The Hewn Tree (3.5, Profession [Lumberjack] discipline)

[Zaydos]

Hewn Tree

Long ago the wood elves and humanity fought many wars over logging in the forests. The Hewn Tree is merely one of many bloody scraps of history left over from that time. Invented by human War-Loggers, known for their great strength and unstoppable berserk rages where they passed through the forest, axes cleaving a path of blood, these War-Loggers were feared indeed. While most modern practitioners of the Hewn Tree lack these ancient war-loggers' deadly battle rages, and ability to fell great trees with a single swing, they are still fearsome warriors able to hack and hew their way through the battlefield.

Associated Skill: Profession (Lumberjack).

Discipline Weapons: Hand-axe, Throwing Axe, Battle Axe, Greataxe, Dwarven War-Axe, Dwarven Urgosh, any axe not here listed.

Gaining the Hewn Tree Discipline: A crusader, morphic claw, swordsage, or warblade may trade access to any discipline they possess to gain the Hewn Tree in its place, adding Profession (Lumberjack) to their class skill list if it was not already there.

Maneuvers List

Cut the Mighty: 1st, Strike. Deal bonus damage to creatures larger than you.
Disorienting Strike: 1st, Strike. Target suffers -2 penalty to attacks, checks, and AC.
Sudden Cleave: 1st, Boost. Gain cleave, bonus to damage.
Tree-Cutting Stance: 1st, Stance. Add damage with slashing melee weapons based on your Profession (Lumberjack) skill.
Brush Clearing Sweep: 2nd, Strike. Attack creatures in 3 contiguous squares.
Wood Shattering Blow: 2nd, Strike. Attack deals +2d6 damage, increasing to 4d6 against Plant creatures.
Forest Clearing Stance: 3rd, Stance. Clear undergrowth by passing through it.
Leg Hewing Strike: 3rd, Strike. Deal +2d6 damage and trip foes.
Splintering Blow: 3rd, Strike. Deal +3d6 damage, take attack penalty to increase further.
Timber Fall: 4th, Boost. Deal bonus damage with a trip.
Wood Splitter: 4th, Strike. Deal +6d6 damage.
Limb Dodge: 5th, Counter. Gain Improved Evasion against one effect.
Power Clearing Sweep: 5th, Strike. Attack creatures in 3 contiguous squares dealing +4d6 damage.
Redwood Logger: 5th, Stance. Negate size bonuses to your opponents' rolls made as part of a trip.
Timber Cutting Swing: 6th, Strike. +6d6 damage and a free trip attempt, target cannot stand for 1 round.
Muscle Surge: 6th, Boost. Add 1/3rd your IL to Strength checks for 1 round and increase your carrying capacity.
Cut Life: 7th, Strike. Reduce a target's health to 1/2.
Redwood Cleave: 8th, Strike. +10d6 damage, and knock target prone dealing additional damage based on its size and damaging nearby creatures.
Paul Bunyan Stance: 8th, Stance. Grow a size category.
Forest Clearing Sweep: 9th, Strike. Attack all targets within reach dealing +15d6 damage.



Hewn Tree Feats

Tree Hewer
You have learned some of the ancient secrets of the War Loggers used in their battles against the wood elves and their companions.
Prerequisites: One Hewn Tree maneuver.
Benefit: You gain a +1 to hit and +2 to damage against Animal, Fey, Humanoid (Elf), Magical Beast, and Plant creatures.

Song of the Lumberjack
You are a true lumberjack, quick of song and mighty of thews.
Prerequisites: Bardic Music (Inspire Courage), one Hewn Tree maneuver.
Benefit: While you are in a Hewn Tree stance you may activate Inspire Courage as a swift action. In addition you may add your levels in any base class which grants the Hewn Tree discipline to your bard levels to determine the bonus granted by your Inspire Courage ability.

