Swordancers are a very rare discipline which originated from the provinces north of Barsaive. Only 1% of the population has ever become a swordancer and this is due to the nature of the magicks involved in the discipline. Swordancers do not choose to follow this discipline, the discipline seeks them out. The spirit of a recently deceased Swordancer seeks a newborn infant and possesses the body. The newborn will not have any knowledge of the possession -- ever, but, there will be certain markings that are native to each race that will indicate the possession by a Swordancer.
Important Attributes:Dexterity and Perception
Racial Restrictions: None
Karma Rituals: The ritual begins by preparing a clearing marked off by a circle roughly twenty yards in diameter. The Swordancer pretends to be in mortal combat with a Swordancer of a circle higher than his own. The adept completes the ritual by using as many of his talents as applicable to achieve an edge over his opponents.
Artisan Skills:Weapon rune carving, dancing
FIRST CIRCLE TALENTS
Talents
Avoid Blow
Melee Weapon (D)
Karma Ritual
Acrobatic Strike
Weapon History
Sword Dancing (D)*
SECOND CIRCLE TALENTS
Talents
Durability (6/5)
Ritual Circle (D)*
Riposte
THIRD CIRCLE TALENTS
Talents
Anticipate Blow
Blade Maneuver *
FOURTH CIRCLE TALENTS
Karma: The swordancer may spend a Karma point on any action using Dexterity.
Talents
Thread Weaving (Thread Singing) (D)
Unarmed Combat
FIFTH CIRCLE TALENTS
Ritual Challenge: The adept must have the Ritual Circle talent and use the circle created by this talent to combat in. The circle is drawn with a mixture of the Swordancer's blood which does not cause a wound.
The adept issues a challenge to any one person (must have a reasonable reason to challenge this person) and rolls a Charisma-based half magic tests against the opponent's Social Defense +2 steps. If successful, the opponent must accept the challenge or be ritually scarred as a coward for a year and a day. The target of the scarring will suffer the usual effects of the ritual scar. If the opponent accepts she will suffer a -1 step penalty during the fight due to here intimidation by the Swordancer. Also, any Charisma-based tests directed at the Swordancer will be reduced by a number of ranks equal to the adepts Ritual Circle talent for the duration of the battle.
If the challenge fails, the Swordancer will suffer a minor talent crisis until he can appease the magic in the usual way. If the Swordancer has no reasonable reason to issue the challenge, he suffers a Heinous talent crisis, for which a deed must be performed to lessen the crisis penalties.
Talents
Spot Weakness *
Second Weapon (D)
SIXTH CIRCLE TALENTS
Initiative bonus: Increase the swordancer's Initiative dice by 1 steps.
Talents
Disarm
Distance Attack (D)*
SEVENTH CIRCLE TALENTS
Physical Defense: Increase the swordancer's Physical Defense by 1.
Talents
Resist Taunt
Speak Language
EIGHTH CIRCLE TALENTS
Social Defense: Increase the swordancer's Social Defense by 1.
Talents
Steel Thought
Second Attack
NINTH CIRCLE TALENTS
Blood Bond: This requires that the adept own and have a thread tied to a ‘blood sword'. The adept substitutes this ability for his daily Karma Ritual for the day. During this time the adept meditates and focuses all his energies on the sword. At the end of the ritual, the adept rolls a Toughness (8) Test. If successful, the adept stores one recovery test within the sword by causing himself a wound. This recovery test may be used to heal the adept at anytime or substituted for any strain the character may suffer. Also, at the cost of 5 strain points the Recovery Test may be used by a close friend.
Both healing abilities take one action to perform but using the points for strain does not. This talent may be used only once per day regardless of the outcome. The Recovery Test last until used or a year and a day past. The sword may store a number of Recovery Test equal to the Swordancer's circle. For each additional test, add 1 to the target number.
** We are still clarifying the abilities of the Blood Sword and will release it as soon as we are pleased with the results. **
Recovery Test: The swordancer gains 1 additional Recovery Test per day.
Talents
Pin
Lion Heart (D)
TENTH CIRCLE TALENTS
Karma: The swordancer may spend a Karma point on any action using Perception.
Talents
Quickening *
Silent Walk
ELEVENTH CIRCLE TALENTS
Physical Defense: Increase the swordancer's Physical Defense by 1.
Initiative bonus: Increase the swordancer's Initiative Dice by 1 steps.
Talents
Quickblade (D)
Spirit Strike (D)
TWELFTH CIRCLE TALENTS
Spell Defense: Increase the swordancer's Spell Defense by 2.
