Battle Protocol
Acquire Target
Mark one visible enemy, vehicle, machine, or weapon team as Target Locked. The first attack made by you against that target before the end of your next turn gains +2 to hit.
Skitarii
The cybernetic soldier of the Machine Cult. Rad-scarred lungs, targeting optics, bionic limbs, disciplined firepower, and absolute obedience to machine-command.
Forge World ClassesAugmented Battleline SoldierAvailable in 1.0
Class Dossier — Skitarii
Working Draft · v0.1Skitarii
The Omnissiah aims. The weapon obeys.
Forge-Bound ClassAvailable in 1.0Working Draft
The Skitarii is a soldier of the Machine Cult: half-human, half-weapon platform, wholly owned by war logic.
A Skitarii does not simply shoot. They receive target cant, synchronize optics, obey noospheric commands, advance through rad-haze, and turn the battlefield into a solved equation written in blood and shell impacts.
The class fantasy is simple:
A Skitarii survives through Agility, Intellect, targeting systems, machine discipline, weapon protocols, battlefield calculation, and devotion to the Omnissiah.
// Design Philosophy
The Skitarii should not play like a normal rifleman. The class should create moments like:
- I acquire the target and fire through the smoke.
- I advance because the protocol says casualties are acceptable.
- I mark the monster for the cohort.
- I ignore the toxin because my lungs are no longer a theological requirement.
- I let the Omnissiah decide which shot matters.
Signature Mechanic — Battle Protocols
Signature MechanicBattle Protocols are the Skitarii signature class mechanic.
A Battle Protocol is a machine-cult combat routine: target cant, weapon synchronization, auspex correction, rad-hardened advance, galvanic timing, or noospheric command pulse.
// Rules Draft
- A Skitarii starts with 3 Battle Protocols at level 1.
- Battle Protocols use limited Protocol Uses.
- Protocol Uses are restored after a safe rest.
- Draft Protocol Uses: Proficiency Bonus per safe rest.
- Protocols that force a target to resist use the Skitarii Protocol DC.
Protocol DC = 8 + Proficiency Bonus + Intellect modifier
If the Protocol is primarily physical or reflexive, the GM may allow Agility instead.
Battle Protocols are special. Skitarii do not gain a new Protocol every level.
Target Locks
Target LockA Target Lock is a creature, vehicle, weapon team, machine, or battlefield zone tagged by the Skitarii's optics or noospheric routines.
// Rules Draft
- By default, a Skitarii may have one active Target Lock at a time.
- Some Protocols are stronger against a Target Locked enemy.
- Target Lock usually lasts until the end of the scene, until the target drops to 0 Vitality, or until the Skitarii locks a new target.
The flesh sees movement. The machine sees permission.
Battle Protocols Known Progression
| Skitarii Level | Battle Protocols Known |
|---|---|
| 1 | 3 |
| 5 | 4 |
| 9 | 5 |
| 13 | 6 |
| 17 | 7 |
This progression is a working draft. Final class balance may change after all classes are designed.
Battle Protocols
Working DraftBattle Protocol
Rad-Hardened Advance
Until the start of your next turn, gain Advantage on Toughness Saves against poison, radiation, toxins, disease, smoke, chemical fog, or corrupted atmosphere. If you move toward a Target Locked enemy, gain +2 Defense against Reactive Fire.
Battle Protocol
Galvanic Correction
Before making a ranged attack, activate this Protocol to ignore Light Cover. If the target is Target Locked, add your Proficiency Bonus to damage on a hit.
Battle Protocol
Noospheric Ping
Choose one visible enemy or machine. Allies within 30 feet who can receive your signal gain +1 to Awareness or attack rolls against it until the start of your next turn.
Battle Protocol
Binary Discipline
When you fail a Willpower Save against fear, Pinned, psychic dread, or morale-breaking effects, reroll the save. If the effect came from a machine, daemon-engine, or corrupted technology, gain +2 on the reroll.
Battle Protocol
Taser Vector
Your next melee attack with a Taser Goad or electro-weapon gains +2 to hit. If it hits a Target Locked enemy, that enemy loses its Reaction until the start of your next turn.
Battle Protocol
Calculated Sacrifice
When you would take damage while advancing toward a Target Locked enemy or objective, reduce the damage by 1d10 + your Skitarii level. Afterward, you become Exposed until the start of your next turn.
Doctrine Trees
Progression SystemSkitarii progression uses Doctrine Trees.
Doctrine Trees represent different Skitarii combat routines, cohort patterns, and sacred battlefield functions.
Each rank costs 1 Doctrine Point and requires the previous rank in that tree unless future rules say otherwise.
// Doctrine Points Progression
Skitarii gain 1 Doctrine Point at every even level.
Doctrine Points
| Skitarii Level | Doctrine Points Gained |
|---|---|
| 2 | +1 |
| 4 | +1 |
| 6 | +1 |
| 8 | +1 |
| 10 | +1 |
| 12 | +1 |
| 14 | +1 |
| 16 | +1 |
| 18 | +1 |
| 20 | +1 |
This progression is a working draft. Final class balance may change after all classes are designed.
Rank 1Rad-Sealed Lungs
Gain +1 to Toughness Saves against toxins, radiation, poison, disease, smoke, and hostile atmosphere.
Rank 2Poisoned Advance
When you move toward a Target Locked enemy through smoke, gas, radiation, corruption, or hazardous terrain, Reactive Fire against you has Disadvantage.
Rank 3Rad-Saturation Fire
When you hit a Target Locked enemy with a radium weapon, it has Disadvantage on its next Toughness Save before the end of your next turn.
Rank 4Hostile Atmosphere Doctrine
Once per safe rest, ignore the first condition or penalty from poison, radiation, smoke, or battlefield toxins for one scene.
Rank 5The Air Belongs to Mars
Once per safe rest, choose a 15-foot zone within range. Enemies in the zone must make a Toughness Save against your Protocol DC or become Exposed and lose Reactions until the start of your next turn.
The air is killing everyone. You were modified to consider this acceptable.