Seven-Forged Sword (Epic Martial Discipline)

[sirpercival]

(cross-posted on gitp here)

SEVEN-FORGED SWORD

Lots and lots of thanks to Prime32 for many of these ideas!

Stolen wholesale from TheDementedOne:

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Epic Martial Disciplines

Epic martial disciplines are the fighting styles of the most powerful warriors and swordsmen in all creation. Powerful secret techniques wielded by gods, archfiends, and epic heroes, they represent the absolute pinnacle of the Sublime Way.

Learning Epic Martial Disciplines
Every epic discipline has an epic feat associated with it, called an initiation feat. Once an epic character has taken the initiation feat of a discipline, he gains the ability to learn the maneuvers of that epic discipline. Unlike normal maneuvers, epic maneuvers must be learned individually–each one has a unique XP cost and training time to learn. Learning even a single epic maneuver is an arduous quest for the mightiest of heroes, as they must seek out a master of the discipline to learn it from. Such beings include deities, demon princes, and things far more strange. Without such a mentor, the training time required to learn an epic maneuver is doubled–and even then, the pinnacle maneuver of an epic discipline can never be learned without a mentor. As with normal martial maneuvers, a martial adept must meet certain prerequisite number of maneuvers known from the same discipline to learn epic maneuvers. Each discipline has a single “pinnacle” maneuver, one that requires all other maneuvers of the discipline to be learned before it can be mastered.

Using Epic Maneuvers
Epic maneuvers are readied and initiated differently than normal maneuvers. Whenever a martial adept readies his maneuvers, he may choose a single epic martial discipline to ready for that day. Doing so readies all epic maneuvers of that discipline that he has learned. They do not count towards his normal maneuvers readied. Each readied epic maneuver can be initiated once per encounter–they cannot be recovered by any means. The martial adept may enter epic stances of his readied discipline as if they were normal martial stances, save that no ability or effect can ever allow him to gain the benefits of any other or second stance at the same time as he gains the benefits of an epic stance. Epic maneuvers do not have a level, but are treated as being of 10th level for all purposes. The saving throw against an epic maneuver has a DC of 20 + the listed ability modifier, although many epic maneuvers list ways in which their DC can be increased. All epic maneuvers are extraordinary abilities, unless otherwise listed.

It was the couatl prince Cozamalotl who led the charge against the armies of the Plane of Shadow, and it was his scarlet glory that drowned the entire Plane in the red of morning conquest. Yet against the terrible splendor of the Jet Empress, mother of all nightwalkers, even Cozamalotl's light faltered and winked out. As the couatl lay dying, watching a sea of black sweeping over his forces, he cursed all Shadow, wishing that there might always be a light to beat it back. His desire and passion blazed so fervently that his spirit did not move on to its final reward, but took up residence in the body of a dwarf slave, born in captivity. In time, the slave spearheaded a rebellion which became a crusade to eradicate slavery outright, and took on the name Seeker in Saffron for her brilliant attire and ever-present aura of warm yellow light. Though the Seeker too fell in the course of her impossible quest, neither she nor Cozamalotl had any intention of giving up so easily. Six times in all Cozamalotl died a martyr, and six times Cozamalotl was reborn - but each time, his soul shone with a new spirit, a new color of light. Cozamalotl's final incarnation was that of a shade who drew upon the combined wisdom of all his past lives to overthrow the Jet Empress at long last, obliterating the nightwalker, her armies, and himself in a burst of radiance that shone bright enough to pierce heaven and hell alike. Yet the teachings of the Seven-Forged Sword, honed over seven lifetimes of strife, remained. Emblazoned in the sweep of the stars across the vault of the sky, whispered by the sun as it peers over the horizon, and written sevenfold after a storm by a rainbow, the secrets of the Seven-Forged Sword wait to be grasped by an epic hero and challenge the darkness once more.

Key Skill: Disguise
Discipline Weapons: Composite longbow, elven courtblade, greatsword

Radiant Prism [Epic, Initiation]
You have mastered all seven colors of light.
Prerequisites: Disguise 24 ranks, Martial Lore 24 ranks, must be capable of initiating 9th-level maneuvers from any one discipline.
Benefit: You are immune to blindness; also, you are unaffected by prismatic effects (such as prismatic sphere or prismatic spray, or the wardings of an Initiate of the Sevenfold Veil), and can move through them with no penalty.  In addition, you may learn maneuvers from the Seven-Forged Sword discipline.

