I recently took the time to review and reevaluate the initial set of rush maneuvers posted for the original nine disciplines. Some still hold but, but there are plenty that I'm not as fond of any more. Several of them feel like they should be boosts instead of rushes. Some are fine in principle but need a balance adjustment, particularly where avoiding AoOs is concerned (I think I undervalued it somewhat in the original writeups, and it's almost certainly too prevalent in general). However, my issue with some of them is a dislike of the core design, whether in the effect used or how so many rushes are just more powerful versions of lower-level ones.
Notes and analyses:
Still love it, no real changes:
- Warden's Step: Due to the extra immediate action involved, it's basically a counter that you have to set up in advance so the action economy checks out. Might drop the bit about counting as being an AoO, though.
- Creeping Darkness
- Scurrying Rabbit
- Formation March: Might need to clean up the wording, which has always been problematic. I do love the concept.
- Cautious Advance: A 2nd-level rush that lets you move normally and negates AoOs is the standard for rush design, really, so that part is perfectly fine. Good in principle, awkward wording about the movement ending stuff, largely in that it's just too damn narrow and also a little unintuitive from the text alone that it's meant to preserve your Stone Dragon stances. Maybe give it some sort of "don't count as moving" or protection from hazards (see Soft-Sole Slippers in Cheap Magic Items)? Maybe "regardless of the distance you actually move, you count as moving no more than 5 feet for any given effect or through any given hazard, and you never count as moving faster than half speed".
To remove:
- Stalking Darkness: It's just Creeping Darkness plus bonus Sneak Attack.
- Stone Dragon's Flight, Stone Wings: See comments about Cautious Advance. These are more powerful versions. Plus, as wonderful as Stone DRAGON maneuvers giving you flight is it's ultimately out of theme for the discipline. Plus, bypassing the grounded-only restrictions really should be system-wide somehow instead of relying on specific maneuvers to temporarily negate it.
- Battle March, Squad March: They're just Formation March with morale bonuses. Maybe one of them could fit, but not both.
To rework as boosts:
- Beat of the Iron Heart: Good concept, but the wording may need work. See Splitting Strands Attack that I'm working on for a revised Sublime Tapestry for ideas.
- Pulse of the Iron Vein: Might give it the standard no AoO effect, too. Alternatively, it could remain as a rush if it reduces the freedom of movement to only during the movement, instead of for the entire turn.
- Sunset Slide: Return to starting position as a response to an attack is a souped up counter. It should be something you have to trigger before the end of your turn. Maybe a boost that teleports you to any space you were in during the current turn?
- Pounce From the Canopy: If you're taking this, it's either for the skirmish or for the move action to move an uncapped Jump check's distance. Might wind up as a boost giving something like "skirmish 1d6/+1 and count as having a running start for Jump checks this round". Although, you know what, Skirmish 1d6/+1 is weak enough for a rush's augmentation that it might be just fine as-is. Gah, I keep going back and forth on this, whether or not it's better as a rush or a boost.
To rework in general:
- Dancing Flame, Dancing Inferno, Dancing Wildfire: As a whole, I'm not too fond of them. If I keep any of them, they would be reworked as boosts.
- Action Without Motion: I just don't like the effect any more. Also, compare to Feigned Opening in Setting Sun regarding getting AoOs of your own off of provoking AoOs.
- Horizon Step: This is a long-range teleportation spell, effectively. It should be at least a standard action.
New ideas to replace or augment some of the rushes to be removed:
- Brash Advance: Stone Dragon 5. Move in a straight line. Can move through occupied spaces. When you do, free action bull rush to push them perpendicular to your path and can't move with them. You and creatures pushed have no AoOs for the bull rush.
- Sandstorm's Wake: Desert Wind 2. Move with concealment. A cloud of dust or sand appears in every space you move through, including both your starting and ending spaces, obscuring sight as fog cloud for 1 round.
- Winds Across the Dunes: Desert Wind 4. Move. Produces a gust of wind through each space you move through (including start and end spaces). You are immune to this wind. The wind lasts 1 round. You are unaffected by any environmental effects that you move through that the wind is strong enough to disperse.
