Knife Fighter

Adversaries(especiallythosewhoareswordtrained)oftenunderestimatesomeonearmedonlywith daggers. If they challengeyou, they learn their error when you flick a knife into their eye before they can

even draw their oversized weapons. Maybe you prefer to be called aQuicksteel or a Shank, like some of your fellow students of the dagger, but in the end, Knife Fighter describes whatyou areas expeditiously as a knifethrust. You’re probably one more combatant in your group, though your ability to be among the first in a conflict to draw blood gives your comrades cover as they make their own attacks. It’s especiallyuseful if you can pin a foe to the wall or floor for a moment, because that could signal your allies whothey shouldattacknext.

Background Options

• You first picked up a knife as a street urchin in a sprawlingcity. You learned to be motivated by simple survival.
• You were muscle on a job to con a wealthy merchant two weeks ago but never got paid.
• A horrific extradimensional entity started whispering to you a year ago, but youmostly ignore it.
• When your parents’ caravan was overrun, you spent years wandering treacherous wildlands with only a pet bear as your companion, until a hunter killed it.
• You and your sister joined a bandit gang; after she was killed a year ago, you left the life behind.
• Recently, the priest who took you in when you were orphaned diedof a mysterious illness.
• Yourecoveredaninlaidmetalchestfromtheoldruinsweeksagobutstillcan’tgetitopen.
• You were trained as an enforcer for a cutthroatgangand now want to retire from violence. However, the world leaves you no choice but to use your knife to survive.

Knife Fighter Abilities

You gain all of the following benefits: Abletotakethreemoreminorwoundsandonemoremoderatewound Add+4 to Speed Pool Add+1 Edge in Pool of your choice Freely use all knives Freely use light armor Gain one weapon of your choice At tier 3and tier 6, choose anability fromthe Fantasy Genre Abilities list

Expert Combatant: You are trained in a specific weapon attack of your choice, such asswords, axes, or bows; or in a broader category of attacks such as light bashing weapons, light bladed weapons, light ranged weapons, medium bashing weapons, medium bladed weapons, medium ranged weapons, and so on. At tier 2, you can choose to become specialized in the same attack method you chose at tier 1, but you must gain the skill normally. At tier 6, you can become an expert in a specific attack method (either the one you chose at tier 1 or another weapon skill you're already specialized in),but you must gain the skill normally. Enabler.

Gut Ripper (1 Speed): You attack with a knife in a way that has a greater risk of making an error but gains an additionalbenefit. Your GM intrusion rangefor this attack increases by 2 (from 1 on a d20 to 1– 3onad20),butifyouhityoucanchooseoneofthefollowingadditionaleffects: Deep Slice: The foe takes +2 damage.

Let Them Bleed: The wound bleeds; on your next turn, the foe takes 2 damage that ignores Armor. Action.

Hindering Throw (3 Speed): Your successful ranged knife attack sticks in the target,catching in their clothing, their flesh, the floor, or another adjacent surface in a way that deals normal damage and hinders their tasks on their next turn. Action.

[!example]

Knife Fighter Equipment Bundle

Choose the following equipment bundle to quickly outfit your character, or assemble your own starting equipment. Fivedaggers, appropriate clothing, a backpack, a bedroll, 50 feet (16 m) of rope, a knife belt, three torches, rations and water for three days, a tinderbox, and enough extra currency to buy a moderately priced item.

Part of Swords & Sorcery