Master Assassin

Official skill from LAIRE rulebook.

For each purchase of this skill a character gains a Damage Bonus with all Master Assassin weapons according to the table below. This skill may be combined with other Damage Bonuses. The Assassin Proficiency skill is not hand specific.

Weapon Type
Damage Bonus

Small, Thrown, One-handed, and Crossbows
+1

Bows
+1.5*

*This bonus is rounded down, so one purchase gies a +1 damage bonus and two gives a +3 damage bonus.

This skill allows the character to double their weapon damage for one swing. The player should double the amount of damage their character is swinging including base weapon damage, Damage Bonus, Strength Bonus, alchemical effects, or magic bonuses. This attack does not need to be from surprise or behind. Any defense that stops physical attacks will stop this skill.

The character is able use multiple purchases of this skill to increase the amount of damage in one attack, increasing the multiplier by one for each additional tag used. There is no limit to the number of Assassin Strike skills the character can use in one attack.

The character using this skill should suffix his normal damage with “…Strike”.

This skill is not used if the character misses their target or the attack is blocked. If they succeed in striking their target or if the target calls an appropriate defense the skill is used. This skill does not double any additional damage from the Heal Wounds skill, Wounding skill, or Elemental Pool Points.

This skill allows a character to strike down a target character with one strike. The character hit with this skill is Mortally Wounded and requires the appropriate healing. This skill ignores armor and does not damage it. The character must strike the arm between the elbows and the shoulders, or the body between the shoulders and the knees of the target character. The character must call “Assassinate” after the blow is delivered suffixed by any special damage modifiers, such as “Magic”, “Silver”, etc. Unlike other skills, this skill only requires the character to call the effect loud enough for the target to hear. However, anyone who hears the word “assassinate” is aware of the attack.

Only non-blunt weapons gained with the Master Assassin skill can be used to assassinate a target character.

If the character using this skill surprises their target, the target character may not use any martial skills to block the attack. As a general rule, if the target character is surprised by the attack, the assassinate works. The most common way to achieve surprise is by attacking from behind, but a character need not do that. They can walk up to their target, shake their hand and assassinate them with their other. The target character is not surprised if the character is fighting them. The character may assassinate someone by surprise if they are fighting another opponent, however. Even if the target turns their back and runs, you can assassinate them, however the attack still has to be a surprise.

A character may use this skill while actively fighting their target. In this case, the target character may use any martial or magical defense that would stop an Advanced skill, such as Dodge, Master Parry, Slay Parry, Invulnerability, etc.

A character must have one Assassin Proficiency skill per Assassinate skill they wish to purchase, after the first purchase. So, a character that wants three Assassinate skills must have three Assassin Proficiency skills.

This skill is not used if the character misses their target or the attack is blocked. If they succeed in striking their target or if the target calls an appropriate defense the skill is used.

This skill enables a blinded character to engage in hand to hand combat; without this skill a character may not engage in combat while blinded. This skill does not imply the ability to see. A character using this skill is assumed to be fighting by "feel" and sound, and can only respond to a hand to hand attack and cannot initiate combat with a foe that they cannot perceive. Once combat starts, the character can continue until the target leaves the combat entirely or out runs the player.

This skill cannot be used – ever – to detect invisible characters, but can be used to attack invisible characters that attack first.

This skill will allow a character to avoid any one magical or physical attack, even from surprise. If the attack is an area affect attack, this skill does not allow the character to move to avoid the area of affect. The character may dodge an attack even while encumbered, for example when carrying a body or other heavy items. The character may also dodge when blinded or unable to see the attacker or the attack. However, the character cannot dodge an attack if they are immobilized in any way, or if they intentionally touch or pick up an item or person. This includes areas or parts of a structure that a character intentionally touches. A character is considered immobile if they are affected by a Pin, Bind, Paralysis, Imprisonment spell or similar effect or if they are held by another character. A character in a Magic Sanctuary spell must drop the sanctuary in order to dodge.

The character must call “Dodge” when they use this skill. This skill is always used once called.

This skill allows the character to skillfully escape from any mundane restraint that bind their arms and/or legs. This includes ropes, shackles, webs, Paste of Binding, Tangler Trees, Entomb attack of an Earth Elemental, etc. This skill will not allow the character to escape from magical bindings such as Pin, Bind, being paralyzed, etc.

Only one use of this skill is needed to free both the character’s arms and legs. This skill cannot be used as a defense and can only be called after the character is affected by the restraint.

The character must call “Escape” when they use this skill. The player may, if they wish or need to, call a Hold to remove the bonds.

