The West That Wasnt - Skill List

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Skills define the abilities and knowledge each character possesses and measure their strengths. Skills in TWTW are rated in levels from 1 to 5. Each skill has an associated trait that is normally used, but the Judge may call for a different trait if the circumstances warrant it. The combination of trait and skill level will determine which rows and columns of the action card are used to determine success or failure. See the reading Action Cards section of Action Resolution for more on using skills.

Trait Skills

Some tasks in the game won’t readily fall under the purview of any particular skill. In this case, the Judge will choose the most appropriate trait and assign the task to the trait skill. The trait skill also serves a second purpose. When using an existing skill untrained (when the character has no levels in the skill), use the leftmost column (4), with a row equal to the rank in the appropriate trait skill.

Hank has no ranks in animal handler and a Verve of 1. If he attempts to calm the horses on his wagon after they have been spooked, he would use the 1 row in the d4 column on the Action Card.

Literacy

Characters with Education of 6 or better are literate. Literate characters receive basic literacy in any language they speak as long as they meet this requirement.

Action Skill Usage

In most cases, using a skill in action time costs either 4 or 8 AP. A simple skill being the former, while more complex skills the latter. Any extended action costs 8 AP.

Group Skill Usage

Sometimes the entire group will attempt to use the same skill. They could be looking for an item, sneaking past a wary guard or attempting to remain hidden from a ruthless bounty hunter. In these cases, only one character makes the attempt, no matter how many are in the group. The procedure for determining who is discussed below.

Some skills are easier when done in a group, some more difficult. A larger search party is more likely to find the quarry, while a smaller group is better at avoiding being detected. Skills that are easier in groups are said to be "assisted", while those which are more difficult are "detracted".

Assisted Skills

For each doubling of the group size add 1 to the result of the check. Truncate all fractions.

Detracted Skills

For each doubling of the group size add 1 to the TN of the check. As above, drop all fractions.

Who checks?

If it is clear through roleplaying which character should be the lead on a particular check, by all means that character should make the check. The only limitation is that in any group check, a given character cannot make the same check twice in a row, nor can they make any party check twice in a row. Party checks must always rotate.

Skill levels and trait numbers should not be discussed at the table. There should never be a discussion regarding numbers on a character sheet. In character discussions that do not attempt to get around this limitation are allowed.

If there is question who should make a group check, the Judge should cut the deck. If there are 4 or fewer players in the group, use the phase result (lower left corner) and count clockwise from the left of the Judge. On a 0, the character with the worst value should make the check; on a 5, the character with the best. If there are more than 4 players, instead use the upper right hand value (the 0 rule remains, the 5 rule is replaced with 14).

Skill List

The following is a list of skills commonly available to characters in The West That Wasn't game setting. After the name of the skill, some possible specializations may be listed in parentheses. If attempting a skill check that involves a specialization, any success incurs a free bump (or if any bumps are generated, an extra one). If the skill can be used during action time, an AP cost will be listed.

Each skill listed describes what is covered under the given skill. Some skills are broader than others, by necessity, and some skills are grouped together to make them viable choices for characters. The skill list is organized as such to promote diverse character choices and make a wide variety of skills likely to appear in game.

Some skills are actually skill groups. Skill groups have both a group and a skill, and may also have a specialization. Skills within the same group are considered related (for Archetype purposes). For example, Melee: Saber is related to Melee: Knife, but not Firearms: Pistol.

Traits and Skills

Each skill is listed with an appropriate trait. There may be times when a different trait seems more suited, but this should be used sparingly, and only when it is obviously divorced from the normal intent of the skill. For example, both melee and unarmed combat are under the purview of the Strength trait. An argument can be made that Coordination might be more suitable in many cases, but we as designers know of this argument and chose Strength (more on this later). However, knowing about the best firearm or swordsmith? That is a case for Knowledge plus the skill, because it is a special case.

Why were the choices made as they were? Game balance. Had both, or even either, of Melee and Unarmed Combat ended up under Coordination, every (or nearly every) combat skill would be under the same trait, and we decided that the game is better served with some skills under a different umbrella. If you see a skill that seems out of place, likely game balance is the culprit. These choices lead to a better game through diversity.

