New OOTS products from CafePress
New OOTS t-shirts, ornaments, mugs, bags, and more
Page 1 of 6 123456 LastLast
Results 1 to 30 of 156
  1. - Top - End - #1
    Bugbear in the Playground
     
    playswithfire's Avatar

    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Gender
    Male

    Default Tome of Tactics: A sequel to ToB [PEACH]

    Updates:
    Some revisions to the first chapter, mainly new and rearranged variants

    OK, a long time ago, there was a thread about "what book do you wish they'd published?" and the consensus seemed to be that there should have been a sequel to Tome of Battle. This is the result of an on again-off again project I undertook to try to write one. Looking for comments and eventually playtesters.

    Disclaimer: Yes, I am aware of Age of Warriors. This is a separate effort where I wanted to keep the scope a little smaller; 4 base classes, 8 disciplines and 8ish prestige classes instead of 53 disciplines and a large number of base and prestige classes. I do reference two disciplines included in that project: Iron Rain and Twin Spirit.

    Tome of Tactics
    The Sublime Way at War

    Chapter 1: Character Classes
    ____Firebrand - A martial adept with a bard or marshal feel
    ____Huntsman - A wilderness-based martial adept with a ranger or barbarian feel
    ____Mercenary - A skillful martial adept with a rogue of scout feel
    ____Soldier - A customizable martial adept with a crafter variant
    ____New Character Options
    ________Crusader
    ____________Cavalryman - gains a Special Mount
    ____________Exemplar - gains alignment-based abilities
    ____________Favored - trades indomitable soul for AC and Save bonus
    ________Swordsage
    ____________Soulsword - able to form a mind blade
    ____________Swordsaint - able to cast divine spells
    ________Warblade
    ____________Psychological Warblade - learns psion discipline powers
    ____________Warblade Academies - trades abilities for barbarian totems
    ________Other Character Classes
    ____________Avatar - more domain-centric cleric variant
    ____________Bushi - samurai gains lesser manuever progression
    ____________Call of the Wild - Wilderness/summoning based bard
    ____________Corsair - swashbuckler gains lesser manuever progression
    ____________Disciplined Mind - Wilder gains bonus feats
    ____________Mugger - spellthief gains lesser manuever progression and steals maneuvers
    ____________Practitioner - school of magic-centric wizard variant/neft
    ____________Psychic Smite - divine mind gains interesting smite variant
    ____________Scourge - hexblade trades spells for martial abilities
    ____________Shinobi - ninja gains lesser manuever progression
    ____________Sublime Shapeshifter - Druid learns maneuvers instead of spells
    ____________Totem Discipline - Barbarian leans a few maneuvers based on totem
    Chapter 2: New and Updated Feats
    ____General and Psionic Feats
    ____Tactical Feats
    Chapter 3: Maneuvers and Stances
    ____New Disciplines
    ________Discipline Swapping
    ____Maneuver and Stance Lists
    ____Circling Vulture - Disarming and flying/fighting in the air
    ____Crashing Wave - Bullrushing and fighting in or on water
    ____Giant's Grip - Grappling and fighting unarmed
    ____Iron Rain by dspeyer - Ranged Combat
    ____Life's Blood - Skirmish damage and healing
    ____Master's Voice - Buffing, debuffing and sonic damage
    ____Twin Spirit by The Demented One - Mounted Combat
    ____Wandering Eye - Feinting and sneak attack
    Chapter 4: Prestige Classes
    ____Blade Magician
    ____Force of Nature
    ____Hand-to-Hand Specialist
    ____Master of Surprise
    ____Rider of Legend
    ____Trick Marksman
    ____True Psychic Warrior
    ____War Leader
    Chapter 5: Equipment
    ____New Exotic Weapons (WIP)
    ____Weapons of Legacy
    ________Marauder's Picks (Circling Vulture)
    ________Tidebreaker (Crashing Wave)
    ________Arms of Gath-Gath Uthalai (Giant's Grip)
    ________Hail of Arrows (Iron Rain)
    ________Two-Faced Hammer (Life's Blood)
    ________Master's Voice (Master's Voice)
    ________Rochiraith (Twin Spirit)
    ________Fury (Wandering Eye)
    Last edited by playswithfire; 2012-07-29 at 06:36 AM.
    Homebrew
    Current Project (A sequel to Tome of Battle)
    Past Projects, some of which I may come back to
    Spoiler
    Show
    Baldric Sea Campaign Setting (work in progress)
    later version of the Sea Dog base class from it

  2. - Top - End - #2
    Bugbear in the Playground
     
    playswithfire's Avatar

    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Gender
    Male

    Default Tome of Tactics / Chapter 1 / Firebrand

    TABLE 1-1: THE FIREBRAND__________HIT DIE : d8

    Level Base Attack Bonus Fort Save Ref Save Will Save Special Maneuvers Known Maneuvers Readied Stances Known
    1st +0
    2
    0
    2
    Follow my Lead +1
    4
    4
    1
    2nd +1
    3
    0
    3
    Cautious Stance
    5
    4
    1
    3rd +2
    3
    1
    3
    Rousing Speech(Fervor) 1/day
    6
    4
    1
    4th +3
    4
    1
    4
    7
    5
    2
    5th +3
    4
    1
    4
    People Skills
    8
    5
    2
    6th +4
    5
    2
    5
    Watch and learn(Stance)
    9
    6
    2
    7th +5
    5
    2
    5
    10
    6
    2
    8th +6/+1
    6
    2
    6
    Follow my Lead +2
    11
    6
    3
    9th +6/+1
    6
    3
    6
    12
    7
    3
    10th +7/+2
    7
    3
    7
    Rousing Speech(Rage) 2/day
    13
    7
    3
    11th +8/+3
    7
    3
    7
    Watch and learn(Counter)
    14
    8
    3
    12th +9/+4
    8
    4
    8
    15
    8
    4
    13th +9/+4
    8
    4
    8
    Verbal Maneuvering
    16
    8
    4
    14th +10/+5
    9
    4
    9
    Follow my Lead +3
    17
    9
    4
    15th +11/+6/+1
    9
    5
    9
    18
    9
    4
    16th +12/+7/+2
    10
    5
    10
    Watch and learn(Boost)
    19
    10
    5
    17th +12/+7/+2
    10
    5
    10
    Rousing Speech(Fury) 3/day
    20
    10
    5
    18th +13/+8/+3
    11
    6
    11
    Spontaneous Recovery
    21
    10
    5
    19th +14/+9/+4
    11
    6
    11
    22
    11
    5
    20th +15/+10/+5
    12
    6
    12
    Follow my Lead +4
    23
    11
    5
    Class Skills (4 + Int modifier per level, x4 at 1st level): Bluff, Concentration, Craft, Diplomacy, Disguise, Gather Information, Intimidate, Listen, Martial Lore, Perform, Knowledge(local), Knowledge(history), Sense Motive, Spot, Tumble


    FIREBRAND
    Many will try to you tell that one man can not accomplish that much, but I found that it takes very few to lead the many to achieve great things.
    -- Naidapyr, a firebrand

    MAKING A FIREBRAND
    A firebrand is a secondary melee combatant whose primary benefit to an encounter will more often be improving his allies' combat ability rather than dealing direct damage himself, though his martial maneuvers allow him to do that as well. While closer coordination is needed to gain the benefits of a firebrand's leadership than with a bard's, the firebrand's Follow My Lead ability functions even in an anti-magic field.
    Abilities: Charisma is the most vital score for a firebrand, as it powers most of his abilities. Dexterity is important for defense and more often than not for his attacks via the Weapon Finesse feat. Intelligence provides him with a wide array of skills, though, with 4 ranks per level, he can get by with average intelligence. Constitution is an important to him as it is any other character; somewhat less so if he favors ranged combat. Strength is important for his attack and damage if he does not take the Weapon Finesse route. Wisdom is necessary of only to improve his Will saves.
    Races: Most firebrands are gnomes and half-elves, the former exploiting the fact that their small size leaves them often underestimated and the latter their long lifespans which gain them many loyal allies. Every race has need of the skills of a firebrand from time to time, however. Elves and halflings who become firebrands favor the Master's Voice discipline, the latter also often making great use of Wandering Eye. Human firebrands tend more towards the White Raven and Desert Wind discipline, seeking to, literally when necessary, light a fire under their followers and lead them to victory. Dwarves and Half-Orcs, with their Charisma penalty, are unconvential choices to become firebrands, but their ability to wade safely into melee makes it easier for them to make use of their, admittedly less fully realized, leadership abilities.
    Alignment: A firebrand may be of any alignment, as all causes need their champions. There is a slight tendency towards chaos over law and neutrality on either axis is less common than the other possibilities. The only truly rare alignment for a firebrand is True Neutral, but even this is only uncommon, not unallowed.
    Starting Gold: 6d4x10 gp (150 gp)
    Starting Age: As bard

    CLASS FEATURES
    Weapon and Armor Profiency: As a firebrand, you are proficient with all simple weapons as well as the halberd, longsword, rapier, scimitar, and short bow and light and medium armor, but not with shields.
    Maneuvers: You begin your career with knowledge of four martial maneuvers. The disciplines available to you are Desert Wind, Master's Voice, Wandering Eye, and White Raven. Upon reaching 4th level and every even-numbered firebrand level thereafter, you can choose to learn a new maneuver in place of one you already know. You can swap only a single maneuver at any given level.
    Maneuvers Readied: You can ready four of your four maneuvers known at 1st level, and as you advance in level and learn more maneuvers, you are able to ready more, but you must still choose which maneuvers to ready. You may recover a single maneuver as a standard action. Whenever you recover one or more maneuvers in either this way or through the Adaptive Style feat, each ally that can hear you may recover an expended maneuver as an immediate action, but may not initiate that maneuver during their next turn. You cannot initiate a maneuver or change your stance in the same round that you recover your maneuvers, but any active stance you had remains active.
    Stances Known: You begin play with knowledge of one 1st-level stance from any discipline open to you. At 4th, 8th, 12th, and 16th level, you can choose additional stances.
    Follow My Lead (Ex): When you attack an enemy, allies within 60 ft. gain a +1 bonus on damage rolls when they attack that same enemy before the start of your next turn; they also gain a +1 bonus on Reflex saves when they are subjected to the same effect you are. These bonuses increases by 1 at 8th, 14th and 20th level. You gain the same bonus to damage rolls on subsequent attacks if you attack the same enemy more than once in a round and apply half the Reflex save bonus, rounded down, to all of your Reflex saves.
    Cautious Stance (Ex): A firebrand soon learns that, if others rely on him for leadership, he owes it to them to keep himself safe as well. Beginning at 2nd level, while you have an active stance, you gain a bonus to Armor Class against all touch attacks equal to your Charisma bonus, to a maximum of your initiator level. However, your touch AC can never exceed your Armor Class against normal attacks.
    Rousing Speech (Su): As a firebrand, much of your combat effectiveness relies on that of your allies and you thus learn to incite them to greater levels of violence. As a standard action, you grant each ally that can hear you the ability to enter a state similar to a barbarian's rage. The bonuses and penalties granted by this starte do not stack with those provided by a rage class feature the ally already has. You may use this ability once per day at 3rd level and you gain additional levels at 10th and 17th level.
    Fervor: Beginning at third level, if you have at least six ranks in Perform(oratory), each ally who chooses to can, as an immediate action, gain a +2 bonus to Strength and Constitution and a +1 bonus on Will saves but suffer a -2 penalty to Armor Class for a number of rounds up to their newly-increased Constitution modifier, but they will be fatigued when the effect ends.
    Rage: At tenth level, if you have at least 13 ranks in Perform(oratory), the bonuses to Strength and Constitution increase to +4 and that to Will saves increases to +2 while the armor class penalty remains -2. Additionally, the effect can last for a number of rounds equal to your Charisma modifier if it is greater than the ally's new Constitution modifier.
    Fury: At seventeenth level, if you have at least 20 ranks in Perform(oratory), the bonuses to Strength and Constitution increase to +6 and that to Will saves increases to +3 while the armor class penalty remains -2. Additionally, an ally can begin the effect as a free action instead of an immediate action.
    People Skills: At fifth level, you gain a bonus feat from the following list: Brave Front, Negotiator, Persuasive, Skill Focus(any Charisma-based skill), or White Raven Defense. You must meet the prerequisites for the chosen feat as normal.
    Watch and Learn (Ex): Your allies observe your technique and begin to copy you, gaining the ability to use some of your maneuvers and stances. When initiating a shared stance or maneuver, each ally uses their own initiator level, skill ranks and ability modifiers to determine its effects.
    Stance: Beginning at 6th level, any ally who sees you initiate a stance may also initiate it as an immediate action. If they do not already know the stance, it automatically ends after a number of rounds equal to your Charisma bonus, minimum 1, and they are fatigued when the stance ends, even if it ends because they change their stance. The fatigue lasts for one round if the stance was a 1st or 3rd level stance, 2 rounds for a 5th or 6th level stance and 3 rounds for an 8th level stance.
    Counter: Beginning at 11th level, you may expend a counter you know as an immediate action to give that ally the ability to initiate it. If the ally chooses not initiate the counter, it is still expended.
    Boost: Beginning at 16th level, when you initiate a boost, you may choose to give knowledge of it to a number of allies equal to your Charisma bonus, minimum 1. Each of these allies may use the boost at any one time before your next action.
    Verbal Maneuvering (Ex): Beginning at 13th level, when not engaged in combat, you may expend a Master's Voice or White Raven maneuver as a swift action to gain a bonus on a check with a Charisma-based skill equal to the level of the maneuver.
    Spontaneous Recovery: Beginning at 18th level, you can recover a single maneuver as a free action and it can be used in the same round. This ability is usable a number of times per day equal to your Charisma modifier and can not be used in two consecutive rounds.

    PLAYING A FIREBRAND
    If there's a fight worth fighting, whether to conquer a kingdom or to "liberate" the riches of an uncaring nobility, a firebrand will have either started it or be drawn to it. This intensity can come across as hotheadedness in those firebrands who move from bar brawl to bar brawl, but appreciated as devotion in the larger number that choose worthier contests. While you study the ways of the sword and other weapon, what you know best is people and these are the weapons you use most effectively. You, along with your propertly trained and motivated allies can often achieve victory against dispirited enemies, even when the latter has better arms and equipment.
    As a firebrand, you adventure because you feel that those already on the quest need, or, at least, could benefit from, your guidance and support. And, of course, you find the goal of their quest worthy; otherwise, you would set out to gather followers to help you thwart them. Where other adepts see combat as the only way to resolve disputes and end quests, you are willing to step in and mediate, if they will achieve the better outcome.

    RELIGION
    If you are good-aligned, you probably worship Heironeous. His code of honor to, in particular, defend the weak and triumph over evil, appeals to the way you live and lead others in battle. Evil firebrands are likely followers of Hextor or sometimes Vecna, seeking to rule rather than simply lead, either through force of arms or manipulation. Of course, a firebrand can champion any deity if that is his chosen cause or have no deity at all.

    OTHER CLASSES
    Because you yourself are not the hardiest of combatants, you are likely to surround yourself with those who have skills in that area, particularly fighters and paladins. Warblades, crusaders, bards, and other firebrands are often welcome companions, those many of these groups are often too accustomed to leading to work well with you. You respect the passion of the barbarian and the cleverness of the rogue and acknowledge that there is a time for each approach. You consider all spellcasters as useful support for your objectives, though they too often fall into the category of those who need to be protected in combat rather than those you can lead into battle.

    COMBAT
    Often as not, you will hang somewhat to the rear of a fight, at least in the opening stages, assisting your allies and guiding them to tactically advantageous positions. From there, you may either assist with your more supernatural maneuvers or wade into battle yourself, though your low hit dice do leave you vulnerable. Your many maneuvers, second only to the swordsage in their number and variety of discipline, do provide you with the means to fight back when forced to stand alone, but you truly shine when among your allies.

    ADVANCEMENT
    Your training, for lack of a better term, probably began the first time you managed to talk someone out of a fight or talked a powerful friend into aiding you in one of your own fights. Your less supernatural attacks would come next, more through necessity than formal training. Eventually, you would need to seek out another firebrands or martially minded spellcaster to learn the more arcane aspects of your abilities. Though some firebrands offer themselves as teachers at various military academies, the most likely way to find an instructor is by being drawn to the same fight.
    As you attain higher levels, your choice of maneuvers will determine what sort of firebrand you will be, but that choice will be influenced by the type of allies you associate with and the types of enemies you face. A firebrand who fights on his own will likely focus on Desert Wind and Wandering Eye while one with a large number of allies will rely more on White Raven and Master's Voice.

    HUMAN FIREBRAND STARTING PACKAGE
    Armor: Chain shirt (+4 AC, armor check penalty -2, speed 30ft., 25lb.)
    Buckler (+1 AC, armor check penalty -1, 5lb.)
    Weapons: Longsword (1d8, crit 19-20/×2, 4 lb., one-handed slashing)
    Skill Selection: Choose a number of skills equal to 4 + Int. modifier
    Feat: Elemental Wind
    Bonus Feat: Improved Initiative
    Gear: scholar's outfit, tent, backpack
    Gold: 2d4 gp.

    FIREBRANDS IN THE WORLD
    Coming soon

    DAILY LIFE
    Coming soon

    NOTABLES
    Coming soon

    ORGANIZATIONS
    Coming soon

    NPC REACTIONS
    Coming soon

    FIREBRAND LORE
    Coming soon

    FIREBRANDS IN THE GAME
    Firebrands can be found as criminal masterminds as often as they can captains of the guards of villages the PCs visit and anything in between, but usually as either some sort of leadership position or trusted aide to the leader. Large groups composed entirely of firebrands are rare, as their large personalities can lead to conflict as easily as they can collaboration. A firebrand character traveling by himself may be a deposed leader, malcontent, or simply a wandering do-gooder and can used to hire the PCs for a wide range of tasks. If traveling with the party, a firebrand with an opposing alignment will try to manipulate them and gain a leadership position while one of compatible alignment can be their most dependable ally.
    When creating a firebrand character, consider what cause or organization he will champion. A firebrand's interactions with NPCs will likely be colored by their opinions of his cause, either finding him new allies or particularly intense rivals and enemies. A firebrand can be found almost anywhere as his skill points and leadership abilities make him equally suited to serving as a battlefield leader, court herald, or local politician. The most interesting opponent for a firebrand is another firebrand championing an opposing group and any followers he may have.

    ADAPTATION
    Some firebrands, already having access to most of the supernatural maneuvers and the ability to influence the hearts and minds of others, develop their own minds to the point of manifesting psionic power. To create a psionic firebrand, reduce the firebrand's hit dice to d6 and his Fort save to Poor and remove his proficiency with medium armor. His available disciplines are reduced to Master's Voice and a choice of one of his other normally available disciplines and he has one less maneuver readied. Whenever he would learn a new maneuver, he may instead learn a new power from either the kineticist discipline list or the psion/wilder power list of a level up to the maximum learnable by a psychic warrior of his initiator level. This power must be from the psychokinesis or telepathy disciplines. He uses his initiator level as his manifester level for all level-based effects when manifesting the power. DCs are Charisma-based. He gains power points equal to (CHA bonus * firebrand level)/2 which can be used to augment powers. Powers cost no power points to manifest, but are considered to cost their standard cost for a psion or wilder when determining to what extent the power can be augmented. He may also unlearn a known power when he would normally unlearn a known maneuver in order to learn a new maneuver or power. Powers are readied and refreshed as maneuvers, but a power can not be refreshed while its effect is active.

    SAMPLE ENCOUNTER
    Coming soon
    Last edited by playswithfire; 2015-12-22 at 05:35 PM.
    Homebrew
    Current Project (A sequel to Tome of Battle)
    Past Projects, some of which I may come back to
    Spoiler
    Show
    Baldric Sea Campaign Setting (work in progress)
    later version of the Sea Dog base class from it

  3. - Top - End - #3
    Bugbear in the Playground
     
    playswithfire's Avatar

    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Gender
    Male

    Default Tome of Tactics / Chapter 1 / Huntsman

    TABLE 1-2: THE HUNTSMAN__________HIT DIE : d8
    Level Base Attack Bonus Fort Save Ref Save Will Save Special Maneuvers Known Maneuvers Readied Stances Known
    1st +1
    2
    2
    0
    Muscle Memory +1, Animal Instinct
    2
    2
    1
    2nd +2
    3
    3
    0
    Survival in the Wild
    3
    2
    1
    3rd +3
    3
    3
    1
    Combat discipline(feat)
    3
    2
    2
    4th +4
    4
    4
    1
    4
    3
    2
    5th +5
    4
    4
    1
    Muscle Memory +2
    4
    3
    2
    6th +6/+1
    5
    5
    2
    5
    3
    3
    7th +7/+2
    5
    5
    2
    Hear Them Coming
    5
    3
    3
    8th +8/+3
    6
    6
    2
    Combat discipline (weapons)
    6
    3
    3
    9th +9/+4
    6
    6
    3
    6
    4
    4
    10th +10/+5
    7
    7
    3
    Muscle Memory +3
    7
    4
    4
    11th +11/+6/+1
    7
    7
    3
    Blindsense 15 ft.
    7
    4
    4
    12th +12/+7/+2
    8
    8
    4
    8
    4
    5
    13th +13/+8/+3
    8
    8
    4
    Combat discipline (tactics)
    8
    4
    5
    14th +14/+9/+4
    9
    9
    4
    9
    5
    5
    15th +15/+10/+5
    9
    9
    5
    Muscle Memory +4
    9
    5
    6
    16th +16/+11/+6/+1
    10
    10
    5
    10
    5
    6
    17th +17/+12/+7/+2
    10
    10
    5
    Blindsight 20 ft.
    10
    5
    6
    18th +18/+13/+8/+3
    11
    11
    6
    Combat discipline (stance)
    11
    5
    7
    19th +19/+14/+9/+4
    11
    11
    6
    11
    6
    7
    20th +20/+15/+10/+5
    12
    12
    6
    Muscle Memory +5
    12
    6
    7
    Class Skills (6 + Int modifier per level, x4 at 1st level): Balance, Climb, Concentration, Craft, Handle Animal, Heal, Intimidate, Jump, Listen, Martial Lore, Move Silently, Ride, Spot, Survival, Swim, Tumble


    HUNTSMAN
    I have shown many fools that the deadliest sound in the wild is not the roar of the lion or the rattle of the coiled snake, but the silence that comes before before my arrow spills their blood.
    -- Kamli, a huntsman

    MAKING A HUNTSMAN
    A huntsman is alternately a front-line melee character or a secondary ranged combatant and many can fill both rolls if the need exists, aided by their wide array of stances. Though he cannot replace a cleric or other dedicated healer, the huntsman's Devoted Spirit and Life's Blood disciplines give him the ability to provided limited healing to himself and his allies. A huntsman's skills, martial arts, and animal companion make him a worthwhile addition to any encounter.
    Abilities: A huntsman's main concerns with his ability scores are roughly the same as those for any other martial class. He gains some benefit from a high Wisdom score, in terms of both his Will save and his damage output with certain weapons, but he can still be effective without one. He has the choice of focusing on melee or ranged combat, which will determine whether Strength or Dexterity will be of primary importance, though archery-based huntsmen will often take the Weapon Finesse feat for when enemies get within their melee range. Intelligence gives a huntsman the skills he needs to survive alone in the wilderness and to get the most out his martial strikes, and Constitution is as important to him as it is to any character, moreso if he favors melee.
    Races: Most huntsmen are humans and half-orcs, though whether that is due to necessity or those species' enjoyment of the hunt is often debated. Most other races are well-represented, however. Elves, half-elves, and halflings who prefer to leave near the wilds often become huntsmen, usually choosing Iron Rain over Tiger Claw to do their hunting from a distance. Dwarves prefer the more traditional martial classes, but the mountainsides and the Underdark have no less need of huntsmen than the darkest forest, and the dwarves that fill this need tend to focus on Devoted Spirit and Twin Spirit. Gnomes find the lifestyle unappealing, but they will occasionally study its Iron Rain and Life's Blood disciplines.
    Alignment: A huntsman can be of any alignment, though the time they spend out in the wilderness makes chaotic and neutral huntsmen more common than lawful ones. As such, huntsmen of all alignments will generally feel greater solidarity with other huntsmen than they do with city-dwellers of their own alignment. In times of war, good and evil huntsmen will serve in armies of the same alignment, though, in times of peace, the former would prefer to hunt game rather than other sentient species. A neutral huntsman will likely either also hunt game or simply sell his deadly skills to whomever can offer the best price and many of them occasionally learn to regard everyone they meet as little more potential prey.
    Starting Gold: 5d4x10 gp (125 gp).
    Starting Age: As ranger.

    CLASS FEATURES
    Weapon and Armor Profiency: As a huntsman, you are proficient with simple and martial weapons and light and medium armor and shields (but not tower shields).
    Maneuvers: You begin your career with knowledge of two martial maneuvers. The disciplines available to you are Devoted Spirit, Life's Blood, and Twin Spirit. You may also choose one of Iron Rain and Tiger Claw. Upon reaching 3rd level and every odd-numbered huntsman level thereafter, you can choose to learn a new maneuver in place of one you already know. You can swap only a single maneuver at any given level.
    Maneuvers Readied: You can ready two of your two maneuvers known at 1st level, and as you advance in level and learn more maneuvers, you are able to ready more, but you must still choose which maneuvers to ready. You may recover all expended maneuvers as a move action or as a free action part of a move action taken to draw or sheathe a weapon, ready or lose a shield, or mount or dismount a steed, which must be followed by another move action, a melee attack, or a standard action to do nothing. You cannot initiate a maneuver or change your stance in the same round that you recover your maneuvers, but any active stance you had remains active.
    Stances Known: You begin play with knowledge of one 1st-level stance from any discipline open to you. At 3rd, 6th, 9th, 12th, 15th, and 18th level, you can choose additional stances.
    Of all martial adepts, huntsmen have the most stances available, which allows them to vary their posture to meet whatever challenges they encounter. Depending on which discipline he focuses on, a hunter can be a mounted charger, stealthy hunter or fierce melee warrior.
    Muscle Memory (Ex): A skilled huntsman reflects on each battle, training his body to more effectively use those tactics which bring him victory. After each encounter, you may meditate for 1 minute to designate one creature type (if you choose humanoid or outsider, you must also choose a subtype) that you have made a successful attack roll against in that encounter and gain a +1 on attack rolls and a +1 dodge bonus to AC against the creatures of the same type (or subtype). These bonuses lasts until you sleep or meditate again to change the creature type. These bonus increases by 1 at 5th, 10th, 15th and 20th level.
    Animal Instinct (Ex): This functions as Wild Empathy, but the huntsman adds his Wisdom bonus instead of his Charisma bonus to the check.
    Survival in the Wild (Ex): The life of a huntsman is not an easy one and he must learn how to survive, either by becoming tougher himself or by enlisting the aid of a loyal beast. At 2nd level, a huntsman must choose one of these options. If he chooses the former, he gains DR 1/- and this value increases by 1 whenever his Muscle Memory increases. If he chooses the latter, he gains an animal companion as the druid ability of the same name, except as noted here. Treat your druid level as half your huntsman level for the purposes of determining your animal companion's bonus hit dice, natural armor adjustment, Str/Dex adjustment, and bonus tricks. Also, the animal companion does not gain the standard special abilities, but rather those listed below.
    Share Boosts (Ex): At the huntsman's options, whenever he initiates a boost, he may have it also affect his animal companion if the animal companion is within 10 feet.
    Share Stances (Ex): When within 5 feet of the huntsman, his animal companion may, as a move action, initiate any stance the huntsman knows that is of a level lower than his highest level stance. The stance automatically ends if the animal companion moves more than 20 feet from the huntsman.
    {table=head]Druid Level|Special

    1st |Link

    2nd-4th |Share Boosts

    5th-7th |Multiattack

    8th-10th|Share Stances

    [/table]
    A huntsman may select from the alternative lists of animal companions just as a druid can, though again his effective druid level is half his huntsman level. Like a druid, a huntsman cannot select an alternative animal if the choice would reduce his effective druid level below 1st.
    Combat Discipline (Ex): A huntsman gains several class features to help get the most benefit out of his choice of discipline (Tiger Claw or Iron Rain)
    feat: At 3rd level, a huntsman gains either Stalking Tiger* or Rain of Pain*, even if he does not meet the prerequisites.
    weapons: At 8th level, he adds his Wisdom bonus, if positive, to his damage rolls when attacking with the associated weapons of his chosen discipline.
    tactics: At 13th level, he gains either Reaping Talons or Adept Archer*, even if he does not meet the prerequisites.
    stance: At 18th level, a huntsman may have two stances active at the same time, but only if one and only one of them is from his chosen discipline.
    Hear Them Coming (Ex): Often finding himself among deadly predators, both two-legged and four-legged, a huntsman doesn't live long if he relies solely on his eyes. Beginning at 7th level a huntsman gains a bonus on Listen checks equal to the level of stance his has active.
    Blindsense (Su): Beginning at 11th level, a huntsman's perceptiveness increases and he gains blindsense out to 15 ft.
    Blindsight (Su): Beginning at 17th level, a life lived in the wilderness has given the huntsman a singular ability for finding his foes and he gains blindsight out to 20 ft.

