Martial Arts in Gaea

The martial arts hold an important place in the various societies and cultures that have developed on Gaea. The world's long history of violence, from the conflicts between the Titans and the Gods to the Everwar, to the many wars and battles fought between the nations of Man and tribes of Monsters for land, resources, beliefs, grudges, Authorities, Domains, and more, to the current threat of Beasts against all thinking creatures, all have made skill in battle a tremendously valuable and respected merit. This has lead to the rise of a robust culture of martial study and practice and a wide range of different traditions that have developed around the world.

While many would think of the straightforward capabilities of Classes such as the Fighter, Monk, and Brawler as the most iconic forms of martial arts on Gaea, there are actually many distinct fighting *styles* that have been developed there. The cyclic nature of the world's history has led to them being devised, taught, spread, lost, forgotten, and rediscovered. They have been passed down through generations, kept within families, developed wholly anew by those with no exposure to them, taught to entire armies or handed down in utter secrecy from master to pupil. They have appeared in some form or other in virtually every Age, though often under different names and combinations. Time passes, but the efficacy of their techniques persists; a sort of magic lives in their movements and the savage mastery of the body they bring about.

Some of these styles are wholly mundane, their potency born of the optimization of the body and its movements. Others tap into supernatural forces, achieving results comparable to spells through the use or activation of Mana. Those who wield such powers are known as Initiators, just as those who wield spells are known as Spellcasters, and the techniques themselves are called Maneuvers.

## The Origins of Martial Arts in Gaea

While the martial arts listed below are widely practiced, relatively few have discrete origins. This is in sharp contrast with Earth’s own traditions, which normally have relatively well-documented histories. Part of the reason for this lies in the reason such styles were invented in the first place; the conflict between Men and Monsters. The Everwar's cycles have caused much of Gaea’s history to be lost and forgotten, including the lineages of all but the most recent of martial traditions.

Further complicating this is the categorization methodology used by scholars of the arts in Gaea, which takes into account the high mobility of Heroes and Adventurers (who tend to be practitioners), humanity's long history of Monster-induced migrations, ancient interactions between now-remote cultures and continents during lulls in the Everwar, and the direct intervention of and communication with Divinities. This means that distinct fighting styles that originated in different parts of the world are usually considered to be *the same style* bybscholars if they are sufficiently similar in form and function, creating multiple possible creation events. Martial scholars often try to ascertain the earliest such event, but rarely can, even within the 4th Age alone. This means that most of the origins described in the styles below are actually *disputed,* sometimes violently so.

## Differing Schools, Same Styles

As described above, there are actually a host of different styles based on origin and lineage. They far outnumber those listed below. However, just as there are a finite number of ways to throw a punch or kick, execute a grapple, or deliver a killing blow, there will inevitably develop a degree of similarity between combat techniques that utilize the same body shapes and weaponry. The scholarly view of this is that similar fighting methods are actually just different manifestations of the same style, called schools.

Schools are far more varied than the styles, often incorporating Maneuvers and Stances from different styles and employing different weapons, trappings, philosophies, and nomenclature from the "official" styles. These are considered distinct from the main styles by specialists, but to the common folk there's no real distinction between the concept of the styles and particular schools, or the particular Maneuvers and Stances a given individual employs (which are themselves *technically* a school, even if it has no name and is taught to no one but the originator).

## The Styles

### Black Seraph

An ancient fighting style that is said to have originated among Fiends, it emphasizes powerful, two-handed strikes, the use of pain and psychological warfare, and dirty tactics. It is a highly supernatural fighting style, employing Mana extensively to terrorize its opponents and empower its strikes and counters. It is sometimes associated with the Malafex Tradition, though not so much as Cursed Razor, and with Antipaladins and Harbingers, as well as anyone with the physical prowess to make effective use of its heavy blows and the ruthlessness and malevolence needed to employ its more brutal tactics.

### Broken Blade

An unarmed fighting style often said to have been developed by a prisoner, slave, or soldier who'd lost his weapons on the battlefield and yet survived, this method emphasizes unarmed combat or unusual weapons and physical excellence. Those who practice it engage in incredible displays of acrobatics as they fight. It is most popular among warriors who rely less on armor and more on their own mobility, such as Barbarians, Rogues, Swashbucklers, Gunslingers, Brawlers, and Monks.

