Chapter Four - Level Two!

Oh, but I wasn't done. Because I had Karma waiting.

And so, I clicked over the mental latch to Melee/2. One Class Level earned per day, right?

My Soul seemed to billow and expand inside me. I inhaled whatever passed for air here as every cell in my body quivered at the expansion in spiritual foundation.

The immediate benefits were Fort Save +1 for Class, total Class modifier +3, for +11 total with all mods. Another +4 HP from a new d6+4, overriding my Expert Level's Hit die. FC benefits +1 Soak and skill point, +2 style defense. Another Feat, and two Techniques.

Soak now 51.

Class Feature: Resolve kicks in.

Resolve was the mental discipline of the Melee class, divided into several sections. The bonus was +1 at /2, and +1/4 Levels thereafter.

Bravery: +1 saves vs Fear. Not so applicable to me, but it drove some other benefits later on.

Skilled: another skill point per level, and name a new Class skill. I picked Intimidation. I suddenly got much better at reading weakness in people and knowing how to play on that weakness and prey on their resolve. It was a very predatory feeling.

10 Skill points to allocate, with the bonus for Skilled; Blacksmith 1, Armorsmith 1, Jump 1, Intimidate 3, Sense Motive 3, Diplomacy 1.

Proficient: add another weapon to Primary Weapon Group. I picked Shield.

Inspired, able to go dumpster diving for Feats, a number of times per day equal to Resolve bonus, for a number of Feats equal to Resolve bonus + your Int or Expertise Bonus, if you had the Feat… which meant four Combat Feats once a day, for me. Numbers to improve rapidly in the future.

Versatile, free use of Inspired in the morning, to set bonus Feats for the day.

Vigorous, the Melee healing effect. Converted Health lethal damage to temporary damage, amount equal to Melee Level + Fort Save. So, +2 +11, or 13 points. Turning the deadly into something I could walk off over the course of two hours. Of course, more effective with more Health, and it was a slow recovery option, not an instant heal. It also stopped bleeding, removed fear effects, and took care of minor nausea and pain and similar things.

More Vigor meant more staying power. I just needed a way to heal temporary damage faster...

Bonus Forsaken Feat from Class Level: Combat Expertise Technique, upgraded from the Class Feat at /1, which only allowed a TH/AC swap. The Technique allowed much, much more, representing the fact you were a student and scholar of martial combat, the key Int-based combat Feat. As its first Improved maneuver allowed, I picked Improved Grapple… because you could use IUS while you had something pinned. The Expertise bonus would be applying across a lot of other things, cause Expertise, if you were a smart Melee, was AWESOME.

Bonus Combat Technique: Deadly Precision. This was the Dex-based -to-hit, +to damage effect. It wasn't as good as power attack, but it did apply to finessed combat weapons, light thrown weapons, and most ranged projectiles smaller than siege weapons. I would have preferred Power Attack, as it worked with more Weapons and could do more damage, but given that I'd be taking Archer Levels sooner or later, it was fine.

Bonus Training Feat: Depths of Resolve, +2 uses of Vigor and Inspiration per day. Which would give me more flexibility and endurance for what was to come. My soul swelled as more energy coursed through me.

+2 MAB, +1 RAB. This basically overrode Expert's pathetic bonuses, so basically meant no change due to stacking.

Expert/3 now meant I got a Level-based Character Feat… which, as a Forsaken, meant I got two. Except I could feel I didn't, just like no Talent or level one Feat from my last life.

Technically, I should be able to assign those Feats to anything, but I since I believed my Expert Levels were going to be treated like multi-classing, so the Feats I picked would be restricted to those that worked with my Expert Levels.

Educated, +2 to all Knowledge-type skills, +4 at Ten. All Knowledge skills were always Class Skills.

Clarity ruffled through the pages in my mind, paths and connections between different pieces of knowledge interwove for speed and surety, bits of trivia lined themselves up for importance, keywords lit up for attention. Educated wouldn't make me know more, but made me more able to work with what I knew. I had deliberately picked Knowledge that was universal in nature, unlike History, Local Lore, and Nobility, which were totally dependent on the area and would be both useless right now and wildly inaccurate, to boot.

It was confidence, planning for the future. For me, Expert levels were about knowledge and careers. I'd be assigning those Skill Ranks accordingly in the future. It was inefficient, but I highly doubted I'd be able to get 'adventurer' skills with this 'inherited' bunch of Class Levels, so meh. I might even have lost them if I tried, instead of playing along…

So the old me was a bookworm, cater to the sot. Sama-me could make use of them!

So, was I ready? I looked at the mists ahead, whatever life they led to. The Curse would punish me if I set foot outside this zone… which was exactly what I was hoping for.

Set Renewal to Midnight. For most people, Renewal would be dawn, but I wanted it sooner, just in case. Sure, sure, it was during the night. It was also the high point of the Silver Queen, so there.

Versatile, my free Inspiration. I bloomed for four Combat Feats after some thought. This was effectively my 'morning', after all.

Versatile Unarmed Strike, ki able to manifest inflicted damage as blunt, piercing, or slashing, and for the whole body, not just claw. I could now make a hole with my forehead, or cut apart a tissue with my elbow. Likely to be a huge surprise to those fighting me. My whole body was not just a lethal weapon, but every type of lethal weapon!

Penetrate Damage Reduction. It was only 2 points, but that meant 2 more damage inflicted on an enemy, and it applied against the hardness of Constructs.

Dodge, +1 dodge bonus AC. It would improve with Melee Class Armor Training, but that was next level. More AC was more staying power.

Improved Initiative. Going first was important, decided the pace of a fight, the terrain, and negated ambushes and surprises.

These were just baseline average Feats. I could go dumpster diving for specifics if I needed to. I'd be restricted by my MAB, but that would be improving.

I looked at the mists ahead of me, set my mind to the fighting sure to come, and stepped forwards.