Master of melee combat and the preferred Vocation of the Akulei. Unlike Slayers, who focus on the heaviest of melee weaponry for taking down beasts, the Gladiator takes their time to master any arms at their disposal to battle other skilled combatants. They tend to prefer arming swords, often either with a shield in the Off Hand or one in each hand, but they will use daggers, knuckle dusters, or whatever is available to win a fight.
Within K.A.O.S., Gladiators spend most of their time engaging in battle with other civilizations that are aggressive to the Alliance, rather than dealing with the Darkbrood. Those not in the infantry find themselves accompanying smaller squads as defenders of the backline. They also make good security personnel, but many dedicated Gladiators are often too hot-headed to handle civilians.
Realistically, aside from many Akulei, almost no one stays in the Gladiator Vocation long term. Most people go through a phase in their career where they need to serve security or whatnot, and the skills acquired as a Gladiator are useful even for someone who plans to spend the rest of their career behind a desk, with how often Darkbrood appear out of nowhere. It is common to see someone take up Gladiator training, deploy for a few missions, and then transfer back to something else with a permanent sidearm on their hip from then on.
Abilities
Unique Constant Ability: Florentine Style
Self, Existenscience
When a Gladiator has two of the same Melee Weapon type equipped at once, they gain a +10% bonus to both STR and DOG.
Unique Command Ability: Resheath
Self, Physics
As an Empty Action, you can swap whatever is currently equipped in your hands with anything else in your inventory equippable to that slot.
Double Up
Cost 1 AP – 5 TP – Intuitive, Command, Single Enemy, Physics
[Requires a melee Weapon equipped] As a Full Action, Attack with each of your Weapons twice. You only have to roll to hit once, with the Difficulty is 25% lower, and this attack cannot Crit or Botch.
Heavy Thrust
Cost 1 AP – 5 TP – Intuitive, Command, Single Enemy, Physics
[Requires a melee Weapon equipped] As a Full Action, choose one equipped Weapon to make an Attack with and replace the normal Stat in the damage formula with (STR x DOG x WIL), as well as double the amount of dice rolled. The Difficulty for this attack is 50% higher.
Deathmatch
Cost 25 AP – 20 SP – Learned*, Command, Single Enemy, Existenscience
As a Total Action, you can declare a Rival on the battlefield. No matter what, you have the Rivaled Status, which causes you to take 50% more damage from the declared target and 50% less damage from anything else. With a CoS (PC WIL + PC CHM) – Target RES, you put them into the Rival Status, causing them to also take 50% more damage from you and 50% less damage from anything else, while being far more likely to target you each turn (unless it only makes sense to target you, the GM flips a coin to see if they will target someone else). This Status can only be applied to one target at a time and lasts until the target either Dies or cleanses the Status. Rival counts as a Mesmorize Status type, and as such won’t affect targets immune to it.
Air Sweep
Cost 1 AP – 15 TP – Intuitive, Command, Single Enemy, Physics
[Requires a melee Weapon equipped] As a Full Action, use your Weapons to fling your target into the sky with CoS (PC LFT + PC STR) – Target DOG for (2 x LFT) + d10 damage, mitigated by the target’s PHD, traveling upwards equal to your JMP.
Meteor Drive
Cost 5 AP – Intuitive, Command, Single Enemy, Physics
Prerequisite: Air Sweep. [Requires a melee Weapon equipped] If Air Sweep was Successful, jump into the air and knock the target back down to the ground with CoS 25% more Difficult than the previous for (5 x STR) + 2d10 damage, mitigated by their PHD, plus Fall damage according to your JMP.
Calamity Dive
Cost 10 AP – Intuitive, Command, Single Enemy, Physics
Prerequisite: Meteor Dive. [Requires a melee Weapon equipped] If Meteor Drive was Successful, dive down into your target with a CoS 25% more Difficult than the previous for (8 x STR) + 5d10 damage, mitigated by their PHD, plus Fall damage according to your JMP.
Back Off
Cost 1 AP – 10 TP – Intuitive, Command, Single Enemy, Physics
[Requires a melee Weapon equipped] As a Full Action, hold your Weapons together like a bat and fling your target in a direction of your choice with a CoS (PC LFT + PC STR) – Target DOG for (2 x STR) + d10 damage, mitigated by the target’s PHD, traveling a distance equal to (LFT / 5). If they hit a sturdy object during it, the target stops at the object and takes (Distance Traveled / 10) d20 True damage.