    PLAYING A HUNTSMAN
    Coming soon
    RELIGION
    Coming soon
    OTHER CLASSES
    Coming soon
    COMBAT
    Coming soon
    ADVANCEMENT
    Coming soon
    HUMAN HUNTSMAN STARTING PACKAGE
    Coming soon
    HUNTSMEN IN THE WORLD
    Coming soon
    DAILY LIFE
    Coming soon
    NOTABLES
    Coming soon
    ORGANIZATIONS
    Coming soon
    NPC REACTIONS
    Coming soon
    HUNTSMAN LORE
    Coming soon
    HUNTSMEN IN THE GAME
    Depending on their alignment and the manner in which they are first encountered, huntsmen can be aides, rivals or adversaries to a party, in the most extreme cases becoming guides or pursuers. Large huntsman organizations are rare but some will be found as large hunting lodges or a first line of defense for a smaller nation and may be willing to hire a party for specific missions. Evil huntsman organizations will often have turned to hunting humanoids rather than game animals and will likely appear as an assassin's guild. A member of such a guild or a huntsman with similar skills can make an interesting recurring villain as he stalks and lays in ambush for the party at every opportunity, perhaps creating other incidents to draw the party into a trap.
    A huntsman character expects that he will be an asset to his party in any encounter in the wild and particularly in combat, but is aware that he could be a detriment in social encounters within the bounds of cities. As such, you should provide both encounters which have creatures the huntsman is the most familiar with as well as important NPCs who harbor inate distrust of those who choose to live their lives outside of "civilization."

    ADAPTATION
    Some huntsmen eschew formal training, relying on brute strength to achieve victory. To create a more barbarian-like huntsman, reduce the huntsman's Reflex save to poor, remove the Survival in the Wild and Combat Discipline class features, and he must choose Tiger Claw instead of Iron Rain. Increase his hit dice to d10 and add Illiteracy, Rage, and Greater Rage as the barbarian class features, except that Rage is usable 1/day at 3rd level and an additional time per day every 5 levels after and Greater Rage is available at 13th level.

    SAMPLE ENCOUNTER
    Coming soon
    Last edited by playswithfire; 2015-12-22 at 05:38 PM.
    Homebrew
    Current Project (A sequel to Tome of Battle)
    Past Projects, some of which I may come back to
    Spoiler
    Show
    Baldric Sea Campaign Setting (work in progress)
    later version of the Sea Dog base class from it

  4. - Top - End - #4
    Bugbear in the Playground
     
    playswithfire's Avatar

    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Gender
    Male

    Default Tome of Tactics / Chapter 1 / Mercenary

    TABLE 1-3: THE MERCENARY__________HIT DIE : d8
    Level Base Attack Bonus Fort Save Ref Save Will Save Special Maneuvers Known Maneuvers Readied Stances Known
    1st +0
    0
    2
    0
    Informed Aim, Weapon Finesse
    5
    4
    1
    2nd +1
    0
    3
    0
    Trapfinding
    6
    4
    1
    3rd +2
    1
    3
    1
    Tactics (+1d6, skilled)
    7
    5
    1
    4th +3
    1
    4
    1
    Deep Pain (half)
    8
    5
    2
    5th +3
    1
    4
    1
    Evasion, Weapon Savvy
    8
    6
    2
    6th +4
    2
    5
    2
    9
    6
    2
    7th +5
    2
    5
    2
    Tactics (+2d6, professional)
    10
    7
    2
    8th +6/+1
    2
    6
    2
    11
    7
    3
    9th +6/+1
    3
    6
    3
    Forewarned is Forearmed
    11
    8
    3
    10th +7/+2
    3
    7
    3
    Martial Mind (strikes)
    12
    8
    3
    11th +8/+3
    3
    7
    3
    Tactics (+3d6)
    13
    9
    4
    12th +9/+4
    4
    8
    4
    14
    9
    4
    13th +9/+4
    4
    8
    4
    Deep Pain (full)
    14
    10
    4
    14th +10/+5
    4
    9
    4
    15
    10
    4
    15th +11/+6/+1
    5
    9
    5
    Tactics (+4d6, expert)
    16
    11
    5
    16th +12/+7/+2
    5
    10
    5
    17
    11
    5
    17th +12/+7/+2
    5
    10
    5
    Improved Evasion
    17
    12
    5
    18th +13/+8/+3
    6
    11
    6
    18
    12
    6
    19th +14/+9/+4
    6
    11
    6
    Tactics (+5d6)
    19
    13
    6
    20th +15/+10/+5
    6
    12
    6
    Martial Mind (readied)
    20
    13
    6
    Class Skills (8 + Int modifier per level, x4 at 1st level): All. A mercenary may need to call upon many skills.


    MERCENARY
    Men often have a desire to see a thing done that they themselves lack the skill to accomplish. Fortunately for me, many of them also have the gold to pay me to do it for them.
    -- Majonac, a mercenary

    MAKING A MERCENARY
    A mercenary is a secondary melee combatant who exemplifies the concept of working smarter rather than harder, using his skills and precision damage to contribute offensively to an encounter. Defensively, his low hit dice and lack of heavy armor make him a relatively soft target, but are balanced with class features that help him resist other debilitating effects. His large number of skills also make him among the most effective martial adepts out of combat.
    Abilities: The most important ability score for a mercenary is his Dexterity as it provides both his defense and, in almost all cases, his attack bonus. His next priority is Intelligence, which grants him various offensive bonuses and a large pool of skill points to take advantage of his unlimited skill list. Constitution is necessary for him as it is for all characters, moreso given his low hit dice. Strength is necessary only if he chooses to use wield non-finessable weapons which do not benefit from Informaed Aim and Weapon Finesse. Charisma and Wisdom mainly serve only to improve his skills based on those scores, with the latter also improving his Will save.
    Races: All races can be mercenaries, but the most common are elves and gnomes, who often favor the Iron Rain and Life's Blood disciplines. Human and halfling mercenaries prefer the covert nature of the Shadow Hand discipline while dwarves are more likely to make use of Circling Vulture. Half-orc mercenaries are somewhat uncommon, as they temperamentally inclined towards chaos and away from following the orders of others, but those who take levels in the class are almost universally among the most effective.
    Alignment: Any non-chaotic, as a mercenary who can not be relied upon to perform whatever task is assigned to him is all but useless. A mercenary who becomes chaotic retains all his mercenary abilities but can take no more mercenary levels. The most common alignment is Lawful Neutral; a mercenary who lives by their own code, unconcerned with the moral judgements of others, though the other five possible alignments are also well-represented.
    Starting Gold: 7d4x10 gp (175 gp)
    Starting Age: As rogue

    CLASS FEATURES
    Weapon and Armor Profiency: As a mercenary, you are proficient with all simple weapons, martial melee weapons, and one martial ranged weapon of your choice. and light and medium armor and with shields, but not tower shields.
    Maneuvers: You begin your career with knowledge of five martial maneuvers. The disciplines available to you are Circling Vulture, Iron Rain, Life's Blood, Shadow Hand, and Wandering Eye. Upon reaching 3rd level and every odd-numbered mercenary level thereafter, you can choose to learn a new maneuver in place of one you already know. You can swap only a single maneuver at any given level.
    Maneuvers Readied: You can ready four of your five maneuvers known at 1st level, and as you advance in level and learn more maneuvers, you are able to ready more, but you must still choose which maneuvers to ready. You may recover an expended maneuver as a move action which must be followed by a melee attack, a standard action to do nothing, or another move action to recover a maneuver. If you have total concealment or total cover from all enemies, you may instead recover three maneuvers as a full round action. You cannot initiate a maneuver or change your stance in the same round that you recover a maneuver, but any active stance you had remains active.
    Stances Known: You begin play with knowledge of one 1st-level stance from any discipline open to you. At 4th, 8th, 11th, 15th, and 18th level, you can choose additional stances.
    Informed Aim (Ex): A mercenary adds his Intelligence bonus to damage rolls made with finessable melee weapons as well as ranged and thrown weapons, up to a maximum of his initiator level. However, this is precision damage and so creatures immune to sneak attack or critical hits do not take this damage.
    Weapon Finesse: While brute strength is sometimes called for, a mercenary often prefers more subtle and precise means. A mercenary gains Weapon Finesse as a bonus feat at first level, even if he does not meet the prerequisites.
    Trapfinding: Beginning at 2nd level, mercenaries, like rogues, can use the Search skill to locate traps when the task has a Difficulty Class higher than 20 and use the Disable Device skill to disarm magic traps. A mercenary who beats a trap’s DC by 10 or more with a Disable Device check can study a trap, figure out how it works, and bypass it (with his party) without disarming it.
    Tactics (Ex): At 3rd level, a mercenary must choose one of two preferred styles of combat: stealth or speed. If he chose stealth, he gains 1d6 sneak attack damage, and if he chose speed, he gains 1d6 skirmish damage. This damage increases by 1d6 at 7th level and every fourth level thereafter (ignoring normal skirmish progression). This choice also affects other class features.
    Skilled: At 3rd level, a mercenary who chose stealth adds his Intelligence modifier to his Bluff checks, and one who chose speed adds his Intelligence modifier to his Move Silently checks.
    Professional: At 7th level, a mercenary who chose stealth also adds his Intelligence modifier to his Hide checks and can take 10 on both Bluff and Hide checks even if threatened or distracted, and one who chose speed gains Trackless Step (as the Druid ability) and his base land speed is increased by 10 ft.
    Expert: At 15th level, a mercenary who chose stealth can Hide in Plain Sight (as the Ranger ability, except that the mercenary need not be in natural terrain) and one who chose speed can, whenever he would normally take a 5 ft step, instead move a number of feet equal to his Intelligence score, rounded down to the nearest 5 ft.
    Deep pain (Ex): As he progresses through his career, a mercenary learns the weak spots even of creatures believed not to have any.
    At 4th level, a mercenary still deals half his precision-based damage against creatures which are normally immune to it.
    At 13th level, he deals his full precision-based damage to all creatures, even those normally immune.
    Martial Mind (Ex): Your deeper understanding of the Sublime Way makes you a more cunning adversary.
    Strikes: Beginning at 10th level, when you initiate a strike that allows a saving throw, you may make the DC based on Intelligence instead of on its normal attribute. If you initiate a strike that requires a skill check, you may use your Intelligence modifier instead of the standard ability modifier for the skill.
    Readied: At 20th level, you may ready an additional number of maneuvers equal to your intelligence modifier.
    Evasion (Ex): At 5th level or higher if a mercenary makes a successful Reflex saving throw against an attack that normally deals half damage on a successful save, he instead takes no damage. Evasion can be used only if a mercenary is wearing light armor or no armor. A helpless mercenary does not gain the benefit of evasion.
    Forewarned is Forearmed (Ex): Throughout his journeys, a mercenary will encounter, or at least hear tell of, most of the things that will attempt to assault his mind or body and mentally prepares to face them. Beginning at 9th level, as long as his is not flat-footed, he adds his Intelligence modifier to his Fortitude and Will saves.
    Weapon Savvy: At 5th level, a mercenary gains Weapon Savvy as a bonus feat, even if he does not meet the prerequisites.
    Improved Evasion (Ex): At 17th level, a mercenary’s evasion ability improves. He still takes no damage on a successful Reflex saving throw against attacks, but henceforth he takes only half damage on a failed save. A helpless mercenary does not gain the benefit of improved evasion.

    PLAYING A MERCENARY
    Coming soon
    RELIGION
    Coming soon
    OTHER CLASSES
    Coming soon
    COMBAT
    Coming soon
    ADVANCEMENT
    Coming soon
    HUMAN MERCENARY STARTING PACKAGE
    Coming soon
    MERCENARIES IN THE WORLD
    Coming soon
    DAILY LIFE
    Coming soon
    NOTABLES
    Coming soon
    ORGANIZATIONS
    Coming soon
    NPC REACTIONS
    Coming soon
    MERCENARY LORE
    Coming soon
    MERCENARIES IN THE GAME
    Mercenaries make their living in the game world by any number of means, the single unifying attribute being their extreme skill in their chosen profession. Most mercenaries that players encounter will likely be serving as muscle for hire or have been successful enough to now run their own private army. mercenaries who have retired or chosen a calmer life can also be found as skilled craftsmen, particularly of weapons and armor. As such, mercenaries can be found in all tiers of life in a city, from High Protector down to a fleet-footed pickpocket. Though the rewards for each's labors may differ, all mercenaries' primary goal is the perfection of his trade, with the second priority of proving to both himself and others that he has not lost his edge.
    This drive to prove their excellence also serves as one of the two most common motivation for a mercenary to join an adventuring party, the other being financial compensation. Ideally, a mercenary will find himself in a party whose goal would be unattainable without his skills, while at the same time teaching him new techniques to improve his effectiveness. Those who accept an evil mercenary into their party must, of course, keep alert. Though even the most vile may hold to personal code that would prevent betrayal, the right combination of the act's difficulty and his promised compensation may entice him to it and mercenaries of all alignment may suffer from 'counting errors' when divying up treasure. A mercenary who takes up the life of an adventurer will continue it until either he dies, is defeated in such a way that he considers himself unfit to continue, or he has amassed enough treasure to comfortably retire.

    ADAPTATION
    Some mercenaries move beyond the mundane in expanding their range of tools for accomplishing whatever task they set themselves. To create a casting mercenary, reduce the mercenary's hit dice to d6 and his skill points to 6+INT per level, and remove his proficiency with medium armor. He loses access to two disciplines and has one less maneuver known and readied. In exchange, he can choose to learn arcane spells from the wizard/sorcerer spell list of one of the Abjuration, Divination, or Necromancy schools of magic. Whenever he would learn a new maneuver, he may instead learn a new spell of his chosen school of a level up to the maximum learnable by a bard of his initiator level. He uses his initiator level as his caster level for all level-based effects when casting the spell. DCs are Intelligence-based. He may also unlearn a known spell when he would normally unlearn a known maneuver in order to learn a new maneuver or spell. Spells are readied and refreshed as maneuvers, but a spell can not be refreshed while its effect is active. A casting mercenary also gains slightly different class features based on his chosen school of magic.
    Detective: A mercenary who learns spells from the Divination school is called a detective and does not gain the the Informed Aim or Weapon Savvy class features. Instead, he gains a greater sense of intuition than the average character, making him more effective at both dealing and avoiding damage. At first level, he gains trap sense with the amount of the bonus equal to the level of his active stance. At fifth level, he gains an insight bonus to either Armor Class equal to half the number of divination spells he has readied. He can change which bonus he receives as a swift action. This is a supernatural ability.
    Merchant of Death: A mercenary who learns spells from the Necromancy school is called a merchant of death and does not gain the Deep Pain or Forewarned is Forearmed class features. Instead, he gains a deeper understanding of the undead and the energies which sustain them. At fourth level, he can deal precision damage against undead, but he uses d4s instead of d6s and, at 13th level, he gains a d6 slam attack and the energy drain supenatural ability (DC 10+1/2 HD + Int).
    Protector: A mercenary who learns spells from the Abjuration school is called a protector and does not gain Deep Pain or the standard Forewarned is Forearmed class features. Instead, he is better able to protect himself and his allies, At fourth level, he gains a version of Forewarned is Forearmed in which the bonus is capped at his mercenary level and, at 13th level, allies within 30 feet of the name gain that bonus as well. At 9th level, the mercenary and his allies gain a bonus to Armor Class against attacks of opportunity equal to the mercenary's Intelligence bonus.

    SAMPLE ENCOUNTER
    Coming soon
    Last edited by playswithfire; 2015-12-22 at 05:43 PM.
    Homebrew
    Current Project (A sequel to Tome of Battle)
    Past Projects, some of which I may come back to
    Spoiler
    Show
    Baldric Sea Campaign Setting (work in progress)
    later version of the Sea Dog base class from it

  5. - Top - End - #5
    Bugbear in the Playground
     
    playswithfire's Avatar

    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Gender
    Male

    Default Tome of Tactics / Chapter 1 / Soldier

    TABLE 1-4: THE SOLDIER__________HIT DIE : d10
    Level Base Attack Bonus Fort Save Ref Save Will Save Special Maneuvers Known Maneuvers Readied Stances Known
    1st +1
    2
    0
    0
    Basic Training, Bonus feat
    4
    2
    1
    2nd +2
    3
    0
    0
    Extended Boost(2 rounds)
    4
    2
    2
    3rd +3
    3
    1
    1
    5
    3
    2
    4th +4
    4
    1
    1
    Bonus feat
    5
    3
    2
    5th +5
    4
    1
    1
    6
    3
    3
    6th +6/+1
    5
    2
    2
    Focused Strike
    6
    4
    3
    7th +7/+2
    5
    2
    2
    Strength in Numbers
    7
    4
    3
    8th +8/+3
    6
    2
    2
    Bonus feat
    7
    4
    3
    9th +9/+4
    6
    3
    3
    8
    5
    3
    10th +10/+5
    7
    3
    3
    Counteroffensive
    8
    5
    4
    11th +11/+6/+1
    7
    3
    3
    Bonus feat
    9
    5
    4
    12th +12/+7/+2
    8
    4
    4
    9
    6
    4
    13th +13/+8/+3
    8
    4
    4
    Extended Boost(stance)
    10
    6
    4
    14th +14/+9/+4
    9
    4
    4
    Calm Under Pressure
    10
    6
    4
    15th +15/+10/+5
    9
    5
    5
    Bonus feat
    11
    7
    4
    16th +16/+11/+6/+1
    10
    5
    5
    11
    7
    5
    17th +17/+12/+7/+2
    10
    5
    5
    Impenetrable Stance
    12
    7
    5
    18th +18/+13/+8/+3
    11
    6
    6
    Bonus feat
    12
    8
    5
    19th +19/+14/+9/+4
    11
    6
    6
    13
    8
    5
    20th +20/+15/+10/+5
    12
    6
    6
    Double Strike
    13
    8
    5
    Class Skills (2 + Int modifier per level, x4 at 1st level): Balance, Climb, Concentration, Craft, Escape Artist, Intimidate, Jump, Listen, Martial Lore, Profession, Ride, Sense Motive, Sleight of Hand, Spot, Survival, Swim, Tumble, Use Rope


    SOLDIER
    No conflict ever goes as expected, from the warfare between armies down to the tavern brawl between two drunks. Everyone you go up against will do something you didn't know they could. The only way to ensure victory is to prepare for everything you can. And get lucky.
    -- Jondara, a soldier

    MAKING A SOLDIER
    A soldier is a front-line melee character who makes up for having the fewest maneuvers known by having the most readied among martial adepts with full base attack bonus. He also gets more benefit from each maneuver than the average adept through better action economy with his strikes and the ability to prolong his boosts. As such, a soldier is a desirable ally in any combat action.
    Abilities: The only truly necessary ability scores for a soldier are Strength and Constitution, which allow him to damage his enemies and survive their counter-attacks. A good Dexterity score is helpful if he favors lighter armors or wishes to fight with two lighter weapons. Wisdom improves his Will save and Intelligence allows his to specialize in more skills rather than relying on basic training, but neither constitutes a priority. Charisma is only useful for its associated skills or to better roleplay the soldier as a leader of men.
    Races: All races have soldiers, but the most well-represented are the Dwarves and Humans, both of whom favor the Crashing Wave and Giant's Grip disciplines. Gnome and Halfling soldiers make the most use of Setting Sun, leveraging their enemies' own strength against them. Orc and half-orcs with levels in the soldier class prefer the Iron Heart maneuvers while the rare half-elves and even rarer elves are best suited to the Diamond Mind discipline.
    Alignment: A soldier can be of any alignment as every cause has a need of those who will fight for it. It is likely, however, that higher ranked soldiers in large armies tend more towards Law as they need to maintain discipline.
    Starting Gold: 4d4x10 gp (100 gp)
    Starting Age: As fighter

    CLASS FEATURES
    Weapon and Armor Profiency: As a soldier, you are proficient with all simple weapons, all martial melee weapons, and one exotic melee weapon of your choice and all armor (heavy, medium, and light) and shields (including tower shields).
    Maneuvers: You begin your career with knowledge of four martial maneuvers. The disciplines available to you are four of Crashing Wave, Circling Vulture, Diamond Mind, Giant's Grip, Iron Heart, and Setting Sun. Upon reaching 4th level and every even-numbered soldier level thereafter, you can choose to learn a new maneuver in place of one you already know. You can swap only a single maneuver at any given level.
    Maneuvers Readied: You can ready two of your four maneuvers known at 1st level, and as you advance in level and learn more maneuvers, you are able to ready more, but you must still choose which maneuvers to ready. You may recover all expended maneuvers by taking the total defense action, which can be done after, but not before, a move action. You may also change one of your readied maneuvers as part of readying them. You cannot initiate a maneuver or change your stance in the same round that you recover your maneuvers, but any active stance you had remains active.
    Stances Known: You begin play with knowledge of one 1st-level stance from any discipline open to you. At 2nd, 5th, 10th, and 16th level, you can choose additional stances.
    Basic Training (Ex): All soldiers go through a period of training to learn the skills they need to survive in battle and these lessons are so ingrained that, when making a skill check involving the skills granted by his chosen disciplines, a soldier can use 1/2 his soldier level (rounded up) in place of the number of ranks he has in that skill, if that would be higher.
    You can’t take 10 on checks when using this ability and, if the skill doesn't allow untrained checks, you must have at least 1 actual rank to attempt the check. The skills associated with each discipline are as follows
    Circling Vulture: Disable Device, Sleight of Hand
    Crashing Wave: Climb, Ride, Swim
    Diamond Mind: Autohypnosis, Concentration
    Giant's Grip: Craft(any one), Escape Artist, Survival
    Iron Heart: Balance, Jump, Tumble
    Setting Sun: Listen, Sense Motive, Spot
    Bonus Feats: At 1st, 4th, 8th, 11th, 15th, and 18th level, a soldier gains a bonus feat. This feat must either be a fighter bonus feat or a sublime feat. The soldier must meet all prerequisites for the feat as usual.
    Extended Boost (Ex): Beginning at second level, when initiating a boost, a soldier may attempt a Fortitude save, DC 15+boost level. If he succeeds, the he can gain additional benefits from the boost. If the boost has a duration of "end of turn," it instead lasts until the end dof your his next turn; if it has a duration of "Instantaneous," he can initiate the same boost as a free action on his next turn even if it is not readied. If he fails the save, the boost does not work but is still expended. The soldier may not initiate another boost or recover expended maneuvers while under the effects of the boost or in the same round he uses the boost as a free action.
    Beginning at 13th level, on a successful save, he may, instead choose to replace the effects of his current stance with that of the boost. Instead of only applying to the next round, the benefits of the extended boost last until the soldier changes his stance or initiates another boost, or after a number of rounds equal to his Constitution bonus. If he remains under the effect of the boost for longer than three rounds, he is fatigued when the stance ends. A soldier still may not recover maneuvers while under this longer version of the effect.
    Focused Strike (Ex): A soldier of at least 6th level can initiate any standard action strike he knows as a full round action. If he does, the DC of the save allowed by the maneuver, if any, is increased by 2 and the damage dealt by this strike is increased by half. The strike's damage is defined as your base weapon damage, your Strength bonus and any non-precision-based bonus damage provided by the strike. Precision based damage is not multiplied, regardless of its source.
    Strength in Numbers (Ex): All soldiers learn, at one time or another, that battles are rarely won by individuals, but rather by groups working together. Beginning at 7th level, a soldier gains a bonus on Will saves equal to the number of allies within 30 ft. He does not count as his only ally for the purposes of this ability.
    Counteroffensive: Beginning at 10th level, a soldier learns to blend offense and defense into one continuous effor to defeat his enemies. Whenever he initiates a counter in response to an attack by an opponent within his melee range, the soldier gains a free attack against that opponent. This attack does not consume one of his attacks of opportunity .
    Calm Under Pressure (Ex): soldiers are put through intense training to ensure they will be ready for anything in the heat of battle. Beginning at 14th level, a soldier can always take 10 on checks made with Strength- and Dexterity-based skills in which he has at least 5 ranks, even if distracted or threatened.
    Impenetrable Stance (Ex): Beginning at 17th level, a soldier has become accustomed to battle and more solid in his stances. While he has a stance active, a soldier gains DR/- equal to his Constitution modifier, up to a maximum of the level of the stance. If the "stance" he has active is an Extended Boost, use the level of the boost as the maximum. This damage reduction stacks with other sources of DR/-.
    Double Strike (Ex): At twentieth level, a soldier can initiate two standard action strikes as a full round action. Additionally, when using his Focused Strike ability, the DC is increased by 4 and the maneuver deals 2 times the damage rather than 1.5.

    SIDEBAR: SUBLIME FEATS
    A sublime feats are the Martial Study feat and all feat whose prerequisites include knowledge of one or more martial maneuvers or stances. This includes most feats from both Tome of Battle and this sequel.

    PLAYING A SOLDIER
    Coming soon
    RELIGION
    Coming soon
    OTHER CLASSES
    Coming soon
    COMBAT
    Coming soon
    ADVANCEMENT
    Coming soon
    HUMAN SOLDIER STARTING PACKAGE
    Coming soon
    SOLDIERS IN THE WORLD
    Coming soon
    DAILY LIFE
    Coming soon
    NOTABLES
    Coming soon
    ORGANIZATIONS
    Coming soon
    NPC REACTIONS
    Coming soon
    SOLDIER LORE
    Coming soon
    SOLDIERS IN THE GAME
    Soldiers cover a wide range of characters from mindless front-line grunts who know nothing but the headlong charge to the cagey tactician who plans out continent-spanning conflicts, the only unifying characteristic being a zeal for battle. As such, they can easily be inserted into a game world at almost any point, whether as town guards, bar room brawlers or a band of highwaymen harassing travelers. Evil soldiers can serve as recurring antagonists serving either an unfriendly nation or their own interests while those of good alignment can be hired as additional protection. soldiers may also serve as teachers of the sublime way for PCs who wish to multiclass, as this is one of the few professions where they can enjoy self-employment in a village.
    That said, a soldier is most at home on the battlefield in whatever role his choice of feats and disciplines have best prepared him for. If they are not currently serving, it can be assumed that most soldiers will have served in large military organizations at some point in their history, even if they now serve only their own interests. The goals of that organization and the manner in which the soldier both joined and, if he did, left its service will form significant portions of the character's personality.

    ADAPTATION
    Some soldiers, rather than relying on the number of their allies, trust in themselves and the works of their own hands, becoming great smiths and craftsmen. Many of those who do attain reknown and are sought after to forge blades for kings and generals; the others labor in isolation, providing weapons only to those who can seek them out and prove themselves worthy.
    To create a crafty soldier, reduce his base attack bonus to medium and his maneuvers known by one and remove the Basic Training, Strength in Numbers, and Calm Under Pressure class features. Instead, at first level and all following levels, you gain a Craft Reserve as an artificer of your soldier level. These points can only be used in the creation of warheart. and not magic, items and are lost if not used whenever you gain a new level.
    Also, at first level, you gain Street Smarts as a bonus feat, even if you do not meet the prerequisites and gain a bonus on Craft and Profession checks equal to half your soldier level.
    At seventh level, you can use identify as a spell-like ability a number of times a day equal to your Constitution modifier. Using this ability takes 10 minutes.
    Also at seventh level, you gain the ability to extract the XP from a magical or warheart weapon, armor, or shield by spending a day focusing on the item. At the end of the day, the item is destroyed and you add the recovered XP to your craft reserve. These points are also lost if not used before you gain your next level.
    At fourteenth level, when wearing only non-magical armor you made yourself, you add its full armor bonus to your touch AC.

    SAMPLE ENCOUNTER
    Coming soon
    Last edited by playswithfire; 2015-12-22 at 05:48 PM.
    Homebrew
    Current Project (A sequel to Tome of Battle)
    Past Projects, some of which I may come back to
    Spoiler
    Show
    Baldric Sea Campaign Setting (work in progress)
    later version of the Sea Dog base class from it

  6. - Top - End - #6
    Bugbear in the Playground
     
    playswithfire's Avatar

    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Gender
    Male

    Default Tome of Tactics / Chapter 1 / New Character Options

    NEW CHARACTER OPTIONS
    The Tome of Battle created a new power class of melee combatatants, highlighting both the weaknesses of some existing martial characters and the sometimes overwhelming power of the caster classes. The options presented below attempt to elevate the former and control the latter while also providing new and interesting character concepts for the martial adept classes.

    CRUSADER
    Crusaders are, in many ways, the traditional knight in shining armor, acting as the enforcing arm of their sovereign or church authority. To date, however, they have lacked one of the most iconic facets of the character type, the trusty steed. Mounted combat of any kind was, in fact, completely absent in Tome of Battle, though it was of great historical value on the battlefield.

    CAVALRYMAN
    With the addition of the Twin Spirit discipline, it becomes possible to allow the martial adepts to do battle on horseback. Where the warblade would be more likely to view horses as another tool of war, one which must be kept fit and well-cared for, but ultimately still another tool to aid him in battle, a Crusader is more likely to form a bond with his steed. This option allows a crusader character to do so. While not required, characters who choose this option will almost certainly want to swap on of his existing disciplines for access to Twin Spirit.
    Level: 1st
    Replaces: If you select this class feature, you have one less maneuver known, readied and granted and your Steely Resolve delayed damage pool can hold a number of points of damage equal to your crusader class level instead of the normal progression.
    Benefit: You gain the services of a heavy war horse and, at 5th level, it gains the abilities of a Special Mount as the Paladin class feature, except that your mount does not gain Improved Evasion, Share Spells, or Command Creatures of its Kind and instead gains furious counterstrike and steely resolve with a damage pool that holds a number of points of damage equal to its HD.