Strength Skills

• Melee: This skill is used when engaging in close combat while armed with a blunt, bladed or hafted weapon. The Melee skill group includes the skills for knife, saber, spear, tomahawk and club (each separate skills within the group). This skill does not cover throwing of weapons within this group. See the Missile skill, below.
  

• Trades (Construction, Blacksmithing, Artisan): The character is skilled at using trade tools to build and fashion useful items and structures. Both construction and blacksmith are Strength based, while artisan is Coordination based.

• Unarmed Combat: This skill group is used when engaging in close combat while unarmed. It encompasses both striking and grappling, and is the prerequisite for the advanced skills of Boxing, Brawling and Wrestling. Add one to Force at level 1, and +1 for every two levels thereafter.
  

Coordination Skills

• Drive (Wagon/Coach, steamboat, train): This skill group includes the ability to operate and maintain what vehicles were available in the old west. Each skill must be learned separately, and each one has its own specialization of operate and maintenance, so a character might have the skill "Drive: steamboats (maintenance)," which would allow them to pilot a steam-powered riverboat, and give them special knowledge when it comes to fixing it should it break down. However, this ability to repair a steamboat won't help fix a broken wagon wheel or get a steam locomotive rolling.
  

• Firearms: (Mounted, Snap Shots, Aimed Fire) This skill group is used when firing a firearm. Aimed fire uses the Acuity Trait. Snap Shots and shots fired from horseback use the Coordination Trait. Skills within this group include pistol, rifle and shotgun.
  

• Missile: This combat skill allows the character to use missile weapons such as bow and arrow, spear, knife and tomahawk. For weapons that can be used in hand to hand, this skill only covers the ranged aspect, though it is a single skill for all weapons listed.
  

• Pick Lock: This skill allows a character a chance to pick locked doors, padlocks, manacles and crack safes. Usually, picking a lock is an extended action. The Judge will set a difficulty TN and a number of Victory Points required to succeed. When used during action time, the attempt costs 10 APs.
  

• Ride: Just about anybody in the Old West could ride a horse. This is the ability to handle a horse in extraordinary circumstances; to chase down a villain, escape a sheriff's posse, jump a chasm or weave between obstacles in tight quarters. The ride skill is useful for continuous action sequences.
  

• Sneak: Moving about without being detected or concealing oneself from passersby requires a sneak skill check. This is an opposed check against a target’s Acuity. If characters are attempting to sneak as a group, see the section on group skill checks for procedure.

Condition	Search Modifier
Background Noise	-2
Darkness	-4
Target on alert/searching	+2

During sneak checks the Judge may draw the card since it is not always readily apparent whether an adversary has perceived your presence. When attempting to sneak past multiple, spread out individuals or groups of people, the Judge may also have the sneaking character make the sneak check just once, and have that be a “persistent” target number for enemies to spot them for the duration of his attempt. When used during action time, Sneak is a slower than regular movement; add 1 AP per pace moved. During action time, a character can only move at a walking speed while being sneaky.

Quickness Skills

• Fast Draw: As a staple of old west fiction, Fast Draw deserves a bit of exposition. Without the skill, anyone can draw their weapon, and if they choose to do nothing else, except maybe fire, they will have plenty of surplus APs to help them break initiative-based ties. However, some individuals are better, and those individuals have this skill.

Fast Draw is a Quickness based skill. A successful Fast Draw test reduces the AP cost to ready the weapon by 1 AP. Each bump reduces the ready cost by a further 1 AP, to a minimum of 0. Further bumps add one surplus AP each.

To use Fast Draw, indicate to the Judge your intent at the beginning of the round. Allocate APs normally. After everyone has allocated, the Judge will indicate if any hombres under their control will also be using the skill. Place action counters for shots during movement as if the Fast Draw has succeeded. Then, after all movement is complete everyone who is attempting Fast Draw resolves their test, and their actions resolve based on the new order. A failed Fast Draw test means the weapon is drawn, but for full AP cost. A Calamity means the weapon is not drawn, and the AP are spent. Only one Fast Draw attempt may be made per round (except in the case of simultaneous attempts with each hand). Characters may need to be reordered for action resolution after Fast Draw checks.