- Footsteps of the Mirage: Setting Sun 4. Move, no AoOs. Once per creature, when you are adjacent to it and move away, you can try to move it 5 feet into the space you vacated if it fails a Reflex save. No AoOs for this forced movement. Note: Can affect both allies and enemies.
- Perilous Path: Devoted Spirit 5. Move. For 1 round, enemies provoke AoOs from you and your allies for entering spaces you moved through. Supernatural.
- Walk the Butcher's Path: Tiger Claw 3. Move. Free melee attack against each helpless, prone, or grappled creature you threaten during this movement, although dramatically reduced damage against non-helpless creatures. Gain a morale bonus on your next attack this turn for each creature you attack this way. (Not sure this is actually working out. It keeps growing and still never feels like it's reliable enough to ever work while also being too strong when it does.)
- Coiled Potential (v1): Diamond Mind 3. Do nothing. Until you next move, or until your next turn, if you are hit by an attack, move up to twice your speed, no AoOs. If you aren't hit, gain an offensive bonus of some sort in your next turn. (Eh, don't like this as much on second thought.)
- Coiled Potential (v2): Diamond Mind 3. Move at half speed. Next turn, your speed is doubled.
- Willful Momentum: Diamond Mind 1. Move. Make a Concentration check and use it instead of your AC against attacks of opportunity your provoke during this movement.
- Quicksilver Escape: Diamond Mind 8: Perform a withdraw action (double move, no AoOs from leaving the space you begin your movement in) as a move action.
- Into the Breach: Diamond Mind 4, or maybe Setting Sun: Move. When an AoO is made against you that you provoked due to this movement, its attacker provokes an AoO from you. (It's basically the original Action Without Motion, but without the Sudden Strike. If creatures recognize the maneuver, it's basically purely worse than movement without AoOs, since the enemy gets to choose between no AoO or trading AoOs.)
- Bounding Cheetah: Tiger Claw 2. Make a Jump check to jump, count as having a running start. Move up to your speed plus half the indicated horizontal jumping distance. You may use the Jump check result to jump at any point during this movement.
- Positional Advantage: Iron Heart 2. Move up to your speed around a creature you threaten without provoking AoOs from it. The creature counts as threatened by creature in your original position until end of turn, allowing you to essentially flank with yourself.
Some possible revised rushes:
- Pounce From the Canopy (v2): Tiger Claw 3. Make a Jump check to jump, count as having a running start. Use the Jump check result to jump and move the indicated distance (not limited by your movement speed).
- Dancing Inferno (v2): Desert Wind 8. Move with perfect flight equal to normal speed. Harmless mystic flames cling to any creature whose space you move through. If you initiate a strike that deals fire damage this turn, the flames erupt into a blazing inferno. Half of any fire damage dealt by the strike to an affected creature ignores fire resistance and immunity. Any affected creature that isn't dealt fire damage instead takes half the fire damage (although not other damage types your strike would deal) as they would have if they were directly affected by the strike (Ref DC 18 + Wis negates, no separate save against the triggering strike). (Ugh. No. Brain, please stop coming up with rush ideas that just add damage. That's boost territory.)
- Cautious Advance (v2): Stone Dragon 2. Move, no AoOs. Regardless of the distance you actually move, you count as moving no more than 5 feet for any given effect or through any given hazard, and you never count as moving faster than half speed.
Tentative new rush writeups
Sandstorm's Wake
Desert Wind (Rush)
Level: Swordsage 2
Initiation Action: 1 move action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Instantaneous; 1 round
The air swirls and a cloud of sand billows around you as you move.
As part of this maneuver, you can move up to your speed. During this movement, a cloud of dust and sand appears around you, obscuring sight. This cloud grants you concealment as you move, and lingers in every space you move through, including both your starting and ending spaces. The cloud obstructs all sight, including darkvision, beyond 5 feet. A creature within 5 feet has concealment (attacks have a 20% miss chance). Creatures farther away have total concealment (50% miss chance, and the attacker can’t use sight to locate the target).
The maneuver does not function underwater.
This maneuver is a supernatural ability.
