Our Arrows Shall Blot out the Sun!

[imp_fireball]

Peerless Mobility - Monk Progression

Spoiler

Show

At sixth level and higher, unless immobile, a monk may make a five foot step, even when she would be denied such an opportunity. She may also be granted two 5ft. steps under normal circumstances (or one 10ft. step that can be dispersed in fragments of 5ft. steps).

- This ability increases every three levels thereafter by increasing the 5 foot step by 5ft. At 18th level, the monk acquires 'double jump' which allows her to perform jump and tumble checks (one of each) without a surface as well as elevate into the air by way of 5ft. steps without the need of a surface to stand on. In this way, 18th level, a monk can make up to 25ft. 'peerless steps' that can be performed as if under the 'freedom' spell (through terrain, etc.) and one additional 5ft. step that is an ordinary 5ft. step (without the benefits of 'freedom').

The table is thus:

{table]Sixth Level|5ft. Peerless Step|10ft. step|No New Ability
Ninth Level|10ft. Peerless Step|15ft. step|Wispy
Twelfth Level|15ft. Peerless Step|20ft. Step|No New Ability
Fifteenth Level|20ft. Peerless Step|25ft. Step|No New Ability
Eighteenth Level|25ft. Peerless Step|30ft. Step|Double Jump
[/table]

Epic Level Monk

- For epic levels, simply continue the pattern, but for every ten levels after eighteenth, increase the number of jump and tumble checks that can be performed in mid air and without a surface to stand on - effectively, a 28th level monk would have the ability 'triple jump'.

Wispy (Ex)

Like an agile spirit, you flit through your range of motion, stopping and starting seamlessly and using the conjured momentum to your advantage.

At 9th level, a monk can make steps (5ft. or greater) in the same round that they move, but they must have at least a move action left over after they complete their step. Additionally, they can only move up to their base speed (not including the step) in this round.

Without: A character cannot make 5ft. steps in the same round that they move between spaces in a move action.

Double Jump(Ex)

A double jump is a vertical jump that can be performed in mid air with little or no surface at a position of the monk's choosing (at whatever point/distance they achieve) and that can be combined with a tumble, but only while mid air. A 'hop' is an immediate action. A jump with a running start followed by a double jump will double the horizontal distance achieved (if the jump was intended to be horizontal) as a result of the mid air vertical hop.

The second hop has the same bonuses as the initial hop in terms of what distances the character can achieve while airborne. A monk that double jumps adds the distance achieved as part of her move action (just like a regular jump).

- A peerless step is frictionless movement that requires friction to begin movement: A monk can move make a 20' step and move that amount through space without a surface, however she requires a surface to perform her peerless step.

- A monk's maximum step cannot exceed her movement speed and may only add up to 10' below it (ie. At 24th level, a Monk with 110' move speed would have a 100' step as her greatest step for that level)

- Peerless Steps are not subject to outside conditions that would otherwise halt their progress (hence the name 'peerless'); unless the monk is impeded by a condition that would affect ethereal as well as corporeal creatures.

- A monk may not peerless step into an area that she has not viewed. Under this ruling, she may step off a cliff and begin falling, however she may not step onto the ground at the bottom of what might be a shallow cliff if she does not have line of sight of the ground prior to the beginning of that round (unless of course she moves during the same round to view the bottom of the cliff prior to stepping into the otherwise un-view able area).

Applying the Peerless Mobility Template to Others

The template for peerless mobility can be applied to other creatures that are assumed to be capable of what the monk performs (but not necessarily monks themselves). The amount of movement taken in a step is assumed to be identical to however many levels the creature has in peerless mobility, unless listed otherwise. Levels in peerless mobility are identically compared to the levels a monk needs to perform peerless mobility to a certain limit - Ie. Level 10 peerless mobility given to a specific creature template means that that creature automatically has peerless mobility as a 10th level monk as part of its race.

Other exceptions to the peerless mobility rule may also apply (such as exceptions to certain aspects of double jump).

[Baron Corm]

You seem to be using the armor as DR variant... but only when you fire 15 arrows? What was your reasoning for this? How do 15 arrows penetrate armor "differently" than 1 arrow?