Example: Miranda Valentine is squaring off with one of Angus Laroq's henchmen outside a saloon. The rhetoric has gone too far for reconciliation, so the Judge declares action time. Miranda hopes to plug the mouthy vaquero before he can do likewise to her, so she allocates 4 AP, leaving 6 AP surplus. When she draws a card to resolve her fast draw, it is card 37, showing 9 and 1 in the d10 column. Her Peacemaker has the short attribute, making the standard TN 4. She has drawn her Peacemaker for a cost of 1 AP instead of the usual 2, leaving 3 to cock, aim and fire. I wouldn't trade places with that vaquero for all the gold in San Francisco.

It is possible to attempt to ready items with both hands simultaneously using the fast draw skill. The standard penalties for performing actions with each hand apply(-1 to each, increase the off hand penalty to -1 extra, total -2). Resolve each check individually. If surplus APs are generated, use the lowest amount from each check.

• Sleight of Hand: This skill allows a character to conceal small objects by using misdirection and manual coordination. It can also be used to aid a thief in pilfering small objects without raising the attention of others. Used during action time, Sleight of hand costs 1 or more AP depending on the size of the object.
  

• Speed Load: This is the ability to quickly reload a weapon during action time. Pistols and some rifles can carry multiple rounds, and some weapons can be speed-loaded. Speed load costs 1 AP to use. When using the speed load skill, make a skill check at TN 5. Success means that the character has 1 plus the number shown in the 3 burst icon in APs to use on loading actions only. Any unspent APs are lost, not surplus. A bump adds in the 5 burst, a second bump the 10. Any additional bumps add a further +1 to the APs generated each.

Miranda Valentine is in the middle of an extended engagement with a group of Angus Laroq's goons and needs to reload her Peacemaker. She has d10 Quickness and a level 2 Speed Load. On her action, she spends 1 AP and draws a card (17).

She generates a 4 and a 7, success! Miranda gains 1 AP plus the result in the 3 burst, 1 AP, for a total of 2 AP. She is able to half cock her Peacemaker and begin loading (which is a cost of 2 AP).

If Miranda had a 3 in speed load, she would have gotten a 9, which generates a bump. In that case, she would get 1 AP, plus the 3 AND 5 burst areas, for a total of 3 AP. In this case, she would prepare her Peacemaker and load one round.

Speed load may only be attempted once per action. A character may continue loading their weapon with normal AP after spending those gained via speed load.

Fortitude Skills

There are no skills that use Fortitude. The trait skill (Toughness) is used for all Fortitude related checks.

Acuity Skills

• Area Knowledge: The character has intimate knowledge of an area, either through experience or study. Each area is a separate skill. The broader the area described by the skill, the more general the character's knowledge is likely to be; a character with Area Knowledge: Kansas, might know things like where most of the larger, important or interesting towns are, where the railroads run, where major rivers are and what Indian tribes lurk in which prairies. A character with Area Knowledge: Dodge City, with a successful skill check might know the location of a certain businesses, their owners, the politics and power struggles, important people in town, or a shortcut to the local thugs' hideout. Area Knowledge skills do not have specializations, but each bump on the skill check should reveal some extra layer of information or added, useful, detail beyond which the character might normally be privy.
  

• Gambling (card games, dice games, other): Most people know how to play cards, or shoot dice. Great gamblers are the ones who can come out on top more often than casual players. Gambling for money is an Acuity-based skill check (while Presence may be substituted for purposes of the occasional bluff), and generally reflects the character spending an extended amount of narrative time playing multiple hands of cards or dice rather than a single hand of show-down.

A round of gambling is a skill check at TN of 5 (against multiple opponents) or TN 3 + the opponent's Gambling skill level (against a single opponent). Failed skill checks generate effect as an unskilled practitioner, and lose that amount in dollars. Successful checks generate effect via Acuity die type and one plus bumps for the row and column respectively. The player with the highest effect wins a number of dollars equal to the effect generated.