Infuriating Turn of Tune [Joke] (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5zey8567bcg)
You are able to drive your foes to great vengeance and anger against you.
Prerequisites: Song of the Lumberjack.
Benefit: When singing a Bardic Music performance, in a Hewn Tree Stance, and wearing high heels, suspenders, and a bra, you are able to incite great rage into your foes. Any enemy within the range of your Bardic Music which can hear and see you must make a Will save (DC 10 + 1/2 character level + your Charisma modifier). Creatures which fail their Will save must attack you with ranged and melee attacks in preference to other available targets. If an affected foe attacks with a spell or supernatural or extraordinary ability they must target you with the the attack or include you in its area. An opponent compelled this way does not have to provoke attacks of opportunity to reach you in melee and if doing so would provoke attacks of opportunity they may make a melee attack against any opponent in reach as normal. If anyone other than you attacks a target the effect ends on that target. This effect lasts only as long as the target can see and hear you singing the bard song.

Falling Tree Path
While still nothing more than scattered remnants you have gathered as many of the techniques of the ancient war-loggers as you can. With powerful blows you terrorize foes knocking them to the ground, cutting them down when they rise to stand, and clearing the way of environmental impediments.
Prerequisites: Tree Hewer, BAB +6, 2 Hewn Tree maneuvers.
Benefit: The Falling Tree Path feat grants you three tactical options.
Fell the Regrown Tree: To use this option you must knock a target prone and they must stand up from prone. On your next turn you gain a +4 bonus to hit and damage against all standing foes which were knocked prone by you since the beginning of your last turn.
Clear the Forest: To use this option you must knock a target prone with a melee attack and then make an attack against another creature in the same round. If you hit a standing target with a melee attack and successfully deal damage to them you may make a Trip attempt as a free action against that target with a +1 bonus on the trip attempt for every 6 damage you dealt with the attack. This bonus trip attempt does not provoke attacks of opportunity or allow your enemy to respond to trip you back, and you may not make the bonus attack granted by Improved Trip against a target you trip with this ability.
Foliage Clearing Sweep: To use this option you must make an attack on a creature with cover or concealment less than total. You may roll miss chance their concealment twice and take the worst result and double their cover bonus to AC. If you do so on your next turn you may ignore any cover or concealment that creature possesses less than total on all attacks.

[Zaydos]

Hewn Tree Maneuvers

Sorted by level and alphabetically.

1st Level Maneuvers

Cut the Mighty
Hewn Tree (Strike)
Level: 1st
Initiation Action: Standard.
Range: Melee attack.
Target: 1 creature.
A Hewn Tree practitioner learns to fell even the largest foe, their axe cutting deep to turn a foe’s size against it.
When you use this maneuver make a single melee attack. It deals +2d6 damage against creatures larger than you.

Disorienting Strike
Hewn Tree (Strike)
Level: 1st
Initiation Action: Standard.
Range: Melee attack.
Target: 1 creature.
Duration: 1 round.
You strike your foe hard leaving them shaken.
When you initiate this maneuver make a single melee attack. If the attack hits in addition to its normal damage the target suffers a -2 penalty to attack rolls, ability and skill checks, AC, and Reflex saves for 1 round.

Sudden Cleave
Hewn Tree (Boost)
Level: 1st
Initiation Action: Swift action.
Range: Personal.
Target: You.
As one foe falls you strike at another.
You may only use this boost when you knock out, kill, or destroy a foe. Make an immediate attack at your highest attack bonus against an enemy within range. This attack deals +1d6 damage.

Tree-Cutting Stance
Hewn Tree (Stance)
Level: 1st
Initiation Action: Swift.
Range: Personal.
Target: You.
Duration: Stance.
You hold yourself steady making powerful blows, cutting deep into your foes.
While in this stance you deal additional damage with slashing weapons equal to ½ your ranks in Profession (Lumberjack) or 2 + ½ your Initiator Level whichever is less.

2nd Level Maneuvers


Brush Clearing Sweep
Hewn Tree (Strike)
Level: 2nd
Initiation Action: Standard action.
Range: Melee attack.
Target: 1 to 3 creatures.
You strike in a wide sweep, battering down a series of foes at once.
When you initiate this maneuver you may make an attack on creatures within each of 3 contiguous squares within reach.