Why are you allowed to knock away the arrows? I could easily see the Deflect Arrows feat working, as that's only one at a time, and you have to take a feat, but not 7.5 out of 15 as a standard combat maneuver. That begs the question of why you can't knock away 7 arrows when less than 15 are being shot.

I think the whole "swarm probably hitting" thing is represented well by the fact that if you shoot 20 arrows, someone will probably roll a natural 20.

[hamishspence]

Appropiate feat to counter this "We Will Fight Them In The Shade"

[imp_fireball]

You seem to be using the armor as DR variant... but only when you fire 15 arrows? What was your reasoning for this? How do 15 arrows penetrate armor "differently" than 1 arrow?

Why are you allowed to knock away the arrows? I could easily see the Deflect Arrows feat working, as that's only one at a time, and you have to take a feat, but not 7.5 out of 15 as a standard combat maneuver. That begs the question of why you can't knock away 7 arrows when less than 15 are being shot.

I think the whole "swarm probably hitting" thing is represented well by the fact that if you shoot 20 arrows, someone will probably roll a natural 20.

The idea is that if 15 or more arrows are fired into one space, then they provide a thick enough mass to touch, but you have to be ready to touch them.

Also the STR check would be mighty - I'm still trying to figure out a way to scale it with the arrows. It's not meant to allow the barbarian an advantage against many arrows.

Instead, it provides a reason why the imperial archer brigade couldn't overwhelm the one dude who stood up against them. This brought to mind the movie hero, where the 'hero' uses his epic DEX to knock away the thousands of arrows that fly towards him.

I don't know about damage reduction though; under the current rules, only those with damage reduction of 10 or higher can survive the multitude of arrows thrown at them.

Under the current rules: If the same epic level dude had 800 hp/DR 10 than 10 = 1 in 14,400 of average stat level 1 archer warriors would deal any damage on a critical strike; although its difficult to allow all of those to see the enemy and shoot in one round and it would require 5,760,000 archers to see him and slay him in one round. Of course, under my rules, this same dude would have to make an STR check to overcome this many arrows. Should their be a limit to the number of arrows that can enter a single space???

I'm assuming flaming arrows apply damage to ordinary ones (unless they burn an enemy on the next round after hitting). A ballista could easily shoot many size large arrows that are tougher to deflect or do enough damage to overwhelm damage reduction part of the time.

Nevertheless, the rules give the imperial army of millions more of an advantage. If the enemy has DR then they can resort to siege weapons, etc., etc.

The rules also make it more beneficial to use arrows against infantry rather than toss rocks at them if arrows prove useless.

Finally, it can oust archer twinks... to some extent. Maybe I'll even create an epic feat that reduces the number of arrows required to make an STR check against them. There's also a greater benefit to having a shield and/or cover not to mention that if there's many archers, then they can simply choose to fire into a general area (at least 15 arrows per space). Also there's a risk to having enemy troopers in this zone, as they would get hit by arrows as well.

[Baron Corm]

The idea is that if 15 or more arrows are fired into one space, then they provide a thick enough mass to touch, but you have to be ready to touch them.

Also the STR check would be mighty - I'm still trying to figure out a way to scale it with the arrows. It's not meant to allow the barbarian an advantage against many arrows.

Instead, it provides a reason why the imperial archer brigade couldn't overwhelm the one dude who stood up against them. This brought to mind the movie hero, where the 'hero' uses his epic DEX to knock away the thousands of arrows that fly towards him.

There exist game terms for what you're trying to do: Dexterity bonus to AC. There even exists an epic feat for what you're trying to do, since you seem to be doing this for a lone epic character: Infinite Deflection.

If you would prefer that it scaled, make it only work on a number of arrows per round equal to a single rolled Tumble check. If you want it to scale against large armies, then make it your Tumble check squared or something. If you get a result of 150, that would be 22,500. And epic characters could certainly get higher checks. Perhaps add your Dexterity score to the check? Or your Dexterity score squared times your Tumble check... work with it until you get a number you like.

If you want it to work against literally millions, then raising it (150) to the third power would make it 3,375,000.

Alternatively, you could make a feat like this, which counters the fact that Dexterity bonus to AC isn't suitable with enough shots fired:

"A number of times per day equal to your Dexterity bonus, a roll of 20 on an attack roll against you will not automatically succeed. You may choose whether or not to expend a use of this feat after seeing the rolled result."

