Pummeling Skill Levels

· Nonproficient: Most characters have had some experience with pummeling since early childhood, and nonproficient characters are very rare. If the optional character point system from the Skills & Powers book is in use, a character who is nonproficient in pummeling may claim 3 extra character points. Such characters are very rare, however, and the DM and the player should agree on a reason why the character is nonproficient; perhaps the character had an isolated and nonviolent childhood, or comes from a culture where fistfighting is unknown. A nonproficient pummeler suffers the attack penalty listed for his class in Table 34 from the PHB and cannot score a knockdown or knockout with a pummeling attack.

· Familiar: The vast majority of characters are assumed to be familiar with pummeling, and need not spend any character points or proficiency slots on the skill. Such characters can make one pummeling attack each combat round with no penalty.

· Proficient: Any character can spend character points (or a weapon proficiency) to become proficient at pummeling. Nonwarriors gain no benefit from pummeling proficiency. Proficient warriors gain their full allotment of melee attacks when pummeling.

· Expert: Any character can spend character points (or weapon proficiencies) to become expert at pummeling. Expert warriors who are entitled to more than one melee attack each round can make the same number of pummeling attacks each round, but gain no other benefits. Expert nonwarriors can make multiple pummeling attacks at the same rate as a nonspecialized warrior of the same level.

· Specialized: Generally, only single-classed fighters can become pummeling specialists, though there are optional rules in the Skills & Powers book that allow other characters to specialize. Pummeling specialists gain the normal specialist attack and damage bonuses and extra attacks. Specialists’ attack bonuses apply to their Strength scores when rolling for knockdowns.

· Master: Only single-classed warriors can attain mastery in pummeling. Pummeling masters gain the normal master attack and damage bonuses and extra attacks. Masters’ attack bonuses apply to their Strength scores when rolling for knockdowns, and apply as penalties to saving throws vs. knockouts. Grand master pummelers can use critical augmentation to score knockouts on attack rolls of 16 or better.

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