Winds Across the Dunes
Desert Wind (Rush)
Level: Swordsage 4
Prerequisite: One Desert Wind maneuver
Initiation Action: 1 move action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Instantaneous; 1 round
Saving Throw: See text
You advance with a blustering wind at your back.
As part of this maneuver, you can move up to your speed. You gain a +10-foot enhancement bonus to your movement speed during this movement. During this movement, a severe wind (approximately 50 mph) follows you. This wind follows your path and blows through every space you move through, including both your starting and ending spaces. The wind otherwise functions as a gust of wind spell. The save DC to resist the effects of the wind is 14 + your Wisdom modifier. You are not subject to the effects of any clouds or gases you move through during this movement that the wind is strong enough to disperse in 1 round or less.
This maneuver is a supernatural ability.
Perilous Path
Devoted Spirit (Rush)
Level: Crusader 5
Prerequisite: Two Devoted Spirit maneuvers
Initiation Action: 1 move action
Range: Special
Area: One 5-ft square per 5 feet of movement
Duration: Instantaneous; 1 round
Channeling your determination, you demand of the universe that no foe shall follow in your footsteps. The path you walk is a barrier that you build from your and your allies' blades.
As part of this maneuver, you can move up to your speed. A shimmering glow appears in each of the squares along your path. Any opponent that moves into one of these squares provokes an attack of opportunity for doing so from any creature that threatens that square.
This maneuver is a supernatural ability.
Warden's Step (v2)
Devoted Spirit (Rush)
Level: Crusader 3
Initiation Action: 1 move action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: 1 round or until discharged
Weaving through your foes, you position yourself to best defend your allies.
As part of this maneuver, you can move up to your speed. Any ally that you pass adjacent to during this movement is considered to be protected by you for the duration of this maneuver. Whenever an opponent attacks an ally you protect this way, you may discharge the effects of this maneuver as an immediate action to perform a charge against that opponent. You can charge through your allies when performing a charge in this way, but you must otherwise respect all of the limitations and requirements of a charge.
Coiled Potential (v2)
Diamond Mind (Rush)
Level: Swordsage 3, Warblade 3
Prerequisite: One Diamond Mind maneuver
Initiation Action: 1 move action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: 1 round
.
As part of this maneuver, you can move up to half your speed. On your next turn, you gain a +30-foot bonus to your movement speed. This cannot increase your speed with any form of movement to greater than twice your normal speed.
Quicksilver Escape
Diamond Mind (Rush)
Level: Swordsage 8, Warblade 8
Prerequisite: Three Diamond Mind maneuvers
Initiation Action: 1 move action
Range: Personal
Target: You
.
As part of this maneuver, you can take a withdraw action. This maneuver essentially allows you to perform a withdraw action as a move action instead of as a full-round action.
When you withdraw, you can move up to double your speed. The square you start out in is not considered threatened by any opponent you can see, and therefore visible enemies do not get attacks of opportunity against you when you move from that square. (Invisible enemies still get attacks of opportunity against you, and you can’t withdraw from combat if you’re blinded.)
Willful Momentum
Diamond Mind (Rush)
Level: Swordsage 1, Warblade 1
Initiation Action: 1 move action
Range: Personal
Target: You
.
As part of this maneuver, you can move up to your speed. Whenever you provoke an attack of opportunity as a result of this movement, make a Concentration check. You can use the result of this check in place of your Armor Class if it's higher when determining whether or not the attack hits you.
Positional Advantage
Iron Heart (Rush)
Level: Warblade 2
Initiation Action: 1 move action
Range: See text
Target: You and a creature you threaten
Duration: End of turn
.
As part of this maneuver, you can move up to your speed around a creature that you threaten. You must threaten the target at all points during your movement, and you cannot attempt to move into or through a space from which you would not threaten it. This movement does not provoke attacks of opportunity the target, although it still provokes attacks of opportunity form other creatures as normal. Until the end of your turn, the target counts as threatened by you from your original position as well as from your current position, potentially allowing you to flank with yourself.
Creeping Darkness (v1)
Shadow Hand (Rush)
Level: Swordsage 1
Initiation Action: 1 move action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: 1 round
Like a shadow, you slip unseen past your foe's watchful gaze.
