Revealing Light martial discipline
Revealing Light shows the truth in all things. Darkness is but a thin disguise, easily torn away. Disciples of the martial discipline learn not just to observe, but to investigate and understand their opponents.
Discipline AccessSeekers and
twilight adepts have access to Revealing Light, allowing them to learn and use its maneuvers. Like all martial disciplines, any character can dabble in its techniques with the Martial Study and Martial Stance feats.
Discipline Key Skill: Search
Discipline Favored Weapons: Club, dagger, glaive, quarterstaff, and rapier.
Sidebar: Mindfire DamageMany Revealing Light maneuvers use attacks that burn both the body and the mind, dealing mindfire damage. Mindfire damage is a form of amalgam damage combining both fire damage and untyped damage and using the more damaging of the two against any given target. The untyped component always counts as coming from a mind-affecting effect, while the fire component never counts as coming from a mind-affecting effect. As such, it harms both mindless (which are harmed by fire) and fire-immune creatures (which are harmed by the mind-affecting untyped component). Only creatures that are resistant or immune to both fire damage and mind-affecting effects, such as a shambling mound or a red dragon skeleton, are protected against mindfire damage.
The full rules for
amalgam damage are described elsewhere. This is just a quick primer.
Revealing Light 1- Awareness Beyond Sight Alone: Stance - Gain trapfinding, free Search checks for traps, an insight bonus to initiative, and partial uncanny dodge.
- Seeker's Strike: Strike - Attack deals +1d6 damage and ignores concealment and invisibility with a successful Search check.
- Shadows Parted: Stance - Gain low-light vision, darkvision, blindsense, or blindsight based on Search ranks.
- Surprising Reactions: Counter - You are no longer flat-footed, but your attacker may be rendered flat-footed for 1 round. Can be initiated while flat-footed.
Revealing Light 2- Flash of Truth: Counter - Disrupt an attack by momentarily blinding the attacker.
- Torch of Secrets: Strike - Attack deals +2d6 mindfire damage and reveals the opponent's surface thoughts.
Revealing Light 3- Liar's Punishment: Strike - Attack deals +2d6 damage and silences opponent for 1 round.
- Strike of Truth: Strike - Attack with a true strike effect.
- Thoughtful Radiance: Stance - Glow like daylight. Nearby enemies are dazzled. Nearby allies gain guidance each round.
Revealing Light 4- Faerie Strike: Strike - Attack deals +4d6 damage and temporarily negates concealment and invisibility with a successful Search check.
- Pyre of Falsehoods: Strike - Attack deals +4d6 mindfire damage and sets opponent on fire. While the fire burns, the subject cannot tell lies.
- Shadows Hide the False Path: Counter - Confuse an opponent who missed you.
Revealing Light 5- Light Come Forth: Boost - Your weapon temporarily gains the brilliant energy property.
- Truth Unseen and Undesired: Strike - Attack deals +2d6 damage and may confuse the opponent.
Revealing Light 6- Enemy Known: Boost - Learn everything there is to know about a creature or object.
- Expose Vulnerability: Strike - Attack causes creature to take +50% damage for 1 round.
- Revelation Strike: Strike - Attack deals +8d6 damage and temporarily negates concealment and invisibility in an area with a successful Search check.
Revealing Light 7- Find the Hidden Opening: Strike - Full attack deals +50% damage with successful Search check. Misses still deal half damage with successful check.
- Mirrored Soul: Counter - Reflect gaze attacks and individually-targeted spells with a successful Search check.
- Unfettered Sight: Stance - Gain true seeing and a +5 insight bonus on Spot and Search checks.
Revealing Light 8- Burning Questions: Strike - Attack deals +10d6 mindfire damage and forces opponent to answer a question.
- Moment of Truth: Counter - Reroll a failed roll with an additional +10 insight bonus. Usable no more than once per day for each category of rolls it can affect.
Revealing Light 9- Seek the Final Answer: Strike - Attack deals +5d6 damage, renders target catatonic as their mind is bombarded with all of the hidden truths of the universe.
Awareness Beyond Sight AloneRevealing Light (Stance)
Level: Seeker 1, Twilight Adept 1
Prerequisite: One Revealing Light maneuver
Initiation Action: 1 swift action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Stance
While you are in this stance, you become intuitively aware of any sudden or hidden threats. You gain a +2 insight bonus on initiative checks and you don't lose your Dex bonus to AC as a result of being flat-footed.
