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    Default [3.5, ToB] Epic Destiny: The Transcendent Striker

    Epic Destiny: The Transcendent Striker


    [insert cool pic]

    This is inspired by RaggedAngel's Epic Destiny: The Sublime Master.

    Always thought it would be cool, and a nice way to shorten the power rift between epic melee and epic casters, to be able to initiate a strike for each iterative attack you have. So I began to make this, kinda as an alternate, or opposite to the Sublime Master, where that one masters the art of the Sublime way, this one is the Mastery of striking, of dealing damage to its utmost potential.

    The Transcendent Striker

    You are what legends are made up of, you have slain every beast, conquered every land, and you look upwards to more. Your power is only growing, and you know that to master it, you must move forward, conquer even further and slay mightier beasts. You do not see the need to perfect your art, for you do not see as such, but merely a tool, and you are the Master for which it turns. Your skill alone is what sets you apart, and will allow you to achieve your goals, to transcend the mortal bounds of martial skill, and become a Transcendent Striker.

    Requirements: 21st level, must know at least one 9th level martial maneuver

    Level Benefit
    21st Economy of Striking, True Counter
    24th Steel and Ice
    27th Unleash your Ego
    30th Fateful Stepping

    Economy of Striking (Ex): You have unfettered the knowledge to the true mastery of striking, by combining techniques and performing rigorous practice routines, you have unlocked this ability. You gain the Strike of the Dual Adept Epic feat as a bonus feat and may prepare 2 strikes as one maneuver. If you are a crusader, and you have prepared a strike twice, you receive both strikes when granted the maneuver.

    True Counter (Ex): The innumerable times you have performed each strike and maneuver, you know the tell tale signs of each one, and exactly how to counter them. You can ready a counter as a swift action, by identifying the strike with a Martial Lore check (ToB pg 28), you may counter it by using a readied counter or expending a maneuver of the same type that is readied.

    Steel and Ice (Ex): The constant training, and dueling, challenging of legendary beasts and champions, has changed your mind and body. You are capable of bringing your vast experience to bear when initiating strikes, and your mind has been steeled against the rigors of time. All of your strikes receive a damage bonus equal to your initiator level, when you use Power attack, you gain 1/5th the bonus to damage as a bonus to AC, saves and ability checks for 1 round. Additionally, you no longer gain penalties for aging, though you continue to accrue bonuses.

    Unleash your Ego (Ex): Your Ego has grown in proportion to your martial ability, complementing each other, you are able to bring to bear what most Masters can only do to a single target. As a standard action, you may initiate any single strike that you have readied as normal, but it affects all enemies within 30 feet. You must still roll to hit your primary target, and any additional targets may make a save vs the maneuvers DC (if there is one).

    Fateful Stepping (Ex): You have finally transcended the path of the Striker, finding the ability to fully realize your martial prowess. You may use a strike for each iterative attack you have, this includes any bonus attacks you may receive from affects such as Haste. This also allows you to make strikes with attacks of opportunities.

    Wandering Warrior: Unlike your counterpart the Sublime Master, you do have everything to prove. You constantly search out harder tougher opponents, quenching your desire to prove your Martial skill. You may find no one, and settle to wait for someone or something to appear, to reawaken at a later time, and match your skill against there's. Your's is the path of the eternal test, you will never be satiated, except, perhaps, in death.

    Spoiler: Change log
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    1/17 - Created Epic Destiny
    1/18 - Changed Economy of Striking from use two strikes at once to Strike of the dual adept, and preparing 2 strikes as one.
    Last edited by BelGareth; 2014-09-18 at 01:21 PM.
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    Default Re: [3.5, ToB] Epic Destiny: The Transcendent Striker

    Flurry of Strikes? Sign me up!
    I like this Epic Destiny.

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    Default Re: [3.5, ToB] Epic Destiny: The Transcendent Striker

    Hmmm... I do like the Capstone ability I will admit. But I feel like the other abilities don't completely fit. Like, Economy of Striking... why isn't it two strikes at once, instead of a strike and boost? That makes more sense to me. With Steel and Ice, the bonus damage makes sense, but the Power Attack giving bonuses to AC and such is just... strange and I don't see how you came up with it. True Counter is just... kinda worthless. I mean really, not many people are going to be fighting martial adepts, though I suppose that depends on the DM.

