PRC: WM and you

[gainreduction]

Okay, so Ancient wished some of us with a PRC to post here.

Here's some of my thoughts on the Weaponmaster Class in regards to my PC on FRC, Kenji Kikuta.

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A weaponmaster solely focuses on mastery of the blade, this requires dedication, discipline and training.

Kenji Kikuta came to the lands of Cormyr as a low level fighter. I had him in mind to become a dual-wielding weaponmaster, and was on the right track for all the feat requirements but didn't know how to do become one through roleplay.

He soon met Manshin, which was a pivotal point in Kenji's career... he soon became an apprentice and at his 12th level took the first level in Weaponmaster after training with Manshin in what would have been over a few months in game time. Kenji also multiclassed to Rogue as Manshin's teachings made him work on his footwork and learn how to flank an opponent.

Kenji dedicated himself to sword and the mastery of the Katana, but sought this through a teacher/student relationship. In my opinion this was the way to go with him.

By the way, in 1-2 levels Kenji will be a true master of the blade and will seek to teach students... I will endeavour to impart the same experience Manshin gave to me, which in all truth was a great roleplay experience.

[southwood]

Here is my input on the Wm PRC. I play Alkabiatese Moonwyrm (known simpley as Al by many).

Al came to Cormyr with one goal, find and kill the mage that tortured him and killed his father. He honed rouge skills and studied the arts of martial weapons in order to ensure a swift death to this mystery mage. Al is a dex based fighter, relying upon precise strikes over strength of arm. Al slowly lost himself and his lust for vengance to the harmony he found when using a rapier. I took my time with the RP involved. From 10th to 16th level he read, observed others, and practiced with the rapier. At 17th he became "enightened", thus taking his first level in WM. At that time he able to focus his spirit, mind, hand and will to strike an opponent (Ki strike). Until 20th level he would accept buffs from mages. He soon began to have doubts and swore off all magics placed upon him by mages. He does this because he does not wish to doubt his skills. He does not want to wonder if it was his skills with the rapier or the enchantments placed upon him (unlike his elven kinsmen the bladesinger). To Al the mind, spirit, heart, hand and his skill should be enough to fall any he dances the blades with. Only with practice, sweat, sore muscles and a lack of magical taint with his blade will he achieve true harmony. Before reaching his current level, he trained by spending hours at a time striking a boulder. He wish ed to will the blade into the stone (my way of RPing the 5th level crit multiplier).
Al has sparred with other blade masters before. Even though styles of blade work vary from WM to WM, the pricipals are the same.
IMHO, a WM should use force as a last resort. True perfection comes when one does not use thier weapon.

[The Supreme Watcher]

// moved from the WM and their Weapons thread



Garum Glandash is a Weapon Master. He is the consumate soldier, albeit a lone one. As a child his brother and he fled their home to live on the streets of Waterdeep with nothing but Garum's sword to scrape out their living.

Training with his sword, Garum became actually quite good with it, and that can be seen in him today. But over time, his sword became less a tool and more a part of him: he does not ever let it out of his reach, he sleeps with it next to his bed, and practices with it whenever he can. Also, whenever there is free-time given, he will lovingly polish it, almost as if it was a high-maintenance lover.

When he came to Cormyr, Garum was surprised at how good other swordsmen were in comparison to him - especially a half-orc named Vrulo Myskada. Garum's natural aversion to half-orcs, coupled with Vrulo's exponentially greater skill of arms, drove Garum to research, train, study, modify, quicken, and become more accurate while wielding his sword - a process marked by hard training against enemies that many would call him an idiot for fighting: he has a penchant for fighting orc warriors who are much better than he is, for continuing even a fight that seems losing, and for coming out of the carnage, if not unscathed, then at least living.

Pushing himself to the limit to perfect his craft - swordsmanship - Garum took up a mantle that befits a man of the blade, that being Mercenary. He wields his sword for his living, and knows that it is the only thing separating him from a grisly death at the hands of who knows what monster or bandit. That said, he has allowed his sword to become the closest thing to him, and even his friends realize that Garum and his sword are one being.

Through endless practice, tireless devotion, and infinite hardship, Garum has become an otherworldly swordsman - few others can manage the feats of swordsmanship that he can. This has made him a more fearsome opponent (resulting in an increase in his Intimidate skill), a more personally secure man, and in the end, a more dependable friend and ally.

The search for the perfect technique, however, continues on in Garum's restless mind: he will not stop training, practicing, and adventuring, reading, observing, and questioning, until he has become a flawless swordsman - a whirling dervish of broadsword and skill.

[Thrym]

BUMP!

This is not directed at anyone specific, and really not meant to insult anyone, but ... pet peeve! Rant time for Thrym!

[RANT]

I seriously think there are a few people currently who should read this thread and put some serious thought into what actually makes their character a Weaponmaster, and not a fighter with WF, WS and Improved Critical in one weapon.

