“I shall aid you in your journey through the path of vigilance.” – Eithol Arandian, Watcher Guildmaster of Var Bandor
Keen-eyed bounty hunters, staff-masters, and forgers, watchers are wary of friend and foe alike. A watcher’s chosen weapon is the staff, and his mastery of its use is beyond all others. The watcher guild is bound by order, as well as confidentiality.
A watcher’s chosen weapon is the staff, and his mastery of its use is beyond all others. While wielding his staff, a watcher is adept at rapid strikes, stunning twirls, and superior deflection. He is also a hunter, able to locate people with remote viewing and delay or weaken those he has caught up with. However, the most insidious weapon in a watcher’s arsenal is his affiliation with the monolithic Office of Records, which grants access to information on individuals, from the superficial to the specific. When of sufficient rank, a watcher may choose to add to the Office’s collective knowledge, or employ it against those who have earned his disfavor.
The watcher guild is bound by order, as well as confidentiality; therefore, those of chaotic ethoi cannot study within it. Watchers often venerate lawful deities because of their guild’s bias in that direction, and have many have sought the Guardians of Law. However, with the coming of Rveyelhi, Tyrant of the Black Staff, the watcher guild has taken on a less upstanding cast, giving its machinations a crueler bent. In the end, a watcher’s allegiance is for sale… to those willing to pay.
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Syntax: Automatic The art of fisticuffs is taught by several of Avendar's martial guilds. Students will hit harder while unarmed than those who are untrained. If someone who is trained in both fighting unarmed and dual wielding has even a single free hand, he will use that as an off-hand attack. Having claws, both srryn and kankoran will do more damage with this skill than other races. However, this basic training only goes so far, and those who fight without a weapon in hand will find themselves unable to parry. Primary Attribute: strength, dexterity See also: PARRY
Syntax: Automatic A staff is a long, slender pole, usually a blunt weapon and always held with two hands. They are unparalleled as a defensive weapon, though it is their resonance with magical energies makes them more of a draw to scholars. Watchers dedicate themselves to mastery of the deeper intricacies of these weapons, and some other guilds teach basic skills with them. Staves being so defensively oriented, they are generally poor at breaking through defenses. When wielded by any spellcaster, staves will enhance their magics, providing a bonus to caster level. Primary Attribute: strength, dexterity See also: PARRY
Syntax: Automatic
Peek is an enhancement to the look command. Whenever someone with the skill
looks at a person, an attempt will be made to reveal their inventory and
money.
If one so chooses, one may cease peeking by toggling the autopeek command.
Primary Attribute: intelligence
Duration : Instantaneous Cost: 5 mana Range : Single PC or mob Syntax: Harrudimtalc <target> A fanciful name for an explosive power first used by nefortu who came up from the far south to Var Bandor, Harrudim talc is popularly distributed by watcher guilds. When thrown at an opponent, Harrudim talc will burst into multiple small explosions, dealing damage and lagging them. Primary Attribute: intelligence, dexterity
Syntax: Automatic One of the few skills taught by almost all guilds of Avendar, parrying is the art of fending off an opponent's blows with one's own weapon. It is easiest to do so with a staff, though polearms and spears are well-suited to it as well. Swords and exotic weapons are neither good nor poor to one attempting to parry, though gladiators will parry better with an exotic and swords parry more effectively when wielded with both hands. Maces, axes, flails, daggers and whips are in turn less and less suited to parrying with. Fighters, by virtue of their training in a variety of techniques, will be more skilled at parrying no matter what the weapon. Wielding a weapon other than a sword or a spear in one's offhand will inhibit parrying with the main hand, though gladiators learn techniques to parry better while offhanding a whip. It is typically easier to parry when skilled with one's own weapon. It is particularly difficult to parry against daggers and whips, and easier to parry polearms. Primary Attribute: dexterity See also: DUAL WIELD, individual weapon helpfiles
Syntax: Automatic With this skill, at any point when damroll would be checked for melee combat or archery (including skills), hitroll will be checked instead. This effect scales to the user's level, and sees sharply diminishing returns above sixty hitroll. Primary Attribute: wisdom See also: hitroll, damroll