Additionally, you gain the ability to find traps, as per the rogue's trapfinding ability, and you automatically gain a free Search check whenever you come within 10 feet of a trap as if you were actively searching. Unlike the trapfinding ability, this does not grant you any special ability to disarm magic traps.
Burning QuestionsRevealing Light (Strike) [Fire, Mind-Affecting]
Level: Seeker 8, Twilight Adept 8
Prerequisite: Three Revealing Light maneuvers
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. The attack deals an additional 10d6 points of mindfire damage. Further, if it hits, the creature struck must make a Will save (DC 18 + your Int modifier). On a failed saving throw, you can ask the creature one question and it is compelled to answer as honestly and as completely as it can within 1 round. A successful saving throw prevents the creature from being compelled to answer and negates the mind-affecting side of the mindfire damage (although the non-mind-affecting fire damage side of the amalgam damage still applies).
You can also use this maneuver to force a creature to answer your question without inflicting damage. If you do, you make a touch attack and your attack deals no damage.
This maneuver is a supernatural ability. This maneuver is an enchantment (compulsion) effect.
Enemy KnownRevealing Light (Boost)
Level: Seeker 6, Twilight Adept 6
Initiation Action: 1 swift action
Range: 30 ft.
Target: One creature or object
Duration: 1 round
At a glance, the sum total of a creature or object's existence reveals itself to you. You learn a great deal about the subject and any effects affecting it in a short moment.
If you target a creature, you learn its name, challenge rating, level, character classes (if any), race, and type. You also learn all of the following the targeted creature possesses: damage reduction, fast healing, immunities, miss chance, chance to ignore damage (such as from incorporeality), chance to ignore crit damage (such as from
light fortification), regeneration, resistance to energy, spell resistance, and turn resistance. The DM lists only the types, not the amounts. For example, the DM would tell you a monster has fast healing, fire resistance, and spell resistance, not that it has fast healing 23, fire resistance 10, and spell resistance 35.
If you target an object, you learn its name, caster level (or equivalent), functions (both mundane and magical), how to activate its functions (if appropriate), and how many charges are left (if it uses charges).
You also learn of each ongoing effect affecting the targeted creature or object, including the effect's name, effect, and caster level (or equivalent).
Additionally, this surge of knowledge gives you momentary insight into the best way to fight the subject. For 1 round, you gain a +2 insight bonus on attacks rolls, saving throws, and to your Armor Class against the subject and effects it produces.
This maneuver is a supernatural ability. This maneuver is a divination effect.
Expose VulnerabilityRevealing Light (Strike)
Level: Seeker 6, Twilight Adept 6
Prerequisite: Three Revealing Light maneuvers
Initiation Action: 1 standard action
Range: Melee attack
Target: One creature
Duration: 1 round
Saving Throw: None
As part of this maneuver, you make a single melee attack. If the attack hits, the creature struck gains vulnerability to all damage for 1 round. It takes half again as much (+50%) damage as normal from any attack or effect, regardless of whether a saving throw is allowed, or if the save is a success or failure. This vulnerability also applies to the damage dealt by the attack from this maneuver.
Faerie StrikeRevealing Light (Strike) [Light]
Level: Seeker 4, Twilight Adept 4
Prerequisite: One Revealing Light maneuver
Initiation Action: 1 standard action
Range: Melee attack
Target: One creature
Duration: 1 round
Saving Throw: None
As part of this maneuver, make a Search check with a DC equal to the target's Armor Class and a single melee attack. If your Search check succeeds, your attack ignores any miss chances caused by concealment or invisibility and deals an extra 4d6 points of damage. A creature struck this way is also outlined in mystical lights for 1 round, as per the
faerie fire spell.
If your check fails, you can still attack, but you do not ignore miss chances, deal extra damage, or produce any
faerie fire.
This maneuver is a supernatural ability.
Find the Hidden OpeningRevealing Light (Strike)
Level: Seeker 7, Twilight Adept 7
Prerequisite: Three Revealing Light maneuvers
Initiation Action: 1 full-round action
Range: Melee attack
Target: One creature
As part of this maneuver, make a full attack. For each attack you make as part of the full attack, make a Search check with a DC equal to your target's Armor Class. If the attack hits and the Search check succeeds, the attack deals one-and-a-half times its normal damage. If the Search check succeeds but the attack misses, the attack nonetheless counts as a hit, but deals half its normal damage.
Flash of TruthRevealing Light (Counter) [Light]
Level: Seeker 2, Twilight Adept 2
Initiation Action: 1 immediate action
Range: 30 ft.
