Hand (sage study)

Hand is a sage study in the field of the Way of the Stick, using the open hand to block, stun or misdirect the attacks of an enemy.

Sage Abilities

The sage abilities below are those acquired by a character through the study, according to status.

Amateur Status

• Correct Form: enables the character to master the body's position when attacking with open hand, so that 5 attacks every four rounds can be achieved before the character reaches 4th level.

• Hammer Strike: costing 3 action points, the character strikes an opponent with both hands held together, forcing the defender back one combat hex, so that the character can move forward into the empty hex. The hammer strike causes +1 damage and has a 50% chance of stunning for two rounds instead of one, if sufficient damage is done.

• Target Strike: Using the open palm as a blade, striking an acupressure point, if the character exceeds the number needed to hit the enemy's armour class by 5 points with his or her attack die, the enemy is stunned regardless of the damage done. The enemy cannot be larger than twice the attacking character's weight.

Expert Status

• Correct Effort: the monk's open hand damage improves to one level above the monk's present ability.

Sage Status

See Monk Sage Abilities