### Cursed Razor

A twisted fighting style said to have originated either with Fiends, or with the various Witch Cults that inhabit Gaea... or from the Wayfinder people that travel throughout the land. This method of fighting involves extensive use of supernatural powers that whittle away at the performance of their foes, inflicting them with misfortune, weakness, and a host of other maladies. Popular among Hexblades, Malafexes, Magi, and other individuals who employ spells, curses, and other supernatural forces... and who need to lay low foes much more powerful than themselves, often favor this style.

### Dancing Adder

A fighting style believed to have developed among the slaves that rebelled against the Dokkalfar during the War of the North, this combat method is notable for having many Maneuvers that do not employ magic at all. Oriented towards the use of whips, flails, chains, two-handed weapons and close weapons, it employs fluidly shifting Stances and emphasizes elaborate footwork and powerful strikes, as well as distance control and stunning techniques designed to disrupt spellcasters.

### Desert Wind

An elegant and swift fighting style that arose primarily in Irkalla and Mezzoramia among a wide range of tribes, Desert Wind emphasizes swift strikes and movements, and the supernatural power of fire. Many of its techniques conjure flames or imbue the power of elemental fire or air into the body and weapons of the practitioner.

### Devoted Spirit

A fighting style that's primarily associated with the soldiers of the Church of the Twelve and One and with the Samurai of Zipangu, it emphasizes powerful strikes that grow stronger based on the nature of the foe and on abilities that allow the practitioner to outlast their enemies, including by resisting harm or healing from wounds.

### Diamond Mind

A fighting style associated primarily with Samurai, Swashbucklers, and Lancers, Diamond Mind emphasizes perfect focus, concentration, and perception, as well as the incredible striking speed needed to make use of it. Practitioners are known for their extreme precision and sudden bursts of movement from at-rest or ready stances and a mastery of dueling techniques, to the point that they are said to be the source of the maxim "one cut, one kill."

### Drifting Lotus

A graceful style reminiscent of Eastern forms of Diamond Mind and Iron Heart, Drifting Lotus is widely believed to have originated in Zipangu. However, it is truthfully not of Gaea at all, but derived from the fighting style developed by a certain alien race native to a world of dense forests and sentient trees, vast swamps, and tall mountains. Modeled after the movements of plants in harmony with nature, especially the movements of water, wind, lightning, and fire, and the way they interact with plant life, the style emphasizes inner strength, inner peace, and natural, fluid movements.

### Elemental Flux

Said to have originated among the Genasi, those individuals who performed the Blood Sin Covenant and their descendants, Elemental Flux draws on the power of the primal forces that make up Gaea to generate defensive and offensive enhancements to their movements or attacks. A strange technique, it is commonly wielded by individuals who also use Arcane magic, such as Magi, Hexblades, and Bards.

### Eternal Guardian

A fighting style employed by the most devoted of defenders, this method focuses on one's oaths, on their determination, drawing strength from conviction. Primarily associated with Guardians, Cavaliers, Paladins, Rangers, and others with something to protect or a hated foe to pursue, the Eternal Guardian style hinders the movements of foes, binding them in place and preventing their escape... or from threatening those besides the practitioner. Eternal Guardian's origins are lost to history, but it's thought to have been developed by a Hero in antiquity.

### Fool's Errand

A complex fighting style built around holds, locks, and grapples, its origins are associated with a charlatan Sorcerer who claimed to be a martial artist and directed his would-be students to perform absurd training regimens to achieve his supposedly mundane results. Those self-same students, however, *did* create a viable style from his teachings after the fraudster had long vanished, earning the style its name. Favored by close fighters who prefer unarmed combat, it's popular with Monks, Brawlers, Barbarians, Shifters, and the like. Adept at controlling the movements of foes, it's a popular method for those looking to subdue their enemies rather than kill them, too.