• Investigation (inquiry, search, deciphering): This skill allows an investigator to determine truth by questioning subjects, examining the scene, or by trying to piece together disparate bits of information to form a "big picture" based on many smaller details. Investigation can be used to advance the story. If there is a bit of information, such as a vital clue, to be gleaned in an area, use of the investigation skill allows the Hero to uncover it. Bumps to the investigation skill check should reveal extra details or greater certainty of the truth of the investigator's findings. Some applications of questioning or interrogating witnesses or suspects may require social combat (such as when a subject is actively resisting). Basic use of the investigation skill to gather information will generally eke out what people are willing to tell or what they might let slip accidentally.
  

• Outdoors (Climbing, Hunting, Fishing, Navigation, Swimming, Tracking): This is the ability to survive with minimal supplies in harsh climates (the ability to find food and drinking water), deal with environmental hazards (such as the ability to climb mountains, avoid poisonous animals, crevasses, widowmakers and snags), and the ability to find safe shelter. The outdoors skill also grants the character the ability to swim. More hospitable climates will have reduced difficulty. A separate skill check should be made for each aspect of the survival skill a character is attempting. As the characters travel, a check might be made to determine if they gather enough food and water; another check may be made to find shelter. See the section on group skill use for how to handle a posse working together. Failure may impose certain scene attributes (such as Hunger, Thirst or Fatigue).
  

Knowledge Skills

• Academics: This skill group represents an area the character would learn by means of formal education or personal study, potentially granting vast amounts of knowledge about the subject in question. Some examples of academic skills are history, philosophy, science, theology, law or mathematics. Specializations would be specific areas within a skill. For example, History is a skill, Roman History is a specialization within it.
  

• Language: Languages are bought at level 1 each for the ability to speak or read/write only (1 Character Point), or with a specialization (4 CPs total) for full fluency. Each language must be purchased separately.
  

• Demolitions: This skill allows a character to use explosives (somewhat) safely. Dynamite, black powder, nitroglycerin and gun cotton are all examples of period-appropriate explosives the character might know how to handle. When using demolitions to blast a structure/obstruction, a successful skill check allows the explosive's effect to earn victory points, with each bump increasing the row (effect level). As such, knowing how to use explosives dramatically increases their effectiveness when trying to blow stuff up. Using this skill is an extended action, requiring an expenditure of 8 APs for multiple rounds to properly place an explosive charge.
  

• Medicine (First Aid, Surgery): This is the ability to assist healing by setting broken bones, applying tourniquets, stitching up tomahawk gashes and plucking bullets and buckshot out of flesh. Consult the description for appropriate gear, if any. Same goes with healing facilities such as hospitals. The following rules assume no equipment or assistance of any kind. Medicine is a skill group including a second skill, Veterinary.

Concussion is easy to get rid of. On a simple (3) medicine roll of any kind, anyone can provide the necessary care to restore all Conc in about 2 minutes. Otherwise Conc heals at 1 per minute. A character who has critically failed a shock check and has fallen unconscious requires a TN 5 Medicine check to revive, otherwise they are out for 1d6 hours.

Only those skilled in medicine or first aid may attempt to treat real wounds. Each scene a skilled character can make an attempt at the level on the table below. Success heals each wound one level. Only one attempt may be made per scene.

Wound Level	TN
Concussion	3
Light (1)	5
Heavy (2)	7
Serious (3)	9
Critical (4)	11
Maimed (5, limbs)	13

A character can try to heal a wound every day by making a Fortitude roll against the difficulties listed above. If the roll succeeds, the wound improves by one level. Natural healing rolls are made for each area. A character with wounds to an arm and his torso would roll twice, possibly improving the condition of each location by one would level.

Wounds heal naturally every day, and a doctor can heal every scene? Yep. In TWTW, we dont care about realism, we care about fun. This level of healing ability is cinematic. Ever notice how a hero who gets shot 10 minutes into a movie is somehow just fine for the final scene, no matter when that scene occurs? This is what TWTW endeavors to achieve. If you prefer a more realistic flavor, doctors get one chance to heal a wound when it occurs, and may assist healing once per week.