However that just delays the inevitable, instead of making you completely immune. That one could even be given to non-epic characters though, with high prerequisites.

Sorry if these ideas don't work for you, I just don't really understand your whole damage reduction idea, and I like to work within the system :P. Seeing ideas in general tends to spark some kind of something though so maybe it will help.

[imp_fireball]

I think the issues right now are arrow sizes and the reflex save (one could easily make a reflex save instead of knock away arrows when knocking away is impossible). As for faster flying objects such as bullets, there might be no readied action however the bullets aren't the same as the arrows since their masses don't clump together like arrows do (usually they fly horizontally and will fall unguided when shot at an arc).

For DEX, adding tumble modifier might work although that would also mean that something would need to be done for STR, maybe by adding FORT save to the STR check. Either way the user can opt for one of the two rolls if they have a prior readied action.

-------------
Did you check out monk mobility yet?

[Baron Corm]

Yeah, I like how it gives the monk mobility and makes it easier for him to get a full attack, but it's kind of complicated and wordy. Why split them into provoking AoO's and not? It just makes much more words than necessary. The double jump also really suspends my disbelief... just because it works in Smash Bros doesn't mean it has any plausibility IRL . Jumping on air? I just can't imagine it as an (Ex) ability. (Su), sure. Actually, I kind of like that as a (Su) ability, it has a sort of wuxia feel.

Also, what is a Tumble action? Making a Tumble check is a free action as part of movement. And if you already have your 5-foot-steps ignoring AoO's then it's not necessary, as that's all Tumble does. Allowing you to jump in a 5-foot-step is kind of odd too. It just adds more words and complications. I would write out your abilities like this, in the interest of keeping things clean and simple:

Monk Mobility (Ex)

Starting at level 6, a monk may make one 5-foot-step per round per three class levels, instead of the usual amount.

Improved Monk Mobility (Ex)

At level 12, once per round, you may move 10 feet during a 5-foot-step, instead of 5 feet.

Greater Monk Mobility (Ex)

At level 18, once per round, you may move 20 feet during a 5-foot step, instead of 5 feet. You may also use Improved Monk Mobility twice in a round instead of once.

Double Jump (Su)

At level 18, you gain the ability to use a move action as a swift action immediately after use a normal move action, as long as both actions were used to Jump.

[imp_fireball]

Ex abilities MAY break the laws of physics. Check the SRD if your not sure. Basically, they're just there so that they can't be dispelled or otherwise nulled in anyway unless some other condition presents itself (say the person is immobile). They can be anything and involve anything.

You can't pass through opponents spaces with a 5 foot step. Nor can you jump up vertical spaces. That's what the tumble/jump is there for.

[Baron Corm]

I dunno man. They CAN involve anything, but if you go by standards set by countless previous examples, (Ex) abilities have some form of fantasy explanation that can be used for why they work.

Like, if you have the ability to run faster, your muscles are working more efficiently than normal. Or, if you have the ability to keep yourself in the corner of the ceiling, your muscles are pressing each wall in just the right way. If you can stick to the ceiling without a corner, precedent says that you must have some kind of sticky pads on your fingers, because there's nothing that you could physically DO to stick to a ceiling better.

The same applies for jumping without ground to jump on. Even epic skill checks have a grain of plausibility. If you are doing something with nothing to build off of it, you are using magic. The monk has a bunch of (Su) abilities so I don't see that there's too big an issue there. Do what you will though... I'm just telling you what is normally done, but the whole arrows thing stretches plausibility too, and if you want to make your campaign more fantastic I'm not one to stop you.

[Eloel]

Monk Mobility (Ex)

Starting at level 6, a monk may make one 5-foot-step per round per three class levels, instead of the usual amount.

Improved Monk Mobility (Ex)

At level 12, once per round, you may move 10 feet during a 5-foot-step, instead of 5 feet.

Greater Monk Mobility (Ex)

At level 18, once per round, you may move 20 feet during a 5-foot step, instead of 5 feet. You may also use Improved Monk Mobility twice in a round instead of once.

