Aquilonian and Zingaran Fencing

[Fletcher_Flataroy]

What do you all think about Aquilonian and Zingaran fencing?

 

[Korppis]

What do you all think about Aquilonian and Zingaran fencing?

Also, what is the role of Balance skill in Zingaran fencing. In a A&Z book's part that handles Knowledge: Zingaran fencing there is reference on new uses of balance skill but i haven't found any rules on a balance skill on a said manual.

 

[Krushnak]

Balance
Fencing: Balance is important in a swordfight. An off-balance character is easy to hit and a character who retains his balance is much harder to hit. Characters compare their Balance scores. The difference between two opponents' Balance scores provides a bonus to one character's attacks and his Defence score against that character. The character with the smaller Balance score may make an opposed Balance check each round to negate the bonus for that round as a free action.

Balance Effects
Difference Between Two Balance Scores Bonus to Attacks and Defence to The Most Balanced Character
0-4 +0
5-10 +1
11-17 +2
18-25 +3
26-34 +4
35+ +5

Apparently it was edited out, but Vincent posted it up awhile ago.

I havent seen the Aquilonian fencing style but i do like the Zingaran one and i find that using a skill like that is a great way for other martial arts styles.

 

[Korppis]

Thanks for the information. Missed that because i have been some time away from forums

 

[Ichabod]

I haven't used Aquilonian since it's much newer, but I have a few characters with Zingaran. I don't remember all of the rules off the top of my head, but basically, here's what I think:

You never have to spend feat slots on Improved Feint ever again, just pile skill ranks into K:ZFS and get it and other free feats/specials. I think Unwavering Focus is the next best. Free Intricate Swordplay is hot for my Brythunian thiefess who has crummy STR and DEX but buxom CHA. What you won't get out of the skill is direct kill, it's a support mechanism for Sneak Attack. So, all thieves should take it since thieves need Improved Feint (solo work, killing barbarians). In theory, a scholar could use it for stuff like Improved Disarm to annoy enemies while others kill them, but the scholar would need to know how to use a sword (not an issue for groups who always start as a thief at first level but an issue for people who don't want to optimize) and could be doing other stuff like piling into Craft: Alchemy to get damage output.

For any sort of 1h sword SA build, it's easily the best skill in the game as Tumble doesn't save two feat slots. It does make characters more complex, of course, as it expands combat options with stuff you would probably never end up with if you didn't have the skill.

Now, rather than introducing new, must have skills, making existing skills more generally useful, especially profession and perform (the non-ritual ones), would be nice.