MASTERS OF DEFENCE WEAPON TRAINING

12 points

The English and German “Masters of Defence” were men
who prided themselves on their expertise with a wide variety
of weapons, civilian and military. Their art seems to have
originated in the 15th century. It lasted until the late 17th
century across most of Europe. As time wore on, the Masters
– and students willing to train with them – became increas-
ingly less common and ultimately disappeared entirely.
To learn this style, a would-be student had to find an
accredited master and become his apprentice. Next came a
lengthy training period, followed by tests – first to become a
journeyman and eventually to qualify as a master. These
would be excellent goals for a PC in a historical game.
A master of this style was expected to know all of its many
weapons and be able to fight them in any combination.
Fighters also learned unarmed techniques – especially those
useful for dealing with armed foes. Some masters taught a
substantial number of throws and locks; their schools would
teach Judo rather than Wrestling. Practitioners didn’t regard
such unarmed methods as “dirty.” Anything that worked was
acceptable. Indeed, many masters lost eyes or digits proving
their skill during certification tests or in subsequent duels.
The one-eyed English Master of Defence was a common
stereotype!
Tactics varied greatly depending on the weapons used.
When wielding any weapon, though, stylists would mix
armed techniques with unarmed ones intended to disarm
the foe. Masters regarded such methods as crucial when dis-
armed – and as valuable additional means of defeating an
armed opponent even when armed.
In a cinematic game, Masters of Defence make excellent
Weapon Masters. The sheer breadth of their training means
that they’re fearsome fighters with almost any available
weapon. There are tales of Masters standing off several
adversaries at once, casually defeating skilled opponents
(especially fencers and other foreigners!), and shearing men
in half with tremendous blows.
Masters of Defence were commoners, not members of the
upper class. This often led to social difficulties when dealing
with their rapier-instructor contemporaries, who could sim-
ply ignore their challenges owing to the difference in status.
Despite this, it’s possible that some Masters learned the rapi-
er – either to better defend against it or because they recog-
nized its growing importance as a street weapon.
Skills: Brawling; Broadsword; Knife; Polearm; Shield;
Shield (Buckler); Shortsword; Spear; Staff; Two-Handed
Sword; Wrestling.
Techniques: Arm Lock; Armed Grapple (Polearm, Spear,
Staff, or Two-Handed Sword); Disarming (Any skill in style);
Feint (Any weapon skill in style); Hook (Polearm); Sweep
(Polearm, Spear, Staff, or Two-Handed Sword).
Cinematic Skills: Kiai; Power Blow.
Cinematic
Techniques:
Dual-Weapon
Attack
(Shortsword); Grand Disarm (Staff or Two-Handed Sword);
Whirlwind Attack (Staff or Two-Handed Sword).
Perks: Form Mastery (Spear); Grip Mastery (Two-Handed
Sword); Off-Hand Weapon Training (Shortsword).
Optional Traits
Advantages: Ambidexterity; Combat Reflexes; Fearlessness;
Languages (English or German); Weapon Master.
Disadvantages: Low Status; Missing Digit; One Eye.
Skills: Judo; Rapier; any other weapon skill not listed
above.
Perks: Style Familiarity (Italian School).
MILITARY HAND-TO-HAND
Historically, many of the fighting arts in this chapter –
particularly the armed ones – saw battlefield use. Their role
diminished as firearms spread and became dependable, but
veterans knew that ammunition could run out and that guns
weren’t always manageable in close quarters. Thus, hand-to-
hand combat remained a part of almost every recruit’s basic
training. Some armies adapted traditional styles. Others
invented new ones, like the relatively modern “scientific” or
“synthetic” styles below.