When a character purchases this skill they gain the ability to use: Small Weapon, Thrown Weapon, Edged Weapon, Bow, and the Florentine skill. The character also gains the ability to use two Edged Weapons Florentine style.

Additionally, any Build Points the character may have spent on these weapon skills are refunded when this skill is learned. So, if a character has Edged Weapon skill, Florentine skill and Thrown Weapon skill the character would get back a total of 9 Build Points, effectively getting the Master Assassin skill for free and refunding 1 build point.

This parry skill allows the character to deflect any ranged attack including ones that use the True Aim skill or use any special martial skill, except the Slay skill. The character should call “Missile Deflect” to use this skill. This skill can be used even if it is delivered from behind, but not if from a surprise attack; therefore it is impossible to parry the Assassinate skill. It is also possible to parry an attack directed against someone else as long as they are within weapons length. A character cannot use a ranged attack to parry an attack for another. The character may block any low magic or Nature Magic spell that is not combined with a Perfect Aim skill for another character, but they then take the effect of the spell and must call an appropriate defense that will stop the spell in order to avoid the effects of the spell themselves.

This skill is always used once called.

This skill allows the character to paralyze the target character with a touch. The character may touch their target anywhere on their body with a spell packet held in their hand. This skill is a non-combat skill and cannot be used on someone engaged in fighting. The Paralysis Touch skill can be countered by the appropriate defense for a physical attack; namely Invulnerability spell, a parry skill, Dodge, etc., however, if the target character is surprised, they many not use their martial parry skills.

The target of this skill is rendered paralyzed for 10 minutes. The paralysis can be released by the original character or another character with their use of the Paralysis Touch skill. A Heal Body spell will release a paralyzed character.

This skill is not used if the character misses their target or the attack is blocked. If they succeed in touching their target or if the target calls an appropriate defense, the skill is used.

The character becomes immune to a type of poison and therefore they are immune to all forms of that poison. For example, if they become immune to death poison, then they are immune to Instant Death, Slow Death and Quick Death. Similarly, if the character is immune to damaging poisons then they are immune to all damaging poisons – 8, 12, 16, and 24 point versions. The following table outlines what categories the character can choose from.

Category

Amnesia Poison

Blindness Poison

Damaging Poison

Death Poison

Feeblemind Poison

Forget and Remember Poison

Love Poison

Paralysis Poison

Paranoia Poison

Silence Poison

Sleep Poison

Weakness Poison

The character may not become immune to solutions or potions.

Normally, a venom only lasts for 3 months. By use of this skill and a preservative, the character can make the venom last 1 year from the month it was extracted (not 1 year from when it was preserved). Therefore, a venom extracted during the June Event in 2019 will last until the end of the June Even in 2020.

To acquire the preservative, the character can either purchase it or make it themselves. To make the preservative they must spend 10 minutes in- game mixing the following components:

•  1 Embalming Oil, 1 doses of Cup of Alcohol, 1 dose of Brine, which creates 1 dose of Preservative

When they are done, they can get a tag from Treasure or an appropriate marshal by handing in their component tags. The preservative has an indefinite shelf life and can be used at any time after it was created – just like Alchemy.

With the purchase of this skill, the character is able to lie while under the effects of a charm spell or truth inducer once, per tag, per question asked per truth inducer or charm. Therefore if the character is subjected to a Speak the Truth spell, they can use one use of this skill to lie to this question. If asked the same question with another Speak the Truth spell, the character needs to use another use of this skill. However, if the character is dominated or enslaved by spell or skill, then no matter how many times they are asked the same question, they may use one Resist Truth tag to stop all those questions.

This skill will also prevent you from being forced to commit an action that would answer a question. For example, if a character was dominated and asked if they were an assassin, they could use this skill to lie to that question. For as long as that particular Domination spell was in affect they could continue to lie. If they where asked to raise their arm, stand, dance, etc. if they were an assassin they could “lie” and not follow those commands. However, if they were ordered to follow the caster, protect the caster, or any other similar action they would be compelled to do so. If the character was again dominated and asked the same question, they would have to use another purchase of the Resist Truth skill to lie.

This skill will not work against the Detect Lie skill.

With this skill, the character may hit any target character within line of sight flawlessly without having to actually hit the target. The character must have the appropriate ranged attack in hand and the character must fire or throw the attack. If the character or targeted character is outside a building the missile attack must go at least as far, if not farther than the target. It need not hit or be close, just reach the target. If the character and the target character are inside an outof-game real world building the range of a True Aim skill is unlimited. The character must prefix the attack with “True Aim…”, and call the damage or effect. The character should indicate the target clearly by pointing at the target.

