The Maure School of the Art and Science of Defense
version 1.1
The Maure
School of the
Art and Science
of Defense
by Mike Dowd
edited by Jonathan Ingram and James
Zwiers
Established in CY324 in Seltaren, the Maure
School of the Art and Science of Defense has for
generations been widely regarded as a finishing
school for the Duchy’s elite nobility. Only open
to those who can provide proof of their purity,
the exclusivity of the academy is palpable in the
atmosphere.
The regimen within these walls teaches the
courtly arts and how to defend oneself with the
elegance befitting one of noble blood. Training
with the rapier emphasizes the use of parries and
the use of quick thought to seize the initiative.
Joining the Maure School of
Defense
In order to join the Maure School of Defense, a
prospective student must meet all of these
qualifications:
• +1 Base Attack Bonus.
• 100% Suel and at least 50% Maure Suel.
• Member of an honored and esteemed noble
house (i.e., a registered noble character).
• Knowledge (nobility and royalty), 4 ranks.
• Two influence points from Duchy of Urnst
noble houses.
• Must not have been, currently be, or have
graduated from the Leukish School of the
Rapier.
Upon acceptance, an entrance fee of 300gp is
required. The student must then spend 12 time
units in intensive study and exercise. The cost of
Adventurer’s Standard lifestyle is included in
this fee, but many students choose to supplement
the provided room and board with additional
funds of their own.
Continuing Studies at the Maure
School of Defense
At the beginning of each subsequent calendar
year, the student must pay six time units and a
150gp membership fee to the school. This fee
covers the cost of Adventurer’s Standard
lifestyle cost for the character during the time
units spend studying.
Failure to pay the time unit and tuition costs
results in the student’s expulsion from the
school.
Home Region
After completing their initial studies at the
school, students are encourage to explore both
the Duchy of Urnst and the nations surrounding
it and are free to change their home region as
they see fit. However, if the student’s home
region is not the Duchy of Urnst at the beginning
of the year, she must pay an additional two time
units (with full lifestyle costs) to represent time
spent traveling back to the Duchy of Urnst to
fulfill her obligations to the school.
General Benefits
For each full year of study at the Maure School,
students are entitled to these benefits:
• A +1 competence bonus to Craft
(Calligraphy), Knowledge (Duchy of Urnst),
Knowledge (nobility and royalty),
Knowledge (History, Duchy of Urnst), and
Perform (oration) skill checks
• A +1 competence bonus to Diplomacy and
Gather Information skill checks when
dealing with nobles (and retainers of noble
houses) from the Duchy of Urnst
These bonuses continue accruing until they reach
a total bonus of +4.
Students at the Maure School are continually
training in combat techniques while they
improve their courtly skills; as such, they may
learn a feat from this list at a regular opportunity
to select a new feat:
• Chink in the Armor (Song and Silence)
• Expert Tactician (Song and Silence)
• Fleet of Foot (Song and Silence)
• Hold the Line (Sword and Fist)
• Knock-Down (Sword and Fist)
• Obscure Lore (Song and Silence)
• Off-Hand Parry (Sword and Fist)
• Pin Shield (Sword and Fist)
• Snatch Weapon (Song and Silence)
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The Maure School of the Art and Science of Defense
version 1.0
Students of the Maure School may learn up to
two of these feats through the Maure School
during their first full calendar year. One
additional feat may be obtained through the
Maure School after each subsequent calendar
year has passed.
Using Class Guidebooks
Members of the school who use equipment,
feats, prestige classes, spells, or other materials
described in the Sword and Fist, Defenders of
the Faith, Tome and Blood, Song and Silence, or
Masters of the Wild class guidebooks must carry
a copy of the relevant publications with them and
make them available for the DM to examine
upon request. Failure to provide the DM with a
copy of the material upon request allows the DM
to deny the player any and/or all access to the
material in question.
You must also carry a copy of this document
with you if possible.
Getting a Membership Certificate
You can download an enrollment package for the
Maure School of Defense from the Files area of
the Duchy of Urnst’s Yahoo! discussion group.
Print the package on a color printer and have
your next DM complete the enrollment
instructions.
Leaving the Maure School
Students who leave the Maure School suffer
several consequences:
• All time-based benefits stop accruing, but
are retained at their present level.
• The student is no longer able to learn feats
from the access list for the school.
• The student suffers a -2 circumstance
penalty to all Charisma-based skill checks
when dealing with nobles from the Duchy of
Urnst.
Questions
This is a metagame organization for the Duchy
of Urnst region of the Living Greyhawk
campaign. If you have questions about this
organization, you may ask questions on the
Duchy of Urnst region’s Yahoo! discussion
group (duchyofurnst@yahoogroups.com).
You may also contact James Zwiers
(macabail@shaw.ca) with questions.
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Graduating From the Maure
School
To graduate from the Maure School, a student
must meet all of these criteria:
• Base attack bonus +6
• Dodge and Run feats
• Skill Focus feat with one of these skills:
Craft (Calligraphy), Diplomacy, Knowledge
(Duchy of Urnst), Knowledge (history,
Duchy of Urnst), Knowledge (nobility and
royalty), Perform (Oration)
• Tumble, 7 ranks
• 7 ranks in three of these skills: Craft
(Calligraphy), Diplomacy, Knowledge
(Duchy of Urnst), Knowledge (history,
Duchy of Urnst), Knowledge (nobility and
royalty), Perform (Oration)
• 3 ranks in each additional skill emphasized
by the school
• Proficient with the rapier
Graduates of the Maure School receive the
following benefits:
• May wear the Mastiff and Hippocampus
badge of the Maure School.
• May purchase masterwork bladed gauntlets
(as described in the Sword and Fist class
guidebook) at a 10% discount, but only in
pairs. Non-masterwork versions of the
bladed gauntlet are not available.
• A +2 circumstance bonus to Diplomacy and
Gather Information skill checks when
dealing with students and graduates of the
Maure School of Defense.
• A -2 circumstance penalty to Diplomacy and
Gather Information skill checks when
dealing with students and graduates of the
Leukish School of Rapier.
The Maure School requires its graduates to
return each year and spend time instructing
students. Six time units must be spent in this
way; lifestyle cost (at Rich level) for the
graduate is covered by the tuition of the students
he instructs. If a graduate is too busy to carry out
these duties, a small gift of 50gp per time unit
usually buys a waiver of this responsibility.
The graduate is also expected to make an annual
yearly contribution to the school in the sum of
250gp.