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In the time before the fall of the Temple of the Nine Swords, the House of the Fallen Sun was nothing more than an underworld information network. The organization's services, like those of many others, were purchased in service of the Shadow Tiger horde. After the horde's disastrous assault on the Temple of the Nine Swords, many of the martial adepts that fought within its ranks found themselves bereft of purpose. Turning to any sense of the familiar, some of them found themselves in the employ of the very groups that they had purchased the services of just months prior, including the House of the Fallen Sun. The information network was more than willing to bring these skilled assassins, infiltrators, and warriors under its sway. Over time, these martial adepts adapted the techniques they had learned under the tutelage of Reshar and his students to better suit their new activities. These new twilight adepts combined their knowledge of the nine martial disciplines with the mundane and magical techniques employed by other agents of the House.
Among the many results of this merger of disciplines was the Phantom Battlefield martial discipline. It combines the illusory magics of beguilers and illusionists with the stealth and deception of Shadow Hand and Setting Sun.
Twilight adepts have access to Phantom Battlefield, allowing them to learn and use its maneuvers. Swordsages can train in the ways of Phantom Battlefield by selecting it in place of one of the Desert Wind, Diamond Mind, Stone Dragon, or Tiger Claw disciplines, allowing them to learn and use its maneuvers instead. Like all martial disciplines, any character can dabble in Phantom Battlefield's techniques with the Martial Study and Martial Stance feats.
Dagger, kukri, rapier, unarmed strike, ...
Mirror ImagesMany Phantom Battlefield maneuvers create mirror images. Mirror images are figment illusions, which function much like the
mirror image spell. A mirror image you create looks just like you. You can move into and through a mirror image. When you and the mirror image separate, observers can’t use vision or hearing to tell which one is you and which the image. The figments may also move through each other. The figments mimic your actions, pretending to cast spells when you cast a spell, drink potions when you drink a potion, levitate when you levitate, and so on.
Enemies attempting to attack you or cast spells at you must select from among indistinguishable targets. Generally, roll randomly to see whether the selected target is real or a figment. Any successful attack against an image destroys it. An image’s AC is 10 + your size modifier + your Dex modifier. Figments seem to react normally to area spells (such as looking like they’re burned or dead after being hit by a
fireball).
While moving, you can merge with and split off from figments so that enemies who have learned which image is real are again confounded.
An attacker must be able to see the images to be fooled. If you are invisible or an attacker shuts his or her eyes, the images have no effect. (Being unable to see carries the same penalties as being blinded.)
Projected ImagesSome Phantom Battlefield maneuvers project your image, creating a mirror image and making you invisible at the same time. Projected images function as mirror images, except that they are never invisible. While you have any projected images, you are invisible.
Any effects that influence or interact with mirror images also apply to projected images.
Afterimage
Phantom Battlefield (Stance)
Level: Swordsage 3, Twilight Adept 3
Prerequisite: One Phantom Battlefield maneuver
Initiation Action: 1 swift action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Stance
When you enter this stance and whenever you begin your turn while in this stance, you create a mirror image in your space. This image lasts until the start of your next turn. When you leave this stance, the image it has created disappears.
This stance is a supernatural ability. This stance is an illusion (figment) effect.
Apparent Defense
Phantom Battlefield (Stance)
Level: Swordsage 1, Twilight Adept 1
Initiation Action: 1 swift action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Stance
While you are in this stance, your mirror images gain a dodge bonus to their Armor Class equal to your Charisma bonus (minimum +1). Additionally, whenever you create a mirror image with a duration less than 1 round, the image's duration becomes 1 round. This does not affect the duration of any other aspects of the effect that produced the image. A mirror image still disappears normally when it is struck, and some abilities impose other conditions upon which a mirror image may disappear, which continue to apply as normal.
This stance is a supernatural ability.
Blurred Motion
Phantom Battlefield (Boost)
Level: Swordsage 2, Twilight Adept 2
Prerequisite: One Phantom Battlefield maneuver
Initiation Action: 1 swift action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: 1 round
You gain concealment until the start of your next turn. This imposes a 20% miss chance on attacks made against you and allows you to hide without anything to hide behind.