Maneuvers:

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All of these maneuvers are supernatural abilities unless indicated otherwise; in addition, each of them has the [Light] descriptor, and count as 10th-level effects for the purposes of dispelling [Darkness] effects.

Aurora Walk
Seven-Forged Sword (Rush)
Initiation Action: Move action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Instantaneous
XP Cost: 20,000 XP
Training Time: 10 days

As you move, light in all colors trails behind you, leaving hypnotic afterimages in your wake that wash over nearby creatures.  As part of initiating this maneuver, move up to your speed.  All creatures who are within 30 feet of you at any point during your movement are affected as per the faerie fire spell, with a caster level equal to your initiator level.  In addition, you leave behind a prismatic wall (as the spell, with a caster level equal to your initiator level) that stretches across each square that you pass through during this movement.

Actinic Form
Seven-Forged Sword (Boost)
Prerequisite: 1 Seven-Forged Sword maneuver
Initiation Action: Swift action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: 1 round or until discharged
XP Cost: 30,000 XP
Training Time: 15 days

Your figure becomes shrouded with near-blinding, multicolored light.  Until the beginning of your next turn, creatures who are not immune to blindness suffer a 50% miss chance on attacks against you as they are forced to turn away from the glare.  In addition, you may discharge this effect as a free action in response to an attack, after you find out if the attack was successful; if you do, you briefly turn into a being of pure light, and the attack passes through you harmlessly, as do all further attacks made by the attacking creature against you until the end of their turn.

Death Nova
Seven-Forged Sword (Counter)
Prerequisite: 1 Seven-Forged Sword maneuver
Initiation Action: Immediate action
Range: See text
Target: 1 creature
Duration: Instantaneous
XP Cost: 30,000 XP
Training Time: 15 days

Your slain foe bursts into brilliant light, blinding the creatures around it.  Whenever you reduce a creature to -10 or fewer hit points (or an undead or construct to 0 or fewer hit points), you may initiate this maneuver.  If you do, its body explodes into brilliance, creating a burst of light 80 feet in radius.  All creatures in the globe (other than you) are blinded and take 6d6 points of damage; any creatures to which sunlight is harmful or unnatural take double damage. A successful Reflex save negates the blindness and reduces the damage by half. 

An undead creature caught within the burst takes 1d6 points of damage per initiator level (maximum 25d6), or half damage if a Reflex save is successful. In addition, the burst results in the destruction of any undead creature specifically harmed by bright light if it fail its save.  The ultraviolet light generated by the maneuver deals damage to fungi, mold, oozes, and slimes just as if they were undead creatures.

The slain foe's body is turned to dust by this maneuver, and it cannot be raised or resurrected by any magic less powerful than Wish, Miracle, or True Resurrection.

Lightspeed Charge
Seven-Forged Sword (Strike)
Prerequisite: 1 Seven-Forged Sword maneuver
Initiation Action: Full-round action
Range: See text
Target: See text
Duration: Instantaneous
XP Cost: 30,000 XP
Training Time: 15 days

You disappear in a burst of light, reappearing at your destination as your blade skewers your opponent like a pig. As part of initiating this maneuver, you teleport as per the greater teleport spell (except that you may not bring anyone else with you).  When you arrive at your destination square, you may make a single melee attack against any target within reach, if you choose.  If you do so, that attack receives a +20 bonus to the attack roll, deals +10d8 damage, and ignores damage reduction and hardness.  The attack otherwise counts as a charge attack, for any effects which require a charge.

Prismatic Ward
Seven-Forged Sword (Counter)
Prerequisite: 1 Seven-Forged Sword maneuver
Initiation Action: Immediate action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: 1 round
XP Cost: 30,000 XP
Training Time: 15 days

Shimmering light protects you from your aggressors. Initiate this maneuver in response to an attack. You create a cylindrical prismatic wall (as per the spell) around yourself, in between you and your attacker.  The wall is confined to any squares you occupy, and is the same height as you (rounded up to the nearest multiple of 5 feet).  The wall lasts until the beginning of your next turn.  If the attack against you was a melee attack, the attacker suffers as if trying to attack through a prismatic wall, as normal.