    Honestly, I'm very surprised there isn't an ability that lets you use strikes without expending them, or an ability that lets you ready another strike when you expend another one (yes, similar to The Sublime Master), your a master of strikes. So why are you still expanded them, when the Sublime Master can use all his maneuvers and ready even more for his capstone?

    Another idea is a 'Passive Strike', taken from the Bellator mythos, it allows you to apply a low-level strike to all of your attacks, and wouldn't an ability like that work brilliantly for a strike-focused Epic Destiny? I mean sure the mythos are kinda super-uber powerful as they get such an ability at lower levels, but I really think that such an ability would work brilliantly here.

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    Default Re: [3.5, ToB] Epic Destiny: The Transcendent Striker

    Quote Originally Posted by spikeof2010 View Post
    Flurry of Strikes? Sign me up!
    I like this Epic Destiny.
    Thanks! And yes, unarmed swordsage, or a monk combo would be fun with this.

    Quote Originally Posted by Tempestfury View Post
    Hmmm... I do like the Capstone ability I will admit. But I feel like the other abilities don't completely fit.


    Like, Economy of Striking... why isn't it two strikes at once, instead of a strike and boost? That makes more sense to me.
    Yeah, that was as stupid one anyway, as most boosts are swift action...so I changed it to two strikes, which helps with the damage output and gives the Striker ED something to use early on.

    With Steel and Ice, the bonus damage makes sense, but the Power Attack giving bonuses to AC and such is just... strange and I don't see how you came up with it.
    I just did, thought it was a unique idea and it made sense to a damage dealer archetype.

    True Counter is just... kinda worthless. I mean really, not many people are going to be fighting martial adepts, though I suppose that depends on the DM.
    I actually love this ability, and wish it was something that could be done in non epic games (which i might just do....) it may not be super effective, but it can be, and it is super fluffly.

    Honestly, I'm very surprised there isn't an ability that lets you use strikes without expending them, or an ability that lets you ready another strike when you expend another one (yes, similar to The Sublime Master), your a master of strikes. So why are you still expanded them, when the Sublime Master can use all his maneuvers and ready even more for his capstone?
    Because they are different, the Striker is about lust, power and energy, you have to expend those to fuel his actions, whereas the other is a master of body and mind, controlling them and keeping them in balance. Plus its the Sublime Masters ability, and poaching that would be boring and bad form.

    Another idea is a 'Passive Strike', taken from the Bellator mythos, it allows you to apply a low-level strike to all of your attacks, and wouldn't an ability like that work brilliantly for a strike-focused Epic Destiny? I mean sure the mythos are kinda super-uber powerful as they get such an ability at lower levels, but I really think that such an ability would work brilliantly here.
    As above, this is an ability a class has, then you get it from that class...I don't like taking abilities and prefer to make new ones wherever possible.

    Thanks for you input!
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    Bel's Compendium
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    “Take but degree away, untune that string, And, hark, what discord follows!” -Shakespeare
    “Gnyðja mundu nú grísir, ef þeir vissi, hvat inn gamli þyldi” -Ragnar Lodbrok

    "I have a high art; I hurt with cruelty those who would damage me." -Archilochus

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    Default Re: [3.5, ToB] Epic Destiny: The Transcendent Striker

    Making entirely new class features is extremely difficult though. I mean, the Dual Strike ability isn't exactly original, and actually a well known Epic Feat. There's nothing wrong with taking inspiration and ideas from other classes, and some class features (Uncanny Dodge, Evasion, Mettle...) are simply universal.

    Plus, you need to be able to balance the fluff and the crunch. Like, True Counter... yeah, I can see where your coming from in terms of fluff, but in terms of crunch, it simply isn't that strong anymore. Especially when its equivalent, Counterspelling, can be done without any need to ready an action anymore (Epic Counterspell, though feat-heavy). So, maybe you could have that ability, and maybe something else as well? Oh, oh! How about the ability to use your Strike Maneuvers as Attack of Opportunities? After all, they are a counter-attack, right?

    Also, you might wanna build on the 'the Striker is about lust, power and energy, you have to expend those to fuel his actions' thing for fluff and crunch... you should definently be able to ready more strikes and be able to recover them easier than usual... maybe you can expend strikes for bonus effects? Like the Abjuration Champion/Arcane Strike does?

