Thlipit ContestantSource Howl of the Wild pg. 74 2.0According to folklore, the thlipit martial art began with a wager. A group of bored tripkees looking for a little sport devised a game of using their tongues to gather fruit out of nearby trees. As the competition wore on and the bets escalated, the contestants began snatching falling fruit in midair and even using their tongues to push away the competition. While the names of the original competitors vary between tellings, all agree that the contest ended with a particularly magnificent tongue flick, landing an overripe mango squarely upon a losing bettor’s head.
No matter the origin, variants of the game and the martial art it spawned have become mainstays in tripkee society. In contrast to other fighting styles, thlipit doesn’t stand on ceremony or rigid discipline. Practitioners refer to themselves as contestants and play off the forms and moves as mere exercises or games. Despite this veneer of frivolity, thlipit can be just as dangerous in the mouth of an adept as any other weapon.
Thlipit combines fluid movements reminiscent of whip fighting with the leverage of a wrestler’s stance. It favors quick smacks, brief grabs, and short throws. Friend, foe, and the contestant themselves always remain in motion. Moves are often exaggerated to play up stylish elements for spectators or lure brash opponents into attacking early.
No formal schools exist to teach thlipit. Many tripkees are familiar with the style from childhood games, even if they haven’t developed the physicality to be considered a true contestant. Self-directed instruction remains common, though aspiring contestants will seek out veterans and ask to be taken on as apprentices. Even though this sort of self-directed instruction happens frequently, a veteran contestant will still occasionally take on a student or two to pass along particular forms or styles.
Though thlipit originated with tripkees, tripkee migration to Vidrian and other population centers has exposed other peoples to the sport. Most notably, thlipit has become popular with the recent generation of iruxi youth, who have adapted it for use with a tail rather than a tongue. Though not every move is possible with a tail, they have added their own innovations to the style.
Additional Feats
Source Advanced Player's Guide pg. 149 2.0Some archetypes allow other feats beyond those in their entry. These are typically class feats, such as fighter feats that represent certain combat styles. The list of additional feats includes the feat's name, its level, and the page number where it appears. You can take the feat as an archetype feat of that level, meaning it counts toward the number of feats required by the archetype's dedication feat. When selected this way, a feat that normally has a class trait doesn't have that class trait.
Click here for the full rules on Additional Feats.
Archetype Dedication Source Howl of the Wild pg. 74 2.0Archetype Thlipit ContestantPrerequisites You have a long prehensile tongue or a tail. At the GM’s discretion, similar flexible appendages, such as tentacles, can be used to qualify instead.
Grueling practice has strengthened your tongue or tail to the point where it's become a formidable weapon. You gain a lash melee
unarmed attack that is in the
flail weapon group, deals 1d4 bludgeoning damage, and has the
grapple and
reach traits. The attack can be performed with any appendages you used to qualify for this feat.
Archetype Source Howl of the Wild pg. 74 2.0Archetype Thlipit ContestantPrerequisites Thlipit Contestant Dedication
You've learned the secret of swatting away annoying pests and occasionally getting an easy meal out of it. Your lash strikes ignore an amount of
swarms' resistance to physical damage equal to your level.
Archetype Attack Source Howl of the Wild pg. 74 2.0Archetype Thlipit ContestantPrerequisites Thlipit Contestant Dedication; trained in
AthleticsRequirements The target can’t be more than one size larger than you.
You quickly wrap your lash around an opponent and pull them toward you. Attempt an
Athletics check against the Fortitude DC of a target within your lash's reach.
Critical Success You
pull the target to any open space adjacent to you.
Success You pull the target to the nearest open space adjacent to you.
Critical Failure You misjudge your leverage and fall
prone.
Special If you have the
Titan Wrestler feat, you can target a creature up to two sizes larger than you, or up to three sizes larger than you if you’re legendary in
Athletics.
Lunge [one-action] Feat 4*
Fighter Source Player Core pg. 142 2.0Archetype Thlipit ContestantRequirements You are wielding a melee weapon
* This version of the Lunge feat is intended for use with an Archetype and has a different level for access than the
original feat.
You attack an enemy at the edge of your reach. Make a Strike with a melee weapon, increasing your reach by 5 feet for that Strike. If the weapon has the disarm, shove, or trip trait, you can use the corresponding action instead of a Strike.
Archetype Source Howl of the Wild pg. 74 2.0Archetype Thlipit ContestantPrerequisites Thlipit Contestant Dedication
You've learned to swing your lash ever faster and in wider arcs. The damage die of your lash increases to 1d6 instead of 1d4 and it gains the
sweep trait.
Slam Down [two-actions] Feat 6*
Fighter Flourish Source Player Core pg. 143 2.0Archetypes Mauler,
Thlipit ContestantPrerequisites trained in
Athletics* This version of the Slam Down feat is intended for use with an Archetype and has a different level for access than the
original feat.