As part of this maneuver, you can move up to your speed. This movement does not count towards determining the penalties (if any) you suffer on your Hide and Move Silently checks due to movement. In addition, if you had cover or concealment when you initiated this maneuver, you are considered to have the same degree of cover or concealment for the purpose of hiding for the duration of your movement and until the beginning of your next turn. This does not grant you any other benefits of cover or concealment, but it does allow you to hide in the open for a short time.
Cautious Advance (v2)
Stone Dragon (Rush)
Level: Crusader 2, Swordsage 2, Warblade 2
Initiation Action: 1 move action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Channeling the earth, you carefully move in on your foes, leaving no opening or vulnerability.
As part of this maneuver, you can move up to your speed. This movement does not provoke attacks of opportunity. Regardless of the distance you actually move, you count as moving no more than 5 feet for any given effect or through any given hazard, and you never count as moving faster than half speed.
Cautious Advance (v3)
Stone Dragon (Rush)
Level: Crusader 2, Swordsage 2, Warblade 2
Initiation Action: 1 move action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Channeling the earth, you carefully move in on your foes, leaving no opening or vulnerability.
As part of this maneuver, you can move up to your speed. You gain a +4 dodge bonus to your Armor Class against attacks of opportunity you provoke as a result of this movement. Regardless of the distance you actually move, you count as moving no more than 5 feet for any given effect or through any given hazard, and you never count as moving faster than half speed.
Brash Advance (v1)
Stone Dragon (Rush)
Level: Crusader 5, Swordsage 5, Warblade 5
Prerequisite: Two Stone Dragon maneuvers
Initiation Action: 1 move action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Like an avalanche, you move unstoppably forwards, sweeping aside all foes in your path.
As part of this maneuver, you can move up to your speed in a straight line. You can move through occupied spaces during this movement. Once per creature while you occupy a space occupied it during this movement, you can attempt a bull rush attempt against it as a free action, pushing the creature perpendicular to and away from your path (you choose to which side if your path passes through the center of the creature's space). You cannot move with the creature, so you can't move it further out of your path than the size of your own space. While your movement provokes attacks of opportunity as normal, neither your bull rush attempts nor the creature's movement from them provoke attacks of opportunity. If you successfully bull rush a creature that made an attack of opportunity against you due to your movement but did not deal damage to you, it falls prone at the end of its movement.
You must end your movement in an occupiable space. If you do not, you return to and fall prone in the last occupiable space you were in.
Brash Advance (v2)
Stone Dragon (Rush)
Level: Crusader 5, Swordsage 5, Warblade 5
Prerequisite: Two Stone Dragon maneuvers
Initiation Action: 1 move action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Like an avalanche, you move unstoppably forwards, sweeping aside all foes in your path.
As part of this maneuver, you can move up to your speed in a straight line. When you attempt to enter a space occupied by another creature, if it doesn't let you through, you can attempt to bull rush it as a free action. If successful, you push the creature perpendicular to and away from your path (you choose to which side if your path passes through the center of the creature's space) the line of your movement, rather than in line with it. You cannot move with the creature, but you can keep moving along the same line as your movement, continuing to push the creature as long as it continues to occupy your path. If you fail to move the creature fully out of your path, your movement ends in the last occupiable space along your path.
While your movement provokes attacks of opportunity as normal, neither your bull rush attempts nor a creature's movement from them provoke attacks of opportunity.
((TODO: What happens if you can't push a creature far enough because their movement is blocked? Can we knock them prone and continue on?))
Bounding Cheetah
Tiger Claw (Rush)
Level: Swordsage 2, Warblade 2
Prerequisite: One Tiger Claw maneuver
Initiation Action: 1 move action
Range: Personal
Target: You
You adopt a loping stride, letting your leaps carry you a great distance.
As part of this maneuver, make a Jump check. You count as having a running start for this, regardless of your previous movement. Then, move up to your speed plus half the indicated horizontal jumping distance of your Jump check, rounded down to the nearest multiple of 5 feet. If you wish, you may use the Jump check result to jump at any point during this movement.