    EXEMPLAR
    Rather than a particular organization or deity, some crusaders dedicate themselves to a more abstract cause, championing one of the four alignment components: good, evil, law, or chaos. Their devotion to this ideal grants them the ability to more effectively battle those that oppose them.
    Level: 3rd
    Special Requirement: specific alignment (see below)
    Replaces: If you select this class feature, you do not gain zealous surge, Die Hard, mettle, or the standard smite ability.
    Benefit: At 6th level, you gain the ability to smite creatures that oppose your required alignemnt, e.g. an exemplar of evil can smite any good creature, but if he attempts to smite a non-good creature, the smite has no effect, but the use is still expended for the day. You gain a second use of this ability at 18th level.
    At 9th level, any weapon you wield becomes aligned for the purposes of attacking creatures with damage reduction., e.g. a weapon wielded by an exemplar of law can bypass DR/law and one wielded by an examplar of good can bypass DR/good.
    An exemplar retains these abilities even if their alignment shifts from the one required, so long as they retain the non-neutral component of the required alignemnt, e.g. an exemplar of chaos would retain these abilities if his alignment changed from chaotic neutral to chaotic evil, but not if it changed to neutral evil. The other abilities, described below, are lost if the exemplar's alignemnt changes to anyhting other than the required alignment, but are restored if he returns to that alignment.

    EXEMPLAR OF CHAOS (CHAOTIC NEUTRAL)
    At third level, an exemplar of chaos gains the ability to rage, as the barbarian class feature, once per day.
    At fifteenth level, an exemplar of chaos can forgo the effects of his current stance to gain the benefits of the Cloak of Chaos spell. He may remain under the effect for a number of rounds per day equal to his initiator level, though he can distribute them has he sees fit.

    EXEMPLAR OF EVIL (NEUTRAL EVIL)
    At third level, an exemplar of evil gains 1d6 sneak attack, and is trained in the use of poison and never risks accidentally poisoning himself when applying poison to a blade.
    At fifteenth level, an exemplar of evil can forgo the effects of his current stance to gain the benefits of the Unholy Aura spell. He may remain under the effect for a number of rounds per day equal to his initiator level, though he can distribute them has he sees fit.

    EXEMPLAR OF GOOD (NEUTRAL GOOD)
    At third level, an exemplar of good can use lay on hands as a paladin of his crusader level.
    At fifteenth level, an exemplar of good can forgo the effects of his current stance to gain the benefits of the Holy Aura spell. He may remain under the effect for a number of rounds per day equal to his initiator level, though he can distribute them has he sees fit.

    EXEMPLAR OF LAW (LAWFUL NEUTRAL)
    At third level, an exemplar of law can use the spell calm emotions once per day as spell-like ability. He uses his initiator level as his caster level and the DC is Charisma-based.
    At fifteenth level, an exemplar of law can forgo the effects of his current stance to gain the benefits of the Shield of Law spell. He may remain under the effect for a number of rounds per day equal to his initiator level, though he can distribute them has he sees fit.

    FAVORED
    Where most crusaders gain a resiliency and ability to withstand attacks against their will from their own faith, others have it granted to them by their deity. This option will most commonly be chosen by those crusaders who began their careers as paladins or those who focus on their physical abilities to the detriment of their charisma.
    Level: 2nd
    Special Requirement: Must have a patron deity and have the same alignment as that deity
    Replaces: If you select this class feature, you do not gain Indomitable Soul, Zealous Surge, or Die Hard
    Benefit: At 2nd level, you choose a single aspect of alignment which you do not have (good, evil, law, or chaos) and gain a +2 deflection bonus to AC and a +2 resistance bonus on saves against attacks made or effects created by creatures of that alignment.
    At 5th level, you gain the weapon focus feat for your deity's favored weapon; at 10th level, you gain weapon specialization with that weapon; and, at 15th level, you gain greater weapon focus with that weapon.

    SWORDSAGE
    The swordsage is among the most versatile of the martial adepts, given its wide range of disciplines to choose from and its ability to fight effectively even when unarmed. Some swordsages, however, forgo the full range of their available disciplines achieve independence from weaponry in a different way; by conjuring the weapons from their very minds.

    SOULSWORD
    This variant would likely represent a group of swordsages trained in a separate group of temples, which emphasize the simultaneous training of the body and mind for combat, turning the students into living weapons. Along with the True Psychic Warrior described later, this is a way to better integrate psionics into a Sublime Way-heavy campaign.
    Level: 1st
    Replaces: If you select this class feature, you lose access to two martial disciplines, have two less maneuvers known and one less maneuver readied, you do not gain Sense Magic, and your Discipline Focus class feature does not manifest itself in any of the standard ways, instead granting the benefits described below.
    Benefit: You gain the following class features.
    Mind Blade: At 1st level, you gain a mind blade as the soul knife class feature of the same name.
    Insightful Blade (Ex): Your mind blade becomes a more effective weapon over time.
    Attack Rolls: At 1st level, he may add his Wisdom modifier to attack rolls with his mind blade instead of his Strength modifier.
    Damage: At 8th level, he may add his Wisdom modifer as a bonus on damage rolls on all attacks with his mind blade.
    Strike DC: At 16th level, the DC of any strike he initiates with his mind blade that allows a save is increased by his Wisdom modifier.
    Discipline Focus: Your discipline focus manifests in the following ways
    Shape Mind Blade (Su): At 4th level, you can shape your mind blade into any of the associated weapons of the chosen discipline as a full-round action. This functions like the soulknife class feature of the same name except that you can change the blade into any associated weapon of the chosen discipline instead of the longsword or bastard sword. If the discipline has light weapons associated with it, you may shape your mind blade into two identical instances of it, each with an enhancement bonus 1 lower than usual, instead of two identical shortswords. If he shapes it into a bow or other weapon that requires ammunition, he must still obtain that ammunition.
    Martial Mind Blade (Su): Beginning at 12th level, your mind blade gains the martial discipline weapon enhancement for the chosen discipline in addition to those selected for Mind Blade Enhancement.
    Mind Blade Enhancement: At 6th level, you gain Mind Blade Enhancement as the soulknife class feature
    Blade Quick as Thought (Su): At 7th level, you can materialize your mind blade as a free action instead of a move action, but only once per round. You can also shape your mind blade as a move action instead of a full-round action.

    SWORDSAINT
    This variant represents swordsages who use their martial training to serve the goals of a diety or cause, much like a cleric or crusader. They would most likely be found as temple guardians or as the bodyguards traveling with higher-ranking religions figures.
    Level: 1st
    Replaces: If you select this class feature, you lose access to three martial disciplines, have one less maneuver known and one less maneuver readied, your Reflex save is reduced to poor and you do not gain Quick to Act.
    Benefit: Choose four cleric domains. You gain the domain-granted ability from one of them. Additionally, whenever you would learn a new maneuver, you may instead learn a new spell from your chosen domain of a level up to the maximum learnable by a bard of your initiator level (you may learn the first level spells at initiator level 1). You use your initiator level as your caster level for all level-based effects when casting the spell. DCs are Wisdom-based. You may also unlearn a known spell whenever you would unlearn a known maneuver. Spells are readied and recovered as maneuvers, but a spell can not be recovered while its effect is active.

    WARBLADE
    The warblade prepares for war, but war comes in many forms and on many scales, which requires many different types of men to fight them. These new class features allow a warblade character to have preparation for the battles consistent with the life he has led.

    PSYCHOLOGICAL WARBLADE
    All warfare is first fought in the mind; in the planning of great battles, in the gathering of intelligence, and in anticipation of the actions of one's enemies. As such, many warblades, already dependent on their Intelligence, develop psionic abilities which aid them in their chosen area of warfare.
    Level: 1st
    Replaces: If you select this class feature, you lose access to two martial disciplines and do not gain a new maneuver known at second level.
    Benefit: Choose one of the psion's disciplines. Whenever you would learn a new maneuver, you may instead learn a new power from your chosen discipline of a level up to the maximum learnable by a psion of half your initiator level. You use your initiator level as your manifester level for all level-based effects when manifesting the power. DCs are Intelligence-based. Powers cost no power points to manifest and you gain no power points from your Warblade levels. You may also unlearn a known power when you would normally unlearn a known maneuver in order to learn a new maneuver or power. Powers are readied and refreshed as maneuvers, but a power can not be refreshed while its effect is active.

    WARBLADE ACADEMIES
    While their bonus feats and five available disciplines allow for a good deal of customization, this new variant allows for giving a warblade a greater sense of identity, establishing him as coming from a specific region or being schooled in a particular brand of combat.
    Level: Varies
    Replaces: If you select this class feature, you lose one or more of Battle Clarity, Uncanny Dodge, Battle Ardor, Improved Uncanny Dodge and Battle Cunning.
    Benefit: You gain the class features of one of the barbarian totems from Unearthed Arcana with the following modifications: You lose Battle clarity (Reflex saves) if the totem variant replaces fast movement, lose Battle Ardor(critical confirmation) if it replaces trap sense, and lose Battle Cunning(damage) if you would lose damage reduction. If the totem grant a class feature at 5th level, you gain that feature at 6th level, since warblades gain Improved Uncanny Dodge at a different level than barbarians. Finally, if the totem grants a bonus while raging, you instead choose a discipline and the bonus applies while you is in a stance from that discipline.

    OTHER CHARACTER CLASSES
    The following are alternative class features that can make some of the standard base classes fit better into a campaign with an emphasis on the Sublime Way.

    AVATAR
    A cleric's deity, or chosen cause, should be central to both their character and their abilities, but the current means by which clerics select their spells leaves the cleric's domains as having minimal impact on their daily prepared spells. This variant forces a cleric to more closely align their spell selection with those offered by their domains, though each avatar can choose an increasing number of levels which serve their own needs instead of their benefactor's personality.
    Class: Cleric
    Level: 1st
    Replaces: An avatar cleric has the standard cleric features except as listed here
    Hit Die: An avatar cleric uses a d6 for his Hit Die (and has hit points at 1st level equal to 6 + Con modifier).
    Base Attack Bonus: An avatar cleric uses the poor base attack bonus.
    Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Avatar clerics are proficient with simple weapons and with light armor. One with the War domain can choose either proficiency and Weapon Focus with their deity's weapon or Medium Armor Proficiency.
    Deity, Domains, and Domain Spells: If you are an avatar cleric of a cause, choose two domains as usual. If you are an avatar of a deity, choose two of your deity's domains and an additional domain of your deity for each alignment component you have in common. If your deity has only three domains and your alignment is the same, add a domain associated with your common alignemnt (Good, Evil, Law, Chaos) instead.
    Spontaneous Casting: An avatar cleric does not spontaneously cast cure or inflict spells, but, instead, each morning, chooses one of his domains and can spontaneously cast spells from that domain.
    Spells: An avatar cleric can only prepare spells from his domains and an additional number of unique spells each day equal to half his caster level, rounded down, plus his Wisdom bonus. He can prepare any number of copies of these spells, with any number of different metamagic feats, but can not prepare more distinct spells not from one of his domains than this.

    BUSHI
    A bushi is a samurai who has more carefully studied the art of warfare. Where samurai would simply let out a mighty roar and change into a fight, a bushi assesses his opposition and adjusts his tactics to every battle.
    Class: Samurai
    Level: 1st
    Replaces: If you select this class feature, you do not gain the Kiai smite, Iajutsu master, or Improved Initiative class features.
    Benefit: You become a partial adept with access to the Iron Heart and Master's Voice disciplines and you can use an Intimidate check instead of a Perform(oratory) check whenever a Master's Voice maneuver or stance requires one. A bushi can recover all expended maneuvers whenever he demoralizes one or more opponents but can not initiate a maneuver in the same round that he does so.

    SIDEBAR: PARTIAL ADEPT
    With the advent of martial maneuvers, some of the earlier melee classes seem short on options. The concept of a partial adept, a modified version of an exising base class which trades some of its class features for a knowledge of the Sublime Way that exceeds normal characters, but is less than that of a martial adept, can help bridge the gap. All partial exchange a set of class features for access to maneuvers as described here.
    Benefit: A partial adept gains an initiator level equal to his class level plus half his other class levels. He also gains a maneuver and stance progression, though the maneuvers and stances he learns are of lower level than a full adept of the same initiator level would learn, as shown in the table below.
    Maneuvers: A partial adepts begins with the knowledge of two martial maneuvers and learns an additional maneuver at each odd class level. At fourth level and every even level thereafter, he can also learn a new maneuver is place of one he already knows. The disciplines available to a partial adept will vary from class to class.
    Maneuvers Readied: A partial adept can ready both of his maneuvers at first level and can ready an additional maneuver at fourth, tenth, and sixteenth level.
    Stances Known: A partial adept begins with knowledge of one first level martial stance and learns a new stance at seventh, thirteenth, and nineteenth level. The maximum level stance he can learn is the same as the maximum level maneuver he can learn.
    {table=head]Initiator level|Maneuver level

    1st - 3rd|1st

    4th - 6th|2nd

    7th - 9th|3rd

    10th - 12th|4th

    13th - 15th|5th

    16th - 20th|6th

    [/table]

    CALL OF THE WILD
    Occasionally, a bard is more proficient with birdsong than tavern ballads and finds their truest allies in the animal of the woods rather than fellow adventurers. Such bards have answered the call of the wild are among the greatest guides through the wilderness.
    Class: Bard
    Level: 1st
    Replaces: If you select this class feature, you lose proficiency with shields, do not gain Bardic Knowledge, Fascinate, Suggestion and Mass Suggestion, and your Inspire Courage bonus is halved, rounding up, for your allies (but see Benefit). Remove Diplomacy from your class skill list and the following from your class spell list: comprehend languages, detect secret doors, erase, glibness, illusory script,
    Message, read message, seeming, sepia snake sigil, summon monster I-VI, tongues.
    Benefit: You gain Wild Empathy and Animal Companion as the druid class features and your Inspire Courage bonus is doubled for you and any allies you have of the Animal type. Add Handle Animal and Survival to your class skills the spells of the Animal domain and summon nature's ally I-VI to your spell list and you cast your spells as divine spells instead of arcane spells.

    CORSAIR
    Unlike the standard swashbuckler, a corsair tends to face his enemies more directly, striking with the power of the sea, which has become his home, behind every blow.
    Class: Swashbuckler
    Level: 1st
    Replaces: If you select this class feature, you do not gain the Dodge bonus, Improved flanking, Weakening critical, or Wounding critical class features.
    Benefit: You become a partial adept with access to the Crashing Wave and Desert Wind disciplines, except that your Desert Wind maneuvers which normally deal fire damage deal cold damage instead, deal one less point of damage per die, and, if they normally allow a reflex save, instead allow a fortitude save. A corsair recovers all his expended maneuvers each time he successfully tumbles through a square threatened by an opponent without being hit, but can not initiate a maneuver in the same round he does so.

    DISCIPLINED MIND
    Although it is assuredly rare, some wilders develop the mental fortitude to restrain the volatility inherent in the use of their psionic abilities and are rewarded for doing so with a greater capacity for learning.
    Class: Wilder
    Level: 1st
    Special Requirement: Martial Lore 1 rank
    Replaces: If you select this class feature, you do not gain Volatile Mind.
    Benefit: At fifth level and every 4 levels thereafter, you gain the Expanded Knowledge or Martial Study feat.

    MUGGER
    All spellthieves steal magical energies from their foes, but some take a more physical approach and branch out into stealing blade magic as well as arcane and divine spells. Although they are often looked down on by other spellthieves, these muggers know that their versatility makes them an asset.
    Class: Spellthief
    Level: 1st
    Replaces: Remove Spellcraft and Use Magic Device from your class skill list and you do not gain detect magic, spell grace, or the ability to cast arcane spells.
    Benefit: Add Intimidate, Martial Lore, and Sleight of Hand to your class skill list. You become a partial adept with access to the Circling Vulture and Devoted Spirit disciplines. Your stell spell ability can also steal a readied strike, boost, or counter instead of a spell. You can initiate a stolen maneuver even you do not meet the prerequisites. You can expend the energy of a stolen spell or maneuver as a swift or immediate action to recover a number of expended maneuvers equal to the level of the spell or maneuver.

    PRACTITIONER
    While wizards can specialize in a given school to differentiate themselves from others, the class's ability to prepare nearly any spell leads to both difficulty for DMs and a potential sameness of vastly different characters. This variant attempts to address the sameness issue in a way that also ensures that not every situation is solvable by every wizard given an hour to prepare
    Class: Wizard
    Level: 1st
    Replaces: This replaces the standard way that school specialization works for wizards.
    Benefit: At 1st level, choose one of the eight schools of magic to specialize in. He then gains the benefits of the three specialist wizard variants from Unearthed Arcana for their chosen specialist without paying the standard costs for those benefits. Instead, the wizard's spell list is limited to spells of his chosen school, the universal spells, and the spell read magic.A wizard can add more spells to his spell list, but this comes at a cost. For every two schools of magic the wizard adds to his spell list, he loses his choice of the specialist variant benefits and can prepare one less spell per spell level available. If this reduces the number of spells of a given level he can prepare below 0, he can not prepare spells of that level.

    PSYCHIC SMITE
    Rather than gaining the protection of your deity, you instead become a conduit for their fury, making use of your unique mental abilities to smite your enemies' minds rather than their bodies.
    Class: Divine Mind
    Level: 2nd
    Replaces: If you select this class feature, you do not gain the divine grace class feature
    Benefit: Beginning at second level, when psionically focused, you can perform a psychic smite against a single opponent within the radius of your psychic aura. A psychic smite can be either a melee attack, if the opponent is within your melee range, or a ranged attack which provokes an attack of opportunity. In either case, add your Charisma modifier to the attack roll and it deals damage equal to your base weapon damage + your divine mind level + your Str modifier. If the attack hits, the opponent must make a will save (DC=damage dealt) or be unable to use supernatural abilities, including casting spells or manifesting powers, until your next action. When you make a psychic smite, you can expend a number of power points equal to the maximum power level you can manifest. Each power point you expend increases the DC by 1 and every two power points you expend increases the duration for which the opponent is effected on a failed save by one round. Psychic smite is a supernatural ability.

    SCOURGE
    The traditional hexblade employs a mix of martial and magical training, but, every so often, there arises a hexblade who rejects both his own arcane abilities and magic in general. Such a hexblade becomes a fearsome warrior, raining destruction on all of his enemies and particularly those who attempt to hide behind their magic.
    Class: Hexblade
    Level: 1st
    Replaces: If you select this class feature, you do not gain the ability to summon a familar or to cast arcane spells.
    Benefit: Your hexblade's curse is usable a number of times a day equal to half your hexblade level, rounded up, instead of the standard number, your bonus feat list is replaced with the fighter bonus feat list and all submlime feats, and you gain the following class features
    Inescapable: At 1st level, you gain the Mage Slayer feat, even if you do not meet the prerequisites. At 9th level, you gain the benefits of the Pierce Magical Concealment feat, even if you do not meet the prerequisites and, at 17th level, you gain the benefits of the Pierce Magical Protection feat, even if you do not meet the prerequisites.
    Relentless: Beginning at fifth level, you learn to wound your opponents in a way that lingers on. As a swift action, you can target a vital point on the opponent's body. A successful attack against an opponent you have targeted in this way loses one hit point per round for a number of rounds equal to your hexblade level or until the character succeeds on a Heal check (DC 10 + 1/2 your hexblade level + your Cha modifier) or is subjected to a healing spell. If the character is under your hexblade's curse, the bleeding lasts for the duration of the curse instead of the number of rounds. Beginning at 13th level, a bleeding opponent takes a penalty to AC equal to the number of rounds it has been bleeding.opponent.

    SHINOBI
    While other ninja rely on surprise and effective poisons to incapacitate their enemies, a shinobi gains a deeper understanding of the human body and the power of shadows.
    Class: Ninja
    Level: 1st
    Replaces: If you select this class feature, you do not gain the poison use or improved poison use class features and your sudden strike damage increases by 1d6 every four ninja levels beyond first level instead of every two.
    Benefit: You become a partial adept with access to the Shadow Hand and Life's Blood disciplines, except that you replace all references to skirmish damage in your Life's Blood maneuvers with sudden strike damage. You also add Heal to your class skill list and gain Improved Unarmed Strike at 3rd level. A shinobi can recover all expended maneuvers with a swift action that must be followed by an attack action or a standard action to do nothing.

    SUBLIME SHAPESHIFTER
    Where most druids feel a spiritual or divine connection to nature and the wilds, some become more wild themselves, studying the martial disciplines inspired by the combat tactics of animals.
    Class: Druid
    Level: 1st
    Replaces: If you select this class feature, you do not gain nature sense, resist nature's lure, venom immunity, a thousand faces, or the ability to cast divine spells.
    Benefit: You gain maneuvers known and readied and stances known as a swordsage, except with one less maneuver known. The disciplines available to a you are Circling Vulture, Crashing Wave, Giant's Grip, Life's Blood, and Tiger Claw. You recover maneuvers as a swordsage except that all your maneuvers are also recovered whenever you Wild Shape. You also gain the following new class features
    Natural Weapons: At first level you gain the Improved Unarmed Strike feat and your unarmed strike is treated both as a manufactured weapon and a natural weapon. At fourth level, your natural weapons, including your unarmed strikes, become +1 weapons and, at thirteenth level, they become +1 discipline focus weapons. You may change the associated discipline each time you begin or end a Wild Shape.
    Hybrid Wild Shape: Beginning at ninth level, you may use expend a daily use of Wild Shape as a full round action which does not provoke an attack of opportunity to assume a Hybrid Wild Shape, which lasts for a number of hours equal to your Constitution modifier instead of your druid level, in which you channel a portion of the beast's power without altering your form. Your body does not substantially change, though you may manifest superficial aspects of the chosen creature, such as the slitted eyes of a snake or sharper teeth of a lion and, as such, your gear is not absorbed into your new form and remains functional.
    You also gain natural attacks based on those of the chosen form. If it has a bite attack, you gain one; if it has claw or tentacle attacks, you gain one for each arm you have; if it has a slam or gore attack, you gain a slam attack; and, if the form has hoof attacks, you gain one for each leg you have. These attacks do not actually alter your body, but allow you to use your body as if you had those attacks. Attacks gained this way deal damage as appropriate for your size.
    {table=head]Size |Bite|Claw|Hoof, Slam, or Tentacle

    Small |d4 |d3 |d3*

    Medium|d6 |d4 |d4*

    Large |d8 |d6 |d6*

    [/table]
    * If your unarmed strike damage is larger, use that value
    At ninth level, while in a Hybrid Wild Shape, your natural armor bonus and physical ability scores become the average of your own and that of the chosen form. At seventeenth level, your physical ability scores and natural armor bonus become equal to those of the chosen form, but you still do not change shape.

    TOTEM DISCIPLINE
    Some barbarians choose to explore aspects of the Sublime Way rather than relying on pure physical strength.
    Class: Barbarian
    Level: 1st
    Special Requirement: Martial Lore 1 rank
    Replaces: If you select this class feature, your hit dice are reduced to d10 and you do not gain damage reduction.
    Benefit: At 7th level and every three levels thereafter, you gain may learn a martial maneuver or stance from the Tiger Claw discipline that you meet rhe prerequisites for. If you have a barbarian totem other than Jaguar (the standard barbarian class features), you choose your maneuvers and stances from a different discipline as listed below. New totems are provided below so there is one for each discipline.
    {table=head]Totem |Discipline |Totem |Discipline

    Ape |Stone Dragon |Hyena* |White Raven

    Bear |Giant's Grip |Lion |Devoted Spirit

    Boar |Iron Heart |Moth* |Wandering Eye

    Coyote* |Diamond Mind |Roadrunner*|Desert Wind

    Dragon |Master's Voice|Serpent |Shadow Hand

    Eagle |Iron Rain |Vulture* |Circling Vulture

    Gorilla* |Life's Blood |Whale* |Crashing Wave

    Horse |Twin Spirit |Wolf |Setting Sun

    [/table]
    * new totem dicussed below

    COYOTE TOTEM
    A barbarian dedicated to the coyote totem does not gain the standard fast movement, uncanny dodge, trap sense, and improved uncanny dodge barbarian class features, and instead gains the following abilities.
    A 1st level coyote-totem adds Concentration to his class skill list and can make Concentration checks even while raging.
    A 2nd level coyote-totem barbarian gains two power points.
    A 3rd level coyote-totem barbarian gains Psionic Meditation as a bonus feat, even if he does not meet the prerequisites and gains psionic focus whenever he enters a rage.
    A 5th level coyote-totem barbarian gains a psionic bonus feat of his choice. He must meet the prerequisites for the chose feat..

    GORILLA TOTEM
    A barbarian dedicated to the gorilla totem does not gain the standard fast movement, uncanny dodge, trap sense, and improved uncanny dodge barbarian class features, and instead gains the following abilities.
    A 1st level gorilla-totem barbarian gains Improved Unarmed Strike as a bonus feat.
    A 3rd level gorilla-totem barbarian gains Superior Unarmed Strike as a bonus feat and can use improvised weapons without suffering the -4 penalty on attack rolls.
    Beginning at 5th level, a gorilla-totem barbarian's unarmed strike damage increases by one size category when he is raging.

    HYENA TOTEM
    A barbarian dedicated to the hyena totem does not gain the standard uncanny dodge, trap sense, and improved uncanny dodge barbarian class features, and instead gains the following abilities.
    A 2nd-level hyena-totem barbarian gets a +3 bonus on his attack rolls when flanking and this bonus increases to +4 at 6th level, to +5 at 12th level, and to +6 at 18th level.
    A 5th-level hyena-totem barbarian gains the pounce ability and can turn once during a charge.

    MOTH TOTEM
    A barbarian dedicated to the moth totem does not gain the standard uncanny dodge, trap sense, and improved uncanny dodge barbarian class features, and instead gains the following abilities.
    A 1st level moth-totem barbarian can adds Bluff to his class skill list and can make Bluff checks even while raging.
    A 2nd-level moth-totem barbarian gains Improved Feint as a bonus feat, even if he doesn't meet the normal prerequisites.
    A 5th-level moth-totem barbarian can use an Intimidate check instead of a Bluff check to feint and gains a +4 bonus on checks made to feint while raging.

    ROADRUNNER TOTEM
    A barbarian dedicated to the roadrunner totem does not gain the standard uncanny dodge, trap sense, and improved uncanny dodge barbarian class features, and instead gains the following abilities.
    A 2nd level roadrunner-totem barbarian gains Acrobatic as a bonus feat.
    At 3rd level and every three levels after that, a roadrunner-totem barbarian's fast movement increases by 5 ft, to a maximum of +40 ft at 18th level.
    A 5th level coyote-totem barbarian deals extra fire damage on attacks made while raging equal to his Dexterity modifier.

    VULTURE TOTEM
    A barbarian dedicated to the vulture totem does not gain the standard uncanny dodge, trap sense, and improved uncanny dodge barbarian class features, and instead gains the following abilities.
    A 2nd-level vulture-totem barbarian gains Improved Disarm as a bonus feat, even if he doesn't meet the normal prerequisites.
    A 5th-level hyena-totem barbarian gains Dodge as a bonus feat, even if he doesn't meet the normal prerequisites..