### Golden Lion

An unusual fighting style akin to White Raven, Golden Lion is as much about aiding and organizing others as it is about the practitioner themselves actually fighting. Said to have originated in Mezzoramia among the various tribes there, or perhaps among Fusang's warring nations, its techniques push the practitioner's allies to greater power and performance while also delivering formidable blows. This makes it quite unconventional, as most styles are ultimately focused on the self and not on one's allies. Golden Lion is most popular among military leaders and others who fight from the middle of the field or the front beside allies; Warlords, Marshals, Divine Minds, Pathoturges, and Bards are all likely practitioners, as are Zealots.

### Iron Heart

Among the simplest and most effective of all Gaea's fighting styles, Iron Heart is also likely the oldest. Primitive, almost crude, and yet brutally efficient, Iron Heart focuses on the fundamentals of combat; swift, powerful strikes, disabling foes, controlling their movement, and delivering swift killing blows. This also makes it one of the most popular styles in the world, favored by all manner of combatants, who often use it as the bedrock foundation of their individual techniques. Iron Heart's origins have been lost to the ages. Some say it came from Ares himself, or Takemikazuchi, or Yahweh. Others claim that it's simply the work of no-nonsense fighting folk that took the basic principles of combat and polished that rough iron until it shone like burnished steel.

### Iron Tortoise

A technique said to have been developed during the early days of the ancient Reman Empire, particularly among its Dwarven cohorts, Iron Tortoise focuses on defense and immovability in the face of onrushing foes. The style favors two-handed weapons, often axes, heavy blades, and close weapons... but it also favors the use of one-handed spears pioneered by those Dwarves' Human counterparts. Iron Tortoise is a technique that's ideal for use in regimented ranks; it was devised for and from the phalanx and remains a powerful tool in the arsenal of armed and armored troops. It is an unmoving stone parting the river of one's enemies.

### Mithral Current

A fighting style originating in Zipangu, where a host of different schools with minor variations and elements of other styles have given rise to a thousand different local (and competing) names for the style, Mithral Current embodies the ideal "to be as water." Elegant and flowing, brutally swift, still as a the surface of a calm lake, and as unforgiving as a frozen glacier, Mitral Current is a style made for swords and spears that emphasizes grace and sudden bursts of extreme speed, including techniques that explode from an unthreatening posture like a geyser from the earth; iaijutsu, as it is often called.

### Piercing Thunder

Not a single fighting style, but an aggregate that has built up and modified throughout the ages, Piercing Thunder is arguably the oldest of Gaea's fighting styles. Its true origins have been lost to the ages and the rise and fall of dynasties, but the fundamental nature of its practice and the primitive nature of its core weaponry has led to versions of it appearing throughout the world. These regional variants have given elements of their own capabilities back to the core teachings, from the Reman Empire's Phalanx Lancer Strike to the Bronze techniques associated with the jousting knights of the Five Jewels to shielding and throwing techniques associated with Mezzoramia to the incredible acrobatics of Fusang and beyond. Truly, it is a style of all the world and all its peoples.

### Primal Fury

A brutal fighting style modeled on the movement and attacks of great cats, the rudiments of this technique have appeared in various parts of the world, both Old and New. Swift, aggressive, and ruthless, it focuses on throwing opponents off-balance and preventing them from mounting attacks or escaping. It is a predator's style, a hunter's style. Most commonly found in Mezzoramia, Fusang, Jambudvipa, Vinland, Dixie, Hyperborea, and the northern territories of Eastern and Western Thule, its practitioners are often thought of as savage beasts or sadistic madmen on the battlefield. It's a fairly common style among Turnskins, who are often thought of as having an instinctive gift for it.

### Radiant Dawn

A powerful fighting style originating in Jambudvipa and Irkalla that has spread outward, this technique empowers others while hindering enemies by tapping into the primal power of their own Souls through the use of Essentia. A style oriented towards large-scale conflicts and aiding allies, it is a commander's technique that heals one's allies, protects them from harm, and manipulates one's enemies. Its greatest powers come not from potent strikes, but from the scale upon which it operates and the relative rarity of the Essentia-based traditions of Incarnum and Veilweaving.

