Golden Saint: Exalted Martial Arts [Discipline]

[The Demented One]

Golden Saint Discipline



The Golden Saint discipline is a school of martial arts created by the saintly archon Sophia Pistia and the mighty hero of the eladrin, Gwynharwyf. Never taught at the Temple of the Nine Swords, it was taught directly by the pair of celestials to those mortals they deemed worthy of using its secrets as champions of good. The Golden Saint discipline is a style focusing on speed and grace over brute strength, and has many supernatural maneuvers that draw on the raw celestial energy of the Higher Planes to overcome champions of evil. The Golden Saint discipline’s associated skill is Diplomacy. The associated weapons of the Golden Saint discipline are the dagger, longspear, longsword, sap, short sword, and unarmed strike.

Because the Golden Saint discipline was taught only to the most worthy and virtuous of martial adepts, who taught it only to students deserving of its secrets, most martial adepts do not know any maneuvers from it, or even know it exists. Only Crusaders and Swordsages of good alignment can learn maneuvers from the Golden Saint discipline. There are two ways to master the discipline. The first is to have been trained in it. If you choose to make a martial adept that has already been trained in the Golden Saint discipline at character creation, you simply replace one discipline that adept could normally learn maneuvers from with the Golden Saint discipline.

The other way is to seek out a master of the Golden Saint discipline–a martial adept capable of using at least 5th-level maneuvers from the discipline. You must train for a month under the master and spend 1,000 xp at the end of your training. You gain the ability to learn maneuvers from the Golden Saint discipline. In addition, you may exchange your maneuvers known for maneuvers of the Golden Saint discipline. You may exchange one maneuver of each level, and the new maneuvers you learn must be of the same level as the exchanged maneuvers, unlike normal. The difficulty of finding an appropriate mentor is left to the DM to choose.

[The Demented One]

Golden Saint Maneuver List

1st level
Merciful Blow: Strike–Touch attack deals 1d8 nonlethal damage, causes fatigue.
Transcend the Flesh: Stance–Gain immunity to disease, other effects.
Templar’s Strike: Strike–Attack leaves foe shaken.

2nd level
Blade of the Martyr: Strike–Spend hp to deal extra damage.
Paladin’s Charge: Strike–Deal +2d6 damage to evil creature, gain bonus to saves and AC.
Worthy Challenge: Counter–Opponent strikes you instead of allies, gain +2 bonus to AC.

3rd level
Seize the Blade: Counter–Parry attack and disarm foe.
Swords to Plowshares: Strike–Touch attack deals +5d8 damage, causes -2 penalty on attack and damage rolls.

4th level
Phoenix’s Embrace: Counter–Negate energy damage and heal.
Radiant Smite: Strike–Attack deals +4d6 damage, blinds evil creatures.
Saintly Palm of Penitence: Strike–Evil creatures take no action.

5th level
Gaze of the Angelic Champion: Stance–Gaze frightens enemies.
Overwhelming Blow: Strike–Attack deals +6d6 damage, causes exhaustion.

6th level
Key of the Celestial Warden: Strike–Attack deals +8d6 damage, banishes evil outsiders.
Justicar’s Mercy: Stance–Melee attacks deal +1d8 nonlethal damage.

7th level
Angelic Hammer: Strike–Attack deals +10d6 damage, negates spell-like and supernatural abilities.
Wrath of God: Strike–Blast deals 5d6 damage and stuns non-good creatures.

8th level
Deific Vigor: Stance–Gain fast healing 5.
Saintly Palm of Golden Ice: Strike–Touch attack deals 10d6 nonlethal damage, 3d6 Dexterity damage.

9th level
Hand of the Heavens’ Judgement: Strike–Touch attack knocks creature unconscious, deals 1d8 Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution damage.

[The Demented One]

Golden Saint Maneuvers

1st level

Spoiler

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Merciful Blow
Golden Saint (Strike)
Level: Crusader 1, Swordsage 1
Initiation Action: 1 standard action
Range: Touch attack
Target: One creature
Duration: 1 round
Saving Throw: Fortitude partial

Golden Saint adepts rely on the merciful blow technique to subdue and weaken their enemies without lethally harming them. As part of this maneuver, you make a melee touch attack against an opponent. The touch attack deals 1d8 nonlethal damage. In addition, if the creature hit is flatfooted, then they must make a Fortitude save, DC 11 + your Wisdom or Charisma modifier (whichever is higher), or be fatigued for 1 round.