    WHALE TOTEM
    A barbarian dedicated to the whale totem does not gain the standard fast movement, uncanny dodge, trap sense, and improved uncanny dodge barbarian class features, and instead gains the following abilities.
    At 1st level whale-totem barbarian gains a swim speed equal to half his land speed.
    A 2nd-level whale-totem barbarian gains Improved Bull Rush as a bonus feat, even if he doesn't meet the normal prerequisites.
    A 5th-level whale-totem barbarian gains a +4 bonus on Strength checks made to bull rush an opponent while raging.
    Last edited by playswithfire; 2012-08-11 at 08:44 AM.
    Homebrew
    Current Project (A sequel to Tome of Battle)
    Past Projects, some of which I may come back to
    Spoiler
    Show
    Baldric Sea Campaign Setting (work in progress)
    later version of the Sea Dog base class from it

  7. - Top - End - #7
    Bugbear in the Playground
     
    playswithfire's Avatar

    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Gender
    Male

    Default Tome of Tactics / Chapter 2 / General and Psionic Feats

    {table=head]General Feats|Prerequisites|Benefits

    Adept At Range|One martial maneuver|Perform melee strikes with ranged weapons

    Brave Front|One Master's Voice maneuver|Add Cha mod to Endurance checks

    Bushido Spirit|Daisho Proficiency, Steely Resolve, one Devoted Spirit maneuver|Demoralize foes for longer in a Devoted Spirit stance

    Deep Wounds|One Life's Blood maneuver|Increase critical range of weapons you wield

    Disciplined Hunter|Favored Enemy class feature, two martial maneuvers|Add favored enemy bonus to strike DCs

    Elemental Wind|One Desert Wind maneuver, Knowledge(arcana) 3 ranks|Change type of damage done by Desert Wind maneuvers

    Fan Dance|Exotic Weapon Proficiency(dagger-fan), Perform(dance) 3 ranks|Use Cha in place of Str when wielding dagger-fans

    Faster Than the Eye|One Wandering Eye maneuver|Take 5 ft step when feinting

    Goliath Wrestling|Improved Unarmed Strike, one Giant's Grip stance|Add Wis to grapple checks

    Grasp the Situation|One Giant's Grip maneuver|Move less than 10 feet, +1 AC while grappling

    Light-Fingered|One Circling Vulture stance|Avoid penalty for disarming with light weapons

    Mind of Iron|One Iron Rain maneuver, Mind Blade class feature|Gain ability to throw mind blade

    Precision Instruments|Dex 15, Weapon Finesse, 1d6 precision damage|Deal increased precision damage with discipline weapons

    Rain of Pain|One Iron Rain maneuver|Add Dex to damage within 30 ft

    Rushing Wave|One Crashing Wave maneuver|No attack of opportunity and gain bonus while bull-rushing

    Stalking Tiger|One Tiger Claw maneuver|Sacrifice attacks to gain 5ft steps

    Street Smarts|Int 13 or less|Gains skill points based on Wis

    Targeted Healing|One Life's Blood maneuver, divine caster level 1st, Heal 3 ranks|Expend Life's Blood maneuvers to maximize healing spells

    Weapon Flurry|Proficiency with selected weapon, Weapon Focus with selected weapon, fighter level 5th or initiator level 5th.|Gain flurry of blows with selected weapon

    Weapon Savvy|Dex 15, Weapon Finesse, Informed Aim or Insightful Strike class feature|Trade bonus damage for increased attack bonus

    [/table]


    {table=head]Psionic Feats|Prerequisites|Benefits

    Metaphysical Discpline|Psychic warrior level 1st, 1 martial stance|Improve your metaphysical weapons

    Telekinetic Maneuverer|Able to manifest telekinetic maneuver, one martial strike|Execute strikes with your mind

    Wild Strike|Wild Surge class feature, one martial maneuver|Deal increased damage at risk of dazing

    [/table]


    NEW AND UPDATED FEATS
    Feats provide soldiers with the skills and tactics they need to achieve victory in battle. Most in this chapter allow them to gain fuller use of the new disciplines introduced in this book as well as those from Tome of Battle. Others provide general combat prowess.

    UPDATED FEATS FROM TOME OF BATTLE
    The following feats from Tome of Battle need to updated, mainly to take into account the new base classes.
    Adapative Style: You may qualify for the Adaptive Style feat with one level in the firebrand, huntsman, mercenary, or soldier classes in addition to those from the Tome of Battle.
    Extra Readied Maneuver: You may qualify for the Extra Readied Maneuver feat with one level of the mercenary class instead of one level in swordsage.
    Song of the White Raven: You can choose to stack your bard levels with your firebrand levels instead of your crusader or warblade levels, as they also have access to the discipline

    ADEPT AT RANGE
    Spoiler
    Show
    You have learned to use your maneuvers in ways Reshar never thought of.
    Prerequisites: One martial maneuver
    Benefit: Choose a martial discipline. You may use the maeuvers of that discipline with thrown or ranged weapons, changing the range to the weapon's range increment if it is usually a melee attack, unless the maneuver requires a type of attack (disarm, trip, etc) that you cannot make with the ranged weapon you wield.
    Special: You may take this feat multiple times, each time choosing a different discipline.


    BRAVE FRONT
    Spoiler
    Show
    You maintain the appearance of calm, even when under great strain.
    Prerequisites: One Master's Voice maneuver
    Benefit: While in a Master's Voice stance, you add your Charisma modifier to the follwing checks and saves: Constitution checks made to continue running, Constitution checks made to avoid nonlethal damage from a forced march, Constitution checks made to hold your breath, Constitution checks made to avoid nonlethal damage from starvation or thirst, Fortitude saves made to avoid nonlethal damage from hot or cold environments, and Fortitude saves made to resist damage from suffocation.
    Special: Brave Front may be used in place of Endurance to qualify for a feat, prestige class, or special ability.


    BUSHIDO SPIRIT
    Spoiler
    Show
    Your zealous devotion to the code of Bushido makes you a fearsome opponent whom few can stand before unafraid.
    Prerequisites: Daisho Proficiency, Steely Resolve, one Devoted Spirit maneuver
    Benefit: When you demoralize an opponent while in a Devoted Spirit stance, that enemy remains shaken for two rounds instead of one.
    If you have levels in crusader and samurai, those levels stack for the purpose of determining the size of your steely resolve delayed damage pool.
    Your crusader and samurai levels also stack for determining your ability to use Staredown, Mass Staredown and Improved Staredown.
    Additonally, you may multiclass freely between the crusader and samurai classes, though you must remain lawful in order to maintain your samurai abilities as normal.


    DEEP WOUNDS
    Spoiler
    Show
    Your attacks are more likely to draw blood.
    Prerequisites: One Life's Blood maneuver
    Benefit: While in a Life's Blood stance, the critical range of Life's Blood associated weapons you wield increases by 1. This benefit is applied after the effects of the Improved Critical feat or the keen weapon property.


    DISCIPLINED HUNTER
    Spoiler
    Show
    You have learned to make your training in the Sublime Way even more effective when used against your most hated enemies.
    Prerequisites: Favored Enemy class feature, two martial maneuvers
    Benefit: Choose one martial adept class in which you have levels. Your levels in this class stack with your ranger levels to determine your number of favored enemies and the bonuses gained against them. Whenever you initiate a strike which allows a saving throw against one of your favored enemis, add your favored enemy bonus to the DC of that strike's saving throw.


    ELEMENTAL WIND
    Spoiler
    Show
    You have learned to master the cold of the desert's night and the fury of its storms as well as its fiery heat.
    Prerequisites: One Desert Wind maneuver, Knowledge(arcana) 3 ranks
    Benefit: With ten minutes of meditation per maneuver or stance changed, you can change the type of damage done by a Desert Wind maneuver that normally deals fire damage to either cold damage or electricity damage. The maneuver deals this type of energy damage until you meditate for another 10 minutes to change it back. When dealing cold or electricity damage, reduce the damage done by 1 point per die and, when dealing cold damage, change any Reflex save to a Fortitude save. You may also change the resistance granted by the Flame's Blessing stance.


    FAN DANCE
    Spoiler
    Show
    Your graceful movements and unconventional weapons allow you to strike unexpectedly and deal great damage.
    Prerequisites: Exotic Weapon Proficiency(dagger-fan), Perform(dance) 3 ranks
    Benefit: While wielding one or more dagger-fans, you add your Charisma modifier to your attack rolls with them instead of your Strength or Dexterity modifier. If you are in a Wandering Eye stance, add your Charisma modifier instead of your Strength modifier to damage rolls with them as well.


    FASTER THAN THE EYE
    Spoiler
    Show
    Your training in the Wandering Eye discipline has taught you to remain mobile and strike from where you are least expected.
    Prerequisites: One Wandering Eye maneuver
    Benefit: While in a Wandering Eye stance, you may take a 5 ft. step as a free action whenever you succeed in feinting in combat. This is in addition to the normal 5 ft. step you may take in a round and can be taken even if you have already moved.


    GOLIATH WRESTLING
    Spoiler
    Show
    Your training in the Giant's Grip discipline has taught you that raw power is useless if not applied correctly.
    Prerequisites: Improved Unarmed Strike, one Giant's Grip stance
    Benefit: While you are in a Giant's Grip stance, you can add your Wisdom modifier as a bonus on all grapple checks to a maximum of 1 + your swordsage class level plus levels in classes that advance your maneuvers known. You may add the same bonus to escape artist checks made to escape a grapple.
    Special: Goliath Wrestling can be used in place of Clever Wrestling to qualify for a feat, prestige class, or other special ability. If the substitution gives you a new option to use while grappling, that option is only available to you while you are in a Giant's Grip stance.


    GRASP THE SITUATION
    Spoiler
    Show
    The knowledge of the Giant's Grip discipline gives you unparalleled control over grapples you enter, even allowing you to respond to those who would seek to interrupt it.
    Prerequisites: One Giant's Grip maneuver
    Benefit: As long as you have moved less than 10 feet since the end of your last turn, you gain a +1 insight bonus to your AC against adjacent opponents you are not grappling while you are in a grapple.


    LIGHT-FINGERED
    Spoiler
    Show
    You have learned to leverage more unlikely weapons when relieving opponents of theirs.
    Prerequisites: One Circling Vulture stance
    Benefit: While in a Circling Vulture stance, your disarm attempts do not provoke attacks of opportunity. Additionally, you ignore the -4 penalty for disarming with a light weapon and gain +1 bonus on disarm attempts made with a natural weapon or unarmed strike
    Special: Light-Fingered can be used in place of Improved Disarm to qualify for a feat, prestige class, or other special ability.


    METAPHYSICAL DISCPLINE [PSIONIC]
    Spoiler
    Show
    You use your training in psychic combat to imbue your knowledge of a martial discipline into the weapons you wield.
    Prerequisites: Psychic warrior level 1st, 1 martial stance
    Benefit: Choose a martial discipline. Whenever you manifest the metaphysical claw or metaphysical weapon power, you may grant the weapon the Martial Discpline weapon enhancement keyed to that discipline instead of granting it a +1 enhancement bonus. You may still increase its enhancement bonus by augmenting the power as usual, with the first augmentation now granting the weapon the +1 bonus.


    MIND OF IRON
    Spoiler
    Show
    You have learned to improve your mind blade combat abilities through the Iron Rain discipline.
    Prerequisites: One Iron Rain maneuver, Mind Blade class feature
    Benefit: You gain Throw Mind Blade as the soulknife class feature if you do not already have it and can use your Wisdom modifier in place of your Dexterity modifier on attack rolls when throwing your mind blade.


    PRECISION INSTRUMENTS
    Spoiler
    Show
    Your training has given you increased control over a family of weapons, which allows you to more effectively target your opponents' weaknesses.
    Prerequisites: Dex 15, Weapon Finesse, 1d6 precision damage
    Benefit: Choose a martial discipline. When using your sneak attack, skirmish, or sudden strike abilities, roll d8s for those dice instead of d6s when attacking with finessable or one-handed weapons associated with that discipline.
    Special: A fighter may select Precision Instruments as one of his fighter bonus feats.


    RAIN OF PAIN
    Spoiler
    Show
    Your training with the Iron Rain weapons has taught you where to place your shots for greater effect.
    Prerequisites: One Iron Rain maneuver
    Benefit: While in a Iron Rain stance, you may add your Dexterity modifier in place of your Strength modifier on damage rolls when attacking with Iron Rain weapons within 30 feet.
    Special: Rain of Pain can be used in place of Point Blank Shot to qualify for a feat, prestige class, or other special ability. If this gives you a new option that would apply to all ranged and thrown weapons, it instead applies only to Iron Rain weapons.


    RUSHING WAVE
    Spoiler
    Show
    Like a great wave, you barrel into your opponent, your training in the Crashing Wave discipline making your bull rushes more devestating.
    Prerequisites: One Crashing Wave maneuver
    Benefit: While in a Crashing Wave stance, you do not provoke an attack of opportunity from the target while bull-rushing and gain a bonus on the Strength check equal to the highest enhancement bonus among Crashing Wave weapons you are wielding. On a successful bull rush, you deal damage equal to the base damage of that weapon for every 10 feet you move the opponent.
    Special: Rushing Wave can be used in place of Improved Bull Rush to qualify for a feat, prestige class, or other special ability


    STALKING TIGER
    Spoiler
    Show
    You taunt an opponent with one blade while positioning to strike with another.
    Prerequisites: One Tiger Claw maneuver
    Benefit: While making a full attack with two Tiger Claw weapons, the enhancement bonuses of which differ by no more than one, you may, in place of an attack, flourish with your off-hand weapon by making an attack roll against AC 15 + half your character level, rounded down. If it succeeds, you may make a 5 ft step. Standard penalties for fighting with two weapons apply.


    STREET SMARTS
    Spoiler
    Show
    While conventional "book" learning is often beyond you, your life experiences have made you capable of a great many things.
    Prerequisites: Int 13 or less
    Benefit: At each character level beyond first, you gain additional skill points equal to your Wisdom modifier and you gain four times that number at first level. However, all Knowledge skills are always considered cross-class skills for you, unless you take a feat or class feature, such as a cleric domain, that explicitly makes them class skills either for all classes or that particular class. Simply taking levels in a class that has the Knowledge skills as class skills does not remove this limitation.
    Special: Can only be taken at first level.


    TARGETED HEALING
    Spoiler
    Show
    Your knowledge of anatomy allow you to more effectively channel divine healing energies.
    Prerequisites: One Life's Blood maneuver, divine caster level 1st, Heal 3 ranks
    Benefit: Whenever you cast a spell from the healing subschool, you may expend a Life's Blood maneuver of the same level or higher as that spell as an immediate action to modify the effect of the spell as if affected by the maximize spell feat without modifying the casting time or spell level.


    TELEKINETIC MANEUVERER [PSIONIC]
    Spoiler
    Show
    Your martial training is so deeply ingrained that your mind is capable of executing your maneuvers without the need for your body.
    Prerequisites: Able to manifest telekinetic maneuver, one martial strike
    Benefit: When using the telekinetic maneuver power, you may execute a martial strike that has an initiation time of one standard action or less and involves a bull rush, disarm, grapple or trip attack against the target of that power instead of the single attack.


    WEAPON FLURRY
    Spoiler
    Show
    Choose one type of weapon for which you have already selected Weapon Focus. You can also choose unarmed strike or grapple as your weapon for purposes of this feat.
    Prerequisites: Proficiency with selected weapon, Weapon Focus with selected weapon, fighter level 5th or initiator level 5th.
    Benefit: You gain the ability to use flurry of blows with the chosen weapon as a monk of either your fighter level or initiator level, whichever is higher.
    Special: You can gain Weapon Flurry multiple times. Each time you take the feat, it applies to a new type of weapon.
    A fighter may select Weapon Flurry as one of his fighter bonus feats.


    WEAPON SAVVY
    Spoiler
    Show
    Where others swing wildly and trust to their strength to bring victory, should the blow actually land, you have learned to focus on precision.
    Prerequisites: Dex 15, Weapon Finesse, Informed Aim or Insightful Strike class feature
    Benefit: On your action, before making attack rolls for the round, you may choose to subtract a number from the bonus damage granted by your Informed Aim or Insightful strike to a minimum of 0 and add half that number (rounded down) to attack rolls made with the weapons that qualify for the damage. If you have both class features, you may not use this feat with both features in the same round. The penalty on damage and bonus on attacks apply until your next turn.


    WILD STRIKE [PSIONIC]
    Spoiler
    Show
    You channel your psionic strength into your physical assaults, dealing great damage to your enemies if you can control it, or to yourself if you cannot.
    Prerequisites: Wild Surge class feature, one martial maneuver
    Benefit: Choose one martial adept class. Your levels in this class stack with your wilder levels to determine the extent to which you can use your Wild Surge ability. Additionally, whenever you initiate a martial strike, you may make choose to increase its damage dealt by a number of d6 up to the number of levels you can add through wild suge, but you must roll for psychic enervation as if you had used a wild surge. If you suffer psychic enervation, you lose power points equal to your combined levels in wilder and the chosen martial adept class rather than your wilder level. You may not use a wild strike if you do not have at least that many power points.
    Last edited by playswithfire; 2011-08-05 at 06:22 AM.
    Homebrew
    Current Project (A sequel to Tome of Battle)
    Past Projects, some of which I may come back to
    Spoiler
    Show
    Baldric Sea Campaign Setting (work in progress)
    later version of the Sea Dog base class from it

  8. - Top - End - #8
    Bugbear in the Playground
     
    playswithfire's Avatar

    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Gender
    Male

    Default Tome of Tactics / Chapter 2 / Tactical Feats

    {table=head]Tactical Feats|Prerequisites|Benefits

    Adept Archer|See feat description|See feat description

    Combat Scavenger|See feat description|See feat description

    Everchanging Style|See feat description|See feat description

    Horse and Rider|See feat description|See feat description

    Life and Death|See feat description|See feat description

    Master and Commander|See feat description|See feat description

    Primal Instincts|See feat description|See feat description

    Shock Trooper|See feat description|See feat description

    Wanderer's Insight|See feat description|See feat description

    [/table]

    TACTICAL FEATS
    The following tactical feats, while requiring more effort to keep track of the abilities that they grant, are a means for a character to gain combat advantage through the use of the feat in conjunction with their maneuvers. Most of the tactical feats presented here are keyed to a specific discipline. The exception is Everchanging Style, which is designed for a more generalist adept who uses a number of disciplines, rather than focusing on one of them.

    ADEPT ARCHER [TACTICAL]
    Spoiler
    Show
    You have achieved a level of archery that few can even contemplate; if it moves within your field of vision, you can kill it and kill it quickly.
    Prerequisites: BAB +6, Point Blank Shot, two Iron Rain maneuvers
    Benefit: The Adept Archer feat allows for the use of three tactical options.
    Painted Target: To use this option, you must hit and deal damage to an opponent with a Iron Rain strike. In the next round, you gain a bonus on attack rolls against that opponent equal to the level of the strike.
    Parting Shot: To use this option, an opponent must miss you in melee and you must use a move action on your turn to move out of his melee range. If you do, you may make a single ranged attack as part of that movement.
    Reveal the Hidden: To use this option, you must make a Spot check as a full-round action. Each opponent who attempted to hide from you provokes an attack of opportunity from you.


    COMBAT SCAVENGER [TACTICAL]
    Spoiler
    Show
    You are aware at all times of the weapons arrayed against you and are able to quickly relieve opponents of them.
    Prerequisites: Improved Disarm, BAB +6, two Circling Vulture maneuvers
    Benefit: The Combat Scavenger feat enables the use of three tactical options
    Through the Weapon: When you successfully disarm an opponent, you gain an immediate additional melee attack against the foe. The additional attack is with the same weapon and at the same attack bonus as your disarm attempt.
    Ground-Caused Fumble: You may use this option whenever an opponent is rendered prone within your natural range. As an immediate action, you may make a disarm attempt to snatch a well secured item from that opponent even though you are not pinning the opponent.
    Hand off: To use this option, you must disarm an opponent whom you are flanking with an ally. If you disarm the opponent with a weapon and your flanking ally has at least one empty hand, you may have that ally take possession of the weapon, rather than it land on the ground.


    EVERCHANGING STYLE [TACTICAL]
    Spoiler
    Show
    You are never caught unprepared for battle, as you adjust your tactics to defeat your current opposition.
    Prerequisites: Adaptive Style, Concentration 9 ranks, one maneuver from at least 3 different disciplines
    Benefit: The Everchanging Style feat allows for the use of three tactical options
    Adaptive Defense: To use this option, you must make use of the Adaptive Style feat while in combat and succeed on a Concentration check (DC 10 + your number of maneuvers known); add 2 to the DC for each enemy threatening you. If you succeed on the Conenctration check, you gain a dodge bonus to your Armor Class equal to the number of maneuvers you had readied and unexpended before using Adaptive Style. This bonus lasts until your next action.
    Coordinated Movement: Whenver you successfully initiate a martial strike against an opponent that hits and deals damage, you may change your stance to any stance you know from the discipline of the strike as part of the strike.
    Try Again: To make use of this option, you must initiate a martial strike against an opponent which requires an attack roll and miss. In the next round, you may expend another readied maneuver to initiate the strike that missed against the same opponent with a bonus on your attack roll equal to the level of the maneuver you expended. You may not use this option in two consecutive rounds.
    Special: Everchanging Style can be used in place of any one feat to qualify for the Master of Nine prestige class.


    HORSE AND RIDER [TACTICAL]
    Spoiler
    Show
    You have become the consummate horseman.
    Prerequisites: Ride-By Attack, BAB +6, two Twin Spirit maneuvers
    Benefit: The Horse and Rider feat allows for the use of three tactical maneuvers
    Kick When They're Down: To use this maneuver, you must make a succesful Twin Spirit strike against an opponent. On your next turn, your mount may make a single attack against that opponent at any time it is within range.
    Mounted Strike: When you make use of the Ride-By Attack feat, you may initiate a standard action strike instead of a single melee attack
    Rear Up: When fighting defensively or using the Combat Expertise feat, you may make a Ride check as a full round action. Your mount may make a single melee attack against each opponent within its range whose AC your Ride check beats.


    LIFE AND DEATH [TACTICAL]
    Spoiler
    Show
    You have mastered the skills necessary to survive according to the harsh rules of the wilderness; kill quickly quickly when you can and protect yourself and your friends in prolonged combat.
    Prerequisites: BAB +6, Deep Wounds, two Life's Blood maneuvers
    Benefit: The Life and Death feat allows for the use of three tactical options.
    Drain Vitality: To use this option, you must move at least 20 feet and initiate a Life's Blood strike. If the strike deals damage, on your next turn, you may take the total defense action and gain hit points equal to half the damage dealt.
    Protect the Fallen: To use this option, you must heal an ally and remain adjacent to them. On your next turn, you gain an attack of opportunity against each opponent who attacks that ally, as long as you remain adjacent to that ally.
    Twist the Knife: To use this option, you must deal skirmish damage to an opponent. On your next turn, if you land a critical hit on that same opponent, you deal double your skirmish damage in addition to multiplying your base damage, regardless of your critical multiplier.


    MASTER AND COMMANDER [TACTICAL]
    Spoiler
    Show
    You take control of the battle field and move yourself and your allies to victory, either distracting, intimidating or otherwise defeating all those in your path.
    Prerequisites: BAB +6, Brave Front, two Master's Voice maneuvers
    Benefit: The Master and Commander feat allows for the use of three tactical options
    Dueler's Advance: To use this option, you must initiate a Master's Voice strike against an opponent that hits and does damage. At the start of the next round, you may initiate a Duel of Wills against that opponent if you have not done so in the last 24 hours and gain a bonus on the check equal to the level of the strike.
    Merciless Taunting: To use this option, you must make a Perform (oratory) check as a full-round action against an enemy that can hear you (DC = that enemy's AC). If the check succeeds, in the next round, that enemy must attack you or take a -3 penalty on his attack rolls and spell DCs.
    One for All: Whenever you and one or more allies that can hear you must make the same Fortitude save, you may reduce your own save by an amount up to your Charisma modifier to grant those allies the same amount as a bonus on theirs.


    PRIMAL INSTINCTS [TACTICAL]
    Spoiler
    Show
    You show your contempt for manufactured weapons in favor of ripping opponents apart with your bare hands with simple, but brutally effective tactics.
    Prerequisites: Goliath Wrestling, BAB +6, two Giant's Grip maneuvers
    Benefit: The Primal Instincts feat allows the use of three tactical options
    Flight response: To use this option, you must have taken damage from an opponent you are grappling. During the next round, you may choose to subtract a number from all melee attack rolls and add the same number to rolls made to resist or escape a grapple. This number may not exceed your base attack bonus. The penalty on attacks and bonus on grapple avoidance and escape rolls apply until your next turn.
    Spurn metal: To use this option, an opponent must attack you with a manufactured weapon while you are grappling him and miss. If he does, you may immediately make a grapple check to knock the weapon from his hand. If you win the grapple check, he loses his next iterative attack. If you win by more than 5, he drops the weapon as if you had disarmed him. Using this maneuver consumes one of your attacks of opportunity in the current round.
    Wounded Prey: To use this option, you must pin an opponent and prevent his escape for one round. During the next round, you get a +1 bonus on grapple checks and damage rolls made as part of the Damage Your Opponent option and an additional +1 for each successful use of that option.


    SHOCK TROOPER [TACTICAL]
    Spoiler
    Show
    You charge into battle and your enemy's lines fall before you.
    Prerequisites: BAB +6, Improved Bull Rush, two Crashing Wave maneuvers
    Benefit: This feat allows for the use of the same tactical options as the one of the same name in Complete Warrior.


    WANDERER'S INSIGHT [TACTICAL]
    Spoiler
    Show
    Your studies of both the Wandering Eye discipline and human nature allows you to find your opponents' vulnerabilities and exploit them.
    Prerequisites: Faster Than the Eye, BAB +6, two Wandering Eye maneuvers
    Benefit: The Wanderer's Insight feat allows for the use of three tactical options
    Inspire Doubt: To use this option, you must make a Bluff check as a full round action opposed by the Sense Motive check of an enemy who attacked you and missed on his last turn. If you succeed, that enemy suffers a 20% miss chance on all attacks on his next turn.
    Prolonged Distraction: To use this option, you must successfully feint against an opponent you are flanking. If you do, the opponent is also denied his Dexterity bonus against the first attack made by an ally you are flanking him with.
    Weaken Defenses: To use this option, you must hit and and deal damage to an opponent with a Wandering Eye strike. In the next round, your attack against that opponent deal an additional d6 sneak attack damage if they qualify for it.
    Homebrew
    Current Project (A sequel to Tome of Battle)
    Past Projects, some of which I may come back to
    Spoiler
    Show
    Baldric Sea Campaign Setting (work in progress)
    later version of the Sea Dog base class from it

  9. - Top - End - #9
    Bugbear in the Playground
     
    playswithfire's Avatar

    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Gender
    Male

    Default Tome of Tactics / Chapter 3 / New Disciplines

    NEW DISCIPLINES
    Listed below are new disciplines which attempt to cover the combat options which received few or no manevuers to make them more effective in the original Tome of Battle.

    DESCRIPTIONS
    This provides a brief overview of the types of maneuvers in each discipline. Where possible, a brief account of the founder of the discipline is also provided.

    CIRCLING VULTURE
    Circling Vulture is occasionally derided by martial adepts who do not practice it as being the thief's combat style. given that one of its primary tactics is the taking of weapons and other items from one's enemies. As a speedy getaway is the usual follow-up, it is practiced most efficiently by the flying races, each of whom also attempt to lay claim to developing the Circling Vulture discipline. Most agree that the true founder of the discipline was a famous raptoran master thief, however.
    The discipline's associated skill is Sleight of Hand and its weapons are the claw, nunchaku, sai, unarmed strike, and whip.

    CRASHING WAVE
    Nothing is softer than water, yet nothing can resist it. Adepts who specialize in the Crashing Wave discipline take this lessen to heart, though most choose to focus on the latter half. The maneuvers provide the means both to avoid or reduce the damage done by opponents and to barrel into opponents with devestating force. Both darfellans and aquatic orcs each point to a mythic figure of their race as the sole inventor of the discipline, while all the other races simply consider the version of Crashing Wave currently practiced as having been influenced by both groups.
    The associated skill is Swim and its weapons are armor spikes, the spear, all shields, and the trident.

    GIANT'S GRIP
    Self-reliance, as demonstrated mainly through unarmed combat, is the focus of the Giant's Grip discipline. Though grappling is practiced in many cultures, the bulk of the current form of Giant's Grip is derived from the almost-ceremonial goliath wrestling style, which, in and of itself, has evolved through the goliath's contact with other races. Though some of its maneuvers are more generically applicable, the true power of the discipline is found when the practitioner is grappling or otherwise fighting unarmed.
    Escape Artist is the associated skill for Giant's Grip and its associated weapons are the claw, grip gauntlet*, mancatcher, unarmed strike, and grapple.

    IRON RAIN
    (placeholder description pending approval by dspeyer)
    The goal of the Iron Rain discipline is the defeat of a superior foe at a distance. Iron Rain maneuvers provide protection for their practitioners while granting them the speed to make large numbers of attacks. Where other archers would find themselves surrounded and outnumbered, a Iron Rain archer merely sees a target rich environment which will soon be littered with the fallen bodies of his enemies. Developed by a halfling general, Iron Rain tactics also allow for effective use of ranged weapons even when with an enemy's melee range.
    The skill associated with Iron Rain is Spot, which helps an adept seek out his many targets and its associated weapons are all bows, the javelin, and the throwing knive.

    LIFE'S BLOOD
    A superior understanding of the workings of living things is the sign of a master of the Life's Blood discipline, which leverages that knowledge to achieve both painful strikes and non-magical healing. Creation of the Life's Blood discipline is credited to two hunters: one a half-orc, the other a half-elf, which many feel accounts for the dual nature of the discipline. Those at the highest levels of the Life's Blood discipline literally hold the power of life and death in their hands, able to inflict or stave off death with a single blow.
    The key skill for Life's Blood maneuvers is Heal and its associated weapons are the kukri, light hammer, punching dagger, and unarmed strike.

    MASTER'S VOICE
    Master's Voice is the discipline of command, teaching its students both to inspire their allies and dishearten their foes. The origins of the discipline are unclear, though many believe it was developed by a group of swordsage followers of Bahamut who went on to become dragonborn. Before their rebirth, they taught themselves to emulate several of the powers of their dragon diety, including his mighty breath weapon.
    The associated skill is Perform (oratory) and its weapons are blowgun, breath weapon, dragonsbreath*, longsword, and shortsword.

    TWIN SPIRIT
    (description by The Demented One as this is his discipline)
    The Twin Spirit discipline is a newly emerged martial discipline, emphasizing mounted combat and tactics. It was created years after the fall of the Temple of Nine Swords by a paladin trained at the hands of Reshar himself, the legendary warrior who had united the original nine martial disciplines. After the death of Reshar and the collapse of the Temple, the paladin retreated into seclusion, where he trained both himself and his beloved mount in the ways of the martial adept. Eventually, he and his mount came to fight together perfectly as one, in what he would come to call the Twin Spirit discipline.
    The key skill of the Twin Spirit discipline is Ride. The associated weapons of the discipline are the lance, longsword, and scimitar.