### Riven Hourglass

A terrifying style of unknown origin, which some believe may not yet have come to pass, Riven Hourglass is most often practiced by those with Psychic or Psionic talents. Few besides them have an interest in the sort of unorthodox mental training required to employ it effectively. Practitioners use incredible mental focus to distort time and fate through their physical actions, accomplishing feats that should not be possible; they move faster than they should, the age their foes, they prevent others from moving or acting by freezing "their time," and other surreal actions. A rare technique, some say it comes to those with the talent through dreams, visions, otherworldly intuition, or a curious sense of déjà vu, as if they had already learned the technique or performed it at some point.

### Scarlet Throne

A powerful, regal fighting style that traces its origins to the nobles of Thule and Meropis, it began its existence as a collection of different dueling styles. However, it was only by incorporating techniques from seasoned veterans and battle masters that it became what it is today; a style devoted to ruling the battlefield, to dominating surrounding foes and forcing a path through the melee. Scarlet Throne emphasizes powerful strikes and a dominating presence that denies the ability of others to effectively fight; it shatters weapons, punches through armor, denies flanking and positioning advantages, and carves into multiple foes simultaneously even while using smaller weapons. Favored by nobles who value leading their troops on the battlefield from the front rather than the rear, Scarlet Throne practitioners are often deeply respected by their subordinates.

### Setting Sun

A fighting style that traces its origins to Fusang, Jambudvipa, Shambala, and Shangri-La, this technique focuses on controlling the opponent's body in battle with grapples, deflections, and devastating counters. A so-called "soft" style like Fool's Errand, Setting Sun is nonetheless a devastating art designed to dismantle opponents one piece at a time. It hasn't spread far from the East due in part to the relative secrecy of its practitioners, who often keep regional variants of it secret in family traditions, monasteries, or exclusive schools, but forms of it and similar techniques do exist in other regions.

### Shadow Hand

An otherworldly fighting style associated with techniques developed in Irkalla, Fusang, and Zipangu, Shadow Hand is an assassin's style of fighting; it emphasizes stealth, striking from surprise, and utilizing strange supernatural methods to fly, conceal oneself, avoid the arrows of foes, deliver phantom strikes, and destroy the foe's body from within. Shadow Hand practitioners are not well known outside of those lands, and dealing with them is often a challenge even within them. However, finding a teacher for this style is often difficult; the sorts of people who learn it aren't likely to openly advertise that knowledge or share their secrets with those who aren't loyal to them.

### Shattered Mirror

An otherworldly fighting style that uses the knowledge of how things are constructed to subsequently dismantle them, Shattered Mirror is a style that draws on reflections both internal and external to achieve victory. It reads and mimics the opponent, it comprehends the composition of their weapons and armor, and it turns their strengths into its own through imitation. To fight a Shattered Mirror practitioner is to fight yourself. The exact origins of this style are unknown; some say it's the work of a Wayfarer, others that it was devised by one or more Monsters, and still others that it is of divine origin. The truth may never be known. However, its value to craftsmen, who can turn their skills into power through it, is immeasurable.

### Silver Crane

A fighting style said to have been passed to mortals, particularly the Dawn Elves, by the Divines themselves, the Silver Crane style employs holiness and virtue as weapons. It is a weapon in the crusade against evil and immorality, and is widely taught throughout the Holy Reman Empire to soldiers in service to the Church. Favoring spears, bows, and hammers, it is a technique of powerful strikes fueled by divine energies and celestial insights, guarded by holy protections.

### Sleeping Goddess

A fighting style associated with Jambudvipa, the ancient philosophers of Elliada and Atlantis, the monks of Zipangu and Fusang, and even the warrior-sages of Altjira, Sleeping Goddess taps into the Psionic potential of the user and the nature of the mind itself to turn psychological warfare into a physical weapon. Those who practice it learn to turn their beliefs, convictions, and ideals into weapons and armor... and to defeat their enemies in the physical world by tearing apart their minds and wills in the mental. The exact origins of this style are unknown, though its extraordinary distribution suggests extreme antiquity or a paranormal source. Students are known for spending as much time, or more, in contemplation and meditation as they do in physical training.