Talents
Missile Weapon
Whirlwind
THIRTEENTH CIRCLE TALENTS
Sword Singing: This talent is very potent which allows an increase in initiative and attack number. The talent use is accompanied by the adept singing a low cryptic song in an ancient arcane language. To use this talent, the character must know he is about to enter combat. The Sword Singing talent cannot be used if the adept is surprised or already in combat. Once the adept starts singing, he rolls a Dexterity-based half magic test with a target number equal to the highest Physical Defense of the opponent's he faces (+1 for each additional opponent). If successful, add 1 step to the adept's initiative step. Each round in which the Sword Singing talent is successful, add another step to the adept's initiative test, up to the adept's rank in Sword Singing.
Each doubling of initiative above the highest opponent's initiative, the adept gains another attack. Example: if the opponents' highest initiative is a 6, and the adept rolls a 19, then the adept will take an action on 19, 13, 7 and 1. Attacks may only be used on one opponent per circle of the adept - targets must be specified before combat.
Physical Defense: Increase the swordancer's Physical Defense by 1
Talents
Shield Beater
Life Check
FOURTEENTH CIRCLE TALENTS
Maximum Karma: The Swordancer's Maximum Karma is raised by 25
Social Defense: Increase the swordancer's Social Defense by 2.
Talents
Aura Armor
Matrix Strike
FIFTEENTH CIRCLE TALENTS
Spell Defense: Increase the swordancer's Spell Defense by 2.
Talents
Weapon Break
Truesight (D)
(D) Discipline Use Talent
* Denotes New or Modified Talent (described below)
New Talents
SWORD DANCING
Step Number: Rank + Dexterity Step
Action: No
Skill Use: No
Requires Karma: No
Strain: 2
Discipline Talent Use:
Swordancer
This talent allows the adept to change their Physical Defense number by dancing an elaborate routine of strikes, feints and parries. The adept rolls the sword dancing test before each round of combat begins. The result of the test becomes the adepts new Physical Defense for that round only and against that opponent only.
If the adept is also using the Sword Singing talent, replace the Mystic Defense by the roll for all mystical attacks against the Swordancer for that round.
RITUAL CIRCLE
Step Number: Rank + Perception
Step
Action: Yes
Skill Use: No
Requires Karma: Yes
Strain: 2
Discipline Talent Use:
Swordancer
The Swordancer must define a circle with at least a 10 yard radius and place their weapons in the center. They then leave the circle at opposite ends turning to face one another. The Swordancer then makes a Ritual Circle test against the opponent's Spell Defense. If successful, the adept adds 1 step to all test made within the circle and the result becomes the target number for a Willpower Test made for anyone else who tries to enter the circle (the latter is regardless of the Ritual Circle test outcome).
If both opponents are Swordancers and use this talent, add both test results together for the final Willpower target number. When either opponent breaks the established rules of the Ritual Circle, they will receive one wound, in addition to damage equal to the Ritual Circle test result. Mystic Armor protects against this damage.
BLADE MANEUVER
Step Number: Rank + Dexterity Step
Action: Yes
Skill Use: Yes
Requires Karma: No
Strain: 1
Discipline Talent Use: None
Blade Maneuver allows the adept to dodge and parry all physical attacks for one round if the adept wins initiative against his opponent. The target number is equal to the highest attack test result of his opponent +1 for each additional attacker. If the roll is successful all physical attacks can be parried/avoid for that round.
SPOT WEAKNESS
Step Number: Rank + Perception
Step
Action: Yes
Skill Use: No
Requires Karma: Yes
Strain: None
Discipline Talent Use: None
The adept studies the opponent's aura by making a Spot Weakness Test, at the end of the round, with a target number equal to the opponent's Spell Defense. If the adept makes the test roll he may add a step bonus to his attack test equal to his Spot Weakness rank.
DISTANCE ATTACK
Step Number: Rank + Willpower Step
Action: Yes
Skill Use: No
Requires Karma: No
Strain: 2
Discipline Talent Use: Swordancer
The Swordancer must be bonded to his ‘blood sword' in order to make use of this talent. The adept swings his sword at his opponent, at whatever distance, causing a bolt of mystic force to eject from it. The Distance Attack talent is rolled to hit using the Spell Defense of the opponent as the target number. The talent is rolled again to achieve the damage result. The bolt has a range comparable to a normal hawk hatchet.
QUICKENING
Step Number: Rank + Willpower Step
Action: Yes
Skill Use: No
Requires Karma: No
Strain: 3
Discipline Talent Use: None
The character may raise one of his attributes values for a number of rounds
equal to his rank in Quickening. The increase is equal to the character's
rank in Quickening. The character must make a Quickening Test with a difficulty
number equal to the attributes value number to be successful.
Earthdawn is a Registered Trademark of FASA Corporation. Original Earthdawn material Copyright 1994 by FASA Corporation. All Rights Reserved. Used without permission. Any use of FASA Corporation's copyrighted material or trademarks in this file should not be viewed as a challenge to those copyrights or trademarks. Except where otherwise noted, all other original material is Copyright 1997-99 by L.A. Pride, Bill Hayden, Josh Young, and Chris Brumley.