Decades ago, the Inheritors of the Steppe Lord traded their lineage of violence for the seductive prosperity of unjust peace. The docks and markets of their mighty coastal cities swell with trade in all manner of well- and ill-gotten gains. As the memory of war fade into mythic tales of heroes past, a new generation takes up the sword to fight for honour and fame rather than safety or conquest.
These bravos trade insults and rallying cries across the daemon-forged bridges of the City at the Crossroads, hold rooftop duels on the mining shantytowns of Khanra, and delve deep into the Venyan catacombs to prove their mettle. Bored scions, social climbers, and would-be pirates rub shoulders in taverns across the Salt Road, all seeking danger seemingly denied by their age of relative peace.
No wonder they choose the adventuring life — they know not the dangers beyond the Demon Road nor the cold touch of the Witch-King’s geas, and they have never lived in the Ashen East from whence the Steppe-Lord rode. They play at lordship in their fathers’ clothes, gambling away false heritage and ill-gotten fortunes on foolhardy schemes and enormous plumed hats.
That said, I still wouldn’t rate my chances against their blades.
The Bravo
Backgrounds (d6): 1. Sellsword, 2. Fop, 3. Highwayman, 4. Artist, 5. Vigilante, 6. Pirate
Starting Equipment: Long one-handed blade of your choice, parrying dagger, large fancy hat, cape.
Bravo 1: Flourish, First Impressions
Bravo 2: Swashbuckle, Duelist's Dance
Bravo 3: Bravado
Bravo 4: Dance of Death
This class refers to Maneuvers, which are any action besides an attack or casting a spell in combat. Some of the Bravo’s abilities also provide a +Bravo bonus, which is equal to the number of levels that the character has taken in the Bravo class.
Flourish: Whenever you fail an attack roll, a Dexterity test, or a Charisma test in combat, you may make a distracting and flamboyant Flourish to succeed anyway. If you do, take a -4 penalty to your Armor Class until the start of your next turn. Your Flourish also draws attention to you, and enemies will prioritize you over your allies if you're within range of their attacks.
You can always choose to Flourish as an action on your turn if you want to draw attention on purpose.
You may Flourish multiple times in a round, but the AC penalty from Flourishing stacks.
You must narrate what your Flourish is.
First Impressions: You gain +Bravo to Initiative rolls. You also gain +Bravo to attack rolls, Dexterity tests, and Charisma tests against people you haven't acted against yet in this scene or combat.
Swashbuckle: Once per turn, on your turn, you may make a Charisma test. On a success, take an additional maneuver that turn. The maneuver cannot deal damage.
Here's some ideas: trip, disarm, kick sand in their eyes, run away, chug a potion, sing a battle-cry, climb a rope, swap your off-hand or main weapon, reload, etc.
Duelist's Dance: If you're wielding a one-handed weapon in your dominant hand, gain a benefit associated with whatever you're wielding in your off-hand.
- Empty: Your flourishes give you -2 AC rather than -4.
- Parrying item: Once per round, when an enemy hits you with a melee attack, you may make a Dexterity test. If you meet or beat their to-hit roll, you Parry and negate the hit. If you also meet or beat their Armor Class, you Riposte and immediately hit them with your main weapon. You cannot Riposte if you did not successfully Parry.
- Weapon: If you hit with your first attack, you may immediately make a second attack with your off-hand weapon for free. The attack does not need to target the same enemy.
- Magical focus: Whenever you cast a spell, you may channel it into a melee attack with your main weapon. The attack inflicts the spell effect on a hit, in addition to dealing its usual damage.
This is not an exhaustive list. Work with your GM to figure out what items such as a light source, a musical instrument, or a battle standard would do, if anything.
If your character is ambidextrous, they may choose which hand is their main immediately after they roll initiative. If your character has many arms, choose one to be dominant and one item in an off-hand to benefit them this combat. They only count as empty-handed if all their off-hands are empty.
Bravado: Whenever you Flourish, gain +Bravo temporary hit points.
Dance of Death: Whenever you're hit by an attack, if your Armor Class has been lowered by Flourishing, you may make a free Maneuver or a melee attack against the target if they're within range.
Offhand Items
Buckler. +1 AC, parrying (see Duelist’s Dance).
Torch (lit). Once per turn, when you Flourish, you may attempt to set something around you alight. Make an attack roll. On a hit, that thing is set on fire (Bravo damage per round, save ends) and your torch is put out.
Parrying dagger. 1H, 1d2 slashing damage, parrying. When you successfully Parry a melee weapon, if your Riposte succeeds, you may choose to disarm your opponent instead of inflicting damage.
Grappling hook. 1H, 1d4 piercing damage within 15'. When you hit, you hook the target. While you're holding the grappling hook, your hooked target cannot leave your grappling hook's range without an opposed Strength test to dislodge it. You can pull your target closer with an opposed Strength test; this deals an additional 1d4p damage and moves them 5' on a success.
Dueling pistol. 1H, 1d4 untyped damage within 30'. Single-shot, parrying. Deals 1d3 damage to the target on a successful parry, even if you failed to Riposte. Requires a maneuver to reload; cannot parry while empty.
Enchanting cloth. Acts as a magical focus. As a Maneuver, you can wipe the cloth along your weapon to imbue it with a magical damage type associated with the cloth's enchantment until the start of your next turn.
1. Oilcloth. A specially-treated cloth that leaves oily residue across the weapon’s edge and ignites it with a flint tied to the rag’s end. The weapon deals fire damage instead of its normal damage type.
2. Venom-soaked cloth. A simple silk handkerchief doused in a potent contact poison distilled in the Grand Menagerie of Khanra. The weapon deals poison damage instead of its normal damage type.
3. Sparkcloth. The wool of sheep that graze on the grasslands around the Copperwood possesses a unique charged property when woven into fabric. The weapon deals lightning damage instead of its normal damage type.
4. Sharpening cloth. A clever improvement on a grindstone. While its benefits last but for a moment, a moment is all a duelist needs to strike a killing blow. If the weapon deals slashing or piercing damage, it gets +2 damage.
5. Silvercloth. These kerchiefs were originally woven as glittering accessories for the vain duchesses of Eyra. While it’s fallen out of fashion in the ballrooms, it’s a potent and eye-catching tool for those Bravos who expect to encounter the strange and infernal. Treat the affected weapon as silvered.
6. Plasmic cloth. Renegade witches from the Volat mountains have brought their necromantic arts into contact with the martial traditions that conquered the Twice-Forsaken North. By spinning ectoplasm into wraithcord on modern looms, these witches have created a fabric that pierces the boundary between life and death itself (for very affordable prices). The treated weapon inflicts damage to spirits as if they were corporeal.