Fly Ball
Cost 10 AP – Intuitive, Command, Single Enemy, Physics
Prerequisite: Air Sweep and Back Off. [Requires a melee Weapon equipped] If Air Sweep was Successful, jump into the air and knock the target in a direction of your choice with a CoS 25% more Difficult than the previous for (5 x STR) + 2d10 damage, mitigated by the target’s PHD, traveling a distance equal to (LFT / 5). If they hit a sturdy object during them, the target stops at the object and takes (Distance Traveled / 10) d20 True damage.
Burning Slash
Cost 1 AP – 5 SP – Intuitive, Command, Single Enemy, Magic
[Requires a melee Weapon equipped] As an Empty Action, your Attack Action this turn is considered Fire damage and has a CoS (PC WIL + PC FTH) – Target RES to become Burning for 4 turns. While Burning, they take (2 x WIL) + 2d6 on their turn. If applied again, the duration resets. Each Weapon can only hold one property like this per turn.
Serrated Strike
Cost 1 AP – 5 SP – Intuitive, Command, Single Enemy, Magic
[Requires a melee Weapon equipped] As an Empty Action, your Attack Action this turn is considered Serrated and has a CoS (PC WIL + PC FTH) – Target RES to become Bleeding for 4 turns. While Bleeding, they take (2 x WIL) + 2d6 on their turn. If applied again, the duration resets. Each Weapon can only hold one property like this per turn.
Endless Barrage
Cost 15 AP – 20 TP – Learned, Command, Single Enemy, Physics
Prerequisite: Double Up. [Requires a melee Weapon equipped] As a Full Action, make an Attack with each Weapon, rolling to hit individually. If at least one Attack lands, regardless of whether it does damage or not, roll to hit with each Weapon again, increasing the Difficulty by 25% and the damage of each hit by 50%. Continue doing this, in rounds including both Weapons, increasing the Difficulty and damage each time, until you finally miss both Attacks. These Attacks can Crit, and if a Botch occurs even once, you take the damage for that Attack and end the combo there.
Parry Stance
Cost 5 AP – 5 SP – Learned, Command, Self, Physics
[Requires a melee Weapon equipped] As an Empty Action, alter the grip on your Off Hand Weapon and shift into a defensive Stance. When in this Stance, you can only Attack with your Main Hand Weapon, but your DOG is increased by 50%. This Stance ends either when you take another Empty Action to dismiss it, or when at least one of your feet is not grounded (such as jumping or being knocked prone).
Parry Stance: Riposte
Cost 10 AP – Learned, Conditional, Single Enemy, Physics
Prerequisite: Parry Stance. [Requires a melee Weapon equipped] While in Parry Stance, if an Attack is taken against you by an enemy in reach, make an Attack with your Main Hand Weapon for 100% bonus damage. Do not roll to hit, as this Attack is guaranteed and cannot Crit.
The Opportune Moment
Cost 15 AP – Intuitive, Conditional, Single Enemy, Physics
[Requires a melee Weapon equipped] If an enemy takes Movement within reach of your melee Weapon (to or from), you may take a free Attack Action against it with 25% more difficulty at only 75% damage.
Master Gladiator
Cost 20 AP – Learned*, Constant, Self, Physics
For any Attack made with a melee Weapon, add your maximum TP value to all Critical Successes (for each).
DOG Boost +
Cost 1 to 10 AP – Intuitive, Constant, Self, Existenscience
For each AP added to this Ability (up to 10), add 1% bonus DOG.
PHD Boost +
Cost 1 to 10 AP – Intuitive, Constant, Self, Existenscience
For each AP added to this Ability (up to 10), add 1% bonus PHD.
Swords +
Cost 1 – 10 AP – Intuitive, Constant, Self, Physics
For each AP added to this Ability (up to 10), add 1% total damage to Sword Attacks (before Master Gladiator).
Daggers +
Cost 1 – 10 AP – Intuitive, Constant, Self, Physics
For each AP added to this Ability (up to 10), add 1% total damage to Dagger Attacks (before Master Gladiator).
Fists +
Cost 1 – 10 AP – Intuitive, Constant, Self, Physics
For each AP added to this Ability (up to 10), add 1% total damage to Fist Weapon Attacks (before Master Gladiator).