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Pit-Fighter

Realm of Strife™ > Characters  > Class Codex > Pit-Fighter
Pit Fighter Class Codex Trimmed

The life of a pit fighter is often extremely short, depending on the venue. Whether choosing to fight for the chance of glory, riches, and fame, or forced to fight as a slave, prisoner, or indentured servant, a Pit-Fighter most often gives their life for the entertainment of others. For those with the right combination of strength, skill, and luck, there can be life beyond the fighting pits. Some will go on to win their freedom while others become wealthy prize fighters, but more likely a Pit-Fighter will obtain employment outside the pits as hired muscle or enforcers. Even when a Pit-Fighter finds themselves to be the master of their own destiny, a true Pit-Fighter will discover that something within them is inexplicably drawn to the thrill of combat.

Pit-Fighting is a hazardous profession; however, it teaches a brutal yet simple principle: victory at any cost. When life and death are on the line, honor and virtue are cumbersome, only victory has any real value. But Pit-Fighters are not necessarily mindless brutes. They often begin battle in a state of heightened focus, quickly studying their opponent and sizing up their strengths and weaknesses. They will attempt to wear their opponent down, using every weapon at their disposal, all the while building up momentum. Then when the time is right, or when their focus is shattered by an untimely wound from their opponent, they will unleash their fury and mercilessly cut down their foe.

Fighting for sport is commonly perceived to be an uncivilized activity and so it is among the more barbaric cultures that most Pit-Fighters will be found. But amidst the seemingly uncivilized practice of Pit-Fighting, there is a proclivity for close quarters combat. In the right context, this style of combat can be highly effective outside of the fighting pits. While certainly of no use among rank-and-file troops, some armies have been known to train elite forces after the style of Pit-Fighters for specialist close-quarters operations such as boarding enemy vessels at sea. No matter the reason, anyone finding themselves facing off against a Pit-Fighter in a confined space likely has mere moments left to live.

Class Overview


Typical Roles: Melee Damage
Damage Types: Physical
Class Mechanic: Fury and Focus

Available Races Initial Gold
Anakim 119.0
Half-elf 97.8
Half-orc 80.8
Human 127.5
Minotaur 102.0
Orc 85.0
Wild Elf 93.5

Default Stats: During Character Creation you may choose to use the default stat line shown below, before racial modifiers. This can be instead of rolling for stats, or if after rolling ten sets of stats you don’t like the results.

Default Stat Pit Fighter
STRENGTH 12
AGILITY 9
STAMINA 12
INTELLECT 10
WISDOM 10
AVOIDANCE 11
PERCEPTION 9
RESOLVE 12
INITIATIVE 10
CHARM 10

During Character Creation you may choose to use the Default Stat Line, before racial modifiers, instead of rolling for stats, or if after rolling ten sets of stats you don’t like the results

Proficiencies

Natural Armor Proficiency: Cloth, Leather
Trainable Armor Proficiency: Mail, Plate
Natural Weapon Proficiency: Knives, Swords, Bludgeons, Axes, Hand Weapons, Polearms, Staves
Trainable Weapon Proficiency: Swords (2-Handed), Bludgeons (2-Handed), Axes (2-Handed), Whips, Firearms

See Equipment section for details. When using a weapon that your class is not proficient with, see Combat Penalties. There is no level or title prerequisite to train in a new proficiency, however you must receive the appropriate Training.

Class Skills

Class Passive Skill: Foul Temper
Class Secondary Skill: (choose one) Dual WieldBrawler, or Lightning Reflexes (can ignore Initiative requirement)

Primary Skills


Fury

Pit Fighters follow the standard methods of gaining fury in combat by both inflicting and taking damage.

Gain +1 Fury for every killing blowDealing Normal DamageDealing Crit DamageTaking Normal DamageTaking Crit Damage
Physical Attack w/ 1 Handed Weapon+1 Fury+2 Fury+1 Fury+2 Fury
Physical Attack w/ 2 Handed Weapon+2 Fury+4 Fury+2 Fury+4 Fury

Learning new Vigor Skills is a function of training. The simplest way to learn a new Vigor skill is to pay a Combat Trainer to teach the skill that is of interest. However, Pit Fighters that live in a Ludus or other such training house are often taught new skills as part of their day to day routines by veterans, Doctore or combat trainers hired by their masters. Alternately, while adventuring, they could also pick up new skills from other fury classes such as a Warrior, Barbarian, Vigilante, Berserker, Shaman, or Zealots. Once a skill is learned, it can be improved simply though repeated use.

New fury skills require training unless they are upgrades (i.e. Berserker Strike -> Improved Berserker Strike), see Learning New Fury Skills for details.

