grants improved effect for you and is potent against supernatural threats, but is only a fine weapon for anyone else. Typically a sword, it can be a one-load hand weapon (☐) or a two-load great weapon (☐☐). Once chosen, your Focus Weapon remains the same, but can be upgraded. Playbook.
• Heraldry ◯: A recognizable symbol of your identity—a painted banner, an embroidered sash. You are displaying your heraldry until it breaks, which is represented by using it. If you have the heraldry break when making a resistance roll, this negates the stress cost of resisting. Consumable, Playbook
• Light Camping Gear ☐: Bedroll, cooking pot, tarpaulin, fishing line, snares, all personalized and chosen to be lightweight. Roughing it out with this gear allows a single downtime action to remove stress. Lacking this does not allow any effective rest.
• Touchstone ◯: A small personal item reminding you of your goals and motivation. With a minute of meditation this reduces stress by one once per score. Playbook.
• Whetstone ☐: A fine-grit sharpening stone. Used to maintain your Focus Weapon. Can also be used as a makeshift tool for scraping or starting fires. Before a score you can work over blade weapon carried by your crew, rendering it temporarily fine. Playbook.

XP

• Every time you roll a desperate action, mark xp in that action's attribute.

At the end of each session, for each item below, mark 1 xp (in your playbook or an attribute) or 2 xp if that item occurred multiple times.

• You addressed a challenge using violence or observation.
• You expressed your beliefs, drives, heritage, or background.
• You struggled with issues from your vice or traumas during the session.

Starting Actions

Skirmish 2

Survey 1

4 points by choice, no higher than 2 in any one