Rainbow Barrage
Seven-Forged Sword (Strike)
Prerequisite: 2 Seven-Forged Sword maneuvers
Initiation Action: Full-round action
Range: Melee or ranged attack
Target: One or more creatures or objects
Duration: Instantaneous
XP Cost: 45,000 XP
Training Time: 20 days

Your weapon lashes out seven times, each time blazing with a different color of the rainbow.  As part of initiating this maneuver, make a full attack action against one or more targets.  Each attack gains a benefit chosen from the list below.  You may not apply the same effect to more than one attack in this action; however, each time you use every effect on the list, the benefits reset and can be used again.  All effects which require a save have a DC of 10 + 1/2 your initiator level + your Charisma modifier.

• Your attack inflicts +8d6 fire damage.
• Your attack inflicts +8d6 acid damage.
• Your attack inflicts +8d6 electricity damage.
• Your attack carries an injury poison (Fort save; 2d8 Con initial and secondary).
• In addition to taking normal damage, the struck opponent must make a Fortitude save or be petrified.
• In addition to taking normal damage, the struck opponent must make a Will save or be permanently rendered insane (as per the insanity spell)
  
• In addition to taking normal damage, the struck opponent must make a Will save or be sent to another plane, determined randomly.

Seven-Ray Blade
Seven-Forged Sword (Boost)
Prerequisite: 2 Seven-Forged Sword maneuvers
Initiation Action: Swift action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: 1 round
XP Cost: 45,000 XP
Training Time: 20 days

Your attacks shimmer with many-coloured light, causing them to ignore damage reduction and hardness. In addition, you may hurl this light to attack from a distance, increasing your melee reach by +1000ft. The benefits of this maneuver last until the end of your turn.

Shimmering Echoes
Seven-Forged Sword (Stance)
Prerequisite: 2 Seven-Forged Sword maneuvers
Initiation Action: Swift action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Stance
XP Cost: 45,000 XP
Training Time: 20 days

Seven multicolored copies dance and weave around you, mimicking your movements.  You gain seven phantom images, as per the mirror image spell.  Whenever a creature attacks you, it must roll 1d8 to determine which image it hits; if the creature successfully strikes an image and not you, the image is destroyed as normal, but the attacking creature is affected as per the table below, depending on which image was struck.  All destroyed images reappear at the beginning of your turn; if an attacker rolls an image which has already been destroyed, roll again.  Any effect requiring a save has a DC of 10 + 1/2 your initiator level + your Charisma modifier.  Unlike with mirror image, creatures with true seeing cannot tell which the images are unless they make a caster level check vs a DC of 11 + your initiator level.

1d8	Effect
1	Attacker takes fire damage equal to your ranks in Disguise, Reflex save for half damage
2	Attacker takes acid damage equal to twice your ranks in Disguise, Reflex save for half damage
3	Attacker takes electricity damage equal to four times your ranks in Disguise, Reflex save for half damage
4	Attacker is poisoned (Fort save; 2d8 Con initial and secondary)
5	Attacker is turned to stone (Fort negates)
6	Attacker is permanently insane (Will negates)
7	Attacker is sent to another plane, determined randomly (Will negates)
8	Attacker strikes you

Detonation of Seven-Forged Radiance
Seven-Forged Sword (Strike) [Pinnacle]
Prerequisite: 8 Seven-Forged Sword maneuvers
Initiation Action: Standard action
Range: 100 ft/level
Area: Burst of radius 100 ft/level
Duration: Instantaneous
XP Cost: 100,000 XP
Training Time: 50 days

The master of the Seven-Forged Sword discipline can decimate armies in an instant, or destroy a city on a whim.  When you initiate this maneuver, you explode into an enormous burst of seven-colored light.  Everything in the area of the burst is suffers all the following effects (DC for saves is 10 + 1/2 initiator level + you Charisma modifier):

• 10d6 points of fire damage (Reflex half)
• 20d6 points of acid damage (Reflex half)
• 40d6 points of electricity damage (Reflex half)
• Poison (Fort save; death/1d6 Con)
• Petrification (Fort negates)
• Insanity (Will negates)
• Sent to another random plane (Will negates)

Initiating this maneuver destroys you and your equipment utterly; however, in 1d8 rounds, you reform in the exact space you were, as if you had been the target of a true resurrection spell.  All your equipment is returned exactly as it had been.  If the square you would reform in is occupied, you appear in the nearest empty square.

Many thanks to Bozwevial for the opening flavor text!