This maneuver is a supernatural ability. This maneuver is an illusion (glamer) effect.
Chains of Disbelief
Phantom Battlefield (Strike) [Mind-Affecting]
Level: Swordsage 4, Twilight Adept 4
Prerequisite: One Phantom Battlefield maneuver
Initiation Action: 1 standard action
Range: Melee attack
Target: One creature
Duration: 1 round
Saving Throw: Will negates
As part of this maneuver, you make a single melee attack. If it hits, you deal an extra 4d6 points of damage, and your opponent must make a successful Will save (DC 14 + your Cha modifier) or become entangled for 1 round. During this time, your opponent automatically fails to disbelieve any illusion your produce, even when presented with incontrovertible proof. A successful save negates the entanglement and inability to disbelieve but not the extra damage.
This maneuver is a supernatural ability. This maneuver is a mind-affecting effect.
Clouded Visions
Phantom Battlefield (Strike) [Mind-Affecting]
Level: Swordsage 3, Twilight Adept 3
Prerequisite: One Phantom Battlefield maneuver
Initiation Action: 1 standard action
Range: Melee attack
Target: One creature
Duration: 1 round
Saving Throw: Will disbelief
As part of this maneuver, you make a single melee attack. If it hits, you deal an extra 5d6 points of damage, and your opponent must make a successful Will save (DC 13 + your Cha modifier) or suffer a 50% miss chance on all melee and ranged attacks for 1 round. A successful save negates the miss chance but not the extra damage.
This maneuver is a supernatural ability. This maneuver is a mind-affecting illusion (phantasm) effect.
Dancing Phantom Assault
Phantom Battlefield (Strike)
Level: Swordsage 8, Twilight Adept 8
Prerequisite: Three Phantom Battlefield maneuvers
Initiation Action: 1 standard action
Range: Melee attack
Target: One creature
Duration: 1 round
As part of this maneuver, you make a single melee attack. If it hits, in addition to dealing normal damage, you create seven mirror images in your space. These images separate from you and remain in a cluster, each within 5 feet of at least one other image or you. The images disappear after 1 round.
This maneuver is a supernatural ability. This maneuver is a mind-affecting illusion (figment) effect.
Dextrous Attack
Phantom Battlefield (Stance)
Level: Swordsage 1, Twilight Adept 1
Initiation Action: 1 swift action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Stance
While you are in this stance, you gain a +2 bonus on all melee attack rolls, but you suffer a -2 penalty on all melee damage rolls.
False Keenness
Phantom Battlefield (Strike) [Mind-Affecting]
Level: Swordsage 3, Twilight Adept 3
Prerequisite: Two Phantom Battlefield maneuvers
Initiation Action: 1 standard action
Range: Melee attack
Target: One creature
Saving Throw: Will disbelief
As part of this maneuver, you make a single melee attack. If your opponent fails a Will save (DC 13 + your Cha modifier), the attack automatically hits and is an automatic crit, regardless of the attack roll.
This maneuver is a supernatural ability. This maneuver is a mind-affecting illusion (phantasm) effect.
Hidden Jaunt
Phantom Battlefield (Rush) [Teleportation]
Level: Swordsage 6, Twilight Adept 6
Prerequisite: One Phantom Battlefield maneuver
Initiation Action: 1 move action
Range: 50 ft.
Target: You
Duration: 1 round
As part of this maneuver, you become invisible, as per the invisibility spell, and teleport up to 50 feet away. You must have line of sight and line of effect to your destination. If you attempt to use this maneuver to move into an unoccupiable space, you do not move, although you still become invisible. Your invisibility lasts until the start of your next turn unless you perform an action that would end it sooner.
This maneuver is a supernatural ability. This maneuver is an illusion (glamer) effect.
Illusion Barrier
Phantom Battlefield (Stance)
Level: Swordsage 5, Twilight Adept 5
Prerequisite: Two Phantom Battlefield maneuvers
Initiation Action: 1 swift action
Range: 10 feet
Area: 10-ft.-radius emanation around you
Duration: Stance
While you are in this stance, you and all creatures within 10 feet of you are invisible, as per the invisibility spell. Those affected by this stance can see each other and themselves as if unaffected by the stance. Any affected creature moving out of the area becomes visible, and creatures moving into the area become invisible. Affected creatures (including you) who attack unaffected targets negate the invisibility for themselves for 1 round. Attacking creatures affected by this stance does not negate its invisibility.