Syntax: Automatic A basic technique for focusing one's thoughts, meditation is a skill taught by all guilds that their students may recover mana more quickly. Primary Attribute: intelligence, wisdom See also: TRANCE, mana
Syntax: Obscure Rogues may attempt to hide evidence of their kills, such that word does not get to any interested factions. However, if a member of the same faction is present to witness the death, there will be no way to conceal the act from the faction. Primary Attribute: dexterity See also: FACTIONS
Range : Target Door or Container Cost: 3 mana Syntax: Pick <direction/container> Rogues may use this skill to break locks they encounter, either on doors or containers. Some locks, including but not restricted to those warded by runes of earth, cannot be picked. Primary Attribute: intelligence, dexterity See also: RUNE OF EARTH, RELOCK
Duration : Instantaneous Weapon: Staff Range : Single PC or mob Syntax: Pugil <Target> Watchers may pugil with a staff, striking an extra blow and dealing some damage with it. Primary Attribute: dexterity
Syntax: Automatic Characters with proficiency in this skill will attempt a second attack each round with both their main and any offhanded weapons. Mastery of this skill does not guarantee the attack will be attempted every round, but it does make it very likely. Primary Attribute: dexterity, strength See also: DUAL WIELD
Syntax: Automatic Most of the non-scholarly guilds offer their students training in heightening the force of their blows. A higher skill will see better results at these techniques, as will a better weapon. Primary Attribute: strength See also: BRUTAL DAMAGE, PROWESS
Duration : 1 to 2 Hours Cost: 10 mana Range : User's Current Room Syntax: Flashpowder This skill allows a watcher to toss down flash powder, which has a chance of blinding everyone in the room not grouped with the watcher. The flash powder is harmless, merely irritating, and this skill will not initiate combat. The duration is not terribly reliable and varies from usage to usage. Primary Attribute: dexterity
Syntax: Automatic Dodge is a melee defense skill focused on the avoidance of blows. It is particularly difficult to dodge flails and polearms, and easier to dodge whips. Dodge is the favored defense of rogues, but it is taught in many other schools as well. All aelin receive a bonus to this skill. Primary Attribute: dexterity
Duration : Up to 1 Tick
Range : Single Target Already in Combat
Syntax: Distract <target>
With this skill one may briefly distract a target who is already in combat,
temporarily directing blows onto oneself. The target will only remain
distracted for until the next tick, after which point they will resume
fighting their original target, if they are still present.
Primary Attribute: dexterity, charisma
Syntax: Automatic Fast healing is a skill taught by most guilds, that their students might apply their knowledge to quicker recovery of bodily injuries, increasing the rate at which they gain hit points. Primary Attribute: constitution See also: hit points
Syntax: Automatic Characters with proficiency in this skill will attempt a second attack each round with both their main and any offhanded weapons. Mastery of this skill does not guarantee the attack will be attempted every round, but it does make it very likely. Primary Attribute: dexterity, strength See also: DUAL WIELD
Syntax: Automatic A basic mercantile skill used to get a better price on items from merchants, haggling is a skill that is widely taught but a talent applied with the most success by the charismatic. Primary Attribute: charisma
Duration : Level/20 Hours Cost: 35 mana Range : Current Opponent Weapon: Staff Syntax: Channelforce Melding both tricks of the staff and tricks of the mind, watchers may stun their foe with a sharp jab accompanied by a burst of psionic energy. This will drastically reduce their foe's ability to dual wield, and use the third and fourth attack skills. Primary Attribute: wisdom, dexterity
Duration : 1/2 Hour Cost: 25 mana Range : User's current room Syntax: Caltraps <optional direction> Watchers learn two primary uses for caltraps. The first is used in battle-- they may throw a handful of caltraps at their opponent, dealing dexterity damage if they are not flying, and allowing the user to flee in a direction of their choice, or randomly if they does not specify an argument. Outside combat, the skill may be used without an argument to spread some caltraps about the room. Anyone who walks into them will incur a penalty to dexterity. Primary Attribute: dexterity See also: WITHDRAW
Weapon: Staff Syntax: Automatic Highly trained in the use of staves, watchers may deflect attacks with them. This skill is most effective against spears, polearms, and other staves, and is less so against maces, axes, flails, and whips. Primary Attribute: dexterity