The medicine skill may be used in combat to attempt to stop a character from bleeding out. This costs 10 APs, which can be spent over multiple actions.

• Repair (Weaponsmith, Gunsmith, Vehicles, Scavenge): This skill grants knowledge of how machines work, be they the simple mechanisms of guns or wagons or complex contraptions like telegraphs or steam engines. Those skilled in repair are also often adept at breaking down machines to find spare parts. When attempting repairs, if a source of compatible parts (for example, a similar weapon or vehicle) is available, the repairman may attempt to scavenge parts at a TN of 5. If the scavenging check is successful, the character can add one level of effect to their first successful repair attempt (with each bump to the scavenge roll adding another level of effect). Scavenging parts during combat costs 8 APs. Attempting repairs is often an extended action. The Judge will set a difficulty TN and a number of Victory Points required to succeed. When used during action time, this is 10 APs.
  

Presence Skills

• Animal Handler (horse/dog/herd animals): This skill grants the character the ability to care and feed for animals. Animal handlers can train dogs and horses, break-in bucking broncos, and herd cattle. They also understand animal behaviors better than most, and are less likely to get negative reactions from domesticated (and some wild) animals because they know how to behave around them.
  

• Judge Character: This skill helps a character size up another person if they have a chance to observe or interact with them for a while. It can allow the character to determine the target’s general strengths/weaknesses for social combat, and also helps a character make snap judgements about people, such as whether they might be bluffing at cards, or if they might be pulling the wool over their eyes. If a Hero is suspicious and tries to check for deception, the Judge should make a hidden check for the Hero as appropriate, and slip them hints if the Hero makes his Judge Character check that something may not be on the up-and-up. However, if a hero uses Judge Character repeatedly against the same character, the difficulty should get progressively harder to reflect the fact that repeated failure is causing the story in question to become more and more believable!
  

• Leadership: During a fight, the leadership skill can be used to inspire your allies by means of a quick, rousing speech or order, or by deed on the field of battle. Leadership can be used to rally the courage of those who are in the grip of fear and terror, or help them stand fast in the face of enemy fire. If used as an inspiring speech, Leadership costs 1 AP and has a TN of 5. Success increases the bravery skill checks of all your allies within earshot by 1 for the entire round, with an additional +1 for each bump. If combined with an attack action, it adds 1 to the AP cost of the action, and can inspire any allies with line of sight to your actions; bravery skill checks for allies are increased by 1 if your attack is successful with an additional +1 for each bump to the attack roll.

Alternatively, leadership can be used in a tactical manner. The attempt is 2 AP, and the leader can spend 1-2 more AP. If successful, the extra APs they spent are given to an ally of choice. The only stipulation is the ally must be able to understand the speech or signals given. Failed attempts forfeit all spent AP.

A single character may be the target of no more than one successful leadership attempt per turn.

• Social Combat: This skill group is used during social combat (SC) encounters. It includes the specializations of argument, intimidation, persuasion and fast talk. See the Interaction chapter for more on Social Combat.
  

• Streetwise (Gossip, Black Market, Scrounging): Towns and cities are an important part of the West that Wasn't. Cities are where the people are, after all, and city folk often have information that can be useful, or they may be on the lookout to buy or sell illicit goods. A character skilled in Streetwise may also be able to obtain spare parts for repairs (See the "scavenging" described under the Repair skill for details), however, a failure to scrounge for parts may result (at the Judge's discretion) in the character getting caught in the act of stealing! Streetwise may also be used to locate rare or unique items. When used to obtain black market goods or fence stolen property, the Judge will set a difficulty TN based on such factors as the rarity of the item, the quantity, local laws regarding it, or--in the case of trying to offload items--how easily the item might be identified as stolen. Some buyers may not be willing to purchase a one-of-a-kind or well-known piece of jewelry or artwork, or any item if the origin is easily discerned or well-known.
  

