A copy of The Combat Training Curriculum

You open a simple book entitled, "A copy of The Combat Training Curriculum" to the bookmark, on page 1, and begin reading.

The following text is intended to promote elevated combat prowess amongst members of the Priesthood. It is the fervent hope of the spiritual leaders of the Guild that this missive will not only increase ability, but also honour and wisdom with which to apply said ability.
This book is not meant for idle reading, but is meant as a beginning to intensive learning. Pay mind to the knowledge within.
As Father Epitus is quoted as saying, "I would rather die on my feet than live on my knees." So must every Priest learn to defend the common Faith to which we are dutybound, with honour, dignity, and integrity.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page one: Forward and Table of Contents
Page two: Objectives and Combat Ethos
Page three: Equipment
Page four: Defenses
Page five: Combat Readiness
Page six: Beginning Skill Combinations
Page seven: Post-combat rituals and Acknowledgements

You open a simple book entitled, "A copy of The Combat Training Curriculum" to the bookmark, on page 2, and begin reading.

Objectives:
a)Every student must know the ethos behind combat as a Priest.
b)Every student must aquire basic fighting equipment and the knowledge to employ it.
c)Every student must be able to prove fighting readiness through numerous spars.
Ethos: There is no first attack in honourable combat! We fight in the defense of self, loved ones, and our beliefs. Our skill with the spiritual mace and the bond we share with our angelic companions were granted to use for the dispensing of divine justice and should be used accordingly.

You open a simple book entitled, "A copy of The Combat Training Curriculum" to the bookmark, on page 3, and begin reading.

Equipment

This is a beginner's list of tools with which you may use to defend yourself.

Required Equipment:
A TOWER SHIELD and SPLINTMAIL are both necessary protection for a Priest during combat. Both are the best protection afforded to our class in the way of a shield and a set of armor. Each guards a Priest against both blunt and cutting physical attacks well.
-Average Armor stats: 45% blunt, 40% cutting damage protection -Average Shield stats: 25-30% both blunt and cutting damage protection In Aetolia, tattoos have beneficial effects on a body either when touch once after inking or when touched each time the given effect is required. For instance, a cloak tattoo can be touched to shield a Priest from being summoned using a brazier tattoo. This tattoo needs to be touched each time the defense of a "cloak of protection" is desired. On the other hand, a boar tattoo heals a portion of health and needs only be touched when first inked. All tattoos will fade when used up. The Priesthood recommends these tattoos on a healing-based defense that a Priest be well-inked with the following:
MOSS - Bleeding damage is a very significant ailment this tattoo will cause your blood to clot automatically thus decreasing this damage significantly.
BOAR - This tattoo will regenerate your health while you are hurt until it fades.
CLOAK - Protects against being magically summoned via brazier tattoo.
MOON - Similar to the boar tattoo the moon will regenerate your mana while it is not full until the tattoo fades.
MINDSEYE - This tattoo will allow you to see and hear while you are physically deaf and blind it is an excellent tattoo to have.
On a fighting-based defense, the following tattoos are recommended: -Important note- A starburst defense is not always a benefical one. When a Priest starbursts, they are without defenses and at a disadvantage.
Most classes can easily kill a Priest once again representing an extra 15% experience loss.
MINDSEYE - previously discussed
CLOAK - previously discussed
WEB - tangle up your target with webbing
TREE - touch tree and it will cure an affliction of yours, necessary vs.
a good monk in combat to heal limbs quickly. Also helps to have the restoration skill in Survival.
TENTACLE - many opponents are able to fly and even attack from the air, so it's necessary to have a way to take them down. Either a tentacle or Whirlwind of Slyphe can do the job.
BRAZIER/PRISM - this is really your choice. I switch between the two.
Brazier summons those not cloaked to you, though most people use a cloak tattoo so it is useful if they've either tumbled away from you or if you've stripped them of the cloaking defense. Prism is useful to go to a person in the area, though if using it to get to an enemy it is easily avoided unless they're preoccupied by moving location.

You open a simple book entitled, "A copy of The Combat Training Curriculum" to the bookmark, on page 4, and begin reading.

Defenses

The NUMBER ONE RULE is the more defenses you have the better. You never know how and when an opponent will attack you and many defenses will go a long way in protecting yourself. There are several ways to obtain defenses. Some defenses depend upon skills, others upon herbs or elixirs and salves.
The following are a list of class defenses:
BLISS (ab devotion bliss) this skill provides a Priest with several defenses.
-resistance to magical damage
-a bonus to physical attack protection
-an endurance blessing
-constitution preventing nausea
-some healing
SPIRITSHIELDS
-Frost: grants a Priest added protection against cold.
-Thermal: grants a Priest added protection against fire-based damage.
-Earth: like a second suit of armor, this shield grants a Priest added protection against cutting and blunt physical attacks.
Endurance: regenerate endurance faster
Willpower: regenerate willpower faster
The following is a list of salve and elixir defenses:
MASS - prevents unwanted transporation, has an effect on movement.
VENOM - decreases the effect of damage causing venoms.
LEVITATION - prevents damage from falling and attacks that knock you to the ground.
SPEED - increases ability to avoid attacks.
CALORIC - gives protection against cold-based attacks when used before hand.
FROST - increase fire-based damage resistance.
The following is a list of herbal defenses:
KOLA - allows you to immediately wake up when forced to sleep. (eaten) COHOSH - will grant you insomnia and make it very difficult to sleep.(eaten)
HAWTHORN - removes your eyesight. (eaten)
BAYBERRY - removes your hearing. (eaten)
SILERIS - covers you with a waxy shell that prevent biting both vampire and serpent. (applied)
SKULLCAP - covers you with an aura of weapons rebounding that repels weapon attacks. (smoked)
-Important note- Grants you the vison of the Under King when eaten.
ECHINACEA - Allows you to see where people are on the WHO list

You open a simple book entitled, "A copy of The Combat Training Curriculum" to the bookmark, on page 5, and begin reading.

Combat Readiness
1) A skilled warrior is always prepared, therefore make sure all your vials are full or near full before engaging in combat. Always keep at least FOUR health and FOUR mana vials in your inventory and depending on how often you fight one-three of each of the healing vials, such as mending.
-Important note- Review the scroll, "help healinglist," for information on other vials and herbal cures.
2) Establish all defenses upon awakening in the realm, this goes double during landmarking season. Twenty defenses is a good number of defenses to have.
3) Maintain at least 80% of your angel's maximum power level (Max 5000 at Transcendent skill level). Initate ANGEL CARE and ANGEL EMPATHY, though watch your angel's power because it drains very rapidly when using these skills. If it dies you must wait at least FIFTEEN minutes before being able to resummon it.
4) Summon and wield your spiritual mace. Attach a fist sigil to avoid being disarmed.

You open a simple book entitled, "A copy of The Combat Training Curriculum" to the bookmark, on page 6, and begin reading.

Beginning Skill Combinations

SPIRITWRACK IN CONJUCTION WITH HELLSIGHT
The combination of angel spiritwrack and the hellsight skill is an effective one. As spiritwrack causes the its victim to contimuously gain many mental afflications (for example: epilepsy) while it is activated.
Hellsight gives an opponent a glimpse into the tortures of hell itself causing damage and giving other afflictions. This combination is hard to defeat save for the most skilled warriors and will render an opponent helpless or cause even those skilled at healing to concentrate more on that than attacking you. It is a great way to begin a contest. Both Hellsight and Spiritwrack go through a shield.
ANGEL SAP PRECEEDING ANGEL ABSOLVE
One of the most effect ways for a Priest to end a battle is using the transcendent spirituality skill. ANGEL SAP will drain the mana of your target each time you cast it. Once you have drained an opponent under 2/5th their total mana ANGEL ABSOLVE can be used to rip the very soul from the body of your opponent thus ending the battle. ANGEL SAP goes through a shield, though ANGEL ABSOLVE does not.
HERESY AND INSPIRATION IN A DAMAGE-BASED FIGHT
If you are a fan of attacks that cause large amounts of damage this is the combination for you. The skill of Heresy will reverse the alignment based damage of smite causing those of lower alignment to receive more damage from each blow. Coupled with the Rite of Inspiration which will effectively raise a Priests strength +2 allowing smite to deal out some fairly high damage. Also, target limbs when smiting (see Targetting).
-Important note- Watch for the targetting of limbs while fighting a monk. It is, at times, a very good idea to target the limbs of your opponent. TARGETTING is a very low weaponry skill that we suggest everyone get, as well as PARRYING which should be around skilled. Target legs mostly to try to break it getting your adversor on the ground anyway that you can. The skill SMASH may also be of use in this endeavor. This will not only make it very difficult to run but also make many forms of attack not possible. Be most careful when targetting and fighting against monks because they may GUARD you, which will trip you to the floor and stun you.
RITES
If possible, always fight within your own Rites. It is always very useful to set up Demons, Piety, Healing, and Revitalization (these last two rites mostly against those with LOW alignment as to not heal them as well). In many cases this can be the deciding factor on the outcome of a battle. Even if you are being attacked without warning, unless you know you can make short work of the enemy, begin setting up Rites as soon as possible.

You open a simple book entitled, "A copy of The Combat Training Curriculum" to the bookmark, on page 7, and begin reading.

Post-combat rituals
The real determinant of a great combatant is the ability to learn from each fight -- to weigh success and failure. After every contest, a Priest should review the fight if possible. Look for tactics which worked and tactics which did not. If you were not the victor, find out where the tables turned and devise a plan of action to prevent repetition. You can also use the review to atune your "reflexes."
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This book would not have been possible without information gleened from Elder Champions of the Priesthood, namely Father Thrain Amun and Sultan Elden Cardinalis.
A word from the original creator of this text:
"As stated at the beginning of this text this is only a guide to become an effective combatant. It is up to each of you develop a fighting style that works well for you. I just pray that this will help you on your way. Blessed be Students!" - Father Thrain Amun