Fighting skills are packaged into Combat Styles, which represent the complete package of training, tactics, and experience that constitutes a specific style of combat. Combat Styles can be associated with culture, careers, or even schools of combat. Specifically, individual Combat Styles are represented by the [[Combat Style (Skill)|Combat Style [Field] ]] skill, where the field is the name of the combat style. This skill is used to make melee (or ranged) attack and defense tests in combat when using the equipment associated with the style. The character may use either their Strength or Agility as a base for the skill test when making melee attacks and most defense tests but must use their Agility when making ranged attacks.
Rather than creating preset combat styles we have allowed players and GMs to invent their own to more accurately reflect the characters they wish to portray. Each combat style should be accompanied by a list of equipment it incorporates (see below), and a description of the style of fighting that it represents (see examples to the bottom right).
Trained Equipment
Each Combat Style has an associated set of Weapons, Armor, and Shield Types. A character with that Combat Style is capable of using that equipment effectively in the situations the style is designed for. Combat Styles may include up to five different types of equipment when the skill is purchased for the first time. Unarmed Combat is included in this category as well, reflecting that the character is trained to fight without weapons. Armor is divided into types using the associated weight class quality: Light (1), Medium (2), Heavy (3), or Super-Heavy (4). Armor without a quality requires no training. Each style’s associated trained equipment is chosen when the character learns the style, and it can be expanded to a maximum of ten different types of equipment. Expanding a combat style by adding a weapon, armor, or shield type to the list of a style’s trained equipment costs 25 XP.
Special Advantages
In addition to equipment, each Combat Style also has an associated set of Special Advantages. This list is a set of Special Actions (page 100) that the character is able to use as an advantage instead of the listed action type. A Combat Style starts with a single chosen Special Action in this list of Special Advantages. Expanding this list of Special Advantages costs 25 XP per Special Action. There is no limit to the number of Special Advantages that can be included in a Combat Style. When the character uses this Special Action as an advantage, they ignore the AP cost, or automatically win any opposed roll involved.
Fighting in Unfamiliar Circumstances
Occasionally characters may be forced to fight with familiar weapons, but in strange circumstances. For example, a noble who is used to fighting honorable one-on-one duels might be forced into a chaotic bar-brawl. Or perhaps a battlefield soldier used to fighting on horseback finds themself face to face with an assassin at home. Generally most characters are trained to use the weapons in their style in widely applicable circumstances, but in certain cases like these the GM shouldn’t be afraid to impose a -10 penalty (or more, if appropriate) on Combat Style tests made by a character who is out of their element.
Utilizing Untrained Weapons/Armor
Characters who use weapons, armor, or other equipment that they are not trained to use suffer the usual -20 penalty for using an Untrained skill on any associated combat tests, movement tests in the case of armor, or any other tests that the GM deems appropriate. The GM may choose to alter or ignore this penalty if they feel the circumstances do not apply.
Combat Style Examples
Below are some example Combat Styles to use for inspiration in your campaigns.
Combat Style [Cloak and Dagger]
The character is trained to use small, concealable weapons in close quarters against single, typically unarmored, opponents.
- Equipment: Dagger, Shortsword, Throwing Dagger, Unarmed Combat, Light (1). • Special Advantage: Feint (Special Action)
Combat Style [Imperial Legionnaire]
Legionnaires are trained to fight in battlefield formations with sword, spear, and shield, using javelins to soften up the enemy.
- Equipment: Spear, Shortsword, Javelin, Tower Shield, Medium (2). • Special Advantage: Bash (Special Action)
Combat Style [Knight]
Knights are masters of chivalrous combat, preferring to engage their opponents in duels of honor and skill. In open battle they wear heavy armor and fight primarily from horseback.
- Equipment: Lance, Shields, Longsword, Mace, Heavy (3).
- Special Advantage: Force Movement (Special Action)
Combat Style [Argonian Guerrilla Fighter]
The Black Marsh is known across Tamriel for its guerrilla fighters. Argonian warriors fight in light armor with short blades, spears, and at range, engaging their enemies in small skirmishes.
- Equipment: Shortsword, Spear, Shortbow, Javelin, Unarmed Combat.
- Special Advantage: Blind Opponent (Special Action)