• Vaudevillian (Acting, Singing, Disguise, Play Instrument, Drawing, Painting, Sculpting): The character is an accomplished performer. Note vaudevillian is not a skill group, a single skill covers all aspects. The entries in parentheses are specializations.

Essence Skills

• Bravery: The ability of the Hero to resist fear and terror, and stand fast and keep cool in the middle of a gunfight. When a character is in a fight, stray shots will chip away at their ability to focus and carefully aim. When under fire, the Hero may need to make a bravery check to see if they keep their cool, or if their carefully aimed shot is disrupted by flying lead. Bravery may also be used in social combat to resist efforts at intimidation.

Advanced Skills

Some skills require more specialized training than others. These skills have per-requisites that are listed above. The prerequisite skill must be at an equal or higher level to use the given ability. Because of the high cost of having a second skill at an equal level, some of these abilities are incredibly powerful when combined. Judge approval is required when taking advanced skills.

• Boxing: Sometimes called fisticuffs, the Marquess of Queensberry rules were established in 1865, formalizing the martial art of boxing. To take the boxing skill, the character must have Unarmed Combat at an equivalent or higher level. Each level of boxing affords the practitioner a new ability. The boxing skill is not tested in combat, the Unarmed Combat skill is used instead. Boxing abilities may only be used unarmed, or with fist loads.

Level 1: Jab - Once per round the boxer may perform a standard attack for 1 AP less, minimum 1. The boxer may add 1 to their advantage value versus unarmed foes.
Level 2: Once per round the boxer may perform a block for 1 AP less, minimum 1. Additionally, the boxer may take the advantage counter or increase dominance by one level after any successful melee attack against an unarmed or similarly armed opponent. Add +1 to Force.
Level 3: Combination - If performing multiple attacks, the boxer may draw a second card and use the highest value from their pool on that card as their second attack value. Other attacks are unaffected.
Level 4: All punch attacks performed by the character have +1 DB. Additionally, the boxer starts any hand to hand engagement with the advantage counter, unless the opponent has boxing at a higher level (or the opponent is armed with a weapon of normal length or longer). If levels are equal, neither gets the counter.
Level 5: Uppercut - Once per round the boxer may perform a heavy attack for 2 AP less, minimum 1. Additionally, the character has +1 Jaw.

• Bowmaster:

Level 1: Once per turn the AP cost to load an arrow is reduced by 1 AP, minimum 1.
Level 2: Once per turn the AP cost to fire an arrow is reduced by 1 AP, minimum 1.
Level 3: If making multiple fire actions with a bow in the same turn, the practitioner may draw a second card and use the highest result in the appropriate pool for the second shot. Other shots are unaffected.
Level 4: Practitioner may ignore all TN penalties to bow fire for mounted movement.
Level 5: Once per turn the AP cost to aim a bow is reduced by 1 AP, minimum 1.

• Brawling: Brawling is a set of skills encompassing all around fighting expertise. Characters who are proficient in brawling have real world experience in brawls that may have life or death consequences. Brawling abilities may only be used unarmed or with fist loads.

Level 1: Punch - Once per round the brawler can make a standard attack for 1 AP less.
Level 2: Experience - Brawler has +1 extra AP that can only be used to bid for advantage versus unarmed foes.
Level 3: Improvised weapon - Once per round the brawler may attack as if armed with a club. Pay APs for club, requires appropriate scenery.
Level 4: If performing multiple attacks, the brawler may draw a second card and use the highest value from their pool on that card as their second attack value. Other attacks are unaffected.
Level 5: The brawler has +1 to both DB and Jaw.

• Fan Firing: Fan firing is the rapid firing of a single action revolver by means of "fanning" the hammer with the off hand. It can be wildly inaccurate when performed by an unpracticed hand.

