Warfare
Everyone bids high in this one.
All Amberites are trained in Warfare. Use of any weapons, from daggers to machine-guns, requires Warfare.
All duels of swordplay, the most common way of settling disputes in Amber, are judged according to the relative Warfare of the participants.
Warfare also determines a character's 'knack' for tactics and strategy, for everything from the placement and leadership of troops on a battlefield, to a quiet game of chess.
Weakness in Warfare is more dangerous than in any other Attribute. That's because the relative Rank in Warfare determines how long the combat will last.
If the Rank is too low, either Partial or Shadow, the character can be hurt or even killed before having a chance to flee.
Benedict is the family master of Warfare. In combat, whether with swords in the duelling arena, or massed armies on the field of battle, he is unsurpassed. Never underestimate his skill. Never fail to fear him.
Why Bid on Warfare? Face it, most conflict boils down to Warfare. There's nothing faster, nothing more decisive. Powers are too slow, compared with the flash of a blade.
In Amber, the most feared character is the one with the fastest blade, the one with the highest Warfare Rank.
The Potential of Warfare.
Maybe Benedict is good enough to parry invisible blades. Any other player character who invests in Warfare is moving up to Benedict, gradually absorbing the skills that Benedict has mastered.
Any character, given sufficient Warfare, and advancement, can take on any of Benedict's special abilities.
Not every character would want to.
After all, living every minute of every day as if in the midst of a battle can be pretty tiring after awhile. And what's the point of being an Amberite if you can't kick back, relax, and let the good times roll?
So there will always be characters with high Warfare who can perform brilliantly in one-on-one combat, but who might never develop any 'other' abilities.
Benedict's Warfare can be broken down into five categories: Tactical Vision, Leadership, Weapon Skills, Reaction Time, and Strategy. Here are some of the possible capacities a character can pick up in each category.
1. Tactical Vision.
Benedict sees the world around him tactically. He automatically picks out the best spot for defence, attack, ambush, or flight. Knowing these areas, he then automatically moves to avoid being vulnerable.
- This works out as a resistance to surprise. Gradually the character comes to view all situations as potential combat situations, constantly reviewing the current tactical position. A character would say, 'the guacamole dip is over there, the mariachi band is playing over there, those six windows, and these three doors, which means the trap door would be over there, a skilled warrior would pop in over there, and I'd be best off standing right about here.'
- Benedict reacts, without surprise or pause, to any and all threats, no matter how well hidden. That's because Benedict goes through life looking around and expecting ambushes, snipers, and other nasty things.
- All Benedict has to see is the stance, the outline of someone standing still, in order for him to spot a familiar person, or to recognise an opponent's style of combat.
- In one on one combat, Benedict can instantly size up a stranger, figuring out movements and reactions, their attitude, along with any hidden weapons or secret abilities.
This doesn't mean that Benedict will know that the stranger is carrying a .45 automatic pistol, but he will know that the stranger has some kind of ranged weapon, probably to be used with the right hand, and that its effective range is somewhere between 10 and 50 feet.
- Based on scouting, troop placement, or even the arrangement of supplies, Benedict can recognise familiar opponents, see the strengths and weaknesses in any army, and make very accurate 'guesses' about what they will do and how they will react.
- Benedict can look at an opponent's tactics on the battlefield, and figure out any and all secret weapons that may be held in reserve, their probable effects, where they are kept and where they anticipate being used, and how the enemy's strategy will change.
2. Leadership.
Benedict knows how to lead soldiers. 'The moral is to the physical as three to one', said Napoleon, something he might have learned from Benedict.
- Benedict can at least triple the effectiveness of any force using group psychology and loyalty. He can make rousing speeches, convince troops of the superiority of their cause, and even rally badly beaten armies back to the fight.
- Just as Benedict can manipulate his own army, his mastery of the soldierly mind is such that he can subvert an enemy force. He knows how to break their morale, and drive them from the field of battle, using psychological tricks, playing on their fears, and timing advances and attacks.
- Raising and training armies is second nature to Benedict. He can recruit troops instantly, send propaganda rippling through a population and, given enough fresh candidates, he can build an army of any size. He also is expert at picking out and training instructors, so that any army can be trained and ready for battle in a matter of days.
3. Weapon skills.
- Benedict, when using a rapid fire long-range weapon, like an automatic rifle, can pick off targets as fast as he can look and pull a trigger.
- Benedict knows, or can imagine, every weapon that has, does, or ever will exist. He is never surprised, and never at a loss when considering how to apply a new technology.
- Anything can be used as a deadly weapon by Benedict. A pencil, a butter knife, or a sharpened twig can be used to thrust. Anything from a piece of sharpened rock, to the edge of a piece of paper can be used as a cutting weapon.
Thrown projectile weapons can range from pebbles to objects as large as Benedict's Strength can handle. A piece of cloth, a length of rope, or virtually anything else can be used by Benedict as a means of damaging or killing the enemy.
4. Reaction Time.
Warfare serves as a measure of how fast a character can be.
- Benedict is too fast for any spell casting that takes more than a moment. In other words, if the spell takes even one lynchpin, Benedict can, if within arm's reach, or knife's toss, interrupt the casting of any spell.
5. Strategy.
Warfare doesn't just cover sword battles and rifle shots. It also covers strategy and tactics, for everything from chess games to continental wars.
- Benedict can master any strategic game. It is possible that a lifetime master, someone who has devoted every waking hour to the game, could beat Benedict at chess or Go. It's just not likely.
- Benedict can cheat the 'fog of war', collecting superior information, flanking any enemy, surprising any enemy, and always outdoing the enemy in the battle of will or morale. This means Benedict can defeat armies vastly larger than his own.
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