Rolan Tennesen

[Pen N Popper]

Weapon Master

At 5th level, Rolan meets Shamur in Hlint and they RP the start of Rolan's path to weapon master.  Shamur, both a smith and rapier weapon master, will be the perfect mentor in this regard.

Currently Rolan is still getting into "battle fitness," trying to recover some of the skills he had in his youth.  Of course with age, one's body does not always live up to the younger mind's expectations.  The going is slow but he is persistent.

Shamur has demonstrated the forging of a copper rapier and tasked Rolan with setting to work forging similar ones.  Shamur also will begin to describe the physical training program soon.

My OOC goal is not to take WM levels until Shamur approves and Rolan has forged an iron rapier.  This seems a reasonable goal to attain by 9th level.

Dwarves

I'm playing Rolan as being distrustful and accusatory to dwarves over their role in the fall of Pranzis.  It is challenging to stay true to this but i've had a couple good encounters that have helped show me how to play this.

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Training in the arena

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First rapier


Rapier practice

Weapon Master

Just turned 7th level.  I bring Rolan to the arena to practice on the combat dummy there.  When he is fighting and has just one foe remaining, I switch him into parry mode to practice.  (I am finding parry as unuseful as the web says it is.  Perhaps at higher levels, but WM class does not get that as a class skill.)

He is soloing for copper now but is a terrible smith (the rolls have not been favorable).  Currently just turned level two smelter, but still level one smith.  He did make his first copper rapier!

Freelancers

Rolan had been introducing himself as "a sellsword still for sale."  He had met several members of various guilds, but none seemed interested in having an employee / guard.  A chance encounter with PC Quillwem as Rolan was passing through Point Harbor lead to a job with them.  Rolan will manage the Freelancer's store and has permission to hire two employees.  A very enjoyable RP session with PC Tristan DeMoyer resulted in him being the first hire.

Obviously my OOC involvement with the Freelancers in the past weighed favorably on Quillwem's decision, but I was pleased that the first meeting and hiring was purely chance and RP.  Rolan and Tristan are not members of the guild, but rather simply employees of it.

[Pen N Popper]

Rapier Sites

• Di Grassi: His True Art of Defence
  
• Order of the Seven Hearts

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Weapon Master

Level two weapon smith. An iron rapier seems much more distant now. A very worthy goal if I have the patience to continue.

Sparred in arena with PC Tristan. Good RP and actually OOCly good practice too.

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Weapon Master

Mining just got a whole lot tougher in V3. New mining areas will likely open up in the coming weeks, so I'll wait until then to continue crafting. However, I went through the possible weapon modifications on Rolan's rapier and there are so many!

I had an idea for Certificates of Authenticity some time ago, and I think I will put it to use with Rolan. My long term goal is to forge blades (rapiers preferably) and document them. Each blade will have a custom look, perhaps a name, certainly a forging date, etc.

[Pen N Popper]

Weapon Master
Mining is definitely out of the question.  Rapier forging is likely to be an unrealistic goal for a long while.  (Died today just trying to get to a mine.  This was after barely surviving a single goblin outside of Hlint.)

Dwarves
Generally feeling uninspired to push this aspect too much.

Freelancers
Will start some moderate advertising of goods soon.

[Pen N Popper]

Concentrating at the anvil

Weapon Master
Just reached 8th level and opted not to take whirlwind attack.  I had originally hoped to take WM at 9th, but with the increased difficulty of mining I can't progress in that craft.  I've also not had any more sessions with PC Shamur, though hopefully that will change.

I also have to be realistic about gaining levels; fighter is a more useful class unless I suddenly figure out how to level.  I can always RP the rapier. I'll shoot for 13th as my first WM level, though I'll seek approval before then.

Rolan will begin using two weapons in combat now.  An dagger will serve as his "main gauche" for now.

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Weapon Master
Long trip with Shamur, lots of time for instruction and observation.