Wood-Shattering Blow
Hewn Tree (Strike)
Level: 2nd
Initiation Action: Standard action.
Range: Melee attack.
Target: 1 creature.
You strike deep into a foe, pushing through bark and armor to remove a wedge from your foe.
As part of this maneuver make a melee attack. It deals +2d6 damage, increasing to +4d6 against Plant creatures.

3rd Level Maneuvers

Forest Clearing Stance
Hewn Tree (Stance)
Level: 3rd
Prerequisites: 1 Hewn Tree maneuver.
Initiation Action: Swift.
Range: Personal.
Target: You.
Duration: Stance.
You cut and slash as you pass through, clearing the forest as quickly as you pass.
While in this stance and wielding a slashing weapon if you would enter a square with undergrowth or heavy undergrowth that undergrowth is removed. If a non-creature plant would entangle you or slow your movement you may destroy it as a free action.

Leg Hewing Strike
Hewn Tree (Strike)
Level: 3rd
Prerequisites: 1 Hewn Tree maneuver.
Initiation Action: Standard action.
Range: Melee attack.
Targets: 1 creature.
You strike at your foe’s leg bringing them to the ground.
As part of this maneuver make a melee attack. This attack deals +2d6 damage and if you hit you may make a Trip attempt as a free action with a +4 bonus, if you fail on this trip attempt your opponent may not react to trip you back.

Splintering Blow
Hewn Tree (Strike)
Level: 3rd
Prerequisites: 1 Hewn Tree maneuver.
Initiation Action: Standard action.
Range: Melee attack.
Targets: 1 creature.
You strike your target with reckless furor, bringing down upon them enough force to splinter wood and shatter stone.
As part of this maneuver make a melee attack. This attack deals +3d6 damage, and you may take a penalty on the attack up to your Initiator Level and deal +1d6 damage per -1 penalty taken.

4th Level Maneuvers

Timber Fall
Hewn Tree (Boost)
Level: 4th
Prerequisites: 1 Hewn Tree maneuver.
Initiation Action: Swift Action.
Range: Melee.
Target: 1 creature.
You send a creature tumbling to the ground with the force of a falling tree.
You may initiate this maneuver when you trip a creature or otherwise knock it prone with a melee attack. The target crashes to the ground hard receiving 2d6 damage + 1d6 damage per size category above Small. In addition any creature other than yourself adjacent to the target must make a Reflex save (DC 14 + your Strength + 1 per size the target is above Small) or take this damage as well.

Wood-Splitter
Hewn Tree (Strike)
Level: 4th
Prerequisites: 1 Hewn Tree maneuver.
Initiation Action: Standard Action.
Range: Melee attack.
Target: 1 creature.
You strike down on your foe, focusing on nothing more than inflicting as much damage as possible.
When you initiate this maneuver make a single melee attack. If the attack hits it deals +6d6 damage.

5th Level Maneuvers

Limb Dodge
Hewn Tree (Counter)
Level: 5th
Prerequisites: 1 Hewn Tree maneuvers.
Initiation Action: Immediate action.
Range: Personal.
Target: You.
Duration: Instantaneous.
As a tree crashes to the ground its limb may fall in an unpredicted and dangerous manner, resulting in a desperate need to dodge the falling wood.
You may initiate this maneuver when you must make a Reflex save. You gain Improved Evasion against that effect; unlike a monk or rogue’s improved evasion this ability functions in medium and heavy armor as well as when carrying a heavy load.

Power Clearing Sweep
Hewn Tree (Strike)
Level: 5th
Prerequisites: 2 Hewn Tree maneuvers.
Initiation Action: Standard action.
Range: Melee attack.
Target: 1 to 3 creatures.
You strike in a wide arc, a powerful blow to clear the path of lesser foes.
When you initiate this maneuver you may make an attack on creatures within each of 3 contiguous squares within reach. These attacks deal +4d6 damage.