    WANDERING EYE
    All warfare is based on deception. Students of the Wandering Eye discipline take this to heart, as it emphasizes both strategy and guile. The maneuvers focus on feinting, making an opponent look the wrong way before the devestating blow lands. While it is conceptually similar to Shadow Hand, the gnome philosopher-general who developed it was disdainful of the supernatual. As such, he incorporated it sparingly, focusing on skillful misdirection rather than magical darkness.
    The associated skill is Bluff and weapons are the dagger-fan*, hand crossbow, rapier, sap, and sword-fan*.

    DISCIPLINE SWAPPING
    With the additional of several new disciplines, some will wish to have the original martial adepts from Tome of Battle learn them, most likely in place of a discipline they would otherwise learn. Below are two ways to accomplish this.

    DECIDING WHAT CAN BE SWAPPED
    The table at the start of the next chapter has several entries with the value 'swap.' These disciplines are the ones that seemed most thematically appropriate to be learned by the listed martial adepts and it is recommended that these be the only possible swaps. By default, if you wish to allow swapping, a character playing one of the original martial adepts from Tome of Battle may swap any number of disciplines they would normally learn for those listed as swappable. If you would prefer to preserve the bulk of each adept's default disciplines, the Different Training trait described below provides a way to limit the number of swaps.

    HOW SWAPPING WORKS
    A character playing a martial adept chooses a discipline on their standard list and one which they are eligible to swap in based on the decision made in the previous section. If the new discipline's associated skill is not already on that adept's skill list, add it to the list and remove the associated skill of the existing discipline. If the adept's skill list already contains both skills, no changes are necessary. Add the swapped in discipline to the list of disciplines available for level in that martial adept class and remove the old discipline.

    LIMITING DISCIPLINE SWAPPING
    If the idea of allowing unlimited discipline swapping is unappealing, you can limit the number of swaps allowed by making discipline swapping a character trait, like those in Unearthed Arcana.
    DIFFERENT TRAINING [TRAIT]
    Your training in the Sublime Way differs from those who take a similar path.
    Benefit: Select a martial discipline that you are eligible to swap in. You add this disciple to the list of those available to you and add its associated skill to your class skill list if not already present.
    Drawback: You remove one martial discipline from the list of disciplines available to you and remove its associated skill from your class skill list if you added one as the result of this trait's benefit.
    Special: This trait can only be selected if your first class level is a martial adept. This trait may be selected multiple times, each time selecting different disciplines to add and remove.
    Last edited by playswithfire; 2011-04-03 at 10:13 AM.
    Homebrew
    Current Project (A sequel to Tome of Battle)
    Past Projects, some of which I may come back to
    Spoiler
    Show
    Baldric Sea Campaign Setting (work in progress)
    later version of the Sea Dog base class from it

  10. - Top - End - #10
    Bugbear in the Playground
     
    playswithfire's Avatar

    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Gender
    Male

    Default Tome of Tactics / Chapter 3 / Maneuver and Stance Lists

    {table=head]Discipline|Crusader|Firebrand|Huntsman|Mercenary|Soldier|Swordsage|Warblade

    Circling Vulture|no|no|no|yes|choice|swap|no

    Crashing Wave|no|no|no|no|choice|no|swap

    Desert Wind|no|yes|no|no|no|yes|no

    Devoted Spirit|yes|no|yes|no|no|no|no

    Diamond Mind|no|no|no|no|choice|yes|yes

    Giant's Grip|no|no|no|no|choice|swap|no

    Iron Heart|no|no|no|no|choice|no|yes

    Iron Rain|no|no|choice|yes|no|swap|swap

    Life's Blood|no|no|yes|yes|no|swap|no

    Master's Voice|swap|yes|no|no|no|no|no

    Setting Sun|no|no|no|no|choice|yes|no

    Shadow Hand|no|no|no|yes|no|yes|no

    Stone Dragon|yes|no|no|no|no|yes|yes

    Tiger Claw|no|no|choice|no|no|yes|yes

    Twin Spirit|swap|no|yes|no|no|no|swap

    Wandering Eye|no|yes|no|yes|no|swap|swap

    White Raven|yes|yes|no|no|no|no|yes

    [/table]


    MANEUVER AND STANCE LIST

    1ST LEVEL
    Spoiler
    Show
    Circle_Bare Talons: Boost--Quickly draw or sheath a weapon
    _______Light on Your Feet: Stance--Gain fly speed and Jump bonuses.
    _______Single Theft: Strike--Disarm an opponent, send the weapon flying.
    Crash__Flowing Feet: Stance--Use Swim checks to Tumble
    _______Ripple Force: Strike--bull rush an opponent with great force
    _______Swim on Land: Boost--gain bonus based on Swim ranks or swim speed
    _______Underwater Warrior: Stance--gain hold breath and swim speed
    Giant__Bruising Grip: Boost--Grapples deal +1d6 damage +1/initiator level
    _______Confounding Strike: Strike--Opponent cannot make attacks of opportunity.
    _______Cranking the Rack: Stance--Expose your opponents to your allies' weapons.
    _______Quick Escape: Boost--Free yourself as a swift action
    Iron___Archer's Evasion: Boost--Avoid attacks of opportunity for movement.
    _______Soft Targeting: Stance--Negate DR by Spot.
    Life___Contusing Blade: Boost--deal extra precision damage
    _______Frozen Leg: Strike--make target briefly unable to move
    _______Head on Straight: Counter--heal 1d6 +1/initiator level, remove one condition
    _______Killer Instinct: Stance--sense the health of those nearby
    Master_Rattling Strike: Strike--use perform check to make enemy flat-footed
    _______Strength in Numbers: Boost--allies grant you bonuses on attack
    _______Talk Tough: Stance--gain DR based on Perform ranks
    Twin___Forceful Charge: Strike--Deal an extra 1d6 damage on a charge.
    _______Ride the Wind: Stance--Increase your steed’s land speed based on your ranks in the Ride skill.
    _______Tactical Charge: Boost--Turn during a charge.
    _______Trampling Strike: Strike--Both you and your mount attack a foe.
    Wander_Confusing Strike: Strike--make foe you strike confused
    _______Deceptive Flanker: Stance--gain higher flanking bonus based on rank in Bluff
    _______Quick Trick: Boost--feint as swift action


    2ND LEVEL
    Spoiler
    Show
    Circle_Talon Strike: Strike--Attack with three natural weapons
    _______Weapon Lock: Counter--Relieve an opponent of a weapon he misses with.
    Crash__Break on the Rocks: Counter--shield bash a charging enemy
    _______Relentless Tide: Strike--move through enemies to strike your target
    Giant__Weakening Strike: Strike--Attack deals 2 points of Strength damage
    _______Wrist Lock: Strike--Grapple foe, apply pressure to a critical joint.
    Iron___Dummy Shot: Counter--Make feint against opponent to gain temporary AC.
    _______Flanking Shot: Strike--Cause target to be flanked.
    _______Multiple Shot: Strike--Gain extra attack at BAB; take -2 penalty to BAB.
    _______Opportunist's Shot: Counter--Take a ranged attack of opportunity.
    Life___Intestinal Fortitude: Counter--Use Heal check in place of Fortitude save.
    _______Knee Side Strike: Strike--Make Heal check, deal +2d6 and possibly precision damage
    _______Rush to the Scene: Boost--increase base speed by half.
    Master_Battle Cry: Strike--deal d6 + initiator level sonic damage
    _______Distraction: Boost--enemies you strike are flanked
    _______Timely Advice: Counter--ally re-rolls any save
    Twin___Grounding Blow: Strike--Knock a foe prone.
    _______Leap From the Saddle: Strike--Jump off your mount and attack.
    _______Ride Unhindered: Stance--Charge and run over difficult terrain.
    Wander_Double Bluff: Strike--feint applies to one attack per weapon
    _______Knock Off-Kilter: Boost--cause opponents to be flanked with sneak attacks
    _______Opportune Moment: Counter--feint when making an attack of opportunity


    3RD LEVEL
    Spoiler
    Show
    Circle_Circling Charge: Strike--Turn while charging, deal +10 damage; double if flying
    _______Painful Theft: Strike--Disarm an opponent, deal damage.
    _______Sticky Fingers: Stance--Gain bonus to disarm
    Crash__Cresting Power: Boost--deal bludgeoning damage as if you were one size larger
    _______Geyser Force: Strike--use bull rush to lift opponent into the air
    _______Weight Into It: Stance--Deal damage when bull rushing
    Giant__Elbow Lock: Strike--Grapple foe, apply pressure to a critical joint.
    _______Iron Fist: Stance--Unarmed strikes bypass some DR
    _______Walk the Weapon: Counter--Move next to an opponent who attacks you in melee.
    Iron___Caltrop Arrows: Counter--Impede an enemy's advance by putting arrowheads in front of his feat.
    _______Ride the Storm: Stance--Avoid most negative effects of wind.
    Life___Exacting Stance: Stance--Gain skirmish +2d6
    _______Healing Palm: Counter--gain temporary hit points
    _______Muscle Weakness: Strike--deal 2 points of physical ability damage
    _______Surgical Strike: Strike--use Heal check in place of damage
    Master_Fire Eater: Counter--Absorb and redirect energy attack
    _______Pep Talk: Stance--grant allies attack and bonus
    _______Reassuring Charge: Strike--charge an enemy; inspire others
    _______Trash Talk: Stance--enemies take attack penalty
    Twin___Measured Strike: Strike--Deal double damage.
    _______Penetrating Charge: Strike--Deal an extra 4d6 damage on a charge and increase critical modifier.
    _______Stand Together: Counter--Resist damage with a Ride check.
    Wander_Rascal Blade: Boost--gain 2d6 + DEX sneak attack damage
    _______Tag Team: Counter--flank and strike an opponent
    _______When Strong, Appear Weak: Stance--take AC penalty to gain attack bonus


    4TH LEVEL
    Spoiler
    Show
    Circle_Complete Theft: Strike--Disarm all weapons an opponent holds.
    _______Talon Strike, Greater: Strike--Attack with all your natural weapons.
    _______What it Takes to Survive: Boost--Defeat foe, heal 2d6 + 1/initiator level hit points
    Crash__Gripping Water: Counter--use bull rush to avoid being tripped or grappled
    _______Turbulent Charge: Strike--Charge an enemy; bull rush others with your wake
    _______Water Splitting Stone: Strike--sunder, dealing bonus damage equal to initiator level
    Giant__Crushing Grip: Boost--Grapples deal +2d6 damage +1/initiator level
    _______Flying Fists: Strike--Attack with natural weapons and unarmed strikes at greater range
    _______Lean Into It: Counter--Grab hold of an enemy that strikes you in melee
    Iron___Alarming Alacrity: Boost--Make an additional attack.
    _______Full Quiver: Stance--Never run out of arrows.
    _______Trick Shot: Counter--Make immediate disarm attempt against attacker.
    Life___Cleansing Blow: Counter--heal 2d6 +1/initiator level, remove sickness and poison
    _______Lacerating Blade: Boost--deal extra precision damage
    _______Philtrum Strike: Strike--Make Heal check, deal +3d6 and possibly precision. damage
    Master_Bellowing Breath: Strike--deal 2d6 + initiator level sonic damage in a 15-ft line
    _______Clear the Way: Counter--let two allies attack while you defend
    _______Screeching Blows: Boost--deafen enemies with your attacks
    Twin___Burst of Speed: Boost--Double your mount’s speed while charging.
    _______Crushing Stampede: Stance--Ignore foe’s damage reduction while mounted.
    _______Staggering Blow: Strike--Deal an extra 2d6 damage, limit opponent to single actions
    Wander_Dirtied Blade Strike: Strike--blind an opponent and gain a second attack
    _______Dramatic Death: Counter--drop prone and feign death


    5TH LEVEL
    Spoiler
    Show
    Circle_Distracting Blade: Stance--Gain AC bonus based on weapon enhancement.
    _______Stunning Theft: Strike--Disarm, possibly stun an enemy.
    _______Weapon Trap: Counter--Replace your AC with a sleight of hand check, stop further attacks.
    Crash__Softer Than Water: Stance--reduce damage done by critical hits
    _______Swim Away: Counter--use Swim check in place of Reflex save; move away
    _______Wave Force: Strike--bull rush multiple opponents
    Giant__Adaptive Attack: Counter--Reroll an attack.
    _______Shield of Muscle: Stance--Add half your Con bonus to your AC instead of Dex.
    _______Shoulder Lock: Strike--Grapple foe, apply pressure to a critical joint.
    Iron___Defense of the Swift Arrow: Stance--Provoke no attacks of opportunity for ranged attacks.
    _______Quicker than the Eye: Strike--Attack ignores enemy's dexterity.
    _______Strafe: Stance--Gain the ability to deal more damage when you move.
    Life___Fleet Feet: Stance--skirmish after 5 ft instead of 10
    _______Muscle Death: Strike--deal 4 points of physical ability damage
    Master_Aura of Command: Stance--affect one creature as with control undead
    _______Aura of Persuasion: Stance--affect one creature as with charm person
    _______Frightful Beating: Strike--cause feat as part of full attack
    _______Resonating Blow: Strike--deal double damage to sunder
    Twin___Hurl Weapon: Strike--Throw a weapon, deal an extra 4d6 damage.
    _______Mounted Assault: Stance--Gain Ride-By Attack as a bonus feat, make extra attacks.
    _______Overwhelming Charge: Strike--Deal an extra 6d6 damage on a charge and knock out your opponent.
    Wander_Bob and Weave: Stance--gain a miss chance
    _______Fake Out: Strike--feint applies to all attacks with one weapon
    _______Gut Punch: Strike--Successful attack leaves your enemy nauseated


    6TH LEVEL
    Spoiler
    Show
    Circle_Scent of Blood: Boost--Locate enemies who are magically hiding
    _______Vulture Dash: Strike--Gain bite attack, full attack on charge
    Crash__Raging River: Strike--charge an enemy, moving through others
    _______White Water Rapids: Boost--bull rush on successful attacks
    Giant__Disciplined Force: Boost--Increase your Base Attack Bonus and strike DCs.
    _______Full Nelson: Strike--Grapple foe, apply pressure to a critical joint.
    _______Strong Arm Defense: Counter--Use grapple check to dodge attack.
    Iron___Always Ready: Counter--Make a single ranged attack as an imediate action.
    _______Covering Fire: Strike--Fill an area with arrows; automatically hit anyone that enters.
    _______Hit the Crowd: Strike--Target a block of creatures as if they were one.
    Life___Greater Surgical Strike: Strike--use double Heal check in place of damage
    _______Revive Muscle: Counter--gain HP and heal physical ability damage
    Master_Deafening Shout: Strike--deal sonic damage and deafen enemies in a 20 foot cone
    _______Hazing: Counter--use peform check to daze enemy
    _______Start a Revolution: Strike--charge; grant allies a free attack
    Twin___Fight as One: Strike--Both you and mount may make a full attack at end of a charge.
    _______Trampling Charge: Strike--Deal an extra 6d6 damage on a charge, mount may attack additional foes.
    Wander_Bite of the Wasp: Strike--Attack opponents in a line without their notice
    _______Scoundrel Blade: Boost--gain 3d6 + initiator level sneak attack


    7TH LEVEL
    Spoiler
    Show
    Circle_Strong Arm Theft: Strike--Disarm and damage one or two opponents.
    Crash__Shipwrecked Weapon: Counter--sunder an incoming weapon
    _______Typhoon Force: Strike--bull rush many opponents towards or away from you
    Giant__Avalanche of Blows: Strike--Make multiple attacks on a charge.
    _______Pulverizing Grip: Boost--Grapples deal +3d6 damage +1/initiator level
    Iron___Hail of Arrows: Strike--Make full attack; gain three extra attacks.
    _______Intercepting Arrow Kata: Stance--Block incoming arrows by shooting them with your own.
    Life___Floating Rib Strike: Strike--Make Heal check, deal +3d6 and possibly precision damage.
    _______Perforating Blade: Boost--deal extra precision damage
    Master_All For One: Strike--attack with two allies
    _______Expose Weakness: Boost--allies gain bonuses against enemies you strike
    Twin___Battering Charge: Strike--Deal an extra 10d6 damage on a charge and push back your foe.
    _______Maiming Blow: Strike--Deal an extra 8d6 damage, 1d4 Str and Con damage.
    Wander_Lie in Wait: Strike--enemy become flat-footed; deal additional damage
    _______Seize the Opportunity: Counter--confirm a critical threat and deal strength damage


    8TH LEVEL
    Spoiler
    Show
    Circle_Learning to Fly: Stance--Gain or increase fly speed.
    _______Weapon Crush: Counter--Replace AC with Sleight of Hand, possibly disarm and sunder weapon.
    Crash__Canyon Flood: Strike--charge, bull rush a line of enemies
    _______Ebb and Flow: Stance--5ft step when enemy misses; movement bonuses
    Giant__Choke Hold: Strike--Grapple foe, render him helpless.
    _______Human Shield: Counter--Redirect attack to enemy you are grappling.
    _______Touch the Untouchable: Stance--Grapple enemies despite mystical protection.
    Iron___Storm of Arrows: Strike--Shoot arrows equal to DEX mod.
    _______Supreme Efficiency: Stance--Reduce the penalty for iterative attacks to 3.
    Life___Back From the Brink: Counter--avoid becoming disabled or dying
    _______Fight and Flight: Stance--avoid attacks and respond with your own
    Master_Banshee Wail: Strike--deal sonic damage and possibly stun in a 30 ft burst
    _______Lead By Fear: Stance--gain frightful prescence
    Twin___Flawless Horsemanship: Counter--Add ranks in Ride to saves as a competence bonus.
    _______Shatter the Unbreakable: Strike--Deal extra damage based on enemy’s damage reduction.
    Wander_Ambusher: Stance--use Hide skill when others can not
    _______Sow Discord: Boost--confuse multiple enemies
    _______Trickster's Gambit: Strike--deny one or more opponents DEX bonus to AC


    9TH LEVEL
    Spoiler
    Show
    Circle_Massive Theft: Strike--Disarm multiple opponents.
    Crash__Tsunami Force: Strike--Bull rush adjacent opponents up and away
    Giant__Remove the Head: Strike--Grapple foe and kill him instantly.
    Iron___Cyclone of Arrows: Strike--Shoot every enemy within one range increment.
    Life___Death Strike: Strike--target vital nerve, killing creature instantly.
    Master_Howling Charge: Strike--deal bonus sonic damage on charging full attack
    Twin___Ride of the War God: Strike--Deal an extra 20d6 damage on a charge, charge again if you drop a foe.
    Wander_Victory In 100 Battles: Strike--make full attack of touch attacks
    Last edited by playswithfire; 2011-07-03 at 08:59 AM.
    Homebrew
    Current Project (A sequel to Tome of Battle)
    Past Projects, some of which I may come back to
    Spoiler
    Show
    Baldric Sea Campaign Setting (work in progress)
    later version of the Sea Dog base class from it

  11. - Top - End - #11
    Bugbear in the Playground
     
    playswithfire's Avatar

    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Gender
    Male

    Default Tome of Tactics / Chapter 3 / Circling Vulture

    CIRCLING VULTURE
    The Circling Vulture discipline is rumored to have been developed by one of the flying races and, as such, some of its maneuvers are best used by those capable of flight, In it's current form, the discipline emphasizes reducing an enemy's means of fighting back and then striking quickly and decisively. It has become common among both criminals and officers of the peace as both have the need to relieve others of things their weapons or, in the first case, property. The discipline's associated skill is Sleight of Hand and its weapons are the claw, nunchaku, sai, unarmed strike, and whip.

    BARE TALONS
    Circling Vulture (Boost)
    Level: Soldier 1, Mercenary 1
    Initiation Action: 1 swift action
    Range: Personal
    Target: You
    Duration: End of turn
    Draw a hidden weapon as a swift action or make a sleight of hand check to hide a held weapon on your body as a swift action.

    CIRCLING CHARGE
    Circling Vulture (Strike)
    Level: Soldier 3, Mercenary 3
    Prerequisite: 1 Circling Vulture maneuver
    Initiation Action: 1 full round action
    Range: Melee attack
    Target: One creature
    As part of this maneuver, you make a charge attack against an opponent. You may turn up to 90 degrees once during the charge. If the charge attack hits, you deal an additional 10 damage. If you initiate this maneuver while flying, the charge is considered a dive attack, even if it does not meet the normal movement requirements. and, as such, deals double damage.

    COMPLETE THEFT
    Circling Vulture (Strike)
    Level: Soldier 4, Mercenary 4
    Prerequisite: 1 Circling Vulture maneuver
    Initiation Action: 1 full-round action
    Range: Disarm attack
    Target: One creature
    This maneuver functions like Single Theft except as noted here. You make a separate disarm attempt at your full base attack bonus at each weapon held by the enemy and you may have each weapon land in a different square within 10 feet. If disarming with an unarmed strike, you may retain posession of either weapon.

    DISTRACTING BLADE
    Circling Vulture (Stance)
    Level: Soldier 5, Mercenary 5
    Prerequisite: 2 Circling Vulture maneuvers
    Initiation Action: 1 swift action
    Range: Personal
    Target: You
    Duration: Stance
    While in this stance, you gain a dodge bonus to your AC equal to the enhancement bonus of a weapon, but not a shield, you wield. If you have two weapons, use the higher of the two values.

    LEARNING TO FLY
    Circling Vulture (Stance)
    Level: Soldier 8, Mercenary 8
    Prerequisite: 3 Circling Vulture maneuvers
    Initiation Action: 1 swift action
    Range: Personal
    Target: You
    Duration: Stance
    If you do not already have a fly speed, you gain one equal to your base land speed. Your maneuverability is based on your Dexterity score as shown below. This aspect of the stance is a supernatural ability.
    {table=head]Dexterity|Maneuverability

    10 or less|poor

    11 - 16|average

    17 - 22|good

    23 or more|perfect

    [/table]
    If you already have a fly speed, increase your fly speed by your average land speed and increase your maneuverability by two categories. This aspect is not supernatural.

    LIGHT ON YOUR FEET
    Circling Vulture (Stance)
    Level: Soldier 1, Mercenary 1
    Initiation Action: 1 swift action
    Range: Personal
    Target: You
    Duration: Stance
    While in this stance, you gain a 10-ft enhancement bonus to your fly speed, if you have one, and a +5 bonus on all Jump checks.

    MASSIVE THEFT
    Circling Vulture (Strike)
    Level: Soldier 9, Mercenary 9
    Prerequisite: 4 Circling Vulture maneuvers
    Initiation Action: 1 full-round action
    Range: Disarm attack
    Target: All creatures in range
    This maneuver functions like Single Theft, except as noted here. You make a single disarm attempt at your full base attack bonus against each enemy within your weapon range. You may have each weapon you disarm in this way land anywhere within 10 feet of the oppoent that wielded it or. If disarming with an unarmed strike, you may instead maintain posession of any one weapon you disarmed.

    PAINFUL THEFT
    Circling Vulture (Strike)
    Level: Soldier 3, Mercenary 3
    Prerequisite: 1 Circling Vulture maneuver
    Initiation Action: 1 standard action
    Range: Disarm attack
    Target: One creature
    You strike both weapon and arm, the pain forcing your opponent's weapon to leap from his grasp. This maneuver functions like Single Theft, except as noted here. If you successfully disarm the opponent, they take 1d6 damage +1 point per initiator level and you may have the weapon land anywhere within 10 feet of the enemy instead of in an adjacent space.

    SCENT OF BLOOD
    Circling Vulture (Boost)
    Level: Soldier 6, Mercenary 6
    Prerequisite: 2 Circling Vulture maneuvers
    Initiation Action: 1 swift action
    Range: Personal
    Target: You
    Duration: End of turn
    When you initiate this maneuver, you can see creatures through normal and magical darkness, see the exact locations of creatures or objects under blur or displacement effects, and see invisible creatures normally. This effect lasts until the end of your current turn.
    This maneuver is a supernatural effect.

    SINGLE THEFT
    Circling Vulture (Strike)
    Level: Soldier 1, Mercenary 1
    Initiation Action: 1 standard action
    Range: Disarm attack
    Target: One creature
    As part of this maneuver, you make a disarm attempt against an opponent, but you do not provoke attacks of opportunity, and your opponent cannot try to disarm you if you lose the opposed check. You gain a +4 bonus on your attack roll to disarm the opponent. If you succeed in disarming your foe, you may have the weapon land in any space adjacent to the enemy. You may choose to have the weapon land in an adjacent space even if you are disarming them with an unarmed strike.

    STICKY FINGERS
    Circling Vulture (Stance)
    Level: Soldier 3, Mercenary 3
    Prerequisite: 1 Circling Vulture maneuver
    Initiation Action: 1 swift action
    Range: Personal
    Target: You
    Duration: Stance
    While in this stance, you gain a +1 bonus on attack rolls made to disarm an opponent and this bonus increases by half your initiator level, rounded down, when you are fighting defensively or using the Combat Expertise feat.

    STRONG ARM THEFT
    Circling Vulture (Strike)
    Level: Soldier 7, Mercenary 7
    Prerequisite: 3 Circling Vulture maneuvers
    Initiation Action: 1 full-round action
    Range: Disarm attack
    Target: One or two creatures in range
    This maneuver functions like Painful Theft except as noted here. You make separate disarm attempts at your full base attack bonus targeting two weapons within your range; either two weapons held by the same opponent or one weapon each held by two opponents. Each time you successfully disarm an opponent, he takes 6d6 damage and you may have the weapon land anywhere within 10 feet of that opponent, even if disarming with an unarmed strike.

    STUNNING THEFT
    Circling Vulture (Strike)
    Level: Soldier 5, Mercenary 5
    Prerequisite: 2 Circling Vulture maneuvers
    Initiation Action: 1 standard action
    Range: Disarm attack
    Target: One creature
    You knock an opponent's weapon into his head as you relieve him of it. This maneuver functions like Painful Theft except, if the opponent is disarmed, the damage dealt is 3d6 +1 point per initiator level and he must succeed on a Fort save (DC = damage done) or be stunned for one round.

    TALON STRIKE
    Circling Vulture (Strike)
    Level: Soldier 2, Mercenary 2
    Initiation Action: 1 standard action
    Range: Weapon range
    Target: One creature
    As part of this maneuver, you attack with up to three of your natural weapons against one opponent. All attacks must be against the same opponent and you take a -2 penalty on all of the attack rolls. If the first or second strike reduces the opponent to -1 or fewer hit points, you may not make the remaining attacks. If you initiate this maneuver while flying, double the threat range of the natural weapons you use as if they had the keen weapon property.

    TALON STRIKE, GREATER
    Circling Vulture (Strike)
    Level: Soldier 4, Mercenary 4
    Prerequisite: 1 Circling Vulture maneuver
    Initiation Action: 1 standard action
    Range: Weapon range
    Target: one creature
    This maneuver functions like Talon Strike, except that you may attac with all your natural weapons and the penalty on attack rolls is reduced to -1.

    VULTURE DASH
    Circling Vulture (Strike)
    Level: Soldier 6, Mercenary 6
    Prerequisite: 2 Circling Vulture maneuvers
    Initiation Action: 1 full round action
    Range: Weapon range
    Target: One creature
    As part of this maneuver, you make a charge attack against an opponent. Instead of making a single attack, you may make a full attack, including a bite attack (damage d8+STR). The bonus on attack rolls granted by the charge applies to all attacks. If you initiate this maneuver while flying, it is considered a dive attack even if it does not meet the movement requirements and, as such, all attacks deal double damage.

    WEAPON CRUSH
    Circling Vulture (Counter)
    Level: Soldier 8, Mercenary 8
    Prerequisite: 3 Circling Vulture maneuvers
    Initiation Action: 1 immediate action
    Range: Personal
    Target: You
    Duration: Instantaneous
    If your opponent strikes you on his turn, you can replace your AC with a Sleight of Hand check with a bonus equal to your Strength modifier as an immediate action. You must decide whether to initiate this maneuver before you know the result of your opponent's attack (but after the attack is declared). Your Sleight of Hand check applies to only one attack. You must not be flat footed and be aware of the attack to use this maneuver. If your opponent misses, the opponent is disarmed and you may attempt to sunder the weapon without provoking an attack of opportunity.

    WEAPON LOCK
    Circling Vulture (Counter)
    Level: Soldier 2, Mercenary 2
    Initiation Action: 1 immediate action
    Range: Personal
    Target: You
    Duration: Instantaneous
    You may initiate this maneuver whenever an opponent misses you with a melee attack. As part of this maneuver, you may make a sleight of hand check (DC = the enemy's attack roll). If the check succeeds, the opponent is disarmed of this weapon and, if you have at least one free hand, you may hold it in that hand. Add 4 to the DC if the weapon in question is a two-handed weapon and another 4 for each size category the opponent is larger than you. If the weapon being disarmed is attached to a locked gauntlet, increase the DC of the check by 10.

