'Stick Fencing'

The Staff is seen by many as an inconspicuous and often improvised weapon. Seeing sticks in every day life often clouds the imagination as to their applications in the field of battle. True Stick Duelists partake of the snob culture that insists a staffs simple design is what makes it THE most versatile of weapons. A staff can both control an opponents position and cause pain - from any distance! A staff wielding warrior with this mentality will be able to defend better than others. By incorporating short thrusts into their blocks, they also gain the ability to 'poke' at an opponents vulnerable legs and arms as they spin. These attacks are not as strong as regular melee attacks but come directly from a staff wielders strength. Not every spin provides an opportunity however, and faster warriors will find more.

This is mutually exclusive with Knife on a Stick.

The staff already offers some defensive advantages over the spear, but this edge offers more incentive for those who want to focus on staffs specifically. Spears have impale, crescent and pierce. Staffs are limited to pugil and are often parried very easily. Rather than offering more offensive skill options, this edge aims to focus on mostly increasing the defense but the added riposte effect brings out a passive attack option that can combine nicely with misdirect, leverage and legsweep. This also has more functionality when faced with multiple opponents, allowing a staff spec to hit them all.


'Knife on a Stick'

There is a mentality amongst the desert Nomads that separates them from spear Hunters and makes them spear Warriors. Rejecting the notion that they are using a hunting tool - they instead see their weapons as long-armed knives. Spear users that agree with this thinking use slashes and cuts as often as the more predictable thrusting techniques with their Spears. This makes them dangerously efficient at weakening a stronger foe before moving in for a coup de grace. Taking this edge increases their chances to land both Crescent and Piercing strikes, while adding a chance to cause bleeding with both. Those who have had their reflexes dulled by a successful piercing strike can also be impaled more successfully.

This is mutually exclusive with Stick Fencing.

This adds to the spears maledictive properties - causing long fights against a spear wielder to become more painful as they land more skills. It encourages the chaining of abilities already available to a spear user. The types of bleeding brought on by crescent/pierce would be different but not as long lasting as Impale. This spec is also less stat-dependant than the staff edge. It aims to bring some dagger-style elements to using spear skills but without the harsh, stat-specific maledictions a dagger has. It should be rewarding long fights with a spear where the spear was used to 'impale and switch out' before.

Both edges are expensive and enhance one side of a Spear/Staff wielders options in an interesting direction. I like the idea of a staff/spear warrior being able to diversify even more, as despite their weapon choice they still come across as one of the blandest specs out there. Both edges could be given together as RP-rewards but obviously their relative strength would discourage making this an option open to all.