Scurrying Rabbit (v2)
Tiger Claw (Rush)
Level: Swordsage 5, Warblade 5
Prerequisite: Two Tiger Claw maneuvers
Initiation Action: 1 move action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Instantaneous
You scurry around with guarded movements, lashing out as you pass your enemies by.
As part of this maneuver, you can move up to your speed. This movement does not provoke attacks of opportunity. You can take any of your remaining actions for the turn at any point during this movement.
Footsteps of the Mirage
Setting Sun (Rush)
Level: Swordsage 5
Prerequisite: Two Setting Sun maneuvers
Initiation Action: 1 move action
Range: See text
Target: See text
Saving Throw: Reflex negates
You walk in a meandering dance that hides your true movements, letting you subtly correct your allies' positions and distract and nudge your foes out of formation.
As part of this maneuver, you can move up to your speed. You do not provoke attacks of opportunity for this movement. Whenever you leave a square adjacent to another creature, you can pull it 5 feet into that square. If the creature cannot occupy that space, it does not move. The creature's movement does not provoke attacks of opportunity. An unwilling creature can negate this movement with a successful Reflex save (DC 15 + your Dexterity modifier). You can attempt to pull any given creature only once each time you initiate this maneuver.
Formation March (v2)
White Raven (Rush)
Level: Crusader 3, Warblade 3
Prerequisite: One White Raven maneuver
Initiation Action: 1 move action
Range: 30 feet
Area: 30 feet
Target: You and one or more willing creatures
Duration: Instantaneous
Guiding your allies, you move as one across the battlefield.
As part of this maneuver, you and each other target move up to half your speed in a straight line. Each subject of this maneuver must move the same distance and in the same direction (relative to its own starting position). Resolve each subject's movement simultaneously. As soon as one subject's movement stops, so too does the movement of all other subjects. Your movement provokes attacks of opportunity as normal, but the other subjects' movement does not.
Tentative strike/boost rewrites of original rushes
Action Without Motion (v2)
Diamond Mind (Boost)
Level: Swordsage 7, Warblade 7
Prerequisite: Three Diamond Mind maneuvers
Initiation Action: 1 swift action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: End of turn
As you focus, eternity condenses into a single moment.
When you initiate this maneuver, your perception of time accelerates and the world around you slows to a crawl. For you, time seems to all but stop until the end of your turn, but for others, your movements become a momentary blur of speed. In this state, your movement speed is doubled, you are effectively invisible and undetectable, and other creatures are flat-footed and denied their Dexterity bonus to AC (if any) against you. Such is your speed that the results of any actions you perform apply to yourself and objects in your possession immediately, but to anything else they apply only once maneuver's effect end at the end of the turn.
Other creatures cannot use immediate actions, and their readied actions cannot be performed in response to your actions. You do not provoke attacks of opportunity. You can still trigger traps, magical wards, contingency spells, and similar automatic reactive effects as a result of your actions, but their triggers are delayed until the maneuver's effect ends.
While you are protected from direct attack and any hazards reliant on motion, you are still vulnerable to environmental hazards like open flames, extreme heat or cold, caltrops, toxic gases, and the like that are hazardous due to your proximity or interaction with them.
This maneuver is a supernatural ability.
Sunset Slide (v2)
Setting Sun (Boost) [Teleportation]
Level: Swordsage 3
Prerequisite: One Setting Sun maneuver
Initiation Action: 1 move action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Rushing forwards, you move to strike your foe. In the blink of an eye, you stand serenely back where your charge began.
You teleport to any space you previously occupied this turn, or the nearest available space if that space is occupied or impassable.
Pulse of the Iron Vein (v2)
Iron Heart (Boost)
Level: Warblade 5
Prerequisite: Two Iron Heart maneuvers
Initiation Action: 1 move action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: 1 round
As your blood flows unopposed through your veins, so too do you flow unstoppably across the battlefield.
Until the beginning of your next turn, you gain the benefit of a freedom of movement effect, as the spell. Additionally, you can move through occupied spaces and you do not provoke attacks of opportunity for doing so (although you still do for leaving a threatened square).
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