Author Topic: Help Wanted: Martial Discipline.  (Read 12321 times)

Offline sirpercival

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Help Wanted: Martial Discipline.
« on: July 13, 2012, 01:35:48 PM »
EDIT: 5000th post!!!

OK, so I have this half-finished martial discipline.  Can someone help me finish it?  What I need right now is:

1) 9th-level maneuver(s)
2) Names for everything
3) Critique on the effect stubs, particularly for level-appropriateness
4) Maybe some counters?

Once I have these things, I can do the actual maneuver writeups.

This discipline is for any character that has an Animal Companion or Wild Cohort [henceforth referred to as "partner"].  Other things (like Special Mount, Psicrystal, or Familiar) work just fine, but the nature flavor of the rest of the abilities works best with druids & rangers.

It also uses Rushes.


Martial Discipline: Essence of Gaia

Insert flavor text here.

Associated weapons: All axes, all spears, scythe, sickle, quarterstaff, and natural weapons.
Key skill: Survival.

Whenever mention is made of "your partner", this refers to any companion you've gained through class features and feats other than Leadership, the Thrallherd class, and their derivatives.  Common examples include:
  • Animal companion
  • Familiar
  • Companion gained via the Wild Cohort feat
  • Psicrystal
  • Special Mount
Maneuver and Stance List

1st level
Call of Vines -- Strike.  Enemy is entangled by plant growth for 1 round.
Distraction --  Boost.  Target provokes AoO from your partner.
Grasp of the Bear -- Strike. Make a successful melee attack with improved grab.
Stalker in the Wilds -- Stance.  Gain sneak attack +1d6 while in natural settings.

2nd level
Defensive Partnership -- Counter.  Your partner attacks an opponent who just struck you.
Dual Movement -- Rush. Swap places with partner.
Lend Strength -- Boost. Increase partner's size by 1 category for 1 round.
Venomstrike -- Strike.  Make a melee attack which poisons your target.

3rd level
Gaia Infusion -- Stance.  Gain +2 to Str, Dex, and Con.
Gecko Run -- Rush. Move as if via spider climb.
Lessening Strike -- Strike. Reduce opponent's size by 1 category for 1 round.
Listen to the Earth -- Stance.  Gain tremorsense.

4th level
Constricting Vines -- Strike.  Opponent is grappled by plant life for 1 round.
Wild Reposition -- Boost.  Your partner moves up to its speed.
Wolfpack Harry -- Strike. Both partners make single attack.

5th level
Arboreal Charge -- Strike.  Charge in one tree and out another.
As the Wilds -- Stance.  Gain plant immunities, lose speed and Dex.
Defensive Partnership, Greater -- Counter.  Your partner attacks an opponent who is about to strike you, may interrupt attack.
Lend Might -- Boost.  Increase your partner's size by 2 categories for 1 round

6th level
Diminishing Strike -- Strike. Reduce opponent's size by 2 categories for 1 round.
Venomstrike, Greater -- Strike.  Make a melee attack which poisons your target with a more virulent poison.
Wild Assault -- Boost.  Partner makes single move + attack.

7th level
Inflict Transformation -- Strike.  Opponent is affected by baleful polymorph.
Vinefury Strike: Strike.  Opponent is grappled and pinned by plant life indefinitely.
Wild Cavalry -- Boost.  Partner makes a charge attack.

8th level
Arboreal Evasion -- Counter.  Immediate-action transport via plants.
Gaian Intellectus -- Stance.  While in natural terrain, know the position of every living thing w/in 60 feet; find the path to places in natural terrain.
Stoneform Strike -- Strike.  Make an attack which inflicts petrification.
Wolfpack Unison -- Strike.  You and your partner each make a full attack.

9th level
Sublime Unison -- Strike.  You and your partner each initiate a strike you know (which total to 9 levels).

Maneuver and Stance Descriptions
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Gaian Retribution
You and your partner protect each others' backs.
Prerequisite: One Essence of Gaia stance.
Benefit: Whenever an opponent successfully deals damage to you, if you are in an Essence of Gaia stance, your partner gains a +1 morale bonus to attack and damage per 10 points of damage dealt.  This bonus only applies to attacks against that opponent, and lasts for 1 round.  You gain the same benefit whenever you are in an Essence of Gaia stance and an opponent successfully deals damage to your partner.  You and your partner must both know which opponent caused the damage to gain the benefit of this feat.
« Last Edit: August 11, 2012, 06:47:55 PM by sirpercival »
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Offline Quillwraith

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Re: Help Wanted: Martial Discipline.
« Reply #1 on: July 13, 2012, 03:02:23 PM »
If animalistic power does the same thing as the spell, it should be higher level.
Baleful polymorph might be better at 7th, depending.

