"On the battlefield, chaos reigns supreme, and it is often hard to distinguish one mortal from another in the seething mass of bodies clashing together in blood and violence. A true champion does not have this problem. He is unto himself a whirlwind of doom, and every warrior who lays eyes on his destructive prowess will falter in his presence."
——The Code of War, Volume IV
The path to becoming a Martial Champion is a hard road, and few can master it. The time, pain and sacrifice it takes to master the art of war is dreamt of by many aspiring warriors, but injuries, failure, dismemberment, death and time will inevitably claim all those who live by the sword. To a true Martial Champion, however, these are sentiments for the weak and undedicated. A Martial Champion steps ever close to becoming the warrior incarnate, a symbol of mastery, fearlessness and boundless internal strength that all should aspire to. These exceptional combatants have been found leading massive armies from the front lines, jumping blade first into legendary beasts the size of castles, smashing through impossible odds again and again, and yet somehow emerging victorious no matter the danger.
The Martial Champion is a three-stage Talent.
Martial Champion I
The Martial Champion begins their training with conditioning, through exhaustive endurance training they learn to shrug off the fatigue from fighting harder then normal. They also begin focusing their skills to a finer point, developing their fighting style with the mastery of a new ability.
Prerequisites
-
Physical Rank 5
-
Martial Rank 8
-
Martial Practice Rank 9
-
Brute, Guardian, or Duelist Favored Discipline
-
Cost: 3 Destiny Points
Features
♦ Enduring Techniques
When you use a Martial Technique with a Stamina or Resolve Burn cost, reduce the cost by 1 Burn.
♦ Martial Champion Training
When you take this talent, choose one of the abilities from the Martial Champion perks list (see below) for which you qualify. Once chosen, the ability may not be changed.
Martial Champion II
Learning better how to utilize their almost unnatural stamina, the Martial Champion can occasionally reduce the cost of their most powerful attacks. They further improve their understanding of combat by training in another extraordinary skill.
Prerequisites
-
Martial Champion I
-
Martial Rank 9
-
Cost: 2 Destiny Points
Features
♦ Martial Fate
Once per day, you may reduce the cost of a Martial Technique by 1 Karma.
♦ Martial Champion Training II
When you take this talent, choose one of the abilities from the Martial Champion perks list for which you qualify. You may not choose the same ability twice. Once chosen, the ability may not be changed.
Martial Champion III
The Martial Champion finishes their training by taking all they have have learned through both practice and lethal application, and deciding where the final steps on their journey will take them, mastering two new abilities.
Prerequisites
-
Martial Champion II
-
Martial Rank 10
-
Cost: 2 Destiny Points
Features
♦ Martial Champion Training III
When you take this talent, choose two of the abilities from the Martial Champion perks list for which you qualify. You may not choose the same ability twice. Once chosen, the ability may not be changed.
Martial Champion Perks
♦ Elite Weapon Training
When you make an attack with a Weapon you are proficient with, increase the damage by 1 WD.
♦ Hulking Thrower
You may throw any melee weapon (that does not already have the ability to be thrown) as a Heavy Thrown weapon with a 20ft range increment. Additionally, you increase the range of any weapon that normally has the Heavy Thrown property by 20ft.
♦ Reaper
When wielding a Weapon you are proficient with, gain a +10% talent bonus to Critical Strike.
♦ Reaper II – Reaper
Increase the talent bonus granted by Reaper to 20%.
♦ Ultimate Technique Mastery
Master an Ultimate Martial Technique of your choice (you must meet the prerequisites as normal).
♦ Instant Technique
Once per rest, you may use a Basic Martial Technique as an Immediate Action.
♦ Instant Technique II – Instant Technique
Once per rest, you may use a Advanced Martial Technique as an Immediate Action.
♦ Signature Stance
Choose a Basic Martial Stance you have mastered. You may now enter the chosen stance as a Free Action and reduce the energy cost of the stance (and its upkeep) to zero.
♦ Signature Stance II – Signature Stance
Choose an Advanced Martial Stance you have mastered. You may now enter the chosen stance as a Free Action and reduce the energy cost of the stance (and its upkeep) to zero.
♦ Steadfast Techniques
Increase the Saving Throw of your Basic and Advanced Martial Techniques by 1d10 [STP 1d10].
♦ Lethal Critical
Whenever you Critical Strike an opponent, you may roll your critical chance again to deal you critical damage a second time. If your Critical strike was automatic, you must still roll this second time.
♦ Great Leader
Your side gets a +1 bonus to Tide of Battle at the beginning of combat.
♦ Brother of Metal
Reduce the Check penalty of any light or medium armor you wear to 0. Reduce the check penalty of any heavy armor you wear by half. Additionally, reduce the speed penalty of any armor you wear by 1. You must be proficient in the armor to gain these benefits.
♦ Efficient Stances
Reduce the cost and burn cost (if any) of any Martial Stance you have mastered by 1 Energy and 1 Energy burn (minimum 0). You may also utilize any Instant Stance, or Immediate Stance augments without paying the cost.
♦ Technique Accuracy
When you use a Martial Technique that targets a single creature and requires an attack roll, roll the attack twice and take the better result.
♦ Enhanced Critical Strike
When you roll your Critical Strike Chance on a Weapon Attack, roll twice and take the better result.
While raging, when you hit a target with a Weapon Attack but fail to Critical Strike, gain a cumulative +10% bonus to Critical Strike Chance on your next attack. Once you have made a successful Critical Strike on a creature, the bonuses end (these bonuses otherwise stack until you successfully Critical Strike a Target). If your Barbaric Rage ends, these bonuses end.
♦ Reclaim Energy
When you miss all targets of a Martial Technique and there is no other effect, the energy cost and energy burn cost of the Technique are reduced by half (round up).
♦ Reclaim Karma
When you miss all targets of an Ultimate Martial Technique and there is no other effect, reduce the Karma cost of the technique by 1 (min 0).
♦ Wicked Backstab – Backstab Class Feature
When you use the Backstab technique, increase the damage dealt by 2 WD.
♦ Endless Backstab – Backstab Class Feature
You may use your backstab one additional time per turn. This is a Talent Bonus.
♦ Invigorating Backstab – Backstab Class Feature
When you backstab an opponent, you regain 1 spent energy.
♦ Great Survivor – Battle Hardened Class Feature
Once per round, gain a +10 bonus to your
Resilience check made to avoid an
Injury.
♦ Rage of Legends – Barbarian Rage Class Feature
Whenever you Burn Resolve as a cost from your Barbarian Rage, you recover an equal amount of Stamina burn.