Bannermen in service to their lord; wandering sellswords looking to trade their martial prowess for a bit of coin; feral wildlings tearing into their enemies with tooth and dagger — these are but a few of the types of Men-at-arms to be found across the Seven Kingdoms. They form the core of any lord’s army, and find work across the continent in city watches and castle guards.

There is a marked difference between a trained warrior and a peasant forced to pick up a sword to defend his or her home. One fights because he or she has no choice, while to the Man-at-arms it is a profession. Men-at-arms may be known by many names across the Seven Kingdoms — sellswords, freeriders, adventurers, marauders, or soldiers. They can be found in every town and castle, using their strength and skill to advance themselves through life.

Adventures

Wars, insurrections, hunting criminals, and playing at tournaments are the common professions of the Man-at-arms. Many Men-at-arms use their skills to help maintain order in the land, whether they are members of a city watch or just concerned citizens in small frontier towns. Even Men-at-arms turned brigands are still welcomed on the Wall, where the Night’s Watch can make use of every available sword arm it can obtain.

Characteristics

Men-at-arms are the most common soldiers in the Seven Kingdoms. They master many different weapons, and most are as comfortable fighting in armour as without it. As Men-at-arms gain experience, they are better able to command others in battle and to keep track of everything that happens in the fog of war. Prowess at arms can get a Soldier far in life, but the ability to command others can help a Man-at-arms transcend his or her birth and achieve new heights of success.

Origin

Men-at-arms come from all walks of life, from the lowliest of smallfolk to the noble bannerman. Both men and women can be trained at swordplay by a variety of teachers, each imparting a unique style of fighting that can then be passed on. Some are trained from birth to become knights, learning to joust and fi ght in grand melees. Others learn the back-alley arts of streetfighting in order to survive in the harsh underworld of the city.

Background

All of the houses of the Seven Kingdoms have many uses for Men-at-arms, from the sellswords that accompany their armies and caravans to the loyal house watch that guard their castle walls. Men-at-arms can become trusted advisors and loyal friends to the noblemen that they protect.

Abilities

Strength is what puts food on the Man-at-arms’ table. It is important in all aspects of melee combat but especially for inflicting damage. Dexterity is important in allowing Men-at-arms to avoid hits in combat, while Intelligence allows them to more effectively learn the arts of warfare and maintenance of armour and weapons.

Hit Points

Men-at-arms gain 10 Hit Points at 1st Level, and 3 Hit Points per Level thereafter. The character’s Constitution Modifier applies.

Class Skills

The Man-at-arms’ Class Skills (and the key Ability for each Skill) are: Climb (Str), Craft: Blacksmithing (Str), Craft: Fletcher (Int), Escape Artist (Dex), Gather Information (Cha), Hide (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Knowledge: Architecture (Int), Knowledge: Local Area (Int),Knowledge: Underworld (Int), Knowledge: Warfare (Int), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Speak Language (None), Spot (Wis), Swim (Str).

Skill Points

At 1st Level, Men-at-arms gain (3 + Int Modifier) x 4; humans gain +4 bonus
At each additional Level, Men-at-arms gain 3 + Int Modifier; humans gain +1 bonus

Influence Points

At each Level, Men-at-arms gain 4 + Cha Modifier.

Weapon and Armour Proficiency

Men-at-arms are proficient with all simple and martial weapons. Men-at-arms are proficient with all light and medium armour and with shields.

Bonus Feat

A Man-at-arms gains a bonus Feat at 1st Level. He or she also gains an additional Feat from at 2nd Level and every three Levels thereafter. A Man-at-arms must still meet all prerequisites for any bonus Feat.

Armour Compatibility

The Man-at-arms is skilled at using his armour to deflect blows and lessen their impact. As a result, at 3rd Level the character gains a +1 bonus to the Armour Rating of any armour he or she is wearing and proficient with. This bonus increases to +2 at 10th Level and +3 at 16th Level (these bonuses stack with any other Armour Compatibility to a maximum of +3). Note that this bonus does not penalize an enemy’s called shot to bypass the Man-at-arms’ armour. If the character has reached his maximum bonus, he gains a Bonus Feat instead.

Armour Mastery

Whenever the 7th or higher Level Man-at-arms is wearing any armour, the maximum Dex bonus and armour check penalty are both improved by one point. Thus, a 7th Level Man-at-arms in full plate mail would have a maximum Dex bonus of +2 and an armour check penalty of -5. Armour Mastery from other Class Special Abilities stacks.