Duration : See Text Cost: 15 mana Range : Target PC or mob within range Syntax: Bolo <target> <location> <optional direction> Watchers are able to throw bolos at targets up to a room away, binding the specified location tightly. They may choose to target the arms, the legs, or the neck. If the legs are struck, this will cause lag to the target if they attempt to move from room to room. Leg-bound people will have a great deal of difficulty kicking, and will be unable to either snap kick or knee shatter while so bound. Those whose legs are bound with a bolo will have a more difficult time dodging, tumbling, and evading attacks, and will also incur a penalty to dexterity. In the case of the arms, the bound target will find it very difficult to defend themselves against attack and make attacks themselves. For the neck, the target will ideally be knocked unconscious. A binding to the arms or legs will last one half-hour. One knocked unconscious will be unable to awaken for two hours. Primary Attribute: dexterity
Syntax: Automatic A further refinement upon the more widely taught basic technique of meditation, trance is taught by the spellworking guilds and those focused on more meditative studies, in order to better recover their mana. Primary Attribute: intelligence, wisdom See also: MEDITATION, mana
Syntax: Automatic With this skill a watcher may follow up on a pugil strike with a swift twirl of their staff. This will lag the target if it hits. Primary Attribute: dexterity See also: LAG, PUGIL
Delay : See Text Cost: See Text Range : Single Connected PC Syntax: Inquire <person> <quick/thorough/location> Watchers maintain copious records of all persons in Avendar, using this knowledge to further their own ends. Watchers can send a message back to Office of Records, who for a fee will return a detailed dossier about the target as a note. A quick report includes the target's, age, gender, race, and known equipment, as well as any other information left by other watchers via the record command. This will cost 3 gold pieces, due upon receipt of the file. It will take one and one-half hours to retrieve the information. A thorough report delves into other public records, and includes how many times they have died, if they registered as a follower of almost any deity upon entering the School of Heroes and who that deity may be (not guaranteed for current accuracy), what altar they recall to, the number of times they have been marked as a criminal, and any salient standings with any known factions. This dossier costs 8 platinum pieces and will also take one and one- half hours. A location report will reveal the specific area where the target might be found in and with whom they are grouped. Due to the difficulity, this will take at least one and one half hours and no more than four and one half hours. This service costs 2 platinum pieces. The user need not have the money on hand; the Office of Records' agents are perfectly capable of drawing directly from the user's bank account. Should the watcher not have the funds, the dossier will simply be discarded, undelivered. Primary Attribute: intelligence See also: RECORD
Syntax: Automatic Watchers are skilled enough at paying attention to their surroundings that they are able to notice actions that would normally be concealed by the sneak skill. This includes, but is not limited to, movement, item manipulation, and both theft and attempts to plant objects on people. Watchers with this skill will also be aware of the usage of thieves' cant in their presence. Primary Attribute: intelligence See also: SNEAK
Duration : Level/26 Hours Cost: 20 mana Range : Single PC or mob Syntax: Rynathsbrew <target> First devised by a bombs-master named Rynath, the brew that bears their name is powerfully acidic and clings to the skin and armour. This does a small bit of damage initially, but is primarily noted for continuing to damage the affected for the duration of the skill. Additional applications will renew the duration, but not extend it. Primary Attribute: intelligence, dexterity
Duration : Instantaneous Cost: 15 mana Range : See Text Weapon: Staff Syntax: Vault <target> <optional direction> Watchers are famous for getting the jump on their foes in unexpected ways. They may use their staff to vault upon a target, knocking them to the ground. This skill may only be used to initiate combat, and may be used from adjoining rooms. For information about the vaults used by the Great Houses, please see HELP VAULT-HOUSE Primary Attribute: strength, dexterity
Duration : Until Triggered Cost: 15 mana
Reuse Delay: 6 Hours
Syntax: Tripwire <direction>
Tripwire sets up a taut wire across an exit, stunning but not harming the
unwary who pass through that way. Flying persons and those familiar with the
skill will avoid tripwires.