Redwood Logger
Hewn Tree (Stance)
Level: 5th
Prerequisites: 2 Hewn Tree maneuvers.
Initiation Action: Swift.
Range: Personal.
Target: You.
Duration: Stance.
The mighty redwood is the tallest of trees, stretching into the sky to the very heights that gravity allows. A practitioner of the Hewn Tree is adept at bringing even these mighty trees down, pulling these titans to the ground.
While in this stance opponents do not gain bonuses to opposed checks made as part of a trip for being larger than you.

6th Level Maneuvers

Timber Cutting Swing
Hewn Tree (Strike)
Level: 6th
Prerequisites: 3 Hewn Tree maneuvers.
Initiation Action: Standard action.
Range: Melee attack.
Target: 1 creature.
Duration: 1 round.
You strike your foe knocking them sprawling to the ground with a mighty blow leaving them sprawling for a few moments.
When you use this maneuver make a melee attack. This attack deals an additional +6d6 damage and you may attempt to trip the target as a free action with a +4 bonus on the trip attempt and your enemy cannot react to trip you in response if you fail. If you succeed on the trip attempt the target cannot rise from prone for 1 round.

Muscle Surge
Hewn Tree (Boost)
Level: 6th
Prerequisites: 2 Hewn Tree maneuvers.
Initiation Action: Swift.
Range: Personal.
Target: You.
Duration: 1 round.
Your body surges with power and strength, allowing you to perform prodigious feats of power.
For the duration of this maneuver you gain a bonus on Strength checks and Strength based skill checks equal to 1/3rd your Initiator Level; you also add your Initiator Level to your Strength to determine your carrying capacity.

7th Level Maneuvers

Cut Life
Hewn Tree (Strike)
Level: 7th
Prerequisites: 2 Hewn Tree maneuvers.
Initiation Action: Standard Action.
Range: Melee attack.
Target: 1 creature.
Saving Throw: Fort negates.
Your blow severs a creature’s life force, cutting it in twain.
When you initiate this maneuver make a single melee attack. If the attack hits after dealing its normal damage the target must make a Fortitude save (DC 17 + Str mod) or take damage equal to ½ its remaining hit points; this damage is not prevented by Damage Reduction or any other means, converted to nonlethal by regeneration, or multiplied or increased by any means.

8th Level Maneuvers

Redwood Cleave
Hewn Tree (Strike)
Level: 8th
Prerequisites: 3 Hewn Tree maneuvers.
Initiation Action: Standard action.
Range: Melee attack.
Target: 1 creature.
You swing your axe at your foe, bringing them low with a meteoric crash.
As part of this maneuver make a melee attack. This attack deals +10d6 damage and the target must make a Reflex save (DC 18 + Str mod) or fall prone to the ground taking another 2d6 damage + 1d6 damage per size category above Small. Creatures, other than yourself, adjacent to the target must make a Reflex save (DC 18 + Str mod + 1 per size category above small of the target) or take the same damage as the creature did by falling.

Paul Bunyan Stance
Hewn Tree (Stance)
Level: 8th
Prerequisites: 3 Hewn Tree maneuvers.
Initiation Action: Swift.
Range: Personal.
Target: You.
Duration: Stance.
You seem to stand taller, striking further, your body expanding as it fills with adrenaline and power.
While in this stance your size increases by 1 size category; you do not gain any ability score adjustments from this size change, though your size bonuses to various rolls may be influenced. You gain additional reach as normal and your weapons and armor expand as well. This is a size-increasing effect and does not stack with others (such as Enlarge Person or Expansion.

This is a supernatural ability.

9th Level Maneuvers

Forest Clearing Sweep
Hewn Tree (Strike)
Level: 9th
Prerequisites: 4 Hewn Tree maneuvers.
Initiation Action: Standard action.
Range: Melee attack.
Target: All enemies within range.
You swing your weapon in a powerful circle, acting like the funnel of tornado when it creates a clearing from a lush forest, bringing down all foes it can reach.
As part of this maneuver your melee reach increases by 5-ft (this is applied after any doubling from reach weapons) and you make a melee attack against each enemy within your melee reach. These attacks deal +15d6 damage.