I'm no DM, and even if I was I don't think I'd have a right to tell people how to RP their PRC, but...

Seriously folks, please, at least try to not be another 0815 fighter if you are going WM.

I've seen WMs that switch through four different weapons (and by that I don't mean '4 different *insert favoured weapon*s', but four wholly different weapons), and others that actually wondered how it comes my WM can enjoy to fight.

This does not mean I want to say any of you are bad roleplayers - really, the ones I've seen doing that are good roleplayers who I enjoyed travelling with, but ... when I travelled with, let's say Manshin, I had the definite feeling 'That's a WM'. People that spend some time with Jared quickly begin to consider him a complete nutjob obsessed with swords, and they are completely right with that.

The WMs I travelled with recently though? Frankly, without the player list I would never have guessed them to have any levels in WM. And I think that's pretty sad.

Try to go with the Ki-stuff, or make something up yourself that actually differs your fighter from other fighters that took some weapon specific feats.

[/RANT]

Well - I complained now, but didn't actually post how I play out Jared as a WM here. Well, time to change that!

Jared is an artist, a former painter. After years of fruitless tries of his father to get him to become a soldier, in the end, he picked up swordmanship because he realized the 'beauty' inherent to the art of war. He has a great, innate understanding of mathematics, geometry, kinetics and other related topics, and spends hours a day making calculations and scribbling down notes on how to improved his 'art'. Anyone who ever brings up 'swords', 'weapons', or related topics while talking to him can be sure that he'll start a looooong rant about them somehow, with a high likelyness they'll be just as confused as if they had just talked to a wizard afterwards. He exclusively uses longswords in battle, which he considers the most versatile and perfect melee weapon and is always ready to explain to anyone who asks why it is that, and it took Kira -twelve- levels to convince him to even get a ranged weapon - anyone else couldn't have gotten him to it at all.

There is no moment he is happier then when a superior warrior wipes the floor with him, going so far as complimenting enemies landing crits on him (or even killing him) while trying to figure out how to copy and integrate their movements into his own style. Heck, he's pissed off more then one party member by openly admiring enemy warriors for killing/hurting them that effectively.

While he sometimes gives the impression of a psychopath out to kill people, nothing is farther from the truth. Jared fights only to improve and test his skills and to 'enjoy and admire the art'. He doesn't hold any ill will against anyone he fights (... except for people who he considers to use ridiculous weapons *coughs*doubleweapons*cough* and to personally insult him by daring to raise that crap against him).

In the end, he is an elitist intellectual snob of a savant fanatically working on what he considers the most noble of all arts and sciences, while most others just see it as a mean to an end, who goes as far to actually alienate himself from most people he meets to some degree by his utter devotion to his art.

/editted to correct some spelling and grammar errors

[gainreduction]

Kudos to Karmatsu Shim to actually seeking out Kenji/Manshin for training. I look forward to some excellent roleplay from this new connection. Any others looking to forge a student/master relationship please do seek me out.

[anotherzoomie]

Grim just took his first level in weaponmaster, which involved a gradual shying away from his crossbow and charging combat. I've tried to play him as a cautious duelist when it comes to his axe, slowly closing with foes and dealing with them one-on-one instead of hammering on whatever his group happens to be hammering on. He's starting to see his axe in the same light that a soldier would while saying the Rifleman's Creed.

Granted, such things are not always possible, and even the most intelligent swordsman will have to cave into a panicy slash-fest when the poo hits the fan, but as I take more weaponmaster levels with him, that will become less and less frequent. I'd share more of the history that made him a weaponmaster as others have, but a lot of it would leave opportunities for metagaming, and I'd rather people find out in-character.

[ashaffer]

This is how I see Laerul's spiritual bond with her axe... I RP it that it's akin to her relationship with the Seldarine, Corellon especially, who she mostly looks to, so the bond with her axe is divine in nature.

Mar 2, 2008 17:04:57 GMT -5 ashaffer said:

This is my axe. There are many like it, but this one is mine. My axe is my best friend. It is my life. I must master it as I must master my life. Without me, my axe is useless. Without my axe, I am useless. I must swing my axe true. I must hit harder than my enemy who is trying to kill me. I must kill him before he kills me. I will. My axe and myself know that what counts in battle is not how many times we swing, the noise of our clashes, nor the battle cries made. We know that it is the hits that count. We will hit. My axe is Elven, even as I, because it is my life. Thus, I will learn it as a kinsman. I will learn its weaknesses, its strengths, its parts, its accessories, its heft and its edge. I will ever guard it against the ravages of weather and damage as I will ever guard my legs, my arms, my eyes and my heart against damage. I will keep my axe clean and ready. We will become part of each other. We will. Before the Gods, I swear this creed: My axe and myself are the defenders of my people. We are the masters of our enemy. We are the saviors of my life. So be it, until there is no enemy, but peace.

//The Rifleman's Creed converted for the axe.