Soooo broken.
At level 18, the said Monk gains the ability to move 55ft as a free action (or "5-ft-step")

That is, by ANY means, BROKEN. (also, at 6th level, you get the infamous 10ft-step. Scout's heaven.)

[Heliomance]

Yeah, but it's a monk. What else do they have going for them?

[Another_Poet]

I think you're making it needlessly complicated. D&D 3.5 already has a mechanic for a swarm of arrows, as featured in the fusillade of darts traps. Instead of attacking AC the swarm of arrows/darts is considered to deal damage automatically to a creature, but the creaturemay make a Ref save to halve it.

Thus, I would propose your rule be simply this:

Fusillade (Special Attack)
If 10 or more ranged attacks are fired at a single square at the same time, the creature(s) launching the ranged attacks may opt to treat it them as a fusillade rather than a normal attack. All the creatures joining in the attack must agree on the choice.

A fusillade deals damage to all creatures in the square as if one-half of the ranged attacks had succeeded. Each creature in the square may make a Reflex save (DC equal to 10 + the highest ranged attack bonus of the attacking creatures); on a successful save the damage is halved.

A fusillade can only be used within the first range increment of the attacking weapons.

Example: 10 hobgoblin archers with Str 12 wield mighty composite longbows with +1 str rating. That means they each do 1d8+1 damage on a successful hit, or 10d8+10 if they all hit. The 10 of them are all going to shoot a heavily armoured fighter, and they figure he's not too quick on his feet so they opt for a fusillade. The total damage to the fighter is 5d8+5, but the fighter can make a reflex save to halve that. The hobgoblin leader has Dex 14, BAB +2 and a masterwork bow so her ranged attack bonus is +5, setting the save DC at 15.

Next round the hobgoblins decide the target the late fighter's squishy little friend, a lightly armoured halfling. This guy seems way to quick to be mowed down by wild suppressive fire, so they opt to make individual attack rolls (i.e. aiming carefully) instead of a fusillade at the whole area.

This allows flexibility and some simulation of cover fire vs aiming without muddying the rules. You could make it a feat if you want to restrict it, but I think Improved Fusillade would be a better feat, adding some bonus to the save DC, while just a normal fusillade should be a special attack anyone can do (like grapple, etc).

ap

[imp_fireball]

But what if there are hundreds of archers firing into a single space? What if all of them are untrained commoners except for an epic level archer?

The reflex save just doesn't simply cut it if the character already has partial/total cover.

BTW, did you invent fusillade?

Soooo broken.
At level 18, the said Monk gains the ability to move 55ft as a free action (or "5-ft-step")

That is, by ANY means, BROKEN. (also, at 6th level, you get the infamous 10ft-step. Scout's heaven.)

That's fine. Otherwise, they need eighty ranks in tumble in order to go anywhere other than sideways. Also, don't actual scouts have the skill ranks/other abilities to constitute being scouts (I know monks have lots of skills too, shut up).

[Fizban]

I think you're making it needlessly complicated. D&D 3.5 already has a mechanic for a swarm of arrows, as featured in the fusillade of darts traps. Instead of attacking AC the swarm of arrows/darts is considered to deal damage automatically to a creature, but the creaturemay make a Ref save to halve it.

Thus, I would propose your rule be simply this:

Fusillade (Special Attack)
If 10 or more ranged attacks are fired at a single square at the same time, the creature(s) launching the ranged attacks may opt to treat it them as a fusillade rather than a normal attack. All the creatures joining in the attack must agree on the choice.

A fusillade deals damage to all creatures in the square as if one-half of the ranged attacks had succeeded. Each creature in the square may make a Reflex save (DC equal to 10 + the highest ranged attack bonus of the attacking creatures); on a successful save the damage is halved.

A fusillade can only be used within the first range increment of the attacking weapons.

Example: 10 hobgoblin archers with Str 12 wield mighty composite longbows with +1 str rating. That means they each do 1d8+1 damage on a successful hit, or 10d8+10 if they all hit. The 10 of them are all going to shoot a heavily armoured fighter, and they figure he's not too quick on his feet so they opt for a fusillade. The total damage to the fighter is 5d8+5, but the fighter can make a reflex save to halve that. The hobgoblin leader has Dex 14, BAB +2 and a masterwork bow so her ranged attack bonus is +5, setting the save DC at 15.