Transcend the Flesh
Golden Saint (Stance) [Good]
Level: Crusader 1, Swordsage 1
Initiation Action: 1 swift action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Stance

A Golden Saint adept can put themself beyond the ills of the flesh with simple force of will, what is known as the transcend the flesh stance. While in this stance, you are immune to disease, as well as effects that would cause you to be sickened or nauseated. In addition, if you have an initiator level of at least 7th, you gain immunity to poison. If you have an initiator level of at least 12th, you gain immunity to energy drain. Transcend te flesh is a supernatural ability.

Templar’s Strike
Golden Saint (Strike)
Level: Crusader 1, Swordsage 1
Initiation Action: 1 standard action
Range: Melee attack
Target: One creature
Duration: 1 round
Saving Throw: Will negates

With a powerful, rapid blow and a mighty yell, a Golden Saint adept can use the templar’s strike to intimidate his enemies. As part of this maneuver, you make a single melee attack against an opponent. If the attack is successful, that opponent must make a Will save, DC 11 + your Wisdom or Charisma modifier (whichever is higher), or be shaken for 1 round.

2nd level

Spoiler

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Blade of the Martyr
Golden Saint (Strike)
Level: Crusader 2, Swordsage 2
Initiation Action: 1 standard action
Range: Melee attack
Target: One creature

Golden Saint adepts are more than ready to make personal sacrifices if that is what is required t slay evil. As part of this maneuver, you make a single melee attack against an opponent. In addition, before you make the attack roll, you may sacrifice an amount of hp up to your initiator level, to a maximum of 10 hp. For every 2 hp sacrificed, the attack deals an additional 1d6 damage if it is successful.

Paladin’s Charge
Golden Saint (Strike) [Good]
Level: Crusader 2, Swordsage 2
Initiation Action: 1 full-round action
Range: Melee attack
Target: One creature

Golden Saint adepts may not be paladins, but they can still fight evil with just as much strength as the sworn champions of good. As part of this maneuver, make a charge attack. Your weapon is treated as being good-aligned for overcoming damage reduction. If the creature you attack is evil-aligned, you deal an additional 2d6 damage, and you gain a +2 sacred bonus to AC and on all saves until the beginning of your next turn. Paladin’s charge is a supernatural ability.

Worthy Challenge
Golden Saint (Counter)
Initiation Action: 1 immediate action
Range: 30 ft.
Target: One creature
Duration: End of round
Saving Throw: Will negates

A Golden Saint adept will take just as much care to defend his allies as he does to attack his foes. The worthy challenge maneuver allows him to draw his foes to himself, whether by challenging their honor, provoking them, or simply seeming more threatening than all of his allies. You can initiate this maneuver during your opponent’s turn, before they attack. If the targeted creature fails a Will save, DC 12 + your Wisdom modifier or your Charisma modifier (whichever is higher), then it can only attack you this round. It does not have to attack you, but it cannot attack any other creatures. In addition, you gain a +2 dodge bonus to AC against all attacks that creature makes against you this round.

3rd level

Spoiler

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Seize the Blade
Golden Saint (Counter)
Level: Crusader 3, Swordsage 3
Prerequisites: 1 Golden Saint maneuver
Initiation Action: 1 immediate action
Range: Personal
Target: You

With effortless grace and a calm mind, a Golden Saint adept can block a foe’s attack and disarm him with the seize the blade technique. When an enemy makes a melee attack against you, after they make their attack roll, you may initiate this maneuver. You make an attack roll with any melee weapon you are holding or with an unarmed strike, and use either your AC or the result of the attack roll, whichever is higher, as your effective AC against the attack. If their attack fails, then you may immediately make a disarm attempt against that opponent. You do not provoke an attack of opportunity for doing so, and they may not attempt to disarm you in return if you fail. You can’t use this maneuver if you are denied your Dexterity bonus to AC against the attacker.

