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[Bauglir]

So, I'm coming up with subdivisions for categories of special powers characters can have in a tabletop game. For instance, Sorcery, a school of magic, has Conjuration, Enchantment, Illusion, and Motion. Nonmagical groups are proving somewhat more tricky, possibly due to a failure on my part to have the proper vocabulary. For instance, under the Tactics discipline, which is all about using particular weapons (I couldn't actually come up with a proper name for that, even), I've got Archery (for your bows), Brawling (for unarmed combat), Sharpshooting (for crossbows/guns), and Swordplay (should probably change to blade-something? need daggers in here, too). But I'm having trouble coming up with a word that properly describes the use of a Axes and Hammers (that'd be one group), and one that describes the use of Polearms. Any ideas? Everything I've thought of sounds ugly, stupid, or is way too specific.

In a related vein, I'm trying to think of a fourth category for the use of Language. I've got Charm, for all your bluffing and convincing needs, Intimidation for when you absolutely have to coerce every motherfucker in the room, and Leadership for when you need to give good advice or an inspiring speech or song or what have you, but I'm having trouble figuring out another conceptual niche that has applicability. It has to be nonmagical, because I'm full up on magical stuff right now, otherwise I'd just stick truespeechly things in or something. Something involving writing is appealing, but I can't actually see applications. Storytelling and other bits of lore-use falls under a different discipline entirely, as well. Thoughts?

[Max White]

Maces and axes: Bludgeoning?
Polearms: Polearm mastery? Phalanx?

Extra social skill: Reason, ones ability to appeal to a logical and rational stand point, useful for dealing with higher intelligence. Resolve, ones ability to resist social effects, basically the verbal defense skill. Console, ones ability to reassure and calm allies, used to lower sanity loss in allies.

[Bauglir]

Bludgeoning doesn't quite sound right with axes, and since I'll be using bludgeoning as a damage type, it's a bit odd. Polearm Mastery sounds more like a particular ability, if you see what I mean - the basic investment would hardly be worth being called "mastery". Phalanx would be good enough, but I don't know how to convert it to the appropriate part of speech. Phalanxery is probably not a word. This sort of thing is the major problem I'm having, yeah. I appreciate the help, though.

I like Resolve, though. Some sort of resilience and resilience-by-example-for-others kind of thing. Probably take that, put it in Leadership, and then split off Strategy as a separate concept. Maybe rename Leadership to Inspiration or something.

[Max White]

Perseverance could be what you need as far as the new leadership goes...

Polearm proficiency?

[Bauglir]

Little too mechanical-sounding, at that point. Archery, Brawling, Sharpshooting and... Polearm Proficiency? One of these seems out of place. I'm being awfully picky, I know. Sorry about that.

[ragnarok97071]

For your tactics, you could change the skill name to Weapon Mastery, since Tactics is usually seen as being knowledge of how to plan ahead in the short-term, use terrain, and stuff, which would be a subskill of the Reason section suggested earlier.

For polearms...

hm.

Hard to really describe that.

Give me a few, I'll think on it.

And for the Axe/Mace skill...

Maybe Crushing or Heavy Weapons? I dunno, they don't really use too much skill. You just swing them and let the momentum of hitting them with a heavy-ass bit of metal do the damage.

[Knight of Fools]

Poking, Axing, Chopping, Stabbing, and Smashing are silly ones I thought of off the top of my head. Weaponeering might be a good replacement for Tactics, though its place in the dictionary is questionable. When you're making a system that explains things that haven't been explained so simply before, though, you're excused making some new words.

Finesse (For Daggers), Brutality or Berserking (For Axes and other Smashiness), Style (For Rapiers), Reach (For Pole Arms), Throwing... Steadfastness or Blocking (Shields or Armor), Evasion (Dodge)...

That's about all I can think of.

And also, Axes are pretty similar to Hammers when you chop with them. The main difference is that hammers have their impact area ground down to a wedge, and essentially bludgeon their way through whatever they hit. Hammers can have the same effect, but their impact area is much more spread out. Naturally, they can cut things, but it's generally more effective to just roflchop them.

[Max White]

Hole jabbing?

[Levi]

I like just putting -mancy on everything.  Like Lingomancy and Smashomancy.

[Knight of Fools]

Mancymancy - Jack of All Trades.

[ragnarok97071]

I like just putting -mancy on everything.  Like Lingomancy and Smashomancy.

unless you're divining, you're doing it wrong.

[Knight of Fools]

If you're doing it wrong, you're doing Failomancy.

[Neonivek]

Dueling, Fencing, Swashbuckling, Chivalry

[Bauglir]

Okay, new idea, I'll loosen up the naming scheme to allow words that aren't necessarily "The Act of Using This Type of Thing". So that I can just name them things like Axe and Hammer or something. I did basically the same thing with elemental magic, which fills a few similar design niches anyway, so I don't know why that didn't occur to me sooner. Thanks!

[IronyOwl]

Okay, new idea, I'll loosen up the naming scheme to allow words that aren't necessarily "The Act of Using This Type of Thing". So that I can just name them things like Axe and Hammer or something. I did basically the same thing with elemental magic, which fills a few similar design niches anyway, so I don't know why that didn't occur to me sooner. Thanks!

Aw, I never got to suggest Sledgery.