It may seem redundant that a people who can simply close the gates to their mountain keeps would train special warriors to protect the already impenetrable passes, but the Moragon are known for their practicality and should a pass ever be breached, the attackers would then face the Draganian Guard. More often than not, these guards serve in the deep mines protecting the workers from whatever cave-dwelling threat they may encounter. Attempts to raid the mines by outsiders or foreign powers are rare but do happen, and The Guard stand ready. These soldiers train day in and day out for tunnel-fighting and fully embrace the concept that, “the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.” The more guards that stand shoulder to shoulder, the more effective they are and the better their long spears skewer the attacker. The Draganian’s fight with massive shields and are trained to overlap them so that if any enemy attacks, it faces not one shield but a massive wall of immovable steel bristled with spear tips.
Required Fighting Style: Draganian guards fight with Spear, Large or Tower Shield, and can use any armor. A Draganian Guard cannot use their Fighting Style abilities while using any other weapon or shield.
Special: Establishing Formation
Most abilities of the Guard have some application to lone fighters however the true strength of the style only is shown when they fight in groups. To gain full effectiveness for some abilities, Draganian Guard and their allies must Establish Formation. Establishing a formation is done by having all participating fighters gathering together and committing to their unit formation. This requires 10 seconds focus as the fighters place weapon tips together as a sign of commitment to each other. While in combat, so long as they remain roughly within spear reach of each other they are considered to be “in formation”. If formation during combat is broken they will need to gather and re-establish with another 10 seconds of focus. Draganian Guards can gain the cumulative benefits of a formation from non-Guards in the formation as long as the non-Guard also wields a large or tower shield. An individual can only be a part of one Formation at a time.
Prerequisites: All Dexterity Tier 1 abilities (Passive, Per Combat, Per Reset) or All Resilience Tier 1 abilities (Passive, Per Combat, Per Reset), Spear, Large or Tower Shield, Any Armor
Gain one Apprentice ability at no cost with initial purchase. Others may be purchased with additional experience points
Distracting Blow
Cost: 6 XP
The character may use a Natural Stupefy effect, once per combat. This effect causes the target to not be able to attack for a 10 second duration. The target may still defend themselves or flee. Stupefy is a Mental Effect. See the Effects List for more information.
Tagline: “Natural Stupefy”
Tricks of the Trade
Cost: 6 XP
The character may use a Natural Repair effect, once per combat, and may only use the effect on their spear or their shield. This effect will remove the Broken effect from an item.
In addition, the character may use Patch Kits.
Tagline: “Natural Repair”
Skin of Iron
Cost: 6 XP
The character may use a Instant Natural Flash Shell effect upon themselves, once per combat, with a value equal to the total number of individuals in the character’s current Formation (to a maximum of 6), or if the character is not in Formation, a value of 1.
An Instant effect will apply instantly, without additional casting time or onset time. A Flash effect will last until the target exits active combat/rests to recover abilities. A Shell effect provides for damage absorption up to a certain value. The Shell is reduced in value by one point for every point of damage taken. This lasts until sunrise or until all points from the shell are exhausted. Players may not have more than one Shell active at a time. Shell does not work against Missile or Barrage. See the Effects list for more information.
Tagline: “Instant Natural Flash Shell X” where X = 1 or the # of individuals in Formation.
Teeth of Steel
Cost: 6 XP
The character may use a Natural Crit effect, once per combat, with a value equal to the total number of individuals in the character’s current Formation (to a maximum of 6), or if the character is not in Formation, a value of 1. See the Effects list for more information.
Tagline: “Natural Crit X” where X = 1 or the # of individuals in Formation.
Prerequisites: All Dexterity Tier 2 abilities (Passive, Per Combat, Per Reset) or All Resilience Tier 2 abilities (Passive, Per Combat, Per Reset), any 2 Apprentice abilities
Gain one Intermediate ability at no cost with initial purchase. Others may be purchased with additional experience points
Steady Advance
Cost: 8 XP
The character may, once per combat, Reduce a Snare, Shard, Barrage, or Missile effect to 1 point of damage, taken to the location struck. See the Effects List for more information.
Tagline: “Reduce”
Overlapping Scales
Cost: 8 XP
While in Formation, the character’s shield is considered to have 1 additional Spell Protection.
Tagline: None
Hold the Line
Cost: 8 XP
The character may, once per combat, spend 10 seconds in concentration to use a “Natural Redirect Fountain” that may only Redirect to the character’s shield. Additionally, while using this Fountain the character must plant both feet instead of just one but may call any and all Defenses without ending the Fountain effect.
The Redirect effect allows a character to consider an attack that has struck a valid hit location to instead have struck the declared location instead. This can include otherwise invalid hit locations such as “weapon” or “shield”. Redirect does not work on attacks delivered as Voice Effects. See the Effects List for more information.
Tagline: “Natural Redirect Fountain”, “Redirect shield”
Lance of Ruin
Cost: 8 XP
Allows the character to, once per combat, use a Break Armor effect. The attack must hit a legal target area to take effect. See the Effects List for more information.
Tagline: “Natural Break Armor”
Prerequisites: All Dexterity Tier 3 abilities (Passive, Per Combat, Per Reset) or All Resilience Tier 3 abilities (Passive, Per Combat, Per Reset), any 2 Intermediate abilities
Gain one Master ability at no cost with initial purchase. Others may be purchased with additional experience points
Might of the Dragon
Cost: 10 XP
Allows the character to use a Natural Resist All effect upon themselves once per combat, after 1 minute of concentration. While this Resist is active upon the character, this ability does not reset. This effect provides a protection from a single effect of any kind the target would otherwise receive. Characters can have an unlimited number of Resists of different types. Characters may stack up to 3 Resists of the same type. The character may choose whether or not it triggers on a specific effect. They must however be conscious to use this ability. See the Effects List for more information.
Tagline: “Natural Resist All”
Will of the Dragon
Cost: 10 XP
Allows the character to use a Voice Effect Natural Awaken effect once per combat. This effect removes all mental effects from the target character.
Tagline: “Voice Effect Natural Awaken”
Hide of the Dragon
Cost: 10 XP
While in Formation, the character’s armor is considered to have 1 additional value.
Tagline: None
Bite of the Dragon
Cost: 10 XP
The character may use a Mortal Strike with a weapon attack once per combat. This ability is a weapon attack that causes an automatic Torso Wound regardless of the location struck. Note that this effect directly causes a Wound, it does not deal damage, and so bypasses armor, Shells , and Vigor. Strikes are presumed to be Natural attacks. They can be defended by mundanely blocking with a weapon or shield, and are also subject to Parry, Dodge, Reduce and Withstand. See the Effects list for more information.
Tagline: “Mortal Strike”