    WEAPON TRAP
    Circling Vulture (Counter)
    Level: Soldier 5, Mercenary 5
    Prerequisite: 2 Circling Vulture maneuvers
    Initiation Action: 1 immediate action
    Range: Personal
    Target: You
    Duration: Instantaneous
    You may initiate this maneuver whenever an opponent strikes you on his turn. As an immediate action, you may replace your AC with the result of a Sleight of Hand check. You must decide whether to initiate this maneuver before you know the result of your opponent's attack (but after the attack is declared). Your Sleight of Hand check applies to only one attack. You must not be flat footed and be aware of the attack to use this maneuver. If your opponent misses, he can make no more attacks with that weapon this round.

    WHAT IT TAKES TO SURVIVE
    Circling Vulture (Boost)
    Level: Soldier 4, Mercenary 4
    Prerequisite: 1 Circling Vulture maneuver
    Initiation Action: 1 swift action
    Range: Personal
    Target: You
    Duration: End of turn
    You may initiate this maneuver whenever you reduce a living opponent within your natural reach to -1 or lower hit points. You draw strength from their death and heal 2d6 points of damage and +1 point per initiator level (maximum +15).
    Last edited by playswithfire; 2011-06-05 at 04:55 PM.
    Homebrew
    Current Project (A sequel to Tome of Battle)
    Past Projects, some of which I may come back to
    Spoiler
    Show
    Baldric Sea Campaign Setting (work in progress)
    later version of the Sea Dog base class from it

  12. - Top - End - #12
    Bugbear in the Playground
     
    playswithfire's Avatar

    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Gender
    Male

    Default Tome of Tactics / Chapter 3 / Crashing Wave

    CRASHING WAVE
    The Crashing Wave discipline was created by the warriors of various seafaring and aquatic races based on the movements of the tides and then adapted by the frontline soldiers of many other nations who realized the clear connection to the ebb and flow of the line of battle. The associated skill is Swim and its weapons are armor spikes, the spear, all shields, and the trident.

    BREAK ON THE ROCKS
    Crashing Wave (Counter)
    Level: Soldier 2
    Initiation Action: 1 immediate action
    Range: Personal
    Target: You
    Duration: Instantaneous
    You may initiate this maneuver whenever a charing opponent enters a space you threaten with a shield you wield. You may make a single shield bash attack against that opponent. For every five points of damage it deals, that opponent takes a -1 penalty on attacks made against you this round.

    CANYON FLOOD
    Crashing Wave (Strike)
    Level: Soldier 8
    Prerequisite: 3 Crashing Wave maneuvers
    Initiation Action: 1 full-round action
    Range: charge attack
    Target: 60 ft line
    As part of this maneuver, you charge in a 60 ft line and can bull rush each enemy you encounter. You do not provoke attacks of opportunity for your movement both before and while bull rushing. You gain a +2 bonu on all bull rushes for each opponent you are already pushing. At the end of the charge, each opponent takes damage equal to your initiator level plus 1d6 for each enemy bull-rushed and moves into an adjacent square.

    CRESTING POWER
    Crashing Wave (Boost)
    Level: Soldier 3
    Prerequisite: 1 Crashing Wave maneuver
    Initiation Action: 1 swift action
    Range: Personal
    Target: You
    Duration: End of turn
    For the remainder of your turn, attacks you make with bludgeoning weapons deal damage as if the weapon were one size category larger.

    EBB AND FLOW
    Crashing Wave (Stance)
    Level: Soldier 8
    Prerequisite: 3 Crashing Wave maneuvers
    Initiation Action: 1 swift action
    Range: Personal
    Target: You
    Duration: Stance
    While you are in this stance, whenever an enemy's attack misses you, you may take a 5ft step and an additional 5ft step if you succeed on a Tumble or Swim check (DC = enemy's attack roll). You may also tumble at full speed as if tumbling at half speed and move through enemies as if moving through allies.

    FLOWING FEET
    Crashing Wave (Stance)
    Level: Soldier 1
    Initiation Action: 1 swift action
    Range: Personal
    Target: You
    Duration: Stance
    While you are in this stance, whenever you would make a Tumble check, you may instead use the result of a Swim check to determine if your check succeeded.

    GEYSER FORCE
    Crashing Wave (Strike)
    Level: Soldier 3
    Prerequisite: 1 Crashing Wave maneuver
    Initiation Action: 1 standard action
    Range: melee attack
    Target: One creature
    This maneuver functions like Ripple Force, except as noted here. You gain a +1 bonus on the strength check made to bull rush the opponent for every 5 feet you have moved this round and the enemy moves 5 ft into the air and an additional 5 ft for each 5 points by which your check result is greater than the defender’s check result instead of moving that many feet backwards. He must also succeed on a Reflex save (DC 13 + your CON modifier) or fall prone.

    GRIPPING WATER
    Crashing Wave (Counter)
    Level: Soldier 4
    Prerequisite: 1 Crashing Wave maneuver
    Initiation Action: 1 immediate action
    Range: Personal
    Target: You
    Duration: Instantaneous
    You may initiate this maneuver whenever an opponent declares a trip or grapple attempt against you but before the result is known. You make a bull rush attempt against that opponent and, if you win the check, their trip or grapple attempt fails.

    RAGING RIVER
    Crashing Wave (Strike)
    Level: Soldier 6
    Prerequisite: 2 Crashing Wave maneuvers
    Initiation Action: 1 full round action
    Range: charge attack
    Target: One creature; see text
    As part of this maneuver you make a charge attack against an opponent. While charging, you can turn up to 90 degrees a number of times equal to your Dexterity modifier and move through spaces occupied by both enemies and allies. You may make a single attack against each enemy you pass. You may tumble as part of this charge to avoid attacks of opportunity.

    RELENTLESS TIDE
    Crashing Wave (Strike)
    Level: Soldier 2
    Initiation Action: 1 full-round action
    Range: charge attack
    Target: One creature
    As part of this maneuver, you must charge an opponent. You may turn once up to 90 degrees and charge through spaces occupied by allies, but not by enemies, when making this attack.

    RIPPLE FORCE
    Crashing Wave (Strike)
    Level: Soldier 1
    Initiation Action: 1 standard action
    Range: melee attack
    Target: One creature
    As part of this manveuver, you make a bull rush attempt against an adjacent opponent. Resolve the bull rush as normal, except you do not provoke attacks of opportunity for your movement and do not have to move with the opponent if you move the opponent more than 5 ft. You may use your Dexterity modifier in place of your Strength modifier in the bull rush attempt and gain a +4 bonus on the check.

    SHIPWRECKED WEAPON
    Crashing Wave (Counter)
    Level: Soldier 7
    Prerequisite: 3 Crashing Wave maneuvers
    Initiation Action: 1 immediate action
    Range: Personal
    Target: You
    Duration: Instantaneous
    As an immediate action, you can make a sunder attempt against a weapon within your melee range that is attacking you. You gain a +2 bonus on the attack roll, deal extra damage equal to your initiator level, and do not provoke an attack of opportunity.
    You can use this maneuver after the opponent declares his attack but before the result is known.

    SOFTER THAN WATER
    Crashing Wave (Stance)
    Level: Soldier 5
    Prerequisite: 2 Crashing Wave maneuvers
    Initiation Action: 1 swift action
    Range: Personal
    Target: You
    Duration: Stance
    You let otherwise devastating attacks fall off you like water off a duck's back.
    Whenever an enemy hits you and threatens a critical hit, you may attempt a Swim check (DC = the enemy's attack roll) to reduce the critical multiplier of his damage roll by 1. You may not do this when the enemy has rolled a natural 20.

    SWIM AWAY
    Crashing Wave (Counter)
    Level: Soldier 5
    Prerequisite: 2 Crashing Wave maneuvers
    Initiation Action: 1 immediate action
    Range: Personal
    Target: You
    Duration: Instantaneous
    You can use this maneuver whenever you would normally make a Reflex save. Make a Swim check instead and use that to determine if you succeeded. You must initiate this maneuver before attempting the Reflex save. You do not automatically fail if you roll a 1 on your Swim check. If your check succeeds and the Reflex save would normally result in half damage, you instead take no damage and can move a number of feet equal to the result of your check rounded down to the nearest 5 ft.

    SWIM ON LAND
    Crashing Wave (Boost)
    Level: Soldier 1
    Initiation Action: 1 swift action
    Range: Personal
    Target: You
    Duration: End of turn
    For the rest of the round, your base land speed increases by either your swim speed or your Swim modifier, rounded down to the nearest five, whichever is higher.

    TSUNAMI FORCE
    Crashing Wave (Strike)
    Level: Soldier 9
    Prerequisite: 4 Crashing Wave maneuvers
    Initiation Action: 1 full-round action
    Range: Melee attack
    Target: One or more creatures
    This maneuver functions like Ripple Force except as noted here. You may bull rush each adjacent opponent without moving and each opponent you bull rush is moved into the air a distance equal to double the distance you push them back. They each take 6d6 bludgeoning damage in addition to fall damage as usual.

    TURBULENT CHARGE
    Crashing Wave (Strike)
    Level: Soldier 4
    Prerequisite: 1 Crashing Wave maneuver
    Initiation Action: 1 full-round action
    Range: charge attack
    Target: One creature; see text
    As part of this maneuver, you make a charging bull rush attack against an enemy, gaining an additional +2 on the Strength checks. If you make this charge under or on the surface of a body of water, make a bull rush attempt against each enemy you pass without moving into their spaces, but they only move half of any additional distance beyond 5 ft and you continue moving if these bull rushes fail.

    TYPHOON FORCE
    Crashing Wave (Strike)
    Level: Soldier 7
    Prerequisite: 3 Crashing Wave maneuvers
    Initiation Action: 1 full round action
    Range: 30 ft burst
    Target: One or more creatures
    As part of this maneuver, you make a single Strength or Dexterity check. Each opponent within 30 ft must make an opposed Strength check and, if their check is less than yours, you may move them as if you had made a successful bull rush against them. If you are pushing them away, subtract a number of feet from the distance you move them equal to their distance from you to a minimum of 5 ft.
    This maneuver is a supernatural effect.

    UNDERWATER WARRIOR
    Crashing Wave (Stance)
    Level: Soldier 1
    Initiation Action: 1 swift action
    Range: Personal
    Target: You
    Duration: Stance
    While in this stance, you can hold your breath underwater for a number of minutes equal to your initiator level and gain a swim speed equal to 10 ft less than your base land speed.

    WATER SPLITTING STONE
    Crashing Wave (Strike)
    Level: Soldier 4
    Prerequisite: 1 Crashing Wave maneuver
    Initiation Action: 1 standard action
    Range: sunder attack
    Target: One creature
    As part of this maneuver, you make a single sunder attack, but do not provoke an attack of opportunity and gain a bonus on the damage roll equal to your initiator level.

    WAVE FORCE
    Crashing Wave (Strike)
    Level: Soldier 5
    Prerequisite: 2 Crashing Wave maneuvers
    Initiation Action: 1 full-round action
    Range: bull rush attack
    Target: Two creatures or 15 ft. cone; see text
    This maneuver functions like Ripple Force, except as noted here. You bull rush one or two adjacent opponents (adjacent both to you and to each other). If you are on or below the surface of a body of water, apply the same bull rush check to all enemies within a 15ft cone in the direction of the original enemy or enemies.

    WEIGHT INTO IT
    Crashing Wave (Stance)
    Level: Soldier 3
    Prerequisite: 1 Crashing Wave maneuver
    Initiation Action: 1 swift action
    Range: Personal
    Target: You
    Duration: Stance
    While you are in this stance, you deal 2d6 damage + 1.5 times your CON modifier whenever you win a bull rush check.

    WHITE WATER RAPIDS
    Crashing Wave (Boost)
    Level: Soldier 6
    Prerequisite: 2 Crashing Wave maneuvers
    Initiation Action: 1 swift action
    Range: Personal
    Target: You
    Duration: End of turn
    For the rest of the turn, whenever you strike an opponent with a bludgeoning weapon, you may initiate a bull rush against that opponent as a free action without entering their space. If you move with the opponent, you do not provoke an attack of opportunity.
    Last edited by playswithfire; 2011-07-03 at 09:01 AM.
    Homebrew
    Current Project (A sequel to Tome of Battle)
    Past Projects, some of which I may come back to
    Spoiler
    Show
    Baldric Sea Campaign Setting (work in progress)
    later version of the Sea Dog base class from it

  13. - Top - End - #13
    Bugbear in the Playground
     
    playswithfire's Avatar

    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Gender
    Male

    Default Tome of Tactics / Chapter 3 / Giant's Grip

    GIANT'S GRIP
    The broken joints and crushed bones of opponents are the signature of the Giant's Grip discipline. Its practitioners have learned that many so-called warriors become frightened children when shown just how many weaknesses their bodies possess. Though weapons have their uses, most Giant's Grip practitioners forgo them in favor of the more primitive and brutal combat to be found in a grapple. Escape Artist is the associated skill for Giant's Grip and its associated weapons are the claw, mancatcher, scorpion claws, unarmed strike, and grapple.

    ADAPTIVE ATTACK
    Giant's Grip (Counter)
    Level: Soldier 5
    Prerequisite: 2 Giant's Grip maneuvers
    Initiation Action: 1 immediate action
    Range: Personal
    Target: You
    Duration: Instantaneous
    With quick reflexes, you correct a flaw in your attack before it fails.
    Reroll any one attack roll or grapple, trip or disarm attempt with a +3 bonus.

    AVALANCHE OF BLOWS
    Giant's Grip (Strike)
    Level: Soldier 7
    Prerequisite: 3 Giant's Grip maneuvers
    Initiation Action: 1 full-round action
    Range: Melee attack
    Target: One creature
    With a piercing whoop, you launch yourself at an enemy and deliver a lightning fast barrage of blows.
    As part of initiating this maneuver, you make a charge attack. Instead of making a single attack at the end of your charge, you can make a three attacks at your full base attack bonus. You do not gain the standard bonus on your attack rolls for making a charge attack, but still take the penalty to your Armor Class.

    BRUISING GRIP
    Giant's Grip (Boost)
    Level: Soldier 1
    Initiation Action: 1 swift action
    Range: Personal
    Target: You
    Duration: End of turn
    Your vice-like grip leaves your opponents black and blue.
    For the rest of your turn, you deal an extra 1d6 points of damage +1 point per initiator level when Damaging Your Opponent in a grapple.

    CHOKE HOLD
    Giant's Grip (Strike)
    Level: Soldier 8
    Prerequisite: 3 Giant's Grip maneuvers
    Initiation Action: 1 standard action
    Range: Melee attack
    Target: One creature
    Your arm slides around your opponent's neck and crushes the flow of air to its brain until he collapses.
    This maneuver functions like Wrist Lock (2nd level strike) except as noted here.
    If you win the grapple check, your opponent is pinned and helpless until the end of your next turn. A Fortitude save (DC 18 + your STR modifier) negates the helplessness but not the pin. For each 5 you beat the opposed grapple check by, the DC increases by 2. On its turn, the opponent gets another saving throw.

    CONFOUNDING STRIKE
    Giant's Grip (Strike)
    Level: Soldier 1
    Initiation Action: 1 standard action
    Range: Melee attack
    Target: One creature
    You strike from an odd angle, leaving your opponent unsure what you'll do next.
    As part of this maneuver, you make a single melee attack against an opponent. If your attack hits, you deal normal melee damage and the opponent is unable to make attacks of opportunity against you until the end of your next turn. It can make attacks of opportunities against other characters as normal.

    CRANKING THE RACK
    Giant's Grip (Stance)
    Level: Soldier 1
    Initiation Action: 1 swift action
    Range: Personal
    Target: You
    Duration: Stance
    You twist your opponents spine, exposing his weaknesses to those who fight with you.
    While you are in this stance and grappling an opponent, all allies increase the threat range of their weapons by 1 when attacking that opponent.

    CRUSHING GRIP
    Giant's Grip (Boost)
    Level: Soldier 4
    Prerequisite: 1 Giant's Grip maneuver
    Initiation Action: 1 swift action
    Range: Personal
    Target: You
    Duration: End of turn
    The blood of your opponent rings in your ears, then falls silent as you arrest its flow.
    Your grip tightens and you feel your opponent's pulse slowing as you crush the artery against the bone. For the rest of your turn, you deal an extra 2d6 points of damage +1 point per initiator level when Damaging Your Opponent in a grapple.

    DISCIPLINED FORCE
    Giant's Grip (Boost)
    Level: Soldier 6
    Prerequisite: 2 Giant's Grip maneuvers
    Initiation Action: 1 swift action
    Range: Personal
    Target: You
    Duration: End of turn
    You study your opponent and determine where best to strike.
    Your base attack bonus becomes equal to your initiator level if it is higher (which may give you additional attacks). Addtionally, the DC for the save of any strike you use this round is increased by 3.

    ELBOW LOCK
    Giant's Grip (Strike)
    Level: Soldier 3
    Prerequisite: 1 Giant's Grip maneuver
    Initiation Action: 1 standard action
    Range: Melee attack
    Target: One creature
    You bend your opponent's arm behind him and torque the elbow, causing pain which only increases as he struggles to break free.
    This maneuver functions like Wrist Lock (2nd level strike) except as noted here.
    If you win the grapple check, you deal an additional 3d6 damage and are considered to be pinning the targeted opponent. Additionally, that opponent takes d6 damage on each unsuccessful attempt to break the pin.

    FLYING FISTS
    Giant's Grip (Strike)
    Level: Soldier 4
    Prerequisite: 1 Giant's Grip maneuver
    Initiation Action: 1 full-round action
    Range: 20 feet
    Target: One or more creatures
    Catching opponents off guard, you strike at those who think they are at a safe distance.
    As part of this maneuver, you make all of your unarmed strike and natural weapon attacks as if their natural reach were increased by 5 feet and can not make attacks with manufactured weapons. Your unarmed strikes and natural weapons count as one-handed weapons rather than light weapons for the purpose of disarm attempts. This maneuver is a supernatural effect.

    FULL NELSON
    Giant's Grip (Strike)
    Level: Soldier 6
    Prerequisite: 2 Giant's Grip maneuvers
    Initiation Action: 1 standard action
    Range: Melee attack
    Target: One creature
    Your arms reach beneath your opponents' and yank them back when you apply pressure to it's spine.
    This maneuver functions like Wrist Lock except as noted here.
    If you win the grapple check, you deal an additional 2d6 damage and your opponent must succeed on a Fortitude save (DC 16 + your STR modifier) or be stunned for 1 round. For each 5 you beat the opposed grapple check by, the DC increases by 2.

    HUMAN SHIELD
    Giant's Grip (Counter)
    Level: Soldier 8
    Prerequisite: 3 Giant's Grip maneuvers
    Initiation Action: 1 immediate action
    Range: Personal
    Target: You
    Duration: Instantaneous
    Seeing a weapon move towards you, you instinctively throw an opponent in its path.
    When an enemy attacks you on its turn, you can attempt to make him strike the opponent you are grappling instead. Make an opposed grapple check against an opponent you are grappling at a -4 penalty. Your opponent gets a bonus on the grapple check equal to the enhancement bonus of the weapon being used to attack you. If you win the check, resolve the attack against the opponent you are grappling. If you lose the check, you are attacked as normal.

    IRON FIST
    Giant's Grip (Stance)
    Level: Soldier 3
    Prerequisite: 1 Giant's Grip maneuver
    Initiation Action: 1 swift action
    Range: Personal
    Target: You
    Duration: Stance
    While you are in this stance, your unarmed strikes are considerd magic and cold iron for the purpose of dealing damage to creatures with damage reduction. This also applies when using the Damage Your Opponent option while grappling.

    LEAN INTO IT
    Giant's Grip (Counter)
    Level: Soldier 4
    Prerequisite: 1 Giant's Grip maneuver
    Initiation Action: 1 immediate action
    Range: Personal
    Target: You
    Duration: Instantaneous
    You roll your shoulder to accept the incomng blow as it lands, grabbing your opponent as his body follows his weapon
    Immediately before an opponent strikes you in melee, you may take a -4 penalty to your armor class. The first time you are struck by an opponent within your natural reach after taking this penalty, you may make a grapple attempt against that opponent as an immediate action. The armor class penalty lasts until your next turn.

    PULVERIZING GRIP
    Giant's Grip (Boost)
    Level: Soldier 7
    Prerequisite: 3 Giant's Grip maneuvers
    Initiation Action: 1 swift action
    Range: Personal
    Target: You
    Duration: End of turn
    Your opponent shudders in pain as nerves he did not even know he possessed cry out in protest under your expert pressure.
    Each blow sends waves of pain through your opponent's body. For the rest of your turn, you deal an extra 3d6 points of damage +1 point per initiator level when Damaging Your Opponent in a grapple.

    QUICK ESCAPE
    Giant's Grip (Boost)
    Level: Soldier 1
    Initiation Action: 1 swift action
    Range: Personal
    Target: You
    Duration: End of turn
    In a flash, you release yourself from the bindings or opponent that restrain you.
    You make an escape artist check as a swift action. If escaping a grapple or bindings, the relevant opponent makes an opposed grapple or use rope check respectively as normal.

    REMOVE THE HEAD
    Giant's Grip (Strike)
    Level: Soldier 9
    Prerequisite: 4 Giant's Grip maneuvers
    Initiation Action: 1 full-round action
    Range: Melee attack
    Target: One creature
    ...and the body will die. With a sickening snap, you demonstrate this simple truth to your opponent.
    This maneuver functions like Wrist Lock (2nd level strike) except as noted here.
    If you win the grapple check, your opponent must succeed on a Fortitude save (DC 19 + your STR modifier) or die. For each 5 you beat the opposed grapple check by, the DC increases by 2. On a successful save, you deal your normal Damage Your Opponent damage as well as an additional 20d6 damage.

    SHIELD OF MUSCLE
    Giant's Grip (Stance)
    Level: Soldier 5
    Prerequisite: 2 Giant's Grip maneuvers
    Initiation Action: 1 swift action
    Range: Personal
    Target: You
    Duration: Stance
    You have trained your body to redirect rather than avoid attacks.
    While you are in this stance, you may add half your Constitution modifier to your armor class in place of your Dexterity modifier, up to the Maximum Dexterity Bonus of the armor you are wearing. Additionally, entering a grapple now reduces your dexterity bonus to AC to +1 against opponents you are not grappling, rather than denying you it, as long as your Dexterity or Constitution modifier is positive.

    SHOULDER LOCK
    Giant's Grip (Strike)
    Level: Soldier 5
    Prerequisite: 2 Giant's Grip maneuvers
    Initiation Action: 1 standard action
    Range: Melee attack
    Target: One creature
    You pull your opponent's arm behind his back and turn until you hear a loud snap.
    This maneuver functions like Wrist Lock (2nd level strike) except as noted here.
    If you win the grapple check, you deal an additional 3d6 damage and limits your opponent's ability to use that arm. For 1d3 rounds he takes a -3 penalty on attack rolls with a one handed or light weapon held in that hand and a -2 penalty on attack rolls made with a weapon held in both hands. A fortitude save (DC 14 + your STR modifier) negates the penalty, but not the extra damage. For each 5 you beat the opposed grapple check by, the DC increases by 2.

    STRONG ARM DEFENSE
    Giant's Grip (Counter)
    Level: Soldier 6
    Prerequisite: 2 Giant's Grip maneuvers
    Initiation Action: 1 immediate action
    Range: Personal
    Target: You
    Duration: Instantaneous
    You knock away an attacking weapon, destabilizing your opponent.
    If your opponent attacks you on his turn, you can replace your AC with the result of a grapple check as an immediate action. You must decide whether to initiate this maneuver before you know the result of your opponent's attack (but after the attack is declared). Your grapple check applies to only one attack. You must be aware of the attack to which you will apply the effect of this maneuver and not flat-footed.If using this maneuver causes your opponent to miss, he can not make more attacks with that weapon against you this turn.

    TOUCH THE UNTOUCHABLE
    Giant's Grip (Stance)
    Level: Soldier 8
    Prerequisite: 3 Giant's Grip maneuvers
    Initiation Action: 1 swift action
    Range: Personal
    Target: You
    Duration: Stance
    You feel your way through the tendrils of magic energy that lesser grapplers find impossible to penetrate.
    While you are in this stance, you can partially bypass the effects of a freedom of movement spell. Rather than causing all grapple checks made by the affected person to avoid or escape a grapple to automatically succeed, they instead get a +10 bonus on those checks. This stance is a supernatural effect.

    WALK THE WEAPON
    Giant's Grip (Counter)
    Level: Soldier 3
    Prerequisite: 1 Giant's Grip maneuver
    Initiation Action: 1 immediate action
    Range: Personal
    Target: You
    Duration: Instantaneous
    You travel along the path of your opponent's weapon, using his own arm as cover to close for your attack.
    You instantly appear in a square adjacent to a creature that attacks you with a melee attack, after resolving the enemy's attack. You cannot move into a space that is occupied by a creature or object. You can move up to 50 feet in this manner. If you cannot move adjacent to the target, this maneuver fails to function but is still considered used.
    This maneuver is a supernatural ability.

    WEAKENING STRIKE
    Giant's Grip (Strike)
    Level: Soldier 2
    Initiation Action: 1 standard action
    Range: Melee attack
    Target: One creature
    You leave a visible dent in your opponent's flesh, rendering one of his limbs less able to fight you.
    As part of this maneuver, you make a single melee attack against an opponent. In addition to dealing normal melee damage with the attack, you deal 2 points of Strength damage.

    WRIST LOCK
    Giant's Grip (Strike)
    Level: Soldier 2
    Initiation Action: 1 standard action
    Range: Melee attack
    Target: One creature
    You apply pressure to your opponent's wrist, often wrenching his hand open and forcing him to drop whatever he holds.
    As part of this maneuver, you must succeed on a melee touch attack against your foe. Resolve the lock as a grapple attempt, but you do not provoke attacks of opportunity. You can use your Dexterity in place of your Strength modifier in the grapple check, whichever is higher. You gain a +4 bonus on the grapple check. If you are already grappling, you do not need to make a new touch attack, you simply use the Damage Your Opponent option with the above conditions as a standard.
    If you win the grapple check, in addition to dealing your unarmed strike damage, you disarm your opponent of a light or one-handed weapon he is wielding. He retains hold of any two handed weapon he is wielding but takes a -4 penalty on attack rolls with it until he escapes the grapple or returns his hand to the weapon by winning an opposed grapple check.
    Homebrew
    Current Project (A sequel to Tome of Battle)
    Past Projects, some of which I may come back to
    Spoiler
    Show
    Baldric Sea Campaign Setting (work in progress)
    later version of the Sea Dog base class from it

  14. - Top - End - #14
    Bugbear in the Playground
     
    playswithfire's Avatar

    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Gender
    Male

    Default Tome of Tactics / Chapter 3 / Life's Blood

    LIFE'S BLOOD
    The Life's Blood discipline was developed out of necessity by warriors who made their living hunting game. With most beasts, they knew that a drawn out fight would bring the rest of its pack and a fight they couldn't always win. So, they learned how to target critical areas to bring their prey down quickly. Their knowledge of the workings of the body also aided in tending their own injuries, as these early practitioners often found themselves beyond the reach of a cleric's healing spells. The key skill for Life's Blood maneuvers is Heal and its associated weapons are the kukri, light hammer, punching dagger, and unarmed strike.

    BACK FROM THE BRINK
    Life's Blood (Counter)
    Level: Huntsman 8, Mercenary 8
    Prerequisite: 3 Life's Blood maneuvers
    Initiation Action: 1 immediate action
    Range: Personal
    Target: You
    Duration: Instantaneous
    You may initiate this maneuver whenever you drop below 0 hp. As part of this maneuver, you make a Heal check (DC = negative hit point count). If your check is successful, you are alive and conscious with 1 hp. You may use this counter as a move action to confer its benefits upon an adjacent ally in the same round he drops below 0 hp. You must have at least one hand free to use this maneuver, but may drop a held weapon as part of initiating it.

    CLEANSING BLOW
    Life's Blood (Counter)
    Level: Huntsman 4, Mercenary 4
    Prerequisite: 1 Life's Blood maneuver
    Initiation Action: 1 immediate action
    Range: Personal
    Target: You
    Duration: Instantaneous
    With a quick blow to the stomach or liver, you cure yourself of the conditions that weaken your body and regain your health.
    You suffer no additional effects from any one poison currently effecting you, and any temporary effects it has are ended. Additionally, you immediately end the following conditions affecting you: diseased, nauseated, and sickened, and heal 2d6 points of damage + point per initiator level. You may use this counter as a move action to confer its benefits upon an adjacent ally. You may only use this maneuver when armed with a light weapon.

    CONTUSING BLADE
    Life's Blood (Boost)
    Level: Huntsman 1, Mercenary 1
    Initiation Action: 1 swift action
    Range: Personal
    Target: You
    Duration: End of turn
    For the rest of of your turn, your attacks that qualify for skirmish damage deal an additional 1d6 skirmish damage and an additional d6 for every five initiator levels. If you attack with a finessable weapon, you may instead gain the same amount of sneak attack damage on all attacks you make that qualify for sneak attack damage.

    DEATH STRIKE
    Life's Blood (Strike)
    Level: Huntsman 9, Mercenary 9
    Prerequisite: 4 Life's Blood maneuvers
    Initiation Action: 1 full-round action
    Range: Melee attack or 15 ft
    Target: One creature
    As part of this maneuver, make a Heal check (DC = opponent's AC). If you succeed, make a single attack. If the attack hits and would do damage, the opponent must make a Fortitude save (DC = 19 + the higher of your Intelligence and Wisdom modifiers). If it fails the save, it drops to -10 HP. If it succeeds, it instead takes damage equal to double your skirmish damage, even if this attack would not normally qualify and if they are normally immune to skirmish damage.