Target: One creature
Duration: Instantaneous
When you are attacked, you can initiate this maneuver to momentarily blind your attacker with a burst of light, potentially disrupting their attack. Your attacker resolves the attack as though they were blinded, granting you the benefits of total concealment against the attack. While the blinding imposes a 50% miss chance on the attack, it does not prevent your attacker from successfully targeting you entirely. You must initiate this maneuver after the attack is declared, but before your attacker has checked for concealment or made her attack roll.
This maneuver is a supernatural ability.
Liar's PunishmentRevealing Light (Strike)
Level: Seeker 3, Twilight Adept 3
Prerequisite: One Revealing Light 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 the attack hits, it deals an additional 2d6 points of damage and the creature struck must make a Will save (DC 13 + your Int modifier) or be rendered unable to speak for 1 round. A successful saving throw negates the silencing but not the extra damage.
This maneuver is a supernatural ability.
Light Come ForthRevealing Light (Boost) [Light]
Level: Seeker 5, Twilight Adept 5
Prerequisite: Two Revealing Light maneuvers
Initiation Action: 1 swift action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: End of turn
For the rest of your turn, any weapon you wield gains a modified version of the
brilliant energy property. This causes your attacks to most ignore nonliving matter, bypassing most armor and shield bonuses to Armor Class, but leaves them still able to harm nonliving creatures such as constructs and undead.
This maneuver is a supernatural ability.
Mirrored SoulRevealing Light (Counter)
Level: Seeker 7, Twilight Adept 7
Prerequisite: Three Revealing Light maneuvers
Initiation Action: 1 immediate action
Range: Personal
Target: You
You can use this maneuver when you are subject to an effect that allows a saving throw. The effect must be a gaze attack or a spell that targets you. This maneuver does not protect you from area spells that simply include you in their area, nor does it protect you from effect spells (including rays) or touch spells.
Make a Search check in place of your save and use the check's result to determine the save's success. If your save is successful, you are not affected by the effect and instead it is reflected back to its source, targeting its originator instead of you. If the spell or effect requires multiple saving throws, this maneuver only applies to the first saving throw you make; the full effect is reflected if you succeed, and you roll any subsequent saves normally if you fail. If the spell or effect is subsequently reflected back to you, it is instead negated.
You must use this maneuver before you attempt the saving throw. A result of a natural 1 on your Search check is not an automatic failure.
Moment of TruthRevealing Light (Counter)
Level: Seeker 8, Twilight Adept 8
Prerequisite: Three Revealing Light maneuvers
Initiation Action: 1 immediate action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Instantaneous
Sometimes, when the stakes are highest and the risk of failure is at its greatest, the universe shares a mote of hidden knowledge to guide you to victory. You can initiate this maneuver to reroll a failed roll you just made. You gain an additional +10 insight bonus on the reroll. This can be an attack roll you missed, a saving throw you failed, or a skill check you failed. The universe will only share so much knowledge so quickly, however. No matter how many times you initiate this maneuver, you can only reroll a roll of a given type (attack roll, saving throw, or skill check) once per day, each.
This maneuver is a supernatural ability.
Pyre of FalsehoodsRevealing Light (Strike) [Fire, Mind-Affecting]
Level: Seeker 4, Twilight Adept 4
Prerequisite: Two Revealing Light maneuvers
Initiation Action: 1 standard action
Range: Melee attack
Target: One creature
Duration: 3 rounds
Saving Throw: Will negates
As part of this maneuver, you make a single melee attack. The attack deals an additional 4d6 points of mindfire damage. Further, if it hits, the creature struck must make a Will save (DC 14 + your Int modifier) or catch fire. The fires that engulf the creature are mystical, not just physical, and are fueled by untruths as much as by flammable materials. While the creature burns, it takes mindfire damage instead of normal fire damage from being on fire and it cannot knowingly lie. The mystical fire created by this maneuver does not spread from the creature, so nearby flammable materials and flammable objects the creature is wearing or holding are not at risk of catching fire (although they may still be damaged by contact with the flames). A successful saving throw prevents the creature from catching fire and negates the mind-affecting side of the mindfire damage (although the non-mind-affecting fire damage side of the amalgam damage still applies).
As normal for catching on fire, a creature ignited by this maneuver immediately takes an additional 1d6 points of damage and is allowed a Reflex save (DC 14 + your Int modifier) each round to put itself out, taking 1d6 points of damage if it fails. As noted above, however, this is mindfire damage instead of the normal fire damage. The mystical flames burn for up to 3 rounds.