You make an attack to knock a foe off balance, then follow up immediately with a sweep to topple them. Make a melee Strike. If it hits and deals damage, you can attempt an Athletics check to Trip the creature you hit. If you’re wielding a two-handed melee weapon, you can ignore Trip’s requirement that you have a hand free. Both attacks count toward your multiple attack penalty, but the penalty doesn’t increase until after you’ve made both of them.
Archetype Source Howl of the Wild pg. 74 2.0Archetype Thlipit ContestantPrerequisites Thlipit Contestant DedicationTrigger You or an ally within reach of your lash is the target of a physical ranged attack.
Your lash whips around to intercept projectiles. The target gains a +2 circumstance bonus to AC against the triggering attack. If the attack misses, you knock it out of the air.
Archetype Move Source Howl of the Wild pg. 74 2.0Archetype Thlipit ContestantPrerequisites Thlipit Contestant Dedication; master in
Athletics
You can wrap your lash around a tree branch or railing, then pull yourself where you need to go. Choose a solid anchor point within reach of your lash. You
Fly up to your Speed as you pivot around the anchor, ending in an open space where the anchor is still within reach of your lash. If you don't end your turn in a space you could stand, you fall.
Slurp Up [one-action] Feat 8
Archetype Source Howl of the Wild pg. 75 2.0Archetype Thlipit ContestantPrerequisites Thlipit Contestant Dedication; unarmed attack with your tongue
Your tongue darts out in search of refreshment. Choose a liquid container of up to light Bulk within reach of your lash, such as a
potion or
elixir. The container must be held or in the open, not stowed in a pack or bandoleer. If the container is unattended or held by a willing ally, you Interact to drink the contents. If the container is held by an unwilling creature, you must succeed on a check using your
unarmed attack modifier or
Thievery modifier against the creature's Reflex DC to drink the contents; this adds the
attack trait.
Archetype Source Howl of the Wild pg. 75 2.0Archetype Thlipit ContestantPrerequisites Thlipit Contestant Dedication; unarmed attack with your tail
Trigger A creature enters a square that would flank you.
Enemies who attempt to stab you in the back will be unhappy to find your lashing tail on guard. Make a melee Strike against the triggering creature. If your attack is a critical hit, the movement is disrupted. This Strike doesn't count toward your multiple attack penalty, and your multiple attack penalty doesn't apply to this Strike.
Archetype Source Howl of the Wild pg. 75 2.0Archetype Thlipit ContestantPrerequisites Thlipit Contestant DedicationTrigger A willing ally enters a space within your lash’s reach using a
move action.
You spin your lash out for your ally to grab on to, giving them a boost to their movement. You move the ally 15 feet into a square of their choice that is within reach of your lash. If the ally has movement remaining, they can continue their movement after completing the Slingshot Maneuver.
Fighter Source Player Core pg. 147 2.0Archetypes Mauler,
Thlipit ContestantPrerequisites Slam Down* This version of the Crashing Slam feat is intended for use with an Archetype and has a different level for access than the
original feat.
You can dash your foe to the ground with a single blow. When you use Slam Down, instead of making a Strike followed by a Trip, you can attempt a single Strike. If you do and your Strike hits, instead of rolling a check for your Trip attempt, you automatically apply the critical success effect of a Trip. If you used a two-handed melee weapon for the Strike, you can use the weapon’s damage die size instead of the regular die size for the damage from a critical Trip.
Archetype Source Howl of the Wild pg. 75 2.0Archetype Thlipit ContestantPrerequisites Thlipit Contestant Dedication
You've honed your reflexes so well that your lash can begin closing around a target as soon as it makes contact. Make a lash Strike; if the Strike hits, you can immediately attempt to
Grapple the target. Both actions count toward your multiple attack penalty, but don't increase your penalty until you've made both attacks.
Archetype Mental Source Howl of the Wild pg. 75 2.0Archetype Thlipit ContestantPrerequisites Thlipit Contestant DedicationRequirements You have a creature
grabbed or
restrained with your lash.
You wind your lash around your opponent, then spin them rapidly to discombobulate them. You release your opponent, sending them wobbling 10 feet in a direction of your choice; this is
forced movement. Your opponent must succeed at a Fortitude save against your class DC, with the following effects.
Failure The target is
confused until the end of their next turn. They are then temporarily immune to being confused or
sickened by Spinning Release for 10 minutes, though the ability can still be used to move them.
Critical Failure As failure, but the target is also sickened 1 from being spun around.
Archetype Attack Source Howl of the Wild pg. 75 2.0Archetype Thlipit ContestantPrerequisites Thlipit Contestant DedicationRequirements You have a creature
grabbed or
restrained with your lash.
After you've grasped a creature with your lash, you swing them around like a whirling hammer, smashing them into all nearby enemies. Make a melee Strike against each enemy within your melee reach. Your last attack must be against the grabbed creature, and you gain a circumstance bonus to your attack roll equal to the number of enemies you slammed them into, to a maximum of +3. Each attack counts toward your multiple attack penalty, but don't increase your penalty until you have made all your attacks. After your Whirling Clobber, you release the grabbed or restrained creature into an open square within reach of your lash.