Infamous 1e Class Guide: Fighters

Introduction

In AD&D, Fighters are seemingly a very bland class. They have accurate hit tables sure,  and no restrictions on what weapons or armor can be used, but they lack the special flair of Cleric and Magic-User, and they don't have any of the unique traits of Thief. The Fighter is widely seen as a class that is too simple to be of great use to a team. They can hit things, and they are used to open stuck doors in dungeons. Other than that, the high Strength score grants the ability of "Bend Bars/Lift Gates" which can be very helpful to a team, albeit in a very specific circumstance. Most players won't want to play Fighter in AD&D, however in Infamous, they can quickly go from the least interesting of classes to one of the most helpful in and out of combat.

 Fighter's Unique Traits

The Fighter has a couple of special traits that separate them from Clerics when it comes to fighting. They do not simply have a larger list of more powerful weapons to choose from, as in Infamous, they have another trait that makes them the superior combat class. This is called "Weapon Specialization," as it allows the fighter to stack multiple proficiencies in a single weapon. The following table lists all the advantages for using multiple weapon proficiencies.

• 2 Proficiencies in one weapon: +1 to hit, +1 to damage
• 3 Proficiencies in one weapon: +1 to hit, +1 to damage, and fast draw.
  
• 4 Proficiencies in one weapon: +2 to hit, +3 to damage, and fast draw.
  
• 6 Proficiencies in one weapon: +3 to hit, +5 to damage, and fast draw
• 8 Proficiencies in one weapon: +4 to hit, +7 to damage, and fast draw.

Of course, the way these stacked proficiencies are obtained is simply by spending one of your acquired weapon proficiencies in a weapon you are already proficient in, thus stacking these proficiencies together and thus gaining the bonuses from having multiple proficiencies in the same weapon. It is also worth noting that Fighters are the only class that can legally reach the exceptional strength score, thus allowing for an even higher damage total. Just remember that the additional nonweapon proficiency gained at the very start of character creation cannot be converted into a weapon proficiency. Lastly, Fighters are the only class (in Infamous) to have the potential for multiple stats as a primary stat. The Fighter may select either Strength, Dexterity, or Constitution as this stat, and it is this stat that will determine stat requirement when multiclassing, as well as how experience bonuses are calculated. 

Infamous Fighter: Fighting Styles

Fighters have an additional benefit in Infamous that other classes do not possess. Clerics and Magic-Users have their magical research, allowing for the creation of spells and magic classes. Thieves have their guilds and thieving systems. Fighters in Infamous gain the ability to research fighting styles. These styles take a lot of time to perfect, ranging from several weeks to potentially longer than a year depending on the power and specialty of the style. These fighting styles are special in that, unlike other classes having spell slots, they can be used at any time within reason dependent on the ability in question. In short, one of these fighting styles is a unique ability of the Fighter's creation, whether it be a simple bonus to an attack or armor class, or a special move known only by the Fighter. What is and what is not accomplishable by a fighting style will be determined by your DM, as to keep any one of these from becoming overpowered. This means that later on in the campaign, the DM does have right to make small changes to your fighting style once this style is created for the sake of game balance. It is advised that a DM consults you on a change like this, and that the original concept of a fighting style never be changed even if the exact mechanics are rewritten, but remember, your DM's word is law. Like the other classes, Fighters may commit to the research of a new martial class. Starting at 9th level, and thus when a Fighter reaches the "Lord" title, he may begin the study and research of this class. The research of a Fighter class is similar to the research of any other class, though it is substantially easier than the research by a spellcaster. A Fighter must spend months in study of his martial art, be it the way of sword, axe, hammer, spear, or any other weapon. Unlike the spellcasting classes, an artifact is not required in the research of a Fighter class. Again, the abilities of the class will be determined by the player, though anything the class can do must first be run by the DM as if it were a form of homebrew before it will be allowed into the game.

The Charisma Fighter

So far it has been assumed that the Fighter character has built his character around either Strength, Dexterity, or Constitution. There is another fighter that is often seen in Infamous, known by many names across the land. The Gumby Fighter, the Bluffing Soldier, the Fighter Who Doesn't Fight, and lastly, the Charisma Fighter. This Fighter is not eligible for experience bonuses as the other Fighters of Infamous are. A Charisma Fighter is one who takes his proficiencies across the multitude of Charisma proficiencies rather than using them in weapons. Carousing is nearly a must, as it performs excellently in combination with every other Charisma based proficiency, though it is also useful for being the prerequisite for the Deception proficiency. Skills that are useful for the Charisma Fighter are as follows: Bribery, Interrogation, Intimidation, Influencing, and Recruiting. Of course others can be used in a variety of ways, though these ones listed here are in general the most useful to a campaign.

A full list of the skills in Infamous can be found here:https://farvion.blogspot.com/2022/05/skills-non-weapon-proficiencies.html

Of course, Charisma isn't the only ability score which the fighter can make exceptional use of. In fact, any stat may be of great use to a Fighter, as one of the greatest features of the class is the great number of proficiencies they can take. 

Fighter Summary

The Fighter is a very diverse class despite its appearance and reputation as a bland, combat only character. The wide range of proficiencies given allows for advanced characters with far more utility than is otherwise possible, even to the point where one of its primary stats might not even see use. Your proficiencies are what make you strong, not your weapons. Use them wisely, as within your skills the entire world is at your fingertips.