Swords to Plowshares
Golden Saint (Strike)
Level: Crusader 3, Swordsage 3
Prerequisites: 1 Golden Saint maneuver
Initiation Action: 1 standard action
Range: Touch attack
Target: One creature
Duration: 10 rounds
Saving Throw: Fortitude partial

Ending a battle as quickly as possible is a watchword of the Golden Saint discipline, and moves that subdue and cripple a foe are particularly effective for this. The swords to plowshares technique cripples an opponent, rendering them almost incapable of using a weapon. As part of this maneuver, you make a melee touch attack against an opponent. The touch attack deals 5d8 nonlethal damage. In addition, if the creature hit is flatfooted, then they must make a Fortitude save, DC 13 + your Wisdom or Charisma modifier (whichever is higher), or be crippled, taking a -2 penalty on all attack and damage rolls for 10 rounds.

4th level

Spoiler

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Phoenix’s Embrace
Golden Saint (Boost) [Good]
Level: Crusader 4, Swordsage 4
Prerequisites: 1 Golden Saint maneuver
Initiation Action: 1 immediate action
Range: Personal
Target: You

A powerful defense against evil mages and fiends with mystic abilities, the phoenix embrace maneuver wraps you in an aura of light that converts elemental power into healing positive energy. You may initiate this maneuver whenever you would be dealt energy damage (Acid, cold, electricity, fire, force, or sonic damage). That damage is prevented entirely, and you are healed 1 hp for every 5 damage prevented. Phoenix’s embrace is a supernatural ability.

Radiant Smite
Golden Saint (Strike) [Good]
Level: Crusader 4, Swordsage 4
Prerequisites: 1 Golden Saint maneuver
Initiation Action: 1 standard action
Range: Melee attack
Target: One creature
Duration: 1 round
Saving Throw: Will partial

By channeling holy energy, a Golden Saint adept can make their blade burst into brilliant light that blinds all evil that looks upon it. As part of this maneuver, you make a single melee attack against an opponent. If the attack is successful, it deals an additional +4d6 damage, and your weapon is treated as being good-aligned for overcoming damage reduction. In addition, if the creature damaged was evil, it must make a Will save, DC 13 + your Wisdom modifier or your Charisma modifier (whichever is higher), or be blinded for 1 round. Radiant smite is a supernatural ability.

Saintly Palm of Penitence
Golden Saint (Strike) [Good]
Level: Crusader 4, Swordsage 4
Prerequisites: 1 Golden Saint maneuver
Initiation Action: 1 standard action
Range: Touch attack
Target: One creature
Duration: 1d3 rounds
Saving Throw: Will negates

Good’s most powerful weapon against evil is often evil’s own flaws. The saintly palm of penitence allows a Golden Saint adept to force an evil creature to confront its own sins, causing it to fall into a momentary fugue. As part of this maneuver, you make a melee touch attack against a single creature. If the attack is successful, and that creature is of evil alignment, then it must make a Will save, DC 14 + your Wisdom modifier or your Charisma modifier, or go into a temporary fugue for 1d3 rounds as it contemplates its own sins. While in the fugue, it can take no actions, but retains its Dexterity bonus to AC and is not helpless. Saintly palm of penitence is a supernatural ability.

5th level

Spoiler

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Gaze of the Angelic Champion
Golden Saint (Stance) [Good]
Level: Crusader 5, Swordsage 5
Prerequisites: 2 Golden Saint maneuvers
Initiation Action: 1 swift action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Stance

To look upon the face of a Golden Saint adept is, for an evil creature, to know fear. The gaze of the angelic champion only intensifies this fear. While you are in this stance, you may, as a move action, attempt to frighten any evil creature within 30 ft. of you that can see you. That creature must make a Will save, DC 15 + your Wisdom modifier or your Charisma modifier (whichever is higher), or be shaken for 1 round. Once a creature successfully saves against the gaze of the angelic champion, it is immune to its effect for 24 hours. Gaze of the angelic champion is a supernatural ability.