9th level:
 Sublime Unison(Strike): Each partner initiates a strike you know, of Xth level or lower. [sequel to the single attack and full attack ones]
Boost: You gain sneak attack equal to a rogue of your IL - X for one round. [works well with flanking]


Counters
Arboreal Evasion(8th level?): Limited range, immediate action transport via plants.
Defensive Partnership(2nd?) Partner makes AoO against attacker after you are hit.
Defensive Partnership, greater(5th?) Partner makes AoO against attacker for bonus damage, before you are hit, can interrupt attack.

Names:
1st level
Vine-calling strike(strike): entangled by plant growth for 1 round

2nd level
Dual Miovement(Boost): swap places with partner
Toxic Attack(Strike): venomstrike (poison)

3rd level
Listen to the Earth(stance): tremorsense
Gecko Run(rush): spider climb movement
Lessening Strike(strike)Strike: reduce opponent's size by 1 category for 1 round.

4th level
Vine-calling strike, greater(Strike): grappled by plant life for 1 round
Battle Unison(strike): both partners make single attack

5th level
Arboreal Charge(Strike): charge in one tree and out another
As The Forest(stance): gain plant immunities, lose speed and dex

6th level
Deadly Toxin(strike): greater venomstrike (poison)
Inflict Trasformation(strike): baleful polymorph


7th level
Vinefury strike: attacked by plant life for 1 round
Diminishing Strike (strike): reduce opponent's size by 2 categories for 1 round.

8th level
Natural Intellectus(stance):  while in natural terrain, know the position of every living thing w/in 60 feet; find the path to places in natural terrain.
Warrior Unison: both partners make a full attack.

Offline sirpercival

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Re: Help Wanted: Martial Discipline.
« Reply #2 on: July 13, 2012, 03:07:13 PM »
Thank you!  :love

If animalistic power does the same thing as the spell, it should be higher level.

Any suggestions then for a different 1st-level stance?
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Offline linklord231

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Re: Help Wanted: Martial Discipline.
« Reply #3 on: July 13, 2012, 04:44:46 PM »
 
Any suggestions then for a different 1st-level stance?

Stalker in the Wilds:  While in this stance,  you may move through any sort of undergrowth (such as natural thorns, briars, overgrown areas, and similar terrain) at your normal speed and without taking damage or suffering any other impairment. However, thorns, briars, and overgrown areas that have been magically manipulated to impede motion still affect you.  Additionally, you leave no trail in natural surroundings and cannot be tracked. You may choose to leave a trail if so desired.  Finally, if you are in this stance in any sort of undergrowth, you gain +1d6 Sneak Attack damage as the Rogue ability (you must meat all other requirements for activating Sneak Attack).

The Sneak Attack might be a little much for a 1st level stance, but I felt like just Woodland Stride + Trackless step wasn't enough.
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Offline sirpercival

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Re: Help Wanted: Martial Discipline.
« Reply #4 on: July 14, 2012, 10:38:15 AM »
The class this is for actually already gets Woodland Stride & Trackless Step... I may just keep the sneak attack in undergrowth, that's a pretty nice idea.
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Offline Quillwraith

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Re: Help Wanted: Martial Discipline.
« Reply #5 on: July 14, 2012, 10:46:02 AM »
I was thinking something like skirmish, but Stalker in the Wilds is probably more interesting.

Offline littha

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Re: Help Wanted: Martial Discipline.
« Reply #6 on: July 14, 2012, 12:43:08 PM »
my idea for a 9th level maneuver:


Heartbeat of the Wilds (Boost):
You and your Animal Companion fuse into one being, an avatar of nature. As the initiator, you control the actions of the fused being.

The Avatar of Nature has your current hit points plus the other creature’s current hit points. The fused being knows all the spells, powers and maneuvers you and your animal companion know, has the sum of your and the other creature’s power points, and knows or has prepared any spells you or the other creature possesses (if any). Likewise, all feats, racial abilities, and class features are pooled (if both creatures have the same ability, the fused being gains it only once). For each of the six ability scores, the Avatar of Nature’s score is the higher of yours and your Animal Companion’s, and the Avatar of Nature also has the higher Hit Dice or Initiator level—this effectively means the fused being uses the better saving throws, attack bonus, and skill modifiers of either member.

You decide what equipment is absorbed into the fused being and what equipment remains available for use. These fused items are restored once the power ends.

When the power ends, the Avatar of Nature separates. Your Animal Companion appears in an area adjacent to you that you determine. If separation occurs in a cramped space, the Animal Companion is expelled through the Astral Plane, finally coming to rest materially in the nearest empty space and taking 1d6 points of damage for each 10 feet of solid material passed through.