Sparring in the arena with a halfgiant, PC Bakaki(?).  Used all three off-hand styles:  Shield, shortsword, second rapier.

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Put on hold indefinitely since cannot mine.

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Weapon Master

• Sparring with Shamur in the arena
• Continued work on forging rapiers (mining exceedingly slow still)

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Weapon Master

A typical set of emotes from a sparring session with the Vehl combat dummies.[INDENT]Rolan Tennesen: *works both blades, emphasizing use of main gauche low and rapier high*
Rolan Tennesen: *practices fighting between a pair of foes*
Rolan Tennesen: *slides short blade away in favor of a second rapier*
Rolan Tennesen: *readies self between pair of dummies*
Rolan Tennesen: *tilts chin down so that small head movements will grant a view to left and right*
Rolan Tennesen: *slashes left, then right*
Rolan Tennesen: *repeating move over and over... and over*
Rolan Tennesen: *continues to work left and right, maintaining balance on balls of feet*
Rolan Tennesen: *works a side until a particularly well placed strike lands*
Rolan Tennesen: *pauses to catch breath, wiping sweat from bald head*
Rolan Tennesen: *looks over each rapier carefully, admiring shamur's craftsmanship*
Rolan Tennesen: *resumes defensive stance between dummies*
Rolan Tennesen: *engages dummy on right now, preparing to repeat the whole practice over again... and again*
[/INDENT]

[Pen N Popper]

Weapon Master School Ideas
 

• Found a school where weapon masters teach others
• Teachers must maintain a certain number of students

• Teacher status based upon number of other PCs recruited into classes?

• Provide a framework for players with WL aspirations to "make their mark"
• Student fees?
• Location?
• Rent a large room in a house for bunks, combat dummies

• Involve CNR and crafting?
• Run weapon master CDQs through the school?
• Recruit current weapon master WLs as teachers to approve(?) completed CDQ

• Forge their own or seek a weapon of the specialization through a teacher

• Have other veteran PCs offer CDQ-like quests for the students
• No guaranteed success.  Must be guidelines with real chance of failure.
• Milestones for graduation

• Possible positions besides teachers
• Quartermaster
• Marketing

• Military arm for students?
• Structured military-like events for the students (drills, raids, static quest completion)
• Outlet for bossy seargent types

• Secretive arm for students?
• Outlet for sneaky types, info gathers

[/LIST]

[Pen N Popper]

Rather than found yet-another-sparsely-populated-guild, I thought I'd make a more independent and universal group:  The Crossed Blades.

With the natural tendency of players to want their PCs to climb up in levels of anything (CNR, XP), I thought that a ranking system for dueling would appeal to the most people.

Perhaps in time the "masters" and "grand masters" will evolve into a loosely structured school for teaching less-skilled fighters.  If some WLs get involved they could run CDQs for weapon master and duelist.

Rankings are still a work in progress.  I'm thinking along the lines of:

• A master must have five(?) victories over others skilled in the same weapon.  Must mentor at least one student.
• A Grand Master should display leadership RP.  Perhaps maintain at least one student?  Mentor at least five?
• Kind of thinking along the lines of combat pilots being "Aces."  Build up victories and reputation.

What does Rolan get out of it?  Mostly a continued source of mentors to further his own skills.  Perhaps it becomes a money-making venture with student fees or such.  Coin is not the main priority, though.

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Gear Notes

• 10th
• adamantium rapier ~ 17500 //Attack bonus +2, level req. 10
  
• platinum halfplate ~ 12000
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• 11th
• platinum chain shirt ~ 11000 // lev. req. 11; AC +2, Parry +3
  
• bebelith silk armor ~ ?? // +3 to parry
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• amulet +2
  
• iron weapon w/ III enchant ~ 13000 //1d6 points of elemental damage

• 12th
  • ring +2 ~ 20000 //+2 to strength, level req. 12
    
  • swashbuckler sabre ~ 12500 //iron rapier, 1 AC deflection, +4 parry, level req. 12