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    Default Re: [3.5, ToB] Epic Destiny: The Transcendent Striker

    Quote Originally Posted by Tempestfury View Post
    Making entirely new class features is extremely difficult though. I mean, the Dual Strike ability isn't exactly original, and actually a well known Epic Feat. There's nothing wrong with taking inspiration and ideas from other classes, and some class features (Uncanny Dodge, Evasion, Mettle...) are simply universal.
    Indeed, its something I struggle with, but when I find something, I tend to go with it. And yeah, the Dual strike ability isn't all that original.

    Plus, you need to be able to balance the fluff and the crunch. Like, True Counter... yeah, I can see where your coming from in terms of fluff, but in terms of crunch, it simply isn't that strong anymore. Especially when its equivalent, Counterspelling, can be done without any need to ready an action anymore (Epic Counterspell, though feat-heavy). So, maybe you could have that ability, and maybe something else as well? Oh, oh! How about the ability to use your Strike Maneuvers as Attack of Opportunities? After all, they are a counter-attack, right?
    Already done good ser I ninjaed that in when I thought about it a few minutes ago.

    Also, you might wanna build on the 'the Striker is about lust, power and energy, you have to expend those to fuel his actions' thing for fluff and crunch... you should definitely be able to ready more strikes and be able to recover them easier than usual... maybe you can expend strikes for bonus effects? Like the Abjuration Champion/Arcane Strike does?
    This is an interesting idea, but I see it more as a PRC than an ED, but I'm toying with changing the Economy of Strikes, as that is basically a feat right now...
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    Bel's Compendium
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    “Take but degree away, untune that string, And, hark, what discord follows!” -Shakespeare
    “Gnyðja mundu nú grísir, ef þeir vissi, hvat inn gamli þyldi” -Ragnar Lodbrok

    "I have a high art; I hurt with cruelty those who would damage me." -Archilochus

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    Default Re: [3.5, ToB] Epic Destiny: The Transcendent Striker

    Quote Originally Posted by BelGareth View Post
    Already done good ser I ninjaed that in when I thought about it a few minutes ago.
    Hmmm... think it might be better to add it easily myself. Evens out of the power curve a bit.

    Quote Originally Posted by BelGareth View Post
    This is an interesting idea, but I see it more as a PRC than an ED, but I'm toying with changing the Economy of Strikes, as that is basically a feat right now...
    That actually brings up a good question. When do you know to go for an PrC, and when do you go for an ED?

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    Default Re: [3.5, ToB] Epic Destiny: The Transcendent Striker

    Updated Economy of Strikes.

    Quote Originally Posted by Tempestfury View Post
    Hmmm... think it might be better to add it easily myself. Evens out of the power curve a bit.
    That actually brings up a good question. When do you know to go for an PrC, and when do you go for an ED?
    Not sure to be honest, I see an epic destiny as a rounding off point in Epic levels to finish up your characters concept, like a epic capstone.

    PRC's are just more involved, and are little more detailed.

    *shrugs* I don't exactly know, there are some others here who could probably answer that question way better than me. (Djinnintonic, Fax, Lord_Gareth, Temotoi, etc)
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    Bel's Compendium
    Homebrew sig
    Epic items of interest
    Sir cowabunga of clubs
    ENTJ-A

    “Take but degree away, untune that string, And, hark, what discord follows!” -Shakespeare
    “Gnyðja mundu nú grísir, ef þeir vissi, hvat inn gamli þyldi” -Ragnar Lodbrok

    "I have a high art; I hurt with cruelty those who would damage me." -Archilochus

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    Default Re: [3.5, ToB] Epic Destiny: The Transcendent Striker

    So, does the two maneuvers have to be used as one strike all the time?

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    Default Re: [3.5, ToB] Epic Destiny: The Transcendent Striker

    Quote Originally Posted by Tempestfury View Post
    So, does the two maneuvers have to be used as one strike all the time?
    No, just that you can use 1 slot to prepare them twice.
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    Bel's Compendium
    Homebrew sig
    Epic items of interest
    Sir cowabunga of clubs
    ENTJ-A

    “Take but degree away, untune that string, And, hark, what discord follows!” -Shakespeare
    “Gnyðja mundu nú grísir, ef þeir vissi, hvat inn gamli þyldi” -Ragnar Lodbrok

    "I have a high art; I hurt with cruelty those who would damage me." -Archilochus

    Discord -Now with a recruitment bot!

  11. - Top - End - #11

    Default Re: [3.5, ToB] Epic Destiny: The Transcendent Striker

    Basically, you can prepare twice the amount of strikes then? Awesome.

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