This stance is a supernatural ability. This stance is an illusion (glamer) effect.
Illusive Stride
Phantom Battlefield (Boost)
Level: Swordsage 3, Twilight Adept 3
Prerequisite: One Phantom Battlefield maneuver
Initiation Action: 1 swift action
Range: 50 ft.
Duration: See text
When you initiate this maneuver, you appear to teleport to a distant location, yet you secretly remain where you are. You create a single projected image in any space within 50 feet. The projected image remains in this space even if you move. The projected image lasts until the start of your next turn or until either you make a successful attack or a successful attack is made against it or you. As normal, you are invisible while you have any projected images.
This maneuver is a supernatural ability. This maneuver is an illusion (figment, glamer) effect.
Mirror Dance
Phantom Battlefield (Counter) [Teleportation]
Level: Swordsage 8, Twilight Adept 8
Prerequisite: Four Phantom Battlefield maneuvers
Initiation Action: 1 immediate action
Range: 50 ft.
Target: A mirror image
As part of this maneuver, you swap places with one of your mirror images up to 50 feet away. You teleport to the image's space as it reappears seamlessly in your own. If you attempt to use this maneuver to move into an unoccupiable space, you do not move, and the maneuver is expended to no effect.
You can initiate this maneuver in response to an attack or effect directed at you or your image. An attack targeting you instead targets the image you swap potions with, and vice-versa. You may initiate this maneuver after the attack was declared and its target selected, but you must do so before any rolls are made.
If you use this maneuver to swap places with a mirror image occupying the same space as you, you do not move to a different space, although an attack directed at you is still redirected to the image you swap with.
As a secondary benefit, your seamless transition causes opponents to lose track of you. Unless they have a method of differentiating you from your mirror images, opponents that have previously determined which of your images is actually you no longer know which is real.
This maneuver is a supernatural ability.
Mirror Walk
Phantom Battlefield (Rush) [Teleportation]
Level: Swordsage 2, Twilight Adept 2
Initiation Action: 1 move action
Range: 50 ft.
Target: You
As part of this maneuver, you teleport up to 50 feet away. Your destination must be within the space of or adjacent to one of your mirror images, or adjacent to a mirror or mirrored surface at least as larges as you. You must have line of sight and line of effect to your destination. If you attempt to use this maneuver to move into an unoccupiable space, you do not move, and the maneuver is expended to no effect.
This maneuver is a supernatural ability.
Phantom Attack
Phantom Battlefield (Strike)
Level: Swordsage 1, Twilight Adept 1
Initiation Action: 1 standard action
Range: Melee attack
Target: One creature
Duration: 1 round
As part of this maneuver, you make a single melee attack. If it hits, in addition to dealing normal damage, you create a single mirror image in your space. The image separates from you and remains within 5 feet of at least one other image or you. The image disappears after 1 round.
This maneuver is a supernatural ability. This maneuver is a mind-affecting illusion (figment) effect.
Phantom Decoy
Phantom Battlefield (Counter)
Level: Swordsage 5, Twilight Adept 5
Prerequisite: Two Phantom Battlefield maneuvers
Initiation Action: 1 immediate action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: See text
You can initiate this maneuver whenever you would make a saving throw against an area effect. You must use this maneuver before rolling your saving throw. You gain a +4 bonus on your save. If you succeed, the following effects occur. You create a single projected image in your original space. You can move up to your speed to the nearest occupiable space outside of the effect's area. If no such space is available, you remain where you are. If your movement succeeds, you suffer no effects at all from the area effect that allowed the save, as though you weren't in its area. Regardless of the success or failure of your movement, the projected image remains in your original space. The projected image lasts until the start of your next turn or until either you make a successful attack or a successful attack is made against it or you. As normal, you are invisible while you have any projected images.