Focus

Pit Fighters are trained to make combat a spectacle, this is best achieved with weapons in hand. As such their unique forms of martial arts center on armed attacks, but also incorporate kicks and fist attacks for additional combat flourish. Typically a Ludus or fighting pit will have its own methods for teaching their fighters. As a result most Pit-Fighters receive training in Focus skills as part of their membership, whether voluntary or indentured. Pit-Fighters follow the standard methods for Learning New Focus Skills.

The maximum number of skill points that can be allotted to each focus discipline are as follows:

  • Fist: 20 skill points
  • Kick: 20 skill points
  • Armed: 30 skill points
  • Ranged:  unavailable
  • Defense: 5 skill points

Level Ups


Pit-Fighters use the following chart for levelling up:

HP Dice (Hearty): Small Race (1d10), Medium Race (1d12), Large Race (1d12)

Notes:
Re-calculate Fury Max each level

Specializations


Specializations are recommended for advanced players only, and are accomplished through the Secondary Skill system (see Specialist Skills). Pit-Fighters may choose to specialize their skills in up to one weapon use and/or one combat styles.

  • Max one Weapon Specialist skill (choose from: Knives, Swords, Bludgeons, Axes, Hand Weapons, Polearms, Staves, Whips)
  • Max one Combat Specialist skill (choose from: Freehand, Great Weapon, Paired Weapon, Freestyle, Peltast, Warder, Mounted, Pugilist, Physical Defense)

Title System


Renown Titles

A Pit-Fighter’s rank and title is directly related to their successes in the arena or fighting pits. As they accrue victories to their name so does their renown and notoriety increase. While there are benefits to this progression, it is a lifestyle of great risk,  for failure usually means death. Many Pit-Fighters begin their career in the pits but eventually either escape that life, or win their freedom. This leaves them with a  very useful set of skills as a mercenary or adventurer for hire, but to truly progress they must always find their way back to an arena.

For some this is an easy choice, for they possess an unrelenting thirst for the glory of the arena and dream of one day becoming a living legend. For other there is no choice at all, for many are born into the fighting-pits, or sold as slaves and forced to live in a Ludus or other such training house for Gladiators. For these poor souls advancement maybe their only hope for a better life, either winning their freedom or at the least being granted the title of Doctore, and escaping the fate of the arena to train other young fighters.

The titles awarded by a Pit-Fighters Renown are as follows:

Outlaw Titles

Outlaw titles for Pit-Fighters typically only apply to those who are forced into the life a Pit-Fighter, such as a slave, prisoner, or indentured servant. It could also apply to a Pit-Fighter that has willingly agreed to fight on a contractual basis, often as means of escaping economic hardship or to repay a debt. The outlaw titles represent such a fighter breaking away from the defined constraints of the Pit-Fighter title system, which is exclusively based upon fighting in an arena or fighting pit of some kind. A Pit-Fighter that chooses to fight without being compelled to do so (often referred to as a prize fighter) can step out of the title system at anytime, either permanently or temporarily retiring from the fighting pits, without any consequence but also not reaping its benefits.

Rudarius

A Rudarius is a slave or indentured Pit-Fighter who has won their freedom, through distinguished performance, completion of a contract, or as a prize for winning a particular fight. Henceforth they are no longer required to fight for others amusement and/or profit. If living in a communal training house such as a Ludus, they may finally set foot outside its walls as a free man or woman. This is only an outlaw title in the sense that, once attained the Pit-Fighter is longer required to follow the standard title system, however this also means they do not reap its benefits. For the most part a Rudarius is left to live their life as they see fit, but in some cases they may be required to prove that they lawfully won their freedom.

To that end, a Rudarius is often gifted a token that represents their freedom, usually called a Rudis. A Rudis can take many forms, but the most common is a simple wooden sword, carved with the tale of their victory. Among some cultures, failure to present a Rudis could result in a freed Pit-Fighter being labelled as Fugitivus.

Fugitivus

A Fugitivus is a Pit-Fighter that has escaped servitude or violently rebelled against their masters. These are dangerous individuals, as they are trained killers who will stop at nothing to maintain their freedom. They also represent a danger in inspiring other slaves and indentured Pit-Fighters to likewise rebel. As such they are relentlessly hunted, and typically put to death on the spot. In some cases they may recaptured and branded as a Fugitivus. The life expectancy of a branded Fugitivus is even less than other Pit-Fighters, as they are usually sent back into the fighting pits to face execution by exhibition. This is a gruesome fate indeed, as the Fugitivus is forced to fight an unwinnable battles against numerous foes or a particularly powerful creature, slowly and painfully torn apart for the amusement of others.

Common Builds


coming soon…

Additional Lore


coming soon…

Notable Characters


coming soon…

Demo Character


Xenae Pitborn

Level 4 Pit Fighter, heavy charge damage build with whip utility