### Solar Wind

A fighting style that has appeared under a range of names and in many different locations, Solar Wind emphasizes the use of thrown and ranged weaponry. It teaches methods that bolster accuracy, how to overcome environmental hazards, and to imbue one's shots with elemental power. It is an unorthodox style in this regard, as it has little concern for melee combat. It is an Archer's style, a Gunslinger's style, a Ranger's style, but of little use to most who would consider themselves as conventional martial artists. It remains, however, a tremendously powerful method. From the windswept steppes of Xanadu to the dense forests of southern Thule and Mezzoramia and Vinland and Dixie, to the isles of Hawaiiki and Zipangu, to the frigid north of Thule and Hyperborea, it is one of the most widespread styles in the world.

### Steel Serpent

A deadly fighting style originating in Jambudvipa and Irkalla, and overlapping with Shadow Hand as a rival school, the Steel Serpent style utilizes similar tactics to that other technique. It is an assassin's style, a killer's style, but whereas Shadow Hand employs the powers of darkness, Steel Serpent uses poison. Subtle and deadly, it turns Mana into venom, killing with a touch and wasting away its prey over time. It teaches the mastery of poisons and uses techniques to employ them to greater effect. As with Shadow Hand, it isn't a technique that's easy to learn. Few who know it would readily teach it to outsiders.

### Stone Dragon

Primal and powerful, Stone Dragon is a technique that calls up the strength of the rock and stone itself to empower one's body and blows. Thought to have been developed by Dwarves in antiquity, it is a remarkably common style now, though favored by those of great physical stature and reslience to begin with. An unusual technique that requires one be in contact with the earth itself to properly work, as it draws on the energies of the stone and soil, it's avoided by those who don't often have solid footing in their lives, such as Mariners. However, for most people, it's a very practical method.

### Tempest Gale

Similar to Solar Wind, Tempest Gale is a ranged fighting style. Whereas the former is oriented towards straightforward attacks and elemental fury, however, Tempest Gale is cunning and deceptive. It is a style of trick shots, of elaborate maneuvers. Rather than simply cutting the foe down, it disarms them, it disrupts them, it counters them. The exact origins of this style are unknown, though many claim it is of Elvish make. However, it is widely seen in the modern day.

### Thrashing Dragon

A violent, acrobatic fighting style of unknown origin and widespread use, Thrashing Dragon is a physically demanding artform that's popular with both disciplined warriors and manic daredevils. Heavily focused on the use of multiple weapons simultaneously, Thrashing Dragon employs high aggression and rapid movements with even quicker corrections, allowing the practitioner to suddenly change the angles at which they dodge and attack. They become a blur of destruction and death. It is a highly evasive style that excels when it can build momentum, and as such offers very little in the realm of conventional blocking or guarding. Instead, it dances away from blows, only roar back in like a whirlwind.

### Tiger Claw

A savage fighting style that emphasizes aggression and draws its techniques from the movements of predatory animals, it is thought to have originated in southern Fusang in its *official* form. However, there are countless variants of this art that emulate specific animals, and even some Monsters from before the era of the current Overlord. A very widespread style, due to its nature it is often "invented" in some capacity in remote communities who learn to fight by emulating the movements of wildlife.

### Unquiet Grave

An eerie style known to have originated in Kogaionon, specifically in Scholomance during the Reign of Blood, it was developed by the Undead rulers of that nation as a technique to empower themselves while also crushing any who would oppose them. Most commonly seen among the Undead nobility of that land to this day, it has since spread to other areas and can commonly be found practiced by Dhampir, spellcasters with the proper bloodlines or traits, and a rare few eccentrics who can't properly use its techniques but emulate it anyway due to their infatuation with the undead. Unquiet Grave calls on the forces that animate the living dead, empowering them within the wielder and using them to dismantle their foes. Only those who can safely wield such forces can truly master this martial art. To everyone else, it is a far weaker method than most others they could learn.