This maneuver is a supernatural ability. This maneuver is an illusion (figment, glamer) effect.
Phantom Dodge
Phantom Battlefield (Counter)
Level: Swordsage 2, Twilight Adept 2
Initiation Action: 1 immediate action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: See text
This maneuver creates a single mirror image in your space, which instantly separates from you, dodging in another direction and possibly drawing your enemy's attack. You can initiate this maneuver in response to being targeted by an attack, before your attacker has checked for concealment or made her attack roll. Your attacker must newly select which of you or the new mirror image she is directing the attack at. Unless your attacker has some special senses that allow her to distinguish you from your mirror image or your mirror image is otherwise ineffective (for example, if your attacker cannot see you), she has a 50% chance to target the newly created mirror image instead of you. This may also be ineffective against attack forms that can affect multiple targets, such as a horrid wilting spell, as your attacker may simply be able to designate both you and the new image as targets regardless. Likewise, it offers no protection against area effects. You can initiate this maneuver against any form of targeted attack, including both weapons and spells. After resolving the attack, the mirror image disappears, regardless of if it was successfully struck or not.
This maneuver is a supernatural ability. This maneuver is an illusion (figment) effect.
Phantom Escape
Phantom Battlefield (Counter)
Level: Swordsage 7, Twilight Adept 7
Initiation Action: 1 immediate action
Duration: See text
This maneuver functions just like phantom dodge, except that after resolving the attack, you become invisible as a projected image appears in your space and separates from you. Both you and the projected image may make a 5-foot step (you and the image need not move into the same space). The projected image lasts until the start of your next turn or until either you make a successful attack or a successful attack is made against it or you. As normal, you are invisible while you have any projected images.
This maneuver is a supernatural ability. This maneuver is an illusion (figment, glamer) effect.
Phantom Jaunt
Phantom Battlefield (Rush) [Teleportation]
Level: Swordsage 7, Twilight Adept 7
Prerequisite: One Phantom Battlefield maneuver
Initiation Action: 1 move action
Range: 50 ft.
Target: You
Duration: 1 round
As part of this maneuver, you create a projected image in your space and invisibly teleport up to 50 feet away. You must have line of sight and line of effect to your destination. If you attempt to use this maneuver to move into an unoccupiable space, you do not move. Regardless of the success or failure of your teleportation, you still create the projected image and the image remains in your original space. The projected image lasts until the start of your next turn or until either you make a successful attack or a successful attack is made against it or you. As normal, you are invisible while you have any projected images.
This maneuver is a supernatural ability. This maneuver is an illusion (figment, glamer) effect.
Phantom Shift
Phantom Battlefield (Counter)
Level: Swordsage 4, Twilight Adept 4
Initiation Action: 1 immediate action
This maneuver functions just like phantom dodge, except that after resolving the attack, you may make a 5-foot step.
This maneuver is a supernatural ability. This maneuver is an illusion (figment) effect.
Shifting Phantom Strike
Phantom Battlefield (Strike)
Level: Swordsage 5, Twilight Adept 5
Prerequisite: Two Phantom Battlefield maneuvers
Initiation Action: 1 standard action
Range: Melee attack
Target: One creature
Duration: 1 round
As part of this maneuver, you make a single melee attack. If it hits, in addition to dealing normal damage, you create three mirror images in your space. These images separate from you and remain in a cluster, each within 5 feet of at least one other image or you. The images disappear after 1 round.
This maneuver is a supernatural ability. This maneuver is a mind-affecting illusion (figment) effect.
Shrouded Visions
Phantom Battlefield (Strike) [Mind-Affecting]
Level: Swordsage 1, Twilight Adept 1
Initiation Action: 1 standard action
Range: Melee attack
Target: One creature
Duration: 1 round
Saving Throw: Will disbelief
As part of this maneuver, you make a single melee attack. If it hits, you deal an extra 1d6 points of damage, and your opponent must make a successful Will save (DC 11 + your Cha modifier) or suffer a 20% miss chance on all melee and ranged attacks for 1 round. A successful save negates the miss chance but not the extra damage.
This maneuver is a supernatural ability. This maneuver is a mind-affecting illusion (phantasm) effect.