Damage taken by the Avatar of Nature is split evenly between you and your animal companion  when the power ends. You do not leave the fusion with more hit points than you entered it with, unless you were damaged prior to the fusion and the Avatar of Nature was subsequently healed. Ability damage and negative levels are also split between you and your Animal Companion. (If an odd number of negative levels or ability score reductions must be split, you decide whether you or your Animal Companion receives the additional loss.)

If an Avatar of Nature is killed, it separates into its constituent creatures, both of which are also dead. You cannot use fission on an Avatar of Nature.
« Last Edit: July 14, 2012, 04:32:20 PM by littha »

Offline sirpercival

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Re: Help Wanted: Martial Discipline.
« Reply #7 on: July 14, 2012, 08:47:13 PM »
my idea for a 9th level maneuver:


Heartbeat of the Wilds (Boost):
You and your Animal Companion fuse into one being, an avatar of nature. As the initiator, you control the actions of the fused being.

The Avatar of Nature has your current hit points plus the other creature’s current hit points. The fused being knows all the spells, powers and maneuvers you and your animal companion know, has the sum of your and the other creature’s power points, and knows or has prepared any spells you or the other creature possesses (if any). Likewise, all feats, racial abilities, and class features are pooled (if both creatures have the same ability, the fused being gains it only once). For each of the six ability scores, the Avatar of Nature’s score is the higher of yours and your Animal Companion’s, and the Avatar of Nature also has the higher Hit Dice or Initiator level—this effectively means the fused being uses the better saving throws, attack bonus, and skill modifiers of either member.

You decide what equipment is absorbed into the fused being and what equipment remains available for use. These fused items are restored once the power ends.

When the power ends, the Avatar of Nature separates. Your Animal Companion appears in an area adjacent to you that you determine. If separation occurs in a cramped space, the Animal Companion is expelled through the Astral Plane, finally coming to rest materially in the nearest empty space and taking 1d6 points of damage for each 10 feet of solid material passed through.

Damage taken by the Avatar of Nature is split evenly between you and your animal companion  when the power ends. You do not leave the fusion with more hit points than you entered it with, unless you were damaged prior to the fusion and the Avatar of Nature was subsequently healed. Ability damage and negative levels are also split between you and your Animal Companion. (If an odd number of negative levels or ability score reductions must be split, you decide whether you or your Animal Companion receives the additional loss.)

If an Avatar of Nature is killed, it separates into its constituent creatures, both of which are also dead. You cannot use fission on an Avatar of Nature.

Lol!  That's such a good idea, I gave it out as a class feature for a PrC based on this class.  Damn... I'm turning out to have outsmarted myself at every turn.
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Offline Quillwraith

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Re: Help Wanted: Martial Discipline.
« Reply #8 on: July 14, 2012, 10:00:40 PM »
Lol!  That's such a good idea, I gave it out as a class feature for a PrC based on this class.  Damn... I'm turning out to have outsmarted myself at every turn.
What class?

Offline Garryl

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Re: Help Wanted: Martial Discipline.
« Reply #9 on: July 14, 2012, 10:10:55 PM »
Lol!  That's such a good idea, I gave it out as a class feature for a PrC based on this class.  Damn... I'm turning out to have outsmarted myself at every turn.
What class?

Wildling, the 8th level ability.

Offline sirpercival

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Re: Help Wanted: Martial Discipline.
« Reply #10 on: July 29, 2012, 11:46:13 AM »
OK, I now have a complete writeup of maneuver stubs and names in the original post.  Last scan for level-appropriateness?  I realized I don't have discipline weapons... clearly natural weapons will be included (for the companion), but what are the manufactured ones?

I also need feats.  Bluh.  But either way, I'll start writing up maneuver descriptions shortly.
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Offline sirpercival

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Re: Help Wanted: Martial Discipline.
« Reply #11 on: July 29, 2012, 06:51:46 PM »
First two levels of maneuvers are up.
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Offline Garryl

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Re: Help Wanted: Martial Discipline.
« Reply #12 on: July 29, 2012, 11:17:27 PM »
What happens with Call of Vines if the only plants nearby are Plant creatures?
Distraction's Target should be one creature your partner threatens, not is adjacent to. Also, this feels more like a boost or a strike than a rush, since you don't actually move to use it. You just kinda sit there and flourish.

Dual Movement is too low level for a boost... is what I was sure of before I remembered Sudden Leap. Might work better as a rush, anyways, though.
Lend Strength should be a boost, not a rush.
Venomstrike should be range: melee attack and target: one creature. Should also clarify that there is no secondary damage, only primary.

Range of "partner" needs to be defined.

Offline sirpercival

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Re: Help Wanted: Martial Discipline.
« Reply #13 on: July 30, 2012, 07:36:35 AM »
Thank you!