### Veiled Moon

An otherworldy fighting style that draws on the structure of the mind and Soul, Veiled Moon is a technique about traveling without moving. By manipulating the connection the Soul has with the Astral and Ethereal Planes, the practitioners of this art are able to transport themselves instantly over short distances, become immaterial, strike at the spiritual body of their targets rather than their well-protected flesh, or phase those same foes out of the physical world in order to render them harmless. As with many styles, the exact origins of this one are unknown, though the first practitioners were doubtless spellcasters of some sort, potentially of occult magic. Certainly, such individuals are the most likely to wield it now, though a few others, usually also of a magical inclination, pursue it as well.

### White Raven

A powerful fighting style oriented towards leading rather than exclusively defending oneself, it uses its techniques to bolster others while fending off immediate threats. It orchestrates assaults, it directs allies, and punishes foes who threaten the practitioner while they do so. A very widespread style, it's thought to have originated in northern Thule, particularly in the areas that are now known as the Wandering Sea, where once there were a great many nations prone to summer raiding of other territories along the old coasts and rivers of Central Thule.

## Regional Variants and Hybrid Styles

While the above styles are generally recognized among afficionados of the martial arts, few ordinary people know them as such. They merely know the individual techniques they've been taught. Most learn a few rudimentary martial arts from members of their families or communities as a means of self-defense in a violent world. Even the average Commoner knows a technique or two, and, being completely honest, so do most Wayfarers (even back on Earth). Due to this hodgepodge practice, most people don't actually employ a single style exclusively. Instead, they dabble in multiple styles that suit their needs or that they were exposed to, and generally don't train them very well.

Among those that do, it's common to name their own styles something. Especially if they're of a mind to teach someone else. This gives rise to a host of regional variations and hybrid martial arts that may or may not have their own distinctive names. Such techniques often favor unorthodox weapons or mix Strikes, Counters, and Stances from different styles into something that may be more, or less, effective than the original forms. This can make it difficult for prospective disciples to know *exactly* what they're getting into when they begin studying under a given mentor or at a particular school.

## Arts Progressions: Martial Arts for Almost Everyone

Between the Everwar, internal conflicts amongst the nations of Man, and regular jockeying for power, influence, and territory among Monsters, to say nothing of the new threat of Beasts to everyone else, Martial Arts are exceedingly common. Almost everyone in Gaea has at least *some* kind of self-defense training or instinctive survival response that can *hopefully* keep them alive in the face of danger. Curiously, this characteristic bleeds over to Wayfarers as well, granting them a degree of instinctive martial prowess... so long as they aren't purely devoted to the study of magic, that is, as only those who have devoted the whole of their lives to the study of supernatural forces like Magic, Psionics, and the sort have no time or capacity to cultivate their natural defensive responses or condition new ones.

This means that the vast majority of characters, besides full spellcasters and power manifesters, possess knowledge of Maneuvers and how to initiate them. The less time one spends learning to wield such mystical forces, the more that goes into their martial development. Though, admittedly, some techniques are only truly available to those who blend both worlds.

Regardless, when creating a character in the Wayfarer's Guide, you're going to want to keep in mind that they're likely going to have access to Maneuvers as long as they aren't a dedicated caster. These Maneuvers use their Character Level to determine their Initiator Level, are always considered Readied, and are generally Recovered either following an Encounter or by expending an amount of MP equal to 2

×

{\displaystyle \times}

the Maneuver's Level-1 (so 1 MP for 1st, 3 for 2nd, 5 for 3rd, and so on), or by spending a number of points of Stamina equal to the Maneuver's Level. This latter option serves as a means by which a character can overcome the normal cap on Stamina expenditure in a Round, as this does not count towards the amount of Stamina that can be spent in a Round otherwise.

The number of Maneuvers Known for a character is determined by their spellcasting progression, as described below.