Next round the hobgoblins decide the target the late fighter's squishy little friend, a lightly armoured halfling. This guy seems way to quick to be mowed down by wild suppressive fire, so they opt to make individual attack rolls (i.e. aiming carefully) instead of a fusillade at the whole area.

This allows flexibility and some simulation of cover fire vs aiming without muddying the rules. You could make it a feat if you want to restrict it, but I think Improved Fusillade would be a better feat, adding some bonus to the save DC, while just a normal fusillade should be a special attack anyone can do (like grapple, etc).

ap

That's actually pretty close to how they have it in Heroes of Battle. They have both area and focused fire, with area being pretty much like that but instead of more damage they just hit over an area, and focused fire requires a lot more people to bring up the damage. Deflect arrows reduces the damage by 1 die (which means that unless you've got a whole regiment firing at them, they're not gonna take much at all), and it says that more deflection keeps going (so Infinite Deflection would of course make you immune.

There's no need for a feat to block the hail of arrows: a tower shield provides full cover, right there in the PHB. Of course, no one ever seems to use more than a heavy shield in the movies, and the spartans definitely aren't, but that doesn't mean you can't fight in the shade. You just need a readied action or a houseruled time delay on the volley.

[imp_fireball]

Infinite deflection is also considerably unbalanced in that

A. It is strictly epic.

and

B. It deflects all arrows, all the time. So ten thousand is no different from ten.

[imp_fireball]

I dunno man. They CAN involve anything, but if you go by standards set by countless previous examples, (Ex) abilities have some form of fantasy explanation that can be used for why they work.

Like, if you have the ability to run faster, your muscles are working more efficiently than normal. Or, if you have the ability to keep yourself in the corner of the ceiling, your muscles are pressing each wall in just the right way. If you can stick to the ceiling without a corner, precedent says that you must have some kind of sticky pads on your fingers, because there's nothing that you could physically DO to stick to a ceiling better.

The same applies for jumping without ground to jump on. Even epic skill checks have a grain of plausibility. If you are doing something with nothing to build off of it, you are using magic. The monk has a bunch of (Su) abilities so I don't see that there's too big an issue there. Do what you will though... I'm just telling you what is normally done, but the whole arrows thing stretches plausibility too, and if you want to make your campaign more fantastic I'm not one to stop you.

Supernatural abilities mean that a monk cannot double jump within the bounds of an anti-magic field though.

Also none of those examples break the laws of physics (not to mention they are also achievable with regular skill checks and a heaping bonus); it just proves that GMs have an overwhelming urge to present logic in a fantasy setting (heck, there's even some sort of screwy logic present in some universes that contain magic while there's also logic for why it can be null).

Extraordinary abilities can represent techniques and maneuvers or revealed traits of a character, however they can also represent abilities granted by technology, or simply (like in this iteration) represent something that cannot be dispelled.
--------------

I like what you ruled with the arrows though.

Improved Fusillade would be feat that requires some skill in archery for each participant involved (the feat only applies if the character is 'directing' the fusillade, meaning their ranged bonus is the save DC), which provides logic as to why imperial archers must train as much as every other soldier.

Improved Fusillade
Prerequisites: BAB +1, Dex 13, Weapon Focus (ranged weapon); Only Applies when the character's ranged bonus is used towards the save DC of a fusillade.

You apply a +4 bonus to the save DC of your fusillade. Additionally, average damage/arrow is rounded up rather than down.

You may also attack targets at medium and long range, where the shooter with the lowest range is used; penalty subtractions to save DC only apply if the character who's ranged bonus being used happens to take range penalties when otherwise firing at that range.

In order to apply all of the above benefits, all archers involved in the fusillade must be proficient with their chosen weapons.

[imp_fireball]

I edited up monk mobility (it's now called peerless mobility).

[DanielLC]

The idea is that if 15 or more arrows are fired into one space, then they provide a thick enough mass to touch, but you have to be ready to touch them.

15 arrows fired in one round is one every 0.4 seconds. That's hardly a solid mass.

[imp_fireball]

Yes, but a fusillade is.

Disregard the rules I made for arrows, since I actually like the fusillade special attack better.