What happens with Call of Vines if the only plants nearby are Plant creatures?
Clarified
Quote
Distraction's Target should be one creature your partner threatens, not is adjacent to. Also, this feels more like a boost or a strike than a rush, since you don't actually move to use it. You just kinda sit there and flourish.
Agreed and changed.

Quote
Dual Movement is too low level for a boost... is what I was sure of before I remembered Sudden Leap. Might work better as a rush, anyways, though.
It turns out I misremembered what Dual Movement was supposed to do.  I rewrote it; how's its current incarnation, and should it still be a rush?
Quote
Lend Strength should be a boost, not a rush.
Agreed.
Quote
Venomstrike should be range: melee attack and target: one creature. Should also clarify that there is no secondary damage, only primary.
Fixed.

Quote
Range of "partner" needs to be defined.
That'll go into the blurb at the top, as soon as I write it.

Also, 3rd-level maneuvers are up.
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Offline Garryl

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Re: Help Wanted: Martial Discipline.
« Reply #14 on: July 30, 2012, 09:31:44 AM »
Distraction should be swift, not move action.

Dual Movement's type (rush) disagrees with its action (swift). Could go either way.

Lend Strength should be a swift, not move action.

Venomstrike should say that the poison deals no secondary damage, not that there is no secondary attack.

Lessening Strike shouldn't specify +1 attack/AC for the new size. Use the wording in Lend Strength instead (ie: based on the target's new size).

Offline sirpercival

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Re: Help Wanted: Martial Discipline.
« Reply #15 on: July 30, 2012, 09:36:17 AM »
Distraction should be swift, not move action.

Dual Movement's type (rush) disagrees with its action (swift). Could go either way.

Lend Strength should be a swift, not move action.

Venomstrike should say that the poison deals no secondary damage, not that there is no secondary attack.

Lessening Strike shouldn't specify +1 attack/AC for the new size. Use the wording in Lend Strength instead (ie: based on the target's new size).

Thank you, all fixed.  I went with a Rush for Dual Movement.
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Offline sirpercival

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Re: Help Wanted: Martial Discipline.
« Reply #16 on: July 31, 2012, 08:04:17 AM »
4th, 5th, and 6th-level maneuvers are up.
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Offline Garryl

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Re: Help Wanted: Martial Discipline.
« Reply #17 on: July 31, 2012, 09:43:22 AM »
Greater Call of Vines needs a new name. It's mechanics are distinct from Call of Vines, no sense confusing people. Constricting Vines, maybe?
Wild Reposition feels like a boost, not a rush. And get rid of that last sentence about trading your move action for your partner's.
Isn't there already a Wolfpack Tactics maneuver in White Raven? I know there's a tactical feat by the same name in Races of the Wild.

Arboreal Charge, technically, doesn't work. In order to charge you need a straight line and you need to move to the nearest space. For obvious reasons, this fulfills neither (unless there is a pair of trees in your way, in which case you don't have line of sight or an unobstructed path, but that's a separate matter).
As the Wilds feels too strong. Laundry list of immunities and +4 AC seems a bit much for a 5th level stance.

Wild Assault should be a boost, not a rush.

Offline sirpercival

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Re: Help Wanted: Martial Discipline.
« Reply #18 on: July 31, 2012, 09:48:15 PM »
Greater Call of Vines needs a new name. It's mechanics are distinct from Call of Vines, no sense confusing people. Constricting Vines, maybe?
Yeah, constricting vines is nice.
Quote
Wild Reposition feels like a boost, not a rush. And get rid of that last sentence about trading your move action for your partner's.
Agreed.
Quote
Isn't there already a Wolfpack Tactics maneuver in White Raven? I know there's a tactical feat by the same name in Races of the Wild.
Damn.  I'll come up with a new name.

Quote
Arboreal Charge, technically, doesn't work. In order to charge you need a straight line and you need to move to the nearest space. For obvious reasons, this fulfills neither (unless there is a pair of trees in your way, in which case you don't have line of sight or an unobstructed path, but that's a separate matter).
So, given that we both know how I want this to work, how do I word it? ;)
Quote
As the Wilds feels too strong. Laundry list of immunities and +4 AC seems a bit much for a 5th level stance.
OK, I'll drop the AC bonus to +2 to net no AC change.  That way it's like Plant Body (druid 5) but with a speed reduction.

Quote
Wild Assault should be a boost, not a rush.
Agreed.
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Offline sirpercival

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Re: Help Wanted: Martial Discipline.
« Reply #19 on: August 01, 2012, 08:05:42 AM »
7, 8, and 9 are posted.  I'm not convinced I should be so restrictive for Sublime Unison.  Thoughts?
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