The Delta Fighter

By Baron Sengir

The Delta Fighter

Delta Fighters are specialists in aerial combat, they use their Delta Wings on a way no one else could, this makes them as deadly as a 3 ton rock falling on your head.

Although fairly new to Barsaive, Sky Raiders have already hired Delta Fighters as elite-warriors in their raids against the Therans and their slavers. Except for Windlings and Obsidimen any Namegiver may become a Delta Fighter. (Windlings don't need a Delta Wing to fly)

Delta Fighters eventually learn how to pilot an airship and by being a potent threat to Thera, Throal has opened several Delta Fighter Acadamies throughout Barsaive.

The Therans are well aware of this threat, but due to the extreme loyalty of the Delta Fighters towards Barsaive, they have a hard time finding counter measures.

(the Delta Wing is described later on.)

Important Attributes: Dexterity, Strength, Perception.

Racial Restrictions: Windling, Obsidimen

Artisan Skills: Runic/Bone/Wood Carving

1) "What's that shadow?"

2)"Probably just a Griffin."

1) "Oooohhh...."

            -2 Theran Slavers, last words.

Talents at Circle:

I

Karma Ritual

Delta Flying * (D)

Acrobatic Strike (D)

Avoid Blow

Battle Shout (D)

Melee Weapons

II

Durability (8/6)

Great Leap (D)

Unarmed Combat

III

Wind Catcher (D)

Swift Kick

IV

Thread Weaving (Delta Weaving) (D)

Throwing Weapons

+1 Physical Defense

V

Battle Bellow (D)

Second Weapon

Karma: may spend Karma points on actions using Strength only.

VI

Momentum Attack

Avoid Missile Weapon* (D)

+1 Recovery Test each day

VII

Missile Weapons

Speak Language (D)

Karma: may spend Karma points on actions using Dexterity only.

VIII

Crushing Blow

Dive Attack * (D)

+1 Social Defense

IX

Thunder Axe (D)

Air Sailing (D)

+2 to initiative step

X

Endure Cold (D)

Levitate * (D)

+1 Spell Defense

+1 Recovery Test each day

XI

Defense

Weapon Breaker (D)

+1 Physical Defense

Karma: increase maximum Karma by 25.

XII

Howl

Vitality

+1 Physical Defense

+1 to initiative step

XIII

Screaming Arrow

Second Chance (D)

+2 Social Defense

+1 Recovery Test each day

XIV

QuickBlade

Second Attack

Karma: may store up to 15 Karma Points in his/her Delta Wing, a separate Karma Ritual must be made for this.

Karma: may spend a Karma on any action in mid-air

XV

Delta Attack* (D)

Gain Surprise

Lightning Song: see ED Companion, p.15

+2 Physical Defense

Karma Ritual:

the Delta Flyer sits down cross-legged and closes his/her eyes and starts concentrating on an imaginary attack against the Therans, in this attack the Flyer uses the most acrobatic attacks possible. He must kill at least 3 Therans in this attack for the Karma Ritual to succeed. After 30 minutes of fighting the Ritual ends.

 New Talents:

Delta Flying

Step: Rank + Dexterity                                  Action: yes

Delta Flying is the art of flying, landing and maneuvering with a Delta Wing. The difficulty to land a Delta Flyer should range from 4 to 10+, 4 being a flat open plain and 10+ a dangerous platform in the mountains, also weather modifiers can be applied according to the GM’s discretion.

Avoid Missile Weapon

Step: Rank + Dexterity                                  Action: no

Strain: 1

As the Avoid Blow Talent, but the character must see or otherwise sense the attack, the difficulty of the Test is the attack test result + 5

Dive Attack

Step: Rank + Dexterity                      Action: yes

The Dive Attack increases damage done by a swooping attack, the character must be in the air, flying at the target in a straight line the target makes an attack test, substituting Melee or Unarmed Combat (not Missile or Throwing Weapons) with Dive Attack. If successful add

Rank + * steps to the damage test, but the maximum of added steps may never exceed the character’s Circle. * stands for a Racial Modifier which does count towards the maximum steps, each race has a Modifier, stated below: (calculated by weight)

Dwarf:             +1 Damage Steps

Elves/Human:            +2 Damage Steps

T’skrang:                    +3 Damage Steps

Ork:                            +4 Damage Steps

Troll:                           +5 Damage Steps

Before a character hits, he/she needs a Good success or better on here Dive Attack test against the target’s Physical Defense, if the character fails or the target dodges, the character crashes to the ground: he/she takes Step 15+ Racial Steps (stated above) damage and is knocked down, if the character takes a wound from this damage, he gains an additional one.

Levitate

Step: Rank + Perception                                Action: yes

Strain: 3                                                            Req. Karma: yes

With this talent a Delta Fighter can stay suspended in mid-air for Rank + 3 minutes, during that period a character may make any actions that could normally be done while STANDING on the ground (e.g. Acrobatic Strike, Avoid Blow) but no actions which (really) require ground (e.g. Great Leap). The character must make a Levitate test against his/her (unlowered) Spell Defense.

Delta Attack

Step: Rank + Dexterity                      Action: yes

Strain: 5                                                Req. Karma: yes

The Delta Fighter’s strongest attack, which can be made on the ground and in the air

(but not while suspended). While in the air it must be used while swooping down, as with a Dive Attack. The character must have considerable distance from the target, while on the ground at least 10-12 yards and in the air at least 30-40 feet.

-When on the ground: the character makes a Delta Attack Test against the target’s Physical Defense, if successful he runs at the target for a yard or two, then makes three consecutive twists

and hits the target.

-When in the air: the character makes a Delta Attack Test against the target’s Physical Defense + 6, if successful the character swoops down and makes three consecutive loopings and hits the target (to be successful the target needs a Good or better success). If unsuccessful (cannot be dodged) the character hits the ground at full speed, he/she takes 150 feet falling damage + Racial Steps (2 Damage test of step 25 + * damage)

-Damage:             on the ground: Rank + Strength + Racial Steps

                        in the air: Rank + Strength + 8 + Racial Steps

Racial Steps (for Delta Attack)

Dwarf:                                     +3 Damage Steps

Elf/Human:                             +4 Damage Steps

T’skrang:                                +5 Damage Steps

Ork:                                        +6 Damage Steps

Troll:                                       +7 Damage Steps

In addition the target is knocked down and stunned for one round.

The Delta Wing               Spell Defense: 16

The Delta Wing resembles a big triangular kite, it is attached to a character like a backpack with the straps forming an ‘X’ on the chest. In the middle of the ‘X’ there is a small stone/gem. When the character presses the stone/gem with his 2^nd and middle finger it folds or unfolds, at the cost of 2 Strain (this takes one round). When folded, the Delta Wing appears as a backpack. When unfolded it’s a triangular ‘wing’, the point raises a feet above the character’s head and the bottom hangs a feet above the ground, the wingspan is two times the character’s length plus his shoulder width. The material is made of a magical piece of cloth and True air, it has several metal pieces in which True air is woven to lighten it. When a character loses his/her Delta Wing he/she must buy another at an official Academy. (At the start the character does not need to buy it, when lost a new one costs about 5 times the real price: 1500 silver pieces, a cost for your stupidity of loosing it).