One-Handed

You live for the thrill of battle, and you find the best way to fight is to be prepared; a sword and shield, or two small weapons that let you move in, strike hard and fast, and get out quickly. You choose to focus on and master One-Handed weapons and they have proven to be even more than you could have imagined.

Primary Stats: Strength, Dexterity (Applies only to sneak attacks and daggers), Constitution

Bonus to Skill Checks: Acrobatics, Athletics, Intimidate,

Basic Abilities

Opening this talent tree grants you the following powers and abilities.

Dual Wield: You can easily wield two one-handed weapons at the same time, allowing you to attack more swiftly and with greater accuracy.  

Weapon of Choice: While you’re adept at using all kinds of one-handed weapons, you have one that you’re better with. Choose one type of one-handed weapon, be it a short sword, a mace, a warhammer, a dagger, whatever. You are better with this type of one-handed weapon than with any other type. It gives you an advantage when you use it. If this were DnD, you would have a proficiency of +1 with one-handed weapons and a +4 with this particular weapon.

Mastery: Mastery is a measure of your overall power and ability in a given talent branch. Each rank raises your ability a bit higher, and grants you greater power and access to more abilities further down the line. You must purchase each rank in order. Each rank is explained in detail below.

Rank 1: Your accuracy is slightly improved and your attacks do slightly more damage. You’re also able to move slightly more quickly when attacking and in battle in general, letting you attack more quickly and move from target to target more quickly. 10 points.

Rank 2: Your accuracy is slightly improved and your attacks do slightly more damage. You’re also able to move slightly more quickly when attacking and in battle in general, letting you attack more quickly and move from target to target more quickly. In addition, you’re slightly better at sneaking your weapon past gaps in armors, and finding weak spots to strike to deal extra damage. 20 points.

Rank 3: Your accuracy is improved and your attacks do more damage. You’re also able to move more quickly when attacking and in battle in general, letting you attack more quickly and move from target to target more quickly. In addition you now leave enemies bleeding with most attacks. You gain a +2 to Strength or Dexterity. 30 points. 

Rank 4: Your accuracy is greatly improved and your attacks a great deal more damage. You’re also able to move much more quickly when attacking and in battle in general, letting you attack more quickly and move from target to target more quickly. In addition, you can pinpoint your attacks to slow, stun, or otherwise incapacitate your target in some fashion. 40 points.

Rank 5: Your accuracy is greatly improved and your attacks a great deal more damage. You’re also able to move much more quickly when attacking and in battle in general, letting you attack more quickly and move from target to target more quickly. You have mastered the weak points of armor, and can sneak your weapon past most types of armor, or hit the weak spots dealing incredible damage. In addition, your bleed effect from attacking is almost impossible to stop without some kind of aid, such as a healer. You gain a +3 to Strength or Dexterity. 50 points.

One-Handed Branch Abilities

Charge: You can cover great distances very quickly to disorient and attack a foe, almost as though you teleported to that enemy to hit them. This essentially lets you dash, almost teleport, from one enemy to another, stunning them for a brief moment when you get to them and allowing you to attack with greater power. You can’t do this all the time, but you can do it reasonably frequently. Requires Mastery Rank 1 and 10 points.

Dual Mastery: You are incredibly skilled when dual wielding two one-handed weapons. While you could already dual wield, this is a level above, granting you greater power, damage, and accuracy. This applies to more than just weapons. For example if you wish to wield a one-handed weapon and use magic with the other, that is enhanced and empowered as well. Requires Mastery Rank 1 and 10 points.  

Protected Warrior: You are highly skilled at fighting with a one-handed weapon and a shield. You can black, attack, and even attack with your shield should you need. You might not be as strong as some other warriors, but you can last a lot longer than them because you won’t be taking as much damage as they are. Requires, Mastery Rank 1 and 15 points.

Shield Wall: You are very skilled at blocking with your shield, and you can block more attacks more frequently and greater attacks more easily. Requires Protected Warrior and 10 points.

Backstab: If you are concealed, stealthed, or invisible and you sneak up behind someone, you do a great deal more damage. This would be the equivalent of doing normal damage to dealing deadly damage. Requires Mastery Rank 1 and 25 points.

Bone Breaker: You deal a great deal more damage with smashing weapons, such as maces and warhammers, breaking through armor and cracking bone to deal even more damage. Requires Mastery Rank 1 and 10 points. 

Cleave: While using an axe, you can swing with such accuracy and power than you can hit a nearby enemy as well. This works even while dual wielding another type of one-handed weapon or two axes. Requires Mastery Rank 2 and 20 points.

Combat Mastery: You’ve become so skilled with one-handed weapons that it is second nature to you, and requires much less energy, so you tire much less quickly while attacking. Requires Mastery Rank 2 and 20 points.

Blade Toss: You hurl your bladed weapon at an enemy, stunning them, then charging up to them to recover it and attack while they’re weakened. Requires Charge and 35 points.

Hammer Toss: You throw your blunted weapon at your foe and it hits them with such force that they’re stunned and your weapon comes back to you, allowing you to run up and hit them while they’re incapacitated. Shields can be used in this fashion. Requires Charge and 35 points.

Assassin’s Blade: If you are concealed, stealthed, or invisible and you sneak up behind someone, you do a great deal more damage. This would be the equivalent of doing normal damage to dealing destructive force damage. Requires Mastery Rank 5 and 35 points.

Weapon Master: You have mastered your weapon of choice and deal extra damage with it. This effect is stacked if you have weapons mastery. Requires Mastery Rank 5 and 35 points.

Weapons Mastery: You are a master of all one-handed weapons, and any of them are lethal in your hands. Requires Mastery Rank 5 and 35 points.