    EXACTING STANCE
    Life's Blood (Stance)
    Level: Huntsman 3, Mercenary 3
    Prerequisite: 1 Life's Blood maneuver
    Initiation Action: 1 swift action
    Range: Personal
    Target: You
    Duration: Stance
    While in this stance, you gain the skirmish ability, if you do not already have it, which deals and extra 2d6 damage. If you already have skirmish, you deal an additional 2d6 when skirmishing.

    FIGHT AND FLIGHT
    Life's Blood (Stance)
    Level: Huntsman 8, Mercenary 8
    Prerequisite: 3 Life's Blood maneuvers
    Initiation Action: 1 swift action
    Range: Personal
    Target: You
    Duration: Stance
    While you are in this stance, you may move 10 feet each time an opponent misses you in melee. Moving in this manner consumes one of your attacks of opportunity in the currrent round. You cannot move in this manner if you have no attacks of opportunity remaining. You may also expend another attack of opportunity to attack the opponent that missed you anywhere during this movement. This movement does not provoke attacks of opportunity.

    FLEET FEET
    Life's Blood (Stance)
    Level: Huntsman 5, Mercenary 5
    Prerequisite: 2 Life's Blood maneuvers
    Initiation Action: 1 swift action
    Range: Personal
    Target: You
    Duration: Stance
    While in this stance, you gain the bonuses from your skirmish class feature after you have moved 5 ft from where you ended your last turn, rather than 10 ft.

    FLOATING RIB STRIKE
    Life's Blood (Strike)
    Level: Huntsman 7, Mercenary 7
    Prerequisite: 3 Life's Blood maneuvers
    Initiation Action: 1 full-round action
    Range: Melee attack or 30 ft
    Target: One creature
    You carefully study your opponent and determine the best place to strike.
    This maneuver functions like Knee Side Strike except you deal an additional 4d6 damage and may increase your skirmish by 2d6 and an additional d6 for every 5 points by which you beat the DC if the check succeeds.

    FROZEN LEG
    Life's Blood (Strike)
    Level: Huntsman 1, Mercenary 1
    Initiation Action: 1 standard action
    Range: weapon range
    Target: One creature
    As part of this maneuver, you make a single attack against an opponent. If it hits, the opponent must succeed on a Reflex save (DC=damage dealt) or have his speed reduced to 0 for all modes of movement for one round.

    GREATER SURGICAL STRIKE
    Life's Blood (Strike)
    Level: Huntsman 6, Mercenary 6
    Prerequisite: 2 Life's Blood maneuvers
    Initiation Action: 1 standard action
    Range: weapon range
    Target: One creature
    As part of initiating this maneuver, you make a single attack against an opponent. If it hits, make a Heal check and deal damage equal to twice the result of your check.

    HEAD ON STRAIGHT
    Life's Blood (Counter)
    Level: Huntsman 1, Mercenary 1
    Initiation Action: 1 immediate action
    Range: Personal
    Target: You
    Duration: Instantaneous
    With a quick jab to the correct spot on the skull, your head is cleared and your ability to fight is restored.
    Immediately end one of the following conditions affecting you: dazzled, deafened, or shaken and heal d6 points of damage + point per initiator level (maximum +10). You may use this counter as a move action to confer its benefits upon an adjacent ally. You may only use this maneuver when armed with a light weapon.

    HEALING PALM
    Life's Blood (Counter)
    Level: Huntsman 3, Mercenary 3
    Prerequisite: 1 Life's Blood maneuver
    Initiation Action: 1 immediate action
    Range: Personal
    Target: You
    Duration: Instantaneous
    You unleash stored energy within the body, granting renewed vitality.
    As part of this maneuver, you make a heal check and gain temporary hit points equal to the result of that check plus your unarmed strike damage. These temporary hit points last for a number of rounds equal to the higher of your Intelligence and Wisdom modifiers. You may use this counter as a move action to confer its benefits upon an adjacent ally. You must have at least one hand free to use this maneuver, but may drop a held weapon as part of the maneuver.

    INTESTINAL FORTITUDE
    Life's Blood (Counter)
    Level: Huntsman 2, Mercenary 2
    Initiation Action: 1 immediate action
    Range: Personal
    Target: You
    Duration: Instantaneous
    You can use this maneuver whenever you would normally make a Fortitude save. Make a Heal check instead and use that to determine if you succeeded. You must use this maneuver before attempting the Fortitude save. You do not automatically fail if you roll a 1 on your Heal check.

    KILLER INSTINCT
    Life's Blood (Stance)
    Level: Huntsman 1, Mercenary 1
    Initiation Action: 1 swift action
    Range: Personal
    Target: You
    Duration: Stance
    While in this stance, you can determine, as described by the deathwatch spell, the status of adjacent creatures that you can see . This stance is a supernatural ability.

    KNEE SIDE STRIKE
    Life's Blood (Strike)
    Level: Huntsman 2, Mercenary 2
    Initiation Action: 1 standard action
    Range: Melee attack or 30 ft
    Target: One creature
    You carefully study your opponent and determine the best place to strike.
    As part of this maneuver, make a Heal check (DC = opponent's AC). If you succeed, make a single attack that deals an additional 2d6 damage increase your skirmish damage by 1d6 if this attack qualifies for skirmish damage. If you fail, you may still attack but do not deal extra damage or increase your skirmish damage and the maneuver is still expended.

    LACERATING BLADE
    Life's Blood (Boost)
    Level: Huntsman 4, Mercenary 4
    Prerequisite: 1 Life's Blood maneuver
    Initiation Action: 1 swift action
    Range: Personal
    Target: You
    Duration: End of turn
    This maneuver functions like Contusing Blade except the additional damage increases for every four initiator levels instead of every five.

    MUSCLE DEATH
    Life's Blood (Strike)
    Level: Huntsman 5, Mercenary 5
    Prerequisite: 2 Life's Blood maneuvers
    Initiation Action: 1 standard action
    Range: weapon range
    Target: One creature
    As a part of this maneuver, you make a single attack against an opponent. If it hits, in addition to taking the normal damage, the opponent takes 4 points of damage to the physical ability score (STR, DEX, or CON) of your choice. A successful Fortitude save (DC 16 + the higher of your Intelligence and Wisdom modifiers) reduces the ability score damage to 2 and does not negate the normal damage.

    MUSCLE WEAKNESS
    Life's Blood (Strike)
    Level: Huntsman 3, Mercenary 3
    Prerequisite: 1 Life's Blood maneuver
    Initiation Action: 1 standard action
    Range: weapon range
    Target: One creature
    As a part of this maneuver, you make a single attack against an opponent. If it hits, in addition to taking the normal damage, the opponent takes 2 points of damage to the physical ability score (STR, DEX, or CON) of your choice. A successful Fortitude save (DC 13 + the higher of your Intelligence and Wisdom modifiers) negates the ability score damage but not the normal damage.

    PERFORATING BLADE
    Life's Blood (Boost)
    Level: Huntsman 7, Mercenary 7
    Prerequisite: 3 Life's Blood maneuvers
    Initiation Action: 1 swift action
    Range: Personal
    Target: You
    Duration: End of turn
    This maneuver functions like Contusing Blade except the additional damage increases for every three initiator levels instead of every five.

    PHILTRUM STRIKE
    Life's Blood (Strike)
    Level: Huntsman 4, Mercenary 4
    Prerequisite: 1 Life's Blood maneuver
    Initiation Action: 1 standard action
    Range: Melee attack or 30 ft
    Target: One creature
    You carefully study your opponent and determine the best place to strike.
    This maneuver functions like Knee Side Strike except you deal an additional 3d6 damage and may increase your skirmish damage by 2d6 if the check succeeds.

    REVIVE MUSCLE
    Life's Blood (Counter)
    Level: Huntsman 6, Mercenary 6
    Prerequisite: 2 Life's Blood maneuvers
    Initiation Action: 1 immediate action
    Range: Personal
    Target: You
    Duration: Instantaneous
    As a part of this maneuver, you make a Heal check as an immediate action. You gain a number of hit points equal to twice the result of that check. Or you may instead heal a number of points of damage tothe physical ability score (STR, DEX, or CON) of your choice by reducing the amount of healing done by 10 times the number of ability damage healed. You may use this counter as a move action to confer its benefits upon an adjacent ally. You must have at least one hand free to use this maneuver, but may drop a held weapon as part of the maneuver.

    RUSH TO THE SCENE
    Life's Blood (Boost)
    Level: Huntsman 2, Mercenary 2
    Initiation Action: 1 swift action
    Range: Personal
    Target: You
    Duration: End of turn
    For the rest of your turn, your land speed is increased by 50%, rounded down to the nearest 5 ft.

    SURGICAL STRIKE
    Life's Blood (Strike)
    Level: Huntsman 3, Mercenary 3
    Prerequisite: 1 Life's Blood maneuver
    Initiation Action: 1 standard action
    Range: Melee attack or 30 ft
    Target: One creature
    As part of initiating this maneuver, you make a single attack against an opponent. If it hits, make a Heal check and deal damage equal to the result of your check.
    Last edited by playswithfire; 2011-06-05 at 04:54 PM.
    Homebrew
    Current Project (A sequel to Tome of Battle)
    Past Projects, some of which I may come back to
    Spoiler
    Show
    Baldric Sea Campaign Setting (work in progress)
    later version of the Sea Dog base class from it

  15. - Top - End - #15
    Bugbear in the Playground
     
    playswithfire's Avatar

    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Gender
    Male

    Default Tome of Tactics / Chapter 3 / Master's Voice

    MASTER'S VOICE
    Practitioners of the Master's Voice discipline have learned that actions do not always speak louder than words, harnessing the air in their lungs to both inspire allies and deal great damage on its own. Its maneuvers allow an adept to never be unable to fight back so long as he draws breath. The associated skill is Perform (oratory) and its weapons are blowgun, breath weapon, dragonsbreath*, longsword, and shortsword.

    ALL FOR ONE
    Master's Voice (Strike)
    Level: Firebrand 7
    Prerequisite: 3 Master's Voice maneuvers
    Initiation Action: 1 full round action
    Range: Melee attack
    Target: One creature
    As part of initiating this maneuver, you and up to two adjacant allies each make a single melee attack against an opponent in range of all of you.

    AURA OF COMMAND
    Master's Voice (Stance)
    Level: Firebrand 5
    Prerequisite: 2 Master's Voice maneuvers
    Initiation Action: 1 swift action
    Range: Personal
    Target: You
    Duration: Stance
    When you initiate this stance, choose one undead within 30 feet. If that creature fails a will save (DC 15 + your Cha modifier), they behave as if under the effects of the command undead spell until you end the stance or the spell effect would be broken. You may not attempt to use this stance against the same undead twice in one day. This stance is a supernatural ability.

    AURA OF PERSUASION
    Master's Voice (Stance)
    Level: Firebrand 5
    Prerequisite: 2 Master's Voice maneuvers
    Initiation Action: 1 swift action
    Range: Personal
    Target: You
    Duration: Stance
    When you initiate this stance, choose one humanoidd or member of your subtype within 30 feet. If that creature fails a will save (DC 15 + your Cha modifier), they behave as if under the effects of the charm person spell until you end the stance or the spell effect would be broken. You may not attempt to use this stance against the same creature twice in one day. This stance is a supernatural ability.

    BANSHEE WAIL
    Master's Voice (Strike)
    Level: Firebrand 8
    Prerequisite: 3 Master's Voice maneuvers
    Initiation Action: 1 full-round action
    Range: 30 ft burst
    Target: One or more creatures
    This maneuver functions like Battle Cry except as noted here. Each creature within a 30 ft burst takes 4d6 sonic damage +1 point per initiator level and must succeed on a Fortitude save (DC 18 + your Cha modifier) or be stunned for 1 round.

    BATTLE CRY
    Master's Voice (Strike)
    Level: Firebrand 2
    Initiation Action: 1 standard action
    Range: 5 feet
    Target: One creature
    As part of this maneuver, you unleash a great shout which deals 1d6 point of sonic damage +1 point per initiator level to one adjacent enemy.

    BELLOWING BREATH
    Master's Voice (Strike)
    Level: Firebrand 4
    Prerequisite: 1 Master's Voice maneuver
    Initiation Action: 1 standard action
    Range: 15 ft line
    Target: One or more creatures
    This maneuver functions like Battle Cry except as noted here. Each creature along a 15 ft. line takes 2d6 sonic damage +1 point per initiator level. The closest creature along that line must succeed on a Reflex save (DC 14 + your Cha modifier) or be knocked prone by the shout.

    CLEAR THE WAY
    Master's Voice (Counter)
    Level: Firebrand 4
    Prerequisite: 1 Master's Voice maneuver
    Initiation Action: 1 immediate action
    Range: Personal
    Target: You
    Duration: Instantaneous
    You may initiate this maneuver during any turn in which you have taken no actions other than a 5ft step. When you initiate this maneuver, choose two adjacent allies. Those allies may act as if it were their turn, each making a full round's worth of actions. You may take no actions this round other than total defense a a full-round action.

    DEAFENING SHOUT
    Master's Voice (Strike)
    Level: Firebrand 6
    Prerequisite: 2 Master's Voice maneuvers
    Initiation Action: 1 standard action
    Range: 20 ft cone
    Target: One or more creatures
    This maneuver functions like Battle Cry except as noted here. Each creature within a 20 ft cone takes 3d6 sonic damage +1 point per initiator level and must succeed on a Fortitude save (DC = 16 + you Cha modifier) or be deafened for 1 round for every 10 points of sonic damage taken.

    DISTRACTION
    Master's Voice (Boost)
    Level: Firebrand 2
    Initiation Action: 1 swift action
    Range: Personal
    Target: You
    Duration: End of turn
    Each enemy you attack during the rest of this round is considered flanked until your next action.

    EXPOSE WEAKNESS
    Master's Voice (Boost)
    Level: Firebrand 7
    Prerequisite: 3 Master's Voice maneuvers
    Initiation Action: 1 swift action
    Range: Personal
    Target: You
    Duration: End of turn
    You must initiate this maneuver before you have made any attacks in the current round. Your allies gain a bonus on attack and damage rolls against enemies you strike equal to the number of successful attacks you make this round. If you attack multiple enemies, they gain the bonus against all of them. This bonus lasts until your next turn.

    FIRE EATER
    Master's Voice (Counter)
    Level: Firebrand 3
    Prerequisite: 1 Master's Voice maneuver
    Initiation Action: 1 immediate action
    Range: Personal
    Target: You
    Duration: Instantaneous
    You may initiate this maneuver whenever you are subjected to an effect that deals fire, cold, electricity, or sonic damage and allows a saving throw. You may make a Perform (oratory) check in place of the allowed save. If you succeed on the save, you may negate up to 2 points of damage per initiator level if you would take any and make a single ranged touch attack at an enemy with 30 ft that does damage of the same type and amount that you negated.

    FRIGHTFUL BEATING
    Master's Voice (Strike)
    Level: Firebrand 5
    Prerequisite: 2 Master's Voice maneuvers
    Initiation Action: 1 full-round action
    Range: Melee Attack
    Target: One creature
    As part of this maneuver, you make a full attack against a single opponent and a Perform (oratory) check to demoralize that opponent, gaining a +2 bonus on the check for each successful attack. If your demoralize check succeeds by more than 10, the opponent is frightened for 1 round instead of shaken and is panicked for 1 round instead of shaken if the check succeeds by more than 20.

    HAZING
    Master's Voice (Counter)
    Level: Firebrand 6
    Prerequisite: 2 Master's Voice maneuvers
    Initiation Action: 1 immediate action
    Range: Personal
    Target: You
    Duration: Instantaneous
    You may initiate this maneuver whenever an enemy that can hear you attacks you or an ally, but before the results of the attack are known. You make a Perform (oratory) check. If the result of your check is higher than the enemy's attack roll, the attack misses and the enemy is shaken until the start of your next turn.

    HOWLING CHARGE
    Master's Voice (Strike)
    Level: Firebrand 9
    Prerequisite: 4 Master's Voice maneuvers
    Initiation Action: 1 full-round action
    Range: Charge Attack
    Target: One creature
    As part of this maneuver, you make a charge attack against an opponent. You may make a full attack rather than a single attack on this charge and each attack that hits and does damage deals an additional d4 sonic damage for each successful attack you made against him this round.

    LEAD BY FEAR
    Master's Voice (Stance)
    Level: Firebrand 8
    Prerequisite: 3 Master's Voice maneuvers
    Initiation Action: 1 swift action
    Range: Personal
    Target: You
    Duration: Stance
    While in this stance, intelligent creatures with fewer HD than your initiator level that come within 30 feet of you must make a Will save (DC 10 + half you initiator level + your Cha modifier) or become frightened for one round and an additional round if they fail by more than 5. The same creature can not be affected more than once within 24 hours. You may also initiate a Duel of Wills at the beginning of each round rather than before initiative is rolled, though you still may not begin one against the same opponent twice in 24 hours. You may use Perform (oratory) in place of Intimidate in the Duel of Wills.

    PEP TALK
    Master's Voice (Stance)
    Level: Firebrand 3
    Prerequisite: 1 Master's Voice maneuver
    Initiation Action: 1 swift action
    Range: Personal
    Target: You
    Duration: Stance
    While you are in this stance, allies that can hear you gain a morale bonus on attack rolls equal to your initiator level divided by 4, rounded down. When you enter this stance, if you have the bardic music ability, you may expend a use of it as a free action to double that bonus.

    RATTLING STRIKE
    Master's Voice (Strike)
    Level: Firebrand 1
    Initiation Action: 1 standard action
    Range: Melee attack
    Target: One creature
    As part of this maneuver, you make a Perform (oratory) check (DC = enemy's AC) as well as an attack roll. If the check succeeds, the enemy is considered flat-footed against your attack.

    REASSURING CHARGE
    Master's Voice (Strike)
    Level: Firebrand 3
    Prerequisite: 1 Master's Voice maneuver
    Initiation Action: 1 full-round action
    Range: Charge attack
    Target: One creature
    As part of this maneuver, you make a charge attack against an opponent. Each ally you pass while charging gets a +4 morale bonus on Will saves for one round.

    RESONATING BLOW
    Master's Voice (Strike)
    Level: Firebrand 5
    Prerequisite: 2 Master's Voice maneuvers
    Initiation Action: 1 standard action
    Range: Sunder Attack
    Target: One creature
    As part of this maneuver, you make a Perform (oratory) check (DC = enemy's AC) as well as an attack roll to sunder a weapon which does not provoke an attack of opportunity. If the check succeeds, your damage roll to sunder deals double damage.

    SCREECHING BLOWS
    Master's Voice (Boost)
    Level: Firebrand 4
    Prerequisite: 1 Master's Voice maneuver
    Initiation Action: 1 swift action
    Range: Personal
    Target: You
    Duration: End of turn
    For the remainder of the round, each enemy you strike must succeed on a Will save (DC 14+ your Cha modifier) or be deafened for one round.

    START A REVOLUTION
    Master's Voice (Strike)
    Level: Firebrand 6
    Prerequisite: 2 Master's Voice maneuvers
    Initiation Action: 1 full-round action
    Range: Charge attack
    Target: One creature
    As part of this maneuver, you make a charge attack against an opponent. Each ally you pass while charging may make a single melee attack. If they choose to make the attack, it consumes one of their attacks of opportunity in the current round.

    STRENGTH IN NUMBERS
    Master's Voice (Boost)
    Level: Firebrand 1
    Initiation Action: 1 swift action
    Range: Personal
    Target: You
    Duration: End of turn
    For the rest of the round, you gain a bonus on attack and damage rolls equal to the number of adjacent allies.

    TALK TOUGH
    Master's Voice (Stance)
    Level: Firebrand 1
    Initiation Action: 1 swift action
    Range: Personal
    Target: You
    Duration: Stance
    While in this stance, you gain damage reduction based on your ranks in Perform (oratory) as show below. You may also use Perform(oratory) in place of Intimidate in a Duel of Wills.
    {table=head]Perform ranks|Damage Reduction

    3-7 |DR 1/-

    8-12 |DR 2/-

    13-17|DR 3/-

    18+ |DR 4/-

    [/table]

    TIMELY ADVICE
    Master's Voice (Counter)
    Level: Firebrand 2
    Initiation Action: 1 immediate action
    Range: Personal
    Target: You
    Duration: Instantaneous
    You may initiate this maneuver whenever you or an ally who can hear you fail a saving throw but before any negative effects are applied. You or that ally may attempt another saving throw to avoid the negative effects of failing the save.

    TRASH TALK
    Master's Voice (Stance)
    Level: Firebrand 3
    Prerequisite: 1 Master's Voice maneuver
    Initiation Action: 1 swift action
    Range: Personal
    Target: You
    Duration: Stance
    While you are in this stance, enemies that can hear you take a morale penalty on attack rolls equal to your initiator level divided by 4, rounded down. When you enter this stance, if you have the bardic music ability, you may expend one use of it as a free action to double that penalty.
    Last edited by playswithfire; 2011-07-03 at 09:20 AM.
    Homebrew
    Current Project (A sequel to Tome of Battle)
    Past Projects, some of which I may come back to
    Spoiler
    Show
    Baldric Sea Campaign Setting (work in progress)
    later version of the Sea Dog base class from it

  16. - Top - End - #16
    Bugbear in the Playground
     
    playswithfire's Avatar

    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Gender
    Male

    Default Tome of Tactics / Chapter 3 / Wandering Eye

    WANDERING EYE
    The Wandering Eye discipline was developed by a warrior-philosopher who taught those who would listen the simple truth that an enemy has the most difficulty defending against an attack he does not see coming. His teachings were shouted down by those who saw these tactics as distasteful and preferred open declarations of hostility, but they were soon defeated by those who had listened. The associated skill is Bluff and weapons are the dagger-fan*, hand crossbow, rapier, sword-fan*, and sap.

    AMBUSHER
    Wandering Eye (Stance)
    Level: Firebrand 8, Mercenary 8
    Prerequisite: 3 Wandering Eye maneuvers
    Initiation Action: 1 swift action
    Range: Personal
    Target: You
    Duration: Stance
    While in this stance and in any sort of natural terrain, you may use the Hide skill even if the terrain doesn’t grant cover or concealment and while being observed and gain a +1 bonus on your Hide checks for every 3 ranks you have in Bluff.

    BITE OF THE WASP
    Wandering Eye (Strike)
    Level: Firebrand 6, Mercenary 6
    Prerequisite: 2 Wandering Eye maneuvers
    Initiation Action: 1 full round action
    Range: Double your move speed
    Target: One or more creatures
    As part of this maneuver, you may move up to twice your speed and make your full attack at any point during this movement. If you attack an enemy with a light weapon, they suffer the effects of the attack at the beginning of their next turn and are unaware that you were the cause.

    BOB AND WEAVE
    Wandering Eye (Stance)
    Level: Firebrand 5, Mercenary 5
    Prerequisite: 2 Wandering Eye maneuvers
    Initiation Action: 1 swift action
    Range: Personal
    Target: You
    Duration: Stance
    You are in a constant state of motion, making it hard for enemies to strike you.
    While you are in this stance, you gain a 15% concealment miss chance. This bonus increases to 20% for the duration of any round in which you move at least 5 ft.

    CONFUSING STRIKE
    Wandering Eye (Strike)
    Level: Firebrand 1, Mercenary 1
    Initiation Action: 1 standard action
    Range: Melee attack
    Target: One creature
    As part of this maneuver, you make a single melee attack. If the attack hits and deals damage, the enemey you struck must make a Will save (DC 11+your Intelligence modifier) or be confused for one round.
    This maneuver is a supernatural ability.

    DECEPTIVE FLANKER
    Wandering Eye (Stance)
    Level: Firebrand 1, Mercenary 1
    Initiation Action: 1 swift action
    Range: Personal
    Target: You
    Duration: Stance
    You gain a higher bonus to your attack rolls when flanking an opponent while in this stance, as opposed to the normal +2. The bonus is determined by your ranks in Bluff as described below.
    {table=head]Bluff Ranks|Flanking Bonus

    6- 9|+3

    10-13|+4

    14-17|+5

    18+ |+6

    [/table]

    DIRTIED BLADE STRIKE
    Wandering Eye (Strike)
    Level: Firebrand 4, Mercenary 4
    Prerequisite: 1 Wandering Eye maneuver
    Initiation Action: 1 standard action
    Range: Melee range
    Target: One creature
    As part of this maneuver, you make a single melee attack. If the attack hits and deals damage, you may make a second attack with the same weapon at the same attack bonus and the opponent must make a Fortitude save (DC 14+your Intelligence modifier or be blinded for one round. A successful save negates the blinding, but not the second attack.

    DOUBLE BLUFF
    Wandering Eye (Strike)
    Level: Firebrand 2, Mercenary 2
    Initiation Action: 1 full-round action
    Range: Weapon range
    Target: One creature
    As part of this maneuver, you make a feint check against a single opponent with a +4 bonus on the check as well as your normal full attack. If the check succeeds, that opponent is denied his Dexterity bonus against one attack made with each weapon you wield, maximum two weapons.

    DRAMATIC DEATH
    Wandering Eye (Counter)
    Level: Firebrand 4, Mercenary 4
    Prerequisite: 1 Wandering Eye maneuver
    Initiation Action: 1 immediate action
    Range: Personal
    Target: You
    Duration: Instantaneous
    You may initiate this maneuver whenever an opponent strikes you. You become prone and that opponent must make a Will save (DC = your bluff modifier as you would use to feint) or believe that you are dead. If they fail, you gain a bonus on attack rolls made against that opponent in the next round equal to your Charisma modifier.

    FAKE OUT
    Wandering Eye (Strike)
    Level: Firebrand 5, Mercenary 5
    Prerequisite: 2 Wandering Eye maneuvers
    Initiation Action: 1 full-round action
    Range: Weapon range
    Target: One or more creatures
    This maneuver functions like Double Bluff except as noted here. If the enemy loses the feint check, they are denied their Dexterity bonus against all attacks made with one weapon you wield or two attacks made with each weapon you wield, maximum two weapons.

    GUT PUNCH
    Wandering Eye (Strike)
    Level: Firebrand 5, Mercenary 5
    Prerequisite: 2 Wandering Eye maneuvers
    Initiation Action: 1 standard action
    Range: Melee attack
    Target: One creature
    As part of this maneuver, you make a single melee attack. If the attack hits and deals damage, the enemy must make a Fortitude save (DC = damage dealt) or be nauseated for one round. On a successful save, he is sickened for one round instead. If you make the attack unarmed, you deal an additional d4 damage.

    KNOCK OFF-KILTER
    Wandering Eye (Boost)
    Level: Firebrand 2, Mercenary 2
    Initiation Action: 1 swift action
    Range: Personal
    Target: You
    Duration: End of turn
    For the rest of the round, each enemy you attack and deal sneak attack damage to is considered flanked until the start of your next turn.

    LIE IN WAIT
    Wandering Eye (Strike)
    Level: Firebrand 7, Mercenary 7
    Prerequisite: 3 Wandering Eye maneuvers
    Initiation Action: 1 standard action
    Range: Melee attack
    Target: One creature
    As part of this maneuver, you make a single melee attack. If you are prone, you may get to your feet without provoking an attack of opportunity before making the attack. The target of your attack is flat-footed against this attack. If you have not moved in the current round, your attack deals an additional 2d6 damage.

    OPPORTUNE MOMENT
    Wandering Eye (Counter)
    Level: Firebrand 2, Mercenary 2
    Initiation Action: 1 immediate action
    Range: Personal
    Target: You
    Duration: Instantaneous
    You may initiate this maneuver whenever an opponent provokes an attack of opportunity from you. You may feint as an immediate action against that opponent. The benefits of winning the feint apply to your attack of opportunity.

    QUICK TRICK
    Wandering Eye (Boost)
    Level: Firebrand 1, Mercenary 1
    Initiation Action: 1 swift action
    Range: Personal
    Target: You
    Duration: End of turn
    You may feint in combat as a swift action. You take a -1 penalty on the check for each enemy threatening you other than the one you are feinting against.

    RASCAL BLADE
    Wandering Eye (Boost)
    Level: Firebrand 3, Mercenary 3
    Prerequisite: 1 Wandering Eye maneuver
    Initiation Action: 1 swift action
    Range: Personal
    Target: You
    Duration: End of turn
    For the rest of of your turn, your attacks that qualify for sneak attack damage deal an additional 2d6 sneak damage and an additional amount of sneak attack damage equal to your Dexterity bonus.

    SCOUNDREL BLADE
    Wandering Eye (Boost)
    Level: Firebrand 6, Mercenary 6
    Prerequisite: 2 Wandering Eye maneuvers
    Initiation Action: 1 swift action
    Range: Personal
    Target: You
    Duration: End of turn
    This maneuver functions like Rascal Blade except as noted here. For the rest of of your turn, your attacks that qualify for sneak attack damage deal an additional 3d6 sneak damage and an additional point of sneak attack damage per initiator level.