This skill is always used once called

This skill allows the character to extract poisons from creatures and use them on their weapons. To use this skill the character must first remove the poison sac from a character that has one. Creatures such as poisonous spiders, giant scorpions and the like all have suitable poisons. The character’s poison sac must have a natural poison or venom attack with a number of uses per Tag Cycle. Therefore, characters with magical or supernatural poisons that are continuous, like a Ghoul’s paralysis poison, cannot be extracted. To extract the venom or poison, the character needs a dissection knife and spend 1 minute cutting out the gland. The character will then receive one use of that poison for every charge the creature has left. If the creature has more than one type of poison, the character gets all types. If the creature had no charges of a poison left, the character will still get at least one use of each type of poison. The player should have the NPC sign a Venoms Tag with the monster’s name, event date, poison type the NPC’s initials and Player Number. Creatures with gaseous or spore attacks cannot be extracted. The extracted poison will last until the end of the third month (not Events) from the time it is extracted. So if a character extracted an Instant Death Poison during the June Event, the venom can be used until the end of the August Event, regardless of when that Even takes place. A character can extract a poison sac and dissect a part form the same creature – unless the component is the poison sac itself. A character with the Venom Master skill can use this extracted poison on their weapon only. It cannot be thrown or used to poison food or objects. It also cannot be used in Alchemy or made into a gaseous poison. To use the venom, the character places it upon their weapon and the player must mime the action of placing the venom on their weapon in-game. The next blow that deals damage also delivers the venom. Therefore, a blow that strikes a weapon or shield does not use the venom on the weapon. A blow that lands, but is blocked by a martial or magical skill, does expend that use of the venom. Only one venom may be applied to a weapon at a time. A venom may be used in a venom type weapon. Only a character with the Venom Master skill may use a venom or a weapon coated with a venom. Any other character can use the weapon as normal, but will not gain the benefit of the venom nor will they expend any venom on the blade. Any character can wipe the venom off of a weapon, however. These venom coated weapons are stopped by anything that would stop the attack that delivers them, additionally, anything that would stop the poison of the same type will also stop the venom (but not the damage from the weapon). For example, a Sleep Venom will not affect any character immune to Sleep Poisons, poisons, or by the Resist Alchemy skill.

To extract the venom or poison, the character needs a dissection knife and spend 1 minute cutting out the gland. The character will then receive one use of that poison for every charge the creature has left. The player should have the NPC sign a Venoms Tag with the monster’s name, poison type the NPC’s initials and Player Number. Creatures with gaseous or spore attacks cannot be extracted. The extracted poison will last until the end of the third month (not Events) from the time it is extracted. So if a character extracted an Instant Death Poison during the June Event, the venom can be used until the end of the August Event, regardless of when that Even takes place. A character can extract a poison sac and dissect a part form the same creature – unless the component is the poison sac itself.

A character with the Venom Master skill can use this extracted poison on their weapon only. It cannot be thrown or used to poison food or objects. It also cannot be used in Alchemy or made into a gaseous poison. To use the venom, the character places it upon their weapon and the player must mime the action of placing the venom on their weapon in-game. The next blow that deals damage also delivers the venom. Therefore, a blow that strikes a weapon or shield does not use the venom on the weapon. A blow that lands, but is blocked by a martial or magical skill, does expend that use of the venom. Only one venom may be applied to a weapon at a time. A venom may be used in a venom type weapon.

Only a character with the Venom Master skill may use a venom or a weapon coated with a venom. Any other character can use the weapon as normal, but will not gain the benefit of the venom nor will they expend any venom on the blade. Any character can wipe the venom off of a weapon, however.

These venom coated weapons are stopped by anything that would stop the attack that delivers them, additionally, anything that would stop the poison of the same type will also stop the venom (but not the damage from the weapon). For example, a Sleep Venom will not affect any character immune to Sleep Poisons, poisons, or by the Resist Alchemy skill.

Using this skill, a character can pinpoint the “chink” in their opponent’s Armor, and hit their Body Points directly. The character must suffix the word “Body” after the amount of damage. This notifies their opponent that such damage is to be deducted from their Body Point total. This skill may be used with other damage skills such as Critical Attack and Speed, as well as being an effective way to deliver blade poisons. This skill will work against mundane or magical Armor Points, even those from an Armor spell.

This skill cannot be used with an attack that does not do damage.

Once the character makes their first attack, they can continue to make direct body damage attacks for 5 minutes.