You can also use this maneuver to force a creature's truthfulness without inflicting damage. If you do, you make a touch attack, and your attack deals no damage. The mystical flames that burn on the creature also deal no damage, create no heat, do not damage or destroy anything they come in contact with, and are not at risk of spreading to other flammable materials.
This maneuver is a supernatural ability. This maneuver is an enchantment (compulsion) effect.
Revelation StrikeRevealing Light (Strike) [Light]
Level: Seeker 6, Twilight Adept 6
Prerequisite: Two Revealing Light maneuvers
Initiation Action: 1 standard action
Range: Melee attack
Target: One creature
Area: 30-ft. radius burst; see text
Duration: 1 round
Saving Throw: None
As part of this maneuver, make a Search check with a DC equal to the target's Armor Class and a single melee attack. If your Search check succeeds, your attack ignores any miss chances caused by concealment or invisibility and deals an extra 8d6 points of damage. A creature struck this way is also outlined in mystical lights for 1 round, as per the
faerie fire spell.
If your Search check succeeded and your attack hit, the
faerie fire surges outward from the point of impact. All of your opponents within a 30-foot radius burst with Armor Class less than or equal to your Search check result take 5d6 points of damage and become outlined in the
faerie fire for 1 round
If your check fails, you can still attack, but you do not ignore miss chances, deal extra damage, or produce any
faerie fire.
This maneuver is a supernatural ability.
Seeker's StrikeRevealing Light (Strike)
Level: Seeker 1, Twilight Adept 1
Initiation Action: 1 standard action
Range: Melee attack
Target: One creature
Saving Throw: None
As part of this maneuver, make a Search check with a DC equal to the target's Armor Class and a single melee attack. If your Search check succeeds, your attack ignores any miss chances caused by concealment or invisibility and, if it hits, deals an extra 1d6 points of damage.
If your check fails, you can still attack, but you do not ignore miss chances or deal extra damage.
This maneuver is a supernatural ability.
Shadows Hide the False PathRevealing Light (Counter) [Mind-Affecting]
Level: Seeker 4, Twilight Adept 4
Prerequisite: Two Revealing Light maneuvers
Initiation Action: 1 immediate action
Range: Melee attack
Target: One creature
Duration: Instantaneous
You can initiate this maneuver after a creature misses you with an attack. You make a melee touch attack against that creature. If your attack hits, it deals no damage, but the creature must make a Will save (DC 14 + your Int modifier) or become confused until the end of its next turn. This does not interfere with the remainder of any action it is in the middle of performing. This attack does not induce the creature to attack you, although subsequent attacks you might perform will, as normal.
Shadows PartedRevealing Light (Stance)
Level: Seeker 1, Twilight Adept 1
Initiation Action: 1 swift action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Stance
While you are in this stance, your senses intensify. If you have 4 or more ranks in Search, you gain low-light vision while you are in this stance, or the range of your existing low-light vision doubles if you already have it. If you have 9 or more ranks in Search, you gain darkvision out to 60 feet while you are in this stance, or the range of your existing darkvision increases by 60 feet if you already have it. If you have 14 or more ranks in Search, you gain blindsense out to 30 feet while you are in this stance. If you have 19 or more ranks in Search, you gain blindsight out to 15 feet.
| Search Ranks | Senses |
| 4+ | Low-light vision |
| 9+ | Darkvision 60 ft. |
| 14+ | Blindsense 30 ft. |
| 19+ | Blindsight 15 ft. |
This stance is a supernatural ability.
Seek the Final AnswerRevealing Light (Strike) [Mind-Affecting]
Level: Seeker 9, Twilight Adept 9
Prerequisite: Four Revealing Light maneuvers
Initiation Action: 1 standard action
Range: Melee attack
Target: One creature
Duration: Permanent
Saving Throw: Will negates
As part of this maneuver, you make a single melee attack. The attack deals an additional 5d6 points of damage. Further, if it hits, the creature struck must make a Will save (DC 19 + your Int modifier). On a failed Will save, the creature is rendered catatonic, its mind filled with visions showing it answers to all that it could ever ask about, and more. The creature is unable to react to its environment, its attention consumed with the visions. It will not take any actions, even to protect itself from imminent death. Without care from others, the creature will eventually die of thirst or starvation.
A spell or effect that dispels ongoing effects will not end this maneuver, only suppress it for 1d4 rounds. A
miracle,
limited wish,
wish, or other effect of similar power can end it. A
microcosm power will also end this maneuver. An
anti-magic field or
mind blank effect will negate this maneuver for as long as they last, but the visions and their effects will return as soon as the effect lapses.
