“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.


Introduction

The modern watcher is the culmination of a tri-racial melting pot, but its heart belongs squarely to the shuddeni. While the roots of their staff mastery certainly are aelin, as is the desire to oversee one’s lessers, it was the eyeless which brought new, and powerful, psychic abilities to bear in its furtherence. Emboldened by Rveyelhi, watchers hold a prominent role in the trade city of Var Bandor, where their headquarters, the enigmatic Office of Records, is located. The nefortu have brought with them a degree of unusual trickery, giving watchers an edge at provoking, or quelling, unexpected conflict. Together, these forces have created one of Avendar’s most powerful mercenary guilds.

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.


Class Abilities

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Skills

Level 1: Hand to Hand
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
Level 1: Staff
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
Level 2: Peek
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
Level 3: Harrudim Talc
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
Level 4: Parry
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
Level 5: Focused Precision
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
Level 5: Meditation
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
Level 6: Obscure Evidence
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
Level 7: Pick Lock
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
Level 8: Pugil
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
Level 8: Second Attack
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
Level 9: Enhanced Damage
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
Level 11: Flash Powder
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
Level 12: Dodge
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
Level 13: Distract
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
Level 14: Fast Healing
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
Level 16: Third Attack
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
Level 17: Haggle
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
Level 18: Channel Force
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
Level 19: Caltraps
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
Level 20: Deflect
                                                      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
Level 21: Bolo
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
Level 22: Trance
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
Level 23: Twirl
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
Level 25: Inquire
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
Level 26: Detect Stealth
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
Level 27: Rynath's Brew
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
Level 28: Vault
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
Level 29: Tripwire
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
Level 31: Find Cover
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
Level 32: Catch Throw
Syntax: Automatic

This skill allows the user to catch thrown weapons such as daggers and throw
them back at the assailant.

Primary Attribute: dexterity
Level 33: Flurry
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
Level 34: Smokescreen
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
Level 36: Submission Hold
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
Level 38: Cutoff
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

Foci

Level 10: Mind's Eye
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
Level 15: Mindshield
                                                      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
Level 20: Agility
                                                     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
Level 25: Read Thoughts
                                                     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
Level 30: Wariness
                                                     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
Level 35: Shutharka's Veil
                                                     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
Level 40: Panoptic Viewing
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

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