### Progressions by Spellcasting Ability

* **Full Spellcaster (Wizard, Sorcerer, Druid, Psion, Vizier, Shadowcaster, etc...):** These characters gain no Arts Progression naturally, though they can still learn *some* through the Stunt system without spending Feats or Multiclassing.
* **Half-Caster (Bard, Magus, Inquisitor, Hunter, Psychic Warrior, etc...):** Characters in this category gain Maneuvers Known, including Basics (see below), at the same rate at which a Medium learns Spells. They also gain a Stamina Pool.
* **Partial Caster (Ranger, Paladin, Binder, Marksman, Savant, Soulborn, Medium, etc...):** Characters in this category gain Maneuvers Known, including Basics, at the same rate as a Bard learns Spells. They also gain a Stamina Pool.
* **Non-Caster (Fighter, Barbarian, Monk, Cavalier, Warblade, Stalker, Daevic):** Characters in this category gain Maneuvers Known, including Basics, at the same rate as a Sorcerer learns Spells. They also gain a Stamina Pool.
* **NPC Classes and Arts Progressions (Commonfolk, Influencer, Aristocrat, Magewright, etc...):** These Classes follow the above rules, but are less capable than Exceptional Classes (i.e. Adventurers). Their Arts progressions are based on their Base Attack Bonus rather than their spellcasting. Those with a Wizard's Base Attack Bonus have no Arts progression. Those with Rogue's Base Attack Bonus have the Arts Progression of a Half-Caster. Those with a full Base Attack Bonus have the Arts progression of a Partial Caster.
* **Beasts, Monsters, and Arts Progressions:** Creatures that use Racial Hit Dice to advance rather than Class Levels use the same rules for Arts Progressions as NPCs for those hit Dice, except that they treat every 2 Hit Dice as if it were one Class Level, causing them to progress at half the rate of even an NPC. Round up when making this determination.

### Basics: 0th Level Maneuvers

Basics are to Maneuvers and Initiation what Cantrips are to Arcane Magic and Spellcasting. The core Maneuver system lacks such things, much to its detriment, so I added them in with heavy inspiration from 4th Edition D&D... or more accurately I just lifted them straight from that system. They are quite literally just the 1st Level At-Will Attack Powers of 4e's Classes, modified only in the slightest of ways to make them compatible with a broader range of weapons... and even *that's* just a set of general guidelines in how to use them. They are mostly used as they are written, with the note that one can freely mix and match them, modify the damage types they deal to fit the capabilities of a given character, and can often be used with different Ability Modifiers, Weapons, or Implements based on the specific flavor used for them. Likewise, the Damage Types listed there more or less correspond to those of Pathfinder, so there's little difficulty in converting most of it; Poison as a damage type obviously doesn't work on creatures immune to Poison, Psychic Damage doesn't work on Mindless targets, Radiant damage is synonymous with Positive Energy damage, and Necrotic is synonymous with Negative Energy Damage.

The various types of Shifting described in the Basics work as per normal in 4e. This can lead to characters in the Wayfarer's Guide being *very* mobile in combat, as it doesn't detract from their usual Movement, and the setting already assumes a 5e-like rule in regard to being able to split up one's Movement. Characters with Arts are prone to racing around the battlefield and pushing, pulling, dragging, sliding, and tossing each other around. Fights get lively and can change dramatically on even a single Turn, let alone Round.

Much like in 4e, Basics are largely meant to replace the standard attack option in play. You're generally always going to want to use a Basic instead of a regular attack, as they don't need to be Readied or Recovered and can be used any time you would make an Attack Roll that uses the appropriate weapons or abilities. This includes during Opportunity Attacks, during multiple attacks like Two-Weapon Fighting, Flurry of Blows, or from a high Attack Bonus, when using spells like Rays or Touch Spells, and even during more advanced Maneuvers, such as, say, *Sapphire Nightmare Blade*. There is no limit on the number of times you may use Basics in a Round, nor on the number of times you may use *the same* Basic. This can be a massive boost to damage, as some of these double a character's base weapon damage outright, even without accounting for Critical Hits.

Players may select any 1st Level At-Will Attack Power available from Dungeons & Dragons 4th Edition as a Basic, but there must be a logical explanation of how they can use it. A character without any sort of access to spells and powers can't, for example, take the *Arcing Fire* Basic... but they *could* take *Slash and Pummel*. A character that doesn't know how to use a shield isn't realistically going to use *Shield Feint*. However, some Basics can be reflavored relatively easily, so keep this in mind.

### Basics and Styles

Many Styles are associated with particular Basics within Gaea. However, these are not absolutes by any means. The fluid nature of martial arts and the myriad variations of individual Styles inevitably results in quite a bit of variety.