"If We Must Die..." (ToB Discipline)

[ObsidianRose]

As of this posting, this isn't quite done yet, but I wanted to get my ideas down on paper.

Yeah, this is seriously a discipline based on the poetry of Claude McKay. More fluff, later, but I'm thinking of The Freedman's Dreadnought (McKay wrote for a paper called the Workers' Dreadnought)

Associated skill is Perform:Poetry (we go singing into battle?), and the associated weapons are spiked armor, greatsword, greataxe, warhammer, and maul.

The concept is also the name of the last two maneouvers, or in the words of Claude McKay "For their thousand blows, let us deal one death blow"

So here's a few, while I'm thinking.

First Level:
If We Must Die (Stance)- Add initiator level to saves vs poisons and disease. Add half to saves vs death effects (rounded up)
Round Us Bark the Dogs (Counter) - Attackers do not gain a flanking bonus to attack, and if flanked, all enemies are pushed back 5 feet
Pressed to the wall (Boost) - When initiator is adjacent to a wall, gain bonuses based on perform:poetry roll
Let Us Show Us Brave (Boost) - Increase size bonuses one step against trip, grapple, overrun, or bull rush


Second Level:
Not Shed in Vain (Counter) - Attacker automatically threatens critical, but is disarmed and loses all subsequent attacks

Fourth Level:
O Let us Nobly Die (Stance) - Allies gain a +1 morale bonus to attacks and damage (stacks with itself up to ranks in perform:poetry) each time you are attacked, until the end of the encounter

Eight Level:
For their thousand blows (Stance) - Initiator gains DR 1/-, doubles each time he is attacked in that round
Like Men We Will Face the Pack (Counter) - When the initiator's hit points are reduced below 20, gain effects of deathless frenzy for one round. Each point below -10 HP is added as a bonus to damage

Ninth Level:
Let us deal one death blow (Strike) - When the initiator's DR from "For their thousand blows" reaches 16/-, make a single attack. If it is successful, the target must make a fortitude save against a DC of 10 + the DR of the initiator or die. If the target succeeds on the save, all of the damage of this attack is nonlethal and quadrupled

[ObsidianRose]

No comments so far?

[Innis Cabal]

There isn't that much to review, how do they work? What sort of action are they?

Also, bolding and spacing will do you wonders.

[TwistofCain]

Well, I'll go ahead and bump this thread, because I like the idea. I think that there's a lot of potential here. First thing I'd like to suggest is a change in the associated weapons list. I mean, if this style is based of the freed laborer defending himself against the exploitative bosses, we should hardly use an adventurer's weapons. What laborer, after all, knows how to use a greatsword or spiked armor? They would know how to use a blacksmith's hammer (warhammer), pitchfork (trident), harvesting sickle, dagger, or at the very least a club. Also, I think that "Round Us Bark the Dogs" would work better as a stance, and perhaps switch "If We Must Die" to a counter. I went ahead and created a potential stat block for "Round Us Bark the Dogs":

Round Us Bark the Dogs
Freedman's Dreadnaught (Stance)
Martial Adept 1 (Not sure what classes would get this discipline)
Initiation Action: 1 swift action
Range: 20ft
Target: You
Duration: Stance

When his foes surround him and press his allies, a practicioner of the Freedman's Dreadnaught cries forth to hearten his allies, and keep their spirits up and their attention sharp. When the practicioner initiates this stance, all allies within 20 feet gain its benefits. Any enemy who flanks a character under the influence of this stance does not gain the normal bonuses for flanking. In addition, any ally benefitting from this stance who is being flanked may make a single attack as a standard action against any foe flanking him or her. If this attack is successful, that foe is driven back five feet. This ability can be used once per round that they are under the effects of this stance.