Despite the apparent importance of the visions, no information can be gleaned from them. Any creature freed from this maneuver's effects will feel as though they could have gleaned some truth from the visions had they seen them for but a few moments longer.
A successful saving throw or protection from mind-affecting or divination effects prevents the catatonia-inducing visions, but does not negate the additional damage.
This maneuver is a supernatural ability. This maneuver is a divination effect.
Strike of TruthRevealing Light (Strike)
Level: Seeker 3, Twilight Adept 3
Prerequisite: One Revealing Light maneuver
Initiation Action: 1 standard action
Range: Melee attack
Target: One creature
As part of this maneuver, you make a single melee attack. You gain a +20 insight bonus on your attack roll and your attack ignores any miss chances caused by concealment or invisibility.
Surprising ReactionsRevealing Light (Counter)
Level: Seeker 1, Twilight Adept 1
Initiation Action: 1 immediate action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Instantaneous
You can initiate this maneuver when you are attacked. If your attacker misses you, the suddenness of your reactions places them on the back foot, rendering them flat-footed against you (although not with respect to any other creatures) until they next act. You must decide whether or not to initiate this maneuver before determining whether the attack hits or misses you.
Being flat-footed does not prevent you from using the immediate action to initiate this maneuver. If you initiate this maneuver while flat-footed, you are not flat-footed against the attack. If you were flat-footed as a result of not yet acting during the current encounter, you cease to be flat-footed.
Thoughtful RadianceRevealing Light (Stance) [Light]
Level: Seeker 3, Twilight Adept 3
Prerequisite: One Revealing Light maneuver
Initiation Action: 1 swift action
Range: Personal; 30 ft.
Area: 30-ft. radius emanation
Target: You
Duration: Stance
While you are in this stance, you radiate bright light, as per a
daylight spell, in a 60-foot radius, and dim light for an additional 60 feet beyond that. Opponents within the area of bright light that can see it are dazzled (imposing a -1 penalty on their attack rolls, on Search checks, and Spot checks). You and allies within 30 feet that can see the bright light receive flashes of insight and guidance from the universe; each affected creature can choose to add a +1 insight bonus on a single attack roll, saving throw, or skill check once per round, which must be chosen before making the roll.
This stance is a supernatural ability.
Torch of SecretsRevealing Light (Strike) [Fire, Mind-Affecting]
Level: Seeker 2, Twilight Adept 2
Prerequisite: One Revealing Light maneuver
Initiation Action: 1 standard action
Range: Melee attack
Target: One creature
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Will negates
As part of this maneuver, you make a single melee attack. The attack deals an additional 2d6 points of mindfire damage. Further, if it hits, the creature struck must make a Will save (DC 12 + your Int modifier). On a failed Will save, you can read the creature's surface thoughts. A successful saving throw prevents you from learning he creature's thoughts and negates the mind-affecting side of the mindfire damage (although the non-mind-affecting fire damage side of the amalgam damage still applies).
You can also use this maneuver to read a creature's thoughts without inflicting damage. If you do, you make a touch attack, and your attack deals no damage.
This maneuver is a supernatural ability. This maneuver is a divination effect.
Truth Unseen and UndesiredRevealing Light (Strike) [Mind-Affecting]
Level: Seeker 5, Twilight Adept 5
Prerequisite: Two Revealing Light maneuvers
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 the attack hits, it deals an additional 2d6 points of damage and the creature struck must make a Will save (DC 15 + your Int modifier) or become confused for 1 round, its mind filled with answers to questions it never wished to know. This attack does not induce the creature to attack you, although subsequent attacks you might perform will, as normal.
A successful saving throw or protection from mind-affecting or divination effects prevents the confusion, but does not negate the additional damage.
This maneuver is a supernatural ability. This maneuver is a divination effect.
Unfettered SightRevealing Light (Stance)
Level: Seeker 7, Twilight Adept 7
Prerequisite: Four Revealing Light maneuvers
Initiation Action: 1 swift action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Stance
While you are in this stance, you see beyond the physical and into the underlying truth of reality. You perceive things as they truly are, as per the
true seeing spell. Additionally, you gain a +5 insight bonus on Search and Spot checks.
This maneuver is a supernatural ability. This maneuver is a divination effect.
Change Log
26/05/2022: Shadows Hide the False Path now triggers on any miss, not just from concealment.
23/05/2022: First posted.