Level 1: The reliability of the revolver is not increased by 1 when the practitioner uses fan firing. Additionally, the first target switch is reduced by 1 AP, minimum 0.
Level 2: The TN of the 2nd shot is not increased by 1. The third shot is still +2, the 4th +3, etc.
Level 3: The practitioner may draw a second card and use the highest value as the result for their second shot.
Level 4: The practitioner need not check for weapon breakage unless a C appears in a cell that is being used to resolve a shot, and in that case not until that shot.
Level 5: The TN of the 3rd shot is not increased by 1. The 4th shot is still +3, etc.

• Gunplay - Pistol: This is the purview of the gunslingers of old west fiction.

Level 1: Once per turn the snap shot penalty is reduced by 1, minimum zero.
Level 2: Once per turn the cost for a normal shot with a pistol is reduced by 1 AP, minimum 1.
Level 3: If making multiple fire actions in the same turn with a pistol, the practitioner may draw a second card and use the highest result in the appropriate pool for the second shot. Other shots are unaffected.
Level 4: The penalty for called shots with a pistol is reduced by 1, minimum 0.
Level 5: The penalty for called shots with a pistol is reduced by a further 1, minimum 0.

• Gunplay - Rifle: This is the skill of marksmen and hunters of the west.

Level 1: Once per round the practitioner may perform a normal shot with a rifle for 1 AP less, minimum 1 AP.
Level 2: Once per round the practitioner may increase the Accurate value of a rifle by 1, minimum 1.
Level 3: If making multiple fire actions with a rifle in the same turn, the practitioner may draw a second card and use the highest result in his pool for the second shot. Other shots are unaffected.
Level 4: Once per round the practitioner may perform any fire action with a rifle for 1 AP less, minimum 1.
Level 5: Once per round the practitioner may ignore the effects of opponents shots on their aim if they are using a rifle.

• Knife Fighting: The knife is more than just a tool in the west.

Level 1: Once per round the fighter may make a standard attack with a knife for 1 AP less, minimum 1. Additionally, the fighter has +1 advantage value versus opponents armed with knives, +2 versus unarmed opponents.
Level 2: The fighter may perform a block actions against bladed weapons for 1 AP. Once per round change the hit location from any other location to the off arm. The character may ignore up to 2 damage dealt to off arm.
Level 3: The fighter may draw a second card when making multiple attacks with a knife during a round. The highest value on the second card is used to resolve the second attack. No further attacks are affected.
Level 4: The fighter may take the advantage counter after a successful attack with a knife.
Level 5: Once per round the fighter may make a heavy attack with a knife for 2 AP less, minimum 1.

• Swordplay:

Level 1: Once per round the fighter may make a standard attack with a sword for 1 AP less, minimum 1. Additionally, the fighter has +1 advantage value versus opponents armed with weapons of similar length, +2 versus opponents with shorter weapons, and +3 versus unarmed.
Level 2: Feint - Once per round The fighter may spend 1 AP to ignore the first 2 points of effect from a hand-to-hand or melee attack.
Level 3: The fighter may draw a second card when making multiple attacks with a sword during a round. The highest value on the second card is used to resolve the second attack. No further attacks are affected.
Level 4: Once per round the fighter may retain possession of the advantage counter after spending it to gain positional advantage.
Level 5: Once per round the fighter may make a heavy attack with a sword for 2 AP less, minimum 1.

• Wrestling: The practice of grappling has been popular since the ancient Greeks, if not before. Wrestling thrives as a carnival exhibition in the west, and strong wrestlers can take down and control their quarries as a matter of course.

Level 1: Takedown - After performing a successful quick attack the wrestler may increase dominance. Opponent is taken prone.
Level 2: Hold - Wrestler may perform a standard attack for 1 AP less, minimum 1. Opponent is considered prone, even if standing.
Level 3: Slam - Wrestler may perform a heavy attack for 1 AP less, minimum 1. Opponent is taken prone and dominance is increased by one level. Wrestler has +1 DB.
Level 4: Wrestler has +2 advantage value versus foes on the ground. Dominance is increased by two levels on a successful slam.
Level 5: Pin - Wrestler may spend APs from their pool at a rate of 1 to 2 to remove APs from an opponents pool. Wrestler must have performed a hold on the previous turn and must have the advantage counter. Points are decremented from opponents pool during allocation.