Overwhelming Blow
Golden Saint (Strike)
Level: Crusader 5, Swordsage 5
Prerequisites: Two Golden Saint maneuvers
Initiation Action: 1 standard action
Range: Melee attack
Target: One creature
Saving Throw: Fortitude partial
Duration: 3 rounds

With one overpowering blow, a Golden Saint adept can gravely wound a creature, forcing it to take a moment to recover its strength. As part of this maneuver, you make a single melee attack against an opponent. If the attack is successful, it deals an additional +6d6 damage. In addition, the creature hit must make a Fortitude save, DC 15 + your Wisdom modifier or your Charisma modifier (whichever is higher), or be exhausted for 3 rounds. Even if it saves, it is fatigued for 3 rounds.

6th level

Spoiler

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Key of the Celestial Warden
Golden Saint (Strike) [Good]
Level: Crusader 6, Swordsage 6
Prerequisites: Two Golden Saint maneuvers
Initiation Action: 1 standard action
Range: Melee attack
Target: One creature
Saving Throw: Will partial

Golden Saint adepts have developed the key of the celestial warden technique to dispatch fiends and similar extraplanar creatures, banishing them to the planes from whence they came. As part of this maneuver, you make a single melee attack against an opponent. If the attack is successful, it deals an additional +8d6 damage, and your weapon is treated as being good-aligned for overcoming damage reduction. In addition, if the creature damaged is of evil alignment, has the extraplanar subtype, and has HD equal to or less than your initiator level, it must make a Will save, DC 16 + your Wisdom modifier or your Charisma modifier (whichever is higher), or be banished to its home plane, as the dismissal spell. Key of the celestial warden is a supernatural ability.

Justicar’s Mercy
Golden Saint (Stance)
Level: Crusader 6, Swordsage 6
Prerequisites: Two Golden Saint maneuvers
Initiation Action: 1 swift action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Stance

The justicar’s mercy stance is the ideal technique for Golden Saint adepts who wish to subdue, not kill, their foes. While in the justicar’s mercy stance, every melee attack you make deals an additional 1d8 damage. In addition, whenever you deal damage with a melee weapon, you may choose to designate some or all of that damage as nonlethal damage, and the rest as lethal damage. While in this stance, any weapon you wield is treated as good-aligned for overcoming damage reduction.

7th level

Spoiler

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Angelic Hammer
Golden Saint (Strike) [Good]
Level: Crusader 7, Swordsage 7
Prerequisites: Three Golden Saint maneuvers
Initiation Action: 1 standard action
Range: Melee attack
Target: One creature
Saving Throw: Will partial
Duration: 1d6 rounds

A favored attack among Golden Saint champions and demonslayers, the angelic hammer can sever an evil creature’s link to the profane source of power it drawns on to fuel its spells and supernatural abilities. As part of this maneuver, you make a single melee attack against an opponent. If the attack is successful, it deals an additional +10d6 damage, and your weapon is treated as being good-aligned for overcoming damage reduction. In addition, if the creature hit was evil, it must make a Will save, DC 17 + your Wisdom modifier or your Charisma modifier (whichever is higher). If it fails, then it cannot cast spells or use spell-like or supernatural abilities for 1d6 rounds. Angelic hammer is a supernatural ability.

Wrath of God
Golden Saint (Strike) [Good]
Level: Crusader 7, Swordsage 7
Prerequisites: Three Golden Saint maneuvers
Initiation Action: 1 standard action
Range: 30 ft.
Area: 30 ft.-radius blast, centered on you
Saving Throw: Fortitude partial

You expend your life force to unleash a blast of devastating holy energy. As you initiate this maneuver, you may spend up to 50 hp. All non-good creatures caught in the blast take 5d6 damage, and are stunned for 1 round. A Fortitude save, DC 17 plus your Wisdom modifier or Charisma modifier (whichever is higher), halves the damage and negates the stunning. For every 10 hp you expend, the damage increases by 1d6, and the DC increases by one.

8th level

Spoiler

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Deific Vigor
Golden Saint (Stance) [Good]
Level: Crusader 6, Swordsage 6
Prerequisites: Three Golden Saint maneuvers
Initiation Action: 1 swift action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Stance

Golden Saint adepts have sworn never to falter in their fight against evil, and the deific vigor stance aids them in this crusade. While in this stance, you gain fast healing 5. However, this stance only heals damage that you took while in it. Deific vigor is a supernatural ability.