Primary Attribute: intelligence, dexterity
Duration : 5 Hours Range : User's Current Room Reuse Delay: 12 Hours Syntax: Findcover <direction> With this skill, a watcher in a city can slip into a space between buildings, finding a place where they are able to hide their group, undetected, for a brief period. They are still able to observe others within the area. There must not already be an exit in the direction specified, and it is not possible to find cover either above or below oneself. Primary Attributes: intelligence
Syntax: Automatic This skill allows the user to catch thrown weapons such as daggers and throw them back at the assailant. Primary Attribute: dexterity
uration : Instantaneous Cost: 20 mana Range : Current Opponent Weapon: Staff Syntax: Flurry Masters of the staff, watchers may rain down a flurry of three blows with their staff in rapid succession. Each will do slightly less damage than a normal attack. It may occasionally pass through astral opponents. Primary Attribute: dexterity See also: ASTRAL FORM
Duration : Level/10 Hours Cost: 15 mana Syntax: Smokescreen The smokescreen skill fills a room with a thick cloud of smoke. The smoke does not irritate the eyes or block vision, but rather simply provides visual cover. A room that has been made hazy with smoke cannot be scanned into or out of, will interfere with archers, and both spells and melee attacks have a significant chance of missing their targets. Primary Attributes: intelligence, dexterity
Duration : Up to 1.5 Hours Range : Single PC Syntax: Submission <Target> Watchers are able to grab targets who are not in combat and pull them into a devastating submission hold. They will then attempt to maintain this hold for the next three ticks. The strain of being held in this manner means that, for each tick that the victim is held, he will incur a penalty to his strength. If the victim manages to break free, or the watcher maintains the hold for the full duration, combat will be initiated between the two. While held, the victim will be unable to input most commands. The victim will make one attempt per round to free themself from the hold; this is automatic. Inputting additional commands while held creates no additional chances to break free. Primary Attributes: strength, dexterity
Syntax: Automatic Weapon: Staff Watchers may use their staff to prevent someone they are in combat with from fleeing by using a staff to cut off escape. Those who are in gaseous or astral forms, or those who fade into wisps of smoke to avoid attack will be substantially more difficult to cut off. Primary Attribute: dexterity See also: FLEE
Range : Self Only Slots: 1 Syntax: Focus "Mind's Eye" With sufficient training, a watcher need not directly observe their surroundings to perceive all around them. While this focus is active, they may detect the hidden, camoflauged, the magically invisible, and into darkened places. Primary Attribute: Intelligence, Wisdom See also: HIDE, CAMOUFLAGE, INFRAVISION
Cost Per Tick: 5 mana
Range : Special Slots: 1
Syntax: Focus 'Mindshield' <target>
With this ability, a psionicist may form a protective shield around his
target's mind, providing a bonus to their ability to resist mental attacks,
magical fear effects, delusions, obfuscation, visions, and allowing them to
forcibly remove cloaks and beguilements. Assassins and watchers may only
shield their own minds.
Primary Attribute: Wisdom
See also: CLOAK
Cost Per Tick: 15 mana Range : Self Only Slots: 1 Syntax: Focus 'Agility' Watchers may turn their mental capabilities inward, heightening the capabilities of their own body. This provides a facility at evading thrown weapons (though a smaller watcher will naturally be better at this than a larger one), unarmed attack skills such as those employed by bandits and barbarians, bashes, and to a lesser extent shield bashes. Primary Attribute: Wisdom, Dexterity See also: THROW, GRAPPLE, BASH, PUMMEL
Cost Per Tick: 10 mana Range : Self Only Slots: 1 Syntax: Focus 'Read Thoughts' While this focus is active, a psionicist or watcher will read the surface thoughts of anyone in the room with them. They will perceive anything anyone tells, to an individual, group, or druidic circle. They will not overhear incoming messages or communication with the Great Houses. Primary Attribute: Wisdom
Cost Per Tick: 25 mana Range : Self Only Slots: 1 Syntax: Focus 'Wariness' A watcher may heighten his own senses, keeping themself alert to attacks that might take others by surprise. It provides a substantial defense against waylays, backstabs, garrotes, uppercuts, routs, charges, surprise attacks, bolos, darts, unseen strikes, snares, bolos, and vaults. Primary Attributes: Wisdom, Dexterity See also: SENSE DANGER
Cost Per Tick: 30 mana Range : Self Only Slots: 1 Syntax: Focus "Shutharka's Veil" This ability swathes the user with an insidious manner of stealth. They will not be directly hidden, but will sneak, entering and exiting rooms unnoticed. Further, they will not appear on the general where list, though attempts to seek them specifically may be effective. Primary Attribute: Wisdom, Dexterity See also: WHERE, SNEAK
Duration : Instantaneous Cost: 60 mana Range : Target Area Syntax: Focus 'Panoptic Viewing' <Area Number> With this focus, a watcher may observe nearly any location they please. This will provide the current output of the general 'where' command in the selected area. Areas that are uniquely cursed, magically protected, or on other planes of existence (obviously) cannot be viewed. One may view the required area numbers by using the 'areas' command. Primary Attribute: Wisdom See also: AREAS, WHERE