    SEIZE THE OPPORTUNITY
    Wandering Eye (Counter)
    Level: Firebrand 7, Mercenary 7
    Prerequisite: 3 Wandering Eye maneuvers
    Initiation Action: 1 immediate action
    Range: Personal
    Target: You
    Duration: Instantaneous
    Having found your enemy's weakness, you drive your blade deeply into it.
    You may initiate this maneuver whenever you make an attack that would deal sneak attack damage and threatens a critical hit. You automatically confirm the critical hit and deal additional damage eqaul to the amount of sneak attack damage you would already deal. You may reduce this additional sneak attack damage by up to 4d6 and instead deal one point of Strength damage for each d6.

    SOW DISCORD
    Wandering Eye (Boost)
    Level: Firebrand 8, Mercenary 8
    Prerequisite: 3 Wandering Eye maneuvers
    Initiation Action: 1 swift action
    Range: Personal
    Target: You
    Duration: End of turn
    For the rest of the round, each enemy you strike must make a Will save (DC 18 + your Intelligence modifier) or be confused for one round. On a successful save, he is shaken instead.
    This maneuver is a supernatural ability.

    TAG TEAM
    Wandering Eye (Counter)
    Level: Firebrand 3, Mercenary 3
    Prerequisite: 1 Wandering Eye maneuver
    Initiation Action: 1 immediate action
    Range: Personal
    Target: You
    Duration: Instantaneous
    You may initiate this maneuver whenever an ally declares an attack against an enemy within 10 feet of you but before the attack is resolved. You may make two 5 ft. steps as an immediate action to move into a flanking position to aid that ally's attack. If that attack succeeds, you may also attack that enemy but this attack consumes one of your attack of opportuninty for the round.

    TRICKSTER'S GAMBIT
    Wandering Eye (Strike)
    Level: Firebrand 8, Mercenary 8
    Prerequisite: 3 Wandering Eye maneuvers
    Initiation Action: 1 full-round action
    Range: Weapon range
    Target: One or more creatures
    This maneuver functions like Double Bluff except as noted here. Your bluff check to feint is opposed by each enemy within your weapon range. You may either have each enemy that loses the check be denied his Dexterity bonus against all attacks you make with one weapon you wield or one enemy who fails be denied his Dexterity bonus against all attacks you make with all weapons you hold this round.

    VICTORY IN 100 BATTLES
    Wandering Eye (Strike)
    Level: Firebrand 9, Mercenary 9
    Prerequisite: 4 Wandering Eye maneuvers
    Initiation Action: 1 full-round action
    Range: Melee Attack
    Target: One creature
    As part of this maneuver, you take a full attack action and make your normal melee attacks against one opponent. All attacks you make against this opponent are touch attacks and you gain the use of the Power Attack feat even if you do not know it. You gain a bonus to your armor class for one round equal to the penalty you take on your attack rolls in this way.

    WHEN STRONG, APPEAR WEAK
    Wandering Eye (Stance)
    Level: Firebrand 3, Mercenary 3
    Prerequisite: 1 Wandering Eye maneuver
    Initiation Action: 1 swift action
    Range: Personal
    Target: You
    Duration: Stance
    While in this stance, you have a -2 penalty to your AC, but gain a +2 bonus on attack and damage rolls against each opponent that attacks you.
    Last edited by playswithfire; 2011-07-03 at 09:37 AM.
    Homebrew
    Current Project (A sequel to Tome of Battle)
    Past Projects, some of which I may come back to
    Spoiler
    Show
    Baldric Sea Campaign Setting (work in progress)
    later version of the Sea Dog base class from it

  17. - Top - End - #17
    Bugbear in the Playground
     
    playswithfire's Avatar

    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Gender
    Male

    Default Tome of Tactics / Chapter 4 / Hand-to-Hand Specialist

    TABLE 4-3: THE HAND-TO-HAND SPECIALIST__________HIT DIE : d10
    {table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special|Maneuvers Known|Maneuvers Readied|Stances Known

    1st|+0|
    2
    |
    0
    |
    2
    |Unarmed damage, bonus feat|
    1
    |
    0
    |
    0

    2nd|+1|
    3
    |
    0
    |
    3
    |Formlessness (Stance)|
    0
    |
    0
    |
    1

    3rd|+2|
    3
    |
    1
    |
    3
    |Take On All Comers, Combat Scavenger|
    1
    |
    1
    |
    0

    4th|+3|
    4
    |
    1
    |
    4
    |Formlessness (Strike)|
    0
    |
    0
    |
    1

    5th|+3|
    4
    |
    1
    |
    4
    |Instinct|
    1
    |
    0
    |
    0

    [/table]
    Class Skills (4 + Int modifier per level): Balance, Escape Artist, Hide, Jump, Martial Lore, Move Silently, Sense Motive, Sleight of Hand, Tumble


    HAND-TO-HAND SPECIALIST
    The lance has its point and the axe its two blades, but the weapons of a so-called unarmed man are limited only by training.
    -- Luc Ebree, a hand-to-hand specialist
    A hand-to-hand specialist will not seem dangerous to the uninitiated, as he rarely carries a weapon and fairly often wears no armor, but those who look in his eyes become quickly aware that they face a dangerous opponent. He fights primarily with his bare hands, as the unarmed strike is the only weapon common to the three disciplines he focuses on. With his combination of Circling Vulture, Giant's Grip, and Setting Sun, he will focus on maneuvers that allow him to control the battle. Through grappling, tripping, and disarming, a hand-to-hand specialist can all but ensure victory so long as he can get his hands on his opponent.

    BECOMING A HAND-TO-HAND SPECIALIST
    This class favors those who fight prefer to fight their opponents up close in hand-to-hand combat. Most hand-to-hand specialists are swordsages or soldiers who specialize in the Circling Vulture, Giant's Grip, and Setting Sun disciplines. Monks, ninjas, and members any other class with an unarmed strike progresion can reap obvious benefits from the class if they can learn the prerequisite maneuvers. Less common, but equally effective are barbarians whose totems grant them one of the required feats.

    ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
    Skills: Escape Artist 4 ranks, Sense Motive 8 ranks, Sleight of Hand 8 ranks
    Feats: Improved Grapple and Improved Trip OR Improved Disarm
    Martial Maneuvers: Must know one maneuver from each of Circling Vulture, Giant's Grip and Setting Sun, one of which must be at least 2nd level

    CLASS FEATURES
    As a hand-to-hand specialist, you learn to be an effective close-quarters combatant, closing inside an enemy's reach and defeating him, often with your bare hands. The greater degree of flexibility in attacking without manufactured weapons is reflected in the class's formlessness ability, which allows you to blend stances and strikes from the three disciplines into a seamless string of combat.
    Maneuvers: At 1st, 3rd and 5th level, you gain a new maneuver known from the Circling Vulture, Giant's Grip, or Setting Sun disciplines. You must meet a maneuver's prerequisites to learn it. You add your full hand-to-hand specialist levels to your initiator level to determine your total initiator level and your highest-level maneuvers known. At third level, you gain an additional maneuver readied per day.
    Stances Known: At 2nd and 4th level, you learn a new martial stance from the Circling Vulture, Giant's Grip, or Setting Sun disciplines. You must meet a stance's prerequisites to learn it.
    Unarmed Damage (Ex): A hand-to-hand specialist’s class levels stack with his monk levels for the purpose of determining his unarmed damage. If he has no monk levels, he gains the unarmed damage of a monk of his Empty Hand Master level.
    Bonus Feat: At first level, you gain a feat from the following list that you do not currently have as a bonus feat even if you do not meet the prerequisites: Light-Fingered, Improved Disarm, or Improved Trip.
    Formlessness (Ex): As a hand-to-hand specialist, you learn to free yourself from reliance on the concept of individual maneuvers and stances as you have already freed yourself from the need for specific weapons.
    Stance: At second level, you choose one of Circling Vulture, Giant's Grip and Setting Sun. You gain all bonuses you receive from being in a stance of the chosen discipline when you are in a stance from either of the other two. For example, if you chose Giant's Grip, you can gain the benefit of the Goliath Wrestling feat while in a Circling Vulture or Setting Sun stance. If you gain the same benefit from both disciplines' stances, such as having Discipline Focus(defensive stance) for both Giant's Grip and Setting Sun disciplines, you do not gain the benefit twice. Additionally, once per round, you may switch to a stance from the Circling Vulture, Giant's Grip, or Setting Sun discipline as a free action
    Strike: At fourth level, when you sucessfully trip or disarm an opponent as a standard action (whether as a standard action strike or standard action single attack), you may initiate a Giant's Grip maneuver with an initiation time of a standard action or less against that opponent. This maneuver replaces the extra attack granted by the Improved Trip and Combat Scavenger feats, respectively and can not be used in a round in which you have already taken a move action.
    Take on all Comers (Ex): At third level, your training has shown you that the bigger they are, the harder they fall. You no longer automatically fail when you attempt to trip or grapple opponents two size categories larger than you. You gain an additional +2 bonus when grappling or tripping an opponent two size categories larger than you.
    Combat Scavenger: At third level, you gain Combat Scavenger as a bonus feat, even if you do not meet the prerequisites.
    Instinct (Ex): You gain the benefits of the Goliath Wrestling feat if you do not already have it and also gain a bonus equal to half your Wisdom modifier on Strength checks made to trip an opponent and on attack and damage rolls made with unarmed strikes. The attack and damage bonus do not stack with those provided by the Shiba Protector's No Thought class feature.
    Last edited by playswithfire; 2011-04-02 at 07:48 AM.
    Homebrew
    Current Project (A sequel to Tome of Battle)
    Past Projects, some of which I may come back to
    Spoiler
    Show
    Baldric Sea Campaign Setting (work in progress)
    later version of the Sea Dog base class from it

  18. - Top - End - #18
    Bugbear in the Playground
     
    playswithfire's Avatar

    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Gender
    Male

    Default Tome of Tactics / Chapter 4 / Trick Marksman

    TABLE 4-6: THE TRICK MARKSMAN__________HIT DIE : d8
    {table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special|Maneuvers Known|Maneuvers Readied|Stances Known

    1st|+0|
    0
    |
    2
    |
    2
    |Shoot from the Hip|
    1
    |
    0
    |
    0

    2nd|+1|
    0
    |
    3
    |
    3
    |Adept Archer, Marksman's Reflex (counter)|
    0
    |
    1
    |
    0

    3rd|+2|
    1
    |
    3
    |
    3
    |Ricochet Shot|
    1
    |
    0
    |
    1

    4th|+3|
    1
    |
    4
    |
    4
    |Adept Archer, Marksman's Reflex (opportunity)|
    0
    |
    1
    |
    0

    5th|+3|
    1
    |
    4
    |
    4
    |Ducks in a Row|
    1
    |
    0
    |
    0

    [/table]
    Class Skills (6 + Int modifier per level): Bluff, Concentration, Jump, Knowledge(local), Martial Lore, Perform, Profession, Spot, Sleight of Hand, Tumble, Use Rope


    TRICK MARKSMAN
    I've learned a few useful lessons from my bow. For instance, aim high and you go farther. Or, shoot low and you can really hurt somebody.
    -- Oakan Nieley, a trick marksman
    Trick marksmen are primarily peerless archers and knife throwers, executing great feats of skill either for the amusement of a crowd or to aid them in battle. As with most ranged combatants, they will attempt to maintain some distance between themselves and their enemies and can make use of their Marksman's Reflex and Ricochet Shot abilities to make that easier. But what distinguishes a trick marksman from other archery-centric classes is the sheer number of martial maneuvers they become able to use with their ranged weapons, through both the Iron Rain discipline and multiple takings of the Adept Archer feat.

    BECOMING A TRICK MARKSMAN
    Excluding melee-focused classes like barbarians and casters who need to spend their feats on augmenting their casting rather than combat, trick marksmen can be of almost any background. Of the martial adepts, mercenaries and swordsages are more likely to take the class than warblades and huntsmen, as the latter group often find trick marksmen to emphasize flash over effectiveness, though they do recognize the skill involved. As the maneuver and stance requirements can met with feats, fighters and variant rogues have the easiest time qualifying of the other base classes, though some bards will take levels in the class to enhance their performances.

    ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
    BAB: 7+
    Skills: Spot 12 ranks
    Feats: Point Blank Shot, Quick Draw
    Martial Maneuvers: Must know one Iron Rain maneuver
    Martial Stances: Must know one Iron Rain stance
    Special: Must be a halfling or trained by another trick marksman

    CLASS FEATURES
    While the term marksman is likely to conjure images of hand crossbows, this class provides useful abilities for the wielders of any thrown or ranged weapon, from the longbow to throwing axe. The Marksman's Reflex class feature provides an effective defense, while the other class features allow those who wish to fight at range to have equal footing in a Sublime Way-heavy campaign.
    Maneuvers: At 1st, 3rd and 5th level, you gain a new maneuver known from the Iron Rain discipline. You must meet a maneuver's prerequisites to learn it. You add your full trick marksman levels to your initiator level to determine your total initiator level and your highest-level maneuvers known. At second and fourth level, you gain an additional maneuver readied per day.
    Stances Known: At 3rd level, you learn a new martial stance from the Iron Rain discipline. You must meet a stance's prerequisites to learn it.
    Shoot from the Hip (Ex): While anyone can draw a weapon quickly, as a trick marksman, you learn to attack with a newly-drawn weapon even more quickly than most. You gain the Rapid Reload feat as a bonus feat if you do not already have it. You may also make an additional attack with a single ranged or thrown weapon in the round in which it is drawn, but you take a -2 penalty on this and all other attack rolls you make in that round.
    Adept Archer (Ex): At second and fourth level, you gain Adept Archer as a bonus feat
    Marksman's Reflex (Ex): When a target comes within your field of vision, you react instinctively.
    counter: At second level, when a creature enters a square within one range increment of a ranged or thrown weapon you wield, you may expend a counter you have readied as an immediate action to gain an attack of opportunity against that opponent with that weapon. This consumes one of your attacks of opportunity for the round and you provoke attacks of oppotunity against you as normal for attacking with a ranged or thrown weapon. You may not make a melee attack of opportunity against the same opponent for the same movement if you use this ability.
    opportunity: Beginning at fourth level, you no longer need to expend a counter to make your Marksman's Reflex attack of opportunity against an opponent that comes within a range increment of you. You may also draw a ranged or thrown weapon as an immediate action.
    Ricochet Shot (Ex): With the keen eyes and training that come with being a trick marksman, you have learned to bounce your weapons off walls and, thus, around obstacles, to strike enemies who think themselves safe. You may make an attack with a ranged or thrown weapon at an opponent within two range increments a ricochet shot by first attacking the spot on the wall (AC 20) such that your angle to that spot, which must be less than 45 degrees, is the same as the angle from that point to your target. If that attack succeeds, you may make an attack at the same attack bonus at the enemy originating from the point on the wall but with a -3 penalty in addition to any penalty for the distance from that point to the target. Ricochet shots are not eligible for sneak attack or other precision based damage.
    Ducks in a Row (Ex): Your eyes see beyond the closest target to those beyond, allowing your attacks to shatter a line of bottles or wound a column of enemies. As a full round action, you may make a single attack with a thrown or ranged weapon at your highest base attack bonus that targets an opponent within one range increment. If the attack succeeds, apply the same attack and damage rolls to each opponent along a 30 ft. line extending from that opponent along your line of attack. If you are wielding two of the same light thrown or ranged weapons, you may instead make a single attack with each of those weapons targeting the same opponent, but both attacks take a -2 penalty.
    Last edited by playswithfire; 2011-04-02 at 07:49 AM.
    Homebrew
    Current Project (A sequel to Tome of Battle)
    Past Projects, some of which I may come back to
    Spoiler
    Show
    Baldric Sea Campaign Setting (work in progress)
    later version of the Sea Dog base class from it

  19. - Top - End - #19
    Barbarian in the Playground
     
    DwarfClericGuy

    Join Date
    Apr 2008
    Location
    Western US
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: Tome of Tactics: A sequel to ToB [PEACH]

    Wow, this is an impressive amount of work. It's awfully daunting to try to comment on, actually, because it's just so huge...but reading through it is fantastic . Some opening comments...

    - I'm a bit disappointed that everyone seems to have a fairly similar recovery style. I liked how the first group of martial adepts had very distinctive "flows" in combat, and for a sequel I'd be hoping for something even more interesting. Perhaps the hunter instantly recovers a maneuver after each kill? The mercenary recovers a maneuver once per round when he feints/deals precision damage? The Firebrand recovers if an ally drops a foe? Just a thought. It'd help give each class a bit more personality.

    - The Mercenary is probably my favorite of the bunch, but I have a few questions. First, his "precision damage" feels more like a PrC feature. I might just give him Sudden Strike dice and call it a day, or clarify things a bit better. Second, I'd really love to see some "Trapfinding" for him. It might also be nice to see a few more class features later in the class; other than the fact that Informed Aim is level-dependant this class seems to strongly encourage dipping into some combination of Rogue, Scout, Factotum, or Swashbuckler. Or is that intentional?

    - Are you intending to add more maneuvers? The early levels of each of the new schools seems a bit light, and the "Sacred Blood" feat references healing maneuvers that don't appear to exist...

  20. - Top - End - #20
    Bugbear in the Playground
     
    playswithfire's Avatar

    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: Tome of Tactics: A sequel to ToB [PEACH]

    Quote Originally Posted by Hawk7915 View Post
    Wow, this is an impressive amount of work. It's awfully daunting to try to comment on, actually, because it's just so huge...but reading through it is fantastic . Some opening comments...
    Thanks for the feedback

    Quote Originally Posted by Hawk7915 View Post
    - I'm a bit disappointed that everyone seems to have a fairly similar recovery style. I liked how the first group of martial adepts had very distinctive "flows" in combat, and for a sequel I'd be hoping for something even more interesting. Perhaps the hunter instantly recovers a maneuver after each kill? The mercenary recovers a maneuver once per round when he feints/deals precision damage? The Firebrand recovers if an ally drops a foe? Just a thought. It'd help give each class a bit more personality.
    That's a good point. I think I went the route of having purely numeric/time differences (move action instead of swift, etc), but you're right, it would be better if the recovery mechanism actually tied in to their combat style. Off the top of my head, I can only think of
    Huntsman: recovers a maneuver when he changes stances. If he's in a natural setting, he recovers an additional maneuver from the discipline of the stance he just adopted.
    I'll definitely have to give recovery mechanics some more thought. [/QUOTE]
    Quote Originally Posted by Hawk7915 View Post
    - The Mercenary is probably my favorite of the bunch, but I have a few questions. First, his "precision damage" feels more like a PrC feature. I might just give him Sudden Strike dice and call it a day, or clarify things a bit better. Second, I'd really love to see some "Trapfinding" for him. It might also be nice to see a few more class features later in the class; other than the fact that Informed Aim is level-dependant this class seems to strongly encourage dipping into some combination of Rogue, Scout, Factotum, or Swashbuckler. Or is that intentional?
    Yeah, precision damage is worded more like a prestige class feature, isn't it. I just wanted, since the mercenary has access to Wandering Eye (sneak attack) and Life's Blood (skirmish), I wanted to let them have a base source of both kinds of damage. But it could use a rewrite. Sudden strike is another good option.

    I've gotten some other feedback that the mercenary doesn't feel quite sneaky enough and trapfinding would be an easy first step towards that. I don't think I necessarily intended for mercenaries to multiclass with the classes you mentioned, but I did think it somewhat likely. I could provide more incentives to stay in the class.

    Quote Originally Posted by Hawk7915 View Post
    - Are you intending to add more maneuvers? The early levels of each of the new schools seems a bit light, and the "Sacred Blood" feat references healing maneuvers that don't appear to exist...
    I hadn't planned on adding more, though I might. I roughly used the ToB disciplines as a template for the number of maneuvers at each level, but looking again, I may have picked ones that had fewer low level maneuvers.

    As for Sacred Blood, yeah, that's what happens when I keep writing and rewriting things for several months. Life's Blood was supposed to have a chain of healing maneuvers to go along with back from the brink, healing palm, and revive muscle, so Life's Blood will probably get some new maneuvers (and maybe one or two cuts) which could make sacred blood work as written, but I'd probably just rename it Targeted Healing and switch it so that you can expend a Life's Blood maneuver (maybe of the same level), to affect any healing spell as if affected by the maximize spell feat without affecting casting time or spell level.

    Thanks again for the feedback.
    Homebrew
    Current Project (A sequel to Tome of Battle)
    Past Projects, some of which I may come back to
    Spoiler
    Show
    Baldric Sea Campaign Setting (work in progress)
    later version of the Sea Dog base class from it

  21. - Top - End - #21
    Dwarf in the Playground
    Join Date
    Jun 2010

    Default Re: Tome of Tactics: A sequel to ToB [PEACH]

    Doing a general overview of this...what is your balance point/tier? And why does the Huntsman class have so many truly dead levels (7, 11, 17 and 19)? You need abilities at those levels, or else people will multiclass out.

    Overally, it looks good from my first pass though. I'll give it a more careful sweep at some point in the future.
    On balance: Just because you don't agree with the level of balance doesn't mean that others cannot. While balance is objective, which balance is being aimed at is subjective.

    DnD-Wiki (a place to store your homebrew) (is not DandDWiki) | My Homebrew |
    IRC: #dnd & #havvy | 5 Color Alignment | Why can't https:// links ever work around here?

  22. - Top - End - #22
    Ogre in the Playground
     
    Elfstone's Avatar

    Join Date
    Oct 2010
    Location
    TX, USA
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: Tome of Tactics: A sequel to ToB [PEACH]

    Just want to say, im playing a huntsman in an Epic level (17) All martial devotee campaign, and its a blast. Iron rain is a great discipline, and the 9th level manouvers rock. I mowed down about 17 mooks (should have had them all but I forgot the bards +12 to damage). So far its really fun, and the stances are quite nice as well. I would reccomend it to anyone. Thanks for making it, I only wish youd finished the weapon of legacy for it.

  23. - Top - End - #23
    Bugbear in the Playground
     
    playswithfire's Avatar

    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: Tome of Tactics: A sequel to ToB [PEACH]

    Quote Originally Posted by Havvy View Post
    Doing a general overview of this...what is your balance point/tier? And why does the Huntsman class have so many truly dead levels (7, 11, 17 and 19)? You need abilities at those levels, or else people will multiclass out.

    Overally, it looks good from my first pass though. I'll give it a more careful sweep at some point in the future.
    I wasn't thinking so much in terms of tiers, but having refamiliarized myself with the tier system, I guess I'm shooting for them to be solid tier 3s
    For specific other classes that mine should be balanced against, I guess
    Firebrand: on par with Bard (see arcane ACF)/Marshal and/or Swordsage
    Huntsman: on par with Warblade and/or Ranger(Wildshape)
    Mercenary: better than Rogue/Scout, on par with Swordsage
    Soldier: on par with Psychic Warrior (hence the psionic variant) and/or Crusader

    As for those dead levels, I have no good explanation other than that I tried to have roughly the same number of class features as the ToB base classes and they will at least get to replace a maneuver with a higher level one. I can try to shift things around or add something, though.

    Thanks for the feedback.
    Quote Originally Posted by Elfstone View Post
    Just want to say, im playing a huntsman in an Epic level (17) All martial devotee campaign, and its a blast. Iron rain is a great discipline, and the 9th level manouvers rock. I mowed down about 17 mooks (should have had them all but I forgot the bards +12 to damage). So far its really fun, and the stances are quite nice as well. I would reccomend it to anyone. Thanks for making it, I only wish youd finished the weapon of legacy for it.
    Glad the huntsman's working out for you and I'll pass on your compliments on Iron Rain to dspeyer (and Fax and I_got_this_name whose disciplines he refactored into Iron Rain). I don't now if any of them are working on a Legacy Weapon for Iron Rain, but I do plan to get around to it; just doing prestige classes before Legacy Weapons.
    Homebrew
    Current Project (A sequel to Tome of Battle)
    Past Projects, some of which I may come back to
    Spoiler
    Show
    Baldric Sea Campaign Setting (work in progress)
    later version of the Sea Dog base class from it

  24. - Top - End - #24
    Bugbear in the Playground
     
    playswithfire's Avatar

    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: Tome of Tactics: A sequel to ToB [PEACH]

    Updates:
    Reworked Life's Blood's healing maneuvers with two new ones (Head on Straight on Cleansing Blow) and rewrote Healing Palm and Revive Muscle
    Changed the Sacred Blood feat to Targeted Healing
    New Mercenary class features (and better wording on precision damage)
    All adepts have updated maneuver recovery mechanisms.

    Still thinking on how to eliminate Huntsman dead levels.

    Thanks again to everyone who's commented.
    Homebrew
    Current Project (A sequel to Tome of Battle)
    Past Projects, some of which I may come back to
    Spoiler
    Show
    Baldric Sea Campaign Setting (work in progress)
    later version of the Sea Dog base class from it

  25. - Top - End - #25
    Dwarf in the Playground
    Join Date
    Jun 2010

    Default Re: Tome of Tactics: A sequel to ToB [PEACH]

    Bonus feats would help, I think. Even if you limited it to a small set of weak feats, it is still better than nothing. Truly dead levels are evil, but any level without class features can be seen as boring.
    On balance: Just because you don't agree with the level of balance doesn't mean that others cannot. While balance is objective, which balance is being aimed at is subjective.

    DnD-Wiki (a place to store your homebrew) (is not DandDWiki) | My Homebrew |
    IRC: #dnd & #havvy | 5 Color Alignment | Why can't https:// links ever work around here?

  26. - Top - End - #26
    Ettin in the Playground
     
    Amechra's Avatar

    Join Date
    Dec 2010
    Location
    Where I live.

    Default Re: Tome of Tactics: A sequel to ToB [PEACH]

    Looks interesting; I'll keep an eye on this.
    Quote Originally Posted by segtrfyhtfgj View Post
    door is a fake exterior wall
    If you see me try to discuss the nitty-gritty of D&D 5e, kindly point me to my signature and remind me that I shouldn't. Please and thank you!

  27. - Top - End - #27
    Titan in the Playground
     
    Prime32's Avatar

    Join Date
    Nov 2008
    Location
    Ireland
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: Tome of Tactics: A sequel to ToB [PEACH]

    Just skimmed this, interesting stuff.

    One suggestion:
    Quote Originally Posted by playswithfire View Post
    CAVALRYMAN
    With the addition of the Twin Spirit discipline, it becomes possible to allow the martial adepts to do battle on horseback. Where the warblade would be more likely to view horses as another tool of war, one which must be kept fit and well-cared for, but ultimately still another tool to aid him in battle, a Crusader is more likely to form a bond with his steed. This option allows a crusader character to do so. While not required, characters who choose this option will almost certainly want to swap on of his existing disciplines for access to Twin Spirit.
    Level: 1st
    Replaces: If you select this class feature, you have one less maneuver known, readied and granted at 1st level and your Steely Resolve delayed damage pool can hold a number of points of damage equal to your crusader class level instead of the normal progression.
    Benefit: At 5th level, you gain a Special Mount as the Paladin class feature of the same name, except that your mount does not gain Improved Evasion, Share Spells, Share Saving Throws, or Command Creatures of its Kind and instead gains furious counterstrike and steely resolve with a damage pool that holds a number of points of damage equal to its HD.
    Waiting 5 levels to get what you payed for kind of sucks. It would be nice to summon a weaker version of a paladin mount before then, or at least get Mounted Combat or something.

  28. - Top - End - #28
    Barbarian in the Playground
     
    ClericGuy

    Join Date
    Nov 2008
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: Tome of Tactics: A sequel to ToB [PEACH]

    I love this thread. Will be using these classes for sure in my next game.
    Quote Originally Posted by shadow_archmagi View Post

    DM says: WHY!? WHY!? WHY?!
    DM means: NO! NO! NO!!!
    Player hears: GOOD JOB PLAYER! DO IT AGAIN AND AGAIN!

  29. - Top - End - #29
    Bugbear in the Playground
     
    playswithfire's Avatar

    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: Tome of Tactics: A sequel to ToB [PEACH]

    Quote Originally Posted by Havvy View Post
    Bonus feats would help, I think. Even if you limited it to a small set of weak feats, it is still better than nothing. Truly dead levels are evil, but any level without class features can be seen as boring.
    Huntsman now gets a boost to Listen, scaling up to blindsense and blindsight.

    Quote Originally Posted by Prime32 View Post
    Just skimmed this, interesting stuff.

    One suggestion:

    Waiting 5 levels to get what you payed for kind of sucks. It would be nice to summon a weaker version of a paladin mount before then, or at least get Mounted Combat or something.
    Good point; it now gets a standard heavy warhorse at level 1 that gains the Special Mount abilities starting at level 5.

    Quote Originally Posted by jguy View Post
    I love this thread. Will be using these classes for sure in my next game.
    Thanks. Let me know how they work out for you.
    Homebrew
    Current Project (A sequel to Tome of Battle)
    Past Projects, some of which I may come back to
    Spoiler
    Show
    Baldric Sea Campaign Setting (work in progress)
    later version of the Sea Dog base class from it

  30. - Top - End - #30
    Troll in the Playground
    Join Date
    Feb 2010
    Gender
    Intersex

    Default Re: Tome of Tactics: A sequel to ToB [PEACH]

    Quote Originally Posted by playswithfire View Post
    Good point; it now gets a standard heavy warhorse at level 1 that gains the Special Mount abilities starting at level 5.
    What about something similar to the Wild Cohort feat? (I'd fetch a link but I'm feeling lazy)

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •