Pirates of the Caribbean. The Princess Bride. A Knights Tale.
So many more movies have sick-ass fight scenes where the characters are clashing in wild places without a care for their environment, because they’ve done this so many times before, and will again.
Jack Sparrow, Indigo Montoya, William Thatcher, these are all duelists.
And the most important part of a duel, isn’t the duelist. It isn’t the weapons. It’s the stage. The setting of this conversation told in bloody battle, the pure adrenaline, luck and skill of combat in an extreme environment.
And it’s only one template, because I think for me this idea starts and ends here, as any character can be a duelist. Proper thank you to Aaron for the help with the Theater of Combat list.
I beg that you keep in mind this class was made using mechanics from Ship of Theseus, and is intended for use with it. Grit, Gambits and Emblems are explained within the text of its latest edition.

Duelist
A: Panache, +1 Theater of Combat
You’re very good at what you do, but you’re better if you have the home field advantage.
Starting Equipment: A chosen weapon, a flashy outfit, a single cut scar on your cheek.
Panache: Due to your mastery over stamina and luck, you’re able to earn a +1 bonus to attack and gambit tests for every grit you spend. You can re-roll any damage dice for 2 grit.
Theater of Combat: When the duelist fights in their signature arena, they gain a +1 bonus to all attack and gambit tests. The theaters of combat can stack. Also, once per fight that they attempt a gambit specific to that theater, if something would go wrong, it doesn’t.
2 Emblems may be spent to master a new theater of combat.
- Narrow Walkways.
- High Places.
- On a moving vehicle.
- In front of a crowd.
- For/In front of an important person.
- While avoiding traps or mechanisms.
- Floating (Flying, Underwater, Zero G, etc.)
- In total darkness.
- Surrounded by spikes, flames, acid, etc.
- In extreme weather.
- On loose or degrading footing.
- On top of furniture.
- On higher ground than opponent.
- Tight spaces.
- Formal events.
- Inside or on top of a creature.
- A place of incredible beauty.
- In an area where music is playing.
- In or on a tree.
- Ten paces (30 feet) or more from your opponent.