Saintly Palm of Golden Ice
Golden Saint (Strike) [Good]
Level: Crusader 8, Swordsage 8
Prerequisites: Three Golden Saint maneuvers
Initiation Action: 1 standard action
Range: Touch attack
Target: One opponent
Saving Throw: Fortitude partial

The saintly palm of golden ice maneuver uses sacred magic to channel the golden ice ravage through the touch of its user, allowing a skilled Golden Saint adept to halt evil creatures in their tracks. As part of this maneuver, you make a melee touch attack against a single creature. The touch attack deals 10d6 nonlethal, and the creature hit takes 3d6 Dexterity damage if it is evil, and 1d6 Dexterity damage if it is neutral (Good creatures take no Dexterity damage). A successful Fortitude save, DC 18 + your Wisdom modifier or your Charisma modifier (whichever is higher) halves the Dexterity damage. Saintly palm of golden ice is a supernatural ability.

9th level

Spoiler

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Hand of the Heavens’ Judgement
Golden Saint (Strike)
Level: Crusader 9, Swordsage 9
Prerequisites: Five Golden Saint maneuvers
Initiation Action: 1 standard action
Range: Touch attack
Target: One opponent
Saving Throw: Fortitude partial

The pinnacle of the Golden Saint discipline, the hand of the heavens’ judgement technique uses a flurry of pressure-point attacks to disrupt a foe’s heartbeat for a moment, allowing the adept to dispatch a creature non-fatally and with ease. As part of this maneuver, you make a melee touch attack against a single creature. If the attack is successful, that creature must make a Fortitude save, DC 19 + your Wisdom modifier or your Charisma modifier. If it fails its save, it takes nonlethal damage equal to its current hp total, and takes 1d8 points of Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution damage. Even if it succeeds on the save, it takes 15d6 nonlethal damage.

[The Demented One]

Saintly Palm of Bumping!

[Ninjalitude]

defiantly cool, but will you give it any stances at low levels?

[The Demented One]

defiantly cool, but will you give it any stances at low levels?

Most disciplines don't really have that many stances between 2nd and 4th levels. I think it's something to do with when various classes get new stances known.

[dyslexicfaser]

Pretty nifty... Devoted Spirit was never quite what I was looking for in an Exalted character. This style's reliance on ability & nonlethal damage (almost purely against Evil characters) and taking people alive fits better.

Unfortunately, upon reading 'Angelic Hammer', all I could think of was that move from Tales of Symphonia where the angelic character materialized a bright red toy hammer and dropped it on people's heads.

[Level20Commoner]

The associated weapons of the Golden Saint discipline are the dagger, longspear, longsword, short sword, truncheon, and unarmed strike.

Truncheon you say! I don't want to take away from your expertise at creating martial disciplines Mr. One, but I must say that I find the mental image of an angel teaching a martial adept the finer points of hitting demons in the back of the head with a black jack to be infinitely hilarious! On a more serious note, I do admire your ability to plumb the depths of the obscure for interesting fighting styles that most people would never consider. One thing though. It would be noble indeed to try and KO all of your evil enemies, but would that not ultimately be doing a disservice to the innocent and the weak upon whom the evil prey? Punching a demon's lights out prevents him from wreaking havoc today, but what about tomorrow and the next day? Just something to consider.

[SurlySeraph]

I heartily endorse this product and/ or service!

I have a couple nitpicks, though. First, why is the sample picture using a kama when it isn't one of the style weapons? Second, how does Diplomacy really work as the associated skill? "Good sir demon, I should like to explain my views in such a way that will cause you to fall on the ground bleeding?" Concentration might make more sense.

[dyslexicfaser]

"Good sir demon, I should like to explain my views in such a way that will cause you to fall on the ground bleeding unconscious and/or unable to move?"

That sounds about right.

[Cieyrin]

Because that's the picture of the exalted monk in the BoED, which works fairly well, despite not being the weapon for the discipline. As for the skill, I would agree that Concentration would probably work better than Diplomacy, since you gotta worry about where your blows are going to ensure you knock them out rather than just kill them outright.